ISLAMABAD, June 16(ABC): PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said on Thursday that the former governments tell people about their achievements when they leave but “ex-ministers tell the people that Imran Khan laid landmines for the incumbent government.” Maryam said that the Shehbaz-led government hasn’t increased a single penny in the petrol price or tax by its own will. It is …

ISLAMABAD, June 16(ABC): Senior PPP leader and adviser to the Prime Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday said that “we must change our habits and unite” while responding to the latest petrol price hike. The statement came during a press conference of Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif, flanked by Kaira and MNA Asad Mehmood in Islamabad. “With a heavy heart, …

ISLAMABAD, June 16(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday said that no Pakistani prime minister can run an independent foreign policy. Addressing a press conference at the Islamabad High Court Bar Association on Thursday, the former premier gave a list of PTI’s achievements during its tenure and heavily criticised the coalition government’s handling of the economy. “In our time, the …

WEB DESK, June 16(ABC): The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has rejected reports that it has asked Pakistan to renegotiate deals inked with independent power producers (IPPs) for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). A statement was released on Wednesday by Esther Perez Ruiz, IMF’s Resident Representative for Pakistan. “The IMF did not ask Pakistan to renegotiate CEPC (sic) IPP contracts. These …

ISLAMABAD, June 16(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday promised the nation that his government would release “details soon” regarding the previous PTI regime’s deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). His message on Twitter comes a day after the government raised fuel prices by as much as nearly Rs60, with petrol reaching Rs233.89 — unprecedented in the country’s history. “Acutely aware …

LAHORE, June 16(ABC): PML-Q senior leader Moonis Elahi appeared on Thursday before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) after it filed a money laundering case against him to the tune of Rs720 million. Moonis is a former federal minister and son of Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi. FIA booked him and others in the case following a report by the FIA’s Anti-Corruption …

ISLAMABAD, June 16(ABC): Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Wednesday announced that the government was not in a position to bear subsidies on petroleum products anymore, therefore, it has decided to increase the prices of petrol by Rs24.03, taking it to the record high of Rs233.89 per litre. Starting from June 16, the price of petrol will be Rs233.89 per litre, …

ISLAMABAD, June 16(ABC): Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan asked on Wednesday if Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar would decide whether a conspiracy was hatched or not to overthrow his government. Responding to queries of general public on social media on Wednesday, he said that this could be his [DG …

GHOTKI, June 16(ABC): The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has discovered new gas reserves from a well in district Ghotki of Sindh, which the company says will help in overcoming the energy crisis in the country. “On May 9, a well Umair South East # 01, located in district Ghotki of Sindh was spudded as an exploratory well …

RAWALPINDI, June 15(ABC): Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said Wednesday he “did not issue political statements” when he commented on the outcomes of the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting which reviewed the alleged “threat letter” from the United States. The DG ISPR, during an interview with a private television channel a day earlier, had said the military …

ISLAMABAD, June 15(ABC): PTI Chairman Imran Khan warned on Wednesday that the justice system in the country was under threat because of the new government in power. Speaking during the executive council meeting of the PTI’s Rawalpindi chapter in Islamabad, the former prime minister said that his successor — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — siphoned off Rs16 billion under his …

ISLAMABAD, June 15(ABC): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday released the data of the assets owned by members of Parliament — including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — for the year 2021. According to the ECP document, the total assets owned by PM Shehbaz are worth Rs100 million while his property in London is worth Rs1.37 million. The document said …

ISLAMABAD, June15(ABC): Minister for Science and Technology Agha Hassan Baloch Wednesday ordered an inquiry committee to probe the allegations levelled against the wife of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill for not completing her university scholarship within the mandated time. Last month it came to light that the PTI leader’s wife Izza Asad Rasool owed around Rs18.6 million to the Commission on …

LAHORE, June 15(ABC): The Punjab government on Wednesday presented the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 after much delay but at a different venue than the conventional one as the treasury and Opposition benches failed to reach a consensus over convening a session. After a two-day-long delay, Finance Minister Punjab Sardar Awais Laghari unveiled the Rs3.226 trillion provincial budget for …

  ISLAMABAD, June 15(ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says it is his personal interest and commitment to building economic zones in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was speaking during a visit to the Rashakai Special Economic Zone on Wednesday. Rashakai SEZ is a flagship project under the industrial cooperation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework. The …

ISLAMABAD, June 15(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar on Wednesday said that it would be better for the army and the country if the Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR) director-general does not interpret political affairs. Addressing a press conference along with senior PTI leader and former federal minister Shireen Mazari in Islamabad, Asad Umar said that the facts written in …

ISLAMABAD, June 15(ABC): The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has proposed an up to Rs55 per litre increase in the prices of the POL products. According to a summary sent by the OGRA to the Finance Ministry, it has been proposed to increase the petrol and diesel prices by Rs29 and Rs55 per litre. After the approval of Prime Minister …

PARIS, June 15(ABC): Social media giant Meta said that it was rolling out a slew of measures to boost the safety of young users on its Instagram platform, the latest firm to address the issue. Campaigners have long criticised tech giants for failing to protect teenagers from harmful content, and the popularity of Instagram with young people has placed it …

LAHORE, June 15(ABC): Punjab government has slashed powers of Speaker of provincial assembly through an ordinance. According to the ordinance issued by Governor Balighur Rehman, Punjab Assembly will now be under Ministry of Law and now all staff of the assembly secretariat will also be under Law ministry. From now on all notifications will also be issued by the ministry.

WEB DESK, June 15(ABC): Internet Explorer will shut down today, June 15, announced Microsoft. “The Internet Explorer (IE) 11 desktop application will end support for Windows 10 semi-annual channel starting June 15, 2022,” the statement read. Microsoft encourages customers to shift to Microsoft Edge with IE mode. “IE mode enables backward compatibility and will be supported through at least 2029,” it …

WEB DESK, June 15(ABC): Meta-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp keeps rolling out new features every now and then to enhance user experience — both on mobile phones and on desktops. “WhatsApp keeps working on improving the UWP version of the app. After introducing the ability to share view once photos and record voice notes, WhatsApp is now rolling out to …

ISLAMABAD, June 15(ABC): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has felicitated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his birthday being celebrated on Wednesday. In a tweet, the Prime Minister deeply appreciated Chinese President s resolve to build Pakistan-China community of shared future. He said under the dynamic leadership of President Xi, China has emerged as an all-weather strategic cooperative partner of Pakistan.  

ISLAMABAD, June 15(ABC): The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has filed a case against former federal minister and PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi, sources close to the development told on Wednesday. The case, according to the sources, pertains to alleged money laundering, and has been filed by the Lahore chapter of the agency. In addition, a money laundering case has been filed …

ISLAMABAD, June 15(ABC): The government is reviewing the new slabs announced for personal income tax (PIT) to bring them in line with the demands of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Asim Ahmad, said on Tuesday. Ahmad saw it as quite the predicament given the narrow tax base which makes it difficult …

TEHRAN, June 15(ABC): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took up the issue of the release of Pakistani prisoners detained in the prisons of Iran with Iranian President Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi. The foreign minister was welcomed by Iran’s leader in Tehran on his first official two-day visit to the neighbour country on Tuesday. FM Bilawal reaffirmed Pakistan’s keen desire to strengthen bilateral …

KARACHI, June 15(ABC): The Pakistani rupee continued its downward slide against the US dollar as it depreciated over Re1 in the interbank market during early morning trading on Wednesday. The local currency shed Rs1.9 against the greenback and was trading at Rs206.25. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the currency closed at Rs205.16 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Stock …

LAHORE, June 15(ABC): Punjab’s political turmoil seems unlikely to abate as two provincial assembly sessions have been summoned today (Wednesday). Meanwhile, provincial government’s failure to present the annual budget for fiscal year 2022-23 on the second consecutive day on Tuesday seems to have further deepened the political crisis in the province, reported. Governor Balighur Rehman prorogued the assembly session on Tuesday, …

NEW YORK, June 15(ABC): Pakistan’s newly appointed ambassador to Washington, Masood Khan, met United States (US) President Joe Biden Wednesday morning in Washington, reported. “Sardar Masood Khan, Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, visited the White House to meet and greet President Joe Biden and have an official photograph with him which is an established tradition in Washington DC,” read …

LONDON, June 15(ABC): Former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has asked the coalition government to facilitate former president Pervez Musharraf if he wishes to return to Pakistan, adding that he does not have any “personal enmity or tussle” with the ex-dictator. “I have no personal enmity or tussle with Pervez Musharraf. I do not want anyone else to …

RAWALPINDI, June 14(ABC): In light of Pervez Musharraf’s ailing health, Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said Tuesday the military leadership believes that the former army chief should return to Pakistan. “In such a situation the institution and leadership’s stance is that Pervez Musharraf should return,” said DG ISPR. The military’s spokesperson, during an interview with a …

TEHRAN, June 14(ABC): Pakistan and Iran on Tuesday reiterated the resolve to further strengthen bilateral relations in all dimensions during the maiden visit of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari,  reported. Addressing a joint news conference alongside his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran, the foreign minister said Iran is an important neighbour and brother of Pakistan and building close relations with …

KARACHI, June 14(ABC): Amid ruckus in the assembly, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday presented an Rs1.7 trillion “pro-poor” and “tax-free” budget for the next fiscal year 2022-23. The chief minister said the past year witnessed “extraordinary changes” —  both nationally and internationally — and it ultimately impacted the common man. “Despite that, the Government of Sindh vows …

ISLAMABAD, June 14(ABC): : PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan said Tuesday that his government was under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), however, it still decided to provide relief to the masses. Speaking during a ceremony in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, the former prime minister said that during his tenure, the then-opposition kept telling the government …

ISLAMABAD, June 14(ABC): The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday directed those part of the Exit Control List (ECL) to seek the interior ministry’s permission to travel abroad. The directive came as a five-member larger bench of the SC resumed the hearing on a suo motu notice on the perceived apprehension of “persons in authority” undermining the criminal justice system. …

ISLAMABAD, June 14(ABC): Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, who is also the chair of Pakistan’s National Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Coordination Committee, will lead the Pakistan delegation at the FATF Plenary Meeting being held in Berlin, Germany. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting, Pakistan’s progress under the …

ISLAMABAD, June 14(ABC): PTI leader Shireen Mazari said on Tuesday that her party has reservations against the new United States Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome. In a press conference flanked by PTI leader Asad Umar, Mazari alleged that the American envoy was holding meetings with Pakistani officials even though he is yet to present his credentials. “American envoy met the …

ISLAMABAD, June 14(ABC): PTI on Tuesday challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict on the reserved seats of the Punjab Assembly for women in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). On June 2, 2022, the ECP ruled that the allocation of reserved seats — three women and two minorities — would be notified after the conclusion of the by-election for …

KARACHI, June 14(ABC): Volatility emerged on Tuesday once again in the foreign exchange market as the Pakistani rupee depreciated nearly Rs1.64 against the US dollar to Rs205.50 in the interbank market during intra-day, reported. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the currency had closed at an all-time low of Rs203.86 per dollar on Monday. The local currency dipped to an …

ISLAMABAD, June 14(ABC): As the new COVID variant in the United Kingdom (UK) emerged, doctors warned PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif against travelling,  reported Tuesday, citing sources. Former prime minister Imran Khan’s government had refused to renew Nawaz’s passport after it expired in February last year but then interior minister Sheikh Rasheed had said if the PML-N supremo wanted to return, he could …

ISLAMABAD, June 14(ABC): After former Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed he was deposed due to a US-led coup and launched a statewide campaign, the new US ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, signalled Washington’s willingness to move on from the regime change debate by convening a strong two-way dialogue. Former PM Imran Khan had launched a statewide campaign asking for “freedom” …