Current Final

Tag: Pakistan

  • Notices issued to PTA and Information Ministry on closure of X

    Notices issued to PTA and Information Ministry on closure of X

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken a significant step in response to the closure of the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in Pakistan. The court issued notices to the Ministry of Information and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) concerning the shutdown of the said platform within the country.

    IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq presided over the hearing of a petition challenging the closure of X, which has been mostly inaccessible in Pakistan since February 17, with users resorting to VPNs for access.

    During the hearing on the plea today, the IHC CJ asked: “Is X closed?”

    At this, the petitioner’s lawyer replied that X had been closed in Pakistan since February 17.

    “This matter was also before the Sindh High Court (SHC), what happened to it?” asked Justice Farooq.

    The lawyer disclosed that a similar matter is pending before SHC where a petition related to contempt of court is scheduled for a hearing today.

    Following these discussions, Justice Farooq announced the issuance of notices for the next week, indicating a significant development in the legal pursuit to address the closure of X in Pakistan.

    SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi issued orders on a plea filed by multiple petitioners including Zarrar Khuhro, Amber Shamsi, Zebunnisa Burki, and others against intermittent disruptions faced by users in accessing the renowned social media platform which has witnessed various “unannounced” sporadic suspensions in recent weeks.

    The disruptions in accessing the platform have been a cause of distress for users, especially in the aftermath of the February 8 general elections, during which several social media sites were rendered inaccessible.

    While authorities attributed these disruptions to technical errors and security concerns during the polling day, users continued to experience intermittent suspensions in accessing X post-election.

    In a recent statement to a local media outlet, Information Minister Murtaza Solangi clarified that the caretaker government had no involvement in the shutdown of X in Pakistan.

    Solangi emphasized that the caretaker cabinet had not deliberated or decided on the closure of the microblogging website. He suggested directing inquiries regarding the matter to the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

    With the legal proceedings underway in both the Islamabad High Court and the Sindh High Court, the fate of X in Pakistan hangs in the balance, while users await a resolution to ensure uninterrupted access to the popular social media platform.

  • ASP Sheharbano leads #NeverAgain walk in Lahore

    ASP Sheharbano leads #NeverAgain walk in Lahore

    Punjab Police organised a walkathon titled ‘Never Again’ to raise awareness about violence against women in the backdrop of the Ichra bazaar incident.

    The walk was joined by ASP Shehrbano Naqvi along with seniors of the police department including IG Punjab Police Dr. Usman Anwar. ASP Sheharbano questioned the people present at Ichhra Bazar for not coming forward to help the woman – who was harassed and attacked by a mob for wearing a shirt inscribed in Arabic. “Sure, the police is there to protect the citizens but society needs to take responsibility of making sure that its women are protected.”


    While explaining the importance of ‘Never Again’, the police officer shared that the walk was organised in an effort to raise awareness and ensure that violence against women will be curbed. She stressed that society really needs to progress in an inclusive way.


    The campaign is now being run all over Punjab province under the patronage of the provincial government and the police department.

  • ‘Cracks in the glass’; What does the US think about Maryam Nawaz as CM Punjab?

    ‘Cracks in the glass’; What does the US think about Maryam Nawaz as CM Punjab?

    The United States (US) state department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said on Monday that the selection of Maryam Nawaz as the first woman chief minister of an important province Punjab is a “milestone in Pakistani politics.”

    “We look forward to cooperating with Pakistan more broadly on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life and economy, including through the US Pakistan Women’s Council, civil society, and other decision-making spaces,” Mathew Miller said in response to a question at his daily news briefing.

    “An inclusive Pakistan makes for a strong, prosperous country, which all Pakistanis benefit from, and so we are always pleased when we see cracks in the glass ceiling anywhere in the world,”  Miller stated.

    Maryam Nawaz was elected the first female Chief Minister of Punjab on the previous Monday.

  • Gold price increases to Rs221,200 per tola in Pakistan

    Gold price increases to Rs221,200 per tola in Pakistan

    In a significant turn of events on the first trading day of the week, gold prices in Pakistan continued their upward trajectory, witnessing a surge of Rs900 per tola to reach Rs221,200.

    According to the latest data from the Karachi Sarafa Association, the price of 10-gramme 24-karat gold experienced a notable increase, rising to Rs189,643 per tola, reflecting a gain of Rs771.

    Similarly, the 10-gramme 22-karat gold was noted at Rs173,840 per tola.

    In contrast, silver prices remained unchanged today, with 24-karat silver holding steady at Rs2,600 per tola and Rs2,229 per 10-gramme.

    Last week, the local market experienced a substantial boost in gold prices, witnessing a surge of Rs5,200 per tola for 24-karat gold.

    This surge is closely linked to the international market rally, with international spot gold reaching a two-month peak on Friday.

    The boost in international spot gold was attributed to strengthened expectations of a rate cut by June, driven by economic data from the United States.

    The data indicated a slump in manufacturing activity, while price data aligned with market expectations. This led to a decline in the dollar, resulting in gains for the safe-haven asset.

    Presently, international spot gold is trading at $2,086.62, reflecting a gain of $3.76, or 0.2 per cent, day-on-day, further impacting the domestic gold market positively.

    In parallel with economic developments, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) saw a marginal depreciation of 7 paisa against the US dollar in Monday’s interbank session.

    The currency settled the trade at PKR 279.26, compared to the previous day’s closing of PKR 279.19 per USD.

    During the intraday session, the local unit reached a high (bid) of 279.6 and a low (ask) of 278.95. In the open market, exchange companies quoted the dollar at 279.41 for buying and 282.05 for selling.

    It is noteworthy that the Pakistani rupee closed last week with a gain of 17 paisa week-on-week against the US dollar, showcasing some resilience in the face of external economic fluctuations.

  • ‘Grammar, Geography’; CM Maryam’s school visit gets mixed reactions

    ‘Grammar, Geography’; CM Maryam’s school visit gets mixed reactions

    Maryam Nawaz has been in the spotlight since the day she took oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab. She recently visited a government school in Lahore where she entered a classroom and asked the students what they are studying to which the students replied, “Conjunctions, Grammar.” She picked up a book from a child, checked the cover and responded, “Oh Geography.” To this, the students collectively replied, “No, English.”


    The interaction has been garnering a lot of reactions on social media. A user commented that people should understand that the textbooks in government schools are always compiled together and that is why she got confused. In the longer version of the video, it can be seen that a teacher explained the same to her.
    Another netizen commented that even if we accept this explanation it makes no sense how she understood geography as conjunction.

    Amidst all the conversation around the videos some also showed their awe seeing the spaciousness of a government school in Lahore as they lamented the condition of schools in rural areas.

    A Twitter user commended her for visiting a school and showing her commitment to education.

  • Maryam Nawaz announces first public cancer hospital in Punjab

    Maryam Nawaz announces first public cancer hospital in Punjab

    Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, has announced plans to build the first government cancer hospital in Punjab. The hospital will be built near Valencia town in Lahore, as per SAMMA. 

    The newly-elected chief minister visited the potential site for the hospital and received a briefing about the project. The CM also approved the construction of a hotel building for the attendants of cancer patients.

    Maryam Nawaz said that cancer patients will get free treatment in the hospital.

    The Punjab chief minister also announced that the government will provide the best medical professionals and state-of-the art equipment to treat cancer patients.

    She declared that screening for diseases will start in the province, adding that when she vacates her office after five years, she wants a state-of-the-art hospital in every city. She also announced free medicines in all emergency departments of government hospitals starting today. The Rescue 1122 service has been asked to launch a motorway ambulance service.

  • When is Ramzan starting in Pakistan?

    When is Ramzan starting in Pakistan?

    The holy month of Ramzan is around the corner with less than two weeks left.


    According to weather analyst Jawad Memon, although the Ramzan moon will rise on March 10, it will not be visible on that day. “The moon will be clearly visible on March 11,” he said. The first Taraweeh will take place on the night of March 11 as there is a 95 percent probability that the first Roza will be on Tuesday, March 12.


    Like every year, the meeting of the Central Royat Hilal Committee will be held in Islamabad, in which all the zonal committees will be meeting in their respective domains.


    Earlier, Gulf News reported that astronomers have predicted that the main connection will be on March 10 at 9 am. Resultantly, the moon will be visible only after sunset in most Islamic countries on March 10.


    However, astronomers believe that the chances of seeing the moon in the entire Arab and Islamic world on March 10 are very low.


    Ramzan is expected to start on Tuesday, March 12 in most Islamic countries including Pakistan.

  • Atif Aslam, Saboor Aly among Pakistani celebs enjoying AP Dhillon’s Dubai concert

    Atif Aslam, Saboor Aly among Pakistani celebs enjoying AP Dhillon’s Dubai concert

    AP Dhillon is arguably the biggest name in Punjabi music, with fans spread all over the globe, including Pakistan. Recently, the singer held a concert in Dubai, and many Pakistani celebrities were spotted there, enjoying his music live.


    Saboor Aly, Atif Aslam, Ali Ansari, Dananeer Mobeen, and Ken Doll were among those seen dancing and sharing moments from the concert. Take a look at some of these moments:

    @galaxylollywood Fan’s unforgettable night catching Atif Aslam’s surprise appearance at AP Dhillon’s concert! #AtifAslam #APDhillon #GalaxyLollywood #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound – Galaxy Lollywood
  • Singapore denies paying Taylor Swift millions to not perform anywhere else in the region

    Singapore denies paying Taylor Swift millions to not perform anywhere else in the region

    Singapore said Monday its grant to Taylor Swift for her concerts in the city was nowhere near as high as speculated, following media reports that the superstar was offered millions of dollars per gig.

    Around 300,000 people from Singapore and around the region are expected to attend the six sold-out shows that began March 2 — but some neighbours were not happy about being left off The Eras Tour.

    Some, including reportedly the Thai prime minister, have said that Swift was paid millions to keep her from performing anywhere else in the region.

    “There has been some online speculation as to the size of the grant. I can say that it is not accurate and not anywhere as high as speculated,” Singapore’s culture minister Edwin Tong told parliament.

    “Due to business confidentiality reasons, we cannot reveal the specific size of the grant or the conditions of the grant.”

    Tong added that the “economic benefits to Singapore are assessed to be significant and outweigh the size of the grant”.

    Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had reportedly said, citing a concert promoter, that Singapore offered Swift up to US$3 million per concert if she did not play anywhere else in Southeast Asia.

    A lawmaker in the Philippines also criticised Singapore, reportedly saying this was not “what good neighbours do”.

    Tong played down the role the grant may have played in convincing Swift to perform only in Singapore.

    “Promoters of top artists will do their own calculation and assess where they want to perform and for how long,” he said, citing Singapore’s location and infrastructure as key factors.

    Since the end of pandemic curbs, a number of top artists have performed in Singapore, including Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Blackpink and Harry Styles.

  • HRCP condemns Senator’s proposal to ban social media

    HRCP condemns Senator’s proposal to ban social media

    The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has opposed a proposed Senate resolution seeking a ban on social media platforms.

    The rights body has warned the members of the senate that such “ill-judged measures that violate people’s constitutional right to freedom of expression” represent an erosion of democracy.

    HRCP released the statement on Sunday, a day after it was reported that the Senate is going to discuss today (Monday) a resolution moved by Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi calling for a complete ban on some social media sites—X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

    Tangi was expelled by the PPP last month. The senator is set to retire on March 11.

    His resolution had argued that the platforms are adversely affecting the younger generation in the country as they are being used to promote norms that are against religion and culture. “[The platforms are also] creating hatred among the people on the grounds of language and religion,” it said.


    The resolution also “noted with concern” the use of such platforms against the interest of the country for spreading negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces of Pakistan.

    “The HRCP calls on civil society and digital rights activists to mobilise against all efforts to impose such arbitrary curbs, including reports of a ban on all VPNs, and demands that X be restored immediately,” the statement said.

    Previously, Senator Brahmand Tangi, who was expelled by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) one month ago, had moved a resolution in the senate asking that all social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, YouTube and Instagram be banned in Pakistan to protect the next generation from what he has dubbed their “negative and devastating” effects.

    Tangi was expelled by the PPP last month after he went against party policy and remained silent on a resolution asking for delay in Balochistan and KP general elections. However, DAWN has reported that the party has till now not moved a reference against him.

    The resolution has alleged that social media platforms were being used to promote norms “against our culture and religion” and creating hatred among the general populace.

    The document also charges the platforms with being used to run “malicious” campaigns against the army and spreading fake news.

    PPP has said that the senator should not use the party’s name anymore, swiftly distancing itself from the controversial resolution. Nonetheless, it will be on Monday’s agenda.

    Senator Tangi is set to retire on March 11.