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  • How many Afghans have left Pakistan so far?

    How many Afghans have left Pakistan so far?

    The repatriation of Afghans living across Pakistan continues.

    According to official data, from February 15 to February 19, another 3,396 Afghans left Pakistan, including 1,245 men, 1,025 women, and 1,914 children. 210 families have reportedly been repatriated in 124 vehicles to Afghanistan.

    A large number of illegal Afghans have been returning to Afghanistan from Pakistan fearing arrest, even before the announcement by the government of Pakistan.

    According to official data released on February 19, a total of more than 493,000 Afghans have returned to their country as of yet.

  • Prince William calls for an end to war on Gaza

    Prince William calls for an end to war on Gaza

    The British Prince William has said that the “sheer scale of human suffering” had brought home the need for peace in an enclave “where too many have been killed”, reports Al Jazeera.

    In a rare, direct intervention for a member of the royal family, William, the heir to the British throne, said it was critical that aid gets through to those who need it in Gaza.

    “Sometimes, it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home,” he said in a statement.

    The 41-year-old visited the British Red Cross headquarters in London on Tuesday to hear about their work supporting people affected by war in the Middle East.

    “I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible,” he said. “There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released.”

    Previously, the heir apparent of the British throne, Prince William, was reportedly set to commence a number of royal engagements in order to “recognise the human suffering” as a result of Israeli operations on Gaza and in the Middle East.

    Kensington Palace has said that the future King will also take into consideration increasing anti-Semitism around the world.

    He is set to meet with humanitarian workers in the region while also visiting a synagogue to listen to the youth countering anti-Semitism.

    “The prince and princess were profoundly concerned by events that unfolded in late 2023 and continue to hold all the victims, their family and friends in their hearts and minds,” his office said.

  • PML-N to hold parliamentary meeting today to form provincial government   

    PML-N to hold parliamentary meeting today to form provincial government   

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will hold the first meeting of its Punjab parliamentary board today to complete the formation of the provincial government.

    PML-N vice president, Maryam Nawaz, and candidate for chief minister, Punjab, will address the meeting at Jati Umra in Lahore at 2pm today.

    The PML-N scion will talk about her goals and plans as the next chief minister of the province, making her the first female to hold the position. Additionally, she will discuss strategies for electing the speaker and deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

    PML-N nominated the scion of the Sharif family for the Punjab chief minister position after she won in the general elections held on February 8. She won one seat in the National Assembly and another in the provincial assembly—NA-119 and PP-159—both located in Lahore.

    According to insiders of PML-N, party supremo Nawaz Sharif will join the meeting via video link.

  • Global operation smashes ‘most harmful cyber crime group’

    Global operation smashes ‘most harmful cyber crime group’

    LONDON: An international operation led by UK and US law enforcement has severely disrupted “the world’s most harmful cyber crime group”, the Russian-linked ransomware specialist LockBit, officials announced Tuesday.

    LockBit and its affiliates have targeted governments, major companies, schools and hospitals, causing billions of dollars of damage and extracting tens of millions in ransoms from victims.

    Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA), working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Europol and agencies from nine other countries in Operation Cronos, said it had infiltrated LockBit’s network and taken control of its services.

    “We have hacked the hackers, we have taken control of their infrastructure, seized their source code, and obtained keys that will help victims decrypt their systems,” NCA director general Graeme Biggar told reporters in London.

    LockBit’s website — selling services that allow people to organise cyber attacks and hold data until a ransom is paid appears — was taken over on Monday evening.

    A message appeared on the site stating that it was “now under control of law enforcement”.

    “As of today LockBit is effectively redundant, LockBit has been locked out,” Biggar said.

    The US Justice Department (DOJ) said the agencies had seized control of “numerous public-facing websites used by LockBit to connect to the organization’s infrastructure” and taken control of servers used by LockBit administrators.

    The NCA added that it had obtained more than 1,000 decryption keys and will be contacting UK-based victims in the coming days and weeks to offer support and help them recover encrypted data.

    Biggar said the network had been behind 25 percent of all cyber attacks in the past year.

    Lockbit has targeted over 2,000 victims and received more than $120 million in ransom payments since it formed four years ago, according to the (DOJ).

    Those targeted have included Britain’s Royal Mail, US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, and a Canadian children’s hospital.

    In January 2023, US law enforcers shut down the Hive ransomware operation which had extorted some $100 million from more than 1,500 victims worldwide.

    Following that action, Lockbit had been seen as the biggest current threat.

    Hive and Lockbit are part of what cybersecurity experts call a “ransomware as a service” style, or RaaS — a business that leases its software and methods to others to use in extorting money.

  • PSL 9: Multan Sultans defeats Islamabad United by 5 wickets in a thriller

    PSL 9: Multan Sultans defeats Islamabad United by 5 wickets in a thriller

    In the fifth match of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9, Multan Sultans defeated Islamabad United by 5 wickets in a thriller.

    Multan Sultans captain Muhammad Rizwan won the toss and decided to field first.

    Islamabad United’s innings

    On behalf of Islamabad United, Agha Salman scored 52 runs and Jordan Cox scored 41 runs. Apart from this, Azam Khan scored 13 runs, Shadab Khan 11, Colin Munro 8, Alex Hales 2, Nasim Shah 2 while Imad Wasim Safar, Faheem Ashraf scored one run each.

    The whole team could score 144 runs in 20 overs.

    For Multan Sultans, Muhammad Ali and Abbas Afridi took 3 wickets each, Usama Mir took 2 wickets and David Wiley dismissed one player.

    Multan Sultan’s inning

    From Multan Sultan’s Captain Rizwan scored 43 runs, Reza Handricks scored 58 runs and Iftikhar Ahmed scored 18 runs. Multan acheived the target in 19.5 overs.

    From Islamabad Nasim Shah took 2 wickets, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim and Tymil Mills took one wicket each.

  • FBR collects Rs5.15 trillion in taxes in less than eight months

    FBR collects Rs5.15 trillion in taxes in less than eight months

    The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has revealed that it has achieved a remarkable milestone by collecting revenue amounting to Rs5.15 trillion from July 2023 to mid-February 2024.

    This represents a substantial 30 per cent increase compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year, according to an official press release.

    The report indicates that the growth in tax revenue is attributed to a comprehensive strategy employed by the FBR, with a keen focus on both domestic and import taxes.

    Tax refunds during this period witnessed a substantial 28 per cent growth, further contributing to the positive financial trajectory.

    A breakdown of the month-wise revenue collection for the period from July 2023 to January 2024 reveals that overall growth in domestic taxes reached an impressive 40 per cent. Concurrently, import duty and related taxes experienced a significant uptick of 16 per cent.

    The surge in revenue collection aligns with the revival of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and increased scrutiny of FBR’s collection processes.

    However, growth in import taxes faced challenges, primarily due to downward adjustments in import tariffs over the years and recent restrictions on import licences imposed by the State Bank of Pakistan to address balance of payments concerns amid foreign exchange constraints.

    The report acknowledges that revenue collection from imports incorporates the impact of improvements in import valuations, resulting in an additional Rs151 billion in collections.

    Additionally, the anti-smuggling drive witnessed a substantial 69 per cent growth in the fiscal year compared to the previous year (FY 22–23).

    Despite these achievements, concerns were raised regarding the decline in the growth of import taxes. This decline is attributed to two main factors: the gradual reduction in import tariffs and recent restrictions on import licenses.

    The need for continued efforts in anti-smuggling activities was emphasised, particularly in Baluchistan, where the customs force currently consists of only 378 personnel.

    Strengthening the enforcement efforts by increasing personnel in this region was suggested as a potential solution.

    The report concludes on a positive note, highlighting that the revenue mobilisation from domestic taxes now accounts for over 64 per cent of the total revenues collected in the current financial year.

    Simultaneously, the share of import taxes has decreased to 36 per cent, marking a significant shift from the 50 per cent share observed just three years ago. This indicates a positive trend in the diversification of revenue sources for the FBR.

  • Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma welcomes second child

    Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma welcomes second child

    Indian star cricketer Virat Kohli and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma have given birth to a second child. Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma welcomed a baby boy, the couple confirmed through a post on ‘X’.

    Kohli and Anushka stated “We are extremely happy to announce that on February 15, we have the birth of Vamika’s younger brother and our son. We have named our son ‘Akaay’, we wish you all the best on this happy occasion”.

    Recently, former South African cricketer AB de Villiers claimed that Kohli and Anushka are expecting a second child, but later he denied this news.

    Due to the expected birth of the child, Virat Kohli did not participate in the ongoing Test series against England.

    It should be noted that Virat and Anushka got married in Milan, Italy in December 2017. The couple had a daughter, Wamika, in January 2021.

  • Factors behind the continuous decline in car financing in Pakistan

    Factors behind the continuous decline in car financing in Pakistan

    In January 2024, the automobile financing sector in Pakistan witnessed a significant downturn, as car financing recorded a notable decrease to Rs246.26 billion.

    This marks a 25.82 per cent year-on-year (YoY) decrease and a 1.98 per cent month-on-month (MoM) decrease compared to Rs331.98 billion in January 2023 and Rs251.25 billion in December 2023, respectively. The latest data from the central bank provides these insights.

    This decline in automobile financing extends to the nineteenth consecutive month, with a total decrease of Rs114.29 billion over the past 19 months.

    Several factors contribute to this decline, including higher interest rates, increased car prices, regulatory restrictions on acquiring loans, and elevated taxes on the import of automobiles and their parts.

    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data, consumer financing for house building amounted to Rs207.62 billion by the end of January 2024.

    This reflects a 3.44 per cent YoY decrease compared to Rs215 billion in the same month last year. Looking at monthly changes, financing for house building saw a marginal 0.26 per cent MoM decrease compared to the previous month’s Rs208.15 billion.

    Financing for personal use stood at Rs243.1 billion, showing a 4.47 per cent YoY decrease and a 0.54 per cent MoM decrease.

    Consequently, the overall credit disbursed to consumers declined to Rs813.96 billion during the review month, registering a fall of 9.04 per cent YoY and 0.52 per cent MoM.

    The outstanding credit to the private sector also experienced a decline, decreasing by 0.76 per cent YoY to Rs8.35 trillion in January 2024. On a monthly basis, this represents a 2.21 per cent decrease compared to the credit of Rs8.54 trillion in December 2023.

    Analysing credit distribution to the private sector, loans to the manufacturing sector amounted to Rs4.81 trillion in the review period, showing a slight 0.33 per cent YoY increase. However, on a monthly basis, there was an 0.89 per cent MoM decline, as December recorded loans to this sector at Rs4.85 trillion.

    Borrowing from the construction sector stood at Rs190.15 billion in January 2024, experiencing a 0.97 per cent YoY decrease and a 5.05 per cent MoM decrease compared to the previous month.

    Looking ahead, the data indicates that loans to the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors rose to Rs397.27 billion in the month under review, marking a significant 16.95 per cent YoY increase.

    However, on a sequential basis, loans to this sector recorded a fall of 4.82 per cent MoM.

  • Local market witnesses marginal gain in 24-karat gold prices

    Local market witnesses marginal gain in 24-karat gold prices

    On Tuesday, the 24-karat gold market demonstrated resilience, with a subtle uptick of Rs150 per tola, settling at Rs214,450 per tola.

    According to the Karachi Sarafa Association, the price for 10 grammes of 24-karat gold reached Rs183,856, reflecting a marginal gain of Rs128 compared to the preceding session.

    Simultaneously, the price of 10-gramme 22-karat gold experienced a modest rise, reaching Rs168,535.

    Contrary to the gold market’s movements, silver prices remained steadfast, exhibiting no change.

    The 24-karat silver maintained its position at Rs2,580 per tola, while the 10-gramme silver was traded at Rs2,211.93.

    It is noteworthy that the domestic gold market faced a downturn last week, attributed to a decline in international prices.

    International spot gold, on the other hand, hovered around $2,021, marking a 0.2 per cent change compared to the preceding session.

    As the market watches these fluctuations, all eyes are set on the forthcoming minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January policy meeting, scheduled for release on Wednesday.

    The outcome of this meeting is poised to have a considerable impact on the trajectory of both domestic and international precious metal markets.

  • I thought I was in love, but I was mistaken, says Nazish Jahangir

    I thought I was in love, but I was mistaken, says Nazish Jahangir

    Nazish Jahangir is a firm fan favourite and a popular actress but success has not shielded her from heartbreak. The actress opened up about her personal life in a recent interview.

    During the conversation, she confessed that she was once trapped in the illusions of love, which had blinded her.
    “When a person falls in love, even a rational person stops thinking with their mind. Everything about the other person seems perfect, but when the heart breaks, understanding dawns,” she said.
    She further explained, “I am someone who values truth, so I couldn’t stay in that past love for long. After that experience, I’ve become more practical. Now, I keep my mind and eyes open.”
    When asked what she would do if her past love were to return, she replied, “I have moved on and I am sure I won’t have any relationship with someone who has ever broken my heart.”
    Nazish Jahangir began her career in 2017 and quickly gained popularity in a short period. She showcased her acting skills in various hit dramas, including ,’Kam Zarf’, ‘Sarab’ and ‘Dil Tanha Tanha’.

    At one point, there were rumors about Nazish Jahangir’s relationship with actor and host Mohsin Abbas Haider, but neither of them has openly addressed the speculation.