Category: ENGLISH

A board of doctors from the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) in Lahore met with former premier Nawaz Sharif on Saturday evening and is currently taking an initial medical history. The incarcerated former prime minister was given a warm reception by hospital staff upon his arrival at Services Hospital, the main teaching hospital of SIMS. Doctors said the first round of tests will take place after obtaining details regarding how Sharif is currently feeling. They also said that the recommendations provided by the board which had referred him to…

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The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday issued a flurry of notifications regarding upward revisions in the valuation rates of immovable property in 20 major cities of the country. The average increase in valuations is around 20 per cent, but some areas have seen a much sharper revision in taxable rates. The new rates, which the FBR will use to calculate withholding and capital gains taxes when properties in notified areas are bought and sold, are applicable from February 1, 2019. Among the largest cities, the area-wise categorisation of Karachireveals that…

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LAHORE: The National Accounta­bility Bureau (NAB) told an accountability court on Friday that a reference regarding the Ramzan Sugar Mills (RSM) was being prepared against Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and would soon be filed. NAB claims that Mr Sharif, being chief minister of Punjab, had issued a directive for the construction of a drain in Chiniot district primarily to benefit the sugar mills owned by his sons. It said Rs200 million was spent for this purpose from public money. NAB had already filed a…

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Islamabad (PR) Chairman Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU) Mr Ali Raza Syed called on Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad. Situation in Indian Held Kashmir and efforts on Kashmir issue in Europe were discussed during the one hour meeting.  Mr Ali Raza Syed praised Pakistan’s political and moral support for Kashmiris. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said, we shall continue our support to rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir along with raising voice against the violation of human rights in the occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Chairman Kashmir…

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Prime Minister Imran Khan has shed light on various subjects of national importance including the state of the economy, civil-military relations and governance issues in a wide-ranging interview broadcast on TV on Monday. In the pre-recorded interview, Khan answered questions by a panel of journalists representing various media organisations. Rupee devaluation The prime minister said he had found out about last week’s plunge in the value of rupee after watching the news. He said the decision to decrease the value of the currency against the US dollar was taken by…

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KARACHI: Security forces successfully foiled an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi’s Clifton Block-4 on Friday morning. Two policemen were martyred and a security guard injured as three gunmen tried to enter the consulate around 9:30am but were intercepted by security guards at a checkpoint, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Karachi Javed Alam Odho said. Retaliatory firing resulted in martyrdom of ASI Ashraf Dawood and Constable Amir, he stated. Three suspected suicide bombers were killed before they were able to enter the facility as forces successfully foiled the attack,…

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ISLAMABAD: The federal government and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) have reached an agreement to end countrywide protests over the acquittal of Asia Bibi, sources informed Geo News. The sources said that the ongoing protests are expected to be ended in the hours to come. A five-point document of the agreement between the two sides has surfaced. According to the agreement, the government will have no objection to a review petition filed in the case of Asia Bibi. It said that due process will be followed immediately to include the name of…

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday disqualified PML-N senators Haroon Akhtar and Sadia Abbasi for holding dual nationalities at the time of filing their nomination papers for the upper house of the parliament. Bilal Manto, who is assisting the SC in the case, said that whether or not a nationality could be completely renounced depends on that particular country’s laws. Citing Canada as an example, Manto said that the Canadian law does not allow its citizens to give up its nationality altogether once it has been procured. Following Manto’s argument, Chief…

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Dawn ISLAMABAD: Pakistan expects the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to regain pace after a visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Beijing next month with the signing of a framework agreement on industrial zones, progress on agricultural cooperation and addition of a social sector joint working group. A senior government official told Dawn on Monday that notwithstanding adverse commentary in the US and western media, the prime minister’s visit to China would reinvigorate the CPEC implementation that had slowed down over the past several months owing to political transition in…

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Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday held a meeting with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford at the PM House in Islamabad. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa were also present in the PM’s meeting with the US delegation. Following the meeting, Pompeo and company left for India, where the US delegation is scheduled to hold a more elaborate round of talks. ‘I decided against raising the $300m issue’: Qureshi “The Pakistani…

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Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the General Headquarters, Rawalpindi on Thursday morning for a security briefing, the army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a tweet. “Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived to visit GHQ. Received on arrival by COAS [Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa]. PM being briefed on defence, internal security and other professional matters,” ISPR said. “Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Information and Minister of State for Interior are accompanying the PM,” it added. The Thursday meeting follows PM Khan and Gen Bajwa’s first-ever…

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PM-elect Imran Khan has taken oath as the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan at a ceremony being held at the President House. Khan, who outvoted opposition and PML-N candidate Shahbaz Sharif in the PM’s election on Friday, was administered his oath by President Mamnoon Hussain. The oath-taking ceremony, which was scheduled to begin at 9:30am, started a little after 10am. Clad in a black sherwani, the prime minister-elect arrived at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad from his Banigala residence. His wife Bushra Imran had already arrived for the ceremony. The ceremony commenced…

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The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday took former president Asif Zardari’s close aide and Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed into custody outside the Supreme Court, where he and his family appeared today after repeated absences from hearings of a case pertaining to money laundering through fake bank accounts. Majeed and his family had been summoned to court on Aug 13 for the previous hearing of the case, but had not appeared before the three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar. The CJP had then rejected the Majeed…

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Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) Asad Qaiser was sworn in as National Assembly (NA) speaker on Wednesday, beating out the candidate fielded by a fragile opposition alliance, PPP stalwart Khursheed Shah, in a secret ballot. Qaiser, the former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker, received 176 votes to Shah’s 146 votes. Eight votes were rejected. Following the announcement, Sadiq administered oath to Qaiser among loud chants of vote ko izzat do by opposition lawmakers. Qaiser, after the announcement, made a round of the opposition benches and shook hands with opposition leaders seated in the front row…

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