The Adiala jail administration on August 30 refuted reports about withdrawing facilities for former Prime Minister Imran Khan as party leaders insist that he is facing difficulties during incarceration.
The superintendent of Adiala jail has said that all facilities are still available to the founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as per the jail manual, Geo News reported.
“He is supplied one English newspaper daily. He has an exercise machine and a place to walk,” he said.
Furthermore, Khan and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, have been allocated a separate kitchen, and prison staff are available 24/7 for Khan’s security.
A few days ago, Khan alleged that there were rats in Bushra Bibi’s cells, while the jail superintendent denied these reports, saying, “There is no veracity in the news of an open sewer in Khan’s cell or rats in Bushra’s.”
According to the jail official, Khan has also been provided with a television and books to read.
PTI Senator Muhammad Ali Khan Saif earlier claimed that Imran Khan was being deprived of many jail facilities, saying, “The PTI founder is suffering from ear pain. He’s not being given an electric toothbrush and a dumbbell for exercise.”
The second Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh is scheduled to be played today at 10:30 am in the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
However, Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been experiencing intermittent rain since morning, and the Meteorological Department has predicted cloudy skies till the afternoon of the first day of the match.
Rain water has accumulated on most of the outfield of the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and the groundskeepers will soon start working to dry it.
The toss is likely to be delayed due to rain and a wet outfield while the pitch has been completely covered.
In the first match of the two-test series, Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by 10 wickets, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
President Asif Ali Zardari announced a reward of 10 crore rupees for Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, after he won the gold medal for Pakistan in the Paris Olympics.
The President also awarded the athlete the Hilal-e-Imtiaz. The ceremony was held at the President’s House in Islamabad.
On this occasion, President Asif Ali Zardari said, “Arshad Nadeem made the country proud by setting an Olympic record and also inspired countless young athletes of the country.”
Appreciating Arshad Nadeem’s outstanding success, continuous hard work, and dedication, the President said, “Scholarships should also be given to the children of the players. I would like to contribute 250 million rupees to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Endowment Fund. I hope that Arshad Nadeem will continue to shine the name of the country in the future.”
The President also appreciated the services of coach Salman Iqbal Butt for guiding Arshad to success. Arshad thanked the President for giving him the Hilal-e-Imtiaz Award.
The star Javelin thrower won the gold medal by throwing 92.97 meters in the javelin throw competition of the Paris Olympics 2024, winning Pakistan’s first medal in the event after 32 years.
Shannon Gabriel, who represented West Indies for 12 years, announced his retirement through an Instagram post.
He wrote, “It has been an immense pleasure to play the beloved sport of cricket at the highest level, but as the saying goes, all good things come to an end, so I am also announcing my retirement from international cricket.”
He also thanked the West Indian Cricket Board.
36-year-old Shannon represented West Indies in 59 Tests, 25 ODIs and 2 T20 Internationals.
Famous singer and social worker Shehzad Roy has posed an important question while highlighting a significant issue.
He shared a video on Instagram featuring students from a school run by his organization, Zindagi Trust, holding hands alongside Roy.
In the video, he addresses his followers, writing, “Let me tell you why I stand with folded hands in front of the apartments and residents around SMB Fatima Jinnah School in Karachi, under Zindagi Trust.”
He notes that people often complain about corrupt rulers, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s failure to pick up garbage, and how these issues have contributed to the destruction of our country and city—and they are right.
The video shows a classroom that was once a gathering spot for drug addicts, now used for girls’ conferences. It also features an area formerly controlled by the land mafia, which has been transformed into a library.
Roy then showcases an art room, emphasizing that it is larger than those in many private and expensive schools in the city. This space, which was previously used for weddings, has now been repurposed for educational purposes.
“I won’t blame all the residents, but many have witnessed this transformation, yet they still throw their garbage into the girls’ school,” the singer said.
He spoke on behalf of the schoolgirls, saying that the 3,000 girls at the school are joining hands to request that neighborhood residents stop throwing garbage on the school grounds and help keep it clean.
He added, “If, after hearing these girls’ pleas, people continue to throw garbage here, then perhaps this nation would even throw garbage in heaven.”
His Instagram post’s caption read: “What should we do now to stop people from throwing garbage in our school? Any advice?”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated Jay Shah (son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah) on becoming the International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman.
The post read, “Congratulations, Union Home Minister! Your son has not become a politician but the ICC Chairman—a post much more important than most politicians’ !! Your son has indeed become very, very powerful, and I congratulate you on this most elevated achievement. Kudos!”
In response, people had things to say.
An ‘X’ user wrote, “Start by congratulating your brothers, BOA President Ajit Banerjee and Joint Secretary Babun Banerjee, for their outstanding performance in the Paris Olympics.”
The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has allegedly said that former spymaster General Faiz Hameed was removed as the head of the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) in 2021 on the demand of former Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif.
Speaking to journalists at Adiala jail, Khan said, “After America withdrew from Afghanistan in August, the PTI-led government started negotiations with the Afghan Taliban in September to terminate Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Afghan government was ready to cooperate with the government, and General Faiz also briefed the Opposition. But now the incumbent government is blaming PTI of terrorism.”
He added, “In the PTI-led government, Intelligence agencies were busy stopping the terrorists, but now they are after the PTI leadership, which is increasing hate.”
He remarked, “As soon as the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa retires, four constituencies will open, which will force the incumbent government to fall.”
Responding to the PTI rally scheduled for September 8, he stated, “The rally will take place in Islamabad on September 8, and the whole nation must join it.”
On Thursday, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) saw a slight depreciation of 19.23 paisa, or 0.07 per cent, against the US dollar (USD) in the interbank market.
The rupee settled at PKR 278.64 per USD, compared to the previous closing rate of PKR 278.45. Throughout the trading session, the rupee reached an intraday high bid of PKR 278.80 and an intraday low ask of PKR 278.70.
In the open market, exchange companies quoted the USD at PKR 279.13 for buying and PKR 280 for selling.
Here’s how Pakistani currency performed against other major currencies:
Currency
Change
Previous rate
Thursday’s rate
Swiss Franc
+50.26 paisa
330.25
330.75
British Pound
-38.65 paisa
368.46
368.07
Euro
+1.12 rupee
310.72
309.60
Chinese Yuan
+13.78 paisa
39.06
39.20
Japanese Yen
+0.01 paisa
1.9261
1.926
Saudi Riyal
+4.93 paisa
74.21
74.26
UAE Dirham
+5.24 paisa
75.86
75.81
PKR exchange rates for Thursday
In comparison to other major currencies, the Swiss franc gained 50.26 paisa, closing at PKR 330.75, up from PKR 330.25 in the previous session. Conversely, the British pound depreciated by 38.65 paisa, settling at PKR 368.07, compared to PKR 368.46 from the day before.
The PKR also strengthened against the Euro, gaining 1.12 rupees to close at PKR 309.60, up from PKR 310.72. The Chinese yuan saw an increase of 13.78 paisa, closing at PKR 39.20 compared to PKR 39.06 previously.
Against the Japanese yen, the PKR gained 0.01 paisa, ending at PKR 1.926, compared to PKR 1.9261 a day earlier. The Saudi riyal closed at PKR 74.26, reflecting a gain of 4.93 paisa from PKR 74.21 the previous day. The UAE dirham appreciated by 5.24 paisa, closing at PKR 75.81 compared to PKR 75.86.
In recent months, the PKR has largely fluctuated between PKR 277 and PKR 279 as traders await approval from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board for a new $7 billion Extended Fund Facility. In a positive development,
Moody’s Ratings upgraded Pakistan’s local and foreign currency issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings from Caa3 to Caa2. Moody’s also anticipates IMF approval for Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility in the coming weeks.
Globally, the US dollar stabilised on Thursday, recovering some of its previous losses. Traders are now looking forward to a key US inflation report at the end of the week, which may provide further insights into the future direction of interest rates.
So far in the current financial year, the PKR has depreciated against the dollar by 30.11 paisa, or 0.11 per cent. However, for the calendar year, the PKR has appreciated by 3.22 rupees, or 1.16 per cent.
Foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) saw a rise of $112 million over the past week, bringing the total to $9.4 billion as of August 23, according to data released on Thursday.
“During the week ending on August 23, 2024, SBP reserves increased by $112 million, reaching $9.4 billion,” the bank stated in its report. This follows a smaller increase of $19 million the previous week.
In total, the country’s liquid foreign reserves reached $14.77 billion, with commercial banks holding $5.37 billion of this amount. The central bank did not provide any specific reason for the increase in its reserves.
The rise in reserves comes as Pakistan seeks to raise up to $4 billion from Middle Eastern commercial banks by the next fiscal year (FY26). This effort is part of a broader strategy to address the country’s external financing needs, as explained by SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad in a recent interview.
Ahmad also mentioned that Pakistan is in the final stages of securing an additional $2 billion in external funding, which is crucial for obtaining the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approval for a $7 billion bailout programme.
In related financial news, the international price of gold rose to $2,516 per ounce on Thursday, marking an increase of $4 during the day, according to the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Traders and Exporters Association (APGJSA). Silver prices, however, remained steady at Rs2,950 per tola.
Actress Saman Ansari recently appeared as a guest on Ahmed Ali Butt’s Podcast.
The host, Ahmed Ali Butt, asked, “What is one thing you would like to buy for Yumna Zaidi?”
Ansari responded, “Many years ago, Yumna used to live with me, so I knew what she needed back then. But now, Mashallah, she has come such a long way; how would I know what’s missing in her life?”
The host asked again, “So if you meet her now, what would you buy for her?”
Ansari replied, “If I get to meet her now, I think what would make her happy is if I got something for her mom. She is extremely close to her mother, so if I were to get anything for her, it would be an unlimited gift for her.”
Saman and Yumna have worked together on the drama serial Jugnoo, which was written by Amna Mufti and directed by the seasoned director Farooq Rind.
