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Tag: Pakistan

  • Free-of-cost bus service launched in Gilgit-Baltistan for women

    Free-of-cost bus service launched in Gilgit-Baltistan for women

    A women-only, free-of-cost bus service has been launched in Gilgit-Baltistan. It was inaugurated by Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Chief Minister Khalid Khursheed. The bus service will initially be run on four routes.


    “Pink buses for women have been inaugurated today by Chief Minister GB. For the first time in Pakistan’s history, free buses for women have been launched. Three buses each have been made operational in Gilgit and Skardu city, with the government planning to expand it to further areas of the province,” a tweet by Office of the Chief Secretary, Gilgit Baltistan read.


    4 routes have been earmarked where buses will operate at two times i.e. 6am to 9am and 1pm to 3pm. Female students, doctors, teachers, lawyers and other professionals will benefit from this initiative. Traffic police have been instructed to facilitate these buses on roads,” It added.

    Free-of-cost bus service launched in Gilgit-Baltistan for women.

  • King Charles III may be visiting Pakistan soon

    King Charles III may be visiting Pakistan soon

    King Charles III has expressed interest in visiting Pakistan soon.

    The new monarch hosted his first ever public reception to honour British-South Asian community at Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh, Scotland.

    Zeeshan Shah, the honorary ambassador-at-large on investment met with King Charles III during the event.

    Speaking with the King, Ambassador Shah spoke of his role and current initiatives being under taken to promote trade and investment between Pakistan and the UK.

    He further thanked the King for his ongoing support to Pakistan’s most under privileged through his charity the British Asian Trust, in particular the emergency relief support his trust has been providing for flood affectees in Pakistan.

    Members of the British royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, have visited Pakistan in the past.

    Most recently the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, visited Pakistan in October 2019.

  • ‘Irresponsible’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at govt after Miftah-Ishaq clash

    ‘Irresponsible’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at govt after Miftah-Ishaq clash

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to comment on the conflict between new Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his predecessor Miftah Ismail over the recent Rs12.63 per litre petrol price cut by the government.

    Chaudhry said, “The irresponsible and contradictory statements of Dar and Ismail have complicated matters further regarding the IMF programme”, adding that the federal government comprises of the “most idiotic team” in the country’s history.

    Fawad further stated that the economic team of the country is “totally confused”.

    The PTI leader claimed that “Their [govt] politics have been buried. If [the government] is working, it is working to end their NAB cases.”

    Earlier, former finance minister Ismail said that the government’s decision to not increase the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) this month without International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval is “reckless”.

    While the incumbent finance minister Dar said, “I have to handle the International Monetary Fund (IMF), so from now on, neither Miftah nor anybody else has to worry about anything.”

    On September 26, Dar landed in Pakistan after five years and took the charge of the finance ministry right after Ismail’s resignation.

  • Meghan Markle wore earrings gifted by Mohammed Bin Salman, days after Khashoggi’s murder

    A book by Valentine Low details accusations of bullying at Buckingham Palace by Meghan Markle. The book also reveals that Meghan wore earrings given to her by Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman – just days after his regime admitted killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.


    The chandelier earrings had been a wedding gift from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.

    After the Duchess wore the earrings for a second time, an aide took up the matter with Harry. He is said to have looked ‘shocked’ that people knew where the earrings came from, although the Sussexes’ lawyers deny that he was ever questioned about their provenance.


    Later, Meghan’s lawyers, Schillings, said: ‘At no stage did the Duchess tell staff that the earrings were “borrowed from a jeweller”, as this would have been untrue and therefore any suggestion that she encouraged them to lie to the media is baseless.’

    Two days later, Schillings added: ‘It is possible she said the earrings were borrowed, which is correct, as presents from heads of state to the Royal Family are gifts to Her Majesty the Queen, who can then choose to lend them out to members of the family.’

    The book also claimed that Meghan in multiple instances bullied royal staff.

  • ‘First trip to Azad Jammu and Kashmir’, US ambassador under fire by Indians for tweet

    United States (US) Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, on his visit to Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Dak Bungalow, tweeted on Sunday, “The Bungalow symbolises the cultural and historical richness of Pakistan and was famously visited by Jinnah in 1944. I’m honoured to visit during my first trip to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).”

    Blome—who is currently in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) for his first visit—mentioned Pakistan’s part of Kashmir as “Azad”.

    It is pertinent to mention that Washington officially still considers both Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory between India and Pakistan.

    https://twitter.com/usembislamabad/status/1576558637123706886?s=20&t=HPkX7SKHUt0iu0Nw3LrmCw

    Indians seem to have taken offence with the tweet, lashing out at the US official. One user called the US a “backstabber” while the other was of the view that Americans should never be trusted no matter what.

    https://twitter.com/gyanendrra/status/1576647000728428544?s=20&t=GBwS8xjjPGIV5m6bpnWNdQ
    https://twitter.com/NCC1701_x/status/1576612210142416896?s=20&t=GBwS8xjjPGIV5m6bpnWNdQ

    https://twitter.com/NCC1701_x/status/1576612210142416896?s=20&t=GBwS8xjjPGIV5m6bpnWNdQ

    US and Pakistan relations seem to be warming up. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US President Joe Biden at his reception for world leaders participating in the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

    Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa is scheduled to meet with senior Biden administration officials this week during an official visit to the US.

  • Here’s how Pakistan’s inflation is impacting consumer buying pattern

    Here’s how Pakistan’s inflation is impacting consumer buying pattern

    In Pakistan, the real value of income has been undermined by inflation, while high interest rates have raised the cost of borrowing.

    Record inflation rates have dominated news for the past year, coupled with supply chain problems, material shortages, elevated fuel prices, and vegetable prices that increased by 500 per cent in September.

    According to a poll by Pulse Consultant, which was conducted in August 2022, 78 per cent of Pakistanis think that their country’s economy is going on the wrong path. Inflation has affected 66 per cent of people hard, and 12 per cent of people say their expenses aren’t keeping up.

    Pulse Consultant asked an open-ended question in a nationwide computer-assisted telephonic study in which more than 1,600 people across the country responded and revealed how they are dealing with the current wave of inflation.

    The following are the areas where customers lowered their spending:

    • Reduced Grocery Purchasing – 24 per cent
    • Avoid Going Out – 18 per cent
    • Stop Unnecessary Shopping – 16 per cent
    • Reduced Fast Food – 10 per cent
    • Reduced Overall Expenses -9 per cent
    • Save Petrol – 7 per cent
    • Reduced Children Expenses – 5 per cent
    • Avoid Beauty Parlor / Salon – 3 per cent
    • Save Electricity – 3 per cent
    • Avoid Family Gatherings – 3 per cent
    • Reduced Meat Consumption – 2 per cent

    In Pakistan, CPI inflation increased to 27.3 per cent in August 2022 from 12.1 per cent in January 2022. There are a number of causes for the sudden rise in inflation, despite the fact that core inflation (excluding oil and food costs) is at 18 per cent. The incidence of imported inflation has increased as a result of the rupee’s depreciation. From April through August 2022, the rupee’s value against the US dollar decreased by around 23 per cent.

    Pakistani currency is presently strengthening as a result of the restoration of the IMF package following its derailment last winter. Additionally, even though the oil bill still accounts for around 26–30 per cent of all imports, import reduction has improved the current account situation. The administration has promised to pass along any decrease in oil prices to the public.

    The lag effect of the significant budget deficit experienced in the previous year is one of the other primary causes of the high level of inflation. In contrast to the 4.2 per cent agreed upon with the IMF, the budget deficit during the FY ending on June 30, 2022, reached as high as Rs6,900 billion, or about 9 per cent of GDP.

    In addition, $20 billion in debt, as opposed to $53 billion between 2008 and 2018, was committed over the past four years. As a result, more money is being spent in pursuit of fewer commodities.

    The challenges of recession and skyrocketing inflation are pretty much universal. Despite having low inflation rates, China and Japan’s economies are expected to slow down. Inflation is being fueled by earlier Covid and current high oil, gas, and commodity costs in the wake of the Ukraine war, which is slowing growth.

  • ‘No one has done forgery like Khan’: Khawaja Asif reacts to audio leak no. 2

    ‘No one has done forgery like Khan’: Khawaja Asif reacts to audio leak no. 2

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reacted to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s second audio leak in which the leader can be heard directing his party members not to name the United States (US) in the cipher matter.

    The minister, who is currently in London, told the media that it is an “Ideal case” of Article 6 of the Constitution, which deals with high treason.

    “He [Imran Khan] should listen to the clips himself and feel shame on how he has put Pakistan’s integrity at stake in his lust for power,” Asif said, lashing out at Imran.

    “In Pakistan’s 75-year history, no politician has put Pakistan’s security at risk,” said Asif. He admitted that politicians and army officials have done things against each other and made mistakes but no one has done a “forgery” like the PTI leader.

    “In the audio, he is saying do not take America’s name but at the same time is talking against it. I cannot even imagine that a politician can be this shameful,” added the minister.

    Referring to Khan’s alleged insistence in the audio leak on using the word “letter” instead of cipher because “people wouldn’t have understood the word transcript”, Asif said the “PTI chief had underestimated the nation’s collective wisdom and will pay the price.”

    Audio leak:

    In the second audio leak, Imran Khan when he was Prime Minister (PM) is directing his close aides not to take America’s name while talking about the US cipher in public.

    “We don’t have to name the Americans. Under no circumstances do we have to take the name. So, on this issue please, the name of the country should not come out of anyone.”

    In turn, the voice, supposedly belonging to Asad Umar, raised a question: “Are you saying letter deliberately? This is not a letter, it is the meeting’s transcript.”

    On this, Imran Khan says that both the letter and the transcript are “the same thing”. He added that “People wouldn’t have understood the word transcript if you say things like this in your jalsa.”

    In the first audio leak that surfaced a couple of days ago, the PTI chief directed his then-principal secretary Azam Khan that, “We have to play with it [cipher]”.

    On the same day, when the first audio leak came out Khan broke his silence on it and said that he has not played on the cipher yet.

  • 10-month-old child dies of Polio, 20 cases reported in one year

    10-month-old child dies of Polio, 20 cases reported in one year

    A 10-month-old boy from North Waziristan’s Ghulam Khan Union Council passed away after testing positive for wild polio, reports The News.


    According to the National Institute of Health, the 10-month-old boy experienced symptoms in his left arm and neck and paralysis on September 15.
    This is the 17th case of poliovirus that has been reported from North Waziristan this year and 20th in Pakistan.

    Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio has not yet been eradicated. To formally eradicate the disease, a nation must be polio-free for three consecutive years. Nigeria was declared free from wild polio in August 2020.

    However, polio has been rearing its head up in countries where the virus was eradicated decades ago. In June, a 20-year-old man in New York was afflicted with the virus, resulting in paralysis. The strain that affected him was the kind that is found in vaccines, and then behaves like a wild version of the virus. The man had not been vaccinated against the disease, however, more worryingly, he had not traveled internationally.


    The same strain of the virus has been detected in sewer samples in Jerusalem. Israel has recorded its first polio case in 30 years. The United Kingdom too has found the same strain in London.
    Polio is a potentially fatal disease that can cause paralysis if it spreads to the spinal cord. One in 10 polio fever afflicted patients die. The disease is more severe in children than it is in adults.

  • Petrol price reduced by Rs12.63 to Rs224.80 per litre

    Petrol price reduced by Rs12.63 to Rs224.80 per litre

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has announced a significant reduction in petrol prices on Friday, cutting the cost by Rs12.63 per litre to Rs224.80 per litre.

    A reduction of Rs12.13 has also been made to the cost of high-speed diesel, bringing the new price down to Rs235.30 per litre. After a reduction of Rs10.19 per litre, the cost of light diesel oil will be Rs191.83, according to Geo News.

    The new petrol price will go into effect after 12 AM.

    According to a statement from the Finance Division, the government decided to lower the price of petroleum goods in response to a drop in the price of these products on the global market and to help consumers who had been affected severely by inflation.

  • Imran asks ‘neutrals’ who is responsible for PMO audio leaks?

    Imran asks ‘neutrals’ who is responsible for PMO audio leaks?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday asked the “neutrals” — the term he uses for the military establishment — who was responsible for the security breach at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

    “I ask them [neutrals] that the audio leaks of the Prime Minister Office […] if the security of the Prime Minister Office has been breached […] this means that our enemies have our sensitive information,” Imran said in a speech at Edwardes College in Peshawar today. “Who is responsible for this,” he asked.

    “I ask the protectors today […] if robbers are looting a house, can the guards say that they are neutral? What will the residents say? That the house is being looted but the guards say they are neutral,” Imran said, claiming that Pakistan, too, was being “looted” today.

    Responding to Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said, ““The massive security breach you have done sitting in the PMO with your secretary and followers, even the biggest enemies of Pakistan couldn’t compete with it,” she tweeted.

    “A foreign-funded evil mind has been playing with the destiny of the country for the past four years and has the nerve to do that same today,” Maryam added.

    Khan’s comments come in relevance to his audio leaks related to the cipher and the foreign conspiracy.