Current Final

Blog

  • IHC stops government from blocking SIMs of non-filers

    IHC stops government from blocking SIMs of non-filers

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday stopped the government from blocking phone SIMs of non-filers.

    IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued a stay order effective till May 27 as the court took up the petition today filed by a mobile phone company challenging the government’s decision to block SIMs of non-filers.

    Salman Akram Raja, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader, was the petitioner’s counsel and gave forward the argument that the amendment in the law is at odds with Article 18 of the Constitution which guarantees freedom to do business.

    The High Court order came out after the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and telecom operators agreed on blocking of SIMs of tax non-filers in a bid to reduce tax evasion and improve revenue.

    FBR had announced that telecom companies have agreed to commence the manual blocking process of SIMs in small batches until their systems are fully equipped to automate it.

    It also announced initially 5,000 non-filers would be targeted and then further more batches would be sent to telecom operators.

  • PTI will protest countrywide against inflation, Khan warns government

    PTI will protest countrywide against inflation, Khan warns government

    Incarcerated former prime minister and founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, has warned the government that his party will launch countrywide protests if power and gas tariffs are increased.

    While talking to journalists in Adiala jail, Imran said that a country’s economy can’t stabilise if a government is not formed with the votes of the people.

    The former prime minister said that imposing more taxes will destabilise the country’s economy in the months of June and July. He further explained that as a big chunk of tax money went into paying off debt, it made investors hesitant to invest in Pakistan.

  • ‘Drive like a woman’, French road safety campaign tells men

    ‘Drive like a woman’, French road safety campaign tells men

    A French road safety association said Monday it had launched a campaign urging men to drive like women, aiming to cut traffic deaths while debunking the sexist stereotype that men are better behind the wheel.

    “Drive Like A Woman”, runs the slogan on the ads, seen mostly in metro stations and posted online, from the association Victims and Citizens.

    “A look at the data tells you that there’s no truth” to the stereotype that men are better drivers, the association said in a statement.

    Some 84 percent of deadly road accidents were caused by men, it said, citing a governmental road safety report.

    Victims and Citizens, which assists people injured in traffic accidents and runs awareness campaigns, said it hoped to prompt a change in the “mentality of men and therefore in their behaviour”.

    According to the government report, 93 percent of drivers causing an accident under the influence of alcohol were men.

    “Driving like a woman just means one thing, staying alive,” the ad campaign said.

    Close to 3,200 people died in road accidents in France last year, with early data for this year pointing to a possible increase in 2024.

    cco/jh/sjw/rlp

    © Agence France-Presse

  • AB de Villiers says Indian journalism has gotten ‘so low’

    AB de Villiers says Indian journalism has gotten ‘so low’

    Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers hit back at the Indian media for misrepresenting his comments on Hardik Pandya.

    While commenting on the captaincy of Mumbai Indians captain Pandya in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, De Villiers called him a brave captain, but Indian media has taken his statement out of context.

    https://youtu.be/2G7NEqj_yO0

    In a video posted on X (Formerly Twitter) AB de Villiers said, “I see there’s a lot of activity on X about the comments that I made about Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians, and it’s a shame that journalism and reporting has got so low. And I’m very happy that some of you have pointed that out. Taking some of my comments and leaving the rest out.”

    “I very clearly stated and I will state this again, I absolutely love the way Hardik Pandya plays his game. I love the way he captains. All I was saying is his style of captaincy is something he has certainly worked on. It’s not something he can just walk out of a door and you are a brave captain, he decided,” De Villiers added.

    Slamming Indian reporters, the smashing batsman opined, “I wish that you reporters out there would see it for that and write about stuff like that, because that’s actually really powerful. Sometimes you have to put up a front and to show the opposition you are a force to be reckoned with. And that’s what Hardik Pandya does. Well. And I’m saying that style is not always the easiest style to adapt to, especially for some senior players.”

    The leadership of Mumbai Indians was handed over from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya, but the performance of Mumbai Indians under his captaincy was very poor and they became the first team to be eliminated from the event.

    Despite a star-studded line-up in the ongoing IPL, the five-time champions have struggled under the leadership of Hardik and are ninth in the points table with just four wins out of 13 matches so far.

  • King Charles appears healthy in jolly public appearance with Prince William

    King Charles appears healthy in jolly public appearance with Prince William

    Britain’s King Charles recently revealed that as a side effect of his cancer treatment, he lost his sense of taste. Despite the setback, the monarch appeared healthy and cheerful as he joined his son, Prince William, in a significant public event.

    During a ceremony on Monday, King Charles bestowed an important military role upon Prince William, marking a rare occasion where both father and son were present together. The event signified the King’s return to public duties following his battle with cancer.

    Amidst laughter, Charles conferred upon William the title of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a position the monarch held for 32 years as Prince of Wales. The ceremony occured in front of an Apache helicopter, with soldiers witnessing the event at the Army Flying Museum in southern England. William later flew the aircraft.

    Speaking proudly of his son’s past achievements, Charles commended the heir apparent’s skills as a pilot, highlighting his previous service in flying helicopters for Britain’s Royal Air Force, particularly in search and rescue missions.

    The engagement marked Charles’ first official task since resuming work at the end of April, following a three-month hiatus for cancer treatment. Similarly, William, aged 41, took a break from his official duties in March and April to support his wife during her chemotherapy treatment to prevent cancer. William shared on Friday that his wife is “doing well.”

    Expressing both sadness and optimism during the handover ceremony, Charles bid farewell to his role with the Army Air Corps, expressing confidence in the Corps’ future under his son’s leadership. He was grateful to all involved and proud of his longstanding association with the Corps.

  • Reham Khan, husband Mirza Bilal have cutest disagreement on Twitter

    Reham Khan, husband Mirza Bilal have cutest disagreement on Twitter

    British-Pakistani journalist Reham Khan had the cutest disagreement on Twitter with her husband Mirza Bilal.
    Reham posted a picture on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption “Guess who”.

    In the picture it was written, “Whose mood improves with a book, a poem , a song or cup of coffee is not defeated by anyone: even life loses with her.”
    Reham asked her followers to guess who the message was about, hinting at her husband, Bilal. This led to a fun chat between the couple.

    In response to Reham’s post, her husband joked, “Hamara mood tou baghair poem k hi theek ho jata hei”, to which Reham jokingly asked, “What about the cigarette & gym?? Coffee bhi non stop”

    Mirza Bilal replied, “Have to quit cigarettes. Twitter waley koi techniques bataein.”
    Reham recommended self hypnosis. “The gums & patches can help some but it’s me only will power.”
    Their conversation wasn’t just fun; it also sparked discussion on quitting smoking and the value of willpower.
    Reham Khan and Mizra Bilal’s lighthearted conversation highlighted the transition to a healthy lifestyle while also providing us with a glimpse inside their life.

  • US, Pakistan to cooperate in tackling threats posed by TTP, Daesh

    US, Pakistan to cooperate in tackling threats posed by TTP, Daesh

    Pakistan and the United States have highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation regarding regional and global security challenges, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh.

    According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Monday, discussions centred on the counterterrorism landscape in the region, with a focus on areas of mutual interest.

    Both sides agreed on the importance of expanding counterterrorism collaboration and capacity building, including exchanges of technical expertise and best practices, investigative and prosecutorial assistance, provision of border security infrastructure and training.

    Most importantly, the United States has also explicitly named TTP and ISIS-Khorasan (Daesh) as “transnational terror threats”.

    Journalist Anas Mallick wrote on X that it is a success of Pakistan’s diplomacy to convince US on naming TTP as much of a threat as ISIS.

  • Supreme Court allows Khan to attend hearings via video link

    Supreme Court allows Khan to attend hearings via video link

    The Supreme Court (SC) has allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder chairman Imran Khan to attend hearings in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments case through a video link.

    On September 15, 2023, while considering a petition filed by Imran Khan, the apex court invalidated amendments made to NAB laws.

    A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa, comprising Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Hassan Azhar, heard the government’s pleas challenging the NAB amendments verdict.

    The NAB prosecutor general said at the start of the hearing that the Bureau will support the government’s argument in this case.

    In response to this, Justice Athar Minallah said that Imran Khan wants to attend this case. “How can a respondent be barred from attending court proceedings?” he added.

    Justice Minallah further said, this is a matter of basic fundamental rights. 

  • Pakistan defeats India in Big Time Boxing Tournament in Australia

    Pakistan defeats India in Big Time Boxing Tournament in Australia

    Pakistani boxer Ilyas Hazara defeated Indian boxer Gurjant Singh in the Big Time Boxing Tournament held in Melbourne, Australia.

    Ilyas Hazara raised Pakistan’s flag by easily beating Gurjant Singh and winning the trophy along with the gold medal.

    Earlier, Balochistan’s Shahzaib Rind won the tournament by defeating India’s Rana Singh in the finals of the Combat Karate competition held in Dubai last month.

  • Massive recruitments approved for vacancies in government departments

    Massive recruitments approved for vacancies in government departments

    If you are young and unemployed, this one’s for you: the government is recruiting for 1,102 vacant posts for grades 1 to 17 in federal ministries and subordinate institutions.

    The Establishment Division has issued separate NOCs for each institution.

    NOC has been issued for the recruitment of 12 vacancies of Medical Officers (Grade 17) in District Health Office Islamabad. These recruitments will be through FPSC while two of Grade 16 and 17 in National Library, five for Information Service Academy of Grade I to 13, and 206 recruitments of Grade 4 to 15 will be made in the Defense Division.

    Additionally, 66 Grade I to 15 in the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, 429 Grade I to 15 (including 85 regulars) in PIMS Hospital, one Information Officer Grade 17 and Grade 16 Computer Operator in Ministry of Defense (GHQ). Another Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital will be filled for 77 posts from Grade I to 15.

    Surplus of Establishment Division to recruit 85 of Grade 4 to 15 in Ministry of External Affairs, six of Grade 16 in Staff Welfare Organization, 13 of Grade I to 14 in Pakistan Public Administration Research and 199 of Grade I to 15 in FIA.