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Tag: Karachi

  • Update: Sindh High Court restrains police from exhuming Aamir Liaquat’s body, Bushra gets emotional

    Update: Sindh High Court restrains police from exhuming Aamir Liaquat’s body, Bushra gets emotional

    Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain was found dead on Thursday at his residence. Aamir’s son Ahmed and daughter Dua Aamir refused the postmortem of their father. His funeral prayers will be held today.

    The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday restrained the police from exhuming his body for a post-mortem examination to determine the “actual cause of his death”.

    Following Hussain’s sudden death on June 9, the police had said an autopsy would be conducted but performed only a preliminary examination before relinquishing custody of the body to his family after they refused an autopsy. He was buried the following day.

    His ex-wife Syeda Bushra Iqbal on Wednesday could not control her emotions and her eyes filled with tears after hearing the Sindh High Court’s ruling about suspending the orders for the exhumation of Hussain’s body for an autopsy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEe4bD1S7Ww

    In a video, Bushra Iqbal can be seen with tears in her eyes while standing with her daughter in the corridor of the SHC.

    A two-member bench of the SHC suspended the judicial magistrate’s order. Aamir Liaquat’s children, Ahmed Aamir and Dua Aamir had moved the court against the order.

    Last week, a Karachi judicial magistrate had ordered authorities to conduct a post-mortem on the televangelist’s body after which a six-member medical board was constituted for the purpose on June 23.

    However, Hussain’s children, Ahmad and Duaa filed a petition in the SHC expressing that they were “aggrieved” and “dissatisfied” at the judicial magistrate’s “baseless and meritless” order and appealed for it to be dismissed.

    When the news of the Aalim Online star’s demise surfaced, his third wife In a video message was seen weeping and pleading to “meet her husband for the last time”. She, however, asked the provincial government to “provide her security” so she could visit Karachi. 

    She further claimed that the couple was about to reconcile, adding that she had no idea that Hussain would “leave her behind” and bid farewell to the world. 

    Expressing her sorrows, Dania once again appealed to CM Punjab to allow her to be a part of Hussain’s last rites. 

    The PTI leader was found unconscious at his home in Khudad Colony in Karachi and was shifted to a private hospital in critical condition.

    Hussain, 50, reportedly felt chest discomfort the night before but refused to go to the hospital. His employee, Javed, said he heard Hussain scream in the morning. 

    The TV personality’s domestic staff broke down his room’s door when they did not receive any reply from him. When rushed to the hospital, doctors said he had already passed away by the time he reached the facility. 

    He was found unresponsive at his house and was rushed to Aga Khan University Hospital.

     The post-mortem examination of the politician was going to be conducted at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

    Liaquat had won the elections from National Assembly constituency NA-245 Karachi-I East-IV in 2018.

    Earlier this year in April Liaquat was taken to the emergency room of a hospital in Karachi, when he complained of a heart ailment, with people speculating it was a heart attack.

  • Sixth Covid wave expected, warn medical experts

    Sixth Covid wave expected, warn medical experts

    Pakistan is expecting another Covid-19 wave, according to medical experts. Karachi is the most affected city with 340 positive cases, raising Sindh’s positivity rate to 10.69 per cent in seven days.

    Medical experts say a new variant — BA.5 — is fast spreading in other countries and had been reported in Pakistan, including Karachi.

    “While other [old] sub-variants of Omicron are also being reported in Karachi, this one is more contagious since it’s a new one and has been a cause of concern in other parts of the world,” said Dr Saeed Khan, a professor of molecular pathology heading the Sindh Public Health Lab at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), while speaking with Dawn.

    “If we don’t pay heed to medical advice and start implementing the Covid-related preventive measures seriously, the spike in cases might turn into the sixth wave of coronavirus,” he said.

    “They are genetically different, which helps them transmit fast. Other reasons include waning of vaccine immunity after six months, reluctance on part of the general public to get a booster shot and absence of Covid-19 preventive measures at public places,” said Dr Khan.

    According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 204 cases of Covid-19 with a positivity rate of 1.53 per cent were reported in Pakistan today (June 22).

  • People’s Bus Service to be launched in Karachi and Larkana

    The People’s Bus Service will be launched in Karachi and Larkana today. Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will inaugurate the bus service in both cities today (June 21). The bus service is being launched by the Sindh government.

    In the initial phase, around 140 buses have been purchased for the service out of which 130 will be used in Karachi and 10 in Larkana.

    The bus will operate on the following routes in Karachi:

    Seats are also reserved for persons with disabilities and women on these buses. The ticket prices have yet to be announced by the Sindh government. However, according to unofficial reports, the government would establish a minimum and maximum tariff of Rs 25 and Rs55.

    The Peoples’ Bus Service is a separate project from the network of Bus Rapid Transit lines. 

  • Gold surges to Rs147,250 per tola in local market

    Gold surges to Rs147,250 per tola in local market

    On Monday, gold prices in the local market rose by Rs1,450 per tola to a new all-time high, pushed up by the Pakistani currency’s continued depreciation against the US dollar.

    Despite no change in gold rates in the international market, gold rates in the local market increased to Rs147,250 per tola, according to data released by the All Sindh Saraf Jewelers Association. Similarly, the price of a gramme of gold increased by Rs1,243 to Rs126,243.

    However, gold prices on the international market remained unchanged at $1,840 per ounce.

    The price of silver per tola remained unchanged at Rs1,560. The price of a gramme of silver also remained unchanged at Rs1,337.44. When compared to rates in the Dubai gold market, local jewellers said prices in the local market remained below Rs3,000 per tola.

    Pakistani rupee dips to new lows

    Experts predict that the Pakistan rupee will continue to fall against the US dollar and other major currencies owing to concerns regarding the IMF’s $6 billion program’s restoration, the country’s expanding current account deficit, and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

    The PKR which lost 32.5 per cent of its value in the current financial year 2021-22 is forecasted to remain under stress as the dollar is in high demand in the market due to economic crises.

    The central bank appears helpless to stem the rupee’s speculative fall, as demand for the US dollar continues to rise due to quarter-end payment strain.

  • PM Shehbaz decides to continue targeted subsidy on five essentials items

    PM Shehbaz decides to continue targeted subsidy on five essentials items

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Monday decided to continue a targeted subsidy on five essential items — wheat flour, sugar, ghee/edible oil, pulses, and rice — at Utility Stores for the next financial year.

    The prime minister also approved the expansion of a network of Utility Stores in Karachi.

    “The small number of Utility Stores in Karachi is not acceptable in any way and a comprehensive plan for raising the number of Utility Stores in the megacity should be presented within two weeks,” tweeted PM Shehbaz.

    The decision was taken at a high-level meeting regarding Utility Stores in the country, with the PM in the chair. Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail, Minister for Industries and Production Murtaza Mahmood, and other senior officials were also in attendance.

  • Clash between political parties kills one in Karachi

    Clash between political parties kills one in Karachi

    NA-240 by-elections were held in Karachi on Thursday (June 16). The seat had fallen vacant after the death of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MNA Iqbal Muhammad Ali in April. MQM-P’s Mohammad Abu Bakr won the seat yesterday. MQM-P had won the seat in the 2018 general elections with a huge margin but this time the contest was won just by a few votes. MQM-P candidate bagged 10,683 votes, while Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) candidate Shahzada Shahbaz ended up second with 10,618 votes.

    However, TLP rejected the results and decided to challenge the outcome in court.

    Violence during by-polls

    The by-polls in Karachi left at least one dead and several injured. The person who died belonged to Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP).

    According to media reports, three major parties —  MQM-P, TLP and PSP — were primarily involved in the violence, both as alleged perpetrators and victims.

    On Twitter, PSP accused TLP workers of firing at its party chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal. A bullet reportedly grazed Kamal.

    Talking to Dawn, MQM-P Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Khawaja Izharul Hassan alleged that his eight party workers were “brutally tortured” by PSP. He also alleged that PSP party members barged into polling stations and beat up polling staff.

    It was reported that during the violence, three bullets hit the Edhi Foundation ambulance. The ambulance was there to pick up the injured.

    Following the incident, a total of four cases have been registered at the Landhi police station and Korangi police station, reports Geo News.

    According to the First Information Report (FIR), Kamal entered a polling station in Landhi 6 accompanied by 50 to 60 men and created chaos.

    Moreover, the report stated that 400-500 people belonging to a political party entered a polling station all at once. The staff of the polling station was beaten up and election materials damaged. Subsequently, the police raided the polling station and took five men into custody.

    The situation was extremely tense till late at night when a heavy contingent of police and Rangers reached the area after the disruption.

    Election Commissioner takes notice

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja took a “serious notice” of the episode. He directed Sindh’s provincial election commissioner to ensure strict action and asked for a comprehensive report to be sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    Similarly, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah also took notice of the violence.

  • Court orders police to stop harassing The Minor’s mother-in-law

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the police on Friday to not harass The Minor’s mother-in-law.

    The hearing was headed by Justice Tariq Saleem. A petition was filed by The Minor’s alleged husband Zaheer Ahmed’s mother Noor Munir and brother, seeking LHC to stop the police from harassing them.

    The Inspector general of police (IGP) Punjab, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Station House Officer (SHO) were made respondents in the petition.

    Munir said that the police is harassing her and their family. She requested the court to put an end to it.

    During the hearing today (Friday), both The Minor and her husband were produced before the LHC.

    Earlier, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had allowed The Minor to decide her fate. The court said that its The Minor’s choice to go with her husband or her parents.

    In a three-page written order, the court stated: “In light of all the evidence, this is not a case of kidnapping.”

    The Minor along with her alleged husband Zaheer was produced in the Sindh High Court on June 6.

    The Minor went missing on April 16 from Karachi. Three videos of The Minor also surfaced in which the girl can be heard saying that she married out of her own free will, and claimed that she is 18 years of age. However, her father claims that she is not 18.

    A medical report revealed that The Minor’s age is between 16-17 years old.

  • Excise, Taxation Department intensifies action against tax defaulting vehicle owners

    Excise, Taxation Department intensifies action against tax defaulting vehicle owners

    The Sindh government has issued a warning to car owners who have not paid their taxes. The Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control (ET&NC) Department has been conducting a road inspection for more than a week now. Authorities have inspected a total of 21,303 vehicles across the province.

    A total of 1,358 automobiles were seized for various reasons, with the paperwork of 1,958 vehicles also being confiscated during the road check, according to The News.

    Mukesh Kumar Chawla, the provincial minister in charge of (ET&NC), has planned a tax-collecting campaign. He went on to say that the campaign will run until June 3, after which the government will take action against automobiles that have not paid their taxes.

    Kumar issued a statement urging citizens to pay their taxes as soon as possible. Meanwhile, authorities claim to have recovered over Rs252 million in taxes from non-compliant car owners.

    The authorities had collected about Rs21.4 million in taxes from the car owners by the fourth day. Chawla has directed that non-compliant car owners be dealt with harshly by the authorities.

  • Fact Check: All Confucius Chinese learning centers except NUML are shutting down

    Fact Check: All Confucius Chinese learning centers except NUML are shutting down

    Claim: All Confucius Chinese learning centers have shut down in Pakistan in the wake of the University of Karachi bomb blast in which three Chinese nationals were killed.

    Fact: All Confucius Chinese learning centers except the one in NUML are shutting down as most Chinese educators have gone back to China. Remaining classes for the current session have been shifted online.

    On May 15, right-wing activist and journalist Orya Maqbool Jan with 477.2K followers on Twitter, shared a tweet claiming that all five Confucius centers in Pakistan are being shut down in the aftermath of the University of Karachi bombing by Shari Baloch. The female suicide bomber targeted three Chinese nationals working at the Confucius Institute of the University of Karachi.

    On May 17, The News posted an article quoting Zhang Heqing, the Cultural Counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad, stating that all centers are operating and that China will continue to increase educational support sent towards Pakistan. After the article in the English daily, social media users started “fact checking” Orya Maqbool Jan, including Naya Daur andUrdu News, using The News’ article to back up their claim that none of the Confucius centers are shutting down.

    Team Current decided to verify this widely spread news and we discovered that except for the Confucius center inside National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad, all other centers – in Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi and Bahawalpur, are on their way to shutting down for the foreseeable future.

    We got in touch with Babar Saleem, the accounts officer at the University of Karachi Confucius center, who confirmed on call that outside these five centers the Chinese government had set up a few classes in PItaro as well. But since all Chinese educators have already gone back to China, the current session in these centers have been changed from in person to online and after the current session ends, all activities at the center have been cancelled.

    Verdict: 90% TRUE (since the learning center at NUML will remain open)

  • A Chinese company will invest $50 million to enhance Pakistan’s agricultural sector

    A Chinese company will invest $50 million to enhance Pakistan’s agricultural sector

    Optima Integration Group of China and Asia Pak Investments of Pakistan agreed on May 23 to invest $50 million in the first stage to enhance agriculture, power, and logistics sector in Gwadar and Karachi.

    The Board of Investment (BoI) facilitated the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this respect between the two businesses, which may result in the creation of more than 100 job vacancies in Gwadar and Karachi, as well as the establishment of a high-tech processing facility and technology transition.

    The event was attended by Federal Minister Board of Investment Chaudhry Salik Hussain, who signed the MoU with Optima Integration Group Chairman Sam Siu and Chief Executive Officer of Sino Pak Optima Technologies (SPOT) in the spirit of strengthening business-to-business (B2B) agricultural collaboration among the two nations. Ms Fareena Mazhar, Secretary of the BoI, was also present at the occasion.

    Under the terms of the agreement, the two parties would establish an end-to-end supplier base for seafood [79 breeds of fish have been certified for exporting from Pakistan to China by the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC)].

    In the long term, the initiative would grow from fish to beef and goat, beginning with cold chain transporting beef and then expanding with Chinese standard breeding, feedlot operations, immunizations, track and trace technologies, and slaughter and pack facilities in Karachi.

    Read more: SBP hikes interest rate by 150 basis points to control inflation

    Addressing the gathering, Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain praised the Chinese government’s involvement in Pakistan’s agriculture and livestock sectors, notably the fish and seafood business.

    He briefed the attendees regarding the formation of the Pakistan-China Business and Investment Forum (PCBIF), which was the outcome of a collaboration between the BoI, the Chinese Embassy, and the All-Pakistan Chinese Enterprises’ Association (APCEA). He informed Chinese investors that the BoI would take deliberate steps to assist interested investors.