Current Final

Tag: Pakistan

  • ‘Imran se mil ke dosti ka ailaan kareinge’: Gen Faiz convinced Modi to visit Pakistan in 2021, claims Javed Chaudhry

    Journalist Javed Chaudhry continues with bringing inside details of the working of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government in his column. In the fourth part of the series published today, Chaudhry alleges that in 2020 the establishment had convinced Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi to visit Pakistan, and former Bahawalpur corps commander Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed played a significant role in arranging the proposed trip.

    The journalist writes that in this regard Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, who was then the head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) met Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and both agreed upon Modi visiting Pakistan on April 9, 2021.

    All the details of the trip had been planned out. Modi would have first visited the Hinglaj Mata Mandir in Balochistan and on his way back home he would have met Imran Khan who was Prime Minister. Chaudhry said that it was planned that “Modi would shake hands with Khan and declare peace between the two countries and opening of trade”.

    Continuing with the sensational claims, the journalist writes that both leaders would announce that there will be no interference or terrorist activities from both countries. At the time, Modi was of the view that both countries would sit together after 20 years to decide about the future of India-occupied Kashmir.

    However, this tour was cancelled because Khan—on the advice of his foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi—backed out. Chaudhry writes that Qureshi scared Khan by telling him it would give a perception to the masses that he [Khan] has compromised on Kashmir.

    Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed helped Khan in confidence motion

    According to the journalist, the establishment helped Khan throughout the confidence motion that Imran voluntarily announced he will take, right after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani defeated PTI’s Hafeez Sheikh in the senate elections. Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed ensured full numbers for PTI so Khan could win the motion. Calls and visits were made to ensure that disgruntled MNAs voted in favour of Khan.

    Moreover, the journalist writes that as per his sources, Khan advised showing leniency towards former President and co-chairman of PPP, Asif Ali Zardari, from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the court.

    LNG deal was ruined by Khan

    In the column, another detailed passage says that former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa admits that former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz signed the best LNG deal with Qatar to ensure supplies for Pakistan during winters but it was ruined by Imran Khan.

    Chaudhry said that then-Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum, Nadeem Babar, asked for just three gas shipments from Qatar despite a one-time generous offer to take ‘as much as required’ amidst a looming gas crisis at home, so he could sell his own furnace oil.

    In another episode, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) caught a ship loaded with cheaply bought Iranian petrol. It was for none other than Babar. According to him, Khan was informed about it but chose to stay quiet.

    Also, prior to Nadeem’s appointment, Khan was warned by the establishment but he didnt listen.

    Babar isn’t in the country anymore but Pakistan is still paying the price of his decisions to serve his own interests, all because Imran wanted to retain him as his aide, writes Chaudhry in his column.

  • Zaheer Ahmed child marriage case: Court give temporary custody of girl to parents

    Zaheer Ahmed child marriage case: Court give temporary custody of girl to parents

    The Sindh High Court (SHC) has given temporary custody of the Karachi girl who was allegedly abducted last year to her parents. The case was heard on the request of the girl’s mother and father.

    However, SHC reminded the mother of the girl that she and her husband have a huge responsibility.


    “Alhumdulillah after a 7 month long battle today the victim child is finally going home. She unequivocally informed Honourable High Court that she wants to reside with her parents. There are many lessons to be learnt from this case & reforms are needed to curb child marriages,” Lawyer Jibran Nasir wrote in a tweet.


    “I would like to thank respectable Advocates Nabeel Kolachi, Ahmed Ali Hussain, Amna Usman, Ahmed Sher Jutt, Fahad Ahmed Siddiqi, Zaheer Hussain and Rafique Ahmed who all provided their services pro bono to ensure safe recovery and return of the child for sake of justice, the tweet added.

    The 15-year-old minor was allegedly kidnapped from Karachi. She later married 21-year-old Zaheer Ahmed in Lahore. A case was registered against Zaheer and his brother Shabbir for orchestrating the marriage of a minor.

  • Sindh high Court directs PTA, FIA to remove offensive content regarding Kubra Khan

    Sindh high Court directs PTA, FIA to remove offensive content regarding Kubra Khan

    Actor Kubra Khan announced on her social media page on Thursday that she was officially filing a case against Adil Farooq Raja, who runs the twitter and Youtube account @soliderspeaks. In her post, Khan revealed that these past four days were incredibly difficult for her and her family, after she suffered from ferocious bullying and watched her pictures being used inappropriately.

    The actress further elaborated that she was exercising her constitutional rights as a Pakistani and relying on the law to protect her own dignity, as well as other hard working, independent women who were facing the same slander. Here is her full statement:

    “The past four days.. have been so difficult for me and my family that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to explain in words. I couldn’t wrap my head around as to why anyone would do this to me.. even after it was clarified that my name or initials were misinterpreted why was I still getting bullied so ferociously. Even before I reacted.. why were my pictures being used in such a inappropriate manner.. and then I realized.. because no one’s ever put a stop to it. Because we’re so used to being quiet. Until this story die, another arises to do the same damage just because we didn’t speak up. But enough is enough
    So This is me, exercising my constitutional rights as a Pakistani and relying on our law to protect my dignity and this is me saying what I want to say for all the hard working independent woman out there who are insulted daily. I’m not gonna stand here and say I stood up for every woman out there but I will say that I stood up so that from now on if a situation like this arises, every woman and man out there knows that standing up for yourself is your RIGHT!

    So now.. I leave it in your hands, Our law Implementors and God’s Hands. I rest my case.”

    The actress had also posted a picture of the order of Sindh High Court to PTA and FIA to remove the offensive content and pictures related to Khan.

    On her Instagram account, other Lollywood actors like Usman Mukhtar, who had previously worked with Khan in Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay, and celebrities like Osman Khalid Butt, Yumna Ziadi and Aima Baig sent their love and support to the actress.

  • ‘Woh kaun tha’: Khan claims one man did not let him register FIR after assassination attempt

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday reiterated that despite his party governing Punjab, he couldn’t register a First Information Report (FIR) and record the statements of the people he named in the attempt on his life.

    Addressing his supporters, the PTI chief said that an investigation should have been held when he named the people who were involved in his attempted assassination in Wazirabad in early November.

    He also questioned who was the powerful person who stopped the investigation and who was afraid of it. Dismissing the FIR which was later registered, he termed it “scripted” as it named only one shooter.

    During the address, Khan repeatedly said that there were more than one shooter at the scene and backed the recent Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report.

    Accusing four unnamed individuals for plotting his murder, which he said was not the first attempt at murdering him, Imran said that a narrative of a religious fanatic was created to misdirect investigations.

    “If these four people would have killed me they would be exposed, that is why they tried to kill me by planting a religious fanatic,” he said.

    “People from inside the agencies had already informed me about the plot to assassinate me,” he claimed.

    Backing the findings contained in the JIT report, he said one of the gunmen was the man who had been repressed near the attack site by onlookers. Another one had fired from the roof with police recovering empty bullet casings from the nearby rooftop. The third was somewhere else. But he defended his security guard, noting that he acted heroically to protect them.

    Khan also claimed that Naveed (the man who shot at Khan and was immediately arrested) was trained to do this and confess in this manner. He said that people had already posted Naveed’s confession of firing at Khan even before he reached the hospital.

    The former prime minister also requested the formation of a powerful committee, under Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial’s supervision to probe the assassination bid.

  • Stop eating chicken, it is harmful for health: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research

    Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research (MoFS&R) Tariq Bashir Cheema on Wednesday advised people to stop eating chicken.


    Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Cheema said that non genetically modified organisms (GMO) oilseeds would be imported into Pakistan from now on.
    The minister continued by stating that since chicken is being fed diets produced from GMO oilseeds, people should cease eating it because it is unhealthy. He claimed that GMO soybeans are dangerous and might cause cancer and other ailments.


    He also said that prior to 2015, GMO soybeans were not used in chicken feed. However, after that year, the poultry mafia allegedly levied tariffs on local soybeans, raising the price the commodity, while driving up imports. Cheema continued with the narration, revealing how the group began importing GMO soybean, making approximately Rs 2 billion against the import of the product worth Rs 1 billion. Imported soy products transmit disease and are bad for your health, he advised.

  • Experts predict gold price may reach Rs200,000 per tola soon

    Experts predict gold price may reach Rs200,000 per tola soon

    On Wednesday, the price of gold reached another record high as it continued its upward trend. The price of precious yellow metal in Pakistan is currently higher than the global market.

    Gold prices increased by Rs900 per tola and Rs772 per 10 grammes, respectively, according to the All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA). These prices now stand at Rs188,600 and Rs161,694 respectively.

    Owing to the Pakistani rupee’s depreciation against the US dollar during the present cycle and the lack of US dollars, traders predict that the price of gold would reach Rs200,000 per tola.

    According to market analysts, the $6–$8 billion inflow from multilateral and bilateral creditors will pop Pakistan’s gold price bubble.

    Silver’s price per tola, however, stayed constant at Rs2,150. The cost of 10-gramme silver remained essentially constant at Rs1,843.27.

    Gold prices increased more than 1 per cent on Wednesday, reaching their highest level since mid-June due to a weaker rupee and mounting predictions that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates gradually rather than aggressively.

    The markets have now priced in the possibility that the central bank may raise interest rates by a full 50-100 basis points on January 23 after Pakistan’s December inflation data was revealed on Monday.

    Greater interest rates increase the opportunity cost of owning non-yielding metal, despite the fact that gold is regarded as a safe investment during times of uncertainty and a hedge against higher inflation.

  • US extends support for Pakistan’s right to defend itself from terrorism

    The United States of America (USA) has extended its support to Pakistan’s stance against escalating terrorism in the country.

    In a press briefing, spokesperson for the State Department, Ned Price, said, “The Pakistani people have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks. Pakistan has a right to defend itself from terrorism.”

    He said that the [Afghan] Taliban must uphold the commitment they made that their soil would never be used as a launchpad for international terrorist attacks.


    Price also said that the US is aware of the recent statement by the Pakistani National Security Committee (NSC).

    Earlier this week, the NSC expressed firm resolve to crush terrorist groups operating against Pakistan. The second round of the NSC meeting reiterated a “zero tolerance” policy for terrorism in the country,

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said that Pakistan would adopt the policy of zero-tolerance against terrorists.

  • Lashkar-e-Khorasan claims responsibility for killing two intelligence officers

    Lashkar-e-Khorasan claims responsibility for killing two intelligence officers

    Lashkar-e-Khorasan, a relatively unknown terrorist group allied with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has claimed responsibility for killing two intelligence officers who were martyred on Tuesday in Khanewal, journalists have reported.


    The two officers, who were part of the counter-terrorism department of the intelligence service, were known for arresting members of the TTP and other militant organisations. They also had a formidable reputation for solving complicated terrorism cases including bombings.

    Both officers were shot as they were parking their vehicle outside a roadside restaurant in Pirowal where they reportedly planned to have tea.


    Terrorist incidents across the country are on the rise after a ceasefire pact with the government ended in November.


    Defense Minister Khwaja Asif had said on Monday that the recent spate of attacks were being staged by Pakistani Taliban hiding in Afghanistan. He asked the Taliban administration in the neighboring country to stop the attacks emanating from their soil.

  • ‘Aap ki kitni efficiency hai, marketain aik baje band hoti hain, bachay phir bhi zaida paida kartay hain’: Khawaja Asif

    ‘Aap ki kitni efficiency hai, marketain aik baje band hoti hain, bachay phir bhi zaida paida kartay hain’: Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, in a bizarre reference to the increasing population in Pakistan, said that there is no unforeseen increase in population in the countries where markets close at 8PM.

    The minister then said, “Your country’s performance is so efficient, despite closing markets at 1AM, they find time to produce more children.”

    The minister’s comments came while addressing a presser on government’s decision on its energy saving plan, applicable across the country. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that markets in all the province’s and federal areas will be shut down at 8 pm. Furthermore, wedding halls will close at 10 pm across the country.

    Asif said that if these timings are implemented then the country will save Rs 62 billion.

  • No new subvariant of Covid-19 spreading in Pakistan: NIH

    No new subvariant of Covid-19 spreading in Pakistan: NIH

    The Ministry of National Health Services has refuted news reports that said a new subvariant of Covid-19 is spreading in Pakistan.

    “NCOC-NIH refutes the news of any new COVID-19 subvariant. Currently, XBB Omicron sub-variant is already the dominant variant for the last 3 months. NCOC is closely monitoring the situation,” the ministry wrote in a tweet.
    According to the spokesperson of the National Institute of Health (NIH), Pakistan has had a total of 29 cases of XBB (Omicron) since it first appeared, but no cases of BF.7 have been reported as yet.

    A review meeting was held on tuesday to review prevalence of the virus in the country under the chairmanship of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif .
    The Premier commended the efforts put in by all the relevant officials and NCOC to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

    The meeting was informed in detail about the current situation of Covid in the world including the region and in Pakistan, new variants of the pandemic, measures taken to prevent them and status of vaccinations.