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Tag: Pakistan

  • Pakistan’s mobile phone imports skyrocket, surpassing $987 million in first half of FY 23-24

    Pakistan’s mobile phone imports skyrocket, surpassing $987 million in first half of FY 23-24

    Pakistan has witnessed a remarkable surge in mobile phone imports, reaching $987.539 million during the first half (July–January) of the fiscal year 2023–24. 

    This marks a substantial growth of 138.08 per cent compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year, where imports totaled $414.800 million.

    The data, released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), underscores the country’s increasing reliance on imported mobile devices.

    In January 2024 alone, Pakistan’s mobile phone imports rose by 10.70 per cent on a month-on-month basis, totaling $194.928 million, compared to $176.093 million in December 2023. 

    Year-on-year comparisons reveal an even more staggering growth of 275.15 per cent in January 2024, compared to $51.960 million in January 2023.

    The overall telecom imports into Pakistan during July–January 2023–24 amounted to $1.243 billion, showcasing a robust 93.06 per cent growth compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year. 

    Year-on-year, the growth in overall telecom imports stood at an impressive 197.07 per cent, reaching $232.709 million in January 2024, compared to $78.336 million in January 2023.

    Despite challenges faced by the local manufacturing sector, including a decline of around four per cent in local manufacturing and assembling of mobile handsets during the calendar year 2023, commercial imports of mobile handsets increased. 

    Official data revealed that local manufacturing plants produced 21.28 million mobile handsets in 2023, compared to 21.94 million in 2022 and 24.66 million in 2021. However, commercial imports rose from 1.53 million in 2022 to 1.58 million in 2023.

    Moreover, of the locally manufactured and assembled mobile handsets in 2023, 13 million were 2G devices, and 8.28 million were smartphones. 

    According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), 59 per cent of mobile devices in Pakistan are smartphones, while 41 per cent are 2G devices.

    Despite the challenges faced by the local manufacturing sector, the significant growth in mobile phone imports underscores Pakistan’s increasing reliance on imported devices, contributing to the country’s evolving telecom landscape.

  • Boy with slit throat was killed by teenage cousin

    Boy with slit throat was killed by teenage cousin

    The killer of seven-year-old Abaan Mazhar has been arrested in the Federal B area of Karachi and in a shocking turn of events, he is the cousin of the victim.


    According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Central Zeeshan Siddiqui, the arrested suspect Sufyan is between 14 and 15 years old and he is the cousin of the deceased Abaan and lived with him.


    The police informed Geo News that the suspect said that Abaan used to complain to his father about him, leading to the older boy getting scolded many times.


    The accused killer said in his statement, “I made a mistake”.

    On the day of the incident, he took Abaan to the park from a back street and killed him inside the bushes at Dhobi Ghat.


    Sufyan then washed the knife and kept it in the kitchen.


    The police are still investigating the matter.

    In an exclusive footage obtained by Geo News, it can be seen that the cousin was taking Abaan along with him while the little boy was strolling totally at ease holding his hand.

    Regarding this, SSP Central Zeeshan Siddiqui said that two teams were working on this high-profile case. The accused was put on the suspect list on the first day, but being a family member, it was difficult to arrest him immediately.

    Previously, the body of a seven-year-old boy, Abaan Mazhar, was found in bushes in the Federal B Area in Karachi on Wednesday afternoon.


    The boy, whose throat had been slit with a sharp instrument, was found within the limits of the Yousuf Plaza police station near the Cardio Hospital Federal B Area Block 16. Station House Officer (SHO) Shahid Rao told The News that around 3:30 pm, a call was received by Madadgar-15 about an injured boy found in bushes.


    A police team rushed to the location in Federal B Area Block-16 and shifted Abaan Mazhar to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. SHO Rao said the boy was alive when he was found and when people heard him screaming, they immediately contacted the Madadgar-15 hotline.


    Witnesses saw the child lying injured, trying to speak but was unable to do so. They added that they had not seen any suspect near the boy when they found him.


    Abhan was a resident of Federal B Area Block 16. He was a student of second grade and the second of three brothers. According to his family, he had left home two hours ago. They maintained that the family had no enmity with anyone.


    SHO Rao said they had talked to Mazhar, the aggrieved father, who said his son studied in a private school in the area and as he worked in a private firm, he had hired a private person to pick up and drop his son from school.


    The father also said that as per the daily routine, Abaan had returned from school at 2 pm but after a few minutes, someone knocked on the door of his residence and the boy again left the house. It was at around 3:30 pm, the family received the information about the boy’s death. The father told the police that he had no enmity with anyone and he did not know who had killed his son.

    The post-mortem report revealed that the throat of the minor boy was slit with a sharp weapon, while no evidence of abuse was found, reports ARY News.


    Samanabad DSP Asghar Mehdi told the media that the child died on his way to the hospital. He added that a woman living in a nearby flat first saw the child and shouted for help.


    The police has been making efforts to obtain CCTV footage. A case has been registered and investigations are underway.

  • PTI leader Salman Akram Raja arrested in Lahore

    PTI leader Salman Akram Raja arrested in Lahore

    Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) leader and lawyer Salman Akram Raja has been arrested by the police near PTI’s Jail Road office, for participating in the party’s call for nationwide protest against electoral rigging. Salman participated as a PTI backed independent candidate in general elections

    “They’re arrested me illegally, and I’m with the public, we will continue raising my voice for truth” he said while being arrested

    PTI yesterday had called for nationwide protests against electoral rigging.

  • PTI to hold countrywide protests over alleged rigging

    PTI to hold countrywide protests over alleged rigging

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will hit the streets today at 12pm across the country to protest against what they claim is rigging and tampering with election results from February 8th.

    Major parties that won the most seats have been looking for allies and making alliances to form the next governments at both the national and provincial levels.

    The PTI expressed disappointment with the election results, where its affiliated candidates won over 90 National Assembly seats, making them the largest group. They announced plans to hold peaceful protests countrywide against what they called “record-high rigging” in the recent general elections.

    “The PTI has called for country-wide protests against the unprecedented, massive, brazen rigging in general elections 2024, where PTI’s win of 180 National Assembly seats and a two-thirds majority in the parliament, was cut down to half,” the party said in a statement.

  • 24-karat gold price increases by Rs1,300 per tola

    24-karat gold price increases by Rs1,300 per tola

    In a persistent upward trend, the domestic bullion market showcased further gains, particularly in the value of 24-karat gold, which surged by Rs1,300 per tola to reach Rs212,400 on Friday.

    According to the latest report from the Karachi Sarafa Association, the price of 10-gram 24-karat gold experienced a notable increase, reaching Rs182,099 and reflecting a gain of Rs1,115 compared to the previous session.

    Simultaneously, the price of 10-gram 22-karat gold saw an uptick, settling at Rs166,924.

    Despite the positive momentum in the gold market, silver prices remained steady, with 24-karat silver holding at Rs2,580 per tola and 10-gram silver trading at Rs2,211.93.

    Interestingly, despite today’s substantial rise in gold prices and the prevailing political instability in the country, local gold is on track to record a weekly loss.

    This comes on the heels of hotter-than-anticipated US inflation data released on Wednesday, causing gold to dip below the $2,000 mark for the first time in two months.

    Bloomberg reported that the American Consumer Price Index (CPI) data disappointed investors, reversing recent declines in price pressures and dampening expectations for rate cuts this year.

    However, the international spot gold has rebounded strongly since Wednesday’s decline, currently trading at $2,007.61, reflecting a gain of over $3 day-over-day.

    Amidst these global dynamics, the fluctuation in the domestic currency plays a crucial role in determining the domestic gold rate.

    It’s noteworthy that the Pakistani Rupee (PKR) snapped its 13-week-long and historic winning streak against the US Dollar, experiencing a marginal drop of 8 paisa.

    Given that gold is denominated in US dollars, a depreciation of the PKR against the dollar contributes to the rise in the value of PKR-denominated gold.

    The bullion market’s resilience in the face of global challenges highlights its sensitivity to both local and international economic factors, providing a nuanced perspective for investors and stakeholders.

  • ‘PPP will stay in Parliament for constructive criticism,’ says Faisal Karim Kundi

    ‘PPP will stay in Parliament for constructive criticism,’ says Faisal Karim Kundi

    As confusion around the formation of the government rages, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Faisal Karim Kundi has said that if his party had chosen to sit in opposition, the country would’ve gone towards another election.”The PPP will stay in Parliament for constructive criticism,” he stated.

    While addressing a press conference in Islamabad today, Kundi said PPP will contest the seats of Senate Chairman and Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), adding that PPP will also help Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) form a government in the centre.

    The politician also urged all political parties to work together for political stability in Pakistan.

  • First-year students with low scores to be given additional marks

    First-year students with low scores to be given additional marks

    Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar has directed the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) to give the students of Pre-Engineering, Pre-Medical, and General Science Part-I up to 15 percent additional marks in their exams, reports Geo News.


    The Sindh caretaker CM approved recommendations of a fact-finding committee formed to investigate Intermediate Part-I students’ getting unusually low marks this year.


    The committee submitted its report to the chief minister, following which BIEK’s IT in-charge was removed from his post.


    The CM said it had been decided on the committee’s recommendation that the students of pre-engineering, pre-medical, and general science would be given 15 percent extra marks.


    The committee advised forming paper patterns and a scheme for giving marks before the beginning of the educational year. It also said that the paper pattern and marking scheme would be implemented for three years. The Sindh CM ordered the relevant departments to increase the number of paper inspection centres to 10 in the city. He added that the MCQs papers should be checked with an optical marks recognition system so that there is no mistake.


    CM Baqar ordered that employees including head examiners, examiners, and invigilators should be trained, adding that the rules and regulations of BIEK should be strictly implemented.


    “The controller of examinations, all deputy controllers, and the IT manager are responsible for conducting the examinations in 2023,” he said.
    He also mentioned that notices should be issued against the board officers who do not follow the rules and regulations.


    Background


    On January 23, the BIEK released the results for Part I (first year) of the examination, revealing a concerning decline in the students’ performance.
    The statistics indicated that 80% of candidates failed in Arts (Regular), 72% failed in Arts (Private) and 63% failed in Commerce (Private) groups.
    Earlier in the results released, only 36.51% of candidates were successful in Pre-Medical, 34.79% in Pre-Engineering, and 38.69% in computer science groups.


    Most students who passed their matriculation exams with lower marks faced potential challenges in securing admissions to professional universities and colleges, given that admissions are typically based on Inter Part-I marks.

  • No meetha for people at health ministry in Pakistan

    No meetha for people at health ministry in Pakistan

    The Federal Ministry of Health has imposed a ban on eating sweet items in its subordinate institutions, reports Samaa News.


    According to the spokesman of the Ministry of Health, many diseases are caused by sweet drinks so the Federal Ministry of Health has banned the use of sweet items in its subsidiaries. Eating and drinking sweets are no longer allowed in all institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Health.

    An advisory has been issued by the Caretaker Health Minister Dr. Nadeem Jan that sugary drinks cause communicable and non-communicable diseases and that is why confectionery of all sorts will not be served in official meetings or functions.

  • Modi’s government accused of freezing Congress funds ahead of elections

    Modi’s government accused of freezing Congress funds ahead of elections

    India’s main opposition Congress party said on Friday that its bank accounts had been frozen by the tax department just weeks before the expected announcement of national elections.

    Critics and rights groups have accused India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of using law enforcement agencies to selectively target its political foes.

    Congress spokesman Ajay Maken said the action against his party was aimed at sidelining it ahead of the polls.

    “When the principal opposition party’s accounts have been frozen just two weeks before the announcement of the national elections, do you think democracy is alive in our country?” he asked reporters.

    “Don’t you think it is going towards one party system?” he added.

    Four of Congress’s accounts had been frozen after an investigation of the party’s 2018-19 income tax returns, Maken said.

    He added that the tax department had issued a payment demand for 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) in relation to its probe.

    Maken conceded that the party had filed its returns late by up to 45 days but insisted it had done nothing to warrant such a penalty.

    “Today is a sad day for Indian democracy,” he said, adding that the party was appealing the decision in court and would stage public protests.

    India’s Congress party spokesman Ajay Maken addresses a press conference at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi on February 16. — AFP

    Friday’s announcement follows numerous legal sanctions and active investigations against leading opponents of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

    Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, scion of the dynasty that dominated Indian politics for decades, was convicted of criminal libel last year after a complaint by a member of Modi’s party.

    His two-year prison sentence saw him disqualified from parliament for a time until the verdict was suspended by a higher court, but raised concerns over democratic norms in the world’s most populous country.

    ‘Face the consequences’

    Congress is a member of an opposition party alliance hoping to challenge Modi at this year’s polls, and other leading figures in the bloc have also found themselves under investigation.

    Arvind Kejriwal, leader of the Aam Aadmi Party and chief minister of the capital region Delhi, has repeatedly been summoned by investigators probing alleged corruption in the allocation of liquor licences.

    Earlier this month police arrested Hemant Soren, until then the chief minister of eastern Jharkhand state and another leading figure in the opposition alliance, for allegedly facilitating an illegal land sale.

    India’s main financial investigation agency, the Enforcement Directorate, has ongoing probes against at least four other chief ministers or their families, all of whom belong to the BJP’s political opponents.

    Other investigations have been dropped against erstwhile BJP rivals who later switched their allegiance to the ruling party.

    Virendra Sachdeva, president of the BJP’s Delhi branch, said on Friday that Congress had only itself to blame for the freezing of its accounts.

    “It is unfortunate that a big party like Congress is not following government rules,” he told the Press Trust of India news agency.

    “If it is not following the rules, then it has to face the consequences. “

  • Somia Asim charged in Rizwana torture case

    Somia Asim charged in Rizwana torture case

    The district and sessions court Islamabad has on Friday indicted Somia Asim, wife of Civil Judge Asim Hafeez, in the Rizwana torture case.

    The case was heard by civil judge Umar Shabbir. Rizwana’s mother and the suspect Somia Asim appeared in the court with their respective lawyers.

    During the hearing, the court read out the indictment while Somia Asim denied the crime.

    The court has formally started the trial against Somia and adjourned the hearing of the case till March 20, calling the witnesses to record their statements at the next hearing.

    Somia Asim is accused of torturing the young domestic maid Rizwana.

    Case

    Rizwana had been allegedly tortured and abused while working at a civil judge’s home in Islamabad, after she was accused of stealing jewellery. Rizwana’s family revealed that the girl was not paid a single penny by the family for the extensive workload she was doing and was instead subjected to violence.