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  • Gaza activists urge voters to write ‘ceasefire’ on US primary ballots

    Gaza activists urge voters to write ‘ceasefire’ on US primary ballots

    Peace activists are urging US voters considering candidates for November’s presidential election to instead write “ceasefire” on their ballots in protest over Joe Biden’s handling of the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

    “Vote Ceasefire” — a coalition of local anti-war groups — says the effort allows Americans to give voice to their anger at the Democratic president over the mounting toll of civilian deaths in Gaza as Israel responds to the October 7 Hamas attacks.

    Voters in New Hampshire will pick their preferred candidate in either the Democratic or Republican nominating contests on Tuesday but the push is aimed at progressives wishing to put the White House on notice.

    “For the last three months, as the world has watched the war in Gaza continue to worsen, the Biden administration has refused all demands to call for a ceasefire and to end US support for Israel,” the campaign posted on X, formerly Twitter.

    “So we’re taking our fight to the place Democrats care about the most — the polls. While Joe Biden will almost certainly win the Democratic nomination later this year, he must know that the road to get there will be long and hard if he refuses to listen to his constituents.”

    “Vote Ceasefire” organizers have not indicated what kind of turnout would constitute a success for the campaign and it is unclear how much affect it will have.

    Biden himself is not on the ballot and is largely ignoring the contest, after New Hampshire officials clashed with the national party over scheduling.

    A separate campaign is urging supporters to write Biden’s name on the ballot in exactly the same manner that “Vote Ceasefire” is promoting.

    The outcome will not affect the nomination process in any case, as the Democratic National Committee has declared the New Hampshire primary illegitimate.

    Biden is expected to win the nomination comfortably.

    “I’m doing this as over 80 percent of Democratic voters are in favor of a ceasefire for Gaza and are opposed to the continuing slaughter of civilian men, women and children in Palestine, with the United States-supplied weapons,” campaign volunteer and former Democratic state representative Chris Balch said in a video posted to X.

    But self-help author Marianne Williamson, who is on the Democratic ballot, said the “Vote Ceasefire” campaign was doing nothing to help the citizens of Gaza.

    “A way to actually help create a ceasefire would be to vote for a candidate who has called for one from the very beginning,” she posted in response to the campaign’s social media statements.

  • Pakistan’s exports surpass Rs4,300 billion, up by 35.33% in six months

    Pakistan’s exports surpass Rs4,300 billion, up by 35.33% in six months

    The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has reported a substantial increase of 35.33 per cent in the country’s exports in rupee terms during the first half of the current fiscal year, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

    According to provisional data released by PBS, exports from July to December 2023 amounted to Rs4,300,752 million, a significant rise from Rs3,177,893 million recorded during the same period last year.

    On a year-on-year basis, exports for December 2023 witnessed a remarkable surge of 54.59 per cent, reaching Rs799,588 million, compared to Rs517,240 million in October 2022.

    Additionally, on a month-on-month basis, exports increased by 8.86 per cent when compared to the figure of Rs734,541 million reported in November 2023.

    The key commodities contributing to this growth in December 2023 were rice other than basmati (Rs124,040 million), knitwear (Rs103,898 million), readymade garments (Rs84,569 million), bedwear (Rs64,119 million), cotton cloth (Rs40,678 million), cotton yarn (Rs26,984 million), towels (Rs24,814 million), rice basmati (Rs22,888 million), articles excluding towels and bedwear (Rs16,991 million), and meat and meat preparations (Rs12,472 million).

    In contrast, imports during July–December 2023–24 amounted to Rs7,533,700 million, showing an increase of 8.20 per cent compared to Rs6,962,865 million during the corresponding period last year.

    On a year-on-year basis, December 2023 imports totaled Rs1,317,463 million, reflecting a 13.94 per cent increase from December 2022. Moreover, on a month-on-month basis, imports increased by 1.66 per cent in December 2023 compared to Rs1,295,968 million in November 2023.

    The main commodities of imports during December 2023 were petroleum crude (Rs158,260 million), petroleum products (Rs150,888 million), natural gas, liquified (Rs109,516 million), electric machinery & apparatus (Rs63,667 million), palm oil (Rs60,316 million), plastic materials (Rs52,218 million), mobile phones (Rs49,887 million), iron & steel (Rs41,654 million), iron and steel scrap (Rs30,426 million), and motor cars (Rs29,543 million).

    This surge in exports, coupled with a measured rise in imports, signifies a positive trend in Pakistan’s trade balance, reflecting the resilience and competitiveness of the country’s export sector.

  • Mohsin Naqvi Appointed Head of PCB Management Committee

    Mohsin Naqvi Appointed Head of PCB Management Committee

    Current interim Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi has been appointed as Appointed Head of Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman (PCB) Management Committee.

    In the past 13 months, the Pakistan Cricket Board has got its fourth new chairman. After accepting the resignation of former PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf, Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar has nominated Mohsin Naqvi as his candidate in the PCB Governing Body.

    According to the PCB constitution, Election Commissioner Khawar Shah will form a 10-member board of governors as the interim chairman, with Mustafa Ramday as the other representative of the prime minister.

    Mohsin Naqvi will no longer be caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab after the general elections. After this, he will participate in the election of PCB chairman and become a strong candidate to become the head of the cricket board for three years.

    On January 19, Zaka Ashraf resigned from the post of PCB chairman, after serving in the post since July last year. He was initially appointed for four months and later, his tenure was extended by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar till ODI World Cup 2023.

  • Track and trace system failure threatens Pakistan’s tobacco industry

    Track and trace system failure threatens Pakistan’s tobacco industry

    Amid the increase in trade of non-duty-paid cigarettes, representatives from the Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) on Monday expressed profound apprehensions regarding the sustainability of their business.

    They attributed their concerns to ‘inappropriate’ policy measures.

    The recently released data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) Index unveiled a significant and alarming trend within the legitimate tobacco sector.

    According to the report, the production of the legitimate tobacco sector experienced a forty-fold decline compared to the overall LSM output between July 2023 and November 2023.

    Interestingly, despite this decline, the consumption of cigarettes has remained stagnant.

    This troubling trend highlights the adverse impact of policy decisions that disproportionately affect the legitimate tobacco industry.

    The representatives emphasised the necessity for a comprehensive and balanced approach to ensure a level playing field for the sector, ultimately securing its long-term sustainability.

    Despite the implementation of a Track and Trace System (TTS), the representatives pointed out the rising incidence of fake stamps being affixed to counterfeit packs of leading cigarette brands.

    According to APP, Qasim Tariq, Senior Business Development Manager, revealed that approximately 850 million counterfeit cigarette sticks are currently being sold across Pakistan, resulting in a substantial loss of around Rs5.7 billion.

    This rise in counterfeiting raises serious questions about the efficacy of the much-lauded track and trace system, which is yet to be implemented across local cigarette manufacturers in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

    The representatives urged law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to conduct extensive enforcement at the retail level to tackle this growing menace.

    Additionally, the representatives expressed concerns about a recent misleading report circulating in the media regarding missed revenue collection by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

    They refuted the claims in the report, stating that they are not only false but also raise questions about the intentions behind publishing such information.

    The report suggested that the illicit sector is less than 10 per cent across Pakistan, contradicting the FBR’s claim of illicit trade being over 36.5 per cent for the period in question.

    Furthermore, the report alleged that government revenue declined due to fiscal changes in the excise structure but failed to present the complete picture.

    The representatives clarified that from 2012–16, the government switched to a 2-tier structure from a 3-tier structure, causing revenues to fall by more than 25 per cent.

    The subsequent increase in excise in 2015-16 led to illicit trade hovering close to 50 per cent of the market. To combat this, the government reintroduced a 3-tier system, increasing revenues by more than 40 per cent and discouraging the illicit cigarette trade.

    The representatives emphasised the need for an extensive government-led national anti-illicit trade strategy, effective fiscal measures, and strict enforcement against illicit trade across the value chain, with a key focus on the retail level.

  • UN migration agency needs $7.9 billion in 2024

    UN migration agency needs $7.9 billion in 2024

    The United Nations migration agency launched its first global annual appeal on Monday, requesting nearly $8 billion for this year alone to manage the growing scale of population displacement.

    The International Organization for Migration said it was seeking a total of $7.9 billion in 2024 to “save lives and protect people on the move, drive solutions to displacement, and facilitate safe pathways for regular migration”.

    “Irregular and forced migration have reached unprecedented levels and the challenges we face are increasingly complex,” IOM chief Amy Pope said in a statement.

    “The evidence is overwhelming that migration, when well-managed, is a major contributor to global prosperity and progress,” said Pope, who last October became the first woman to lead the organisation.

    “We are at a critical moment in time, and we have designed this appeal to help deliver on that promise,” she said.

    “We can and must do better.”

    IOM was founded more than 70 years ago, but only became a UN agency in 2016 as a smaller, parallel operation to the UNHCR, which focuses on refugees.

    It works in emergency situations, advocates for migrants’ rights, and sees humane and orderly migration as a benefit to people on the move and the societies they settle in.

    The agency said Monday that full funding of its appeal would allow it to serve almost 140 million people, including internally displaced people and the local communities that host them.

    It would also help IOM to expand its development work, aimed at helping prevent further displacement, it said.

    Breaking down the appeal, it said a full $3.4 billion of the requested funds would go towards saving lives and protecting those on the move.

    Another $2.7 would be used to work on solutions to displacement, including reducing the risks and impacts of climate change.

    The remainder would help facilitate regular pathways to migration and to help make IOM’s service delivery more effective.

    “This funding will address the large and widening gap between what we have, and what we need in order to do the job right,” Pope said.

    IOM said that its Missing Migrants Project showed that more than 60,000 people had died or disappeared during perilous migration journeys over the past nine years.

    “The consequences of underfunded, piecemeal assistance come at a greater cost, not just in terms of money but in greater danger to migrants through irregular migration, trafficking and smuggling,” it warned.

    Like a number of other UN agencies, IOM is calling for funds to be able to take a more longterm, preventative approach, instead of being forced to always respond in crisis mode.

    The agency said that properly funding its operations would help it streamline and optimise its response, and would effectively reduce the cost of crisis management.

    It also urged countries to recognise the benefits of migration.

    “Migration is a cornerstone of global development and prosperity,” it said, adding that “the 281 million international migrants generate 9.4 percent of global GDP”.

    “Well-managed migration has the potential to advance development outcomes, contribute to climate change adaptation, and promote a safer and more peaceful, sustainable, prosperous and equitable future.”

  • Gold price drops by Rs600 to Rs215,700 per tola in Pakistan

    Gold price drops by Rs600 to Rs215,700 per tola in Pakistan

    In Monday’s trading, the per-tola price of 24 karat gold in Pakistan witnessed a decrease, dropping by Rs600 to Rs215,700, as reported by the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association. 

    This marks a slight dip compared to its previous sale at Rs215,300.

    Similarly, the cost of 10 grammes of 24 karat gold experienced a decline of Rs514, settling at Rs184,071, down from Rs184,585. The price of 10 grammes of 22 karat gold also saw a reduction to Rs168,731 from Rs169,203.

    Meanwhile, the silver market remained stable, with the per tola and ten-gramme prices maintaining their positions at Rs2,600 and Rs22,229.08, respectively.

    On the international front, the price of gold took a downward turn, decreasing by $8 to $2,042 from $2,050, according to the association’s report.

  • Pakistani rupee shows marginal strength, gains 4.51 paisa against US dollar

    Pakistani rupee shows marginal strength, gains 4.51 paisa against US dollar

    In Monday’s interbank session, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) exhibited a slight appreciation of 4.51 paisa against the US dollar (USD), settling at PKR 279.85 per USD, compared to the previous closing of PKR 279.9 per USD. The intraday fluctuations showed a bid high of Rs280.1 and an ask low of Rs279.8.

    In the open market, exchange companies quoted the dollar at 279 for buying and 281 for selling. Notably, Pakistan received the second installment of SDR 528 million, equivalent to $705.6 million, from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week. 

    The first review report under the standby arrangement emphasised the importance of market-determined exchange rates and the gradual development of the foreign exchange (FX) market.

    Against major currencies, the PKR experienced fluctuations:

    Euro: lost 37.07 paisa, closing at 304.84 compared to the previous value of 304.47.

    British Pound: increased by 39.06 paisa, closing at 355.33 compared to 354.94 from a day ago.

    Swiss Franc: Saw losses of 20.03 paisa, closing at 322.08 compared to 322.28 in the previous session.

    Japanese yen: lost 0.19 paisa, closing at 1.8895 versus 1.8876 a day ago.

    Chinese Yuan: Lost 2.38 paisa, closing at 38.89 against 38.91 from the previous session.

    Saudi Riyal: Closed at 74.62 with a loss of 1.2 paisa from its value of 74.63 a day ago.

  • FACTCHECK: Did Umair Jaswal really say, ‘Mera aur Khawar Maneka ka gham aik jaisa hai’?

    FACTCHECK: Did Umair Jaswal really say, ‘Mera aur Khawar Maneka ka gham aik jaisa hai’?

    On Sunday, Neo News posted an article with the title “Mera aur Khawar Maneka ka gham aik jaisa hai: Umair Jaswal”. Later, they deleted the article as singer-cum-actor Umair Jaswal explained that a fake X account with his identity appeared on social media after his former wife Sana Javed married cricketer Shoaib Malik.

    Umair Jaswal also confirmed in his Instagram stories that multiple posts were going viral on social media from unverified and fake accounts.

    The tweets from a fake account with the name @ImairJs were going viral. In one of the tweets, the poster, pretending to be Jaswal, compared himself with the former husband of former first lady Khawar Maneka.

    The famous singer also confirmed that his X (previously Twitter) account has a different user name, @umairjaswal.

    On Saturday, famous cricketer Shoaib Malik posted photos of his wedding with actress Sana Javed.

    Since Sana and Malik had worked together in the past, when the cricketer acted as a model and walked on the ramps, fans believed the earlier images were from one of those photoshoots. However, confirmation of their marriage came from family sources and Malik’s social media post.

  • Nawaz Sharif addresses public rally in Mansehra

    Nawaz Sharif addresses public rally in Mansehra

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif addressed an election rally in Mansehra, where he is also contesting in the general elections set to take place on February 8, 2024.

    PML-N leader and husband of the party’s vice president, Maryam Nawaz, Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar, was the chief organiser of today’s rally in Mansehra.

    Nawaz Sharif said, “If I had not been disqualified, even the people of Mansehra would have the facility of a metro bus service.”

    The PML-N supremo criticised his political opponents for ruining the country’s economy, adding that “Nawaz Sharif left a better Pakistan.”

    Mansehra is the stronghold of PML-N, as the party won seats there in the 2013 and 2018 polls.

    After Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan, he has been acquitted in two major corruption cases, clearing the way for his participation in the upcoming general elections set to take place on February 8.

  • Security situation in Islamabad is under control: IG

    Security situation in Islamabad is under control: IG

    Islamabad Police’s Inspector General, Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, has stated that the security situation in Islamabad is “under control”.

    His statement comes hours after it was reported by news platforms that educational institutions were unexpectedly shut over security concerns.

    Arab News reveals that parents received messages from schools on Monday morning “urging them to pick their children a few hours after they had dropped them off” for reasons pertaining to their “safety and security.”

    According to IG Islamabad, however, the situation is under control.

    “I would like to inform you that the security and law and order situation in Islamabad is currently under control,” Dr. Khan said in a video message posted on X (formerly Twitter).

    “As of now, there is no situation which should cause you to bring about any change in your [routine regarding] schools and colleges and usual way of life out of fear,” he added.

    He added that citizens should avoid moves that could threaten the security of the city.

    What happened earlier?

    On Monday morning, several educational institutes located in Islamabad reportedly closed until further notice amid security concerns.

    According to news reports, Bahria University, Air University, and National Defence University were shut down. Security, in particular areas of and around Margalla road, F-8, and F-10, had been beefed up.

    However, according to ARY News, a number of other schools and colleges were also shut down, adding that sources reported that threat alert suggested that ‘terror attacks’ were to be carried out by “female suicide bombers affiliated with the banned organisations between January 22-24″.

    Geo News reported that according to the Islamabad Police, security was already tight due to the upcoming elections and protests outside the Press Club. Additionally, search operations were conducted yesternight in certain areas.