NAB arrests PPP leader Khursheed Shah's son Farrukh Shah

MPA Farrukh Shah, son of PPP leader Khursheed Shah, surrendered before the court on the order of the Supreme Court. The court ordered the NAB to detain Farrukh Shah on a two-day physical remand.

Farrukh Shah was taken into custody by the NAB in the proceedings of the Sessions Court as the accountability court judge was on leave.

A NAB reference was being heard in Sukkur court on charges of making assets worth more than Rs 1.23 billion, against 18 people including MPA Farrukh Shah, his father PPP leader Khursheed Shah, brother Zirak Shah, brother-in-law provincial minister Owais Shah

Recently, during the hearing, the Supreme Court had ordered Farrukh Shah to surrender himself before the accountability court within three days. He appeared in the session judge s court and surrendered today.

On the occasion of his appearance in the court, the PPP workers gave him a warm welcome and showered him with flower petals.

He was accompanied by Sindh Provincial Minister for Transport Syed Owais Qadir Shah on the occasion.

Following the arguments of the lawyers during the hearing, the court reserved its verdict, which was later pronounced by the judge of the court, who ordered the NAB to take Farrukh Shah into custody on a two-day physical remand.

The NAB arrested Farrukh Shah and issued orders to produce him in the accountability court on Monday, June 14.

It should be noted that Farrukh Shah s father and PPP central leader Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah is also in the custody of NAB.

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Budget 2021-22: Shafqat tells how much govt has allocated for higher education

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood on Saturday termed the PTI government’s budget for fiscal year 2021-22 “most pro higher education budget ever”.

He said the government has enhanced the Higher Education Commission (HEC)’s budget for development expenditures to Rs37 billion and for non-development expenditures to Rs81bn.

“Development spending enhanced to 37 billion. The maximum spent by [PML-] N in its last year was 18 billion. On the recurring side 66 billion plus special addition of 15 billion making it over 81 billion. Total allocation to HE 118 Billion,” the minister tweeted, thanking Prime Minister Imran Khan for the education budget.
Minutes later, Shafqat Mahmood tweeted: “Correction and more good news for higher education. Planning Minister Asad Umar has just told me that development budget has been enhanced by 5.5 billion and is actually 42.5 billion. Thus the total allocation to higher education, development and recurring, is around 124 billion.”

Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin rolled out the budget 2021-22 in the National Assembly the other day.

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Covid-19: 57 more die,1,194 infected in last 24 hours

The Covid-19 pandemic killed 57 more people in Pakistan during the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide death toll to 21,633.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, the country’s caseload climbed to 939,931 after 1,194 more people tested positive for the deadly virus during this period.

The 1,194 new infections emerged when 35,695 tests were conducted with positivity rate recorded at 3.334 per cent, the NCOC said.
On Friday, the NCOC decided to speed up vaccination of citizens against Covid-19 in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

In a statement on his official Twitter account, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said that the federal government will set up mass vaccination centres and mobile vaccination teams for the purpose.

Umar, who also heads the NCOC, said: “Vaccination needs to be geared up due to upcoming election in Azad Kashmir and tourism season in Gilgit Baltistan,”

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Government introduces ‘Meri Gari Scheme’

In a bid to facilitate the masses, the government on Friday introduced ‘Meri Gari Scheme’.

Addressing the National Assembly budget session, Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin said that the government has abolished customs and regulatory duties on vehicles up to 850cc under the scheme.

Brand new vehicles up to 800cc have also been exempted from the advance customs duty, the finance minister added.

He maintained that the government has slashed sales tax on locally manufactured cars from 17% to 12.5%. The government has also exempted Federal Excise Duty (FED) on 850cc cars, he said, adding that they will slash duty on electric cars.

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Govt employees protest outside parliament as budget is unveiled

Government employees protested outside parliament on Friday as a session of the National Assembly took place inside with Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin unveiling the national budget for FY2021-22.

The employees had gathered there after having travelled from different provinces, demanding a raise in salaries.

The protesters said that for the past three years, they had not seen any raise in pay.

They also demanded that contract employees be quickly regularised.

A large contingent of police was present outside the parliament to guard against any untoward incident.

The road leading up to the parliament was blocked off with barbed wire, but it proved unsuccessful to deter the protesters, who jumped over it.

The government employees blocked off Shahrah-e-Dastoor (Constitution Avenue) where the parliament and all other important buildings are located and staged a sit in at the main gate of Parliament House.

Later in the evening, the protest came to an end, with the protesters asking the government to review its decision of a "mere 10% increase".

"Salaries should be raised by 25%, otherwise at the end of June, we will announce our next course of action," they said.

Later, after the session had ended, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari joined the government employees' protest to express solidarity with them.

Bilawal, speaking with the government employees, said that the PTI government "lies to the people of Pakistan" and does not fulfil promises and agreements made with the government employees.

He met the representative of the government employees and assured him of support for their demands. He said that he will raise their demands in the Parliament as well.

The PPP chairman thanked the media for reporting on the protest and said that the media should become the voice of the poor. He hoped that the media will "expose the injustices" to the government employees as well as the poor people of Pakistan over the last three years of the PTI government.

"The government claims that the economy is taking off and we are on the path to conomic progress. Why then are the salaries of the government employees not increased?" he asked.

"Inflation in Pakistan has increase many folds, the poverty and unemployment has reached an unprecedented level during the last three years. The government should have increased salaries to a maximum level amid the worldwide pandemic," he argued.

He claimed the PPP government had increased salaries up to 120% and pensions up to 100% during its 2008-13 tenure.

"The government has the responsibility to increase salaries with the proportion of inflation in the country," he said, adding that these injustices will "not be tolerated anymore".

Bilawal said that he has directed Sindh government to set the minimum wages at Rs25,000. "We will do everything in our capacity to stop this PTIMF budget in the National Assembly," he told the protesters.

The PPP chairman said that "if this PTIMF budget is passed in the assembly then he will go to every nook and corner of the country to tell the people of Pakistan that they are suffering due to incapacity and inability of this government".

The poor man is bearing the burden of this PTIMF budget, he said, adding that only a government of the people can solve the problems the people are faced with.

He assured the protesting employees that the PPP will run a campaign to "get rid of this PTIMF budget".

Replying to question by journalists, Bilawal said that the PPP is demanding the government act on the agreement it made with the employees.

"The government should increase salaries like the PPP had increased them during its tenure," he said.

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Opposition decides to give govt 'tough time', vows to not let budget pass

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said the Opposition would work together and give a tough time to the government, vowing to not let the budget sail through in the National Assembly.

Bilawal, speaking to the media alongside Shahbaz after the parliament's budget session, said that the people who might have been listening to Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin as he unveiled the government's proposals, "must have been thinking that this is some other country's budget".

Bilawal said it did not sound at all like the budget Pakistan needs, with its "historic inflation, unemployment, and poverty".

"The prime minister and finance minister's claims of economic growth are baseless amid such a situation."

The PPP chairman said the finance ministers' claims were akin to "rubbing salt in the wounds" of the Pakistanis who are "suffering" due to the government's policies.

"All differences among the Opposition parties aside, we will collectively respond to this selected and incompetent government's budget [...] I reiterate my promise that all of PPP's MNAs will entrust their votes to Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif to use against this government's budget," he said.

Meanwhile, Shahbaz said the Opposition would join hands and give a tough time to the government during the budget session and will expose their "fudged" figures.

"When poor people are dying of hunger, unemployment and inflation are skyrocketing, how can they claim that the country is witnessing economic growth?" the Opposition leader asked.

Responding to a question, Shahbaz said that the Opposition parties would devise a joint strategy for the no-confidence motion that was moved against NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri a day earlier.

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Budget 2021-22 session begins at National Assembly

The National Assembly session for the presentation of budget 2021-22 has begun on Thursday with Prime Minister Imran Khan in attendance, reported.

Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin is presenting the budget for the fiscal year 2021-22 having a total outlay of Rs8487 million amid ruckus from the opposition.

The federal cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier in the day approved the Budget for 2021-22, giving a nod to a 10 percent increase in salaries and pensions of the government employees.

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Federal cabinet approves Budget 2021-22

The federal cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday approved the Budget for 2021-22, giving a nod to a 10 percent increase in salaries and pensions of the government employees, reported.

According to details, the special cabinet meeting headed by Imran Khan and attended by federal ministers, advisers, special assistants, and others approved the Finance Bill 2021 with some amendments in it.

The prime minister was apprised during the meeting that the amount for the Ehsaas program has been increased in budget 2021-22 while subsidies will also be improved in the power and food sector.

“Grants for Kamyab Jawan program and housing projects have also been raised,” the cabinet meeting was apprised.

The prime minister also rejected a proposed tax on the internet besides limiting the tax amount on mobile phones. “Internet is now among the basic necessities,” the prime minister said.

Moreover, the federal government has projected Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate at 4.8% for the upcoming fiscal year 2021-22.

According to the budget document available with ARY News, the agriculture sector growth rate has been set at 5 per cent and for important crops, the growth rate has been forecast at 2.2%.

The growth rate for cotton has been proposed at 10% of the overall GDP projected by the federal government for the upcoming FY22, read the budget document.

For the industrial sector, the growth rate has been set at 6.5 per cent and 6.2% has been estimated for the manufacturing sector.

Growth target for the large manufacturing sector has been proposed at six per cent, while for the construction sector it has been projected at 8.3 per cent.

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18 people killed as passenger bus flips in Khuzdar

At least 18 persons were killed and 30 were injured as a passenger bus overturned in Khuzdar, reported on Friday.

According to Balochistan Levies, the ill-fated bus was on its way to Khuzdar from Larkana, where it was overturned at Bhalonk area of Khuzdar.

Getting the information, the rescue teams reached the spot and moved the bodies and injured to the nearby hospital.

Earlier on May 31, at least six people had been killed while 30 others injured when the passenger bus they were travelling in had turned turtle after skidding off a bridge in Khanewal.

According to rescue officials, the incident had taken place near Pull Rango. They had said the ill-fated bus was on its way from Lahore to Multan when it had met an accident.

The driver of the vehicle had lost control while trying to avoid hitting a motorcycle, due to which the bus overturned, they had added.

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Corona claims 47 more lives,1,303 cases reported in a day

The COVID-19 has claimed 47 more lives and infected 1,303 people over the past 24 hours, reported on Friday.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, 47 more people lost their lives. The overall death toll has surged to 21,576, while 1,303 new COVID-19 cases surfaced when 40,483 samples were tested during this period.
The positivity rate in the country witnessed a minor surge and was recorded at 3.21% during the past 24 hours.

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 climbed to 937,434 out of which 43,618 are active. 2,841 patients are in critical care in various hospitals across the country.

1,874 more people recuperated from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the number of recovered patients to 873,543.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab has reported a total of 343,499 cases, Sindh 343,499, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 135,383, Islamabad 82,001, Balochistan 26,084, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 19,675, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,682.

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Multan Sultans clinch morale-boosting 12-run victory over Karachi Kings

Multan Sultans — who are struggling in the Pakistan Super League's sixth edition — got the better of Karachi Kings at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium on Thursday, securing a victory by 12 runs.

The Kings suffered an early blow as Sharjeel Khan was dismissed for four runs, while Martin Guptill and Najibullah Zadran were sent packing for 11 runs each.

Even Babar Azam's 85 runs could not help the Kings in their 177-run chase.

Imran Tahir secured two wickets, while Imran Khan was able to pick up three wickets.

Multan Sultans' innings

The Sultans had put up a competitive 176-run score on the board, courtesy 68-run partnership between the team's captain, Mohammad Rizwan, and Riley Rossouw.

Rossouw scored 44, Sohaib Maqsood 31, and Rizwan hit 29 runs before being sent back to the pavilion.

The Kings' skipper Imad Wasim saw his side off to a good start as he got Rahmanullah Gurba's wicket for just three runs in the first over, while Waqas Maqsood bowled Shoaib Maqsood for 31 runs in the third over.

Moreover, Thisara Perera was able to take two wickets for the Kings.

The Karachi Kings had a good run in the first phase of the PSL in Karachi, winning three out of their five matches. The Sultans, on the other hand, had managed to win just one of the five games it played in first leg of the tournament.

This is the second match between the two sides, with the first having been played in Karachi in the first leg of the tournament. It was a one-sided affair even after the Sultans posed a mammoth total on the board, only to be comfortably chased by the Kings, who won the game with seven wickets in hand and in less than 19 overs.

Squads:

Karachi Kings: Imad Wasim, Martin Guptil, Babar Azam, Mohammad Aamir, Thisara Perera, Amir Yamin, Chadwick Walton, Sharjeel Khan, Waqas Maqsood, Muhammad Ilyas, Zeeshan Malik, Danish Aziz, Najeebullah Zadran, Arshad Iqbal, Qasim Akram, Abbas Afridi, Noor Ahmed and Mohammad Haris.

Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw, Shimron Hetmyer, Sohail Tanveer, Imran Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shahn Masood, Johnson Charles, Usman Qadir, Sohail Khan, Suhaib Maqsood, Sohaibullah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shahnawaz Dahani, Muhammad Umar, Imran Khan snr. Blessing Muzarabani, Asif Afridi, Waseem Mohammad and Hammad Azam.

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Opposition submits no-trust motion against NA deputy speaker

Opposition on Thursday submitted a no-confidence resolution against National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.

According to the details, the no-trust resolution against NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri was submitted by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers Khurram Dastgir Khan and Muhammad Javed Abbasi under Rule 12 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly.

The sources said that the resolution – which demands the removal of the NA Deputy Speaker- was signed by the lawmakers of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and PML-N.

The opposition lawmakers accused Qasim Suri of running the house “illegally”. They said that Qasim Suri had continued NA proceedings despite the opposition lawmakers pointed out the lack of quorum in the house.

“All the legislation passed today was done in an illegal manner,” read the resolution. It further said that the it was tried to bulldoze the apportion and they were not allowed to speak in the house.

Earlier today, the National Assembly (NA) had passed the Election Act Amendment Bill, 2020 containing dozens of amended clauses for bringing electoral reforms including the voting right for overseas Pakistanis.

The Lower House had passed the amended Election Act, 2017 that was presented by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan.

The Election Act Amendment Bill, 2020 contains dozens of amended clauses aiming to bring electoral reforms regarding the voting right for overseas Pakistanis, the open ballot for Senate polls, use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and other sections to ensure transparent and fair elections.

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NA passes Election Act Amendment Bill, grants voting right to overseas Pakistanis

The National Assembly (NA) has passed the Election Act Amendment Bill, 2020 containing dozens of amended clauses for bringing electoral reforms including the voting right for overseas Pakistanis.

The Lower House has passed the amended Election Act, 2017 that was presented by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan.

The Election Act Amendment Bill, 2020 contains dozens of amended clauses aiming to bring electoral reforms regarding the voting right for overseas Pakistanis, the open ballot for Senate polls, use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and other sections to ensure transparent and fair elections.

The bill had earlier sailed through the NA Standing Committee on Parliament Affairs chaired by Mujahid Ali, however, the opposition members gave their dissenting notes by calling it legislation in haste.

In a Twitter message, Dr Babar Awan has congratulated the overseas national for getting the right of voting after 73 years as the amended election bill has been passed by the National Assembly (NA) today.

He criticised that the opposition lawmakers have boycotted the voting for the amended electoral bill. Dr Awan added that the bill will be presented to the Senate to grant voting right for overseas Pakistanis.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari blamed the federal government for seizing the opposition’s right to carry out debate on the legislation. He alleged that the election ‘rigging’ bill was forcedly passed from the lower house besides passing many other bills as well.

During the session, the opposition lawmakers walked out of the house and accused the chair of not appropriately running the National Assembly session. Qadir Patel announced to boycott the NA session and bringing a no-confidence motion against the chair of the house.

The National Assembly also passed Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Amendment Bill, 2021, Federal Medical Teaching Institute Bill, 2020, Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (​Amendment) Bill, 2021, Port Qasim Authority Act Amendment bill, 2021, the Financial Institutions (Secured Transactions) Amendment Bill.

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AJK legislative assembly elections to be held on July 25

The 11th General Elections of Azad Jammu and Kashmir will be held on July 25, the region's election commission announced Thursday.

Elections will be held in 33 constituencies of Azad Kashmir and 12 constituencies of Muhajireen Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, four constituencies have been added to this election as compared to the previous polls.

According to the Election Commission, 2.82 million voters will exercise their right to vote in Azad Kashmir, of which 1.59 million are male voters, while 1.297 million are female voters.

The Election Commission has said that nomination papers can be submitted till June 21 and scrutiny of papers will be done till June 22 while the list will be released on the same day.

According to the Election Commission, objections can be lodged till June 28 and 29 and appeals can be lodged till June 30, while nomination papers will be returned by July 2.

It should be noted that the AJK Assembly's terms will end on July 29, but so far, the schedule for the new election has not been issued.

Earlier, the NCOC had suggested postponing the upcoming Azad Jammu And Kashmir election by two months.

In this connection, the NCOC wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of AJK, stating that due to the rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the country, the polls should be delayed.

The letter said that large political gatherings due to elections will lead to the further spread of the potentially deadly virus in the state, adding that the number of coronavirus positive cases are already high therein.

The NCOC said one million residents of AJK could be vaccinated by September 2021.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on May 25 said that just like by-polls took in Pakistan despite the pandemic, elections in Azad Kashmir should also be conducted and cannot be postponed.

Addressing a press conference in Muzaffarabad, the AJK prime minister had said that Pakistan and India must not violate the 1957 resolution on the Kashmir issue.

Speaking about Shah Mehmood Qureshi, he said that the solution of Kashmir is "not in the hands of the foreign minister, therefore, he should avoid issuing statements."

He said that the prime minister of Pakistan "did not even know that Azad Kashmir has its own election commission," adding that "PM Imran Khan does not have the authority to introduce electronic voting machines (EVMs) in Azad Kashmir."

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Man who slapped Macron tells court the president embodied France's 'decay'

The medieval martial arts enthusiast who slapped President Emmanuel Macron across the face told a court he was a right-wing sympathiser who had acted because the president represented all that was rotten with France, BFM TV reported.

Damien Tarel, 28, told the court in Valence that several days ahead of Macron's visit to the southeastern Drome region, he had thought about throwing an egg or a cream tart at the president, the news channel reported.

"I think that Macron represents very neatly the decay of our country," he told the court, according to BFM TV. "If I had challenged Macron to a duel at sunrise, I doubt he would have responded."

Macron later described the attack as an isolated incident and said violence and hate were a threat to democracy.

Tarel faced a charge of assault against a public official, an offence which carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail and a 45,000 euro fine.

He struck Macron on Tuesday after the president came over to greet a small crowd of onlookers after visiting a professional training college during a trip to take the country's pulse as it emerges from the pandemic and ahead of presidential elections in 2022.

After Macron reached out to Tarel who was standing behind a security barrier, Tarel shouted "Down with Macronia" ("A Bas La Macronie") and slapped Macron on the left side of his face.

He could also be heard shouting "Montjoie Saint Denis", the army's battle cry when France was still a monarchy.

"It's a patriot's slogan," he was quoted as telling the court.

The unemployed 28-year-old told police investigators that he had been close to the anti-government "yellow vest" protest movement which shook the Macron presidency, and held ultra right-wing political beliefs.

Acquaintances of Tarel described a man who loved period role play and was not a troublemaker. The prosecutor said he was not a member of any political or militant group.

Tarel was arrested along with a second man from his hometown of Saint-Vallier.

Police found weapons, a copy of Adolf Hitler's autobiographical manifesto Mein Kampf, and a red flag with a golden sickle and mortar that is the international symbol of the communist movement in the second man's home, local prosecutor Alex Perrin said.

The second man will not face any charges related to the slapping but will be prosecuted for illegal possession of arms in 2022.

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Punjab govt announces new timings for Punjab schools

Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas Thursday announced that school timings in the province have been changed.

The development came amid extremely hot weather in the province.

“All Public and Private Schools of Punjab to comply with the following New School Timing Schedule: 7am to 11:30am,” the provincial education minister tweeted.

“Please follow SOPs issued by the government,” he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) had decided to shorten the duration of classes due to the ongoing heatwave in Islamabad after 25 students fainted due to suffocation at a school.

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Incentives for manufacturing, construction, other sectors led to economic recovery in FY21: Tarin

Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin unveiled on Thursday the Pakistan Economic Survey 2020-21.

Speaking at his pre-budget 2021-22 press conference, he said the Covid-19 pandemic once again reared its ugly head in Feb and March 2021 and it was apprehended that it could be more dangerous than the previous two waves of the virus.

Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said the country faced economic hardships due to the pandemic last year as 20 million people were rendered jobless.

 He said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to go for smart lockdowns instead of a blanket lockdown to stem the virus spread was significant one in the government’s efforts to tackle the pandemic. The incumbent government’s decisions helped stabilize the national economy, he added.

GDP growth

While the government itself projected GDP growth rate at 2.1pc, the IMF and World Bank predicted even lower, he said.

“The government’s decisions such as giving incentives to manufacturing and textile industries as well as construction and agriculture sectors helped the economy recover,” he explained.

Tarin pointed out large-scale manufacturing (LSM) grew by 9pc, while the agriculture sector growth was recorded at 2.77pc against a target of 2.8pc.

The agriculture sector fared well despite the fact that cotton crop was damaged, he said and added other crops made up for the loss incurred due to the cotton crop damage. He acknowledged that prices of commodities are high and taking a heavy toll on the common man despite the government’s efforts to bring down inflation.

Remittances

The finance minister said foreign remittances have touched an all time-high of $29 billion. ”

“The increase in remittances embodies overseas Pakistanis’ trust in the prime minister. Remittances are an angel from Almighty Allah,” he maintained, adding current account is in surplus due to the record rise in remittances.

He said the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) reserves have risen to $16 billion.

Tarin said FBR tax collection recorded over 50 per cent growth over the past three to four months. “We have set FBR tax collection target in the next budget at Rs5.8 trillion”, he disclosed.

Debt

The foreign minister said Pakistan’s overall debt stood at Rs38 trillion as of March 2021, out of which about Rs25 trillion is local debt while Rs12.5 tr foreign debt. The debt increased by Rs1.6 tr this year as compared to a Rs3.7 tr increase last year, he added.

He was of the view that the poor would greatly benefit if the economy steadily grows over next 10 to 20 years.

Taking aim at previous governments, Tarin said they showed artificial economic growth by taking loans, due to which the country’s economy always stood where it started after five years.

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PMD forecast rainfall with wind and thunderstorm from Friday

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday predicted rainfall with wind and thunderstorm in eastern and central parts of the country from Friday.

Met Office has said that moist currents from the Arabian Sea are likely to penetrate in eastern parts of Pakistan from Friday evening/night.

Under the influence of this weather system rain-wind/thunderstorm is expected in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan region, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Sialkot, Lahore, Kasur, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan, Buner, Dir, Shangla and Kohistan from Friday to Monday.

Rainfall with wind or thunderstorm will lash Sargodha, Bhakkar, Layyah, Khushab, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Multan, Sahiwal, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Barkhan, Musa Khel and Zhob on Saturday to Sunday.

Prevailing very hot weather conditions are likely to subside during the wet-spell, according to the weather forecast.

Wind thunderstorm with heavy falls at times may generate urban flooding in low-lying areas of Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Jhelum and Rawalpindi on Saturday or Sunday, the met office cautioned.

Director Met Department Sardar Sarfaraz has said that Karachi will experience a pleasant weather in next few days.

The weather official said that the region including Karachi is expected to receive more rainfall than the routine in monsoon this year like the previous year.

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Countrywide load shedding increases as energy shortfall crosses 6,000MW

The electricity shortage has intensified across the country as the power shortfall has crossed the 6,000MW.

The shortfall has intensified due to the suspension of hydro generation from Tarbela Dam owing to the presence of silt. The suspension of power generation from the Tarbela Dam has caused massive power outages, which also gripped Lahore and other parts of Punjab, said sources.

It was learnt  that the power generation from Tarbela Dam will take two days.

The demand of Lahore Electric Power Supply Company (LESCO) has reached up to 5,000MW, while the supply is 4,000MW.

The duration of the load shedding has also increased across the country and the masses are facing hard times in this hot season.

On Wednesday, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) took notice of prolonged power outages across the country.

K-Electric and other DISCOs were directed to ensure undisrupted power supply to the consumers.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has also summoned the chief executive officers (CEOs) of KE and other DISCOs on June 11.

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Corona claims 76 more lives, 1,303 fresh cases reported in a day

The COVID-19 has claimed 76 more lives and infected 1,303 people over the past 24 hours, reported.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, 76 more people lost their lives. The overall death toll has surged to 21,453, while 1,118 new infections surfaced when 43,900 samples were tested during this period.
The positivity rate in the country witnessed a minor surge and was recorded at 3.1% during the past 24 hours.

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 climbed to 937,434 after 1,303 people tested positive for the virus. 2,967 patients are in critical care in various hospitals across the country.

1,978 more people recuperated from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the number of recovered patients to 871,669.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab has reported a total of 343,252 cases, Sindh 325,738, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 135,162, Islamabad 81,933, Balochistan 26,052, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 19,623, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,674.

Meanwhile, National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has allowed walk-in vaccination of citizens aged 18 and above from June 11 besides easing COVID restrictions nationwide.

Besides lowering the age bar for COVID vaccination in a meeting headed by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, the NCOC had also decided to restrict movement once a week, contrary to the previous ban on movement for two days a week.

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Corona claims 76 more lives, 1,303 fresh cases reported in a day

The COVID-19 has claimed 76 more lives and infected 1,303 people over the past 24 hours, reported.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, 76 more people lost their lives. The overall death toll has surged to 21,453, while 1,118 new infections surfaced when 43,900 samples were tested during this period.
The positivity rate in the country witnessed a minor surge and was recorded at 3.1% during the past 24 hours.

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 climbed to 937,434 after 1,303 people tested positive for the virus. 2,967 patients are in critical care in various hospitals across the country.

1,978 more people recuperated from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the number of recovered patients to 871,669.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab has reported a total of 343,252 cases, Sindh 325,738, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 135,162, Islamabad 81,933, Balochistan 26,052, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 19,623, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,674.

Meanwhile, National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has allowed walk-in vaccination of citizens aged 18 and above from June 11 besides easing COVID restrictions nationwide.

Besides lowering the age bar for COVID vaccination in a meeting headed by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, the NCOC had also decided to restrict movement once a week, contrary to the previous ban on movement for two days a week.

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UN Security Council backs Guterres for second term

The United Nations Security Council backed Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday for a second term, recommending that the 193-member General Assembly appoint him for another five years from Jan 1 of next year.

Estonia’s UN Ambassador Sven Jrgenson, council president for this month, said the General Assembly was likely to meet to make the appointment on June 18.

“I am very grateful to the members of the council for the trust they have placed in me,” Guterres said in a statement. “I would be deeply humbled if the General Assembly were to entrust me with the responsibilities of a second mandate.”

Guterres succeeded Ban Ki-moon in Jan 2017, just weeks before US president Donald Trump took office. Much of Guterres’s first term was focused on placating Trump, who questioned the value of the United Nations and multilateralism.

The United States is the largest UN financial contributor, responsible for 22 percent of the regular budget and around a quarter of the peacekeeping budget. President Joe Biden has already started restoring funding cuts made by Trump to some UN agencies and re-engaged with the world body.

A handful of people sought to challenge Guterres, but the 72-year-old former prime minister of Portugal was formally unopposed. A person was only considered a candidate once nominated by a member state. Portugal put forward Guterres for a second term, but no one else had the backing of a member state.

Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and then head of the UN refugee agency from 2005 to 2015. As secretary-general, he has been a cheerleader for climate action, Covid vaccines for all and digital cooperation.

When he took the reins as UN chief, the world body was struggling to end wars and deal with humanitarian crises in Syria and Yemen. Those conflicts are still unresolved, and Guterres is also now faced with new emergencies in Myanmar and Ethiopia’s Tigray.

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Army chief assures business community of ‘complete support’ for economic uplift

Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday assured the business community of the army’s “complete support” for the economic uplift of the country.

He made this assurance during a meeting with businessmen who called on him at the General Headquarters today, according to a statement by the military’s media affairs wing.

A delegation of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) and the army chief discussed the “evolving regional economic environment” as well as the FPCCI’s role in the development of commercial and industrial hubs in Pakistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

During the meeting, Gen Bajwa appreciated the role of the business community in the economic uplift of the country and affirmed all-out support of the army in this regard.

The delegation, meanwhile, acknowledged the Pakistan Army’s role and sacrifices in the provision of a "secure enabling environment" for economic prosperity in the country, according to the ISPR.

In September last year, a delegation of top businessmen of Karachi had met the army chief at the Corps Headquarters in Karachi and took up various issues including the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC), high cost of land in Karachi, problems in exports and production activities, as well as lack of industrialisation.

Gen Bajwa had assured full support to industrialists and businessmen in resolving various issues besides urging them to set up more industries and enhance exports.

The COAS was of the view that there should be a level playing field for all the stakeholders of trade and industries to work smoothly.

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Federal govt changes schools timings in Islamabad due to heatwave

The federal government on Wednesday changed the timings of the schools in Islamabad owing to the ongoing heatwave that has gripped the city.

A notification said that institutes operating in a single shift can remain open from 7am till 11am from Monday to Thursday. It further stated that schools operating two shifts will have classes on Friday and Saturday from 7am till 11am.

The government also allowed all schools of the federal capital to operate at 50% capacity on the allotted days.

Earlier, the school timings were 8am till 1pm.

The change of timings comes two days after students of grades 1-8 returned to schools in Islamabad after the government greenlighted the resumption of in-person classes.

The decision to reopen schools was taken after the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) gave the approval for in-person classes, following a decline in the coronavirus cases in the federal capital.

Classes for grades 9-10 were already functional before this development.

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Federal govt changes schools timings in Islamabad due to heatwave

The federal government on Wednesday changed the timings of the schools in Islamabad owing to the ongoing heatwave that has gripped the city.

A notification said that institutes operating in a single shift can remain open from 7am till 11am from Monday to Thursday. It further stated that schools operating two shifts will have classes on Friday and Saturday from 7am till 11am.

The government also allowed all schools of the federal capital to operate at 50% capacity on the allotted days.

Earlier, the school timings were 8am till 1pm.

The change of timings comes two days after students of grades 1-8 returned to schools in Islamabad after the government greenlighted the resumption of in-person classes.

The decision to reopen schools was taken after the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) gave the approval for in-person classes, following a decline in the coronavirus cases in the federal capital.

Classes for grades 9-10 were already functional before this development.

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Bail granted to PML-N's Javed Latif in 'anti-state remarks' case

A Lahore Sessions Court on Wednesday granted bail to the member of the National Assembly (MNA) and PML-N leader Javed Latif in a sedition case.

Javed Latif was arrested on April 27 after the public prosecutor requested the sessions court to revoke Latif's release on bail.

After Latif's interim bail was dismissed, the police arrested him from the courtroom.

Today, however, Additional Sessions Judge Hafeez-ur-Rehman heard the application and approved the bail, with a condition that he submits bail bonds worth Rs200,000.

The sessions court reserved the judgment today and announced it later in the day.

Javed Latif's post-arrest bail hearing has been held a total of four times since his arrest on April 27.

In March, Latif had made a controversial comment which was deemed "anti-Pakistan" by the government, and a case was registered against him.

Latif had said that if anything happens to PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, "PML-N will not say Pakistan Khappay (we want Pakistan)", unlike Zardari, who had used those words after Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz welcomed the development and said Latif's political stature had boosted after his arrest and the troubles he went through in the last few months.

"Truth and bravery are the only ways to achieve success," she added.

 

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Sanaullah Abbasi made new DG FIA, Wajid Zia transferred

The federal government on Wednesday transferred Wajid Zia to the National Police Bureau and replaced him with Sanaullah Abbasi as the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

According to a notification issued by the federal government, Wajid Zia has been posted as the director general of the National Police Bureau "with immediate effect".

Zia had taken charge as the DG FIA in November 2019 after PM Imran Khan's government unceremoniously removed Bashir Memon. He had shot to fame after he headed the Panamagate joint investigation team.

On the other hand, Moazzam Jah Ansari will take over from Abbasi as the inspector general of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police. Ansari was previously serving as the commandant of the Frontier Constabulary.

Abbasi was appointed as the KP police chief in January 2020 and had replaced Dr Naeem Khan.

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More lives may be lost in future if railways' upgradation is not carried out: Azam Swati

Minister for Railways Azam Swati on Wednesday confirmed that 63 people have lost their lives and 107 people got injuries in the horrific Ghotki train accident.

Addressing a press conference after chairing a meeting at PR headquarters in Lahore, he said 20 persons are still under treatment at hospitals and three of them are in critical condition.

Azam Swati said he reached the Ghotki accident site, soon after the incident and monitored the rescue and relief operation.

Those who have become handicap in the deadly train crash will be provided help through Ehsas Program, Swati announced.

An initial inquiry report into the incident has been received, the minister said and added that he will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan on coming Sunday or Monday.

Deploring the condition of the track, he said the coaches of PR are 50 years old. “Updradation of tracks is necessary.”

The minister said heirs of the deceased will be provided compensation of Rs1.5million, while the injured will be provided between Rs50,000 to 300,000 as per the nature of their wounds.

Earlier this week, Sir Syed Express collided with the Millat Express between Raiti and Obaro Railway stations in Sindh’s Ghotki district.

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CM Murad heads to US ahead of budget, indictment in graft case

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah departed on Wednesday for the United States (US) on a week-long private visit, reported, quoting sources.

They said the Sindh chief minister left for the US this morning and will likely present the provincial budget slated for June 15 via video link.

Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of provincial finance minister, is scheduled to unveil the budget for the upcoming fiscal year on June 15.

A spokesperson for the CM House, however, said the chief minister departed for the US on a three-day visit. Murad will fly back home on Saturday night, he added.

It is noteworthy that an accountability court on Tuesday set June 30 for indictment of the Sindh CM in the Nooriabad power plant reference.

Accountability Judge Asghar Ali heard the reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The chief minister could not turn up before the court on Tuesday.

The court accepted his application for exemption from appearance. It declared an absconding co-accused Mohammad Ali, a fugitive and issued his warrants. The court ordered that his name be put on the Exit Control List (ECL).

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Covid-19 vaccination in Pakistan to cross 10m today: Asad Umer

Pakistan’s Covid-19 vaccination figure will cross the ten million mark today (Wednesday), says Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar.

Umar, who also heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), tweeted that the tally of vaccine doses administered thus far in the country will cross ten million today.

Thankfully, people are signing up for covid-19 vaccination and getting inoculated in large numbers, he said, appealing to the people who have not yet got themselves vaccinated to receive a Covid-19 jab at the earliest.
Separately, the NCOC in a tweet said that as many as 335,790 people were vaccinated across Pakistan on June 8, taking the total number of doses administered till now to 9,895,700.
It is noteworthy that COVID-19 cases are on the decline as the infection rate dropped to 2.54 per cent during the past 24 hours.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, 77 more people lost their lives. The overall death toll has surged to 21,453, while 1,118 new infections surfaced when 43,900 samples were tested during this period.

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Corona virus, positivity rate in Pakistan has dropped to 2.54 per cent

The number of COVID-19 cases is on the decline with every passing day as the positivity rate in Pakistan has dropped to 2.54 per cent during the past 24 hours.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, 77 more people lost their lives. The overall death toll has surged to 21,453, while 1,118 new infections surfaced when 43,900 samples were tested during this period.

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 climbed to 935,013 after 1,383 people tested positive for the virus. The number of active COVID-19 cases currently stands at 44,987. 3,196 patients are in critical care in various hospitals across the country.

2,244 more people recuperated from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the number of recovered patients to 869,691.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab has reported a total of 343,031 cases, Sindh 325,110, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 134,928, Islamabad 81,871, Balochistan 25,961, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 19,566, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,664.

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Rupee extends losses against US dollar

The Pakistani rupee depreciated 47 paisas against the United States (US) dollar in the inter-bank currency market on Tuesday.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the local currency closed at 155.78 against the greenback, registering depreciation of 47 paisas (-0.30%) over the previous close of Rs155.31.

Interbank closing #ExchangeRate for today:https://t.co/kFd8PH0EEy pic.twitter.com/tbzoOXJnFW

— SBP (@StateBank_Pak) June 8, 2021

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'Their only fault was that they were Muslim,' Qureshi says in parliament on Canadian hate killing

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that the "only fault of the family that was killed in Canada was that they were Muslim", as he drew attention to Islamophobia catching pace in Western countries.

Canadian police said a man was arrested for killing four members of a Canadian Muslim family after running them over in his pickup truck and targeting them in an attack motivated by hate.

The foreign minister, addressing the National Assembly, said the Canadian police must surely be conducting its investigation, but he only saw hate as the reason for this attack.

"This is a hate crime."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's tweet against Islamophobia was encouraging, and this was the same issue that Pakistan had raised in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's recent summit, he said.

Qureshi said that he had raised Pakistan's concerns in a meeting with the Canadian high commissioner. He said Pakistan is in touch with Canada and termed it a matter of human rights.

The foreign minister called on PM Trudeau to play a role similar to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after the Christchurch Mosque shootings in 2019.

The Canadian prime minister should visit the affected family, he said, adding he would speak to him on the matter at 6pm tomorrow.

"International human rights organisations should raise their voice on this issue [...] I hope that international media will also play its due role," the foreign minister said.

FM Qureshi, sharing details of the incident, said it was a heart-wrenching incident. "Four Pakistani-Canadians were martyred and a nine-year-old has been hospitalised."

The foreign minister said he had sought details of the matter and made it clear that he would not make any speculations before the autopsy report is available.

"This isn't an isolated incident, it is a rising trend," he said.

He highlighted that Pakistan was repeatedly sensitising the international community regarding the rising trend of Islamophobic, adding that everyone was aware of the incidents that had taken place in the United Kingdom and France in recent days.

"These events pose a threat to divisions in society," he said.

PM Imran Khan aspires to unite the Muslim ummah and form a unified strategy to tackle Islamophobia, he said. "I had also told the OIC that we should give a unified response to this issue."

The foreign minister said Pakistan's consul general in Canada was the first person to contact the family, who are petrified over the event.

Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari, condemning the attack in Canada, said if states drop bombs on Muslims, it is "self-defence", and when Muslims defend themselves, it is termed as terrorism.

"What happened in Canada was terrorism and Muslims were targeted," she said, adding the country's authorities had admitted that the attack was Islamophobic.

Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, taking the floor of the House, said for the first time in the country's history, Karachi was provided an additional 200MW of electricity.

"At this time, 500MW is being supplied to Karachi and due to the additional power provided to the city, load-shedding has decreased," the minister said.

Azhar said he had met several lawmakers over the issue of load-shedding, and during the meetings, it had emerged that there were some areas where nearly 80% of the people had not paid their bills.

The minister said the areas where bills were not being paid were witnessing load-shedding.

Lashing out at the Opposition, he asked whether it was PM Imran Khan who had recruited linemen and metre readers on political grounds.

"Is Imran Khan responsible for expensive deals and corruption of previous governments?" he went on to ask, adding that it was easy to give long speeches, but it was tough to do the right thing.

In 2023, there will be an abundant supply of power in the country, he said.

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Govt has earmarked Rs2102 bn for national development in upcoming budget: Asad

Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Tuesday held a press conference in Islamabad and talked about the allocation of the budget that the PTI-led government has allocated for different projects for the fiscal year 2021-2022.

Providing details, Umar said that the government has to increase investment in health, education, and the environment, adding that all regions of the country should have equal opportunities for development.

He said that the country's production sector will have to move forward but for this purpose, a lot of funds are needed, adding that the government has limited funds.

"The national development budget for the next financial year has been set at Rs2102 billion, which is 36.4% higher than the current financial year."

The federal development budget will be Rs 900billion, he said, adding that the government will give priority to water projects in the next financial year as well.

"Development budgets for energy, water, social development and science and technology are being increased, while major road projects, including the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, will be made in the next financial year, Umar said.

Providing further details, the minister said that the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project is worth Rs200 billion and added that other projects, worth Rs530 billion, will be approved by the public-private authority.

Speaking about the water projects in Sindh, Umar said that the new budget also has allocations for the K-IV and Nai Gaj Dam, adding that water projects worth Rs25 billion already exist in Sindh.

He also said that Rs100 billion is being spent on the power transmission system, while funds are being set aside for the Tarbela expansion project.

"A sum of Rs44 billion has been earmarked for the higher education sector in the upcoming budget, said Umar. "As for the social sector, 20% has been set aside instead of 11%."

In terms of climate change initiatives, Umar announced that the government has set aside Rs14 billion for the government's flagship 10 Billion Tree Tsunami initiative.

He said that the government has spent Rs51 billion for the health sector in the current fiscal year, adding that Rs85 billion have been set aside for the Bhasha Diamer and Mohmand Dams.

Speaking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its related projects, the minister said that the government has set aside Rs87 billion for the purpose, while Rs42 billion have been kept for the western route.

Responding to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah's comments, who said that the Centre has "ignored Sindh in the upcoming budget," Umar said that while the Sindh government has been hurling allegations at the Centre for not allocating sufficient budget to it, projects in Sindh have still not completed for which the funds were already given.

"The PPP has not built an inch of the motorway in Sindh, while projects worth Rs90 billion are already underway in the province," said the planning minister, adding that Sindh is getting its full share.

"Meanwhile, water projects worth Rs25 billion are also underway in Sindh," Umar said.

A day ago, the government organised a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) in Islamabad, with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair.

During the meeting, the government announced that it has targeted the gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 4.8% for the next fiscal year.

The NEC approved the macroeconomic framework and GDP growth projections for the fiscal year 2021-22.

Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives presented the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for 2021-22, the statement said. The ministry informed the meeting that the revised estimate for the total development outlay of the ongoing year is Rs1527 billion, while the total development outlay for the next financial year would be over Rs2100 billion, including PSDP of Rs900 billion.

This would include Rs244 billion for transport and communications, Rs118 billion for energy, Rs91 billion for water resources, Rs113 billion for the social sector, Rs100 billion for regional equalisation, Rs31 billion for science and technology and IT Sector, Rs68 billion for SDGs, and Rs17 billion for the production sector.

The meeting was informed the PSDP would cater to the government’s plans to increase focus on lagging areas and regions, the statement said, adding for this purpose, sufficient allocations had been made for projects in South Balochistan, various districts of Sindh, as well as for Gilgit Baltistan.

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'Increase your profits, but avoid profiteering,' PM Imran tells industrialists

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday reiterated his government’s commitment to support the agriculture sector for economic uplift, but at the same time asked industrialists to avoid profiteering and cartelisation that embroils public in inflation.

Addressing a delegation of farmers who called on him at the Prime Minister House today to discuss their issues, PM Imran said he firmly believed that the country would rise through the agriculture sector, and stressed upon the industrialists to “make profits, but avoid profiteering”. He asked them to not make cartels that ultimately burden the public with inflation.

“I assure you the government will not let farmers be exploited and my team and I will keep in contact with you,” he told the farmers.

He said his government’s efforts had resulted in the timely payment for sugarcane crops to farmers during the crushing seasons, which was not the case previously.

He said he had asked his team to meet farmers and explore new innovations being employed by the world in the agriculture sector. “Until we modernise and upgrade our industries, we can’t move forward,” he remarked.

He said he grew up watching Pakistan’s rapid rise and also saw its quick decline due to ‘injustices’ in the country. “It is the law of the Almighty Allah that any nation that does justice to its people will rise and progress.”

The prime minister regretted that farmers were not getting their due share. “There was a mafia ruling in this sector and it was making the most of our corrupt system.”

He said corruption by rulers at the helm ultimately ruins the country. “And same is the story of all third world countries.”

He reiterated when corrupt leaders rule the roost, they make money and destroy the governance system, thus halting country’s progress.

PM Imran said his government had confronted the sugar mafia, which had also threatened the FIA of triggering a sugar shortage in the country if the investigation against them continued.

He insisted that the country would move upwards from that point on, adding that China had always extended its support for upgrading Pakistan’s agriculture sector.

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ICC nominates Hasan Ali for 'Player of the Month' for May

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has nominated Pakistani right-arm pacer Hasan Ali for its May edition of 'Player of the Month' after his recent spectacular performances in the series against South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Ali has managed to impress all with his fiery fast bowling and ability to bamboozle batsmen across the world.

The right-arm pacer, according to ESPNcricinfo, is currently the leading wicket-taker in all formats of cricket in 2021.

The ICC announced the nominations to recognise the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket on Tuesday.

The nominations for the men are:

The ICC Men's Player of the Month nominees for May are in ?

Hasan Ali ?? 14 Test wickets at 8.92
Praveen Jayawickrama ?? 11 Test wickets at 16.18
Mushfiqur Rahim ?? 237 ODI runs at 79.00

Vote now ?️ https://t.co/PPTfbb1PT5#ICCPOTM pic.twitter.com/C9IFIyI35A

— ICC (@ICC) June 8, 2021

Last month, the ICC had nominated Pakistani skipper Babar Azam and left-handed batsman Fakhar Zaman for the 'Player of the Month' award for April.

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Man slaps French President Emmanuel Macron during crowd walkabout

Two people were arrested after French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped by a man during a walkabout session with a crowd in the Drome region in southeastern France, BFM TV and RMC radio reported on Tuesday.

BFM TV and RMC published a video clip, circulating on Twitter, which shows a man in a green T-Shirt, with glasses and a face mask, shout out “Down with Macronia” (“A Bas La Macronie”) and then deliver a slap to Macron’s face.

?? FLASH - Emmanuel #Macron s’est fait gifler par un homme s’écriant "À bas la macronie !", lors d’une visite à #Tain. (via @AlexpLille) #Drôme pic.twitter.com/ncLhQymiET

— Mediavenir (@Mediavenir) June 8, 2021

Macron’s security entourage quickly intervened to pull the man to the ground and move Macron away from him. Macron’s entourage confirmed that a man had attempted to slap Macron.

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Fake messaging app Anom snares 800 criminals in global sting

More than 100 lives were saved by a global sting that tricked criminals into using a messaging app which was created by the FBI to be secretly monitored by police and intelligence services.

Eight hundred criminals have been arrested as part of the operation.

“Not only have we heard about the number of arrests and the number of seizures, but over 100 threats to life that were mitigated,” Calvin Shivers, FBI assistant director, told reporters at the European police agency Europol’s headquarters in the Hague.

More than 250 suspects in Australia and New Zealand were among arrests in 18 countries following the three-year operation against organised crime.

 

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Ghotki train accident: Initial inquiry report sent to railway minister

Initial inquiry report into Ghotki train Accident has been forwarded to Minister for Railways Azam Swati, reported on Tuesday, citing well-informed sources.

“The accident occurred after a right track’s welding joint broke which caused bogies of Millat Express train to derail,” the initial report states.

The Karachi-bound Sir Syed Express collided with Millat Express’ coaches on the down track, causing the accident.

The initial inquiry report has been forwarded to the Pakistan Railways (PR) minister Azam Swati.

The death toll in a collision between Millat Express and Sir Syed Express has surged to 62.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways has resumed its train operations after 30 hours, following the horrific train accident in Ghotki. The spokesperson of Pakistan Railways (PR) said that up track has been restored for rail traffic, while efforts underway to restore down the track.

Following the Ghotki train accident, troops of the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Rangers Sindh had reached the spot and assisted the civil administration in the operation.

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COVID-19 infection rate falls below 3pc in Pakistan

The number of COVID-19 cases is on the decline with every passing day as the positivity rate in Pakistan has dropped to its lowest 2.94 per cent during the past 24 hours, reported.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, 53 more people lost their lives and 1,383 new infections surfaced when 46,882 samples were tested during this period.

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 climbed to 935,013 after 1,383 people tested positive for the virus. 3,196 patients are in critical care in various hospitals across the country.

2,516 more people recuperated from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the number of recovered patients to 867,447.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab has reported a total of 342,805 cases, Sindh 324,535, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 134,781, Islamabad 81,806, Balochistan 25,893, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 19,538, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,655.

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PM-led NEC sets economic growth rate target at 4.8 pc for FY22

The National Economic Council (NEC) led by Prime Minister Imran Khan set the economic growth rate target at 4.8 per cent for the next fiscal year.

A meeting of the National Economic Council was held under the chair of PM Imran Khan in Islamabad today which was attended by the chief ministers of all the provinces and other members of the council.

Macroeconomic Framework for Annual Plan 2021-22 has been approved by the NEC during its latest session. Moreover, the council approved the gross domestic product (GDP) growth projections for the financial year 2021-22.

The proposed growth target of 4.8 per cent was approved with sectoral growth targets of 3.5 pc for agriculture, 6.5 pc for the industrial sector and 4.7 pc for the services sector.

Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives presented the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for 2021-22.

The council was informed that the revised estimate for the total development outlay of the ongoing year is Rs1527 billion. The total development outlay for the next financial year would be over Rs2100 billion including a PSDP of Rs900 billion.

It will include Rs244 billion for transport and communications, Rs118 billion for energy, Rs91 billion for water resources, Rs113 billion for the social sector, Rs100 billion for regional equalization, Rs31 billion for the science and technology and Information Technology (IT) sector, Rs68 billion for SDGs and Rs17 billion for the production sector.

The NEC was informed that the focus of PSDP will be on infrastructure improvement, water resources development, social sector improvement, regional equalization, skill development, promotion of science & technology, and IT, as well as climate change mitigation measures.

The meeting was informed that the PSDP would cater to the government’s plans to increase focus on lagging areas and regions.

For this purpose, sufficient allocations have been made for projects of South Balochistan, various districts of Sindh, as well as for Gilgit Baltistan (GB).

Allocations have also been made for infrastructure projects of the southern districts of Punjab. Similarly, an allocation of Rs54 billion has been made for the newly merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). In the social sectors, Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been allocated Rs42 billion.

The economic council members have been apprised that with the operationalization of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Authority, a number of PPP projects are also being expeditiously processed for implementation.

The projects include Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway and Sialkot-Kharian Motorway, which are at an advanced stage. While other major projects such as Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), KPT-PIPRI Freight Corridor, Kharian – Rawalpindi Motorway, Balkasar – Mianwali Road, Quetta – Karachi – Chaman Highway are also likely to be launched during the year.

The federal government has made an allocation of Rs61 billion in PSDP for financing the viability gap of PPP projects for the first time ever to make sure that PPP projects can be successfully implemented.

Addressing the meeting, PM Imran Khan emphasised on increasing the pace of implementation of development projects to ensure that the gains made through stabilisation of the economy could be translated into economic growth resulting in the well-being of the people of Pakistan.

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Apple brings new update to AirTags after stalking fears

Tech giant Apple has released a software update for its AirTags following concerns they could be used to monitor someone’s real-time location secretly.

According to the details, Apple brought the new update to its AirTags after critics warned that the coin-sized trackers can be used by stalkers.

Following the update, an AirTag will beep at a random time between eight and 24 hours if it is away from its owner’s iPhone.

Apple says it is also planning to introduce safeguards for Android users.

“Later this year, we will also introduce an Android application that will enable users to detect an AirTag or Find My network-enabled accessory separated from its owner that may be travelling with a user,” said the company in a statement.

AirTags were released in April and were promoted as a way for people to keep track of their belongings. Apple said it had designed features to prevent them being used to stalk people, BBC News reported.

The device is small enough to be placed inside a bag or a coat pocket, which raised concerns about its potential for misuse.

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Boris Johnson hails PM Imran Khan’s 10 Billion Trees programme

British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson has appreciated Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan for starting the 10 Billion Tsumani Trees programme to deal with climate change.

In his message on World Environment Day Boris Johnson said that climate change is driven once again by our actions and the way we treat the natural world. He urged the countries to redouble efforts to control the rise in temperature.

He saluted PM Imran khan for promising to plant 10 billion trees to tackle climate change and also vowed to start a Pakistan-like plantation drive in the United Kingdom.

Addressing the ceremony in Islamabad to commemorate World Environment Day in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), yesterday, Prime minister Imran Khan termed it an honour for Pakistan to host the World Environment Day.

He had said that previously only 640 million trees were planted in the country while the PTI-led KP government alone during its five-year tenure planted one billion saplings.

“Unfortunately, forest land in Pakistan has been ruined and occupied,” he said and blamed the timber mafia for ruining the jungle area in the country.

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At least three killed as Myanmar villagers battle junta forces

A clash between Myanmar soldiers and villagers wielding homemade guns left at least three civilians dead in the south of the coup-stricken country Saturday, state media said, although one witness put the death toll at 12.

Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralysed since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February and unleashed a brutal crackdown on dissent.

Fighting broke out in Kyon Pyaw in the southern Ayeyarwady region when villagers retaliated after more than 100 soldiers came to arrest members of a local defence force, a villager told AFP.

The resident, who did not want to be named, told AFP that twelve civilians — including a four-year-old child — had been killed.

“The villagers don’t have enough weapons and people,” they said, adding that many had fled.

One soldier was also killed, they added.

State TV MRTV gave a lower toll, reporting that three civilians had been killed and several members of the security forces had been injured in a clash.

Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralysed since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February, accusing it of fraud during 2020 elections.

More than 800 people have since been killed in a brutal military crackdown on dissent according to a local monitoring group, and fighting has flared up with several ethnic rebel groups.

Several communities across Myanmar — especially in townships that have seen a high death toll at the hands of police — have formed local “defence forces”.

But they are often outnumbered and outgunned in clashes with Myanmar’s military — one of Southeast Asia’s most battle-hardened and brutal.

Envoys from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations held talks with Myanmar’s junta Friday, with its top general reiterating he would only allow fresh elections once the coup-stricken country had returned to “normal”.

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Ghotki train accident: 'Shocked' PM Imran orders comprehensive investigation

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday expressed shock at the loss of lives arising from the Ghotki train accident, ordering a "comprehensive investigation" into the matter.

At least 32 passengers have lost their lives and 64 others were injured Monday morning when two express trains collided at Ghotki between the Raiti and Obaro railway stations.

Taking to Twitter, the prime minister reacted to the incident, instructing Railways Minister Azam Swati to arrive at the site and help the injured with the provision of medical assistance.

"Shocked by the horrific train accident at Ghotki early this morning leaving 30 passengers dead. Have asked Railway Minister to reach the site and ensure medical assistance to the injured and support for families of the dead. Ordering a comprehensive investigation into railway safety fault lines," he tweeted.

Army officers and Rangers personnel have arrived at the crash site in Ghotki and are currently involved in relief activities, said the ISPR.

Military doctors and paramedics, with ambulances moved from Pannu Aqil, have also reached the crash site.

"Engineer resources have been moved to carry out necessary relief and rescue work," said the military's media wing. "Army special Engineer Team Urban Search and Rescue ( USAR) being heli-lifted from Rawalpindi to the incident site to speed up relief and rescue efforts," it added.

The ISPR said that two helicopters are being flown from Multan to evacuate casualties and carry out speedy relief measures. The ISPR added that relief goods are being prepared and will be dispatched shortly.

 

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Bilawal Bhutto berates govt over Ghotki train accident

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday berated the government over the Ghotki train accident and said PML-N and incumbent ministers are "paper tigers" who are politicking the issue.

Two express trains collided on Monday in Sindh's Ghotki and killed over 45 passengers, while more than 100 others have been injured, said police and rescue officials.

The Millat Express derailed and the Sir Syed Express train hit it soon afterwards, railways officials confirmed, saying that the collision took place between the Raiti and Obaro railway stations.

A rescue operation is under way at the site of crash and the injured are being shifted to hospitals.

Bilawal, addressing the floor of the National Assembly, said a tragic incident has occurred in Ghotki, as he lamented that a poor person's life is not safe during travel via the railways.

"They (government) do political point-scoring even when an incident like these happen," he said, adding: "I want to convey a message to the affectees of the crash: We stand with you and demand answers from the authorities."

The PPP chairman questioned why railway accidents were occurring repeatedly during this government's tenure, adding they had not answered the questions raised in this regard.

Meanwhile, PML-N staged a walkout after Bilawal criticised the party and the speaker did not let former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal take over the floor.

Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, speaking on the floor of the assembly, said all the political parties were politicking the issue when they should be doing the opposite.

"We had immediately started works on the ML-1 project after coming into power," he said, adding if he responds to the Opposition's claims, they would flee the house.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, speaking on the floor earlier, had informed the house about the initial investigation findings. "1,388 passengers were on board both trains."

The minister said the probe into the incident was underway and necessary tools have been dispatched for repairing the railway tracks.

"The railways have been neglected for several years, and that is why today, we had to witness such an incident," he said, as he shifted the blame on PML-N and PPP.

"Had the past government invested capital in Orange Line Trains, we would not have to face such a tragic incident .... the people who ruled this country did not let any institution prosper," he said.

The minister, taking a jibe at the Opposition, said they were making faces like they were unaware of why the incident had occurred. "The people involved in the downfall of the railways will not tell us how to revive it."

Fawad said from 2008-18, political hirings took place in public institutions that led to their downfall and left them almost non-operational — may it be railways or Pakistan Steel Mills.

Further lambasting the Opposition, Chaudhry said they had refused to talk to the government over electoral reforms.

"When we speak to them about electoral reforms, they ask us to first [amend] National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws," he said.

Chaudhry said the government aspired to take matters forward with the political parties, but the Opposition was just interested in getting their cases disposed of.

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