SAHIWAL, July 12(ABC): PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz Monday announced “good news” for the people of Pakistan as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will soon unveil the “biggest relief package” for the nation. Addressing a jalsa in constituency PP-202, ahead of by-polls in Punjab scheduled to be held on July 17, Maryam said that unlike former prime minister Imran Khan, PM Shehbaz never …

LODHRAN, July 12(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan warned the rulers Monday that no matter where they go, the people of Pakistan will call them “thieves and traitors”. Addressing a rally in Lodhran ahead of the by-polls scheduled to be held on July 17 in Punjab, the former prime minister referred to the incident that took place with Minister for Planning, Development, and …

ISLAMABAD, July 12(ABC): Pakistan has recorded the highest COVID-19 positivity ratio of 5.46% during a single day after a gap of five months, the National Institute of Health (NIH) data showed Tuesday morning. The last time the country recorded such a high positivity ratio — 5.55% — was on February 17. The number of deaths stood at 40 at the …

KARACHI, July 11(ABC): The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast light to moderate showers in the metropolis today under the influence of a strong weather system as overnight showers sunk parts of the city including DHA and Clifton, ruining Eid-ul-Azha of the Karachiites. Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfraz said the city is likely to receive intermittent light to moderate rain throughout …

LAHORE, July 10(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that the petrol price will soon be decreased and the issues of the public will be resolved. He said this in his meeting Punjab Governor Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman who called on him in Lahore on Sunday. During the meeting, they exchanged Eid greetings and discussed various matters of interest. Speaking on …

FAISALABAD, July 10(ABC): Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah said on Sunday that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was making them dance to the beat despite taking difficult decisions. Talking to media in Faisalabad on Sunday, he said that the international lender is twisting the government round its little finger. We have increased prices of petroleum products but the IMF is …

JEHLUM, July 10(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said on Sunday that his party will win 18 seats in the upcoming by-polls on Punjab Assembly seats. The former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has no vote bank and it would be wiped out in the by-polls. The PTI leader further said that …

MULTAN, July 10(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that country could fase Sri Lanka like situation if the Punjab by-polls are not fair. Talking to media representatives after offering Eid prayers, the former foreign minister said that inflation has skyrocketed since the new government took charge. Fuel, oil, ghee and other essential item prices have been …

ISLAMABAD, July 10(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a telephone conversation with President of Iran Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, has called for the early convening of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) to further strengthen economic linkages between Iran and Pakistan, reported on Sunday. During the phone call, the leaders exchanged Eid greetings besides discussing several aspects of bilateral relations between the …

ISLAMABAD, July 10(ABC): Pakistan reported 502 fresh COVID-19 cases Sunday morning – the first day of Eid ul Adha across the country, latest data from the National Institute of Health (NIH) showed. With the surge in COVID-19 across Pakistan, the country reported a positivity rate of 2.73%. In the last 24 hours, 18,385 tests were performed to diagnose coronavirus, of …

NAROWAL, July 10(ABC): Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday said that the family of PTI supporters who had heckled him two days prior has “apologised” and “expressed remorse and embarrassment”. In a tweet accompanying a photo with the family who had visited him at his residence, the minister wrote: “The family involved in the incident came …

  ISLAMABAD, July 10(ABC): Pakistanis are celebrating Eid ul Adha today (Sunday) with religious zeal and fervour, as the country continues to report a steady rise in COVID-19 cases – mostly being attributed to the sub-variants of Omicron. While celebrations are in full swing, several parts of the country are recovering from the damage of this weeks rains. The day …

ISLAMABAD, July 10(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif felicitated and expressed his best wishes for Pakistanis and the Muslim Ummah on the auspicious occasion of Eid ul Adha. In his message on Eid, he said Allah made sacrifice an extraordinary ritual to show immense admiration for the obedience of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail (AS). He said our salvation lies …

QUETTA/KARACHI, July 10(ABC): Monsoon rains turned deadly Saturday after six people were reported dead in Balochistan and Sindh, while three were injured. Four deaths in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi were caused due to electrocution and other rain-related incidents, while major roads in the metropolis were also inundated. For hours, I I Chundrigar Road, Burns Road, and streets around Sindh …

ISLAMABAD, July 9(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan, conveyed warm greetings to the government and people of Turkiye on the happy occasion of Eidul Azha. During the telephonic conversation on Saturday, he conveyed this message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Reciprocating the warm Eid greetings from the Prime Minister, President Erdogan also …

KARACHI, July 9(ABC): Former president and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Saturday that his party will continue to fight against poverty, social injustice and the darkness of ignorance. In his message congratulating Muslims around the world on the occasion of Eidul Azha, he said, “We are fighting for a society where every citizen gets economic …

KARACHI, July 9(ABC): Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples’ Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while congratulating Muslims in Pakistan and across the world on the auspicious occasion of Eidul Azha, said that this festival of happiness unite the Muslim Ummah from Africa to the subcontinent. In his message issued by the Media Cell Bilawal House here on Saturday, Chairman Bilawal said …

LAHORE, July 9(ABC): Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed said on Saturday that the by-elections is Punjab can change the landscape of the politics. In his latest Tweet, the former federal minister said that the government was only ending their cases. Rasheed said that the inflation in the country has soared to 34 percent, adding that the poor doesn’t …

WASHINGTON, July 9(ABC): Pakistan’s Ambassador to US, Masood Khan met President Joe Biden on Saturday. After the meeting at the Oval Office, White House, Massood Khan took to Twitter to share a photo with Joe Biden and wrote, “It was an honour to meet and greet President Joe Biden.” “Pakistan and the US resolve to strengthen their ties, as they …

LAHORE, July 9(ABC): Federal Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and provincial minister Khawaja Salman Rafique have resigned from their respective ministries ahead of the July 17 by-elections in 20 constituencies of Punjab. Tendering his resignation, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that he is resigning from the ministry due to some personal reasons. “I have forwarded my resignation …

ISLAMABAD, July 9(ABC): PTI leader and former federal information minister Fawad Chauhdry Saturday claimed that the “mature” politics of his party and Imran Khan saved Pakistan from a Sri Lanka-like situation. Taking to Twitter, the PTI leader shared a video of thousands of Sri Lankan protesters storming the Presidential Secretariat and Old Parliament building amid anger over the economic crisis …

ISLAMABAD, July 9(ABC): Federal Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah has filed a written complaint with the army chief regarding the role of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in the drug case against him. Sanaullah alleged that former prime minister Imran Khan, former advisor on accountability Shahzad Akbar, and former Director General ANF Major General Arif Malik were involved in filing a fake …

LAHORE, July 9(ABC): Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal Saturday said that he can take legal action against the people who heckled him last night at a restaurant but he wouldn’t as among those were children and women. Addressing a press conference in Lahore today, the planning minister said he would not seek criminal charges against PTI supporters who …

GUJRAT, July 9(ABC): PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Saturday once more insisted there were no differences within the party, as reports of him parting ways with Chaudhry Pervez Elahi began to circulate. “Have I and Pervez Elahi ever made any statement against each other?” he asked. “There are no differences between me and Pervez Elahi,” he said. The PML-Q …

MECCA, July 9(ABC): One million Hujjaj offered Eid-ul-Azha prayers at Masjid al-Haram and Masid an-Nabawi on Saturday. Eid prayers were offered in more than 12,000 mosques in Saudi Arabia, including Masjid Al Haram and Masjid-i-Nabwi. Imam of Ka’aba Sheikh Abdullah Juhany delivered the Eid sermon in Masjid-ul-Haram while Dr Abdul Bari bin Awad delivered the sermon in Masjid-e-Nabawi. Saudi King …

ISLAMABAD, July 9(ABC): Urban flooding triggered by heavy rains wreaked havoc on Islamabad’s low-lying Sector H-13 where rainwater entered the houses. Rain water has also entered in basements of buildings. While residents of the areas await rescue teams. On the other hand, low-lying areas in Swabi are flooded as heavy rain fell in parts of the city. Citizens are facing …

ISLAMABAD, July 9(ABC): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday strongly condemned what it called “baseless allegations” levelled against the chief election commissioner (CEC) by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, saying no institution becomes treasonous simply with an edict issued against it, reported. The PTI chairman levelled new allegations against CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja in Khushab, terming him a “traitor”, …

ISLAMABAD, July 9(ABC): The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has made major adjustments to the advance tax on capital gains on the disposal of immovable property, paving the way for the imposition of an inheritance tax, officials said Friday, with the experts terming the move “unjustified and arbitrary”. The revenue authority has included inherited and gifted property in its tax …

ISLAMABAD, July 9(ABC): PML-N senior leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has revealed that ex-finance minister Ishaq Dar will not return to Pakistan soon, adding that incumbent Finance Minister Miftah Ismail would continue his work in future as he has been doing exceptional work to restore fractured national economy. Talking to here Friday, Khaqan Abbasi said “I don’t …

KARACHI, July 9(ABC): At least six people lost their lives in rain-related incidents on Friday as heavy rainfall wreaked havoc in Karachi, bringing up the toll in three days to 14. According to report, two sacrificial animals also died of electrocution. Following a rain forecast, different areas of the port city continued to receive moderate to heavy showers under the influence …

SHEIKHUPURA, July 8(ABC): As prime minister, Imran Khan turned the PM House in Islamabad into a den for blackmail, noting that videos recorded by Tayyaba Gul were used to blackmail the then-anti-graft body’s chief to lodge cases against the premier’s political opponents. This was claimed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Friday. While addressing a political …

LAHORE, July 8(ABC): France on Thursday gave Pakistan €22 million in soft loans to renovate and restore the Lahore fort. The loan was held up for nearly a year. A signing ceremony for the loan was held on Thursday. Economic Affairs Division (EAD) Secretary Mian Asad Hayauddin, French Ambassador Nicolas Galley, and French Agency for Development (AFD) Country Director Philippe …

CALIFORNIA, July 8(ABC): Meta Platforms Inc is modifying how users log onto its virtual reality headsets, backtracking on an earlier change to require accounts from the company’s flagship Facebook app on the devices while preserving links to social connections there. The company will roll out its new “Meta accounts” starting in August, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook …

ISLAMABAD, July 8(ABC): The government on Friday once again increased the price of electricity by Rs 1.55 per unit, which will impose an additional burden of Rs 39 billion on the people. According to the notification issued by NEPRA, the power tariff has been made increased by Rs1.55 per unit and the hike in tariff will be effective from July …

LAHORE, July 8(ABC): Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Friday claimed to retake the mandate from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) by winning all 20 seats in the province s by-elections. The Speaker of the Punjab Assembly said in a statement that defected lawmakers appear weak in their constituencies. Pervaiz Elahi said the deviant members have been rejected by the …

ISLAMABAD, July 8(ABC): Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail said on Wednesday that the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will finalized in the next couple of days and the relief will be provided to the masses after the decline in fuel price in the international markets. It is pertinent to mention here that the price of petrol in the …

ISLAMABAD, July 8(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday felicitated the pilgrims of Hajj-e-Akbar and prayed for the blessings of Allah Almighty upon the Muslim Ummah and Pakistan. In a message on Twitter, he appealed to the fortunate pilgrims performing the Hajj-e-Akbar to offer special prayers for the humanity and seek forgiveness from miseries. PM Sharif said it was the …

ISLAMABAD, July 8(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar on Friday said that there has been a clear violation in voter list and registration of the by-polls in Punjab. While talking to media in Islamabad, he said whatever is happening, the current government knows it all. “We have said it before that Punjab government is a fake,” he said. Asad …

ISLAMABAD, July 8(ABC): Following the devastation from monsoon rain across the country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a financial relief package for rain and flood-affected families, Geo News reported. Keeping the current rain emergency in the country in mind, the PM, on an urgent basis, has approved financial assistance of Rs1 million for the victims of rain and flood. “In case …

WEB DESK, July 8(ABC): According to a study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour by researchers at the University of Chicago, a newly- developed algorithm has the ability to predict crimes a week prior to their occurrence with 90% accuracy. Algorithms predict the weather, music taste, and whatnot. This new study, however, opens doors to a new room of possibilities …