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  • Riba against Shariah: FSC orders govt to replace interest-based financial system

    Riba against Shariah: FSC orders govt to replace interest-based financial system

    The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Thursday declared interest-based financial system in the country against sharia after it announced its verdict in Riba case, reports ARY News.

    The three-member bench of the Federal Shariat Court in its verdict said that the existing laws related to Riba and interest are against Shariah. The FSC ruled that it is the responsibility of the government to replace the existing system and bring laws in accordance with Quran and Sunnah.

    The court declared that banks and other financial institutions receiving interest is against the Shariah. “Receiving additional amount on loans and change in agreement also comes under riba,” it ruled and directed the government to following Shariah laws while finalizing agreements with Chinese government for CPEC projects.

    The court further set a deadline of 31 December 2027 to fully implement court’s order on elimination of interest from the country and said that the government could also implement the decision prior to the deadline.

    Previously, the Full Bench of the Federal Shariat Court comprising of Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai Chief Justice, Justice Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar and Mr. Justice Khadim Hussain M. Shaikh reserved the judgment against Riba case on April 12.

    The existing bench of the Federal Shariat Court headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai took keen and unprecedented interest in this matter.

    Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq termed it a historic moment of the country and lauded the three-member bench that announced the verdict.

    During the Chairmanship of his lordship of the bench 34 hearings are conducted.

    Petitioners, their Counsels, Jurisconsults, Amicus Curiae, Economists, Experts, Scholars, Chartered Accountants, Attorney General, and Advocate Generals advanced their arguments and the Court heard them with patience.

    They also gave suggestions for the conversion of the existing banking system into Riba free Islamic Banking system.

  • Confusion over CM Punjab oath-taking today, Speaker says Buzdar is still CM

    The Punjab Assembly (PA) session, with a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari on agenda, was adjourned by Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi till 11:30am on May 16.

    Later talking to the media, Ch Pervaiz Elahi blamed harassment of the assembly’s officials by police officers as the reason for postponing the session. “The assembly officials are being harassed and intimated by police officers. Some of them have been arrested while the police have been carrying out raiding on the houses of other staffers,” he added.

    Regarding the confusion over the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister (CM) Punjab, Elahi said that Buzdar is still the CM.

    However, in the light of the Lahore High Court (LHC) orders to Punjab Governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema regarding oath-taking from CM-elect Hamza Shehbaz, there is some probability that Hamza may take oath today (Thursday).

    Voting on the no-confidence motion was scheduled for Thursday and it was supposed to be held through a secret ballot. No Member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) was allowed to bring their cellphone to the House. Women lawmakers were also barred from carrying their handbags.

    Security around the House was quite strict after the PA session on April 16 witnessed unprecedented violence which left many lawmakers injured.

    According to Dawn, a PML-N MPA told the news outlet that PML-N, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf  (PTI)’s dissident lawmakers agreed to support Deputy Speaker Mazari in the no-confidence motion.

    The no-confidence against the deputy speaker was submitted on April 7 when he summoned the assembly session early on April 6 instead of April 16— a development that was opposed by PML-Q and PTI.

    Mazari’s sudden change of heart to hold the session earlier was termed the ‘handiwork’ of the PML-N leadership that allegedly wooed him through a ‘good offer’.

  • Instagram is testing ‘pin’ feature for posts

    Instagram is testing ‘pin’ feature for posts

    Instagram is currently testing a new feature that allows users to pin photos to the top of their photo grid. According to tipsters, developers and insiders with access to the feature can already pin posts from the side menu.

    Instagram appears to have been working on the pin option for at least a few months. The upcoming feature will be a welcome addition to the Meta-owned platform, especially for those who want to highlight a photo or video they fancy, which may be buried way down in the grid.

    Instagram users currently have the option to pin stories to their accounts, but the addition of a pin feature would further enhance the user experience.

    The pinned posts test comes around a week after Instagram said that, as part of a modest test, it would remove the ‘Recent’ button from hashtag pages for some users. When you click on a hashtag, you’ll be led to a page where you can sort through the content that’s been shared with that hashtag into three categories: top, recent, and reels.

    Read more: Twitter officially declares adding an edit button

    Some users will only see the ‘Top’ and ‘Reels’ tabs on hashtag pages as a result of this change. The adjustment might be viewed as a method for Instagram to promote Reels, its TikTok competitor, while simultaneously focusing on uncovering the most popular postings on the platform.

  • Suicide bomber Shari Baloch’s Twitter run from abroad; husband held

    Suicide bomber Shari Baloch’s Twitter run from abroad; husband held

    Habitan Bashir Baloch, husband of the female suicide bomber, Shari Baloch has been arrested by security officials, a day after scope of the investigation into the Karachi University (KU) blast was expanded, reports ARY News on Wednesday.

    According to the TV report, Habitan Bashir Baloch was arrested by the security personnel.

    The TV channel, quoting sources, claimed that the Chinese ambassador in Pakistan was informed regarding arrest of the suicide bomber’s husband, Habitan Bashir Baloch.

    The Chinese envoy was briefed on the latest developments in a session chaired by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah at Chief Minister’s House in Karachi.

    The participants of the session were apprised that it is the first arrest after the KU blast.

    Meanwhile, the report claimed that investigation agencies have unearthed more details about the woman suicide bomber Shari Baloch who attacked Chinese citizens at KU on April 26.

    The report, quoting investigators, revealed that the last tweet from Shari Baloch’s Twitter account was made from a foreign country.

    “The IP and MAC address recovered from her last tweet have disclosed that her account was being operated from a western country. The handlers also tried to camouflage the location by using a VPN,” the TV channel informed.

    Authorities have also found details about Shari’s meetings prior to the blast at KU. Shari used to meet regularly with her husband at his brother’s house. Dr Haibtan Baloch was staying in a private hotel in Karachi. Authorities have doubts that Haibtan was among the masterminds of the attack.

    The police raided a house in Gulistan-e-Johar Karachi where they found Shari’s two kids.

    Some locals also assisted in carrying out the attack, the investigators claim.

    On the other hand, the investigators have found the association of some relatives of the Karachi University’s (KU) female suicide bomber Shari Baloch with the banned Baloch Students Organization (BSO).

    The ARY News claimed that investigators believed that Shari Baloch joined the banned BSO through her relatives.

  • Pakistan to host Cricket World Cup for veteran players in 2023

    Pakistan will host Cricket World Cup for veteran players in the next year 2023. The age limit for players to play in the tournament would be 40 and above.

    According to Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), 12 teams will play in the tournament which will commence on September 23, 2023, at six venues in Karachi while the final match will be played on October 8.

    Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman PVCA told the media: “Pakistan will be joined in the World Cup by old rivals – India, Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Canada, USA, Zimbabwe, Wales, UAE, and Namibia.”

    He added, “It is going to be a major event and we will take all steps to make sure that we host it successfully.”

    “We have a number of leading cricketers who would be eligible to compete in the World Cup. We are hoping that top players like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, and Mohammad Hafeez will play for Pakistan. We are going to field a very strong team and will be the favorites to win the World Cup,” he further said.

    There is a new concept that will give an opportunity to former cricketers to play on the fields again while young audiences and players will also get another chance to see their seniors playing on the grounds.

    Every match will be of 45 overs and local TV channels will broadcast the matches of Pakistan including the semi-finals and finals live.

    The Veterans World Cup, aged above 50, was first launched in Australia in 2018. However, its second edition was canceled due to a covid pandemic.

  • Boris Johnson greets PM Shehbaz, hopes to meet him soon

    Boris Johnson greets PM Shehbaz, hopes to meet him soon

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming Prime Minister of Pakistan, Radio Pakistan reports.

    According to a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Britain’s Prime Minister wrote PM Shehbaz a letter on April 26 in which he stated that the UK and Pakistan have enjoying deep relations, bolstered by strong people-to-people contacts. In his letter, Boris Johnson noted that the United Kingdom and Pakistan have been locked in bonds supported by strong people-to-people links.

    “He also recalled their meeting in 2016 during his visit to Pakistan and the discussions held on a number of shared interests including girls’ education, health, economics and trade relations,” the statement issued by the ministry read.

    “PM Johnson looked forward to working together including in addressing global challenges,” the statement read.

  • CDA to spend Rs80 million on maintenance of street lights in Islamabad

    CDA to spend Rs80 million on maintenance of street lights in Islamabad

    The Capital Development Authority (CDA) would spend about Rs80 million on street light repairs and maintenance to keep the city lit at night.

    On several main highways, intersections, connecting roads, marketplaces, and streets in Islamabad, the Authority’s Street Light Department will install new street lights and replace damaged street lights and transformers, according to a CDA spokesman on Wednesday. The tender will be published in national publications soon before work begins.

    He said the administration was committed to providing the necessary resources to the street lighting division in the best interests of the capital city and its citizens, under the leadership of CDA Chairman Aamer Ali Ahmed.

    The continuous functioning of street lights was necessary to offer inhabitants safe transportation and to ensure the city’s security at night, according to the spokesman.

    Allocated Budget for Sectors

    According to information, a budget of about Rs20 million has been put aside for the construction of new street lights on different important highways and linking roads between GT Road and Haj Complex, as well as Sector I-14/2-3.

    Moreover, about Rs19 million has been set aside for the installation of new and contemporary street lights on Sector I-11/2’s key highways, link roads, and marketplaces, as well as the upkeep of broken street lights.

    Read more: Shopkeepers fined in Islamabad for not adhering to DC rates

    Similarly, Rs16 million has been set aside for sector I-16 in order to ensure sufficient illumination on major highways, service roads, and marketplaces. In addition, Rs11 million would be spent on lighting from Sector I-10, Faqir Appi Road, to Victory Pipe Industrial Area.

    The administration has agreed to spend Rs11 million to install new and modern street lights in Sector I-14-1, I-14/3, and I-14/4 to ensure sufficient lighting, and Rs7 million to install new street lights in Sector H-11 from NUST University to Srinagar Highway.

  • Former CJP advices Imran not to ‘criticise judiciary’

    Former CJP advices Imran not to ‘criticise judiciary’

    Former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar met Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and advised him not to criticise the judiciary.

    The meeting took place at the latter’s Lahore residence in Zaman Park on Wednesday wherein they deliberated the judiciary’s role vis-à-vis the ongoing political crisis and constitutional matters among other issues.

    According to media reports, the PTI chief had invited former CJP Saqib Nisar to his Zaman Park residence with the aim to `consult’ legal experts on various prevailing constitutional as well political issues.

    The PTI chief discussed with the former CJP legalities regarding oath-taking by the Punjab chief minister-elect since the Lahore High Court had advised the governor to administer oath on Thursday (today).

    Talking to ARY News following the meeting, Justice (r) Saqib Nisar lauded the country’s judiciary for doing “great work”.

    He said he advised the former prime minister to not criticise the judiciary. He said he also discussed with Khan the constitutional crisis in Punjab, as well as the issue of the oath-taking of the newly elected Punjab chief minister.

    Earlier, addressing PTI workers’ convention in Lahore on Wednesday, Imran Khan said that his party will observe Ramadan 27 (a possible Shab-e-Qadr) as “Shab-e-Dua” (Night of Prayers) and urged all Pakistanis to join PTI’s Shab-e-Dua for the “real freedom of Pakistan”.

    He also asked party representatives to launch a public campaign at UC level in their constituencies for preparations regarding the party’s Islamabad march. “I want two million people to reach Islamabad on my call,” he added.

  • UN chief arrives in Ukraine

    UN chief arrives in Ukraine

    Following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced his arrival in Kyiv on Wednesday. “I have arrived in Ukraine after visiting Moscow,” he wrote on his official Twitter account as he landed ahead of talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

    “We will continue our work to expand humanitarian support and secure the evacuation of civilians from the conflict zones. The sooner this war ends, the better — for the sake of Ukraine, Russia, and the world – it will be ,” Guterres tweeted.

    During talks in Moscow on Tuesday, Guterres repeated calls for both Russia and Ukraine to work together to set up “safe and effective” humanitarian corridors in war-torn Ukraine.

    “Despite the fact that the military operation is ongoing, we still hope that we will be able to reach agreements on the diplomatic track,” the Russian leader said in televised remarks.

  • Pakistan to broaden ties with US for the bright future of IT sector

    Pakistan to broaden ties with US for the bright future of IT sector

    Pakistan is taking steps to establish a welcoming environment for the digital industry, and now is the right time to elevate tech relations with the United States (US) according to Ambassador Masood Khan.

    The United States is willing to assist, and we are ready to join the IT revolution by integrating and adopting breakthroughs in US technologies, Khan said at the Pakistan Tech Summit 2022 in Silicon Valley, California.

    According to the Pakistani ambassador, the Forum provides a venue for Pakistani business leaders, tech startups, and technology professionals to come together and establish affinities, expand contacts between Silicon Valley and the Pakistani startup ecosystem, and team up for Pakistan’s better future.

    He said that more than 64 per cent of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, and the country’s burgeoning middle class is likely to surpass the 100 million mark in the near future. This youth bulge, paired with a rising middle class, envisioned a bright future for the country’s IT sector.

    He claimed that tech entrepreneurs in Pakistan have made half a billion dollars in the last 18 months, largely due to US funding, and that the sector is poised to create tens of billions of dollars in the next decade.

    Ambassador Khan stated that the Pakistani government will continue to take initiatives to make the tech industry more welcoming. He stated that laws are being made more business-friendly, that ease of doing business is a focus, and that venture capitalists are being offered incentives.

    The Envoy mentioned many incentives being offered to boost the tech sector, including the ability for investors to return their funds, data protection legislation in the works, and intellectual property challenges being handled.

    Read more: US launches $23 million project to enhance Pakistan’s power sector

    “We want to open a consulate general in the Bay Area to connect Silicon Valley with Pakistan in order to promote and assist the growth of entrepreneurs in Pakistan,” the Ambassador continued.

    During the conference, he invited participants to share the results of their discussions and to identify areas where the government and embassy could assist.