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  • SBP-held foreign exchange reserves rise by $15.8 million to $9.11 billion

    SBP-held foreign exchange reserves rise by $15.8 million to $9.11 billion

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported a modest increase in its foreign exchange reserves, rising by $15.8 million or 0.17 per cent week-on-week (WoW) to reach $9.11 billion as of May 31, 2024, according to data released on Thursday.

    The central bank did not provide specific reasons for this increment.

    Conversely, Pakistan’s total reserves saw a decline, falling by $99.8 million or 0.70 per cent WoW to $14.22 billion. This reduction was primarily attributed to a significant drop in reserves held by commercial banks, which decreased by $115.6 million or 2.21 per cent WoW, settling at $5.11 billion.

    Since the start of the current fiscal year, the SBP’s reserves have experienced a substantial increase of $4.64 billion or 103.95 per cent.

    This notable rise is largely due to Pakistan securing the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) of approximately $3 billion by the end of June last year, which facilitated access to additional multilateral and bilateral funding.

    In the current calendar year, the SBP’s reserves have increased by $888.3 million or 10.8 per cent, reflecting a steady improvement in the country’s financial standing.

  • Babar Azam becomes highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals

    Babar Azam becomes highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam became the highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals.

    Babar Azam overtook India’s Virat Kohli with the 16th run of his innings in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against USA.

    Virat Kohli has scored 4038 runs in 110 T20 international innings while Babar has scored 4067 runs in 113 innings.

  • ‘Fans search for my looks, not my work’: Durefishan

    ‘Fans search for my looks, not my work’: Durefishan

    Fans of actress Durefishan Saleem, what is wrong with you?! The star has complained in a recent interview that internet searches for her name are often accompanied by the keyword ‘hot’ rather than her work.
    “Most of the times, people are looking for ‘Durefishan Hot’ on their internet searches, and they are not looking for my work,” she remarked during a recent event.


    “Public figures should expect criticism; it comes with the territory,” said host Ahmed Ali Butt. He emphasized that being in the spotlight means getting attention and criticism, whether it is desired or not.

    Fatima Effendi agreed, saying: “She must have thought that as once you write your name on Google, several suggestions come up, and she must have assumed that people were searching for her ‘hot pictures’.”

  • Here is the probable playing XI of Pakistan against USA

    Here is the probable playing XI of Pakistan against USA

    The possible green shirt playing XI for Pakistan vs USA scheduled on June 6 in T20 World Cup 2024 has come out. Pakistan will play their first T20 World Cup 2024 match against USA today, in Dallas, Texas AT 8:30 PM (PKT).

    Captain Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan, who returned as the opening pair with a 59-run partnership in the fourth T20I against England, are likely to continue as openers in this match as well.

    Azam Khan is suffering from confidence issues after poor performances with gloves and bat in the recent series. This may allow Pakistan to consider replacing him with Saeem Ayub. If Saeem Ayub is included in the playing XI, he will likely open alongside Rizwan.

    Due to Imad Wasim’s injury, Shadab Khan will be the only specialist spinner in the XI who will handle the spin department with the help of Iftikhar.
    The Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium conditions are favorable for fast bowlers, so Pakistan is likely to go with four pacers.

    If the Green Shirts decide to go with three pacers, Abrar Ahmed will come into the playing XI.

    Pakistan’s Probable Playing XI:

    Muhammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (captain), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan (wicketkeeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah/Abbas Afridi or Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir and Haris Rauf.

  • Who is Indian rapper Badshah’s favourite Pakistani?

    Who is Indian rapper Badshah’s favourite Pakistani?

    If you wonder who holds the title of favorite Pakistani for Indian singer and rapper Badshah, let me reveal the answer for you. Badshah recently took to Instagram Stories to answer fan questions, where he disclosed that his favorite person from Pakistan is none other than the legendary pop icon, the late Nazia Hassan.


    Badshah shared a picture of the Boom Boom singer on his Instagram Story along with the question, stating, “Quite a few but she’d always be the most favorite.” This revelation left fans curious about how many classic Pakistani pop hits Badshah might secretly be jamming to.


    Fans of both the rapper and pop singer flooded the comments section with positive reactions. “The queen of pop music,” commented one Instagram user, while another called Nazia Hassan “the legend, our childhood queen.”

  • Justice Minallah says live streaming of Khan’s appearance in court not against law

    Justice Minallah says live streaming of Khan’s appearance in court not against law

    Supreme Court Justice Athar Minallah on June 5 issued a dissenting note on the majority verdict against the petition seeking live streaming of the hearing of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case, stating that there was “no substantive reason” to deny the public the right to have access to court proceedings.

    In a 13-page long document, the judge asserted that “Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi is the founder and undisputed leader of a major political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).” Therefore live streaming his court appearances wasn’t against the law.

    The development came after the Supreme Court released a detailed verdict on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s petition last week, stating that broadcasting the court proceedings of cases involving politicians can be used for political “point-scoring”.

  • ‘Bado Badi’ by Chahat Fateh Ali Khan taken down from YouTube

    ‘Bado Badi’ by Chahat Fateh Ali Khan taken down from YouTube

    A piece of bad news for Chahat Fateh Ali Khan fans and lovers who enjoyed his song ‘Bado Badi’. The viral hit has been taken down from YouTube after accumulating over 28 million views. The removal was due to copyright claims, as the legendary singer Noor Jehan owned the original song.


    .Kashif Rana, who performs under the name Chahat Fateh Ali Khan, is a British Pakistani musician and a former first-class cricketer.


    The song ‘Bado Badi’ has been trending on Instagram and YouTube Shorts. The title ‘Bado Badi’ is a Punjabi phrase. The original song, titled ‘Ankh Ladi Bado Badi,’ was sung by Noor Jehan for the film ‘Banarasi Thug.’


    ‘Bado Badi’ Original song:

  • NEPRA announces tariff hike of Rs3.33 per unit for ex-Wapda distribution companies

    NEPRA announces tariff hike of Rs3.33 per unit for ex-Wapda distribution companies

    The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has sanctioned an increase of Rs3.3321 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in the electricity tariff for ex-Wapda distribution companies (XWDISCOs), according to a notification issued on Thursday.

    This tariff adjustment is attributed to fluctuations in fuel charges for April 2024. The increased rate will be itemised separately on consumers’ bills based on the units consumed during that month.

    NEPRA clarified that the revised tariff will apply to all consumer categories except Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) and lifeline consumers.

    Previously, the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), a subsidiary of the Power Division, had requested an additional Rs3.49 per unit to cover the higher fuel costs for April 2024.

    The CPPA-G reported that the actual pooled fuel cost for April 2024 was Rs8.9801/kWh, significantly higher than the reference fuel cost of Rs5.4918/kWh, resulting in a difference of Rs3.4883/kWh.

    “After incorporating the aforementioned adjustments, NEPRA reviewed and assessed a national average uniform increase of Rs3.3321/kWh in the applicable tariff for XWDISCOs on account of variations in the fuel charges for April 2024,” the notification stated.

    Consumers can expect to see this adjustment reflected in their upcoming bills as NEPRA continues to address the variations in fuel costs impacting the electricity sector.

  • Suspect arrested in Nasrullah Gadani murder

    Suspect arrested in Nasrullah Gadani murder

    A suspect involved in the murder of Nasrullah Gadani, a journalist working for the daily newspaper Awami Awaz, has been arrested by Yaro Lund police in Sindh.

    Gadani was killed in Mirpur Mathelo last month on May 21. He was shifted to Karachi for treatment after an attack, where he succumbed to his injuries.

    According to the police, the motorcycle used in the journalist’s murder was also recovered from the suspect who has been shifted to an unknown location for investigation.

    Raids are being conducted to arrest the associates of the man.

  • Gangsters were planning to use minors to kill Salman Khan: Mumbai Police

    Gangsters were planning to use minors to kill Salman Khan: Mumbai Police

    In a shocking revelation, notorious Indian gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar were reportedly planning to use minors to assassinate Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. Mumbai police unveiled the chilling plot days after foiling another attempted attack on the superstar at his Panvel farmhouse.


    According to Indian news agencies, the Navi Mumbai Police have been actively investigating the matter and recently uncovered a video call conversation between Ajay Kashyap, a Lawrence Bishnoi gang member, and Dogar, an alleged accomplice from Pakistan. The conversation revealed that sharpshooters trained under Anmol Bishnoi and Rohit Godara are strategically positioned across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Raigad, and Gujarat. These sharpshooters, following orders from Goldy Brar, have been instructed to use minors to attack Khan.


    The police also disclosed that 60 to 70 gang members are deployed to monitor the movements of the ‘Tiger 3’ star. A man named John has been specifically tasked with providing a vehicle for the operation.


    In light of this development, a case has been registered against 17 identified individuals, including Lawrence Bishnoi, his brother Anmol Bishnoi, gang member Sampat Nehra, Goldy Brar, Ajay Kashyap alias Dhananjay Tapesing, Sukha Shooter, Sandeep Bishnoi alias Gaurav Bhatia, Wasim China, Dogar, and others at Panvel Town police station.


    The video call also discussed plans to acquire weapons such as AK-47s, M-16s, AK-92s, and Zigana pistols for the assassination. The gang had conducted detailed reconnaissance of Khan’s travel routes, including railway stations, rickshaw stands, and the Panvel bus stand.


    Despite Salman Khan’s use of a bulletproof vehicle, sources indicate that the gangsters plan to ambush and shoot him near his farmhouse using AK-47 rifles. The Mumbai police continue to investigate and monitor the situation closely to ensure Khan’s safety.