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Tag: Pakistan

  • Army denies taking action against officers after Maryam Nawaz’s speech

    Army denies taking action against officers after Maryam Nawaz’s speech

    The Pakistan Army has revoked all the post-retirement benefits, including pensions and free medical coverage, for five retired army officers for their involvement in anti-army campaign.

    One ex-major general’s name is also included in the list. Action against these officials was conducted last month following legal procedures and allowing the ex-servicemen a chance to defend themselves.

    “The GHQ had proceeded against the five retired officers at least two weeks before Maryam spoke on the issue,” said one of the sources while denying the statements of some YouTubers who are connecting the military action against with a recent statement of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz.

    According to the source, the military expects the government to take action against individuals who defame the military.

    “The social media reports of 150 ex-servicemen facing the action are totally incorrect,” the source added.

  • Here are the latest income tax rates and slabs for salaried class

    Here are the latest income tax rates and slabs for salaried class

    In the budget for fiscal year 2022-23, the government has exempted those earning up to Rs100,000 per month from paying income tax, up from Rs50,000 last year.

    For the salaried income group, the latest budget is a mishmash as the government reduced tax rates and the number of slabs while eliminating available credit through the omission of deductible allowance for profit on debt and tax credit for investment in shares, health insurance, and pension funds.

    Moreover, the government has released a revamped list of income tax brackets for salaried employees. There were previously 12 slabs, which have now been shrunk to seven.

    Here are the new slabs:

    1. For annual incomes less than Rs600,000 (below Rs50,000 per month)
    2. For a yearly income of Rs600,000-Rs1.2 million (Rs50,000 to Rs100,00 per month).
    3. For annual earnings of Rs1.2m-2.4m (Rs100,000 to Rs200,000 per month)
    4. For annual earnings of Rs2.4m-3.6m (Rs200,000 to Rs300,000 per month)
    5. For earnings of Rs3.6m-6m (Rs300,000 to Rs500,000 per month)
    6. For annual earnings of Rs6m-12m (Rs500,000 to Rs10,00,000 per month)

    For annual earnings of more than $12 million (more than $100,000 per month), income tax is not to be levied on people earning between 0 and Rs600,000 per year (where income from salary exceeds 75 per cent of taxable income). A nominal amount of Rs100 will be subtracted per year from those earning between Rs600,000 and Rs1.2 million.

    Employees getting paid more than Rs1.2 million but less than Rs2.4 million per year will be levied 7 per cent of the amount that exceeds Rs1,200,000 in the third slab.

    An employee getting paid Rs1,400,000 per year will be levied 7 per cent of Rs200,000 (Rs1,400,000 minus Rs1,200,000 since that is the amount exceeding Rs1,200,000).

    As per the latest budget resolution, the government recommended an income tax rate of 20 per cent on small business earnings, 42 per cent on banking, and 29 per cent on related companies.

  • Imran Khan responsible for the chaos during PTI’s long March: Islamabad Police

    Imran Khan responsible for the chaos during PTI’s long March: Islamabad Police

    The Islamabad Police, Chief Commissioner Islamabad and the interior secretary submitted their report regarding the Supreme Court’s (SC) order violation by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders during the long march. The report submitted on Friday by the Islamabad Police stated that PTI Chairman Imran Khan caused disorder in the federal capital during his party’s “Azadi March”, which took place on May 25.

    The federal police further told the top court on Friday that Khan had directed protesters to enter the Red Zone despite a judicial order to hold the jalsa in H-9 ground. No PTI member went there because in a video message, PTI Chairman Imran Khan instructed his party workers to reach D-Chowk.

    “The PTI Chairman Imran Khan told his workers to reach the D-Chowk in a video message. The police and law enforcers made every effort to stop the protesters but they advanced removing all containers and barriers on the night between May 25 and 26,” the report stated.

    Islamabad Inspector-General (IG) Akbar Nasir Khan also attached video evidence and tweets of the PTI leaders with their report.

    The report says that the PTI supporters managed to remove containers and barriers as PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Zartaj Gul, Saifullah Niazi and Imran Ismail kept provoking them.

    Earlier, the SC sought a report from law enforcement within seven days. The top court also directed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and other authorities to submit a report before the court explaining whether the judiciary’s orders were violated on May 25 during the long march.

    On June 1st, SC gave its majority judgment after a petition was filed by the Islamabad High Court Bar Association under Article 184(3) of the Constitution in anticipation of a protest march into Islamabad by the workers of the (PTI) on May 25, the federal government had blocked highways to and roads within the Capital to prevent entry and movement of the protestors.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial observed that Pakistani citizens have the right to move and assemble anywhere within the country under Articles 15, 16 and 17 of the Constitution of Pakistan. He also warned the government against any illegal arrests and raids.

    However, during the hearing, Attorney-General (AG) Ashtar Ausaf Ali claimed that the PTI workers and supporters moved forward to D-Chowk after their leader [Imran Khan] asked them to.

    In its majority judgment, the top court stated: “It is apparent that the assurances conveyed to the court by the learned counsel for the top leadership of the PTI may have been dishonoured by the workers/supporters/sympathisers of the party by proceeding to the D-Chowk in the Red Zone area and by allegedly committing acts of arson and destruction of public and private properties on the way. However, we note that in the early morning today Mr Imran Khan reached Jinnah Avenue leading to D-Chowk and announced the postponement of his sit-in at Islamabad for six days. As a result, further damage to property or injury to human life has been averted.”

    The judgment also added, “there is no evidence or allegation that such acts were committed on the instigation of any party or happened randomly.”

    “At its most elementary level, the PTI leader appears to have assured the holding of a political rally at the G-9/H-9 ground and therefore not to assemble and sit in another venue including at D-Chowk in G-5 Islamabad.”

    ’ Not withstanding the said request by the AGP, we exercise restraint for the time being for several reasons’: SC

    The court also said it was “disappointed” to note that riots took place in the federal capital despite its order to create a balance between both sides, PTI and the government.

    The court further added that peaceful protest is a constitutional right but PTI could have done it with the permission of the state. As long as sanctions under Articles 15 and 16 are inevitable, the right to protest cannot be restrained without legal, reasonable grounds.

    However, Justice Yahya Afridi wrote a dissenting note. He quoted Khan’s statement after the court order: “Wherever Pakistanis are, there is good news: the Supreme Court has issued an order that there will be no hurdles and no one will be arrested. This is why I want all Pakistanis to come out of their homes today evening; people in Islamabad and Rawalpindi should try their best to reach D-Chowk because I will reach there within one-and-a-half-hour.”

    Justice Afridi said that there is sufficient material before the court to proceed against Khan “for the alleged disobedience of the court order which warrants the issuance of notice by this court to Mr Imran Khan to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.”

  • Transnational celebrities react to Aamir Liaquat’s demise, post heartfelt notes

    Transnational celebrities react to Aamir Liaquat’s demise, post heartfelt notes

    Politician and television host Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain was found dead on Thursday at his residence.

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

    Several prominent celebrities like Zara Noor Abbas, Sanam Jung, Feroze Khan, Humaima Malick, Faysal Quraishi, Yasir Jaswal among others took to Instagram and shared the news with prayers for the departed.

    “We plan as if we’re going to live forever but aglay lamhay ka pata nahi hota [but we don’t know what’s going to happen the next moment]. Life can be taken away in an instant. Shocking!” wrote actor Armeena Khan.

    Bigg Boss contestant and Indian actor Aly Goni also tweeted for the Aalim Online star.

    Dua Malik posted several pictures with Liaquat and dedicated a long post to him. “My dear Aamir Bhai, my eyes and heart are both crying. No one knows how many people you helped. The Aamir Bhai who came whenever you asked, the Aamir Bhai who stood with you in times of need, the Aamir Bhai who held your hand when you were in pain. For God’s sake, stop your social wars. Stop mocking people’s deaths on social media. For God’s sake, spread love,” she wrote.

    https://twitter.com/ArmeenaRK/status/1534820734622654464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1534820734622654464%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F2360762%2Fzara-to-merub-celebrities-mourn-aamir-liaquat-hussains-death

    The Sinf-e-Aahan star, Merub, shared a thought-provoking point and commented, “Step 1: Make memes on people. Step 2: Play God and punish them. Step 3: When they leave this world, put up sympathetic posts. And repeat.” She then added, “Who is going to put an end to this aimless trolling?”

  • ‘Radical Mindset’: No Pakistani female official going to Hajj

    Pakistan’s Hajj mission would have no female Hajj aides for the first time in history to assist women pilgrims performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia, Zahid Gishkori reports for Samaa News.

    This year, approximately 80,000 Pakistani pilgrims, including over 8,000 women, will perform Hajj. Federal Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Maulana Abdul Shakoor has decided not to send women officials with the pilgrims.

    Women officers who were barred from accompanying pilgrims have written to Federal Ombudsperson for Harassment Kashmala Tariq, calling the minister’s action “misogynistic” and “discriminatory”.

    “The illogical ground of this policy is depriving us from our constitutional right of equality, which resulted in discrimination [and] caused ridicule to all women officers and officials of the ministry,” reads the letter. The letter has signatures of seven officials.

    Officials also criticised the secretary, who serves as the ministry’s administrative head, for his “lack of opposition”.

    They went on to say that the secretary is normally obligated to carry with the minister’s decision under the ministry’s Rule of Business, 1973.


    Read more- 200 officials to reportedly fly for Hajj on govt expenses, PM takes notice

    The women have accused ministry officials of surrendering to the ‘radical mindset’ of the minister.

  • Foreign national in Islamabad allegedly raped by own security guard

    Foreign national in Islamabad allegedly raped by own security guard

    A Foreign national in Islamabad has allegedly been raped by her own security guard, reports ARY. The incident took place in Islamabad’s G-6/4 area.

    According to media reports, the alleged rape survivor is an official working for an International Organisation. She went to the Aabpara Police Station to file a complaint against a security officer who she said had raped her at her home.

    The FIR states that the guard entered her bedroom and raped her. The suspect then fled the scene. Police is investigating the incident.

    The Current records the tally of rape cases that are reported in news outlets on a daily basis to highlight the alarming situation. We have used many different sources as listed. When will it stop?

  • Court allows The Minor to decide where she wants to live

    Court allows The Minor to decide where she wants to live

    The Sindh High Court has announced its verdict in The Minor case. “The Minor is entitled to make her own decision, and live with whoever she wishes,” says the verdict.

    Talking to The Current, lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir said,”The judgement in The Minor case is extremely problematic. To start off with, the Honourable Divisional Bench has completely disregarded established jurisprudence of the Sindh High Court in such matters. Wherever it is proven that the girl is under 18, her marriage is deemed Child marriage, she is only given two options, i.e. whether to reside with parents or go to shelter home and if the child is sent to a shelter home, she is under no circumstances allowed to meet her alleged husband and alleged in-laws who orchestrated the crime of child marriage.”

    “This judgement also negates our jurisprudence under Criminal Law and Family Law with regards to rights of minors and parents,” he added.

    “The court also failed to realise that the Sindh High Court has already held that where NADRA documents are present, they are to be preferred over any medical report as ossification report gives an estimate ranging from 1 to 2 years as opposed to specific date. The court also failed to realise that to determine age, a medical board of senior doctors is formed, which was not done in this case.”

    “As a whole, what our courts are consistently failing to realise that a minor girl under 16 years of age can be enticed away from guardianship of her parents and that is kidnapping under section 361 PPC. The Advocate General Sindh also failed to realise this when he told the court that this is not a case of abduction.”

    Jibran Nasir said that another aspect the courts are failing to appreciate are the recent penal laws introduced in 2016 for protection of children where seducing a child is a crime under 292A PPC. “If seducing a child is a crime, then how can the resulting marriage be justified.”

    “It is also ignorant of the amendment made to Hudood Laws by the Women’s Protection Act 2006. Under Hudood Laws, there existed a concept of a 13-year-old girl getting married and resulting marital relation not being considered as rape. However, after 2006 Women’s Protection Act, no such exception exist and any sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 is strict liability rape.”

    “This judgement will not do our children any good, if anything it has made the jurisprudence more confusing and our children more vulnerable to predators.”

    A medical examination report ordered by the Sindh High Court (SHC) to determine The Minor’s age has revealed that her real age is between 16 to 17 years. However, The Minor’s father Mehdi Ali Kazmi has termed the report fake and has decided to challenge it.

    Mehdi Ali Kazmi wrote a letter to Sindh’s Health Secretary in which he indicated that he married in 2005 and The Minor was born three years later, and that it is incorrect for The Minor to be between the age of 16 and 17.

    As per media reports, The Minor told her mother that she wants to come home during a meeting arranged at the orders of the Sindh High Court (SHC).

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

    The Minor went missing on April 16. The same month she was found in Lahore. 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.

  • Shehbaz Sharif bans weddings after 10pm in Islamabad

    Shehbaz Sharif bans weddings after 10pm in Islamabad

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday during a pre-budget business conference stressed the need of signing a ‘Charter of Economy’ for economic stability and progress in the country.

    “Charter of Economy will remain unchanged. It will become our sacred trust, which will not change,” the prime minister said, adding: “We need this.”

    If there will be no political stability, there will be no economic stability

    Shehbaz said, “If there will be no political stability, there will be no economic stability.”

    “It’s about time the elite class had to make sacrifices and non-productive assets like real estate would have to be taxed. Until now, the hard time has been faced by the poor but today it’s the turn of well-off people to take the burden,” said Shehbaz.

    Shehbaz stressed that the enhancement of exports, agricultural yield, and financial management should be the major components of the plan. “The government will form a task force on agriculture and exports for formulating comprehensive plans,” he said.

    The premier said that since Pakistan’s inception 75 years back, the economic development in the initial 25 years and the economic development after that have a “stark” difference.

    We must go for special export industrial zones

    Comparing the country’s Information Technology (IT) industry with that of India’s, the premier said that India generates around $200 billion while Pakistan’s industry is hovering around $2.5 billion. “We must go for special export industrial zones,” he added.

    The PM went on to say that the government will make well-structured industrial zones. “To increase the export, the developed zone should be handed over to the investors to work on it. We need to fix ambitious targets.”

    Government bans wedding ceremonies after 10pm in Islamabad

    The government has banned wedding ceremonies after 10pm in the federal capital.

    According to media reports, permission to serve only one dish to wedding guests will be given, and a notification will be issued over this new restriction.

    The Islamabad police and administration have been informed to strictly implement the ban. In case of any violation, strict action will be taken.

  • ‘Take a plane for Tiktok videos’, Kangana Ranaut thinks Qatar Airways spoof video is ‘real’

    ‘Take a plane for Tiktok videos’, Kangana Ranaut thinks Qatar Airways spoof video is ‘real’

    Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut seems to have fallen for a spoof, again.

    Spoof video

    After Qatar rebuked India for the derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, #BycottQatarAirways started trending on Indian Twitter.

    An Indian Twitter user ‘Vashudev’ posted a video calling for the boycott of Qatar Airways.

    Later, a spoof video with Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker replying to Vashudev’s boycott call in an interview with Al Jazeera went viral.

    “Vashudev is our biggest shareholder with a total investment of ₹634.50 rupees. We don’t know how to operate anymore. We have grounded all the flights … we are requesting Vashudev to take this call for boycott back. This is a special kind of boycott because it is b-y-c-o-t-t. Vashudev habibi, we are willing to give you one whole plane to make your TikTok videos or maybe we can give you two litres of petrol free. Please consider our offer and take the boycott back,” Qatar Airways CEO’s voiceover says in the spoof video.

    Kangana shares spoof video on Instagram

    After the spoof video went viral, Kangana Ranauat shared it on her Instagram stories, thinking the video is ‘real’.

    “This idiot of a man has no shame bullying a poor man mocking his insignificance and place in the world…Vasudev may be poor and insignificant for a rich man like you but he has the right to express his grief, pain and disappointment in whatever context it may be… remember there is a world beyond this world where we all are equal,” wrote Kangana in one of her Insta stories.

    She continued: “All so called Indians who are cheering this bully for making fun of a poor man remember this is exactly why you all are a big bojh [burden] on this over populated country.”

    Kangana later deleted her Instagram stories after journalist and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair informed her that it was a voiceover video made by an Indian.

    Kangana shares fake Shehbaz Sharif screenshot

    This is not the first time that Kangana has fallen for fake news.

    In May, Kangana shared a screenshot on her Instagram stories that featured Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s praise for her craft and performance in Dhaakad.

    However, the screenshot featured an imposter account of PM Shehbaz and not the real one.

    READ MORE: Did Shehbaz Sharif praise Kangana Ranaut? Indian actress shares screenshot

  • 60% of Pakistanis don’t agree with PTI’s long march: survey

    In a public survey by the Institute of Public Opinion and Research (IPOR), 60 per cent of Pakistanis do not like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s idea to lead a long march towards Islamabad.

    According to 60 per cent of responders, Khan should run his campaign from the assemblies. On the other hand, only 23 per cent of Pakistanis support the idea of PTI’s long march.

    It has also been revealed that 48 per cent of PTI’s own supporters think that leading a long march is right, while 44 per cent are in favour of a struggle against the government in the assemblies rather than a long march.

    In the survey, more than 2,000 people from across the country participated.

    Meanwhile, 54 per cent of Pakistanis support the idea of holding fresh elections in the country, although 35 per cent of people suggest the assemblies should complete their constitutional term.

    A big majority of 86 per cent of PTI voters backed the idea of early elections, while 57 per cent of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) voters and 31 per cent of PML-N supporters said they favoured early elections.