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Tag: Pakistan

  • Ramzan Relief Package: Utility Stores Corp announces discount on 1,500 items at 4,000 outlets

    Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USC) will sell various food items at prices cheaper than the open market through its country-wide retail outlets as a part of its Ramzan Relief Package.

    The state-owned enterprise is offering discounted prices for 19 food items besides 1,500 total items that will be available at 4,000 stores throughout the holy month of Ramzan.

    Consumers will pay Rs950 for a 20-kilogram wheat flour bag under the package, instead of its original price of Rs1100-1350. Similarly, one kilogramme (kg) of sugar would be offered at Rs85 instead of Rs86-93. One kg of subsidized ghee costs Rs260 at USC, whereas edible ghee costs Rs470 on the open market.

    The price of one liter of cooking oil at USC is Rs407, while the open market is offering the same at Rs500.

    Likewise, one kg of daal channa costs Rs162 at USC, while it is being sold at Rs180-190 on the open market. Similarly, a kg of dal moong (washed) costs Rs170, and the open market sells it for Rs180-200 per kg. Washed daal mash costs Rs268 at USC, as compared to its price of Rs280-320 on the open market.

    Furthermore, one kg of daal masoor costs Rs215 at USC, instead of Rs250-280 in the open market. Sella rice will cost Rs165 per kg, basmati rice Rs155 per kg, and tota rice Rs85 per kg.

    The dates will cost Rs140 per kg, whereas dates on the general market will continue selling for Rs200 and Rs240. The 950gm tea pack costs Rs1,042 at USC, in contrast to its price of Rs1,250 in the open market.

    Read more: FBR records 29.1% growth during July 2021 to March 2022

    Ultra-high temperature (UHT) or pasteurized milk at USC is offered at USC for Rs142, and costs Rs165 in the general market. Squashes are sold for Rs250 instead of Rs290, and squashes and syrups (1,500 ml) are available for Rs437, compared to the original price of Rs495 in the open market.

  • ‘Can anyone disappear without the govt’s will?’ IHC questions state of enforced disappearances

    ‘Can anyone disappear without the govt’s will?’ IHC questions state of enforced disappearances

    During a case hearing of missing Lahore journalist, Mudassar Naro at Islamabad High Court (IHC), Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah said that enforced disappearances are ‘treason’.

    He said that such disappearances are not acceptable in a country that follows the Constitution. In the hearing, the additional attorney-general and judicial assistant appeared before the court.

    “Can anyone be disappeared without federal and provincial governments will? No,” the judge said. The judge then said that sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act are applied in such cases.

    The CJ asked if the inability to recover Naro is the failure of state agencies. He added that both governments should have looked into this matter.

    According to Geo News, Mudassar Naro has been missing since August 20, 2018. The disappearance occurred when he went to the northern areas with his wife and child. His wife and child returned but Naro has been missing ever since.

    His activist wife Saddaf Chughtai passed away last year due to a sudden cardiac arrest, leaving behind their four-year-old son.

    The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has shown serious concern over the situation. They have also called upon Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari to look into the case. However, after almost four years since his disappearance, his recovery hasn’t been made yet.


  • Six-month long Dubai expo ends with a grand closing ceremony

    Six-month long Dubai expo ends with a grand closing ceremony

    Expo 2020 Dubai has ended with a grand closing ceremony. Fireworks and different performances took place on in the closing ceremony.

    Dubai expo started on October 1, 2021, and ended on March 31, 2022. It was originally scheduled for October 2020 to April 2021 but was postponed due to COVID-19. The UAE relaxed most COVID restrictions for the event. The expo registered at least 20 million visits.

    Read more- Pakistan wins best Pavilion award at Expo Dubai

    The Pakistan Pavilion has been awarded the best exterior award given by the Burj Ceo. After winning the award for the best pavilion exterior design, a statement was issued by the Pakistani pavilion stating that “we are happy to win the award for the best pavilion exterior design at the Dubai Expo”.

  • Shahid Afridi speaks out in support of PM Imran Khan

    Former Captain of the Pakistan Cricket team, Shahid Afridi has spoken out in favour of Prime Minister Imran Khan and has expressed his thoughts on the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan. He took to Twitter on Tuesday to share his opinion about the current situation in the country.

    “It has been 74 years since Pakistan’s independence. For God’s sake, let at least one elected government complete its constitutional term.”

    He also stressed that “wrongdoings” that have been done in 74 years will slowly end with the passage of time.

    Afridi’s tweet came a few hours after PM Imran Khan’s address to the nation last night. The voting on the no-confidence motion is expected to be held on Sunday against PM Imran Khan. The majority of the allies of the government, which includes MQM, BAP, and independent candidates, have left and joined the Opposition to vote against PM Imran Khan.

  • Pak vs Aus: Imam-ul-Haq sets record

    Pak vs Aus: Imam-ul-Haq sets record

    Pakistan opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq has set a record against Australia, making a century. He has now become the fastest batsman in history.

    The opening batsman reached this record in the 48th inning of his ODI career. Hashim Amla had scored his ninth century in 52 innings, Quinton de Kock took 53 and Babar Azam took 61 innings to score their century in ODIs.

    Starting his career with a hundred on debut, Imam-ul-Haq knows how to pile on the centuries. After a remarkable century in the first ODI, Imam-ul-Haq smashed yet another hundred in the second match of the home series against Australia.

    Pakistan won the match against Australia by six wickets.

  • Pakistan wins ‘Best Pavilion Exterior Design’ award at Expo Dubai 2020

    The Pakistan Pavilion has been awarded the best exterior award given by the Burj Ceo.

    After winning the award for the best pavilion exterior design, a statement was issued by the Pakistani pavilion stating that “we are happy to win the award for the best pavilion exterior design at the Dubai Expo”.

    Rashid Rana, one of Pakistan’s most celebrated artists, was asked to transform the Pakistan Pavilion into one of the largest artworks of its kind through his artistic intervention. He has been awarded the country’s third-highest civil award ‘Sitara-e-Imtiaz’.

    “We congratulate the country’s renowned artist and exterior designer of the Pakistani pavilion, Rashid Rana, on receiving the highest civil award Sitara-e-Imtiaz in recognition of his outstanding performance in the field of fine arts,” the Pakistani pavilion said in a Twitter message.

  • MNA Jam Karim, allegedly involved in Nazim Jokhio murder comes back to cast vote against PM

    MNA Jam Karim, allegedly involved in Nazim Jokhio murder comes back to cast vote against PM

    Pakistan People’s Party MNA Jam Abdul Karim, nominated for the murder of Journalist Nazim Jokhio, has reached Pakistan. His name was placed on the Provisional National Identity List (PNIL). However,  Sindh High Court granted him protective bail against a surety bond of Rs100,000.

    On November 3 last year, Nazim’s tortured body was found in PPP MPA Jam Awais’ farmhouse in Karachi’s Malir area, a day after he filmed a group of foreigners hunting the endangered houbara bustard in his Achar Salaar village in Thatta. According to Nazim Jokhio’s brother, Nazim had broadcast a live stream on social media of a hunting expedition involving foreign guests of PPP MPA Jam Awais, after which Jam Awais called Nazim to the house where he was allegedly murdered.

    Jam Karim is the elder brother of Jam Awais. In November, he was nominated as a suspect with ten others in the murder case.

    The victim’s widow, Shiren Jokhio has pardoned the accused involved in the murder of her husband. In a video statement that was released on Wednesday, she said that she had left the decision at the mercy of Almighty Allah. She added that she has taken the decision for the sake of the safety of her children.

    Many think that the video statement was forced and Nazim’s widow was made to drop the case, a case she had been pursuing for six months.

    Muhammad Jibran Nasir, lawyer and social activist took to Twitter and wrote: “Congratulations to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and to all your jiyalas and supporters your governance has successfully managed to submit a poor widow to a compromise with your MNA Jam Karim and MPA Jam Awais the murderers of her husband Nazim Jokhio after 6 months of resistance.”

    PPP leader are yet to comment on the matter. Social media users are expressing their anger over the matter:

    https://twitter.com/JiyaEss/status/1509425830237294594
  • PM Khan to present ‘secret letter’ in parliament today

    PM Khan to present ‘secret letter’ in parliament today

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has decided to present a ‘secret letter’ before parliament, as the National Assembly (NA) session will resume on Thursday (today) after a recess of three days. The secret “threat letter” was shown to the cabinet members on a TV screen.


    PM Khan also called a selected group of TV anchors and informed them about the contents of the letter. However, the letter was not shown to them.

    National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar in a tweet said, “If the parliamentary leaders from the government and the opposition side agree, the issue of the sensitive letter can be discussed at an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.”

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry while speaking with Dawn said, “An in-camera session of the National Assembly or a joint sitting of parliament will be held in which the letter will be shared not only with the treasury benchers but also with those MNAs sitting on the opposition benches.”

    State Department says no US government agency or official sent a letter to Pakistan

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government confirmed on Wednesday that its allegation about a foreign conspiracy against the premier was based on a “diplomatic cable”.

    During the meeting with journalists, the media persons were informed that a Pakistani envoy was told by a senior official of the host country that they had issues with PM Khan’s foreign policy, especially his visit to Russia and the stance on the ongoing Ukrainian war.

    The Pakistani envoy was further conveyed that the future trajectory of relations between the two countries was dependent upon the fate of the no-confidence motion that the Opposition parties were then planning to bring against the premier. The envoy was warned of serious implications if PM Khan survived the no-trust vote.

    It was also reported that the cable was sent by Pakistan’s then-ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed Khan on the basis of his meeting with Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu.

    Meanwhile, Americans deny in private discussions that any specific message was delivered to the Pakistani envoy, says Dawn.

    Responding to questions from Dawn about the alleged letter and US involvement in the no-confidence motion against the PTI government, a State Department spokesperson said: “There is no truth to these allegations.”

    Dawn further quotes a discussion with a few diplomats in accordance with the letter.

    According to some diplomatic sources in Washington, the letter could be a diplomatic cable from Washington, drafted by a senior Pakistani diplomat. “The contents of the letter, apparently, are based on informal discussions between Pakistani and other officials,” one diplomatic source said.

    A Western diplomat thinks that it has happened because someone had to be scapegoated for the current political crisis and there could have been no better option than the United States.

  • Honda Atlas to increase prices for all motorcycles from April 1

    Atlas Honda is set to announce another price hike within a month for all of its motorcycles. The manufacturer will increase the prices from Rs2,000 to Rs10,000 for seven variants.

    As per two prominent Atlas Honda motorcycle dealerships in Lahore: Honda Gulberg and Honda Hamiz Bedian, the Association of Pakistan Motorcycle Assemblers (APMA) have already notified all Honda dealerships across Pakistan of the revised prices.

    The imminent price hike is due to the rising cost of raw materials used in production as well as the continuous depreciation of the Pakistani rupee.

    According to the dealerships, the popular Honda CD70 and CD70 Dream variants will see a price hike of Rs2000 which will be sold at Rs99,900 and Rs106,500 respectively from April 1.

    Honda Pridor will be priced at Rs136,900 after an increase of Rs3000 in its existing price of Rs133,900.

    The manager at Honda Gulberg stated that the company will release a formal notification on March 31, 2022, regarding the increase, the new rates will be effective from Friday.

    This hike will place Honda CG 125’s price at almost Rs160,000. It is worth noting that the same bike was priced at Rs134,000 last year in the same period.

  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet approves Rs2.5 billion subsidy under Ramzan package

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cabinet on March 29 okayed a subsidy package of Rs2.5 billion for the upcoming holy month of Ramzan, to ensure an uninterrupted supply of edible items at lesser rates.

    KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan presided over the meeting, which was attended by ministers, chief minister’s advisers, and administrative secretaries.

    Following the meeting, government spokesman Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif revealed that 2,800 points had been set up around the KP to sell 20kg bags of wheat flour for Rs800 instead of the customary Rs1100 during Ramzan, while 10kg bags would be sold for Rs400.

    During Ramzan, the cabinet also decided to set up 83 sasta bazaars, 123 Ramazan facilitation centers, 42 mobile utility stores, and 96 Ramzan dastarkhwans.

    All of these points will be supervised by monitoring units led by respective secretaries and deputy commissioners to prevent price hikes and shortages of vital commodities on the market.