LAHORE: The session court has been moved to register a case against Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz for donning a police uniform while attending a passing-out parade on Thursday. The plaintiff stated in his plea that Maryam Nawaz wore a police official’s uniform which is 'unlawful'. In accordance with the law, no person can wear the uniform of state institutions, the plea read.The applicant said that a plea was given to police against Maryam Nawaz but no action was taken against her. The applicant pleaded with the court to pass orders to register a case against Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz.The court had adjourned the hearing in the case until April 29.Read more: Punjab CM Maryam attends police passing out parade in uniformPunjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz attended a police passing out parade in Lahore, donning a uniform.The Punjab CM was given a guard of honour and also distributed prizes among the top performers from the Police Training College. The chief guest of the ceremony inspected the parade.Addressing the ceremony, the Punjab CM said her government wants to increase the number of female cops in the police department.”I realized how much of a big responsibility it is after wearing the police uniform.”
LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in three cases including Jinnah House attack case till May 3, ARY News reported.As per details, the ATC duty judge Arshad Javed heard the interim bail pleas pertaining to attack on Jinnah House and three others.The court also ordered to mark the attendance of former prime minister Imran Khan in the three cases via video link from Adiala jail.Its worth mentioning here that LHC was informed earlier, Punjab government allocated seven cells for convicted PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, while 14 security personnel have been appointed for his security.Related: PTI founder’s jail security costs Rs1.2m per month, LHC informed“An accommodation of six cells had been made for Imran Khan in addition to his cell to ensure proper security for him,” AGP Punjab Khalid Ishaq told the court.“One personnel is deployed on security of 10 inmates in Adiala jail, however, 14 police personnel have been deployed for Imran Khan’s security in Adiala Jail, the report added. May 9 events Violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan were arrested at the Islamabad High Court (IHC).The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.Army installations and Corps Commander’s house in Lahore, also known as Jinnah House, came under attack during a protest by ‘PTI workers’.
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said the government is launching Margalla Trail Patrol to protect the beautiful trails of Margalla Hills in Islamabad.In a statement on social media platform X, he said the step has been taken especially for the safety of foreigners, who love to visit these beautiful places.The Interior Minister said our security cover includes trail bikes, horse and foot patrols. We're launching the *Margalla Trail Patrol* to secure the beautiful trails of Margalla, especially for the safety of foreigners who love exploring them. Our tri-pronged security cover includes Trail Motorcycles, mounted Police (horses), and foot patrolling. pic.twitter.com/4emEH1u6wP — Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) April 25, 2024 Earlier, the Wildlife Department confirmed the presence of five leopards at Islamabad hiking trails and National Park.The Capital Development Authority also closed hiking trail 3 of the Margalla hills Islamabad after sightings of leopards in the area.Spokesperson Wildlife Protection Board said the sightings of the leopards in the area were confirmed and the trail was closed for public safety.Related: Islamabad: Margalla hills trail 3 closed after confirmation of leopard sightingsPrior to this, a venomous snake was spotted in Islamabad’s Margalla Hills whereas the administration warned that the reptile could be dangerous if provoked.Watch video here: Guess who came to visit our visitor information centre on trail 5? Yes it’s a Krait: venomous, neurotoxins which induce paralysis. Krait not aggressive unless you mess with it! Venom can kill a human being in hours though. They come out in rainy season! @WildlifeBoard pic.twitter.com/bGXYQk5y7c — Rina S Khan Satti (@rinasaeed) September 8, 2021
The Provincial Disasters Management Authority (PDMA) has issued an alert for rain with thunderstorms and snowfall in Punjab from April 26 (today) to 29. The PDMA spokesperson in its letters to all deputy commissioners of Punjab has cautioned to take precautionary measures as the MET office has predicted heavy rains and snowfall in the province till April 29.Rain is expected to lash Murree, Galiyat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Hafizabad, Jhang, Khushab, Mianwali, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Sahiwal and other areas of the province.The tourists also have been advised to exercise caution while travelling.Read more: Lahore weather turns pleasant as city receives light rainIn the alert, the district administrations were advised to take precautionary measures due to the anticipated rains and snowfall.“Directives have been issued to district administrations to ensure the availability of both small and heavy machinery.” The DG PDMA also advised the public to stay away from power lines, dilapidated buildings, structures, signboards, and billboards.On April 23, Lahore weather turned pleasant as parts of the city received light rain accompanied by a cool breeze in the wee hours of Tuesday.According to details, rain was reported from Gulberg, Cantt. Johar Town, Faisal Town, Garden Town, Allama Iqbal Town, Lakshmi Chowk, Gulshan Ravi and other parts of the city.
KARACHI: The Karachi administration on Friday denied permission to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold a power show at Karachi's Bagh-e-Jinnah on April 28, ARY News reported citing sources.According to sources, the police report stated that the permission to hold a public gathering was denied, in light of potential security threats and the recent surge in terrorist activities in the city.In a report to District Commissioner, the Police urged against giving permission to PTI to hold a public gathering as there are threats of a possible terrorist attack in the port city.It is important to mention here that today the Sindh High Court will hear the PTI plea seeking permission to hold power show in Karachi's Bagh-e-Jinnah.Earlier, Pakistan Teheek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh said that the party’s public gathering in Karachi rescheduled for May 5.Read More: PTI announces public gathering in KarachiIn a statement, Haleem Adil Sheikh said that in the party’s political committee meeting, it was decided to reschedule the public gathering. He said that now the PTI’s public gathering would be held adjacent to the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam on May 5 instead of April 28.The PTI Sindh president said that his party had approached the Deputy Commissioner East and sought permission for the gathering.He said that upon refusal by the administration for a non-objection certificate, the PTI moved the Sindh High Court. Haleem Adil Sheikh said that their petition is fixed for a hearing on April 26.The PTI had announced country-wide protest against what it called rigging in the elections and theft of its mandate in the general elections.
KARACHI: In a horrific incident, a woman was stabbed to death by her ex-husband in Mansehra colony, Karachi, ARY News reported.As per details, the incident occurred in Karachi's Mansehra colony where a woman identified as Zahra was attacked by her ex-husband when she was out of her house.The police officials stated that the deceased woman belonged to Ghotki, and further investigation into the horrific incident is underway.Earlier, a woman reportedly axed to death her husband over a family dispute in Karim Baistkhel area of Bannu.According to Mandan police, the woman, named Sultana Bibi, attacked her husband, Mohammad Roshan, 40, with an axe, killing him on the spot.Read more: Woman kills husband with axe over family disputeThey said the attacker fled the place and the body was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital.The officials said they had registered a case against the killer on the complaint of the deceased’s brother, Gul Sher Khan.Separately, in another incident, a man accidentally shot at and killed his brother in Mir Wali Kallay Bazaar Ahmad Khan area.Police identified the deceased as Ihsanullah. They said Adil Khan was cleaning his loaded pistol when it went off.They, however, said the police had started investigating the shooting.
WASHINGTON: The US State Department has said that Pakistan is one of the most important partners of the United States in the region.Briefing the newsmen in Washington, US State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said: “Pakistan continues to be one of our most important partners in the region.”Replying to a question, he said that there continues to be a lot of cooperation that the US have with the Government of Pakistan, especially in the security space and the trade sector.Replying to another question, he said that we have been clear with countries around the world about the integral role that a free press plays in the fabric of democracy. That’s why we come up here and take questions regularly.Read more: United States to support Pakistan’s economic reformsPatel denied commenting on the matter of attack on a Sikh leader, citing that US Law and Justice Department is looking into the matter and he cannot comment on it.Earlier, the United States vowed to support Pakistan for economic reforms.State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press briefing that Pakistan has made progress in stabilizing its economy, and we support its efforts to manage its daunting debt burden.
In a shocking incident, a mother murdered her daughter for marrying the man of her choice in Punjab's Sialkot, ARY News reported on Thursday.According to the police, the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Muradpur Police Station, where the mother killed her daughter, and left home to marry the man of her choice.The deceased was already married, and the family of the victim already filed a kidnapping case after she left home.The police stated that the family of the victim was enraged over her false statement in court, resulting in the mother killing her daughter in rage.The police have registered a case and arrested the suspect, gathering initial evidence and initiating further investigations.Earlier to this, a mother and her daughter were killed in the name of ‘honor’.According to the details acquired, the beheaded bodies of two women, mother and daughter, were reportedly found in Zahir Pir, a city in Rahim Yar Khan district of South Punjab. The sources claimed the duo was murdered in the name of honor.The local police have initiated case investigation and the bodies have been sent to the hospital for regular legal proceedings.Police said they have begun probing the case while the suspect was still at large. While they were on the lookout for the suspect, they said the post-mortem report would further divulge key details about the incident.
KARACHI: Plans for large-scale appointments are underway, signaling a potential restructuring within the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), ARY News reported on Thursday.Following the appointment of an Acting Director General (DG) at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), significant developments have unfolded within the organization.Among the proposed changes include the rotation of Chief Operating Officers (COOs) at different airports across the country.Additionally, there are indications of forthcoming appointments and transfers of senior officers within the CAA headquarters in Karachi.These developments come amidst a period of transition following the transfer of Khaqan Murtaza, the former DGCAA, to the chairmanship of the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) as per the notification issued by the federal government.With these changes underway, the aviation sector in Pakistan anticipates a shift in leadership and organizational dynamics within the Civil Aviation Authority.Last week, the federal government notified the transfer of Khaqan Murtaza from the Director General (DG) of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan.Following the Federal Cabinet’s approval, the Establishment Division issued the notification of the transfer of Khaqan Murtaza and appointed him as chairman of the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).On the other hand, the Secretary of Aviation, Saif Anjum, was assigned with the additional charge of DGCAA, the notification said.It is pertinent to mention here that Khaqan Murtaza was appointed DG-CAA during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
KARACHI: Sher Shah Police of Karachi on Thursday thwarted a robbery bid and arrested an accused robber red-handedly, ARY News reported.The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Keamari stated that the quick response of the law enforcers of Sindh foiled a robbery bid and arrested a robber in Karachi.The police officials claimed that the arrested suspect was looting a citizen at Sher Shah Akbar road, while an illegal pistol was recovered from the possession of the arrested criminal.Earlier in the day, a total of 67 alleged buyers of stolen goods were arrested, as law enforcers conducted several raids in Karachi.Following the directives of Sindh’s Chief Minister, Sindh police initiated a crackdown against the buyers of robbed mobile phones and arrested 67 individuals in District West of Karachi.The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) district West, Hafeezur Rehman Bugti, claimed to have recovered stolen goods, including mobile phones and spare parts of the stolen vehicles, from the shops and warehouses of the arrested individuals.Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched against the arrested individuals.
KARACHI: A total of 67 alleged buyers of stolen goods were arrested, as law enforcers conducted several raids in Karachi, ARY News reported on Thursday.Following the directives of Sindh’s Chief Minister, Sindh police initiated a crackdown against the buyers of robbed mobile phones and arrested 67 individuals in District West of Karachi.The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) district West, Hafeezur Rehman Bugti, claimed to have recovered stolen goods, including mobile phones and spare parts of the stolen vehicles, from the shops and warehouses of the arrested individuals.Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched against the arrested individuals.Earlier this month, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah directed to take measures to monitor the sale of stolen or snatched mobile phones and vehicles as spare parts or in their complete form in the markets of Karachi.The chief minister issued the directives while chairing the 31st Apex Committee meeting, which was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon, Zia Lanjar, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar, DG Ranger Major General Azhar Waqas, IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon and others, said a statement issued today.Chairing the 31st Apex Committee meeting here Monday, the chief minister said that police pickets would be established to strengthen the left bank of the River Indus and contain the dacoits within the Katcha area. The recovery of ransom from the families of the kidnapped individuals will be considered terror financing and the people involved in facilitating the collection of the ransom amount would be identified through intelligence work to crush them,” the CM said.Comparative figures for the first three months (January to April) of 2023 and 2024 indicate a decrease in the number of theft cases reported, the statement noted.In 2024, 15,345 two-wheelers were stolen which is 953 cases less than the 16,298 incidents reported in 2023. Similarly, the theft of four-wheelers decreased by 145 cases with 520 vehicles stolen in 2024 as compared to 665 in 2023. The number of mobile phones snatched also showed a decline, with 6,813 cases reported in 2024 as compared to 8,688 in 2023, indicating a decrease of 1,875 cases.According to the statistics, there has been a significant increase in the snatching of four-wheelers and two-wheelers. In 2023, 60 two-wheelers were snatched, and this number increased to 80 in 2024. Similarly, 1805 two-wheelers were snatched in 2023, while the number of cases rose to 3094 in 2024.The meeting was told that the police conducted 467 encounters in 2024. In these encounters, 67 criminals were killed, 489 were injured and 1766 were arrested.Meanwhile, the Sindh CM instructed the IG Police to reactivate the Shaheen Force with a dedicated motorcycle squad of 386 motorcycles. “The squad should patrol the identified hotspots during peak hours, and each SSP should issue and implement a patrolling plan,” he directed.Additionally, the police department was directed to revamp Madadgar-15. The Home Minister announced that an additional 168 vehicles, including 120 motorbikes, would be deployed to enhance the police force’s capabilities.The Chief Minister also instructed IG police to initiate the E-tagging of repeat offenders. A pilot project should be started with 4,000 devices.
KARACHI: The Federal B (FB) area police of Karachi claimed to have arrested a gang of bandit targeting citizens while accompanying children on motorcycles to dodge police, ARY News reported on Thursday.The spokesperson of FB area police disclosed that a suspect, arrested in injured condition last night, confessed to carrying out criminal activities while accompanied by a three-year-old child on a motorcycle.READ: Dacoits in Karachi using children as shields during snatching bidsThe suspect revealed that the presence of the child during snap-checking reportedly allowed the gang to evade police scrutiny.Additionally, law enforcement officials also identify the apprehended suspect with the help of the viral CCTV footage.Furthermore, several mobile phones looted from citizens from various locations have also been recovered from the possession of the arrested individuals.Last week, the Mominabad police carried out an operation resulting in the arrest of four individuals allegedly involved in multiple robbery incidents in Karachi.The police spokesperson claimed to have arrested four individuals involved in criminal activities and recovered three weapons, a motorcycle, and other items from their possession.During the interrogation, the arrested accused confessed to robberies in several areas of Karachi.
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Thursday formed a new bench to hear a suo motu case regarding the allegations of interference by intelligence agencies in judicial functions, ARY News reported.A new bench has been constituted after Justice Yahya Afridi recused himself from the hearing. Apart from Justice Yahya Afridi, all other six members of the previous bench are part of the new six-member bench.Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa would head the bench which also comprises Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhaill, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.It is pertinent to mention that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa on April 1 took suo moto notice of IHC judges’ letter in which they alleged interference by intelligence agencies in judicial matters.Read More: IHC judges’ letter: Justice Yahya Afridi recuses himself from suo moto benchIHC top judges – including Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Baqir Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Salman Rafat Imtiaz – penned the letter to SJC in the aftermath of Supreme Court’s March 22 judgement on Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s dismissal case.In the letter, the top judges sought guidance from the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) with regard to the duty of a “judge to report and respond to actions on part of members of the executive, including operatives of intelligence agencies, that seek to interfere with discharge of his/her official functions and qualify as intimidation”.In the maiden hearing on the suo moto case on April 3, CJP Qazi Faez Isa hinted at the formation of a full court on the next hearing of suo motu notice taken on the IHC judges’ allegations.At the outset of the hearing, CJP Isa directed the attorney general to present the press release issued after the full court meeting.
LAHORE: Gamers Galaxy, Pakistan’s biggest Esports festival, kicked off at Expo Center Lahore, ARY News reported on Thursday.The country's top gamers are currently showcasing their skills at the Gamers Galaxy Festival in Lahore, with the event being broadcast live on ASports and ARY ZAP.Some of the most popular multiplayer and single-player games such as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Free Fire, FIFA, and Tekken 8, are attracting significant interest from the youth and players.Entry to the festival is free for the public, drawing fans to the expo center to support and cheer on their favorite gamers.Notable figures from the entertainment industry, including World Tekken Champion Arslan Ash and a British-Pakistani boxer, Aamir Khan are also expected to join the two-day event.The CEO of Galaxy Gamers, Fakhr-e-Alam, expressed the organization's aim to promote e-sports in Pakistan, with plans to expand the event to Karachi as well. Gates ARE about to open at Gamers Galaxy at Expo Centre Lahore for Pakistan’s biggest Esports festival. Admission is FREE.Use gate no 6 and come to Hall no.3See you all here….. #esports #videogames #competition #fun #excitement #youth #life #enjoy #lahore #pakistan #pubg #fifa… pic.twitter.com/IVJuxD0UoF — Fakhr-e-Alam S.I & S.E (@falamb3) April 25, 2024 It's worth mentioning that the grand finale of the event is scheduled to be held tomorrow, featuring a concert by Young Stunners for family entertainment.
KARACHI: Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe into the case pertaining to the smuggling of arms to Katcha area (riverine area) dacoits, ARY News reported.According to the details, the IGP formed a JIT headed by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Larkana and tasked it to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh police foiled an attempt to smuggle arms to Katcha area dacoits and arrested seven individuals including three policemen allegedly involved in the offense in Shikarpur on April 19.The police spokesperson said that thousands of bullets and two Kalashnikovs were recovered from the possession of the arrested individuals during the operation.The spokesperson asserted that the consignment of arms was being smuggled from Balochistan to Shikarpur in the police mobile which was assigned to the security of the CM Adviser.Read More: CM Murad accepts adviser’s resignation over katcha area controversyEarlier on Wednesday, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday accepted the resignation of his adviser on Forest and Wildlife Babal Khan Bhayo over the Katcha area controversy.Sindh CM’s Adviser on Forest and Wildlife Babal Khan Bhayo stepped down from the post for a ‘transparent inquiry’ after being named into the case.In a statement, Babal Khan Bhayo also asked the Sindh government to conduct an impartial investigation and make its report public.Jacobabad’s Moladad police with Inspector Ishtiaq Ahmed as complainant, has registered case against four arms smugglers, one ASI and two other policemen under the Anti-Terrorism Act.Those nominated in the case included smuggling suspects Ikhtiar Ahmed Lashari, Nabeel Ahmed Bhayo, Taufiq Ahmed Gujjar and Zakir Hussain Bhayo.Police ASI Imtiaz Ahmed Bhayo and constables Sanaullah Manganhar and Baqaullah Unnar have been nominated in the case to provide escort to the smugglers’ vehicle.
The rogue state of Israel, after unprecedented devastation in Gaza, seems determined to expand the military conflict in the Middle East by dragging Iran into it. Iran, though known for its strategic patience and restraint, had to respond to the Israeli attack on its diplomatic facility in Syria which killed seven people including one senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.This jolted the allies of Israel including the US-led Western bloc, and major capitals around the world exasperating their concerns about the conflict spiralling out of hand.Israel has been targeting Iranian facilities and proxies in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq in connivance with the US for the past many years. Since these attacks had not become public, Iran exercised restraint and never directly responded to Israeli misadventures. The latest attack on the Iranian facility was carried out in the full glare of the international media causing a wave of anxiety all over the world. Iran had to respond for several reasons sending a strategic message to the aggressor that: i) it was not invincible; ii) Iran is capable of tit for tat; iii) it lies within the range of its ballistic missiles and iv) Iran would not be a piece of cake. There was also mounting domestic pressure on the leadership to respond to the unprovoked aggression by the Jewish State.Some analysts criticize Iran for this half-hearted attack on Israel. They forget that the objective of Iran was not to inflict a heavy loss of life and property on Israel but to transform the ongoing conflict into an Israel-Iran war to distract the attention of the International Community from the atrocities of Israel in Gaza, being the main objective of the rogue Prime Minister Netanyahu. Iran has been under economic sanctions for years together.The expansion of war would have harmed Iran’s national interests without even serving any Muslim country’s strategic interests. Hence, Iran decided to measure and restrained strategic response taking some countries into confidence.Rather, the Iranian leadership deserves applause for their courage to respond to the Israeli aggression. Other Muslim countries remained content with molly-mouthed condemnations of Israel’s atrocities on the innocent Gaza population killing thousands of men, women and children and starving the displaced population of 1.8 million.After the attacks, the Iranian leadership declared the spat ‘concluded’. This was a loud message to the international community that Iran didn’t want to get involved in the expansion of the ongoing conflict. That is why there was pressure on the Israel from UN, the USA and Western allies to not attack Iran again. All major capitals from Washington to Moscow and Beijing and major Middle Eastern countries showed their concern over this new dimension of the Gaza conflict. But when has Israel listened to the warnings of the international community? It has, since its inception, arrogantly defied the US, the UN and the international community.Israel finally responded to Tehran by drone attacks on Isfahan airport. Iran has rejected Israeli claims for any loss of life and facilities. However, the full details of the latest Israel attack would unfold within the coming days.The latest attack by Israel also seems to be measured and restrained, and more in response to the missile attacks by Hezbollah on an Israeli strategic position within its territory a few days ago causing some casualties. Prime Minister Netanyahu, to some extent, has diverted the focus of the world capitals to gain time to realize his nefarious designs of appropriating the Palestinian land sans the Palestinian population and wriggling out of the loss of credibility within his country.The Gaza conflict has laid bare the failure of the current international order based on morality, to restrain wars and military conflicts. The UNSC, throughout the conflict, was helpless to stop the wanton slaughtering of the Palestinian people and arrange a ceasefire because of the repeated exercise of veto by the USA to scuttle any resolution calling for a ceasefire. The international order has almost collapsed. This order needs to be reformed without further loss of time to save the world from the Third World War. The UNSC has to be expanded horizontally and the veto power of five states dispensed with to make the UN more representative and effective for conflict management and resolution of festering issues.Pakistan could not play any worthwhile role in the ongoing conflict. The unending economic crisis and unabated political polarization have rendered Pakistan beholden to the world financial institutions and some rich Gulf States restraining its position to take a bold stance befitting its size, traditional influence in the world capitals, and military strength, though it has condemned the Israeli aggression and inhuman atrocities perpetrated on the Palestinians, in the UN, and refused to condemn the Iranian response to the Israeli attack. Though the recent visit of a Saudi delegation to Pakistan which conspicuously included the Saudi Defence Minister is viewed from the prism of Saudi assistance in easing our economic crisis, it seems to have a security dimension too.The presence of the Saudi Defence Minister in the delegation signifies a budding security arrangement between the two countries particularly in the context of the unpredictably flux situation in the Middle Eastern region. In such situations in the past, Pakistan has always played a modest role in the security of the kingdom. This security arrangement if any would be a purely bilateral arrangement. In conflicts between Muslim countries, Pakistan has followed a traditional policy of neutrality. How the Iranian leadership would view the Saudi delegation’s trip to Pakistan ahead of President Ibrahim Raisi’s state visit remains to be seen.Pakistan and Iran have multiple bilateral issues to resolve which include border security, the presence of militants on both sides, border trade, Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline etc. However, it is strongly assumed the Saudi-Iran relationship, though calm but fraught with a lurking distrust beneath the surface, would certainly figure in the high-level discussions. Pakistan has a delicate position to balance its relationships with these two important Muslim countries.
QUETTA: The Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aaeen—an alliance formed by the opposition parties—announced to hold public gathering in Karachi on May 5, ARY News reported.The five-party alliance's nominated President Mahmood Khan Achakzai in a statement said that they would be holding a public gathering in Karachi on 5th May followed by another one in Faisalabad on May 10.Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s (PkMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had invited the opposition to sit and work together.Mahmood Khan Achakzai suggested electing two representatives from each party to hold talks. The PkMAP chief said that he would also bring the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to the negotiating table.Read More: Mehmood Achakzai named President of opposition allianceMahmood Khan Achakzai was of the view that the country is sinking into crises day by day. “All major decisions and policies for the country should be made in parliament,” he added.Earlier, The multi-party opposition alliance named Mahmood Khan Achakzai as president of their newly formed alliance “Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aaeen” (Constitution Protection Movement) against the government.Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal had hosted a meeting of the alliance that was also attended by Omar Ayub of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Mahmood Khan Achakzai of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Majlis-e-Wadhat-e-Muslimeen’s (MWM) Allama Nasir Abbas and Liaquat Baloch of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).They discussed and finalised a schedule for nationwide protest meetings.Read More: Grand opposition alliance to launch anti-government movement after EidThe alliance was anticipated as the Grand Opposition Alliance as they announced to launch anti-government movement after Eid-ul-Fitr.The opposition parties alliance also announced to hold public gatherings across the country to protest against ‘massive’ rigging in the elections. The schedule for public gatherings in other cities would be announced later in consultation with all parties.Sources privy to the development said that the Moulana Fazal-ur-Rehman-led Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) would also be approached to join the opposition in the movement against the government.BNP Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has been tasked to contact Moulana Fazal-ur-Rehman and Jiye Sindh Party. The Grand Opposition Alliance would carry out the movement with a motto of ‘non-interference in politics, an independent judiciary, rule of law and supremacy of people’.
KARACHI: The KSE-100 index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday dropped 80.49 points, a negative change of 0.11 percent, and closed at 71,971.40 points against 72,051.89 points the previous trading day, ARY News reported.In today’s trading session, the benchmark exhibits a range of movement, with the high touching 72,593.25 points and the low at 71,700.53 points.A total of 798,527,177 shares valuing Rs.27.542 billion were traded during the day against a total of 599,401,643 shares valuing Rs. 24.459 billion the last day.However, some 389 companies transacted their shares in the stock market; 173 of them recorded gains, and 191 sustained losses, whereas the share prices of 25 remained unchanged.A day earlier, the PSX achieved a new milestone as shares climbed 900 points to breach the key 72,000 points for the first time.The benchmark KSE-100 index gained 854.19 to stand at 72,213.59 in the intraday trading from the previous close of 71,359.40 points.Topline Securities CEO Muhammad Sohail said that the KSE-100 index has set another record. He said that consumer inflation is expected to decrease after a record current account surplus.This remarkable achievement reflects investors’ confidence in the country’s economic prospects and signals robust growth prospects in the foreseeable future.The KSE-100 index breached the key 71,000 level on Monday.On Tuesday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange witnessed a volatile session, with the KSE-100 Index shedding 74.06 points (-0.10 percent) to close at 71,359.40 points.The market opened on a sharp positive note; however, trading remained volatile throughout the session as the index swayed both ways.The index came under heavy selling pressure in the last 45 minutes amid profit-taking; otherwise, the session had remained range-bound.
KARACHI: Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) decreased by US$ 74 million to US$ 7,981.2 million due to external debt repayments, during the week ended on April 19, ARY News reported on Thursday.The central bank spokesperson said that the total liquid foreign reserves held by the country stood at US$ 13,280.5 million as of 19th April 2024. The foreign reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan stood at US$ 7,981.2 million after a decrease of US$ 74 million.Pakistan’s reserves held by commercial banks stood at US$ 5,299.3 million.Earlier during the week ended on April 12, the foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) rose by 14.4 million to $8.055 billion.“During the week, SBP has executed the repayment of US$ 1 billion maturing Pakistan’s International Bond (principal plus interest),” it said in a weekly statement.However, the country’s total reserves fell by $68 million to $13.374 billion. Similarly, the reserves of commercial banks decreased by $82 million to $5.319 billion.
KARACHI: Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) on Thursday sealed a renowned restaurant, situated at Sea View (Do Darya), over tax evasion and non-compliance in Karachi, ARY News reported.As per the SRB’s spokesperson, the authorities sealed the restaurant after finding consistent non-compliance with the provisions of the Sindh Sales Tax on Services Act, 2011, raising suspicions of an attempt to evade taxes.“Restaurant located at Sea View (Do Darya) Karachi was found involved in evading Sindh’s Sales Tax,” revenue board officials said.Despite issuing multiple notices to the owner of the restaurant, the management failed to file the necessary tax returns which ultimately led to the restaurant being sealed by the authorities.The closure of the establishment was prompted by its failure to synchronize its Point of Sale (POS) system with SRB's invoicing system, alongside allegations of non-payment of sales tax.Authorities underscore the imperative of preventing any loss of public revenue stemming from tax evasion by service providers across Sindh.A day earlier, Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Azam Nazeer Tarar introduced a bill further to amend certain tax laws (The Tax Law Amendment Bill 2024), in the National Assembly.The minister highlighted that there are pending tax cases amounting to Rs2,700 billion across various appellate forums, including Commissioners’ Appeals, Appellate Tribunals, High Courts, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.He said that the government was open to suggestions from the opposition and other stakeholders regarding the bill. He added that expanding of tax base was necessary for the strengthening of the country’s economy.Azam Tarar said that the Tax Bar Association had been consulted regarding the proposed bill.Opposition leader in the National Assembly Omer Ayub suggested that the purpose bill should be discussed in the Finance Committee.
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