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  • Banks increase charges for ATM withdrawals from other banks

    Banks increase charges for ATM withdrawals from other banks

    For cash withdrawals at ATMs from banks other than the account’s host bank, some commercial banks have increased the per transaction cost from Rs18.50 to Rs23.44.

    Some banks have already begun charging their clients, while others are expected to do so within the coming weeks.

    The details indicate that commercial banks, including United Bank Limited (UBL), Askari Bank, Bank Al Habib, Meezan Bank, Bank of Punjab (BOP), Telenor Microfinance Bank, and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), updated their schedule of charges and increased the fees on cash withdrawals made by customers of various banks through their ATMs.

    Banks like Bank Alfalah, MCB Bank, and Habib Bank Limited did not change the fees for cash withdrawals made through the Link 1 changeover. On the same account, these banks charge between Rs18.50 and Rs18.75 every transaction.

    These fees make up a substantial portion of 1-Link Switch as well as a small portion of a bank that operates an ATM that is utilised by clients of other banks to conduct transactions.

    Not all banks will necessarily use the same strategy. However, the majority of banks, are expected to gradually impose or increase the fees.

  • When Fawad Alam made Hina Altaf uncomfortable by inquiring about her ‘shyness’

    A video clip from an interview has resurfaced of actor Hina Altaf from Tabish Hashmi’s show To Be Honest. The talented performer can be heard sharing an incident with cricketer Fawad Alam.

    The Udaari star mentioned at the show that once she interacteed with Fawad at Nida Yasir’s morning show and he asked her an awkward question. She said, “Usne mujhe on-air hi keh diya ke ap waqayi hi itni sharmili hain kya? (Are you actually so shy?”

    The Dour diva recently opened up on why she doesn’t share personal pictures with her husband Aagha Ali on social media.

    Responding to a follower, who asked her about this, Hina said: “A lot of people ask me the same question.”

    “I don’t feel like posting anything or everything about our lives. Judgmental behaviour, people passing comments and assuming things on their own at times does not feel good,” continued the actor. “I like to keep my life a little private.”

    Hina further said that she is not suggesting anyone to do the same, adding: “You are the boss of your own life, so you better do only what makes you happy.”

    “And having professional life yet personal life which is not on display all the time makes me happy and at peace,” added Hina.

    Meanwhile, Hina also gave a sneak peek into her life, saying: “I was in Lahore and my mother-in-law cooked amazing biryani.”

    Hina and Ali, who gained popularity after their brilliant performance in the hit drama serial Dil-e-Gumshuda, tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on May 22, 2020. The power couple is also hosting a show called The Couple Show, in which they chat with other couples from the industry about their lives.

  • ‘Farah Gogi, Pinky Peerni aur Money Gala Fitna Khan ke mega projects hain’: Maryam on Khan

    ‘Farah Gogi, Pinky Peerni aur Money Gala Fitna Khan ke mega projects hain’: Maryam on Khan

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s politics will end after July 17 by-polls, while addressing an election rally in PP-156, Dharampura on July 3.

    “Punjab will never vote for Imran Khan again”

    Maryam addressing the rally said that Punjab will never vote for Imran Khan again. The people of Punjab understood Imran Khan now.

    “Fallen on his face without crutches”

    Maryam, speaking of Khan, said that he had fallen on his face without crutches. “Now he knows that people have found him out and will no longer vote so now he is calling out [for help] He calls out to neutrals at rallies but nobody pays any heed.”

    Maneka’s children have become billionaires in Imran Khan’s tenure”

    Alleging corruption, Maryam claimed that Khawar Maneka’s children have become rich while the nation has become poor. “They gave grief to the people of Pakistan and relief to their own family members.”

    Referring to the recent alleged audio tape leak of Bushra Bibi, Maryam said that Bushra Bibi instructed that everybody who questioned her corruption be called a “traitor”.

    “Farah Gogi, Pinky Peerni aur Money Gala Fitna Khan ke mega projects hain”

    Criticising the alleged corruption in Imran Khan’s tenure, Maryam said once again Imran Khan is after the province of Punjab. “Fitna Khan ke mega projects kya hain? Farah Gogi, Pinky Peerni aur Money Gala. [What are the mega projects of Fitna Khan? (Imran Khan) Farah Gogi, Pinky Peerni and Money Gala.”

    “Farah Gogi swindled the entire province of Punjab and she’s a “bachi” [young girl]?”

    Talking about the recent allegedly leaked audio tape in which Bushra Bibi called Farah Gogi a “bachi”, Maryam questioned after all of Farah Gogi’s crimes in Punjab, why is she still considered a child?

  • Imran Khan’s upcoming alleged audio leak: PTI says if it happens, they will not sit quietly

    Imran Khan’s upcoming alleged audio leak: PTI says if it happens, they will not sit quietly

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s conversation with his former Principal Secretary Azam Khan at the time when he was Prime Minister of Pakistan (PM) can be leaked, writes journalist Ansar Abbasi for Daily Jang.

    Following this, Focal Person on Digital Media to Khan Dr Arslan Khalid took to Twitter and said, “Recording thousands of calls, editing voices, making custom phone calls and then spreading them through your envelopes, is all that’s left now.”

    PTI’s Babar Awan termed this act as treason and said, “First Bushra Imran’s fake audio and now Imran Khan’s. Is it a joke that someone can tap the call of the PM of a nuclear country or use it for media trial by tampering and editing?”

    Journalist Mansoor Ali Khan shared an old interview of Khan when he was in power. In the video clip, Khan can be heard defending Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for recording calls.

    According to Khan, ISI knows who is he talking to over the telephone. He further said that they should know because they are responsible for the security of the PM.

    Addressing a press conference, both former federal ministers and PTI leaders Shireen Mazari and Fawad Chaudhry condemned Khan’s and Bushra Bibi’s leaked audios.

    Talking about Khan’s audio, Mazari said phone tapping of a PM’s secure line is illegal as only an intelligence agency can do that. She urged that Supreme Court (SC) take suo moto of the situation as it is a violation of SC order.

    In the verdict issued in the late 1990s, the top court had said that an individual’s privacy under Article 14 was not just restricted to physical boundaries of home or work but also extended to public places.

    Taking Ansar Abbasi’s name, she further said it is a clear violation of the Constitution. Mazari said that if such audio is leaked, it will be a violation of the Official Secrets Act as the conversation between a PM and his principal secretary.

    “If a journalist leaks this, they are not only violating Article 14, they will also be in violation of the Official Secrets Act. Beware, we will not sit quietly if this happens,” she added.

    Commenting upon the leaked audio of Bushra Bibi, the former minister said that “no substantial” conversation was there and “the actual problem here is of phone tapping”.

    “One wonders how much did the US help in tapping the phones?” Mazari posed a question. She said that the “neutrals and the government” could not find evidence of corruption against Khan that’s why they are leaking audios. She further claimed that they are diverting the public from real problems such as inflation, loadshedding, etc.

    Meanwhile, speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that if PTI claims that Bushra Bibi’s audio leak is fake, they can get its forensics done from a third party.

    On Saturday, an alleged audio of Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi was leaked in which she is instructing Arslan Khalid to make a statement against Khan’s opponents and run a campaign to ‘prove them, traitors’.

  • Pakistani rupee climbs versus dollar for fourth consecutive day, closes at Rs204.56

    Pakistani rupee climbs versus dollar for fourth consecutive day, closes at Rs204.56

    On Monday, the rupee continued to strengthen for a fourth consecutive day, rising a meagre 0.14 per cent against the US dollar on hopes that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout plan will be reinstated.

    In relation to the US dollar, the local currency increased by Rs0.29, or 0.14 per cent, to settle at Rs204.56. Since falling as low as Rs211.93 on June 22, 2022, the currency has increased by Rs7.37.

    The market now anticipates a relatively easy restart of the programme, which coincides with Pakistan’s efforts to meet various IMF-imposed requirements.

    Following discussions between the two parties, Pakistan received the IMF Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) last week.

    In addition, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stated that the IMF will combine the seventh and eighth assessments of Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and distribute around $1.9 billion in the coming days.

    Experts claim that the most recent developments in the IMF programme, which is largely seen as being essential to Pakistan’s economy, have enhanced investor sentiment.

  • Woman raped in Faisalabad hospital

    Woman raped in Faisalabad hospital

    A woman who went to Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology for a check-up has been allegedly raped by a security guard, reported Geo News.

    According to the police, the woman is married. In her complaint to the police, she said that she went to the hospital for a check-up where the security guard told her that the doctor is not present and took her to a separate room in the hospital and allegedly raped her there.

    Following the incident, the police registered the case on the woman’s complaint and started an investigation. The accused is still missing and efforts to arrest him are underway.

    Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shehbaz took notice of the incident. He sought a report from the Inspector General of Police (IG) Punjab and directed that strict action should be taken against the accused and justice should be ensured.

    Last month, Punjab Home Minister Attaullah Tarar announced that the Punjab government would declare an emergency following an increase in rape and sodomy cases in the province.

    The Current records the tally of rape cases that are reported in news outlets on a daily basis to highlight the alarming situation. We have used many different sources as listed. When will it stop?

  • ‘Be careful, follow SOPs’, President urges nation to ‘save’ themselves from Covid during Eid holidays

    ‘Be careful, follow SOPs’, President urges nation to ‘save’ themselves from Covid during Eid holidays

    President Dr Arif Alvi has urged the nation to take Covid-19 precautionary measures during the Eid holidays.

    “Be careful during the upcoming Eid holidays. Follow SOPs and save yourself, your friends & families from sickness. Prevent what you can and let the state worry about other health issues.”

    President Alvi also shared Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

    According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 675 cases of Covid-19 with a positivity rate of 4.61 per cent were reported in Pakistan on July 3.

    Two deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. A total of 14,632 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday approved a five-day public holiday from July 8 to July 12 (Friday to Tuesday) on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.

  • Nepra approves price increase of Rs9.66 per unit for Karachi

    Nepra approves price increase of Rs9.66 per unit for Karachi

    On account of the fuel cost adjustment (FCA) for May 2022, the National Electric Electricity Regulatory Authority (Nepra) allowed K-Electric to increase its power rate by Rs9.66 per unit on Monday.

    According to Aaj News, Nepra will make the announcement following careful consideration.

    In order to transfer the financial burden of Rs22.65 billion to consumers for May 2022, K-Electric requested an increase of Rs11.34 per unit.

    Officials from Nepra questioned K-Electric during a hearing about why it wasn’t buying less expensive electricity and offered to help K-Electric establish a connection with the provincial and federal governments for this reason.

    The power distributor also questioned K-Electric’s decision not to use the inexpensive oil it had acquired for power production.

    Nepra’s representatives responded that the company was using peak hours, which are from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM, to provide electricity and that the cost of power is much greater at these times.

    The FCA estimate for May 2022, according to K-Electric, was based on the requested rate for the month from CPPA-G and is subject to change based on a decision to be made by Nepra.

    In its FCA adjustment request, the power utility informed the regulator that it imports from outside sources and dispatches power from its own generating units (with the available fuel resources) in accordance with economic merit orders (EMOs).

  • ‘Made a mistake, want to fix matters’: Khawaja Asif says Khan wants to make amends with the US

    ‘Made a mistake, want to fix matters’: Khawaja Asif says Khan wants to make amends with the US

    The United States (US) State Department restated its claim that there is no truth to the allegations that Washington was involved in a conspiracy to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    The reiteration came on Sunday after media reports that PTI’s Secretary of the Office of International Chapters (OIC) Dr Abdullah Riar had contacted the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and asked him to forget the past and move forward.

    A US State Department spokesperson, when asked about Riar’s reported contact with Lu, said: “As a standard practice, we do not comment on private diplomatic meetings,” reports Dawn.

    Imran Khan’s claim of the US involvement in ousting him reiterated: “As we have said before, there is no truth to these allegations.”

    Khan wants to fix matters with America

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that there was evidence of a meeting of the PTI leader and an apology to the US government.

    Speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Khawaja Asif said: “We [the coalition government] have obtained all records regarding PTI’s apology to Lu. Evidence has been received regarding PTI leaders’ meeting with the US government where they tendered an apology.”

    Asif said that Imran Khan has sent a message to America that we have made a mistake, he wants to fix matters with America and the process should start from where it was broken.

    ‘Let’s move on’: Is PTI trying to be friends with Donald Lu?

    Reports suggest that Dr Abdullah Riar sent a message to Donald Lu.

    According to media reports, Riar in a message to Lu has said, “Let’s move on.”

    It is pertinent to mention here that Lu is the same person who has been accused by the PTI Chairperson Imran Khan of being behind the conspiracy to remove him from power. Khan accused Lu of using undiplomatic language to threaten his government in the wake of the no-confidence motion.

    Khan in his interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson said that Lu should be sacked for his sheer arrogance.

    The PTI chairman said that the US diplomat told Pakistan’s ambassador that unless “you get Imran Khan removed in a vote of no-confidence — which was not tabled but he seemed to know about it — Pakistan will suffer consequences”.

    “And then goes on to say, of course, if you get rid of him through the vote of no-confidence, all will be forgiven — such arrogance […] by the way Becky, this guy should be sacked for bad manners and sheer arrogance,” said Khan.

  • Sindh extends market timings for Eid-ul-Adha after Punjab

    Sindh extends market timings for Eid-ul-Adha after Punjab

    The government of Sindh on Sunday decided to revoke the notice it had issued regarding time limits for markets due to Eid-ul-Adha, following the relaxation of restrictions in Punjab.

    The province’s home department reportedly sent out a notice saying that the limitation will resume on July 11.

    In order to conserve electricity as the country was experiencing frequent power outages, the Government of Sindh earlier in June ordered all marketplaces in the province to close at 9 pm.

    The limitation was supposed to last until July 16, but as Eid-ul-Adha is quickly approaching, the regional government has decided to temporarily relax the ban. The letter states that it was decided to suspend the closure orders for the benefit of locals.

    Islamabad and Punjab had also let marketplaces stay open until late the day before to help the business community and those who were buying for Eid.