LAHORE, July 31(ABC): Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) vice president on Sunday asked Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail to withdraw tax on electricity bills. Taking to Twitter, Maryam wrote that “Miftah Bhai! Withdraw tax on electricity bill because traders are worried and complaining, hope you find a solution.” In another tweet, she penned that “Just spoke to Miftah Ismail, …

ISLAMABAD, July 31(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that the incumbent government is working together with the provinces for the relief of flood affectees, and he will leave no stone unturned to rehabilitate flood victims. Taking to Twitter, PM penned that “I visited the flood-affected areas of Balochistan, supervised the relief work and visited to express solidarity with …

LAHORE, July 31(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former special advisor to prime minister (SAPM) Shahbaz Gill on Sunday levelled allegations on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, saying that an Indian company transferred money into his bank account. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Shahbaz Gill stressed that Abbasi should clarify for what …

LAHORE, July 31(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)  supremo and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday while giving the assembly members the task of preparing for the new elections, said that the next general elections could be held in 6 to 8 weeks. In this regard, Imran khan held a meeting with PTI lawmakers in Punjab Chief Minister House today. During …

ISLAMABAD, July 31(ABC): Former finance minister Shaukat Tarin on Sunday questioned Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, saying that if the imports of $5 billion were reduced, the rupee should have strengthened. Taking to Twitter, Tarin wrote, “But the rupee is in a free fall. Reason because you have stopped all major imports. Banks are not opening/retiring elcees”. While lashing out at …

PESHAWAR, July 31(ABC): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) supremo and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday alleged that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has pushed the country into the quagmire of problems, from which it is not easy to get out. Talking to the media in Peshawar, the JUI-F supremo said that the current government will complete its tenure and …

LAHORE, July 31(ABC): The Punjab Assembly on Sunday approved a resolution calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja. The session of the provincial assembly began with newly-elected Speaker Sibtain Khan administering the oath to his deputy, Wasiq Qayyum. Qayyum was elected unopposed a day earlier after the Opposition announced a boycott of the polls. In …

ISLAMABAD, July 31(ABC): Finance minister Miftah Ismail on Sunday said that the Pakistani rupee, which has taken a beating against the US dollar in recent weeks, should see some improvement “in the two weeks”. Ismail was addressing a press conference to speak about Pakistan’s economic path forward. “I really think — although I never like to speculate on the currency …

WEB DESK, July 31(ABC):  An earthquake struck several parts of the Makran Division of Balochistan on Sunday evening, reported. Tremors were felt in the Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara, and Kech areas of the province. According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, the magnitude of the quake was recorded at 5.6 on the Richter scale. Meanwhile, it measured a depth of 30 …

RAWALPINDI, July 31(ABC): Former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Sunday said that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, who decided to oust former premier Imran Khan through a vote of no-confidence, is now considering the option of leaving the government. “The decision on the no-confidence motion was made in London. The same Nawaz Sharif is now talking about leaving the government,” …

WEB DESK, July 31(ABC): YouTube is making it easier for creators to format and turn their longer videos into Shorts, to compete with TikTok videos. By adding the tool “Edit into Short”, the platform has made it quite simple to format videos in its iOS and Android app. Creators can select up to 60 seconds of the video to edit and …

ISLAMABAD, Jul 31(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while felicitating the Muslims at the start of Muharram-ul-Haram and new Hijri year 1444, prayed to Allah Almighty to make the new Islamic year a source of peace, prosperity and blessings for the Muslim Ummah especially Pakistan. In a message, the PM said the new Islamic year was a reminder that one should …

QUETTA, July 31(ABC): Relief operations by Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) are underway as death toll from flood in Balochistan rises to 127. The flood has completely destroyed hundreds of houses while 565 kilometers of road was also damaged. 11 bridges also collapsed in the province as monsoon rains wreak havoc. Meanwhile Pakistan Air Force personnel and helicopter …

ISLAMABAD, July 31(ABC): Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf on Saturday urged the nation to forge unity among their ranks for peace and tranquility in Muharram-ul-Haram. He, in a message, proposed to shun all types of differences and supplement government efforts to create an environment of co-existence in the holy month of Muharram across the country. The speaker said Islam …

ISLAMABAD, July 31(ABC): With Pakistan logging hundreds of COVID-19 cases everyday, the National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) has advised strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), including mask wearing and social distancing during Muharram gatherings. Gathering and majalis to remember the Shuhada-e-Karbala (martyrs of Karbala) have started as the country observes the first day of the month of Muharram …

ISLAMABAD, July 31(ABC): Attorney-General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali has expressed regret over the ongoing controversy regarding the issue of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (JCP) proceedings. According to a letter issued late last night by the AGP office, he said all appointments to the higher judiciary should be made on merit. The letter stated that during the aforementioned JCP …

  WEB DESK, July 31(ABC): Google believes that a new programming language known as Carbon can succeed C++, reported. New programming languages that are easier to use keep replacing old ones. For example, Apple’s Swift language replaced its predecessor, Objective-C. Some have called Rust a C++ successor but Google’s Principal Software Engineer Chandler Carruth said that it does not have “bi-directional interoperability” …

WEB DESK, July 30(ABC): In the field of medical science, an ultrasound is a widely used method of sending sound waves through a body to produce images of internal organs and tissues. It generally requires the use of bulky and expensive machinery as well as expert supervision. A team of engineers at MIT has created a stamp-sized skin patch that …

WEB DESK, July 30(ABC): If you think dead spider robots are something straight out of a horror movie (or your worst nightmares), I have some news for you. Mechanical engineers from Rice University have actually turned spider cadavers into what they call “necrobots,” able to function as mechanical grippers. What’s “necrobotics?” The use of animal characteristics or components to create …

WEB DESK, July 30(ABC): Minecraft developer, Mojang, has decided to ban NFTs from the popular game as the studio sees NFTs as running counter to the “spirit of Minecraft”. The studio came up with upcoming changes to the game, all relating to NFTs, aiming to ultimately ban blockchain technology from the game servers. NFTs were being independently run by fans …

ISLAMABAD, July 30(ABC): The government has further burdened the masses, who are already concerned due to whooping inflation as the federal cabinet on Saturday approved increasing dealers’ margin on petrol and diesel by Rs7 per litre. According to details, the government has approved an increase in dealer margin on diesel by Rs2.87. While the dealer margin on petrol has been …

LAHORE, July 29(ABC): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday said that tests and trials have made her stronger and more resolute in 23 years. While going 23 years back in history, PML-N vice president shared a photo of an old newspaper and said, “1999! Still stood against oppression and persecution then and still do, 23 years …

ISLAMABAD, July 29(ABC): Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik on Saturday said PTI chairman Imran Khan was the ‘abettor’ in a $250 million money-laundering case and the ‘guarantor’ of Arif Naqvi, Chief Executive of the Abraj Capital and Investment Company, indicted by the US courts in a range of cases and could get up to 290-year jail. “How …

QUETTA, July 29(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday visited Balochistan to oversee the relief work being done in the province after heavy monsoon rains took the lives of more than 120 people. Torrential rains have wreaked havoc in Balochistan, leaving destruction in their way. More than 6,000 houses have been completely torn down, and over 10,000 houses are partially damaged. …

ISLAMABAD, July 29(ABC): The PTI criticised Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Saturday for “not meeting” his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tashkent. Bilawal was in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 28-29 July, where he led Pakistan’s delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ (SCO-CFM) Meeting. In a press conference, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed that …

ISLAMABAD, July 29(ABC): Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and PTI Chairperson Imran Khan got involved in a war of words on Twitter over the rupee’s recent depreciation against the dollar. In response to Khan’s tweet on rising inflation and depreciation of the local currency during the coalition government’s tenure, the finance minister in a thread, compared the PTI-led government’s performance with the …

PESHAWAR, July 29(ABC): Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Saturday said that the Opposition is not scared of anyone, no matter how much they are powerful or are a part of any organisation. Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, the JUI-F chief said that the allied parties will fight a political and constitutional war instead of surrendering. …

LAHORE, July 30(ABC): A special court in Lahore on Saturday fixed September 7 for the indictment of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz, and others, for their alleged involvement in money laundering of Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked Shehbaz and his sons Hamza and Suleman in November 2021 under sections …

TASHKENT, July 30(ABC): Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is currently attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting, asserted that Pakistan has no plans of holding any bilateral meeting with India, reported Saturday. Bilawal held six bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Central Asian countries on the sidelines of the conference which is being …

ISLAMABAD, July 30(ABC): Justice Syed Mansoor Ali of the Supreme Court Friday remarked that the Constitution has no basic structure, adding that being the supreme law-making body parliament has the authority to change the Constitution. The comments from the top court’s judge came during the hearing of a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan challenging the amendments made to …

ISLAMABAD, July 30(ABC): A slight decline in COVID-19 cases was reported in the country over the last 24 hours, with the positivity ratio dropping to 3.15%, data from the National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) showed Saturday morning. According to the NIH, during the last 24 hours, 19,236 diagnostic tests were conducted out of which 605 came back positive. Meanwhile, …

ISLAMABAD, July 30(ABC): Former Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani Friday stated that the federation requires a healing touch because the conflict between institutions operating under the 1973 Constitution and disagreements beyond democratic norms among political parties, combined with soft or hard intervention by the ruling elite, has resulted in political, economic, and administrative instability. The people and the state can …

ISLAMABAD, July 29(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday while reacting to a recent Financial Times report regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) foreign funding said that report is a serious indictment against Imran Khan. Taking to Twitter, PM penned that “The investigation report of the reliable international organization Financial Times is a serious indictment against Imran Niazi, and it has exposed …

ISLAMABAD, July 29(ABC): Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Friday made the audio recording of the Judicial Commission meeting public after the letters of Justice Qazi Faiz Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood. According to the statement, on the instructions of the Chief Justice, the audio recording of the Judicial Commission was released on the website of the …

ISLAMABAD, July 29(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan while reacting to a recent report released by Financial Times regarding PTI foreign funding said that overseas Pakistanis are the country’s asset, and all funds came through proper banking channels. In an interview with a private TV channel, the PTI chairman said that he knew Arif Naqvi …

WEB DESK, July 29(ABC): Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari underscored the importance of road and energy connectivity for regional prosperity between Pakistan and Tajikistan. During a bilateral meeting with the Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting, Bilawal stressed the need for the completion of the CASA-1000 …

RAWALPINDI, July 29(ABC): Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong Thursday assured Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed of playing his role in further improving diplomatic cooperation with Islamabad at all levels. The envoy’s assurance came during his meeting with the army chief at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, where both the officials discussed matters of mutual interest, …

WEB DESK, July 29(ABC): As the country awaits the verdict reserved by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) into the PTI’s prohibited funding, an expose by the Financial Times has blown the lid off Pakistani tycoon Arif Naqvi’s involvement in the party’s finances and how a significant portion of its funding in 2013 was of foreign origin. According to the report, “Naqvi …

RAWALPINDI, July 29(ABC): Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has appealed to the United States to help Islamabad secure an early dispersal of $1.2 billion in funds under an International Monetary Fund loan programme, Nikkei Asia reported, as Pakistan faces the risk of debt default due to dwindling foreign reserves. The army chief reached out to the US Deputy …

ISLAMABAD, July 29(ABC): Following Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s letter to the JCP, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood said on Friday that the press release issued by the public relations officer (PRO) of the Supreme Court at the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (JCP) meeting presented a “totally different version of events from what actually occurred”. In a letter written to the JCP …