Pakistan Test players leave for Bangladesh for two-match series

Members of the Pakistan Test squad have left for Bangladesh ahead of a two-match Test series with the hosts.

Taking to its official Twitter handle, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) posted some photos of the Test cricketers before they left for the host country.

After landing in Dhaka, the cricketers will spend a day in isolation as part of COVID-19 SOPs. Later, they will join their teammates in the practice session.

A series of two Test matches will be played between Pakistan and Bangladesh, with the first Test starting on November 26 in Chittagong and the second starting on December 4.

Earlier, on November 15, the PCB announced the Test squad for the series against Bangladesh. The line up includes opener Imam-ul-Haq, middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam and off-spinner Bilal Asif. These players will replace Haris Rauf, Imran Butt, Shahnawaz Dahani and Yasir Shah, who were part of the 21-player side that toured West Indies in July/August.

Left-handed Imam has got the opportunity following his impressive performances in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in which he hit 488 runs in five innings of four matches, including an unbeaten double-century. Imam had last played a Test, his 11th, against Australia in Adelaide in November/December 2019.

Bilal will replace Yasir Shah, who is still recovering from a thumb injury he sustained during the National T20 and is yet to feature in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The off-spinner has taken 16 wickets in five Tests and has been drafted in the side considering the Bangladesh squad includes left-handed batters and is also looking ahead to the home Tests against Australia.

Kamran received a chance in the squad after he missed the West Indies tour. He was in the squad for the home series against South Africa after scoring a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy record of 1,249 runs in the 2020-21 season. Kamran is presently in Sri Lanka with the Pakistan Shaheens, where he scored 58 not out and 45 in two innings of the rain-affected two-match four-day series.

Earlier, the Men in Green won two of the three-match T20 International series. The two teams will play the third and final match of the series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Monday.

The Test squad:

Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Zahid Mahmood.

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Theranos founder testifies in risky gambit at US fraud trial

Fallen biotech star Elizabeth Holmes testified at her US fraud trial in a risky defence bid, depicting herself as a committed innovator who spent her savings and quit an elite college to pursue her vision.

Holmes faces potentially decades behind bars if convicted of allegations that she scammed investors in her much-hyped blood test start-up Theranos — once valued in the billions but which collapsed under fraud claims.

“I started with talking to my parents, they let me take the money saved for my college to work on my patent, then I went to raise or borrow money,” she told a federal court in San Jose, California, the heart of Silicon Valley.

Holmes launched Theranos in 2003 at age 19, eventually promising self-service testing machines that could run an analytical gamut cheaply and on just a few drops of blood.

She dropped out of Stanford University in 2004, saying she “spent all her time on research”, a portrayal that runs counter to prosecutors' charges that she simply sold a lie to dupe investors.

“I was doing it on my own, I did then start a company,” she said with the same famously husky voice — along with her passionate persona — that fed the ill-fated buzz around her in the tech world.

During her testimony, now 37-year-old Holmes explained her transparency regarding the company's expenses with an early investor and how she “met with everyone I could who knew someone who worked in pharma or was in pharma.”

She took the stand after prosecutors rested their case on Friday, following 11 weeks of testimony from more than two dozen witnesses.

Testifying in her own defence carries significant risks as prosecutors can attack any inconsistencies between what she says in court and her numerous public statements.

Holmes rose to renown by convincing high-profile backers, journalists and business partners that her idea could be translated into reality and could change the way health care worked.

She was versed in the symbolism of Silicon Valley, wearing a black turtleneck sweater that channelled the trademark look of Apple founder and tech legend Steve Jobs.

She drew high-profile backers like Rupert Murdoch and former US Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, but it all unravelled after a 2015 series of Wall Street Journal stories questioned whether Theranos' machines worked.

One of two minor witnesses the defence called before Holmes was Fabrizio Bonanni, a retired executive from biotech company Amgen, who was brought in to help Theranos as it was battered by fraud accusations in 2016.

“I admired her lack of defensiveness and her willingness to listen to other people's positions,” Bonanni told the court. “People tend to listen and say 'yes, but.' Holmes never said 'yes, but.'”

Her defence said in opening arguments that she is guilty of nothing more than trying and failing to realise a visionary idea.

Holmes faces charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If found guilty, she could be jailed for up to 20 years on each count.

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Thousands rally against Covid curbs in Austria, Australia

Thousands took to the streets in Austria and Australia on Saturday as anger mounted over new Covid restrictions imposed to tackle a resurgent pandemic, sparking overnight riots in a Dutch city and a French island.

Europe is battling a fresh wave of infections and several countries have tightened curbs, with Austria on Friday announcing a national partial lockdown — the most dramatic restrictions in Western Europe for months.

Other nations on the continent have resorted to less severe restrictions, often choosing to ban unvaccinated people from venues like restaurants and bars.

Some 10,000 people marched in Sydney and there were protests in other major Australian cities against vaccine mandates, which are not universal and have only been applied to certain occupations by state authorities.

“In Australia where a fanatical cult runs our health bureaucracies, they say it’s ok (to vaccinate children),” right-wing politician Craig Kelly told the Sydney crowd to large cheers.

Violence marred protests on Friday in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam where police fired warning shots as protesters set fires. Two people were hospitalised with bullet wounds.

There was also arson and looting overnight in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe where a night curfew has been imposed.

Thousands gathered on Saturday in central Vienna near the Chancellery, responding to a call by the far right FPO party, to denounce the new measures.

They held up banners decrying “Corona dictatorship” and slamming the “division of society”.

“It’s not normal that the government deprives us of our rights,” said 42-year-old Katarina Gierscher, who travelled for six hours to get to the rally.

“The government wants to divide us. We must remain united.”

From Monday, 8.9 million Austrians will not be allowed to leave home except to go to work, shop for essentials and exercise. The restrictions will initially last 20 days with an evaluation after 10 days.

Vaccination against Covid-19 in the Alpine nation will be mandatory from February 1 next year.

Organisers cancelled a Dutch protest on Saturday but a few hundred people still gathered in Amsterdam and a similar number marched through the southern city of Breda.

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Germany’s gender-balanced cabinet takes shape as coalition deal nears

Germany’s next cabinet is taking shape as coalition negotiations near a deal, with chancellor-in-waiting Olaf Scholz determined to deliver on his campaign pledge to have as many women as men in his team, sources said on Saturday.

Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), who narrowly won the federal election in September by beating Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, are trying to form a three-way ruling coalition with the pro-spending Greens and the fiscally conservative Free Democrats (FDP).

The SPD is set to nominate at least three women for cabinet posts: outgoing Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, outgoing Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht and Scholz’s former running mate in the race for party co-leadership Klara Geywitz, three people familiar with the decision said.

Schulze is expected to become economy or transformation minister, Lambrecht will likely be in charge of the interior portfolio including migration and Geywitz could get the science and education ministry, the sources said.

Depending on the coalition horse trading, the SPD could also nominate lawmaker and human rights expert Baerbel Kofler for the economic cooperation and development portfolio.

Among the SPD men, Scholz will lead the next government as chancellor, his right-hand man Wolfgang Schmidt is expected to become his chief of staff and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil is set to keep his job thanks to his strong performance during the Covid-19 pandemic, the sources said.

Coalition officials have repeatedly said that cabinet posts will be decided at the very end of coalition negotiations. Party officials have hinted that an agreement could be reached in the coming week, possibly as early as Monday or Tuesday.

FDP leader Christian Lindner is pushing to become finance minister, though Greens co-leader Robert Habeck was also keen on the post to guarantee enough public resources to pay for Germany’s faster shift towards a climate-friendly economy.

On Friday, Lindner said fears he would be a fiscal hawk as finance minister were overblown despite his repeated calls for solid public finances and debt reduction after the coronavirus crisis.

If Lindner get his way, Habeck is likely to lead a beefed-up climate ministry while Greens co-leader Annalena Baerbock is expected to become Germany’s first female foreign minister.

During the election campaign, Baerbock has called for a tougher approach towards Russia and China.

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Plea filed against former GB chief judge Rana Shamim

A petition has been filed in the Islam­abad High Court (IHC) seeking recovery of salaries received by former chief judge of the top court of Gilgit-Baltistan, Rana Moh­a­m­mad Shamim, for issuing a controversial affidavit.

Justice Shamim in the Nov 16 affidavit had claimed that former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar had asked an IHC judge to delay grant of bail to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.

Chaudhry Mohammad Akram, a former vice president of the Islamabad Bar Association, in his petition cited Rana Shamim and the secretaries of law and justice and interior as respondents.

IHC Justice Tariq Meh­mood Jahangiri will take up the petition on Monday.

According to the petition, the former chief judge’s affidavit was a violation of Article 5 of the Constitution that requires every citizen to be loyal with the state and obedient to the constitution.

Advocate Akram contends in the petition that Rana Shamim has tried to scandalise the judiciary which is an important pillar of the state.

The petition requests the court to proceed against Rana Shamim and direct the federal government to place his name on Exit Control List.

The petition also says that since Rana Shamim has violated his oath of office, he should be treated as an alien to the office of the chief judge and stopped from using the title of former chief judge. Besides he should be disqualified from holding any public office in future.

The petition also seeks recovery of salaries drawn by Rana Shamim as chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah has already initiated contempt proceedings against Rana Shamim, Editor-in-Chief of Jang Group Mir Shakeelur Rehman, Editor Investigation Ansar Abbasi and Resident Editor Aamir Ghouri.

The chief justice’s order issued after a preliminary hearing on Nov 15 stated: “The news report and the purported affidavit have cast scandalous aspersions on the integrity, independence and impartiality of the Court and its judges. Liberty of the press and freedom of speech are of paramount importance but they are not absolute. They are subservient to proper administration of justice.”

The court noted that the alleged contemnors has tried to undermine public confidence in impartiality and independence of the IHC and its judges.

The IHC CJ also said this episode had created an opportunity for accountability of the judiciary. “This is an opportunity for holding this Court accountable. The onus is on the alleged contemnors to establish their bona fides by satisfying that the alleged aspersions are not unfounded to the extent of this Court and its Honourable Judges.”

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Govt to support Chinese businesses in Pakistan, vows PM Imran Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan has given Chinese businessmen assurances that his government will support and protect their businesses in Pakistan.

A Chinese business delegation led by Chen Yan from Challenge Fashion (Pvt) Ltd met PM Imran Khan at his office, The News reported Sunday.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Imran said, “We will support Chinese businesses in Pakistan on priority basis, and are grateful to them for their keen interest in accelerating their investment in Special Economic Zones (SEZs)”.

“Pakistan and China have been connected not only in the past or present, but will remain united through our future generations also. We appreciate the valuable relationship of the peoples of the two countries,” he maintained.

The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to facilitate all Chinese investors, who are setting up industries in Pakistan, on an emergency basis by resolving their issues related to road connectivity and provision of utilities.

Earlier, the PM was informed that Chinese businessmen are almost ready to start operations in glass, ceramics and information technology sectors.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Oppo, one of the leading tech manufacturers in the world, is going to establish a local mobile manufacturing unit and a research and development centre in Pakistan. It will not only save a lot of foreign exchange reserves on the import of smart phones annually but would also create employment opportunities for our tech graduates.

The meeting was also attended by Energy Minister Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill, SAPM on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor and Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong, along with other senior officers concerned.

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Taliban has announced to pay overdue salaries of government workers

Afghanistan's Taliban administration will begin paying the overdue salaries of government workers from Saturday, officials said.

Thousands of Afghan government workers are owed at least three months of salary, one of the many crises faced by the Taliban since the movement took over the country in August.

"The finance ministry says that starting today, the past three months salaries of all government workers and staff will be paid totally," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter.

It was not immediately clear where the funds to pay the salaries would come from.

Even before the Taliban seized control last in August, many public sector workers said they had not been paid for weeks. After the movement took power, billions of dollars of Afghan government funds parked abroad in the United States and Europe were frozen.

Foreign governments have been unwilling to fund the Taliban-led administration directly to help with financial commitments such as payment of workers. Global financial institutions have also halted funding.

After a meeting on Thursday between the special envoys of Germany and the Netherlands and Taliban officials in Kabul, the envoys expressed willingness to explore paying health and education sector workers directly through international organisations.

It is unclear if the Taliban's announcement on Saturday is related to this.

Another Taliban spokesman, Inamullah Samangani, said on Twitter on Saturday that the daily revenue collections of the Taliban administration had been increasing daily.

"The finance ministry says that in the last 78 working days of the last three months, we have generated income of about 26.915 billion Afghanis ($288 million)," he said.

"We collected 557 million Afghanis ($5.9 million) in revenue on Wednesday alone," Samangani said, quoting the finance ministry, adding the payment of pensions of retired workers would also resume soon.

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Election Commision notifies delimitation of constituencies for local govt polls in Islamabad

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday notified the schedule for delimitation of constituencies for the local government elections in Islamabad.

According to the notification issued by the ECP, the preliminary list of union councils/wards will be prepared in 30 days from Nov 25 to Dec 24 and will be displayed on Dec 27.

The notification stated that from Dec 28 to Jan 11, voters could file objections before the delimitation authority, adding after completion of various stages, a final list of the constituencies will be published on Feb 3, 2022.

It is relevant to note that after pointing out the non-serious approach of the federal government in holding the local government elections in Islamabad, the ECP on Monday had stated that if the required data and notifications were not provided to the commission within 10 days for delimitation of new UCs, the commission shall initiate the delimitation process on the already notified UCs.

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Lahore High Court orders Rs2,000 fine for one-way rule violation

The Lahore High Court on Friday ordered the city traffic police to impose a minimum fine of Rs2,000 on the motorists violating the one-way rule on roads.

Justice Shahid Karim issued the order taking notice of frequent violations of traffic rules by motorists, while hearing multiple petitions regarding the environmental issues and the smog, in particular.

Lahore Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Muntazir Mehdi and the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (Tepa) submitted reports on the traffic situation in the city. The reports proposed that as a short-term measure, temporary barriers should be placed on the road cuts to ensure smooth traffic flow.

The judge directed the counsel for the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to ensure permanent road cuts on the roads to replace the temporary ones.

 

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CM Buzdar imposes 50pc cut in official vehicles

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has imposed 50 per cent cut in the number of official vehicles and asked the administrative secretaries to submit a compliance report to his office.

The chief minister has also expressed his displeasure over the delay in the procurement of electric buses and sought a final plan.

Chairing a meeting to review the smog situation in the province at his office on Friday, the chief minister asked the line departments’ ministers, administrative secretaries and the SMBR to ensure that the anti-smog measures should be result-oriented. He stressed that the indiscriminate crackdown on factories and smoke-emitting vehicles as well as those responsible for burning the stubble should continue across the province. “No negligence will be tolerated in controlling smog,” he said.

The chief minister directed that factories involved in burning tyres should be sealed and fined. He said five anti-smog squads have been constituted in Lahore and scope of these squads would be further expanded. He said water be sprinkled in the city daily.

 

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Gold price drops by Rs800 per tola in Pakistan

The price of gold in Pakistan fell on Saturday as concerns regarding rupee-dollar parity triggered uncertainty in the commodity market.

Gold prices in the local bullion market recorded a decrease of Rs800 per tola and Rs686 per 10 grams to settle at Rs123,800 per tola and Rs106,138 per 10 grams.

On Friday, the yellow metal closed at Rs124,600 per tola and Rs106,824 per 10 grams.

During the outgoing week, the precious commodity lost around Rs4,300 per tola or 3.35%.

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Pakistan rejects Indian report, says containers in question were empty

Pakistan on Saturday rejected reports in the Indian media claiming Indian port authorities had seized "possible radioactive material" on shipping containers aboard a commercial vessel loaded at Karachi Port.

Indian media had falsely claimed that port authorities at the Mundra Port had seized the so-called "radioactive material" on containers loaded on a Shanghai-bound commercial vessel.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, clarified that the containers in question were empty. They had earlier been used for the transportation of fuel from China to Karachi for the K-2 and K-3 nuclear power plants and were now being returned to China.

The statement said that both the power plants and fuel used in these plants are under the IAEA safeguards.

"The containers were 'EMPTY' and the cargo was correctly declared as non-hazardous in the shipping documents," it underscored.

The statement noted that the reporting by the Indian media on the matter is "factually incorrect, baseless, laughable and a usual ploy of the Indian media to malign Pakistan and mislead the international community".

"The fake reporting by Indian media is indicative of a malafide intent to twist procedural customs issues to bring into disrepute IAEA safeguarded nuclear power programme," it added.

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Several Karachi areas face gas shortage

The gas supply was suspended in several parts of the city Saturday as the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) went about its load management plan.

Residents of Saddar, II Chundrigar Road, Lyari, Manzoor Colony, Kharadar, Kaemari and several other areas complained that the gas pressure was extremely low.

Other areas severely affected by gas loadshedding are Korangi, Bhittai Colony, Orangi, Liaquatabad, Shah Faisal Colony and different areas.

Residents of the above mentioned areas are complaining that they are receiving gas for only two to three hours a day and that too, at an extremely low pressure.

As a result, people have no other option but to use gas cylinders which are adding to their expenses.

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Navjot Singh Sidhu arrived in Pakistan to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib

Renowned Indian politician and former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu arrived in Pakistan today (Saturday) via Kartarpur Corridor to take part in the annual commemoration of the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.

On behalf of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Kartarpur Corridor Project Management Unit chief executive officer welcomed Navjot Singh Sidhu upon arrival in Pakistan.

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We will shut down the roads when we reach Islamabad: Fazlur Rehman

Prime Minister Imran Khan will not get a chance to escape when the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) reaches Islamabad, the Opposition alliance's chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said Saturday.

"We will shut down the roads when we reach Islamabad, not the government," Fazl said, addressing a rally in Peshawar alongside other PDM leaders, without specifying when the alliance would march towards the capital.

The Peshawar rally was a part of a series of protests by PDM, which included demonstrations in Karachi and Quetta earlier this month. The Opposition alliance will now head towards Lahore and then Islamabad — but the dates are yet to be announced.

"We will keep fighting till the government drowns in the sea," the PDM chief said, adding that the current setup had "damaged the country's Islamic identity".

He claimed that that the Opposition, ahead of a joint sitting of the parliament, "received threatening phone calls demanding that votes for the passage of bills be given in favour of the government".

Fazl said the Opposition alliance has not demanded local body elections, rather it wants to hold general elections immediately — which are originally scheduled to take place in 2023.

The PDM chief, referring to the 2018 general elections, said the "stolen" votes of the people should be returned to them, alleging that the government has "made arrangements to rig the next elections once more".

The Opposition has been persistent that the government "formed the basis for rigging" in the next elections when it bulldozed 33 bills in Wednesday's joint Parliament sitting, including crucial bills related to the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis.

The joint Opposition has warned that it will move the Supreme Court against the legislation in the Parliament, with the government asking it to sit on the negotiation table instead.

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PTI's leader Ejaz Choudhry meets TLP chief Saad Rizvi in Lahore

PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry on Saturday met Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Maulana Saad Rizvi, with a TLP spokesperson saying that "doors never close in politics".

The TLP chief was released from jail on Thursday after more than seven months following a deal between the government and the party, the contents of which are yet to be publicly shared.

Rizvi was taken into custody on deputy commissioner Lahore's directives in April shortly after the party announced countrywide protests.

Chaudhry, in his meeting with Rizvi at the Rehmatul Lil Alameen Mosque in Lahore, also presented a bouquet to the TLP chief and congratulated him on his release from prison.

By showing up with a bouquet, Chaudhry made good on a promise he had made earlier this month. Speaking to Geo News, he said: "I will present a bouquet to Saad Rizvi when he is released."

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Chaudhry said he came to meet Rizvi as a gesture of goodwill and that it is the government's responsibility to stay in contact with leaders who are "different from others".

"It is the responsibility of the state to build such ties with the people that create an atmosphere of harmony," Chaudhry added.

The PTI leader said he had expressed satisfaction over the government's agreement with TLP, and following the implementation of the deal, he had arrived at Rizvi's residence to meet him.

In response to a journalist's question whether he had visited Rizvi after seeking permission from Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said he "never meets" anyone without the premier's nod.

Responding to another question, he said it was too early to say whether the prime minister would hold a meeting with the TLP chief.

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Always gave verdicts in light of constitution and law: CJP

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed on Saturday said that no one ever interfered in his work nor he was pressurized and guided to announce a specific verdict.

Addressing a ceremony in Lahore, the chief justice said that people should not be mistaken and the impression that courts are not independent is wrong as he always gave verdicts in light of constitution and law.

CJP Gulzar Ahmed said that he neither took dictation from anyone nor any institution pressurized him to pass certain verdicts.

Earlier, Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti said that judiciary is the guardian of citizens’ rights.

Speaking in Asma Jahangir conference, the LHC CJ said that judiciary has significant role in the society. The Constitution gives importance to the fundamental rights of the people, he added.

The LHC CJ said that citizens’ rights are basis of democratic society.

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Moeed Yusuf disagrees with Fawad Chaudhry over TLP statement

National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf Friday disagreed with Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry's earlier statement on the government's talks with the Tehreek-e-Labbak Pakistan (TLP) in which he had said that neither the state nor the government is ready to fight extremism.

Yusuf was speaking to anchor Saleem Safi during the Geo News programme Jirga where he was asked to comment on Chaudhry's statement.

"I do not agree at all that the state does not have the capability to deal [with TLP]," stated Yusuf, responding to Chaudhry's earlier remarks.
Yusuf said that a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting was held to discuss the TLP issue by all relevant stakeholders. He said that after the meeting, the government released a statement stressing that "a red line has been drawn" but added that it also said it would prefer to resolve the matter through talks.

"After that, the matter progressed through talks," he said.

He cited the example of the infamous Lal Masjid episode, saying that the media at the time had called upon the state to use force as its writ was being challenged right in the heart of the capital.

"And when the state used force, all of you [the media] stood against the government," he added.

The PTI government had struck a secretive deal with TLP last month according to which the group was allowed to operate as a political party and its chief was released.

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Dengue claims three more lives in punjab today

Dengue takes three more lives in Punjab today (Saturday) as 236 more tested positive for the virus.

26 citizens have been diagnosed with the dengue fever in Islamabad in 24 hours whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has reported 81 new cases.

Dengue fever is basically a mosquito-borne infection that can lead to a severe flu-like illness. It is caused by Aedes mosquitoes.

Around 2.5 billion people, or 40 percent of the world’s population, live in the areas where there is a risk of dengue transmission.

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PDM to hold rally against inflation, govt policies in Peshawar today

Opposition parties alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is all set to hold rally against inflation and policies of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Peshawar today (Saturday).

According to details, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief and PDM head Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other leaders will address the public gathering.

Earlier, Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that the union of all opposition parties along with JUI-F will not accept any enforced legislation done by government.

He added that 25 July 2018 is considered as Black Day whereas the same history was repeated on Nov 17.

He said that people sitting in fake assembly and majority are involved in legislation of the country. Just like the bills that are being passed by enforcements, the changes in constitutions are being done the same way.

He added that in the name of making this country like Madina, the government has disrespected the governance of Madina.

Furthermore, he said that PDM will have to introduce a system through which the country will be taken back from the abyss of last 200 years to the current stabilities where Europe will not be the custodian of our wealth and assets.

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2nd T20: Bangladesh win toss, elect to bat first against Pakistan

Pakistan lost the toss Saturday and were put in to bat by Bangladesh as the two sides get ready to lock horns in the second T20I of the three-match series.

Pakistan, already 1-0 up in the three-match T20 series against Bangladesh, will be eyeing a series victory today at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka.

Speaking after the toss, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said batsmen from both teams had struggled yesterday.

However, Azam said he was happy at the way Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz had pitched in with the bat to ensure Pakistan's victory in the first T20 of the series.

While Bangladesh go into the second T20 match without making any changes, Pakistan are resting Hasan Ali and will play left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi in his place.

The rest of the visitors' squad remains unchanged for today's clash.

Bangladesh gave a tough time to an in-form Pakistan in the first T20 clash, despite missing the likes of Shakib ul Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Rahim.
While Bangladesh go into the second T20 match without making any changes, Pakistan are resting Hasan Ali and will play left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi in his place.

The rest of the visitors' squad remains unchanged for today's clash.

Bangladesh gave a tough time to an in-form Pakistan in the first T20 clash, despite missing the likes of Shakib ul Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Rahim.

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Corona claims 7 more lives across country in last 24 hrs

Pakistan has reported 7 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 1,281,559. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 28,655 on Saturday.

According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) 319 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Till now 12,994 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab, 7,611 in Sindh 5,814 in KP, 951 in Islamabad, 741 in Azad Kashmir, 358 in Balochistan, and 186 in GB.

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Money laundering case: Court extends interim bails of Shehbaz, Hamza

The court on Saturday has extended interim bails of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz in money laundering case till December 11.

During the hearing, the judge asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) about the development in inquiry over which, the investigation officer told that co-accused Usman is not cooperating with the team.

The court directed Usman to cooperate with the officers in the case.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz has rejected all the allegations and said that this is my children’s business. He said that the concerned authorities had accused him of laundering money.

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ECP notifies delimitation of constituencies for local govt polls in Islamabad

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday notified the schedule for delimitation of constituencies for the local government elections in Islamabad.

According to the notification issued by the ECP, the preliminary list of union councils/wards will be prepared in 30 days from Nov 25 to Dec 24 and will be displayed on Dec 27.

The notification stated that from Dec 28 to Jan 11, voters could file objections before the delimitation authority, adding after completion of various stages, a final list of the constituencies will be published on Feb 3, 2022.

It is relevant to note that after pointing out the non-serious approach of the federal government in holding the local government elections in Islamabad, the ECP on Monday had stated that if the required data and notifications were not provided to the commission within 10 days for delimitation of new UCs, the commission shall initiate the delimitation process on the already notified UCs.
The term of the local government in the capital expired in February this year and the ECP was supposed to hold the new elections within 120 days, but the elections could not be held on time.

The process of delimitation began but was halted in July when the interior ministry withdrew its notification regarding the UCs.

In August, the ministry stated that in view of the increase in population after the census results, the government intended to increase the number of UCs in the capital territory and spadework was underway to enact the new Local Government Act.

The government is yet to get the Act passed from parliament. In the last elections, Islamabad had 50 UCs and now the government wants to increase the number to 100.

A government official said a draft bill had been finalised and soon it would be presented before parliament for approval.

The first ever local government elections in Islamabad were held in November 2015 which were clinched by the then ruling party PML-N with majority.

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7 refugees die in minibus crash in Greece

At least seven refugees died in northeastern Greece when a minibus carrying them crashed early on Friday, local media reported.

The vehicle carrying 15 people was traveling on the Egnatia Odos highway from the country's northeastern border with Turkey towards the northern port city of Thessaloniki when it crashed just after midnight, said Greek public broadcaster ERT, citing local police sources.

Police said that the vehicle had been traveling at high speed and that the driver, also thought to be a human smuggler, lost control as he tried to exit the highway, hitting a toll booth and then crashing into an adjoining storage container, ERT noted.

The victims of the crash were transported to public hospitals in the northeastern provinces of Komotini and Xanthi, including eight people -- one of them being the driver -- who hada been injured.

A preliminary investigation has been launched into the incident, added ERT.

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‘It’s time to panic’: Bilawal vows to defeat PTI in its stronghold K-P

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday fired a broadside at Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying that his party will defeat the ruling PTI in its political stronghold of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) in next general elections.

“PPP jiyalas [workers] will foil your [PM Imran] conspiracies… they will hold ‘selected and puppet’ accountable,” said the scion of Bhutto family while addressing a rally in Nowshera district of K-P.

In his fiery speech, Bilawal warned PM Imran, saying, “The time to panic has started… PPP will hold a power show in Peshawar to mark its foundation day”.

He said the party will send the incumbent government packing and restore the rule of genuine public representatives.

Bilawal said PM Imran-led government was not any making effort to reduce inflation in the country instead it was only “conspiring to rig” the next general elections.

The PPP chairman while referring to Wednesday’s joint session of parliament said the government did not pass a single bill to provide relief to the masses. “70-year-old player can no longer fool youngsters,” he added.

Bilawal said PM Imran’s policies have only brought “destruction” to the country and added that ruling party has miserably failed to fulfil its promises of bringing a “change” in the country.

“Today everyone is in pain… country is facing unprecedented inflation... unemployment and poverty have hit historic highs,” he remarked.

Bilawal said only PPP can resolve the issues of masses by implementing its people-friendly manifesto.

“When they [rulers] are being selected... they will only server their [selectors] not the people,” he added.

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WhatsApp rolling out message reaction notification

Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp is working on message reaction notifications, WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp news tracker has said.

The option has been introduced in the new update — 2.21.24.8 — which WhatsApp has submitted in the Google Play Beta Programme, WABetaInfo said.

Through the reaction notification, users will be able to receive alerts when someone reacts to their messages.

In this screenshot, it can be seen that when the option is available, users can manage reaction notifications for individual chat threads and group chats as well.

"Unfortunately, there isn’t a known release date but we will inform you when there is news about this feature," WABetaInfo added.

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VP Kamala Harris to become first woman to get presidential powers as Biden undergoes health check

President Joe Biden will transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris during the “brief” time on Friday he is under anaesthesia for a colonoscopy as part of a regular health check, the White House said.

Biden, the oldest person to hold the presidency in US history, went to the Walter Reed Medical Centre just outside of Washington early Friday on the eve of his 79th birthday.

The White House described the appointment as Biden's “routine annual physical”. It was his first since taking office in January.

During a colonoscopy examination, Biden will be anaesthetised and as in past practice, the vice-president will assume power, which includes control over the US armed forces and the nuclear weapons arsenal.

“President Biden will transfer power to the vice-president for the brief period of time when he is under anaesthesia. The vice president will work from her office in the West Wing during this time,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

Harris, 57, is the first woman to hold the vice presidency and made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Party nomination in 2020, before being picked as Biden's running mate.

Psaki noted that a similar temporary transfer of power, “following the process set out in the Constitution”, had been carried out when president George W. Bush underwent the same procedure in 2002 and 2007.

Psaki said that a written “summary” of the findings from the president's exam would be released “later this afternoon”.

Any details on Biden's health are sure to be closely watched, given speculation on whether he will stand by his stated intention to seek a second term in 2024. Biden pledged before his election a year ago to be “totally transparent” with voters about all aspects of his health.

'Vigorous'

In a letter released by his election campaign in December 2019, Biden's physician had described him as “a healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency”.

Biden does not smoke or drink, and prior to his election worked out at least five days per week, according to the letter.

He was vaccinated early on against Covid-19, and received a booster shot in September.

The health check comes at a crucial moment in his presidency, with the House of Representatives adopting Biden's huge “Build Back Better” social spending agenda.

Earlier this week, Biden signed into law another package to fund the biggest national infrastructure revamp in more than half a century.

The twin victories come after weeks of falling approval ratings for Biden and setbacks for his Democratic party ahead of next year's midterm elections when the Republicans are widely predicted to take control of at least the lower house of Congress.

After returning from hospital, Biden was due to participate in the annual tradition of issuing a presidential “pardon” to a turkey, with the bird being spared from next week's Thanksgiving meals. He was then due to fly to his family home in Delaware for the weekend.

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US to buy 10m courses of Pfizer’s pill for $5.3bn

Pfizer Inc said on Thursday the US government would pay $5.29 billion for 10 million courses of its experimental Covid anti-viral drug.

The deal is for around twice as many treatment courses as Merck & Co Inc has agreed to supply the United States under its contract. The price for the Pfizer pill is nearly 25 percent lower at roughly $530 per course, compared with about $700 for Merck’s.

Pfizer applied for emergency authorisation of the drug, branded as Paxlovid, this week after reporting data showing that it was 89 percent effective at preventing hospitalisation or death in at-risk people.

“While this pill still requires a full review by the Food and Drug Administration, I have taken immediate steps to secure enough supply for the American people,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.

He added that his administration was making preparations to ensure the treatment is easily accessible and free. Getting vaccinated should still be the priority for Americans but having pills that can keep people out of the hospital “could be a lifesaver”, said US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra.

Pfizer has said it expects to manufacture 180,000 treatment courses by the end of next month and at least 50 million courses by the end of next year.

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KSE-100 makes gains despite monetary policy jitters

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) posted modest gains during the pre-monetary policy announcement session, finishing the trading week in the green.

Investors looked for shares at attractive valuations after sustained selling for the last two days opened some windows.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was set to announce a new benchmark interest rate towards the end of the session, where most believed the policy rate would be increased.

Later, in line with market expectations, the central bank increased its benchmark policy rate by 150 basis points to 8.75% for the next two months.

News that technology exports were up 29% (year-on-year) in October lent support to the technology sector.

The stock market kicked off trading on a positive note and remained in the green for most of the first session. However, it receded after trading resumed in the second half, and the KSE-100 index dived but losses were recouped towards the end of the session.

At close, the benchmark KSE-100 index had risen by 378.91 points, or 0.82%, to close at 46,489.41.

Shares of 356 companies were traded. At close of trading, 215 scrips closed in the green, 123 in the red, and 18 remained unchanged.

Overall trading volumes rose to 304.2 million shares compared with Thursday’s tally of 263.5 million. The value of shares traded during the day was Rs12 billion.

Ghani Global Holdings was the volume leader with 33.9 million shares traded, gaining Rs0.45 to close at Rs33.68. It was followed by Service Fabrics with 17.9 million shares traded, gaining Rs0.06 to close at Rs12.93, and First National Equities with 14.85 million shares traded, gaining Re1 to close at Rs11.23.

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Monetary policy: SBP jacks up interest rate by 150 bps to 8.75%

In line with market expectations, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday announced an increase of 150 basis points in its benchmark policy rate in a bid to contain runaway inflation, which threatens to destabilise the economy.

The central bank had earlier brought forward its monetary policy review meeting in light of “recent unforeseen developments that have affected the outlook for inflation and the balance of payments.”

The central bank has said the decision to increase the interest rate to 8.75% has been taken because of risks related to inflation.

"With risks rotating from growth to inflation and the current account faster than expected, there is now a need to proceed faster to normalise monetary policy to counter inflation and preserve stability with growth," the statement said, adding that today’s rate increase is a material move in this direction.

In its forward guidance, the central bank said: "Looking ahead, the MPC re-iterated that the end goal of mildly positive real interest rates remains unchanged, and given today’s move, expects to take measured steps to that end."

The monetary policy committee at the central bank tightened interest rates keeping in view rising inflationary pressure due to rupee depreciation, a potential increase in utility tariffs and an upward trend in prices of petroleum products and essential food items in global markets.

During the day, the central bank also released current account data which posted a deficit of $1,663 million for the month of October 2021 compared to a surplus of $448 million in the same month of the last year.

Interest rates are used by the central bank as a tool to control inflation, regulate unnecessary movements in currency rates and give guidance to the national economy.

In its previous policy review, the central bank had increased the benchmark policy rate by 25 bps to 7.25%. Accordingly, the real interest rate (inflation reading subtracted from the benchmark interest rate) was recorded at negative 2%, as inflation reading came in at 9.2% in October.

In its pre-monetary policy commentary, Arif Habib Limited had stated that the SBP is expected to remain hawkish, raising its policy rate for the second time since the beginning of FY22 and at a much higher magnitude of 100bps — the highest hike in more than 2 years — taking the total cumulative increase in FY22 to date to 125 bps.

The brokerage house had predicted that a shift towards a more hawkish stance from am earlier “gradual and calibrated” one might be evident in this monetary policy meeting as inflation worries are rumbling more clearly than before.

Inflation in Pakistan has increased markedly with the resumption of economic activities but as supply-side inflation has subsided, demand-side inflation has overshot. Headline inflation initially remained low averaging at 8.7% during 4MFY22, but now, even with the base effect waning, it has started accelerating, raising concerns.

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Kulbhushan Jadhav bill not person-specific: Farogh Nasim

Law Minister Farogh Nasim Friday said that a bill passed by the joint sitting of Parliament related to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav is not person-specific and said that it is a “national security” issue.

The minister made these comments in a press conference alongside MNA Maleeka Bokhari in response to the Opposition's claims that the PTI had given an NRO to the Indian spy.

Parliament had passed the International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Bill, 2020 on Thursday to provide for the right of review and reconsideration in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case in line with the judgment of the International Court of Justice.

The ICJ, in its July 2019 judgement, had made an observation that Pakistan was under an obligation to provide by means of its own choosing effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav, so as to ensure that full weight was given to the effect of the violation of the rights set forth in Article 36 of the Vienna Convention, taking account of paragraphs 139, 145 and 146 of the judgment.

Clarifying the government’s view on the matter, Farogh Nasim urged the Opposition to consider Pakistan’s national security matters and not make it an issue.

“This is Pakistan’s red line. India would have gone to the ICJ and filed a contempt case against us. The Modi government could have also approached the UN Security Council had we not provided Kulbhshan right to review,” the minister added.

Farogh Nasim said the bill is not person-specific and would be applied to all those who fill the criteria.

Reacting to a statement made by an Opposition leader that the US does not accept the decisions of the ICJ, the minister said we Pakistan is not the US nor is the country a banana republic.

He asked the Opposition to not make this issue a “tool for politics”.

“Looks like you [Opposition] don't understand this thing. If you [Opposition] are doing this on purpose then this is a big problem,” Forough Naseem said.

The minister noted that with the passage of this bill, India’s dream to attack Pakistan has shattered. “We cut off India’s hands through this legislation.”

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South Africa's AB de Villiers announces retirement from all forms of cricket

Former South Africa international AB de Villiers said he has decided to retire from all forms of cricket, bringing to an end a 17-year career.

De Villiers had retired from all international formats in May 2018 but was in talks about a return to the limited-overs side for the Twenty20 World Cup before deciding against playing for the Proteas again.

The 37-year-old was still involved in franchise cricket, last playing the Indian Premier League for Bangalore.

"It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket," De Villiers said in a statement on Friday.

"Ever since the backyard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly.

"That's the reality I must accept — and, even if it may seem sudden, that is why I am making this announcement today. I've had my time. Cricket has been exceptionally kind to me."

An explosive batsman who also kept wickets, De Villiers has often been referred to as "Mr 360" for his wide range of shots that found all corners of the boundary.

De Villiers retires with over 20,000 runs to his name in Tests, one-day internationals and T20Is for South Africa.

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Senate passes journalist protection, NAB bills amid opposition's protest

The government managed to have several bills passed in the Upper House of the Parliament, the Senate, Friday despite protests from the Opposition lawmakers.

The Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals bill was introduced by Federal Minister for Information Dr Shireen Mazari. The bill was passed after 35 votes were given in favour of the bill while 29 voted against it.

An independent group led by Senator Dilawar Khan also supported the government in its bid to have the bill passed.

The Opposition protested against the government's move to include the bill as an additional item in today's agenda, as Opposition lawmakers shouted "Rubber Stamp Parliament unacceptable".

Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said that it had taken the ministry one year to formulate the bill.

The Upper House also approved the NAB Amendment bill, which was presented by Federal Minister for Law Dr Farogh Naseem. "This bill is not being passed for a single person, rather, it is for everyone across the board," he said.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Ali Mohammad Khan, presented the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Amendment bill which was also approved by the Senate.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani was forced to adjourn the session after Opposition lawmakers, incensed at the bills being approved, surrounded the Speaker's dias and tore copies of the day's agenda.

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Philippines to allow foreign vaccinated tourists

The Philippines has approved a plan to allow entry soon to foreign tourists vaccinated against COVID-19, its tourism ministry said on Friday, following moves by other Southeast Asian countries to relax travel curbs. The coronavirus task force "approved in principle the entry of fully vaccinated tourists" from countries with low COVID-19 cases, the ministry said, adding that guidelines must be finalised.

The Philippines, known for its diving and thousands of tropical islands, saw an 83% drop in foreign arrivals last year, receiving nearly 1.4 million visitors, compared to nearly 8.2 million in 2019. Japan, South Korea and China are its biggest tourism markets.

It imposed some of Asia's tightest entry requirements during the pandemic and has been one of the region's worst hit countries in terms of cases, deaths and economic losses. Just over a quarter of its population has been vaccinated.

Neighbours Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia have also announced various degrees of reopening in recent weeks, after progress in vaccinating their local populations.

"Allowing tourists from green countries or territories that have the majority of its population vaccinated and with low infection rate, will greatly help in our recovery efforts," tourism minister, Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, said in the statement.

The Philippines includes on its "green" list of approved countries Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and India, among others.

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Baba Guru Nanak’s anniversary celebrations start in Nankana Sahib

The celebrations of the 552nd birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak have started in Nankana Sahib.Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from India and other countries are participating in the celebrations.

The main ceremony of the celebration will be held at Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib today.

Various departments have already completed necessary arrangements, including security, accommodation, food, healthcare and transport, to facilitate the Sikh pilgrims.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Ijaz Ahmed Shah, and Sikh leaders are also participating in the celebrations.

Pakistan has taken special measures for the Sikh community in connection with Baba Guru Nanak’s birthday.

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Five billion rupees allocates for subsidy on contruction houses

Prime Minister Imran Khan says the government is providing subsidy and incentivizing construction industry to help low income people to have their own houses.

He was speaking at a ceremony during his visit to Naya Pakistan Housing Authority's project Farash Town Apartments in Islamabad on Friday.

The Prime Minister said thirty-five billion rupees have been allocated for subsidy on construction of houses by the low income people.

He said the government will provide three hundred thousand rupees subsidy on every house for the first one hundred thousand units.

The Prime Minister said while one hundred thousand apartments are under construction, the process will now speedily move forward as the structure of the system has been finalized.

He said the construction industry has been incentivized in different ways including tax relief. He said One Window Operation has also been started to facilitate the construction sector.

Regarding Farash Town Apartments, the Prime Minister said of the total 4400 apartments, 2000 each have been allocated for low income people and middle income people and four hundred apartments will be provided to slum dwellers.

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WB says Pakistan’s remittances grew by 26% in 2021

Compared to the overall growth of 8 percent in remittances in South Asia, the remittances into Pakistan grew by 26 percent during the year 2021, according to estimates from the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief.

“Pakistan had another year of record remittances with growth at 26 percent and levels reaching $33 billion in 2021,” says the report released by WB.

In addition to the common drivers, the government’s ‘Pakistan Remittance Initiative’ to support transmission through formal channels attracted large inflows it says adding the Afghanistan’s fragile situation emerged as an unexpected cause of remittances in 2021 intended for Afghan refugees in Pakistan as well as for families in Afghanistan.
According to the report, overall remittances to South Asia likely grew around 8 percent to $159 billion in 2021.
Higher oil prices aided economic recovery and drove the spike in remittances from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries which employ over half of South Asia’s migrants. Economic recovery and stimulus programs in the United States also contributed to the growth.
In India, remittances advanced by an estimated 4.6 percent in 2021 to reach $87 billion, according to the report.
Remittances is the dominant source of foreign exchange for the region, with receipts more than twice as large as FDI in 2021.
On remittance costs the report adds, South Asia had the lowest average costs of any world region at 4.6 percent. But sending money to South Asia through official channels is expensive compared with informal channels which remain popular.
Cost-reducing policies would create a win-win situation welcomed by migrants and South Asian governments alike.
The report says, remittances to low- and middle-income countries are projected to have grown a strong 7.3 percent to reach $589 billion in 2021.
This return to growth is more robust than earlier estimates and follows the resilience of flows in 2020 when remittances declined by only 1.7 percent despite a severe global recession due to COVID-19, according Migration and Development Brief released.
For a second consecutive year, remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (excluding China) are expected to surpass the sum of foreign direct investment (FDI) and overseas development assistance (ODA).
This underscores the importance of remittances in providing a critical lifeline by supporting household spending on essential items such as food, health, and education during periods of economic hardship in migrants’ countries of origin.
“Remittance flows from migrants have greatly complemented government cash transfer programs to support families suffering economic hardships during the COVID-19 crisis. Facilitating the flow of remittances to provide relief to strained household budgets should be a key component of government policies to support a global recovery from the pandemic,” said Michal Rutkowski, World Bank Global Director for Social Protection and Jobs.
Factors contributing to the strong growth in remittance are migrants’ determination to support their families in times of need, aided by economic recovery in Europe and the United States which in turn was supported by the fiscal stimulus and employment support programs.
In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Russia, the recovery of outward remittances was also facilitated by stronger oil prices and the resulting pickup in economic activity.
Remittances registered strong growth in most regions. Flows increased by 21.6 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 9.7 percent in Middle East and North Africa, 8 percent in South Asia, 6.2 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 5.3 percent in Europe and Central Asia.
In East Asia and the Pacific, remittances fell by 4 percent – though excluding China, remittances registered a gain of 1.4 percent in the region. In Latin America and the Caribbean, growth was exceptionally strong due to economic recovery in the United States and additional factors, including migrants’ responses to natural disasters in their countries of origin and remittances sent from home countries to migrants in transit.
The cost of sending $200 across international borders continued to be too high, averaging 6.4 percent of the amount transferred in the first quarter of 2021, according to the World Bank’s Remittance Prices Worldwide Database.
This is more than double the Sustainable Development Goal target of 3 percent by 2030. It is most expensive to send money to Sub-Saharan Africa (8 percent) and lowest in South Asia (4.6 percent). Data reveal that costs tend to be higher when remittances are sent through banks than through digital channels or through money transmitters offering cash-to-cash services.
“The immediate impact of the crisis on remittance flows was very deep. The surprising pace of recovery is welcome news. To keep remittances flowing, especially through digital channels, providing access to bank accounts for migrants and remittance service providers remains a key requirement. Policy responses also must continue to be inclusive of migrants especially in the areas of access to vaccines and protection from underpayment,” said Dilip Ratha, lead author of the Brief and head of KNOMAD.
Remittances are projected to continue to grow by 2.6 percent in 2022 in line with global macroeconomic forecasts. A resurgence of COVID-19 cases and reimposition of mobility restrictions poses the biggest downside risk to the outlook for global growth, employment and remittance flows to developing countries.
The rollback of fiscal stimulus and employment-support programs, as economies recover, may also dampen remittance flows, it adds.

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US states investigates how Instagram targets children

A group of US states is investigating how Instagram targets children, despite it posing potential risks to them. The group made up of both Democrat and Republican states is investigating Instagram and Facebook's parent company Meta to determine if consumer protection laws were broken.

It comes after a company whistleblower testified in the US that the company knew its products can harm children.

A Meta spokesman on Thursday denied that their platforms are unhealthy.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat who first announced the inquiry, tweeted: "Facebook, or Meta, has known Instagram is linked to depression, eating disorders & suicide among young people."

"We will identify if any laws were broken and end the abuse for good."

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, a Republican, said that the companies "treat our children as mere commodities to manipulate for longer screen time engagement and data extraction".

"These social media platforms are extremely dangerous and have been proven to cause both physical and mental harm in young people," added New York Attorney General Letitia James.

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PM visits low-cost housing project; appreciates fast pace of construction

Prime Minister Imran Khan today visited the site of 4400 under-construction houses under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project and said it was for the first time that the people who could never afford, could now own a house of their own.

“No government in the past cared for the low-income segment of the society, who had no shelter,” Imran Khan said after visiting the construction site at Farash Town, in the suburbs of Islamabad.

Around 4400 apartments are being constructed in collaboration with CDA, Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority and FWO at a very fast pace. The Prime Minister was given a detailed briefing and informed that the pace of the project was according to the schedule. Prime Minister Imran Khan had performed ground-breaking of the project in April this year.

The apartments were being constructed on 70 kanals of land and out of these 2000 houses have been reserved for low-income groups registered under the Naya Pakistan Housing, 400 were for the slum dwellers and 2000 for middle income and salaried class people. The entire project would cost Rs 15.3 billion.

In his address, the Prime Minister regretted that the previous governments did not pay heed to the basic needs of people including affordable housing. He said the banks were asked to provide mortgages to the people to help them construct a house of their choice. He pointed that currently, the mortgage facility in India was 10 per cent, 30 per cent in Malaysia 30, while it was around 80 per cent in the West.

However, in Pakistan, it was zero and it took two years to make foreclosure laws of banks aimed at facilitating the general public in the construction of houses. He said the government, besides undertaking the construction was also providing a subsidy of Rs 300,000 for each house and providing loans at a very small markup.

“It is our effort that the people have to pay less every month, almost equivalent to what they pay for monthly rent,” he said.

He said the government offered 90 per cent exemption on taxes on the construction sector and said despite the negative impact of Covid19 all over the world, Pakistan was one of the few countries as it kept its construction sector open and the people had an opportunity to earn their livelihood.

He said the banks have applications in process amounting to around Rs 226 bln, while the cases for Rs 90 billion have been finalised.

He said currently 100,000 houses were under construction he said it took almost two years to put in place a structure that can take up this difficult task. However, now the Naya Pakistan Authority was fully functional to plan and execute the objective of construction of low-cost houses.

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ECP is not sure to use of EVMs in next election

Despite the required legislation to hold elections using electronic voting machines (EVMs) going through, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is still not sure if EVMs will actually be used in the next polls.

This observation from the ECP came during a meeting of the members of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice, chaired by PTI MNA Riaz Fatyana.
It took India 20 years and Brazil 22 years to start using these machines, ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan told lawmakers, explaining that it will also take them "a while" to get EVMs up and running.

The ECP official said there are challenges in using EVMs and they cannot say anything with surety on whether the use of EVMs will be applicable in the next elections or not.

Khan said EVMs would have to go through 14 steps before they can be used in the next general elections. There would be three to four more pilot projects related to the use of the EVMs, he maintained.

“How many EVMs will there be at a polling station also remains to be figured out,” he said, adding that the state institution is working to facilitate overseas Pakistanis.

On this occasion, MNA Aalia Kamran raised some very pertinent questions, including how the EVMs would be used in areas without internet.

“[The] people of Balochistan barely go to cast votes. How will they cast a vote on an EVM?” she asked.

On Friday, the PTI government bulldozed 33 bills in a joint session of Parliament, including the election amendment bill, making way for the use of EVMs in the next elections.

The Opposition has continually objected to the use of these machines, saying they are prone to hacking and not reliable.
Meanwhile, senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal says EVMs are vulnerable to rigging even if they do not operate online

“The machines will work under the government’s supervision. They can be tampered with,” he said while addressing the media outside Parliament House alongside PPP parliamentary leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman, JUI-F's Shahida Akhtar and PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb.

“What happened yesterday will go down as a black day in Pakistan’s history, where a red line was crossed by the government and the world saw the worst demonstration of Pakistan's government pass controversial, polarising legislation with an artificial majority, created by coercion and carrots,” Rehman said.

Iqbal said there was information that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) chairperson was allegedly using organisational resources and data for the government's upcoming election campaign.

"If NADRA is found leaking national data to the government, they will be liable to face treason charges,” he said.

Iqbal, too, said it was the "blackest" day in the history of Parliament, expressing the hope that the courts would now uphold the Constitution.

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Surprised PTI govt on another 'fishy' EVM mission after RTS failure in last polls: CM Sindh

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has a bone to pick with the federal government over its initiation of an "unrealistic" rotation policy of transfers and postings of bureaucrats and police officials and over the approval of controversial bills about the population census and the use of an electronic voting machine (EVM) in the joint session of Parliament.

The Sindh CM expressed his views at a press conference following a provincial cabinet meeting Thursday.

“It is a wrong impression that officers of the PAS [Pakistan Administrative Service] and PSP [Police Service of Pakistan] are the employees of the federal government, who in fact are employees of the Federation and the federal government is legally bound to have a 'meaningful discussion' with the chief minister before transferring or posting any of them from the province,” the Sindh CM was quoted as saying by The News.

The federal government has withdrawn the services of four grade BS-20 PAS officer and seven PSP officers from Sindh and sent four PAS and eight PSP officers in their place under its rotation policy, informed the Sindh CM, protesting the transfer of nearly 50% or 12 officer from Sindh against 26 sanctioned posts of PSP officers of Grade BS-20.

In the case of PAS officers, he said that against 67 sanctioned posts, only 30 were working – which means Sindh has a shortage of 37 officers. Similarly, the Sindh government has a sanctioned strength of 16 officers of grade BS-21 against which only four officers are working, he said.

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1st T 20: Pakistan to take on Bangladesh in first T20I in Dhaka today

The Men in Green will look to continue their form against a dangerous Bangladesh side at home as the two sides lock horns in the first of the three-match Twenty20 International series today in Dhaka.

The clash will take place at 1pm PST. The two teams yesterday took part in a practice session ahead of their first faceoff.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 12-member team for today's T20I.

Skipper Babar Azam will lead the team with Shadab Khan as his vice-captain. Pakistan fielded the same line-up in all six World Cup matches and have retained almost the same squad for the Bangladesh series.

Babar's side stormed through the Super-12 phase of the ICC's Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE with five straight victories before they were handed a five-wicket defeat in the semi-final at the hands of Australia, who went on to win the T20 World Cup.

From the World Cup squad, Mohammad Hafeez is the only player who opted out of the team, with Iftikhar Ahmed brought on as his replacement.

Bangladesh are missing several senior players who have been ruled out due to injury or rested after a disastrous World Cup campaign, where they failed to win a single Super-12 match.

Captain Mahmudullah Riyad said his side were looking to start afresh and put the Dubai debacle behind them. "Whatever happened happened. If we think much about it that would affect us negatively. We want to think positive," he said.

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Govt strives for a better, easy taxation system: Imran Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan on yesterday said that the government was striving for a better and easy taxation system in the country.

The prime minister, in a meeting with economic expert Arthur Betz Laffer, who called on him, said the record tax collection by the incumbent government manifested people’s trust on the government.
The discussion focused on multiple aspects of Pakistan’s taxation system as well as pros and cons of worldwide taxation system.
They also deliberated on the measures to widen Pakistan’s tax base, modernization of the system, easing burden on the masses as well as improvement of the system.
Finance Advisor Shaukat Fayaz Tarin also attended the meeting.

 

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Efforts on to exploit KP’s tourism potential: PM Imran Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said that the government was making all-out efforts to exploit the immense potential of tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The prime minister, in a meeting with Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, who called on him here, said the government was also providing better healthcare to the people under Sehat Card insurance cover.

During the meeting, they discussed the ongoing development projects particularly those related to tourism. The Agriculture Transformation Plan, forest protection, and infrastructure development projects in the province were also discussed.

Moreover, they also deliberated over the Sehat Card and the facilities being provided to the people under the scheme.

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Ehsaas Rashan Riayat SMS Registration Service to open from Friday: Dr. Sania

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Dr. Sania Nishtar Thursday announced that the SMS Registration Service of 8171 will open from Friday for the intending beneficiaries to register for Ehsaas Rashan Riayat program from Friday.

Talking to the media during her visit to the Kiryana stores in Fateh Jang, Dr. Sania said that the registration process for the eligible households and grocery merchants under the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat program continued across the country through the web portal while SMS service of 8171 to register the eligible buyers will open from tomorrow.

The overall subsidy of Rs. 1000 is being given to the eligible people on flour, pulses and cooking oil or ghee through this program which is being implemented on fast track basis to provide relief to the citizens as per directives of the Prime Minister, Imran Khan.

The subsidy of Rs. 22 per kg is being given on flour, Rs.55 per kg on pulses and Rs. 105 per liter on cooking oil or ghee at the designated grocery stores. Dr. Sania emphasized that it is mandatory for both the buyer and grocery merchants to have mobile SIMs are issued on their own Computerized National Identity Cards to register for this program.

It is also necessary for the Kiryana merchants to have their account opened in National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) as well as have smart phone.

Dr. Sania said that the Kiryana merchants are enthusiastically participating in the registration process in a large number. The SMS service of 8171 will enable maximum people (buyers) to register for the program through sending their CNIC number on 8171 through SMS. “If their mobile number is not registered with their CNICs, they will receive a message to register their SIMs first”.

To a question, Dr. Sania said that Kiryana merchants belonging to any city, village, union council or any far flung area will be able to download the app on their mobile phone and get register for this program after scrutiny process. Responding to the media, Dr. Sania said that the purpose of her visits to the small Kiryana stores was to educate the Kiryana merchants about the program and respond to their queries. She said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to ensure transparency and merit in the implementation of this program. “We are doing our utmost efforts to ensure transparency in this program at every level”, she added. “We are in effort of completing registration process of this program at our earliest to provide relief to the citizens”, she said.

The subsidy will be directly provided to the grocery merchants in their bank accounts. The merchants will also be given commission while luck draw will also held after every three months to give them gifts like mobile phones, motorcycles etc, she said.

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China stands ready to work with all parties to advance high quality CPEC development: Zhao Lijian

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Zhao Lijian Thursday said that China was ready to work with all parties to advance high quality development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its synergy with other projects in the region aimed at contributing to economic recovery and development of the region.

“China stands ready for work with all parties to advance high quality development of CPEC and its synergy with other projects in the region so as to contribute to economic recovery and development of the region,” he said during his regular briefing while commenting on remarks of an Indonesian official.

During his recent visit to University of Sialkot, Indonesia’s Minister Counsellor Boy Dharmawan said that ASEAN could connect with global networks like China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

“We appreciate such remarks by the Indonesian official,” Zhao Lijian said in his comments.

The Indonesian diplomat also appreciated the idea of the formation of the Association of Maritime Allies Nations (AMAN) to connect ASEAN with giant projects like CPEC and BRI.

 

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