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  • No more NAB cases against Sharif Family

    No more NAB cases against Sharif Family

    National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Executive Board, chaired by the NAB Chairman, approved the closing of an investigation into the Sharif Trust case involving Sharif’s family including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    The meeting convened on January 1 to approve the closure of corruption cases, including those against PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and his family.

    The meeting approved shutting down six corruption cases, notably a 24-year-old case against Nawaz Sharif and his family in the Sharif Trust case. This decision brings relief to the former premier and his family members.

    Among the closed cases was an inquiry into Islamabad Inspector General Akbar Nasir in the Safe City corruption case. Additionally, the board decided to conclude the investigation into the Park Enclave Housing Society, involving officers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA). Another inquiry against federal officers for alleged preferential recruitment was also approved for closure.

    Furthermore, the NAB board approved to close an inquiry against Shahid Malik and Shahbaz Yasin Malik, the CEO of Hilton Pharma.

    The investigation into the Sharif family regarding the Sharif Trust Case was initiated on March 31, 2000, based on allegations of receiving funds through illicit means, lack of audits, misappropriation of funds, and benami property acquisition by the Sharif family in the name of the Trust.

    The Panama Papers Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report, submitted to the Supreme Court, had criticized NAB for delays in the investigation and urged prioritization.

    Under the recently amended National Accountability Act 2002 by the previous PDM government, the NAB has concluded the Sharif Trust investigation under Section 31-B.

    This decision by the NAB’s Executive Board marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against the Sharif family, as they receive a respite from multiple longstanding corruption cases.

  • Interbank closing: PKR continues winning streak, settles at Rs281.22

    Interbank closing: PKR continues winning streak, settles at Rs281.22

    The Pakistani rupee (PKR) extended its upward trend against the US dollar for the fifth consecutive session, gaining 0.02 per cent in the inter-bank market on Tuesday.

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported that the rupee concluded at Rs281.22 after a rise of Re0.06. In the preceding session on Monday, the rupee had experienced a slight increase, settling at Rs281.28 against the US dollar.

    On a global scale, the US dollar took a pause in its rally on Tuesday, with traders expressing confidence in multiple Federal Reserve rate cuts this year.

    This optimism is based on the belief that the slowdown in US inflation is significant.

    Meanwhile, in the cryptocurrency realm, bitcoin maintained its position near the highest level since April 2022, driven by growing expectations of the imminent approval of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETF).

    These market movements were influenced, in part, by the New York Fed’s recent Survey of Consumer Expectations, revealing that US consumers’ short-term inflation expectations in December reached the lowest level in almost three years.

    A key reading on US inflation is scheduled later in the week, offering additional insights into the Federal Reserve’s potential room for interest rate adjustments this year.

    Futures currently indicate the pricing in of nearly 140 basis points worth of easing by the Fed in the coming year.

    Against a basket of currencies, the US dollar experienced a slight decline of 0.08 per cent, settling at 102.22, following a 1 per cent increase in the previous week.

  • Agha Ali reveals actresses refused to work with him

    Agha Ali reveals actresses refused to work with him

    Actor Agha Ali has revealed that many times actresses were not allowed to work with him by their fiancés. The actor shared this information during a recent appearance on Geo News’ show ‘Hansna Mana Hai,’ where host Tabish Hashmi asked him various questions about his life and career.

    In response to a question, Agha Ali said, “It was in 2016- 2017 during which time I would sign any drama, after that I would get a call from the producer saying, ‘Agha, do you have any quarrel with such and such heroine?’ On this, I would tell them that I have not even met this heroine yet, on which the producer would ask that ‘You don’t have any quarrel with her fiance?’ I tell them that I don’t know who their fiancés are.”

    He further said that during this time he was also going to work with Humayun Saeed’s production house. “He also called me and asked me what are you doing that the fiances and husbands of the actresses are afraid of you?”
    Agha Ali said, “There is no specific reason for my image, but I think many times people misunderstand the actor because of the characters in his dramas. It plays such a negative role.”


    He further said that when he came into the industry, he was not very familiar to people. “So maybe that’s why they were afraid of me, but now it’s not like that, everything is fine.”


    Responding to another question, Agha shared that he was banned from working in Lahore years ago due to giving strong answers in an interview, which led to a producer dropping him from a signed project. Following the ban, a friend’s request prompted him to move to Karachi.

  • US defense chief under fire for undisclosed hospitalisation

    US defense chief under fire for undisclosed hospitalisation

    US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is facing growing criticism for waiting days to inform the White House and Congress about his hospitalisation, keeping key officials in the dark about his status during a major Middle East crisis.

    Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on January 1 due to complications from an elective medical procedure, but the Pentagon did not make any public announcement until four days later, and also waited to notify other top government figures.

    The 70-year-old secretary’s hospitalization comes with Washington struggling to contain the fallout from the Israel-Hamas war, which has sparked violence against American forces in Iraq and Syria as well as attacks on international shipping.

    With the Middle East in turmoil, the idea that “for four days the secretary of defense is in a hospital and (President Joe) Biden doesn’t know is shocking,” Ian Bremmer, the president of the Eurasia Group political risk firm, said Monday.

    Bremmer said the situation gives the president an opportunity to replace Austin, but the White House has stood by the secretary.

    Austin underwent an unspecified medical procedure on December 22 and was discharged the following day, but began experiencing “severe pain” on January 1 and was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told journalists on Monday.

    Some of Austin’s authorities were transferred to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on January 2, but she was not told that he was hospitalized until two days later, Ryder said.

    The US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was likewise informed on January 4, bringing the White House into the loop, while Congress was not told until the day after that — the same day the Pentagon made a public announcement.

    Ryder said Austin’s chief of staff “had been out sick with the flu, which caused a delay in these notifications.”

    “We are currently reviewing how we can improve these notification procedures, to include White House and congressional notifications,” he said.

    Ryder also said he was informed of Austin’s hospitalization on January 2, but “did not feel that I was at liberty” to disclose information on the secretary’s condition “until we knew more.”

    The lack of notification has drawn criticism from Congress, with some Republican lawmakers calling on Austin to go.

    “It is shocking and absolutely unacceptable that the Department of Defense waited multiple days to notify the president, the National Security Council, and the American people,” Representative Elise Stefanik said in a statement, calling for Austin’s “immediate resignation.”

    Former president Donald Trump also weighed in, saying in a social media post that Austin “should be fired immediately for improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty.”

    But the White House has backed him, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying, “The president has complete confidence, continues to have confidence in Secretary Austin.”

    Ryder also said Austin — who remains hospitalized but is no longer in intensive care and has resumed his full duties — “has no plans to resign.”

    “Nothing is more important to the secretary of defense and the (Defense) Department than the trust and confidence of the American public we serve,” Ryder said, adding that “we will continue to work hard every day to earn and deserve that trust.”

    Austin meanwhile said in a statement on Saturday that he took “full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure,” and admitted that he “could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed.”

  • PTI says The Economist article was not written by Artificial Intelligence

    PTI says The Economist article was not written by Artificial Intelligence

    Update: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has just recently posted the clarification on the official X account stating that “the said piece has been authored by the PTI Chairman-for-life, Imran Khan, vindictively incarcerated at Central Jail, Rawalpindi. In no way, this has been compiled through the use of artificial means including artificial intelligence.”

    Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan held an informal conversation with reporters in the courtroom at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, talking about the article that appeared under his name in The Economist, creating an uproar. “I take full responsibility for the article published in The Economist recently,” he said. However, he admitted that he himself had not written the piece, confessing that it was “dictated”.

    Embattled PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan made a surprising claim, saying that an essay recently published by The Economist under his name was actually “AI-generated”, reports Dawn.

    According to Geo’s Khalid Iqbal, Mr. Khan also shared that “next week” his party will share another of his fresh speeches on social media.


    When the Geo News reporter asked the former Prime Minister whether the speech would be audio or a video, Khan replied, “Today is the era of Artificial Intelligence.”


    To a question about elections, the PTI founder said nationwide polls should be held in the country on time, though the process of participation had been made very difficult for his party. He stressed that elections must be held in any case.


    “Elections are very important for the country’s economy and political stability.”


    “It has been made difficult for us to contest the elections, yet the elections should be held on time,” he added.


    Talking about the incidents of May 9, Khan called it a conspiracy against him and his party PTI.

    The former Prime Minister said: “These people are conducting an inquiry against me regarding the May 9 incidents. May 9 is a conspiracy against us. Who stole the CCTV footage of my arrest from the Islamabad High Court, the attack on GHQ and Corps Commander’s House? Find the CCTV footage thieves, and all will be revealed.”


    “It is a conspiracy to trap me; it’s a conspiracy against the PTI,” said the PTI founder.


    The caretaker governments in the federal capital and Punjab have claimed that The Economist piece was a “ghost article”.


    Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi said that Adiala Jail comes under the Punjab government’s jurisdiction, so, the provincial government must be investigating.


    Saying that he believes the piece was a “ghost article”, the caretaker minister added that, “The federal government will approach The Economist and write [to] them that if Imran Khan sends an article/letter following due process and the jail manual then it is publishable. But according to my information, he hasn’t written any such article, and the foreign publication has misled its readers. We are working on it and will soon write a letter to The Economist.”

    In a recent post, he criticised the statement of Imran Khan of living in the age of Artificial Intelligence by saying that this should not be allowed to run amok.

    Journalist Gharidhah Farooqi posted on X that now that Imran Khan himself has admitted he did not write the article but AI did for him; A- It’s proven the article is in-fact “ghost writing”, B- being a journalist I’d like to know what a leading and reputable publication as The Economist say about publishing an article which is not the real work/writing of a political leader, the ethical and legal standards behind publishing such a piece of writing.

    Journalist Noreen Shams questioned the veracity of the fact generated by a machine.

    Omar Qureshi asked the question if The Economist has started accepting AI-generated articles.

  • Gold price increases Rs300 per tola to Rs216,400

    Gold price increases Rs300 per tola to Rs216,400

    Gold rates in Pakistan witnessed a notable upswing on Tuesday, aligning with the international market trend.

    The precious metal was quoted at Rs216,400 per tola in the local market, marking a substantial increase of Rs300 within the day.

    According to data released by the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), the 10-gramme gold price reached Rs185,528 after experiencing a rise of Rs257 on the same day.

    This surge in gold prices follows a recent decline on Tuesday, where the yellow metal in Pakistan had seen a decrease of Rs1,900 per tola.

    The international gold rate, with a $20 premium, stood at $2,050 per ounce on Tuesday, marking an increase of $3 in the global market, as reported by the APGJSA.

    Meanwhile, silver rates maintained stability in the local market at Rs2,660 per tola on the same day, indicating a lack of significant fluctuations in silver prices.

    Market analysts are attributing the rise in gold rates in Pakistan to the positive movement in the global market, emphasising the impact of international factors on the local precious metals landscape.

    Investors and traders are closely monitoring these fluctuations as they evaluate their investment strategies in the backdrop of the dynamic economic environment.

  • Usman Dar’s mother Rehana Dar cleared for contesting Sialkot elections

    Usman Dar’s mother Rehana Dar cleared for contesting Sialkot elections

    The mother of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar, Rehana Imtiaz Dar, will take part in the upcoming election against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif from NA-71 Sialkot-2, after an election tribunal approved her nomination papers on Tuesday.

    She will contest for a National Assembly (NA) seat in the upcoming general elections, set to take place on February 8, 2024. Her papers were earlier rejected by the returning officer (RO) on grounds of grabbing 40-marla land by forgery.

    The election tribunal, however, heard her appeal against the decision and annulled the RO’s decision, after which her papers were cleared.

    However, the nomination papers of Dar’s sister-in-law, Ruba Dar, wife of his brother Umer Dar, were rejected from the same constituency.

    In December 2023, Usman Dar said that he will strongly support his mother in the upcoming polls.

  • ‘Ceasefire Now’; Joe Biden’s speech interrupted by pro-Palestinian protestors

    ‘Ceasefire Now’; Joe Biden’s speech interrupted by pro-Palestinian protestors

    American President Joe Biden’s speech at a church in South Carolina was interrupted by chants of “Ceasefire Now” by supporters of the Palestinian cause. The president was there as part of the presidential campaign to woo black voters. This is the same church where a white supremacist shot nine black people in 2015.

    As he was talking about the horrific incident, one protestor got up and said, “If you really care about the lives lost here, then you should honour lives lost and call for a ceasefire in Palestine.” She was then joined by others saying, “Ceasefire Now”. One of them was seen shouting “Blood on your hands” to Biden.

    The President was seen calming the charged crowd by raising a hand and saying, “That’s alright”. As security personnel removed the protesters from the church, he said: “I understand their passion, and I’ve been quietly working, quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza.”

    According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7.

    Biden faced the same situation previously at a human rights’ dinner in Washington DC where pretended to not listen.

  • Indian Minister Smriti Irani visits Madina

    Indian Minister Smriti Irani visits Madina

    Indian Union Minister for Minority Affairs Smriti Irani, accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, visited Madinah city on Monday.

    Irani, who also holds the portfolio of Minister of Women and Child Development, along with the delegation, met up with Indian volunteers catering to Indian Hajj pilgrims and also spoke to Indian Umrah pilgrims.

    “Undertook a historic journey to Madinah today, one of Islam’s holiest cities included a visit to the periphery of the revered Prophet’s Mosque, Al Masjid Al Nabwi, the mountain of Uhud, and periphery of the Quba Mosque – the first Mosque of Islam,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter).

    “The significance of the visit to these sites courtesy Saudi officials, intertwined with early Islamic history, underscores the depth of our cultural and spiritual engagement,” she added.

    According to an official statement, the aim of the visit was to get a first hand look into the arrangements essential to ensure an easy Hajj in 2024 for Indian pilgrims.

    “The Government of India is deeply committed to assist in providing facilities and services to Indian Muslims who undertake the Hajj pilgrimage, thereby providing them with a comfortable and fulfilling experience,” it further stated.

  • Two people arrested for trying to break into Salman Khan’s farmhouse

    Two people arrested for trying to break into Salman Khan’s farmhouse

    Police in India have arrested two individuals who attempted to enter the farmhouse of Bollywood megastar Salman Khan.


    According to reports carried by Indian media outlets, a police officer said that guards at the farmhouse apprehended two individuals last week as they were trying to enter the premises. Both men provided false names and addresses.


    The incident took place on January 4 in the city of Panvel, Maharashtra, where the actor owns a large farmhouse.
    Indian authorities state that the men have been arrested, and a case has been filed against them. The individuals have been identified as Ajesh Kumar and Guru Sevak Singh, both hailing from Punjab.


    According to police, both suspects claimed to work as carpenters and furniture makers, expressing a desire to meet the actor, which led them to attempt entry into the private property.


    Police have charged both suspects with trespassing and forgery, considering their attempts to deceive and providing false information.

    Last year, Salman Khan was threatened through a Facebook post, after which police has tightened his security