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  • Asif Zardari meets with PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain ahead of elections

    Asif Zardari meets with PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain ahead of elections

    In a significant development in the lead-up to general elections, PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari met with PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at the latter’s residence on Thursday, hours after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the last week of January as the election date. Election strategies including the possibility of forming an alliance and coordinated seat allocations in Punjab were discussed in the meeting.

    The 40-minute meeting focused on the current political landscape of Pakistan with Zardari also inquiring about Sujaat’s health. While official details of their discussions were not disclosed, PPP’s central media cell took to X (former Twitter) to confirm the meeting, stating that Mr. Zardari had discussed the prevailing political situation with PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain.

    As per the empowerment given to Zardari by the PPP executive committee to meet top political leaders to secure seat adjustments in Punjab, he has strategically positioned himself in Lahore to spearhead his efforts.

    On the other hand, PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz will meet party leader Nawaz Sharif in London to discuss the changing political situation and to formulate election strategies.

    Sources have told Dawn that PPP is considering seat adjustments not only with PML-N and PML-Q but also with PTI, as hinted at by its second-tier leadership. While senior PML-N leaders have maintained silence on the possibility of an alliance with PPP, lower-ranking leaders have expressed their opposition, arguing that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was created with the sole purpose of removing Imran Khan from power and completing the remainder of the previous government’s term.

    Shujaat also suggested his former coalition allies, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), to avoid confrontations that he believes are detrimental to the country’s interests.

    In response to Shujaat’s call for unity and harmony, Zardari asserted that his party had not contributed to any actions that could exacerbate political divisions. Zardari went on to emphasize that his party’s discourse was firmly anchored in constitutional principles and the ground realities of Pakistan, with no intentions of provoking confrontations with any political entities. Zardari further underscored the detrimental impact of escalating rhetoric and confrontations on the stability of the country.

    Chaudhry Shujaa also conveyed his intention to engage with Nawaz Sharif, the supreme leader of the PML-N, to emphasize the need to avert unnecessary political hostilities.

    Thursday’s meeting saw the presence of former federal minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain and PML-Q Punjab President Chaudhry Shafay Hussain. At this crucial juncture of alliance exploration, PPP General Secretary Nayyer Hussain Bukhari firmly announced that the party had no intentions of entering into electoral alliances with any other party.

  • Pakistan plans to establish 5,000 e-working centres to empower freelancers 

    Pakistan plans to establish 5,000 e-working centres to empower freelancers 

    Dr Umar Saif, the Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, has announced a significant government initiative to establish 5,000 collaborative e-working centres designed specifically for freelancers.  

    In a recent statement, Minister Saif unveiled plans to provide interest-free loans for the creation of these joint E-Working Centres, with the primary goal of facilitating freelancers and, in turn, generating millions of job opportunities throughout the country.  

    A press release from the Ministry, issued on Thursday, also highlighted Minister Saif’s commitment to attracting global investors to support startup ventures. Additionally, he mentioned an upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia to further these discussions.  

    Furthermore, Minister Saif emphasised a positive dialogue with Caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar, focusing on a comprehensive 5-point agenda centred on the IT sector. One key topic of discussion was the issue of retaining dollars within the IT industry.   

    According to Geo News, the Ministry believes that addressing this matter will not only repatriate overseas IT accounts to Pakistan and restore investor confidence but also enhance the inflow of foreign currency into the country, consequently boosting the volume of IT exports.  

    Separately, Minister Saif stressed the need for the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) to redefine its role. He proposed that the PSEB should actively assist IT companies in securing international clients and expanding their businesses on the global stage, ultimately promoting the image of Pakistan in the international market.  

    During the 58th meeting of the PSEB, Minister Saif underlined Pakistan’s unique strengths in terms of IT professionals and its favourable time zone. He emphasised the importance of presenting Pakistan’s IT/ITeS products to the world effectively. He suggested that the PSEB should collaborate with Pakistan’s trade and commerce missions in embassies worldwide to support the growth of exports by Pakistani IT companies.  

    In a directive to the PSEB, Minister Saif urged the expedited implementation of all necessary measures to train 200,000 IT professionals, with the goal of contributing $5 billion to the country’s IT exports. The meeting also delved into discussions concerning the IT industry and strategies for increasing investment within Pakistan. 

  • Efforts underway to resolve UAE meat export ban

    Efforts underway to resolve UAE meat export ban

    The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is optimistic about resolving the issue of fresh chilled meat exports from Pakistan to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a friendly manner. 

    According to Geo News, TDAP is actively working to address the recent ban imposed by the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on shipping fresh chilled meat from Pakistan by sea. 

    TDAP’s initial investigation suggests that the meat quality issue in the UAE may be due to problems with the refrigeration systems on the shipping containers. TDAP emphasises that it’s the responsibility of the shipping line to ensure proper refrigeration during transport. 

    Furthermore, TDAP mentions that the exporters involved have filed claims against the shipping line for damages. 

    Read more: Fungus found: UAE bans fresh meat imports from Pakistan 

    To resolve the situation, the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai has formally requested a meeting with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. 

    The goal of this meeting is to present Pakistan’s viewpoint and address the UAE’s concerns. TDAP is committed to both addressing these concerns and strongly advocating for the ban to be lifted. 

  • Microsoft set to reveal three new Surface laptops and advanced AI features

    Microsoft set to reveal three new Surface laptops and advanced AI features

    Microsoft is gearing up for a “special event” in New York City, set to debut new Surface devices and AI-powered features across its ecosystem. This event comes right after the unexpected resignation of Panos Panay, the former head of Windows and Surface.  

    Here’s what you need to know about this event: 

    Event details 

    The event is scheduled for Thursday, September 21st, marking the first in-person Surface event since the pandemic. 

    While Panos Panay won’t be presenting, we can expect to hear from Yusuf Mehdi, head of consumer marketing, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. 

    New Surface devices 

    Microsoft is rumoured to unveil three new Surface devices. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is among them, featuring Intel’s 13th Gen processors, Nvidia’s RTX 4060, a microSD card slot, and a USB-A port. It retains the familiar design with a versatile display that transforms from a laptop to a tablet. 

    Notably, it’s rumoured to ship with 64GB of RAM and is expected to be available starting October 3rd. 

    The Surface Go 4 and Surface Laptop Go 3 are also anticipated, likely maintaining the design of their predecessors but with upgraded internals and Intel’s 12th Gen CPUs. 

    Windows AI features 

    Microsoft will unveil AI-powered features for Windows, including Windows Copilot, an AI “personal assistant.” This update is set to ship by the end of September, enhancing Windows 11 with various improvements. 

    Expect more AI integration in Windows apps, such as the Snipping Tool and Photos app, offering new functionalities like text copying from screenshots and background blur for photos. 

    Apps like Paint and Photos are rumoured to get AI enhancements for generating images from text prompts and identifying objects or people in photos. 

    Surface AI features

    Microsoft has been integrating AI into its Surface lineup with features like Windows Studio Effects, which debuted on the Arm-powered Surface Pro X. 

    These features rely on dedicated neural processing units (NPUs), which may be included in the upcoming Surface Laptop Studio 2. 

    AMD’s Ryzen 7000 mobile processors and Intel’s Meteor Lake chips are expected to support AI capabilities, potentially shaping future AI experiences on Windows. 

    Office and Bing AI features

    The event won’t be limited to Surface and Windows, as Microsoft is likely to share more about Copilot plans for Microsoft 365 and Office apps. 

    Copilot in Office apps aims to streamline document summarization, email generation, and Excel analysis using AI, competing with Google Workspace, Zoom, and Slack’s AI-powered features. 

    There may also be updates regarding Bing Chat Enterprise, including its exit from preview and additional features for both consumer and enterprise versions. 

    Microsoft’s “special event” promises exciting new Surface devices and a deep dive into AI-powered features across Windows, Office, Bing, and more, setting the stage for a future where AI revolutionises how we interact with Microsoft’s products and services. 

  • EXCLUSIVE: pictures of Shahid Afridi at Shaheen Afridi’s Valima that will shock you

    EXCLUSIVE: pictures of Shahid Afridi at Shaheen Afridi’s Valima that will shock you

    Bowling sensation Shaheen Afridi’s valima reception with former captain Shahid Afridi’s daughter Ansha is being held tonight in Islamabad, and from the pictures, it looks nothing less than a star-studded gala. The Current is bringing you exclusive pictures from the event. The groom is looking incredibly dapper posing next to his father-in-law, and all of the A-list celebrities who were in attendance. Scroll for the pictures.

    We can’t tell who is the groom and who the father-in-law is from these pictures!

    Former DG Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa can also be seen celebrating the joyous occasion and congratulating the proud father-in-law.

    Television presenters and anchorpersons Waseem Badami, Adil Abbasi and Iqrar Ul Hassan spotted along with Shahid Afridi and the groom.

    Journalist Asma Shirazi was among the attendees as she poses for a pic with Boom Boom.

    Geo anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal can be seen posing next to Shahid Afridi and the groom Shaheen.

    Shaheen and Ansha’s nikkah was held on February 3 this year in Karachi. The event was a day time ceremony attended by Shaheen’s team mates including captain Babar Azam. Ansha’s rukhsati was held on September 19 in Karachi.

  • Pakistani rupee gains value, now at Rs292.78 per US dollar

    Pakistani rupee gains value, now at Rs292.78 per US dollar

    The Pakistani rupee’s ascent against the US dollar persisted for the 12th consecutive session in the inter-bank market on Thursday, registering a 0.38 per cent gain.

    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee settled at 292.78, marking a notable increase of Rs1.1 within the inter-bank market. Just the day before, on Wednesday, the rupee had exhibited a similar upward trend, appreciating by 0.35 per cent and settling at 293.88.

    This remarkable turnaround in the rupee’s value follows a recent period of decline, during which it hit a record low of 307.1 in the inter-bank market on September 5.

    The transformation in its fortune can be attributed to a series of structural reforms introduced by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) within the Exchange Companies’ (ECs) sector, along with various administrative measures implemented by authorities to combat currency smuggling and hoarding.

    On the global stage, the US dollar reached new heights on Thursday, notably against the yen, marking its strongest position since November.

    This surge in the dollar’s strength followed a hawkish stance taken by the US Federal Reserve at its recent monetary policy meeting, where it opted to maintain interest rates within the 5.25 per cent–5.50 per cent range.

    The Fed’s decision reflected a growing confidence among officials that their assertive monetary policy approach can effectively combat inflation without causing significant economic disruption or substantial job losses.

    Conversely, oil prices experienced a decline on Thursday, following the previous session’s significant drop, as expectations of US interest rate hikes overshadowed the impact of reduced US crude stockpiles.

  • Which famous airport is going to be passport-free?

    Singapore’s Changi Airport will introduce a passport-free facility for travellers next year, media reports have confirmed.

    Changi Airport is one of the busiest and most beautiful airports in the world, playing host to 100 domestic and international take offs daily.

    Communications Minister Josephine Teo stated in the parliament that Singapore Changi Airport is also soon to introduce automated immigration clearance, allowing passengers to travel out of the city without a passport, using only biometric data.

    This would make Singapore one of the few countries to introduce automated and passport-free immigration clearance

    Biometric technology and facial recognition software are already being used to some degree at immigration checkpoints at Changi Airport.

    The Minister of Communications, however, clarified that passports will be required in other countries for which passengers must keep their passports nonetheless.

    Apart from Singapore, Dubai is among the countries using facial recognition and fingerprints instead of passports at airports and so is Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and Delhi.

  • ‘Bajwa, Faiz are Pakistan’s culprits’, says Rana Sanaullah

    ‘Bajwa, Faiz are Pakistan’s culprits’, says Rana Sanaullah

    Former interior minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah has said that former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hamid are responsible for political and economic uncertainty in Pakistan.

    In an interview with Syed Talat Hussain on SAMAA, Rana Sanaullah said that former top military officials are, “culprits of the nation, adding that they should be held accountable for causing instability in the country.

    In response to a question, Sanaullah said, “These people are the culprits of the nation. They are the culprits of Pakistan. They are culprits of not just the PML-N but also of the entire nation.”

    “They will not be forgiven. These people must be held accountable. They are responsible for the current instability in the country, and they must be asked why they created instability in 2017,” he added.

  • ‘Every actor has the right to protect themselves’: Anil Kapoor wins landmark case against AI

    ‘Every actor has the right to protect themselves’: Anil Kapoor wins landmark case against AI

    Veteran Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor has won a landmark case preventing his image from being used in any manner by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

    The actor filed a case with the Delhi High Court, after numerous morphed videos and emojis featuring his iconic phrase ‘jhakas’ from the 1985 film ‘Yudh’ went viral on social media.

    The suit had asked for protection for the actor’s personality rights including his name, image, likeness, voice against any misuse on social media, and listed various instances of how the actor’s attributes were being misused. After a detailed hearing, the court sided with Anil Kapoor by acknowledging his personality rights, and restrained users from misusing the attributes without his permission or consent.

    Speaking to Variety, Anil Kapoor said he was happy with the order.

    “I’m very happy with this court order, which has come in my favor, and I think it’s very progressive and great for not only me but for other actors also. Because of the way technology and the AI technology, which is which is evolving every day [and] which can completely take advantage of and be misused commercially, as well as where my image, voice, morphing, GIFs and deep fakes are concerned, I can straight away, if that happens, send a court order and injunction and they have to pull it down.”

    “It’s not only for me,” the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ actor stressed. “Today, I’m there to protect myself, but when I’m not there, the family should have the right to protect my [personality] and gain from it in future.”

    “My intention is not to interfere with anyone’s freedom of expression or to penalize anyone. My intent was to seek protection of my personality rights and prevent any misuse for commercial gains, particularly in the current scenario with rapid changes in technology and tools like artificial intelligence.”

    AI is a central element to the SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood. Anil Kapoor expressed solidarity with the ongoing strike.

    “This [the court order] should be great positive news for all of them to a certain extent. And I am always, completely with them in every which way, and I feel their rights should be protected, because everybody, big, small, popular, not popular, every actor has the right to protect themselves and their rights.”

  • Canadian Punjabi rapper’s India tour cancelled as diplomatic row continues

    Canadian Punjabi rapper’s India tour cancelled as diplomatic row continues

    Canadian Punjabi rapper Shubhneet Singh has been targeted by right wing politicians after sharing a cryptic post on his Instagram stories, leading to allegations that he supported the notion of setting up a separate state for Sikhs in India. On Thursday, ticketing platform Book My Show announced on X (formerly Twitter) that they had cancelled bookings for the Punjabi rapper’s shows in cities like Delhi and Kolkata, refunded money to the customers.

    “Singer Shubhneet Singh’s Still Rollin Tour for India stands cancelled. To that end, BookMyShow has initiated a complete refund of the ticket amount for all consumers who had purchased tickets for the show. The refund will be reflected within 7-10 working days in the customer’s source account of the original transaction.”

    This development came after members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM)- the youth wing of the right wing party BJP, launched protests against Shubhneet. On March 23, the rapper had shared a map of India on his Instagram stories, which didn’t show Punjab or occupied Jammu and Kashmir as part of the country, along with the hashtag #prayforpunjab.

    Members of the BJYM wrote to the Mumbai Police, calling for an FIR to be registered against Shubhneet “for waging war against Government of India and posting anti-government posts”.

    “Shubh is openly a Khalistani supporter,” the complaint read. “And if he is allowed to hold a concert here, he will be influencing a lot of youth in Mumbai and our country to support his agenda…He has evidently proven that he is a pro-Khalistani activist and openly supports their agenda and [he] is also influencing the youth of the country to do the same and wage a war against the Government of India by posting such absurd and derogatory post about Government of India.”

    The tensions arrive after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a strongly worded statement about the murder of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Monday, stating that there was credible evidence of the connection between the murderers and the Indian government.

    “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” said Trudeau.

    “In the strongest possible terms, I continue to urge the government of India to cooperate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter.”

    READ MORE: ‘Credible allegations’; Trudeau blames Indian govt agents for Nijjar murder

    Nijjar was a vocal supporter of the creation of Khalistan- a separate state for Sikhs living in India. He was branded as a terrorist by the Indian government, which maintained that he was wanted by the state for his active involvement with the Khalistan Tiger Force (KLF) an organisation declared as a terrorist group by the country. Nijjar was shot outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, which was deemed as a targeted attack by the police.