Siasat Wala Blog

LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore on Wednesday exempted former chief minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif from appearing in the hearing and directed him to remain present in the next hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills case, ARY News reported. Accountability Judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry adjourned further hearing of the case till August 06. Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz Sharif was present in the hearing. Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif’s counsel Amjad Pervaiz submitted a plea of his client seeking exemption from the case hearing today. The counsel said that his client was infected of coronavirus and has quarantined himself at his home. He could not appear in the court due to symptoms of the disease. “The Lahore High Court has also exempted him from appearing in the case hearing.” The counsel informed the judge that Shehbaz Sharif’s coronavirus test will be held on July 02, the high court has also demanded his coronavirus test report on July 07. According to doctors,

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Wednesday that India can sabotage regional peace to divert attention from its internal failures. Talking to Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan in Islamabad, he said Pakistan has been continuously apprising the global community about peace and security in the region. He underscored that durable peace and stability in Afghanistan are inevitable for development and progress of the region. The foreign minister said Pakistan played a reconciliatory role in the Afghan peace process with utmost sincerity, which was commended by the entire world. He expressed the resolve that the country will continue its efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region. Read More: India is sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan: FM Qureshi They also exchanged views on the Afghan peace process and regional peace and stability. Besides, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a statement said India is interfering in Balochistan at the same time it is a

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday reserved a verdict on maintainability of a petition seeking to stop Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan from performing his duties. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah took up the petition that requested the court to constitute a judicial commission to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the issue of dubious licences of pilots. Advocate Tariq Asad, the petitioner, contended before the bench that Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar’s statement about alleged fake or improper licences of pilots has dented the image of the country. Read More: PIA gets permission to continue flight operation in EU countries, UK He impleaded the prime minister, the National Assembly speaker, Ghulam Sarwar Khan and the Civil Aviation Authority respondents through the principal secretary and the secretary aviation. Last week, Ghulam Sarwar had revealed that as many as 262 pilots, out of a total of 860 in the country, had ‘suspicious flying licences’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said on Wednesday that India is upping the ante against Pakistan in terms of arms build-up. Sharing a news report about France speeding up Rafale fighter jet deliveries to India on her official Twitter handle, she wrote: “Armed to the teeth but against whom? After its humiliation by China these planes won’t make a difference in terms of the China-India equation. “So clearly India upping the ante against Pak in terms of weapons build up! Still bruising over Balakot too!” Read More: India is sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan: FM Qureshi Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly yesterday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said Pakistan has no qualms that Monday’s terrorist attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) was orchestrated in India. Prime Minister Imran Khan said the attack was similar to terrorism incidents taking place in Mumbai. “We have no doubt that this [attack] was carried out by India.” Read More: India

WASHINGTON: New U.S. COVID-19 cases rose by more than 47,000 on Tuesday according to a Reuters tally, the biggest one-day spike since the start of the pandemic, as the government’s top infectious disease expert warned that number could soon double. California, Texas and Arizona have emerged as new U.S. epicenters of the pandemic, reporting record increases in COVID-19 cases. “Clearly we are not in total control right now,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a U.S. Senate committee. “I am very concerned because it could get very bad.” Fauci said the daily increase in new cases could reach 100,000 unless a nationwide push was made to tamp down the resurgent virus. “We can’t just focus on those areas that are having the surge. It puts the entire country at risk,” he said. Fauci said there was no guarantee of a vaccine, although early data had been promising: “Hopefully there will be doses available by the beginning of next year

KARACHI: Gold rates continued their upward trend in the domestic market on Tuesday as prices of one tola and 10 grams of yellow metal recorded a marginal increase of Rs200 and Rs171 respectively. Per tola price of gold rose to Rs104,650 after the Rs200 increase while 10 gram gold price increased to Rs89,720 showing an increase of Rs171, according to the chairman of the All Pakistan Jewellers Manufacturers. All Pakistan Jewellers Association chairman Muhammad Arshad said gold rates recorded an increase of Rs26,000 per tola in the fiscal year 2019-20 as the precious yellow metal was priced at Rs78,500 on June 30, 2019. Gold prices firmed near an eight-year peak on Wednesday, as the metal’s safe-haven demand was boosted by worries about the global economic impact of surging coronavirus infections around the world. Spot gold was up 0.1% at $1,782.67 per ounce by 0336 GMT, after hitting its highest since early October 2012 at $1,785.46 in the previous session. U.S. gold futures were s

ISLAMABAD: 91 more people lost their lives in the country in the past 24 hours due to complications related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the death toll to 4,395. According to latest data of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 4,133 new infections were detected after 22,418 tests were conducted in the previous 24 hours, taking the national tally of cases to 213,470. More than 1.3 million tests have been conducted in the country while 108,273 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment and 100,802 patients have recuperated from the disease. Read More: Pakistan joins countries manufacturing ventilators on their own 84,640 cases have been detected in Sindh so far, 76,262 in Punjab, 26,598 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10,476  in Balochistan, 12, 912 in Islamabad, 1,093 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 1,489 in Gilgit Baltistan. US sees the biggest one-day spike New U.S. COVID-19 cases rose by more than 47,000 yesterday according to a Reuters tally, the biggest one-

KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has suspended its five officials facing an inquiry over their alleged involvement in malpractices in issuance of licences to pilots. Those suspended include the CAA licencing branch’s senior joint director and Human Resources (HR) supervisor. They have been accused of allowing pilots to appear in exams through their proxies. “The Competent Authority has ordered to suspend you till further orders consequent upon establishing your involvement in Board of Inquiry conducted to investigate the violation / malpractices in conduct / issuance of Flight Crew Licences,” read a suspension order issued to one of the officials. Read More: PIA springs into action after aviation minister’s fake pilot licences claim “You are therefore deemed to be under suspension from your duty with immediate effect under Civil Aviation Authority (Efficiency & Discipline) Regulations – 2014 (Revision Version – 2019 ).” It is to mention here that the Aviation Divis

LAHORE: A resolution submitted in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday lauded the bravery of policemen who thwarted a terrorist attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). Member of the provincial assembly Sadia Taimoor submitted the resolution, stating that the gallantry of the policemen foiling the attack on the PSX building is laudable. It said terrorists will never succeed in their evil designs. The resolution maintained that the country’s security forces are always ready to defend the motherland and lauded martyrs who always laid down their lives for the defence of the country. Read More: Four terrorists killed as security forces foil Pakistan Stock Exchange terror attack Earlier today, an FIR of the attack was registered at the CTD Civil Lines police station under sections of terrorism, possession of explosive material, encounter with the police, murder and attempted murder. The sections include 302 (punishment for murder), 324 (murder attempt), 353 (attack on on-duty public ser

The MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) show will take place in New York at the end of August, MTV and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday, marking the first major awards show since the coronavirus pandemic that will occur in a physical venue. MTV and Cuomo said the Aug. 30 VMA show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn would follow safety guidelines and would have “limited capacity or no audience.” Award shows traditionally feature large numbers of performers, guests, audiences and stage crews, and have been relegated to online or prerecorded events since the pandemic shut down theater, music and other live shows in mid-March. MTV said some VMA performances would take place at unspecified New York landmarks and that social distancing and limits on capacity would be enforced at the 19,000-seat indoor venue. It was not clear how many performances would be live. The youth TV network said in a statement that details and potential options for the show would come later “based on the sc

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday announced he was taking a “hard pause” on when movie theaters in the city can reopen, citing an increase in coronavirus cases. Los Angeles County is the biggest movie theatre market in the United States. “We have hit a hard pause on opening any more businesses such as movie theaters, bowling alleys, playgrounds, concert halls, theme parks or other entertainment venues,” Garcetti said at a news briefing. He did not give a date for when movie theaters in Los Angeles might be given the green light to reopen. The theatre business has been devastated by the coronavirus shutdowns that began in mid-March, laying off tens of thousands of employees and borrowing funds to stay afloat. On Monday AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, the nation’s biggest movie theater chain, said it had delayed the reopening of its venues in the United States by two weeks to July 30. Garcetti said the rise in coronavirus cases in Los Angeles in the last few d

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday informed National Assembly that the first consignment of domestically produced ventilators will be handed over to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) till Friday, ARY News reported. Speaking in National Assembly, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhary said that Pakistan has joined the ranks of those few countries which are producing their own ventilators. The minister also paid tribute to scientists and engineers for producing the ‘Made in Pakistan’ ventilators. He further said that the price of domestic ventilators as well as protective gear and testing kits is far less than the imported ones. Earlier on Sunday, he felicitated the National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) over the development, saying the next three designs are in the final phase, after which Pakistan will join the list of a few countries that manufacture complex medical devices. All these ma

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) proposed on Tuesday that a parliamentary committee comprising members of the government as well as the opposition be constituted to probe the recent shortage of petroleum products in the country. A bench of the high court, headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, cleared that the law will take its course if National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser does not form the committee that, the court said, will carry out a probe into the matter within 15 days of its constitution. The chief justice expressed displeasure over the absence of the prime minister’s principal secretary from today’s hearing, saying it appears that he will have to be hauled up by issuance of arrest warrants. Read More: Govt enhances Petroleum Levy on petrol products: sources He asked how much profit did oil companies pocket when prices of petroleum products were jacked up before even completion of one month. He also inquired about storage capacity of oil firms. The top LHC judge

A fire at a hospital in Egypt’s coastal city of Alexandria on Monday killed seven coronavirus patients, security and medical sources said. Seven other people were injured in the blaze, believed to be caused by a malfunctioning air conditioner in an area designated for isolating COVID-19 patients, the sources said. Firefighters stopped it spreading to other hospital buildings, and ambulances were dispatched to transfer patients to other medical facilities, the state-run newspaper Akhbar al-Youm reported. The victims died of suffocation and hospital staff were among those injured, according to local media. Egypt’s prosecutor-general said in a statement that it has launched an investigation into the incident focusing on the technical specifications of the private hospital’s intensive care unit. Egypt has so far registered 65,188 COVID-19 cases including 2,789 fatalities. Health facilities in the North African country, like elsewhere, have been strained by the mounting number of inf

NORTH WAZIRISTAN: One more case of polio was found in the country on Tuesday, raising the total number of children affected by the crippling disease this year to 56, ARY News reported. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), a three-year-old boy has been affected by the virus in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). The children infected with the crippling disease has never been administered the anti-polio vaccine, said sources. Read More:  Polio cripples another minor in Balochistan Health officials reported two polio cases from Sindh and Balochistan on June 21. The children infected with the crippling disease have never been administered the anti-polio vaccine, said sources. Read More:  Punjab to restart anti-polio drive next month Giving details, the source said that a three-month-old infant was tested positive for polio virus in Duki area of Balochistan. In Sindh, a four-year-old boy was diagnosed with the crippling disease in Ghotki. The

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday termed India’s attempts to alter occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s demographic profile by issuance of domicile certificates to 25,000 Indian nationals illegal and being in violation of UNSC resolutions. In a statement posted on his official Twitter account, the premier said: “First India’s attempt at illegal annexation of IOJK & now its attempts to alter IOJK’s demographic structure incl by issuance of domicile certificates to 25,000 Indian nationals are all illegal, in violation of UNSC resolutions & international law, incl 4th Geneva Convention.” Read More: Indian troops martyr two more youth in Occupied Kashmir He said he has approached the UN secretary general and is reaching out to other world leaders. “India must be stopped from this unacceptable path that further usurps the legal & internationally guaranteed rights of the Kashmiri people & seriously imperils peace and security in South Asia.” I have approached UN S

KARACHI: The exchange rate of Pakistani rupee strengthened by Rs0.08 against US dollar in the interbank market, ARY News reported on Tuesday. According to forex dealers, the Pakistani rupee appreciated by 08 paise against the greenback. The greenback is trading at Rs168.10 against the domestic currency at the interbank foreign exchange market. On the other hand, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed bullish trends in intra-day trading and gained 130 points. The KSE-100 index is currently trading at 34,300 points. Read More:  Pakistan Stock Exchange sees bullish trading despite terrorist attack Gold rates continued their upward trend in the domestic market on Monday as per tola price of yellow metal rose to Rs104,100 after an increase of Rs9,00. Likewise, 10 gram gold price rose to Rs89,248 showing an increase of Rs771. Rate of precious yellow metal in international markets increased by $15 per ounce to $1,772.44, resulting in an increase in domestic prices of gold. The

ISLAMABAD: Thirty-eight Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad headed homewards on Tuesday through the Wagah border crossing after Pakistan asked India to cut the size of its diplomatic staff here by half in a tit-for-tat response to the neighbouring country’s similar move. According to sources, the Indian High Commission officials, including six diplomats, left by two buses and a truck for the Wagah border. The Indian officials also included a first secretary, two second secretaries, and three attachés. A total of 100 officials of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi, including their family members, will come back home through the Wagah border today (Tuesday). Read More: Pakistan to expel Indian HC staff in tit-for-tat move: FM Qureshi Earlier, on June 23, Islamabad had categorically rejected the baseless allegations made by the Indian Ministry External Affairs as a pretext to seek a 50 per cent reduction in the staff strength of the High Commission for Pakistan in N

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has received $1.3 billion as loan disbursements from Chinese banks this week, the central bank announced in a post on Tuesday. “SBP has received $1.3 billion as GOP loan disbursements from Chinese Banks this week. This brings the total amount of official inflows received since 23rd June 2020 to around $3 billion,” the bank said. SBP has received $1.3 billion as GOP loan disbursements from Chinese Banks this week. This brings the total amount of official inflows received since 23rd June 2020 to around $3 billion. — SBP (@StateBank_Pak) June 30, 2020 Last week, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) annoinced that it had received one billion dollars – 500 million dollars each from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The ADB approved a $500 million loan to help the country tackle the ongoing coronavirus and strengthen the health sector, while the World Bank approved a $500 million loan to help improve the healthcare and education sy

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday acquitted former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, former finance minister Shaukat Tareen and other accused in the Piraghaib Rental Power reference. Judge Muhammad Bashir announced his verdict on applications of the former premier and others seeking acquittal in the case. Other accused whose acquittal pleas were approved included Shaukat Tareen, Ismail Qureshi, Shahid Rafi, Tahir Basharat Cheema, Muhammad Saleem Arif, Chaudhry Abdul Qadreer, and Iqbal Ali Shah. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the Piraghaib Rental Power reference in 2014, accusing Raja Pervez Ashraf of misusing his powers in his capacity as water and power minister to gain financial benefits in the project. Last week, the court had acquitted the former prime minister, Tareen as well as all eight other accused nominated in the Sahiwal Rental Power Reference. There had been no loss inflicted on the national exchequer, therefore a reference could not b

Uber is in talks to buy food delivery app Postmates in a multibillion dollar deal, US media reported. The San Francisco-based company has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic — last month cutting a quarter of its global workforce — and has been looking to boost its growing food delivery service Uber Eats. Talks for a $2.6 billion deal with start-up Postmates are ongoing, sources told the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, but stressed that nothing was confirmed. The deal would bolster Uber and help Postmates, a nine-year-old firm that has struggled against larger food delivery rivals, the New York Times noted on Monday. A $6 billion Uber offer made last month to acquire Grubhub — another US food delivery app — fell through. Grubhub was later bought by European competitor Just Eat Takeaway. Uber said in its quarterly update earlier this year that it lost nearly $3 billion and its rides business was down some 80 percent in April. The rideshare giant noted, howe

The United States recorded at least 42,000 coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, the Johns Hopkins University tally showed Monday, as the country confronts a rapid surge in the disease. The new infections, concentrated in southern and western states, bring the total number of infections in the US to nearly 2.6 million, according to the Baltimore-based institution at 8:30pm (0030 GMT Tuesday). The number of daily US deaths in the world’s largest economic power continues to decline however, with 355 deaths in 24 hours. Several state governors have been forced to reimpose lockdowns on businesses such as restaurants and bars, though the White House blames the rise in cases to record. The COVID-19 pandemic is not even close to being over, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing on Monday. Tedros noted that, six months after China first alerted the WHO to a novel respiratory infection, the grim milestones of 10 million confirmed infections and

LAHORE: 723 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Punjab in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections in the province to 75,501. According to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, 46 more people died due to complications related to the virus, taking the death toll in the province to 1,727. Thus far, 27,147 patients have been cured of the disease in the province. 723 fresh cases were detected after 7,729 tests were conducted in the previous 24 hours. 1/3 #Punjab #COVID -19 Update: 30th June, 00:00 PST Total 723 new cases detected today taking total cases tally to 75,501 46 precious lives lost today, 1727 lives lost till date Recovered: 27,147 Tests today: 7,729 Total: 493,225 @UsmanAKBuzdar @GOPunjabPK @BBCUrdu — Primary Healthcare Department-Punjab (@PSHDept) June 29, 2020 According to district-wise details of cases, Lahore has so far reported 38,173, Nankana Sahib 285, Kasur 533, Shiekhupura 945, Rawalpindi 5,826, Jhe

Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two more Kashmiri youth in Anantnag district of occupied Kashmir on Tuesday, taking the number of youth martyred in the district since yesterday to five. The youth were martyred by the Indian troops during a cordon and search operation in Waghama area of the district. The Indian troops martyred three Kashmiri youth during a similar operation in Runipora area of the district, yesterday. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Tuesday urged the international community to take due cognizance of Indian atrocities against innocent Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and hold India accountable under international law and relevant human rights conventions. He said this in a special message for the online conference titled: “Kashmir: Regional and International Dimensions” organized at, Ankara University, Turkey. The Information Minister said United Nations and the international community mu

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday overturned the Sindh High Court (SHC) order of transferring the Mehar triple murder case to an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC),  ARY News reported. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam announced a reserved verdict on an appeal. The apex had reserved the judgment on May 29, 2020. Last year in the month of February, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had ordered hearing of Mehar triple murder case in an anti-terrorism court. The high court’s Sukkur bench announced its reserved judgment. Last month, Advocate Umme Rubab Chandio had leveled allegations against Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) for protecting the killers of her father and other family members. Read More:  Umm-e-Rubab out to avenge murder of family members meets Governor Sindh Addressing a press conference in Sukkur, she accused Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah of providing shelter to the killers and added that he is a major hurdle in the way of

KARACHI: An FIR of Monday’s terrorist attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) building has been registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). The FIR was registered at the CTD Civil Lines police station under sections of terrorism, possession of explosive material, encounter with the police, murder and attempted murder. Read More: ‘Intel agencies to trace mastermind of PSX attack within two days’ The sections include 302 (punishment for murder), 324 (murder attempt), 353 (attack on on-duty public servant) of the Pakistan  Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Other sections including those of the Sindh Arms Act have also been inserted into the FIR. Read More: BDS prepares report of PSX terror attack Four gunmen had attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi on Monday, killing two guards and a policeman before security forces killed all four of the attackers, police said. Separatist insurgents from Balochistan province – the Baloch

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court of Islamabad on Tuesday issued bailable arrest warrants against former president Asif Ali Zardari and started the process of declaring former premier Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender in a reference accusing them and ex-PM Yousuf Raza Gillani of receiving luxury vehicles and gifts from Toshakhana. A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor submitted a compliance report to Accountability Judge Asghar Ali stating that the bureau forwarded arrest warrants against Sharif, who is in London, through the Foreign Office. Observing that the PML-N supreme leader is not joining the trial proceedings intentionally, the judge issued directives for starting the process of declaring him a proclaimed offender over perpetual absence from the hearing. Read More: Toshakhana reference: Court issues non-bailable arrest warrants for Nawaz Sharif Senator Farooq H Naek, who represented the PPP co-chairman, moved an application on behalf of his client requesting

HYDERABAD: At least 10 cities of Sindh, including Karachi, plunged into darkness after a fire erupted at a 500KV grid station in Jamshoro early Tuesday morning, ARY News reported. According to details, a fire at the 500kv Jamshoro grid station of National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) left several cities of Sindh completely without power. A power outage was reported at Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Sehwan, Thana Bola Khan, Noriabad, Kotri, Tandojam, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Thatta, and several parts of Karachi. The power supply to Karachi was suspended too. The K-Electric, in a statement, said that the grid station provides power supply of 600 Megawatts to the city, of which 200 MW was suspended. The blaze was contained and extinguished within two hours. Four fire trucks participated in the operation. Read More:  K-Electric CEO briefs cabinet body over power supply situation The power was restored in Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Thatta, Badin, Kotri and Karachi after seven hours of ex

KARACHI: Gold rates continued their upward trend in the domestic market on Monday as per tola price of yellow metal rose to Rs104,100 after an increase of Rs9,00. Likewise, 10 gram gold price rose to Rs89,248 showing an increase of Rs771. Rate of precious yellow metal in international markets increased by $15 per ounce to $1,772.44, resulting in an increase in domestic prices of gold. Meanwhile, gold rates in international market held steady today (Tuesday) and were heading for their biggest quarterly rise in more than four years as fears over rising coronavirus cases around the world boosted demand for the safe-haven metal. Spot gold was mostly unchanged at $1,770.77 per ounce by 0052 GMT, just $8.29 shy of a near eight-year high of $1,779.06, hit last week. Bullion, with more than 12% gains this quarter, is on track for its best quarter since end-March 2016. Gold was also headed for its third straight monthly gain. U.S. gold futures were flat at $1,781.20. Confirmed COVID-19 c

ISLAMABAD: As many as 118 people lost their lives in the country in the past 24 hours due to complications related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the death toll to 4,304. According to latest data of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 2,846 new infections were detected after 20,930 tests were conducted in the previous 24 hours, taking the national tally of cases to 209,336. More than 1.28 million tests have been conducted in the country while 106,530 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment and 98,503 patients have recuperated from the disease. Read More: China’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate approved for military use 81,955 cases have been detected in Sindh so far, 75, 501 in Punjab, 26,115 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10,426  in Balochistan, 12, 775 in Islamabad, 1,065 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 1,470 in Gilgit Baltistan. Pandemic not even close to over The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that coronavirus pandemic is not even close to being ov

KARACHI: Inspector General of Police Sindh Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar on Monday announced a reward for the police team, which took part in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) operation, ARY News reported. He announced Rs2 million reward for the police team, which fought bravely with terrorists and foiled the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) terror attack. IGP Sindh said that the Rapid Response Force (RRF) of Sindh police fought with terrorists and killed the attackers at the entrance gate of the PSX building. Read More:  Four terrorists killed as security forces foil Pakistan Stock Exchange terror attack “Three security guards and one police officer were martyred as a result of the attack. Three policemen, three security guards and a citizen also got injured in the attack. At least 10 people were killed and several others injured after four suspected terrorists stormed the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday morning. Read More:  Pakistan registers record 78 new coronavirus deaths in pas

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday extended interim bail granted to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif until July 7. A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem, directed him to get himself tested for the novel coronavirus at the Institute of Public Health on July 2. Read More: Doctors advise Shehbaz Sharif to rest for three more weeks Shehbaz’s lawyer moved a fresh application in the LHC, requesting it to grant his client exemption from personal appearance in today’s hearing due to the virus saying he is feeling symptoms of the highly contagious disease even after 14 days of being diagnosed with it. A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) lawyer told the judges that Shehbaz Sharif was to take a COVID-19 test on June 25 but he has not done so yet. He will keep asking the court for more time this way, he added. Read More: Shehbaz Sharif tests positive for coronavirus The bench question

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Monday passed the Finance Bill 2020-21, giving the go-ahead to the budgetary proposals for the upcoming financial year, ARY News reported. The bill was moved by Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar. Speaking in the National Assembly, Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said the government presented a tax-free budget and it envisages relief measures not only for the construction sector but also for the promotion of mobile phone manufacturing and electric vehicles. He said it is the first time that the annual development plan carries the biggest allocations for Balochistan and Sindh. The Minister clarified that the government has not increased the sales tax or petroleum development levy on petroleum products. He said fuel prices have been increased keeping in view the upward trend in the international oil market. “Mafias in oil, sugar and flour will be brought to justice,” he added. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qu

KARACHI: Sindh Rangers Director General Umer Ahmed Bukhari has said gunemen who attempted to storm the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) building in today’s gun and grenade attack were exterminated within eight minutes of the attack. Speaking at a media briefing alongside Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon, he said the terrorists came in a car at 10:02 pm and were eliminated at 10:10 pm as a combined unit of security agencies foiled the attack in eight minutes. The Rangers DG said the attackers had planned to storm the PSX building for a long assault but two of them were killed at the entrance to the building while the other two were shot dead by security personnel later. Read More: Four terrorists killed as security forces foil Pakistan Stock Exchange terror attack He said they were armed to teeth as they had AK47s, hand grenades, and food. DG Bukhari quoted a tweet that attributed the terrorist attack to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The Rangers, police and security g

KARACHI: A policeman, deployed at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) building, fought bravely with terrorists and killed two attackers who tried to throw a hand grenade and enter into the PSX building from the main gate, ARY News reported on Monday. In a video, he explained how terrorists tried to enter into the premises of the PSX building and opened fire on the security guards who were performing their duties at the entrance gate of the stock market.  “I was performing duty at the main gate of PSX building… suddenly four terrorists came and opened fire on security officials. The attackers shot dead sub-inspector and security guards and also injured two other policemen,” he told reporters. The brave policeman said that first, he killed one of the terrorists who tried to enter the building from the main gate. Read More:  Four terrorists killed as security forces foil Pakistan Stock Exchange terror attack “The three other terrorists also tried to enter into the building and one of th

LONDON: British rock legends The Rolling Stones have threatened legal action against Donald Trump for the US president’s use of their song You Can’t Always Get What You Want  at campaign rallies. The band has appointed performing rights organisation BMI to try to stop him using the song, according to a statement given to US website, Deadline, overnight Saturday. “The BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorised use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement,” read the statement, which was retweeted by the Rolling Stones official Twitter account. “If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.” The letter is the latest in a campaign to stop Trump using the song at rallies which dates back to 2016. It was initially played at Republican party primaries. The BMI added that it has not yet received any response from la

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that a foreign hand is involved in today’s terrorist attack at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).  Taking to Twitter, he said the attack should be investigated from every aspect. “A foreign hand is involved in this attack and [Indian spy] Kulbhushan Jadhav-like network’s planning is behind it.” He lauded the law enforcement agencies’ performance for averting a huge loss by foiling the attack. کراچی اسٹاک ایکسچینج حملے کی ہر پہلو سے تحقیقات ہونی چاہئیں، اس حملے میں بیرونی ہاتھ ملوث ہے اور کلبھوشن یادیو جیسے نیٹ ورک کی پلاننگ شامل ہے، قانون نافذ کرنے والےاداروں کی شاندار کارکردگی نے بڑے نقصان سے بچایا، #سلام_پاکستان — Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) June 29, 2020 Read More: Four terrorists killed as security forces foil Pakistan Stock Exchange terror attack Earlier today, four gunmen attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi, killing two guards and a policeman before security forces kill

Black power, suffering and the fight for justice took center stage at the BET awards on Sunday, the first Black celebrity event in the United States since nationwide mass protests broke out this month over systemic racism. The show, which celebrates Black excellence in music, film, sports and philanthropy, was filled with speeches, songs, images of protests and the names of dozens of Black men and women who have died at the hands of police in recent years. Beyonce, who was given a humanitarian award by former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama for her charitable initiatives, urged the Black community to use its vote in upcoming U.S. elections to dismantle “racist and unequal systems.” “We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does,” the singer said. The awards show, broadcast live for the first time in its 20-year history on America’s mainstream CBS channel, featured commercials from the likes of Coca-Cola, Ford, Nissan, P&G, L’Oreal and Facebook that both celebrate

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, speaking during the ongoing budget session in the National Assembly, blasted Prime Minister Imran Khan over the government’s Covid-19 response. He said the premier now has only two options: either ask the public and the assembly for forgiveness for what he claimed destroying the national economy and endangering public lives or step down and let someone qualified take charge. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari lamented that the government dropped a petrol bomb on public even before the passage of the fiscal budget for the next year. He asked how can a minister issue a notification that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) is supposed to put out. Read More: Opposition rejects federal budget, announces Bilawal Bhutto He said the benefit of the recent fuel price hike went to oil companies, asking how ministers will visit their constituencies to face their constituents in the wake of the increase. The PPP leader sa