SC turns down request to halt anti-encroachment drive along Karachi drains
KARACHI: Revoking its stay order on the anti-encroachment drive along with Gujjar and Orangi drains, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to continue the drive along the drains ahead of monsoon season. Sindh advocate general apprised the court that Rs20,000 per month rent would be given to the affectees of the drive. The counsel for the affectees, Faisal Siddiqui, said that the lease was given by the Karachi Development Authority and KMC. Six thousand affectees of the anti-encroachment drive should be given alternate residence, he added. Later, the court revoking the stay order and ordered the KMC to continue its drive along the drains for the expansion.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 14, 2021 11:48 UTC
Children pay the price in HIV outbreak in Sindh
KARACHI: Since his son was diagnosed with HIV during an outbreak among babies and children, hard-up Shahzado Shar has often been forced to choose between food and medicine. The country’s largest HIV testing and treatment centre was established in the rural town of Rota Dero in the wake of the disaster, dishing out life-saving anti-retroviral drugs. Around 30 other children are also HIV positive in their small village of Subhani Shar, just a few kilometres from Rato Dero. Authorities blamed a single physician — a popular child specialist in Rato Dero — for causing the outbreak. ‘WE ARE DOOMED’:At Rato Dero’s HIV testing and treatment centre, patients sit facing a television screen churning out healthcare advice in the local Sindhi language.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 14, 2021 07:18 UTC
Pakistan’s GrocerApp scores $5.2mn in Series-A funding
LAHORE: Pakistan’s online grocery delivery platform, GrocerApp, has successfully raised $5.2 million in a Series-A round from local and global institutional and angel investors. Founded in 2016 by Ahmad Saeed, Hassaan Sadiq, and Rai Bilal, GrocerApp is digitising grocery shopping in Pakistan with a focus on customer experience. Pakistan has reached a critical mass of internet adoption with 100 million online users. GrocerApp is focused on capturing this vibrant new online user base by meeting their online grocery shopping needs through a seamless customer experience. We are excited to back this seasoned team and the capital injection will catapult GrocerApp into a dominant market position,” said Ikhlaaq.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 14, 2021 02:48 UTC
Pakistani, Indian exporters agree to share Basmati rice ownership
Pakistani and Indian exporters, however, believe that joint ownership of Basmati is the only viable solution to the dispute. New Delhi and Islamabad have long been claiming to be the origins of Basmati rice, which is largely produced in both countries. The Punjab province, which was divided into East Punjab (India) and West Punjab (Pakistan) in 1947, is the origin of Basmati rice. Endorsing Ghouri’s views, Ashok Sethi, director of Punjab Rice Millers Export Association in India, said the two neighbours should jointly protect the Basmati heritage. “Both countries export Basmati rice.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 14, 2021 01:52 UTC
Ambivalent Approach of the FATF
And the development comes only a few weeks ahead of a meeting of the FATF to decide on Pakistan’s grey-list status. Hence, FATF shows an ambivalent approach, as it has become a tool of keeping pressure on Islamabad, while ignoring New Delhi. On the other side, involvement of Indian banks in money laundering and financing terrorism has been exposed. There are also reports that gold and diamond were also used for money laundering, while the Indian Premier League (cricket tournament) has also been pointed out for money laundering practices by the Indian judiciary. Hence, FATF shows an ambivalent approach, as it has become a tool of keeping pressure on Islamabad, while ignoring New Delhi.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 13, 2021 18:33 UTC
Punjab-Sindh water dispute
The dispute between the Punjab and Sindh governments over water allocation for this Kharif crop seem both inevitable, yet entirely avoidable. The immediate dispute is over the Sindh government’s refusal to nominate any member to the Tripartite Discharge Monitoring Team, federal inspectors’ attempt to inspect Guddu Barrage discharges. However, two of the three parties, the centre and Punjab, are ruled by a party which aspires to carry out political activity without dialogue. The matter of irrigation water is sensitive, especially when all the three governments are backed by majorities comprising large landowners. There is no way out except dialogue, and the government’s take-no-prisoners attitude means no solution will be possible.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 13, 2021 18:23 UTC
Bilawal slams govt over imposition of Rs375bn worth of taxes
He said that the federal government is afraid of the public’s reaction to the storm of heavy taxes imposed on them. “He has exposed his anti-people agenda with the new budget,” he said. The PPP chairman said that while the government was busy presenting “false facts” through the Economic Survey 2020-21 and claiming that the nation is flourishing, government employees protested against inflation outside the Parliament. “People are now retaliating because they are aware of the puppet prime minister’s empty promises,” he said, adding: “They know it is Imran Khan’s habit to talk big and do nothing. He is incompetent and has completely failed to provide relief to the common man.”
Source:Pakistan Today
June 13, 2021 16:41 UTC
Information minister urges apex court to address constitutional crisis in Sindh
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Sunday urged the Supreme Court to enforce Article 140-A of the Constitution in Sindh to address what he termed as a “constitutional crisis” in the province. Fawad Chaudhry further criticized Sindh government’s decision to block inspection of water release from Sindh barrages by independent monitoring teams. “They have outrightly rejected the use of electronic voting machines and right of voting to overseas Pakistanis without understanding the technological process,” the minister said. “He (Iqbal) said overseas Pakistanis have little idea about [Pakistan’s] domestic issues. “I condemn the PML-N’s remarks [regarding overseas Pakistanis],” he said.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 13, 2021 12:22 UTC
KP suggests LG polls in September-October period
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Sunday recommended holding elections for local governments between September and October. The recommendations forwarded by the provincial government further suggested that elections in the former tribal areas would be held separately. Earlier, it was reported that the local bodies elections in KP will be held in a phased manner. Officials have compiled recommendations to keep the number of councillors less than the preceding local bodies systems. The KP local bodies system completed its tenure in August 2020 and the Election Commission of Pakistan is bound to hold elections within 120 days after the expiry of tenure under the Election Act, 2017.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 13, 2021 11:27 UTC
Murad returns after US visit
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah returned from the United States early on Sunday after a private visit. He had departed for the US on a three-day visit last week, a spokesperson for the Chief Minister Office said. Shah, who also holds the portfolio of finance minister, is scheduled to unveil the budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year on June 15. In a separate development, an accountability court has fixed June 30 for his indictment in the Nooriabad power project reference. The decision was announced during a hearing into fake bank accounts, the Nooriabad project and money laundering cases on Tuesday.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 13, 2021 11:03 UTC
PIA slashes fares for domestic flights
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has reduced its fares for domestic flights by 40 per cent. According to PIA spokesperson, the national flag carrier has introduced special discounted rates for domestic flights during summer vacations from Karachi to Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar. The one-side fare from Karachi to Islamabad, Karachi to Lahore and Karachi to Peshawar has been reduced to Rs6,950 whereas the new fares will come into effect immediately. Earlier in the week, the national flag carrier had announced a discount for senior citizens, who are 50-years-old or above, on domestic travel up to 10 per cent. The discount can be availed by showing Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued by NADRA.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 13, 2021 09:45 UTC
Hasan Ali to miss remainder of HBL PSL for family reasons
ABU DHABI: Islamabad United fast bowler Hasan Ali will miss the remainder of the HBL Pakistan Super League because of family commitments. “I want to say to all Islamabad United fans, unfortunately, due to personal reasons I have to pull out of the remaining PSL matches,” Ali was quoted as saying in Islamabad’s statement. Details here: https://t.co/Pkd6RuUQ40 pic.twitter.com/CQ9TbhiAYw — Islamabad United (@IsbUnited) June 12, 2021“Some things are more important than cricket and nothing is more important than family. I am thankful to Islamabad United for their support and understanding. At Islamabad United, we have always looked after each other like a family and we will continue to do so,” Khan said.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 13, 2021 09:11 UTC
Biden reaffirms support for Tokyo Olympics to Japan’s Suga
LONDON: US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his support for the Tokyo Olympics at a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday, highlighting the necessity of imposing public health measures ensuring the safety of those involved. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which were postponed last year due to the global spread of the coronavirus, are scheduled to start on July 23, in the face of opposition from most of the public, many Japanese companies and medical staff. “President Biden affirmed his support for the Tokyo Olympic Games moving forward with all public health measures necessary to protect athletes, staff and spectators,” it said. “President Biden expressed pride in the US athletes who have trained for the Tokyo Games and will be competing in the best traditions of the Olympic spirit,” it said. Tokyo 2020 would be “grateful” if G7 countries could support the Summer Games going ahead as planned, Tokyo 2020 organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto said on Friday.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 13, 2021 05:10 UTC
Opposition makes little impact in NA
The PPP chief said that his part and the PML(N) would jointly bring a no-confidence motion against the deputy speaker of the National Assembly. There are meanwhile important issues like media freedom, preservation of human rights and independence of judiciary where the opposition needs to take a joint stand. The opposition is also required to keep a check on excesses committed by the government and to expose its shortcomings. The rivalries between the PPP and the PML(N) have taken toll of the PDM which once looked like a formidable opposition alliance. Unless the parties put life into the alliance, the government will succeed in turning the National Assembly into a rubber stamp.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 12, 2021 19:52 UTC
Bilawal terms budget anti-people, anti-poor
KARACHI: Terming the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2020-21 an economic attack on Pakistanis, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has made his “anti-people and anti-poor” agenda clear. “People now know that Imran Khan has a habit of making tall claims. The prime minister has failed in providing relief to the common man,” he maintained. He is incompetent and has completely failed to provide relief to the common man.”Highlighting how the facts tell another story, Bilawal said that an anti-people budget “was expected” from the PTI government. “If the inflation rate, unemployment, and poverty figures have been historic during Imran Khan’s tenure, how can the budget be public [friendly]?” he questioned.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 12, 2021 16:41 UTC