Shahzad Sheikh, an actor, is celebrating his 39th birthday with pals.
Shahzad shared a bunch of pictures on his Instagram handle with a caption saying, “Salgirah Mubarak Mujhe Thank you everyone for your love and warm wishes.”
Over the weekend, Shahzad was joined by prominent pals such as Yasir Hussain and Iqra Aziz for an exclusive birthday celebration.
Fans can also identify famed filmmaker Wajahat Rauf, his wife Shazia Wajahat, and actor Hassan Ahmed in the photos.
Yasir Hussain afterwards took to Instagram and wished Shahzad in a heartfelt post.
“Happy Birthday @shahzadsheikh37 . Allah teri har khuwahish poori kary . sehet k sath lambi zindagi Ata kary . Ameen,” Yasir wrote alongside a photo of himself and Iqra with the actor.
KARACHI: Pakistan continues to see a drop in coronavirus infections, with the positive rate falling below 4% for the first time in almost four months on Sunday.
On June 3, Pakistan recorded a COVID-19 positive rate of 3.9 percent.
Statistics 26 Sep 21: Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 44,712 Positive Cases: 1780 Positivity %: 3.98% Deaths : 42 Patients on Critical Care: 4199
According to the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) most recent figures, the country’s positive rate is now at 3.98 percent as of Sunday morning.
In the previous 24 hours, 44,712 tests were performed around the country, with 1,780 coming back positive.
Meanwhile, 42 more people died of the coronavirus in the country over the same time period, bringing the total death toll from the virus to 27,566.
According to NCOC data, the country’s total caseload has grown to 1,238,668 with the addition of 1,780 new infections.
Official statistics revealed Saturday morning that the number of active coronavirus cases in Pakistan has fallen below 60,000 for the first time in over two months.
The number of active cases in the country has dropped to 52,042. On July 29, the nation recorded 59,761 active cases.
Active cases have been declining steadily for more than a week, with new recoveries outnumbering new cases recorded everyday. There are 4,267 individuals in critical condition among the current cases.
Karachi: National Bank of Pakistan inaugurated a state-of-art, modern and fully technologically equipped Learning & Development Center at FTC Karachi on September 20, 2021 to provide latest and industry driven learning and development opportunities to its employees.
The center aims to align staff goals and performance with the Banks strategy, objective and needs.
The center was inaugurated by Arif Usmani, President and CEO National Bank of Pakistan along with Group Chiefs.
Speaking at the occasion, Usmani said that NBP is transforming its human capital to be a competitive resource by equipping them with the desired skill set in line with modern banking environment and future challenges.
Asma Shaikh, SEVP & Group Chief Human Resource Management Group said that NBP through this L&D Center shall support all endeavors to bring professionalism in the management of people through training and development and shall nurture the learning environment amidst a culture of trust.
Learning and Development headed by Saniha Jafri, EVP / Divisional Head L&D is shifting its focus towards need based learning and inclusive culture by employing latest industry practices coupled with cutting edge technology to encourage professional development.
The event was attended by Ex Com Members, HRMG Team and Logistics Communications & Marketing Team.
Karachi: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has revised Prudential Regulations (PRS) for Consumer Financing.
This targeted step will help to moderate demand growth in the economy, leading to slower import growth and thus supporting the balance-of-payments.
The changes in the PRs effectively prohibit financing for imported vehicles, and tighten regulatory requirements for financing of domestically manufactured/assembled vehicles of more than 1000 cc engine capacity and other Consumer Finance facilities like personal loans and credit cards.
Following changes have been made in this regard:
• Maximum tenure of auto finance has been reduced from seven (7) to five (5) years;
• Maximum tenure of personal loan has been reduced from five (5) to four (4) years
• Maximum debt-burden ratio, allowed to a borrower, has been decreased from 50 to 40 percent;
• Overall auto financing limits availed by one person from all banks/DFIs, in aggregate, will not exceed Rs3,000,000, at any point in time;
• Minimum down payment for auto financing has been increased from 15 percent to 30 percent.
With the objective to protect lower to middle income category purchases, these new regulations are not applicable to locally manufactured or assembled vehicles of up to 1,000 cc engine capacity.
They are also not applicable to locally manufactured electric vehicles to promote use of clean energy. The financing of these two categories of vehicles will continue to be governed by previous set of regulations.
Further, in order to encourage Roshan Digital Accounts and facilitate overseas Pakistan who have opened these accounts, regulatory instructions for Roshan Apni Car product of the banks or DFIs have also not been changed.
Karachi: Committed to supporting the fight against COVID-19, K-Electric has launched a fleet of Mobile Health Vaccination Units to facilitate access to vaccines in communities across Karachi and its adjoining areas.
These Mobile Health Vaccination Units are a collaboration between the Government of Sindh, K-Electric, and HANDS, a leading non-profit organization in Pakistan.
The fleet was inaugurated by Chairman NEPRA Tauseef Farooqi on a recent visit of NEPRA’s delegation to Karachi.
A fleet of 5 customized vehicles will be visiting areas across Karachi including Surjani, Korangi, Bin Qasim, and also the remote areas of Uthal, Bela, Vinder, among others to provide free COVID vaccinations to the residents who may have otherwise faced difficulty in securing their immunization.
K-Electric has recently attained 100% vaccination for its facilities across Karachi, including its 5 generation plants, 71 grid stations, and its citywide network of distribution and transmission operation centers that work 24/7 to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to Pakistan’s largest metropolis.
This also includes the power utility’s customer-facing touchpoints of 30 Customer Care Centers across the city which cumulatively cater to over 3 million consumers on an annual basis.
As early as May of this year, the power utility partnered with the Government of Sindh’s Ministry of Health to establish fully equipped vaccination centers at its certified Elander Road and Nazimbad facilities for its employees as well as their family members.
The power sector has been making a concerted effort to achieve a COVID-Free Pakistan in line with the vision of the National Power Electric Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).
Latest reports on the regulator’s website indicate that over 5.5 million individuals have been vaccinated across the country, with other top performers including HUBCO (Narowal Energy Limited) and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). With over 10,000 employees and their family members vaccinated, KE has also been recognized as a top performer in the power sector.
Commenting on the occasion, Imran Rana, Director Communications, K-Electric said, “Having successfully achieved 100% vaccination for our facilities, we consider it our responsibility as corporate citizens to protect our communities and flatten the curve as much as possible.
We are also grateful for the support of the Government of Sindh for providing us the vaccines which will aid us in their delivery efforts.”
In line with the Government of Pakistan’s SOPs and guidelines, K-Electric urged all citizens to get vaccinated at the earliest and has been utilizing its communication platforms to raise awareness on the same.
Strict protocols have been implemented across facilities to only allow entry to individuals who carry vaccination certificates for the safety of staff and customers alike.
At the same time, KE has leveraged technology and digitization to support consumers in staying remotely connected with the utility for queries and complaints, which has been accelerated since the advent of COVID-19.
Apple has began beta testing iOS 15.1 just one day after the release of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. On Tuesday, September 21, the first beta was made available to developers. The public beta tests usually begin within a day or two.
The inclusion of SharePlay is the most notable change in iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1. It was originally intended to be released alongside iOS 15, however it was pushed back to a later software upgrade. That appears to be happening sooner rather than later. It is conceivable, though, that it will be removed from the official iOS 15.1 release and pushed back again.
SharePlay is back in iOS 15.1 after being bumped from the initial iOS 15 release. SharePlay allows users to watch videos or listen to music while on a FaceTime chat with others, with content synced.
You’ll be able to upload your immunization record to the Health app in iOS 15.1. It might already be there if your health care provider already syncs medical records with your Health app. You will then be able to upload a confirmed vaccination record card to the Wallet app, which will include a QR code that can be scanned by any organizations who wish to verify your vaccination status.
This isn’t the only way to keep track of your vaccinations on your iPhone. If you don’t have iOS 15.1 yet, we have a feature that shows you how to properly save your COVID immunization card on your iPhone.
Angelina Jolie accuses her ex-husband Brad Pitt of abusing his celebrity status to gain preferential treatment in their divorce proceedings.
The Salt actor’s claims come after Pitt’s lawyers filed a motion to reverse a decision to disqualify the judge who had previously presided over the ex-custody couple’s battle.
According to court documents published by Page Six, Jolie’s legal team claimed: “This type of gamesmanship, a last-ditch attempt by a celebrity plaintiff demanding special treatment, is not what this Court’s limited review resources are for.”
“There is nothing here to see or review. There is no problem satisfying this Court’s stringent requirements for, or deserving of, review,” they said.
In June, the ex-couple was granted shared custody of their children.
Only a month later, however, Jolie’s legal team convinced a California appeals court that Judge John Ouderkirk, who was supervising the case, should be removed due to Pitt’s attorneys failing to disclose past connections with him.
“There is no significant doubt that a privately compensated judge who has formed a favorable recurrent customer relationship with one litigant’s counsel without full disclosure must be disqualified,” the petition read.
KARACHI: Pakistan, on Wednesday, recorded a positive ratio of less than 5% for the fifth consecutive day, following a fatal fourth wave of coronavirus.
According to National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) statistics, about 2,333 new infections occurred in the previous 24 hours after 51,139 tests were performed, bringing the overall caseload to 1,230,238 across the country.
Across the country, the positive ratio is 4.56 percent. The number of ongoing cases has risen to 61,947, with a total of 1,140,917 recoveries made countrywide. Since more than a week, the number of active cases has steadily decreased. There are 4,641 individuals in critical condition among the current cases.
At least 47 additional people died of coronavirus, bringing the national death toll to 27,374, according to NCOC statistics.
Pakistan had reported the lowest number of single-day infections in the past two months a day earlier, with 1,897 new cases. On July 24, the nation recorded a similar daily case total of 1,841 instances.
In Pakistan, coronavirus cases are declining, with an average of 2,546 new cases recorded each day. That is 43% of the peak, which was the highest day average observed on June 17.
As off now Pakistan has carried out at least 74,837,117 doses of COVID vaccines. Every person needs 2 doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 17.3% of the population.
During the last week almost 784,687 doses were administered each day. It will take 56 days more to carry out enough doses for another 10% of the population.
British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner, in a video message a day after England had abandoned their tour to Pakistan, said that England Cricket Board (ECB), an independent of the British government, made the decision to cancel their Pakistan Tour.
According to him, the British High Commission in Islamabad did not order England to abandon the tour to Pakistan.
Turner took to Twitter on Tuesday to share the message.
According to the ambassador, the British High Commission approved the visit, did not advise against it, and its travel advice for Pakistan has not altered.
According to the ambassador, “This was a decision made by the ECB, which is independent of the British government, based on concerns for player welfare.”
“I have been a champion of international cricket’s return to Pakistan and will redouble my efforts in advance of England’s Autumn 2022 tour,” Turner added.
The ambassador expressed his sadness and hoped to soon hear the “roar of full cricket stadiums again” and thanked all officials at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) who had worked extremely hard to bring international cricket back to the country.
After the England and New Zealand cricket teams cancelled their visits to Pakistan only hours before the high commissioner’s video message, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said the term “absolutely not” comes at a cost that nations must pay if they want to have their heads held high.
Prime Minister Imran Khan stated unequivocally in June that Pakistan will “absolutely not” provide military sites to the US for operations in Afghanistan following the latter’s army withdrawal – months before the Taliban seized over the nation.
In a scathing response to the ECB’s postponement of the visit, PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja expressed his displeasure with England.
Netflix provides something for everyone, but there’s also a lot of garbage on it that you don’t want to spend your precious time on. Therefore, Day News has brought you the list of greatest TV shows on Netflix that will help you avoid the mediocre shows and uncover the finest shows to watch. We have picked some of the binge worthy must-see shows you don’t want to miss.
Let’s get in to it without further ado.
1. Lupin
Image credit: Netflix
The term ‘Lupin’ may conjure up images of a million anime films, and the protagonist of this French series is inspired on robber figure Arsène Lupin.
Assane Diop is played by Omar Sy, the son of a Senegalese immigrant who was wrongfully imprisoned for stealing at the request of his wealthy employer. Decades after his father commits himself, Assane plans vengeance on the employer’s family, employing ‘gentleman thief’ techniques inspired by Lupin.
This entertaining series is directed by The Incredible Hulk’s Louis Leterrier, and with only five episodes accessible right now, it won’t take you long to go through it.
2. Love, Death and Robots
Image credit: Netflix
Love, Death, and Robots, an adult CG animated anthology, has now returned for a second, shorter season of episodes. The quality fluctuates across episodes, as it does with any anthologies, but as a whole, this program has a lot to offer.
The concepts range from comedy to drama, with a grim twist at the core of the series — what happens if a home-cleaning device begins attempting to murder its owner? What happens if a yoghurt tries to take over the world? Sometimes an event is as basic as a lady fleeing from a murderer after witnessing a heinous crime.
Because the episodes are so short, you’ll be able to go through the entire series in no time. Love, Death, and Robots has some of the finest sci-fi thrills on Netflix; we only wish there were more of it.
3. The Crown
Image credit: Netflix
The Crown was Netflix’s first major foray into a British prestige drama, the likes of which are usually reserved for the BBC. The show’s massive budget resulted in a sumptuous portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II’s life, initially performed by Claire Foy and most recently by Olivia Colman in season 3, with a fantastic ensemble cast to boot.
Even if you have conflicting views about the royal family in real life, this straightforward drama is certainly worth seeing.
4. The Queen’s Gambit
Image credit: Netflix
This seven-episode miniseries was the greatest Netflix program of 2020 — and while chess may not seem thrilling, The Queen’s Gambit manages to weave it into a story of self-actualization, romance, and drug abuse. Anya Taylor-Joy plays Beth Harmon, an orphan who is taught to play chess by a brilliant janitor before taking on the male-dominated chess world. Essentially, her abilities provide her a somewhat better existence, but at a cost.
Even if you don’t know how to play chess, these competitive moments in The Queen’s Job are thrilling to watch, and Taylor-Joy does an excellent job of bringing to life a woman whose remarkable abilities conceal the reality that she’s always struggling with addiction. This adaptation, based on the novel of the same name, has Scott Frank as one of its co-creators, who previously created another of Netflix’s greatest programs, the Western drama Godless.
5. Dark
Image credit: Netflix
Dark is a complex, time-travel-infused program that, once you’ve given it a chance, is completely captivating. We recommend viewing all three seasons of this now-complete Netflix sci-fi program in one long session over a few weeks, just so you can keep track of what’s going on. We also recommend not reading too much about it: just go in and be astonished by how well-plotted and cast this German-language series is.
If you want to watch drama that’ll give your brain a workout then this is the best Netflix show to watch right now.
KARACHI: Due to a supply of foreign currency during the day, the rupee recovered 20 paisas against the dollar on Tuesday, dealers said.
The rupee closed the day at Rs168.52 per dollar, down from the previous day’s close of Rs168.72 in the interbank foreign currency market.
During the day, the market saw inflows of export revenues and worker remittances, which helped the rupee regain value versus the dollar, according to traders.
The demand for foreign currency remained strong owing to external payments pressure, according to dealers, who added that the expansion of the current account and trade deficits also contributed to the market’s negative attitude.
KARACHI: New Zealand captain Tom Latham praised Pakistani officials and security personnel for their treatment of the visiting team, saying the series ended abruptly and disappointingly.
The New Zealand skipper stated in an interview after the Kiwis cancelled the Pakistan trip last week that the abrupt conclusion to the tour was “naturally disappointing,” saying that Pakistan cricket supporters were unhappy after waiting a long time for international cricket to restart in the country.
Latham and the rest of the squad were ecstatic to be back in Pakistan after an 18-year absence. He recollected how delighted and enthused Pakistan captain Babar Azam was a day before the series was called off.
“He was very happy that international cricket was resuming in Pakistan,” Latham said while narrating about Babar Azam’s excitement, “for us [New Zealand squad] to be there too,” he added.
Latham stated that when the series was canceled, the Pakistani officials were quite nice to the squad and kept them comfortable for the following 24 hours.
When the match was initially postponed last week on Friday, everyone was surprised, according to the Black Caps captain. He stated that the safety of the players was of the utmost importance to the New Zealand Cricket Association and others.
England cancelation of Pakistan tour
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to postpone its tour to Pakistan on Monday, only days after New Zealand withdrew their squad at the last minute owing to “security” concerns.
The ECB expressed regret and said, “we understand that this decision will be a significant disappointment to the PCB”.
The ECB, on the other hand, has stated that the “mental and physical well-being” of its players and support staff is their top priority, which is even more critical given the times “we are currently living in.”
The men’s and women’s England teams were scheduled to play two Twenty20 matches in Rawalpindi on October 13 and 14. The women’s team will also play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in Pakistan on October 17, 19, and 21.
The ECB stated that it has a “longstanding commitment” to tour Pakistan as part of the Men’s Future Tours Programme in 2022, and that it has agreed to play two additional T20 World Cup warm-up games in October, as well as a short women’s tour with double headers alongside the men’s games.
Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik’s daughter Khai celebrated her first birthday at the Hadid household over the weekend, which was full with love and happiness.
According to the most recent images that have appeared on social media, the birthday girl is surrounded by her family on her first birthday, who shower her with gifts and affection.
Mohamed Hadid, the model’s father and a real estate magnate, shared photos from his son’s birthday on Instagram, leaving admirers stunned.
In the latest images, Grandpa Hadid wore bunny ears to entertain Khai, who was surrounded by toys and balloons.
Gigi’s sister and supermodel, Bella Hadid, also posted a heartfelt message for her baby niece congratulating on her first birthday on Sunday, accompanied by an lovely photo dump.
Bella wrote to her, ““Happy Birthday to the most precious gift our family has ever received… I had no idea my heart could get so large!!!! You make me happy when I’m sad and sad when I’m happy just by being alive”.
She added, “I can’t wait to watch you grow into the most perfect specimen of all @gigihadid @zayn thank you for my forever best friend.”
KARACHI: Pakistan recorded 1,897 new cases of COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours on Tuesday, the fewest single-day infections in the prior two months.
Pakistan’s COVID-19 positive rate has also plummeted to its lowest level since July 11, at 4.10 percent, as virus infections in the nation continue to diminish.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Pakistan’s overall number of cases has risen to 1,227,905 with the latest updates, with 81 deaths in the previous 24 hours bringing the country’s death toll to 27,327. Punjab had the highest fatalities, followed by Sindh.
According to the NCOC, Pakistan tested for the virus 46,231 times in the previous 24 hours. Meanwhile, at least 2,618 people have recovered from the infection in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,137,656.
The total number of current cases is 62,922. Over the previous week, the number of active cases has steadily decreased. There are 4,846 individuals in critical condition among the current cases.
Pakistan had recorded another 40 fatalities from COVID-19 a day earlier, marking the first time in more than a month that the country has recorded less than 50 deaths from the virus in a single day, having previously reported 46 deaths on August 4.
The total active COVID-19 cases in Sindh are 12,306, 18,198 in Punjab, 9,011 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 4,408 in Islamabad Capital Territory, 1,268 in Balochistan, 356 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 684 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, according to a province-by-province breakdown.
COVID- In Pakistan, 19 infections are declining, with an average of 2,642 new cases recorded each day. That is 45 percent of the peak, which was the highest day average observed on June 17.
Pakistan saw an average of 794,361 dosages each day during the most recent week recorded. At such rate, it will take an additional 55 days to deliver enough doses to cover the remaining 10% of the population.
So far, Pakistan has administered at least 73,831,778 doses of COVID vaccination. Assuming that each individual requires two doses, that would be enough to vaccinate around 17% of the country’s population.
Major General Babar Iftikhar, Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), stated that certain prominent foreign and Indian media outlets wrote and aired fake news articles in an attempt to spread Pakistan’s meddling in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs.
The spokesperson for the military’s media wing told a local press conference that the way Indian journalists and media outlets propagated misinformation about the Panjshir war revealed that they depended on falsified and contrived facts.
“Pakistan is in constant contact with Afghan Taliban leaders to defend the national security of the country,” the ISPR DG stated.
He further added that, “We have no reason to doubt their intentions, and that is why we are in constant touch with them to protect our national interest”.
The Afghan Taliban has stated on several times that they will not allow any party or organization to utilize Afghan territory for terrorist purposes.
According to Major General Babar, Pakistan is sure that the Taliban would keep their promise of not permitting any terrorist organization to utilize Afghan territory against any country, including Pakistan.
He added that since the Taliban gained control of the Afghan capital Kabul last month, Pakistan has been urging the international community to help reconstruct the war-torn country in order to maintain peace and stability.
“Pakistan has also pushed the Afghan Taliban to create an inclusive administration that included Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks,” said he.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also declared last week that he has begun talks with the Taliban to form an inclusive administration, according to the ISPR DG.
He stated that after 40 years of fighting, this all-inclusive effort would secure peace and stability in Afghanistan, which was not only in the interest of Afghanistan but also of the region.
Major General Babar Iftikhar stated that border management was constantly being improved and that it would be totally safe in the near future.
“Our aim has always been better administration on this side of the border,” he added, adding that fencing the Pakistan-Afghan border was a significant duty given the region’s vastness and other obstacles.
Karachi: Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi visited K-Electric’s Bin Qasim Power Station 3 (BQPS-III) on Monday and was apprised of the progress on the USD 650 million mega project which will add almost 900 MW of electricity to Karachi’s power supply.
The meeting was also attended by the Chairman of Port Qasim Authority, Rear Admiral (R) Syed Hasan Nasir Shah HI(M), and members of the industrial community from Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry (BQATI).
The Minister and KE’s Senior Management discussed the status of industries in the Port Qasim area and the measures being taken to facilitate existing industrial consumers and future growth in the area.
Reports indicate that Karachi continues to grow at a faster rate in comparison to the rest of the country, and the city will experience a correlated increase in demand for electricity.
As per KE’s estimates, there is an anticipated 700 MW of growth in demand in the next few years, with almost half of this coming from industrial consumers.
Speaking on the visit, Minister for Maritime Affairs said, “it’s good to see a concerted effort being made by KE to meet Karachi’s power demands. It’s also encouraging to note that this plant will be running on RLNG which is environmentally friendly, and the additional power will boost industrial productivity and drive a corresponding growth in the activity at our ports.
The Federal Government is resolved to work with KE to address the power challenges in Karachi keeping in mind the growing power demand of the city.”
BQPS-III is among the fastest projects of its kind to be commissioned, with work progressing swiftly since December 2019.
Over 4 million man-hours have been employed in bringing the project online as quickly as possible to meet Karachi’s growing power demand. The first unit of 450 MW is expected to be energized as soon as possible and the second unit will follow soon after.
BQPS-III is utilizing the latest in power generation technology and will be among the top 5 highest efficiency plants in the country upon completion.
In August this year, KE entered into an historic Gas Supply Agreement with Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) for the provision of 150mmfcd RLNG for the project.
This is the first time that a government entity is signing a GSA with a private company. The signing ceremony, conducted in Islamabad, was witnessed by Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar and SAPM Tabish Gauhar.
CEO K-Electric Moonis Alvi said, “we are pleased to host the Honorable Minister at our plant and show him first-hand the progress and scale of work we are undertaking.
BQPS-III testifies to KE’s commitment to Karachi, and we appreciate the support of the Ministry of Energy, NEPRA, and associated departments of the Federal Government in enabling us to make this a reality.”
KE has been working actively to bolster its infrastructure with an investment of over PKR 400 billion since privatization.
This has enabled the company to double its transmission and distribution network and also bring down line losses to approximately 17% at the close of FY21.
The company is working closely with the Federal Government and associated ministries under the guidance of NEPRA to build interconnections to draw additional power from the National Grid which will further support Karachi’s industrial and economic development.
Following New Zealand’s abrupt and sad cancellation of Pakistan tour due to security concerns only one day before the tour was scheduled to begin, Romanian pop band Akcent has expressed their love and support for Pakistan.
On Friday, New Zealand’s squad was set to face Pakistan in its first match on Pakistani soil in 18 years.
New Zealand’s national sports body, on the other hand, published a statement stating the trip had been “abandoned” owing to a government security warning.
“The Black Caps have decided not to continue with the trip after an escalation in the New Zealand Government’s risk ratings for Pakistan, as well as advice from NZC security specialists on the ground,” the statement said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated NZC had cancelled the visit “unilaterally” despite “foolproof security measures” for the series, which was to include three One Day International matches in Rawalpindi and five Twenty20 matches in Lahore.
A statement from the PCB stated, “PCB is willing to resume the planned matches.” “However, this last-minute pullout would upset cricket fans in Pakistan and throughout the world.”
This is not the first time the band has praised Pakistan. The singer on numerous occasions, like Pakistan’s independence day and defense day, was seen praising and congratulating in the video. He also took part in the “pawri horahi hai” trend via his twitter handle.
He also shares his pictures on Facebook and Twitter account holding Pakistan’s flag and chanting national songs.
The Security Forces on Monday during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan killed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist commander Safiullah and also recovered a huge cache of weapons and ammunition.
According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) media statement, the terrorist Safiullah belonged to Mir Ali and was engaged in the assassination of four ladies from an NGO in February 2021 and the target killing of Frontier Works Organization (FWO) engineers in November 2020.
He was also involved in the planning and execution of IED assaults on security personnel, extortion, and kidnapping for ransom, according to the report.
New Zealand’s pacer, Mitchell McClenaghan, does not believe Pakistani cricketers and supporters should be criticizing New Zealanders for canceling the two-nation trip.
The Kiwi pacer reacted to veteran Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez in a tweet that has since been removed, after Hafeez criticized New Zealand’s cricketing officials on Saturday when the Kiwis flew out of Pakistan claiming a “security alert.”
Hafeez took to Twitter to say, “Thanks to the security of the Pakistan forces [who made] arrangements [for] @BLACKCAPS to reach [the] airport safe and sound. Wonder same route and same security, but no threat today???”
He shared a picture of the New Zealand cricket team and staff at the Islamabad airport, departing the country.
The blame for the tour cancellation, according to the 35-year-old McClenaghan, lies with the New Zealand government, not NZC or the players.
“Come now bro. This has a bad taste to it… Don’t blame the players or the organisation… blame our government,” McClenaghan said on his Twitter handle, now a deleted tweet.
He added, “they have only acted on the advice they have received. I’m absolutely certain these young men – all wanting to prove themselves wanted to play. they had no choice.”
The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) board dropped out of the much-anticipated trip on Friday, just hours before the first ODI match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, citing a security alert from their government. Despite assurances from Pakistani officials that the squad would be safe, the series was canceled.
New Zealand Cricket’s decision to withdraw its players from the series was a “unilateral” move made by the Kiwis without contacting the PCB, according to the PCB.
Thanks to the secutity of pakistan forces to make arrangements to @BLACKCAPS to reach at airport Safe & Sound. Wonder same route & same security but no threat today??? pic.twitter.com/mwxq6AFjyT
KARACHI: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is scheduled to announce the policy rate at 4:30 p.m. today (Monday).
Due to the present economic scenario, experts predict that the interest rate will remain at 7%.
SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir stated in July’s policy statement that the policy rate had been held at 7 percent for more than a year to assist the economy amid the Covid-19 epidemic.
#SBP will tweet the decision of the Monetary Policy Committee at 4:30 PM today and upload it on SBP website at the same time. Follow SBP @StateBank_Pak to receive timely announcements and information from SBP.
He attributed the country’s 3.94 percent economic growth to “consistent monetary policy” and other SBP efforts.
The MPC of the SBP sets the benchmark interest rate at least six times a year, depending on the state of the economy.
It is the source of the majority of the economy’s borrowing and lending. A low interest rate makes credit more accessible, therefore revving up the economy’s gears. However, it also carries the hazards of an overheating economy. As prices rise as a result of too much money, central banks raise the key interest rate to combat inflation.
The SBP has kept the policy rate at 13.25 percent since June of last year, when it was lowered from 13.25 percent in roughly three months following the outbreak of Covid-19.
Because the interest rate has stayed constant for more than a year and inflation is greater than the interest rate, monetary policy is crucial for stakeholders, notably the business sector. As a result, the real interest rate is negative.
Islamabad: On September 24, Prime Minister Imran Khan will deliver a virtual speech to the United Nations General Assembly’s 76th session, focusing on the developing situation in Afghanistan and the Kashmir problem.
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram explained Islamabad’s position on the session, saying, “We will participate fully in the General Assembly session.”
“Building resilience through hope – to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainability, react to the demands of the earth, protect people’s rights, and reinvigorate the United Nations” is the theme for this year.
Considering that the world is facing multiple challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador explained the devastating impact on developing countries’ economies, and the ever-increasing threat of frequent climate disasters.
Akram also noted that these threats coincide with rising tensions between great powers, particularly the United States and China, a new arms race, and persistent and proliferating conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and South America.
“Pakistan’s policy statement”, Akram said, “is expected to make known Islamabad’s perspective on significant global economic and political issues.”
In addition, Prime Minister Khan’s speech will address the dire situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the rapidly changing scenario in Afghanistan.
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Saunday has asserted that the 2023 general elections will only be held after electoral reforms take place.
The minister announced this while adressing a press conference on Sunday in Islamabad demaned that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja should resign and join politics if he cannot refrain from controversies.
Chaudhry was accompanied by Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz, as he continued his criticism of Chief Election Commissioner.
“A campaign is being run against EVMs,” he added accused the CEC and the Opposition “are speaking the same tongue”
He also condemned the CEC and Opposition for placing barriers in the way of electoral reforms.
Chaudhry also suspected and said that the CEC is against EVMs “under some agenda”.
He further said that the objections raised on the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) were imposed “deliberately” and only 10 out of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) 37 objections were pertained to the EVMs.
The ECP “disappearing” all points in it’s report, Chaudry accused, were in favour of EVM.
Chaudhry also demanded explanation for CEC’s absence in meetings attended by the president. He remarked “this is not a banana republic” for him to behave this way.
“He doesn’t bother about the Supreme Court, the president of Pakistan, National Database and Registration Authority, or anything, if he is not in a good mood,” Fawad Chaudry alleged.
“This is the first time in Pakistan’s history, The minister said that the government is thinking about bringing election reforms, as in the past it was always the Opposition that spoke about it.
“The reforms introduced by the government have increased the people’s trust in the voting process far beyond the previous 33% and everyone agrees that the current election system needs reforms,” said Chaudhry.
He restated that PTI has always favored electoral reforms and EVMs since they want impartial and transparent elections.
Chaudhry questioned the Opposition and ECP to put forward their opinions for reforms if they don’t approve of the ones introduced by the government.
“The government will invite two members of the ECP to come along and review the points raised by CEC Raja in the ECP report,” said the minister.
