ISLAMABAD, June 08(ABC): : The World Bank (WB) has estimated a moderate Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate for Pakistan standing at 4% for the incoming fiscal year, 2022-23, as compared to the official government-approved projections of 5% for the next budget, reported, citing the latest WB report Wednesday. “In Pakistan, growth is expected to be moderate from 5.7% in …

ISLAMABAD, June 08(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday addressed a day-long pre-budget business conference in the federal capital and said that the country’s economy cannot be streamlined without political stability. The conference was being held to explore avenues for consensus-based economic measures with all stakeholders on board. It brought together leaders from a wide range of industries on a single …

ISLAMABAD, June 08(ABC): Finance Minister Miftah Ismail Tuesday rebutted reports and clarified that the government has no plans to increase the price of petroleum products. “There will be no increase in prices today, and there is no summary or plan to raise prices,” the finance minister said in a tweet after media reports quoted him as saying that petrol prices …

ISLAMABAD, June 08(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday warned the government that whether it puts his party members in jail or employs other tactics, PTI’s movement against the government would not stop. “The way they tortured us was not even witnessed during the martial law eras,” Khan, who was ousted from the prime minister’s office in April, told a gathering …

BERLIN, June 07(ABC): German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is cutting her trip abroad short after testing positive for the coronavirus on her first stop in Pakistan, her ministry confirmed on Tuesday. Baerbock, who met earlier Tuesday with her Pakistani counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto, in Islamabad, has cancelled all further dates of the trip, which also included stops in Greece and Turkey, …

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI, June 07(ABC): Long queues have lined up outside petrol pumps in twin cities — Islamabad and Rawalpindi — after oil marketing companies (OMCs) stopped the supply of the essential commodity. A representative of the petrol pump association told that the supply has been stopped and tankers have lined up outside oil depots for refilling. The official asked the OMCs …

WEB DESK, June 07(ABC): Apple is launching a new feature for Apple Pay to let you pay for purchases in four installments over time without interest, called Apple Pay Later. It’s Apple’s take on a buy now, pay later (BNPL) service, built right into Apple Pay and coming with iOS 16. Buy now, pay later services have been on the …

ISLAMABAD, June 07(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved provision of natural gas discovered from former tribal areas, to the people immediately. During a meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed about the gas reserves discovered form North Waziristan and Bannu. He directed to utilize these gas reserves to get rid people of its shortage. The Prime Minister was also briefed …

LAHORE, June 07(ABC): Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz on Tuesday called on Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari while during the meeting both showed consensus to contest Punjab by-elections jointly. The meeting was held in Bilawal House Lahore, Provincial Minister Ata Tarar, Malik Muhammad Ahmed Ali, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Imran Goraya, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah, Sharjeel Memon, …

ISLAMABAD, June 07(ABC): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Tuesday said that Pakistan always advocated for dialogue and diplomacy as tools for the pursuit of peace in the world. Addressing a joint presser along with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister referred to the Russian-Ukraine conflict and said Pakistan has a clear position that it should not be dragged …

  ISLAMABAD, June 07(ABC): Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said Tuesday the price of petroleum products would increase further in the country after a massive hike of Rs60 in the last 10 days. In his address to the one-day long pre-budget business conference, Ismail said that had the government taken decisions in line with ex-prime minister Imran Khan and former finance …

ISLAMABAD, June 07(ABC): The federal cabinet has given the go ahead to restore weekly offs on Saturdays in government offices,  reported Tuesday, citing sources. The cabinet met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed how the government can deal with the energy crisis at hand due to which the public has had to suffer hours-long load-shedding. The …

KARACHI, June 07(ABC): The Pakistani rupee broke on Tuesday all records against the US dollar after shedding Rs4 in the open market as it surpassed the 205 threshold for the first time in its history, Forex Association of Pakistan data showed. Meanwhile, it continued its downward slide against the US dollar, dropping to an all time low of Rs202.75 in …

ISLAMABAD, June 07(ABC): Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Annalena Baerbock is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad today (Tuesday) for a two-day visit on the invitation of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The visiting dignitary will discuss various matters of mutual interest with the Pakistani leadership. The two foreign ministers will hold delegation-level talks on a …

ISLAMABAD, June 07(ABC): To discuss ways to reach a consensus on economic policies, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will speak at a one-day pre-budget business conference today (Tuesday) taking all stakeholders on board,  reported. The conference will bring together leaders from a wide range of industries on a single platform for a vibrant and interactive debate, in line with the prime …

ISLAMABAD, June 07(ABC): The National Assembly on Monday recommended the government to approach the Supreme Court for legal action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan as his ‘anti-state statement’ could undermine Pakistan’s security and integrity as well as its atomic programme. The House unanimously adopted a resolution, moved by Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, condemning former prime minister Imran …

ISLAMABAD, June 07(ABC): PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said Monday the government was “sorry” for the ongoing electricity loadshedding in the country and vowed to fix the issue in the coming days. In a press conference flanked by federal ministers, Abbasi said the government needed time to rectify the power shortage as the country was producing …

ISLAMABAD, June 07(ABC): Finance Minister Miftah Ismail Monday ruled out the possibility of a financial emergency in the country after the government took steps to rectify the ongoing economic turmoil. In a tweet, Ismail said the country was not facing a financial emergency as the price of petrol had been increased twice — and hiked up to Rs209.86, while there …

WEB DESK, June 06(ABC): Scientists have for the first time grown seeds in lunar soil collected by US space agency NASA’s long-ago moonwalkers, an achievement that heralds the promise of using earthly plants to support human outposts on other worlds. Researchers in the United States said on Thursday that they had planted seeds of a diminutive flowering weed called Arabidopsis …

ISLAMABAD, June 06(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Pakistan is committed to enhance its bilateral ties with Japan in diverse fields. Talking to Japanese investors in Islamabad on Monday, he said Japan is not only a very dear friend of Pakistan, but a valuable donor which sent about 13 billion dollars to Pakistan in the last seven decades. The Prime Minister …

ISLAMABAD, June 06(ABC): Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza Monday stressed avoiding baseless and unnecessary comments on Pakistan’s nuclear programme. “Pakistan is a responsible and confident nuclear country,” the deputy chairman of the National Command Authority said during a seminar at the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) in the federal capital. Pakistan’s policy is …

ISLAMABAD, June 06(ABC): Three options to jack up salaries from 5-15% in the budget for the incoming fiscal year are under the government’s consideration, amid the Pay and Pension Commission’s failure in submission of a report ahead of the next budget which resulted into the prime minister’s decision to grant another extension,  reported. The Finance Division issued a notification to …

  ISLAMABAD, June 05(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif  on Sunday condemned hurtful comments of India’s BJP leader about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In tweets on social media platform Twitter, he said, “I condemn in strongest possible words hurtful comments of India’s BJP leader about our beloved Prophet (PBUH). Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting …

RAWALPINDI, June 05(ABC): Security Forces killed seven terrorists in two separate operations conducted in North Waziristan and Bannu on Sunday. According to Pakistan Army Public Relations (ISPR), operations were conducted in Jani Khel area of Bannu and Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan in which security forces killed five terrorists in Jani Khel while two in Hassan Khel. In the …

NEW DELHI, June 05(ABC): Pakistan has condemned — in the strongest possible terms — the highly derogatory remarks recently made by two senior officials of India’s ruling party BJP, disrespecting the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). “These totally unacceptable remarks have not only deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan but of billions of Muslims around …

ISLAMABAD, June 05(ABC): Hours after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah issued a warning regarding Imran Khan’s possible arrest upon the expiry of his bail, PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi warned the government that if the party’s chairman is arrested, it should be ready to face a “strong backlash” from PTI workers. “The PTI will retaliate in a strong manner if Imran …

LAHORE, June 05(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that Pakistan direly needs a grand dialogue. “We will have to hold a grand dialogue with all stakeholders of the country if we have to lead Pakistan ahead,” the premier said while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Indus Hospital, Lahore. PM Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the first phase of the 600-bed …

ISLAMABAD, June05(ABC): Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah revealed on Sunday that the security officials deployed to guard PTI Chairman Imran Khan will arrest him as soon as his bail expires. Late Saturday night, the Islamabad police said that in view of Imran Khan’s expected return to Islamabad from Peshawar, security around Bani Gala has been beefed up. “In view of the …

WEB DESK, June 05(ABC): Meta-owned social media application Instagram is working on avatar reactions option for its Stories. According to a report, Meta aims to improve engagement between Instagram users. The users could only react to the Instagram Stories through emoticons. The introduction of avatar reaction enhances the interaction between users but will also be an alternative for marketing purposes. …

WEB DESK, June 05(ABC): Apple has started testing iPhones with USB-C ports, confirmed Bloomberg reports on Sunday, days after a popular analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will adopt USB-C on iPhones in 2023. Apple will remain the lightning connector for this year’s iPhones. Additionally, the publication claims that Apple is also working on an adapter that would let future …

WEB DESK, June 05 (ABC): Nokia, once a household for well over in early 2000s, is looking forward to recapture its lost place in the market with a high-end device featuring a 200MP camera. In recent years the smartphone manufacturer has been releasing budget-friendly smartphones with average features. As per CNMO, the company is working on new Nokia N73, which …

WEB DESK, June 05(ABC): While people kept pleading Twitter’s leadership to grant their wish for an edit button, – we know what became of that – another app secretly started working on the feature, and might release it before the bird app does. We can tell you that typos on WhatsApp won’t embarrass you anymore. There is visual evidence that …

ISLAMABAD, June 05(ABC): The state telecom regulator on Saturday gave the public a much-awaited feature, the ability to block annoying, unwanted and spam messages and calls from marketing firms. In a message posted on their official social media channels, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the public of a simple and effective means to tackle the growing problem of spam …

ISLAMABAD, June 05(ABC): The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Saturday issued an alert advising the federal capital and provincial authorities to take preventive measures against another heatwave likely to hit the country for the next five days, as forecast by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), reported on Sunday. The PMD warned of significant temperature rise across the country, especially …

  LAHORE, June05(ABC): In a major development, the Punjab police have finally recovered Dua Zahra — the 14-year-old girl who had mysteriously gone missing from Karachi in April but later declared that she had run away from her home to marry 21-year-old Zaheer Ahmed — from the Chishtian area of Bahawalnagar, it emerged Sunday. Confirming the report, Anti-Violent Crime Cell …

UPPER DIR, June 04(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday while addressing a public rally in Upper Dir said that Pakistan’s economy is sinking fast since Shehbaz Sharif came to power and global institutes have downgraded Pakistan’s ranking. Taking a dig at incumbent government, Imran Khan said that we will not accept the imported …

ISLAMABAD, June 04(ABC): President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday refused to sign the bills seeking amendments in the NAB and election laws, and returned it back to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as he “was not informed” about the “legislative proposal” under Article 46 before they were tabled in Parliament. A press release issued by the president’s office said that Dr …

ISLAMABAD, June 04(ABC): Irked by prolonged outages, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday warned the top officials of the power ministry that they would be dismissed from service if the duration of loadsheding exceeds two hours a day. As per the details, PM Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency meeting to deliberate on the reasons behind the power outages across the …

LAHORE, June 04(ABC): A special court in Lahore extended on Saturday the interim bail of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz till June 11 in the Rs16 billion money laundering case filed against them by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). However, the presiding judge of the Special Court (Central-I), Ijaz Hassan Awan, issued non-bailable …

ISLAMABAD, June 04(ABC): In a bid to reach a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Friday approved an increase in gas prices just a day after a massive increase in the price of petroleum products. Based on the Determination of Estimated Revenue Requirement (DERR) for the financial year 2022-23, a 45% …