LHC recommends formation of committee to probe petrol crisis

The Lahore High Court recommended the government form a committee to probe the recent petrol crisis, calling on the National Assembly speaker to include members of the opposition and treasury benches in it.

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan asked Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan to discuss the court’s suggestion with the speaker. He observed that the court wants the parliament to do this job on its own, otherwise, the law will take its course and no official, if found guilty, would be spared.

The chief justice was hearing a petition seeking action against concerned authorities for their alleged failure to control shortage of petrol.

The chief justice directed the attorney general to assist the court during the next hearing to determine if the speaker does not form a committee, whether a commission under the code of criminal procedure would be appropriate to hold investigation into the fuel crisis.

At the outset of the hearing, the counsel of the petitioner sought the court’s permission to withdraw the petition, saying that there was no more shortage of petrol in the country. However, the chief justice turned down the request.

AGP Khan filed an application on behalf of Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Azam Khan for a one-time exemption from personal appearance. At this, the chief justice expressed his dismay, saying that it seems that the principal secretary should be summoned through arrest warrants.

The attorney general said the principal secretary could not appear due to meeting of federal cabinet. Referring to the principal secretary, Chief Justice Khan observed: “It is heard that the law comes out of his mouth when he speaks. If this is the case, let’s talk to him and see.”

The chief justice noted that the secretary will not be given exemption if the attorney general does not appear before the court. He questioned the manner in which prices of petroleum products increased suddenly before the end of the month.

“How much you benefited the oil marketing companies by increasing prices?” the chief justice asked the attorney general and also directed him to apprise the court on the next hearing about the capacity of the companies.

Advocate Awais Khalid, the amicus curiae, stated that the ministry of petroleum and the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) were responsible for regulating the import and storage of petrol in view of the country’s demand. He said the ministry, Ogra, oil companies and people were the real stakeholders in the matter.

The CJ directed Ogra’s Chairperson Uzma Adil to deposit Rs 100,000 as donation with the hospital of the Lahore High Bar Association. She was fined for not appearing before the court on the last hearing.

On Tuesday, she had requested the court to convert the fine into a donation, which the chief justice had accepted. The hearing was adjourned till July 9.

China imposed new national security law in Hong Kong

China imposed a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, dramatically tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city in a historic move decried by Western nations as a threat to the financial hub’s freedoms.

Described by Beijing as a “sword” hanging over the heads of those endangering national security, the law took effect hours after it was signed by President Xi Jinping and just six weeks since it was first unveiled.

Fed up with pro-democracy protests that rocked the city last year, China’s top lawmaking body enacted the legislation following closed-door deliberations that kept details secret until its passage.

The law gives Beijing jurisdiction over “very serious” national security crimes, with offenders facing up to life in prison, according to the text published late Tuesday.

The controversial law also empowers China to set up a national security agency in the city, staffed by officials who are not bound by local law when carrying out duties.

The new suite of powers radically restructures the relationship between Beijing and Hong Kong, toppling the legal firewall that has existed between the city’s independent judiciary and the mainland’s party-controlled courts.

“It marks the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before,” prominent democracy campaigner Joshua Wong tweeted as his political party Demosisto announced it was disbanding.

“With sweeping powers and ill-defined law, the city will turn into a #secretpolicestate.”

Some Hong Kongers responded by deleting Twitter accounts and scrubbing other social media platforms.

In contrast, former city leader Leung Chun-ying took to Facebook to offer bounties of up to HK$1 million ($130,000) for anyone who could help secure the first prosecutions under the new legislation or track down people who have recently fled the city.

Twenty-seven countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, urged Beijing to “reconsider the imposition” of the legislation, saying in a statement to the UN Human Rights Council that it “undermines” the city’s freedoms.

The move has also added fuel to tensions between Beijing and Washington, where condemnation of the move crossed the aisle.

Top Democrat Nancy Pelosi said its “brutal purpose” was to “frighten, intimidate & suppress the speech of Hong Kongers,” and Republican Mitt Romney tweeted that his “heart aches for the people of Hong Kong. Any semblance of freedom and autonomy has vanished.”

As part of the 1997 handover from Britain, Hong Kong was guaranteed certain freedoms — as well as judicial and legislative autonomy — for 50 years in a deal known as “One Country, Two Systems.”

The formula helped to cement the city’s status as a world-class business hub, bolstered by a reliable judiciary and political freedoms unseen on the mainland.

Critics have long accused Beijing of chipping away at that status, but they describe the new security law as the most brazen move yet.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “deeply concerned” and that London would scrutinise the law “to understand whether it is in conflict” with the handover agreement.

The law bans four types of national security crimes: subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security.

The text gave three scenarios in which China might take over a prosecution — complicated foreign interference cases, “very serious” cases and when national security faces “serious and realistic threats.”

Cases can be passed to mainland China, with the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the Supreme Court designating the judicial authorities handling them.

Lead perpetrators and serious offenders can receive 10 years to life in prison for engaging in one of the national security crimes.

The law also said certain national security cases could be held behind closed doors without juries in Hong Kong if they contained state secrets, although the verdict and eventual judgments would be made public.

“It’s a fundamental change that dramatically undermines both the local and international community’s confidence towards Hong Kong’s ‘One Country, Two Systems’ model and its status as a robust financial centre,” Hong Kong political analyst Dixon Sing told AFP.

On the mainland, national security laws are routinely used to jail critics, especially for the vague offence of “subversion.”

Beijing and Hong Kong’s government reject those allegations.

They have said the law will only target a minority of people, will not harm political freedoms in the city and will restore business confidence after a year of historic pro-democracy protests.

“I urge the international community to respect our country’s right to safeguard national security and Hong Kong people’s aspirations for stability and harmony,” Hong Kong city leader Carrie Lam told the UN Human Rights Council in a video message on Tuesday.

Millions took to the streets last year, while a hard core of protesters frequently battled police in often violent confrontations that saw more than 9,000 arrested.

Hong Kong has banned protests in recent months, citing previous unrest and the coronavirus pandemic, although local transmissions have ended.

Some Western nations warned of potential repercussions ahead of the security law’s passing.

However, many are also wary of incurring Beijing’s wrath and losing lucrative access to the mainland’s huge economy.

“We deplore this decision,” said European Council head Charles Michel.

Washington which has embarked on a trade war with China — has said the security law means Hong Kong no longer enjoys sufficient autonomy from the mainland to justify special status.

The United States on Monday ended sensitive defence exports to Hong Kong over the law, prompting China to threaten unspecified “countermeasures.”

Gilead sets coronavirus drug candidate remdesivir at $2,340 per patient

Gilead Sciences Inc on Monday priced its COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir at $2,340 per patient for wealthier nations and agreed to send nearly all of its supply of the drug to the United States over the next three months.

The price tag is slightly below the range of $2,520 to $2,800 suggested last week by US drug pricing research group the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) after British researchers said they found that the cheap, widely available steroid dexamethasone significantly reduced mortality among severely ill COVID-19 patients.

Remdesivir is expected to be in high demand as one of the only treatments shown to alter the course of COVID-19. After the intravenously administered medicine helped shorten hospital recovery times in a clinical trial, it won emergency use authorization in the United States and full approval in Japan.

For US patients with commercial insurance, Gilead said it will charge $3,120 for a five-day treatment course, or $520 per vial. That is a 33% increase over the $390 per vial Gilead said it will charge governments of developed countries and US patients in government healthcare programs.

In an open letter, Gilead Chief Executive Daniel O'Day said the price is well below the value it provides given that early hospital discharges could save around $12,000 per patient in the United States.

Patient advocates like Public Citizen argue that the cost should be lower since remdesivir was developed with financial support from the US government.

Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines Program, called the price "an offensive display of hubris and disregard for the public." While the drug modestly reduced hospital stays, it has not been shown to reduce deaths in COVID-19 patients.

Gilead also said it agreed to continue to send its supply of remdesivir to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with the agency and states set to manage allocation to US hospitals until the end of September.

HHS said it secured more than 500,000 remdesivir courses for US hospitals through September, which represents all of Gilead's projected production for July and 90% of its production in August and September, in addition to an allocation for clinical trials, HHS said.

Once supplies are less constrained, HHS will stop managing the allocation, Gilead said. The company did not discuss its supply strategy for developed nations outside the United States.

Remdesivir's price has been a topic of intense debate since US regulators approved its emergency use in some COVID-19 patients in May. Experts have said Gilead would need to avoid appearing to take advantage of a health crisis for profits.

Gilead shares were about flat in midday trading.

The European Union's healthcare regulator last week recommended conditional approval of the drug when used in the critically ill. The formal go-ahead by the European Commission is expected to follow soon.

Gilead has linked up with generic drugmakers based in India and Pakistan, including Cipla Ltd and Hetero Labs Ltd, to make and supply remdesivir in 127 developing countries.

Cipla's version is priced at less than 5,000 Indian rupees ($66.24), while Hetero Lab's version is priced at 5,400 rupees ($71.54).

TikTok denies sharing Indian user data with China

TikTok on Tuesday denied sharing users' data with the Chinese government after India banned the wildly popular app as ties with Beijing deteriorate sharply following a deadly border clash.

Blaming each other for the brutal hand-to-hand battle on June 15 as talks make little headway, the Asian giants have been bolstering their border forces as anti-China sentiment grows in India.

As India reportedly considered hiking tariffs and with some Chinese imports held up at ports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on Monday banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat and Weibo.

The ministry of information technology said the apps “are engaged in activities [...] prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”.

The move mirrored growing unease about Chinese tech firms in other countries, in particular regarding telecom giant Huawei.

TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, allows users to upload and share short videos and is spectacularly popular in India — its 120 million users have made it the app's top international market.

On Tuesday, the head of TikTok India issued a statement saying the firm has “not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government”.

“Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so,” Nikhil Gandhi said, adding that “hundreds of millions of users, artists, story-tellers, educators and performers [...] (depend) on it for their livelihood.”

It remains unclear, however, how the bans would work, with Indians who have downloaded TikTok on their phones still able to use the app on Tuesday.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing that China is “strongly concerned” about the announcement and looking into the situation.

He said the country has always asked Chinese firms to abide by international rules and local laws as they work with foreign parties, adding that China-India cooperation is mutually beneficial and damaging this is not in India's interest.

China and India have long had a prickly relationship.

But the border clash was the first deadly violence on their disputed Himalayan border in 45 years, claiming the lives of 20 Indian soldiers. Chinese casualties are unknown.

The Indian deaths triggered outrage on social media with calls to boycott Chinese products. Chinese flags were set on fire and traders destroyed Chinese goods at scattered street protests.

Ties were strained last August when New Delhi revoked the semi-autonomous status of Indian-occupied Kashmir and split off Ladakh — parts of which are claimed by China — into a new administrative territory.

India shares United States unease about growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean and New Delhi has bolstered defence cooperation with Washington as well as Australia and Japan.

India has also been irked by China's backing of Pakistan and the construction of an economic corridor going through parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Since the latest clash, the nuclear-armed neighbours have reinforced the border between Ladakh and Tibet. India has deployed thousands more troops and is conducting extra military flights over the mountainous region.

“Those who cast an evil eye on Indian soil in Ladakh have got a befitting response,” Modi said in his weekly radio address on Sunday.

He was due to address the nation again at 4:00 pm (1030 GMT) on Tuesday.

With Asia's third-biggest economy dealt a sucker punch by the coronavirus, the apps ban fits in with Modi's vision outlined in May of a “self-reliant India” able to produce all it needs at home.

But New Delhi has a trade deficit of around $50 billion with China, with India's pharmaceutical, electronics and automotive sectors hugely reliant on imports of Chinese raw materials and components.

Chinese electronic firms also have a major presence in India, with cellphone brands like Xiaomi — which manufactures in India — enjoying a market share of almost 65 per cent.

The ban on the apps “is fine as a gesture of protest but we should be very careful with escalation right now,” said Manoj Joshi from the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank.

“Right now I don't think there are any easy options for New Delhi.”

Pop singer Haroon Rashid ties the knot

Pop singer Haroon Rashid is the latest celebrity to tie the knot with Farwa amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The couple got married in an intimate nikkah ceremony among close friends and family. They complimented each other in matching white outfits and looked stunning.

The beautiful photos and videos of their daytime ceremony has been shared by the photographer on social media. Celebs and fans felicitated the newly weds on their wedding.

Rashid is a British-born Pakistani singer-songwriter, music producer, composer, director and social activist. He was a member of the pop band Awaz in the 1990s.

He has sold millions of singles and albums worldwide and has performed at large venues such as the Wembley Arena.

OGRA notifies hike in LPG price for July

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has notified the new price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) which was increased up to Rs3.96 per kilogram for the month of July.

A notification has been released for the hike in rates which stated that the price of LPG increased by Rs3.96 per kilogram for the month of July, whereas, Rs46.76 per kilogram hiked for LPG cylinder. The new price of LPG will be Rs114 per kilogram.

The price of the 11.8-kilogram domestic cylinder set up to Rs1,345.07 while the new price of commercial cylinder reached Rs5,175.

Earlier on June 27, the regulatory authority had announced an increased in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for the second time in a week.

According to the previous notification, the price of LPG had been increased by Rs5 per kilogram for the month of June which jacked up the rates per kilogram to Rs105.

The price of an 11.8-kilogram cylinder had gone up by Rs50 while the price of a commercial cylinder had been increased by Rs200.

China approves contentious Hong Kong national security law

China approved a contentious national security law that will allow authorities to crack down on subversive and secessionist activity in Hong Kong, a move many see as Beijing's boldest yet to erase the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory and the mainland's authoritarian Communist Party system.

Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order on Tuesday promulgating the law after it was approved by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

It will be added to the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitution.

Few details were given but China's liaison office in Hong Kong issued a statement warning opponents of the law not to underestimate the party centre's determination to safeguard Hong Kong's national security or its willingness and ability to enforce the new rules.

"We hope the law will serve as a deterrent to prevent people from stirring up trouble," said Tam Yiu-Chung, Hong Kong's sole representative on the Standing Committee.

"Don't let Hong Kong be used as a tool to split the country."

He said punishments would not include the death penalty, but did not elaborate on further details.

Passage of the law came amid fears in Hong Kong and abroad that it would be used to curb opposition voices in the Asian financial hub.

The US has already begun moves to end special trade terms given to Hong Kong after the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

The legislation is aimed at curbing subversive, secessionist and terrorist activities, as well as foreign intervention in the city's affairs. It follows months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year that at times descended into violence.

Speaking in a video message to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the law would only target an extremely small minority of lawbreakers, would not be retroactive, and that mainland legal bodies would only have jurisdiction in rare, specified situations.

Critics say it is the most significant erosion to date of Hong Kong's British-style rule of law and the high degree of autonomy that Beijing promised Hong Kong would enjoy at least through 2047 under a one country, two systems framework.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Nathan Law issued statements on Facebook saying they would withdraw from their organisation Demosisto, which then announced that it would disband with the loss of its top members.

Wong said worrying about life and safety has become a real issue and nobody will be able to predict the repercussions of the law, whether it is being extradited to China or facing long jail terms.

More than a hundred protesters gathered at a luxury mall in Hong Kong's central business district, chanting slogans including "Free Hong Kong, Revolution Now", with several holding up a flag representing an independent Hong Kong as well as posters condemning the law.

"The law's passage represents the greatest threat to human rights in the city's recent history," said Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty International's China Team.

"The speed and secrecy with which China has pushed through this legislation intensifies the fear that Beijing has calculatingly created a weapon of repression to be used against government critics, including people who are merely expressing their views or protesting peacefully," Rosenzweig said in a statement.

Concerns were also expressed in Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary.

"Democracy and freedom are shared universal values of Hong Kong and Taiwan," the island's Mainland Affairs Council said, adding that China had betrayed its promises to Hong Kong.

The self-governing island recently said it would consider providing asylum for Hong Kong opposition figures who fear arrest.

Ahead of the law's passage, the Trump administration said on Monday it will bar defence exports to Hong Kong and will soon require licenses for the sale of items that have both civilian and military uses.

"We cannot risk these items falling into the hands of the People's Liberation Army, whose primary purpose is to uphold the dictatorship of the (ruling Communist Party) by any means necessary," US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said his government was deeply concerned over reports of the law's passage, saying that would be a grave step.

Britain has said it could offer residency and possible citizenship to about 3 million of Hong Kong's 7.5 million people.

“This issue is purely China's internal affairs, and no foreign country has the right to interfere,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said.

He said China would take necessary measures to protect its national interests in response to the wrong acts of the United States.

Under the law, Beijing will set up a national security office in Hong Kong to collect and analyse intelligence and deal with criminal cases related to national security.

Government critics fear Beijing will use the law to pursue political opponents. Some have questioned the legal basis on which China proceeded with the legislation, saying it undermines the Basic Law.

An earlier attempt to pass a security law in 2003 was dropped after hundreds of thousands of people marched in Hong Kong's streets against it.

China for years had put off another such effort. Citing a new urgency after last year's protests, it announced it would bypass the Hong Kong legislature and enact the law on its own.

Chinese officials have railed against what they claim is foreign interference in the territory that they blame for encouraging the anti-government protests. Beijing condemned the protests as an attempt to permanently split Hong Kong away from China.

Drafting of the law took place amid intense secrecy, with even top Hong Kong officials reportedly not given advance notice of its specifics.

Questions linger over the effects on Hong Kong's free press that has come under increasing political and financial pressure, as well as the operations of non-governmental organisations, particularly those with foreign connections.

The law's passage comes after Hong Kong's legislature in early June approved a contentious bill making it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem.

Pro-China figures have also been pushing for more patriotic education to be introduced into the curriculum, hoping that will boost their identification with Beijing.

Hafeez, Wahab, Shadab test negative for COVID-19

Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Hasnain will fly off and join the Pakistan cricket team in England after they tested negative for the coronavirus a second time.

The players were retested on Monday, June 29, following a first negative test on June 26, the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement, adding that they will now start making travel arrangements for the players.

Ten players had been left out of the squad travelling to England over the weekend after they tested positive for coronavirus at least once.

Shadab, Haris Rauf, Haider Ali, Fakhar, Rizwan, Riaz, Imran Khan, Hafeez, Hasnain and Kashif Bhatti first tested positive last week.

Apart from the seven players, one support personnel — the masseur — also contracted the illness after the cricket body had 35 tests carried out for COVID-19 in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar.

Hafeez, however, a day later said he had tested negative for the virus.

"After tested positive COVID-19 according to PCB testing report yesterday, as second opinion and for satisfaction I personally went to test it again along with my family," Hafeez had said.

A depleted Pakistan squad arrived in England on Sunday to play three Tests and as many T20Is. The squad will have a 14-day isolation period on arrival before continuing their preparations ahead of the first Test with two internal four-day warm-up matches.

It is expected that the first Test will take place in Manchester in August but the England and Wales Cricket Board said the behind-closed-doors match schedule would be announced in "due course".

We have 'no doubt' India was behind PSX attack: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan while speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday said that Pakistan has "no doubt" that India was behind yesterday's attempted attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi.

"What happened in Mumbai, they wanted to do the same [in Karachi]; they wanted to spread uncertainty. We have no doubt this was done by India," the premier said, referring to the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which more than 160 people were killed.

He praised a police sub-inspector and three security guards who lost their lives while thwarting the attack on the PSX as the "heroes of Pakistan".

 

"They gave sacrifices and thwarted a major incident, which was planned by India to destabilise us," he said, adding that the attackers had a lot of ammunition and they wanted to take hostages.

"My cabinet and its ministers know that all our agencies were on high alert. Our agencies preempted at least four major attempts of terrorism and two of them were around Islamabad.

"We were fully prepared ... this was a huge win for us," he said, paying tribute to the security agencies.

The PSX had come under attack on Monday morning when four heavily armed assailants lobbed grenades at its entrance and opened fire on security guards and officials before being killed in an exchange of fire that also claimed the lives of four security personnel.

The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility through social media, but such an attack reflecting “frustration” of Indian agency RAW over peace in Pakistan’s financial hub was not possible without the help of any foreign hostile agency, the chief of paramilitary Rangers told a press conference after the attack.

At the start of his speech, the prime minister thanked his team for their efforts which led to the budget 2020-21 being approved by the parliament on Monday.

"There was a lot of speculation that a lot could happen ... if you had watched TV you would have thought it was our last day," he said, referring to fears the budget would be unable to be passed.

"I want to thank my government, because Chief Whip Amir Dogar gave me full information [about] what we gained and what improvement we had. I also thank my minorities and the way they participated," the premier said.

Prime Minister Imran said he and his finance team know "what a difficult budget this was" and the government had to revise its revenue target from Rs5,000 billion to Rs4,900 billion.

"We were on our way [and] we had 17 per cent collection but as soon as Covid-19 came, it affected all the economies, so a direct consequence was that our target had to be revised to Rs3,900 billion [and] we had a Rs1 trillion shortfall."

He said no country, including Pakistan, had been able to measure the impact the coronavirus lockdown would have on the economy.

"I salute my team, who were criticised for being 'confused', because we did not go for a sweeping lockdown that we were being pressured into enforcing.

"They gave us examples of Sindh ... if I was listened to, I would still not have enforced the lockdown that we did. I would have tried to keep things running."

He said while the opposition was criticising him, people travelling to poor neighbourhoods in cars were being "attacked" by people who were hungry. "Thank goodness we didn't succumb to the pressure; the world has accepted that smart lockdowns are the only way to combat the virus," he added.

Imran said the real "confusion" was among the poor people who weren't sure how they would feed their families during the lockdown. At this point, he lauded his aide on social protection Sania Nishtar and her team for distributing emergency cash among the people, saying there was "no other example of this" in a country with an informal economy.

Due to the pandemic, the premier noted, the entire service sector is affected, the northern areas that rely on tourism are struggling and teachers in rural areas are without job. He said the government was planning on how to further help them because the country is "not out of the woods" yet.

He said despite the unfavourable economic conditions, Pakistan was "saved" because the government opted against completely closing down the agriculture sector.

But he said, "We still have a challenge going forward; we don't know when our tax collection will gain and how we will help those affected, but it will be a constant challenge on how to sustain the economy."

Invoking Charles Dickens, the prime minister said: "It is 'the worst of times', but if we want to make it into the best of times we have to plan."

But he said the money that should be spent on education and hospitals is being poured into government corporations running losses, while the power sector has become "the biggest curse" for the country. He held "mafias" responsible for bringing state-owned enterprises to this stage and for the Pakistan International Airlines' current woes.

"It is not an option now ... we need to reform all institutions," he said, recalling that his government had to pay Rs2,000 billion out of its first-year tax revenue of Rs4,000 billion in interest payments for loans taken by previous governments.

"The people who ruined the Steel Mills, PIA and power sector by making political appointments ask why [we] fired people," the premier added.

"All successful societies are run by people making money [and] paying taxes and that being spent on health and education; that is the state of Madina," he said, regretting that in Pakistan members of mafias and cartels seek to make record profits without paying their due share.

"Despite receiving a subsidy of Rs29 billion, the entire sugar industry pays taxes of Rs9 billion," the prime minister added. He said the public is forced to purchase pricey sugar because of the regulators' collusion with the sugar cartels.

"These big monopolies, cartels, mafias would never have been able to run if [previous] governments did not patronise them. [Asif Ali] Zardari and Nawaz [Sharif] have sugar mills; why do they have them? To turn black money into white. We will do inquiries everywhere; we will go after those who exploit the country."

China expresses strong concern over Indian ban on mobile apps

China on Tuesday expressed strong concern over India's ban of Chinese mobile apps as tensions continue to escalate between the two Asian giants following their border clash at Ladakh a few weeks ago.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that India has a responsibility to uphold the rights of Chinese businesses.

India on Monday banned 59, mostly Chinese, mobile apps including Bytedance's TikTok, Alibaba's UC Browser, and Tencent's WeChat citing security concerns, New Delhi said in a statement.

The apps are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order", the ministry of information technology said.

The ban comes after a deadly border conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations earlier this month in which 20 Indian soldiers have died.

"The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking it’s power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps since in view of information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order," the press release said.

India's Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the step was taken for "safety, security, defence, sovereignty and integrity of India."

Nigar Johar becomes first female lieutenant general in Pakistan’s history: ISPR

Lieutenant General Nigar Johar has become the first woman officer in the history of Pakistan Army to reach the three-star rank, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.

The newly appointed lieutenant general, who hails from the Panjpeer village in Swabi district, has been appointed as the first Surgeon General of Pakistan Army, the military's media wing added.

In 2017, she became the third woman in the country’s history to hold the rank of a major general in the Pakistan Army.

According to media report, Johar is the daughter of Col Qadir, who had served in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and is the niece of retired Maj Mohammad Aamir, a former Pakistan Army officer who served in the ISI as well.

Both her parents died in a car accident 30 years ago.

LHC: Those responsible for fuel crisis will not get scot-free

The Lahore High Court (LHC) proposed on Tuesday that a parliamentary committee comprising members of the government as well as the opposition be constituted to probe the recent shortage of petroleum products in the country.

A bench of the high court, headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, cleared that the law will take its course if National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser does not form the committee that, the court said, will carry out a probe into the matter within 15 days of its constitution.

The chief justice expressed displeasure over the absence of the prime minister’s principal secretary from today’s hearing, saying it appears that he will have to be hauled up by issuance of arrest warrants.

He asked how much profit did oil companies pocket when prices of petroleum products were jacked up before even completion of one month. He also inquired about storage capacity of oil firms.

The top LHC judge remarked that this was a major crisis that the country faced, stressing a need for a transparent investigation into the matter. “Those responsible will not be able to get scot-free,” he said.

He further directed that a report on the fuel crisis and hike in prices of petroleum products be presented in Parliament.

The bench imposed a fine of Rs100,000 on Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) chairperson Uzma Adil and directed her to pay the amount to the LHC Bar Association’s hospital.

The hearing was adjourned until July 9.

Uber in talks to buy food delivery app Postmates

Uber is in talks to buy food delivery app Postmates in a multibillion dollar deal, US media reported.

The San Francisco-based company has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic — last month cutting a quarter of its global workforce — and has been looking to boost its growing food delivery service Uber Eats.

Talks for a $2.6 billion deal with start-up Postmates are ongoing, sources told the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, but stressed that nothing was confirmed.

The deal would bolster Uber and help Postmates, a nine-year-old firm that has struggled against larger food delivery rivals, the New York Times noted on Monday.

A $6 billion Uber offer made last month to acquire Grubhub — another US food delivery app — fell through. Grubhub was later bought by European competitor Just Eat Takeaway.

Uber said in its quarterly update earlier this year that it lost nearly $3 billion and its rides business was down some 80 percent in April.

The rideshare giant noted, however, that it was seeing strong revenue growth for its Eats food delivery operation.

Neither Uber nor Postmates have commented on the potential deal.

India grants IOJK domicile to 25,000 Indian nationals: PM Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday termed India’s attempts to alter occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s demographic profile by issuance of domicile certificates to 25,000 Indian nationals illegal and being in violation of UNSC resolutions.

In a statement posted on his official Twitter account, the premier said: “First India’s attempt at illegal annexation of IOJK & now its attempts to alter IOJK’s demographic structure incl by issuance of domicile certificates to 25,000 Indian nationals are all illegal, in violation of UNSC resolutions & international law, incl 4th Geneva Convention.”

I have approached UN Secretary General and am reaching out to other world leaders. India must be stopped from this unacceptable path that further usurps the legal & internationally guaranteed rights of the Kashmiri people & seriously imperils peace and security in South Asia.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 30, 2020

He said he has approached the UN secretary general and is reaching out to other world leaders. “India must be stopped from this unacceptable path that further usurps the legal & internationally guaranteed rights of the Kashmiri people & seriously imperils peace and security in South Asia.”

Earlier, on June 26, PM Imran Khan had called on the international community to hold India accountable for its human rights abuses in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Lahore pvt school fired teacher after sexual harassment accusations

Four employees of a private school in Lahore, including a teacher, were sacked by the administration on Tuesday after they were found guilty by the school of sexually harassing female students.

Numerous students said that they were being harassed since 2016 but had decided to report the incidents to the management after it became unbearable.

According to the school administration, the four persons against whom the complaint was lodged include a chemistry teacher, an administrative officer, an accountant and a janitor.

Administration Officer Aitzaz, Accountant Omar, a chowkidar named Shehzad and chemistry teacher Zahid Warraich were accused of harassment by female students, some of whom had left school a few years ago and others who were still studying there.

Students said that they had lodged various sexual harassment complaints over the years against the accused but no action had been taken by the administration. Hence some of them were forced to leave the school and seek admission in others.

The administration said that after receiving evidence against the accused, which included videos, photographs and indecent messages sent by them to students, all four persons involved were shown the door.

The students revealed that the chemistry teacher, Warraich, used to harass them by staring and trying to touch them inappropriately. They also said that he tried to sit with them in a manner that made it very uncomfortable for the students to study.

They also spoke of a female teacher in the school who told them about how she was also a victim of harassment by one of the staff members at the institute but instead of taking action against the harassers, she told the students to remain silent.

On the other hand, the police said that they have not received any request from the school administration to take action against the four accused in the case.

India banned "TikTok" after deadly border clash with China

TikTok denied Tuesday sharing Indian users’ data with the Chinese government, after New Delhi banned the wildly popular app in a sharp deterioration of relations with Beijing two weeks after a deadly border clash.

“TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government,” TikTok India chief Nikhil Gandhi said in a statement.

“Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so. We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity,” he said, adding that it had been invited to a meeting with the Indian government “for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications”.

TikTok is owned by China’s ByteDance and was one of 59 Chinese mobile apps banned late Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

There are estimated to be about 120 million TikTok users in India, making the South Asian nation of 1.3 billion people the app’s biggest international market.

The Indian ministry of information technology said that the apps “are engaged in activities… prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”.

The announcement came after 20 Indian soldiers were killed on June 15 in hand-to-hand clashes with Chinese troops in the first deadly violence on their disputed Himalayan border in 45 years. Chinese casualties are unknown.

Amid mutual recriminations, the nuclear-armed Asian giants have reinforced the border between the Ladakh region and Tibet with thousands of extra troops, aircraft and hardware.

The deaths have triggered outrage on social media with calls to boycott Chinese goods, with Chinese flags set on fire at scattered street protests.

Last week, one of Delhi’s main hotel associations said that its members were barring Chinese guests and would stop using Chinese-made products.

Chinese electronic firms also have a major presence in India, with cellphone brands like Xiaomi and Oppo enjoying an almost 65-percent market share.

E-commerce giants including US giant Amazon — which sell huge volumes of Chinese gadgets — have agreed to display the country of origin of goods on their platforms, according to media reports.

Modi’s government has also ordered all sellers to do the same on its GeM portal, which is used for tens of billions of dollars’ worth of state purchases.

Goods made in China, including some raw materials vital to Indian pharmaceutical firms, are also starting to pile up at Indian ports and airports because of more stringent customs checks, media reports said.

Despite long-prickly relations, India and China have steadily built up strong economic ties in recent years.

Annual bilateral trade is worth some $90 billion, with a deficit of around $50 billion in China’s favour.

Pakistani cricketers spent some quality time indulging in recreational activities

Pakistan cricketers spent some quality time indulging in recreational activities in Worcestershire.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared images of its players playing table tennis, darts and snooker on social media website Twitter.

The Pakistan team arrived in Manchester on Sunday for their three-match Test series and three T20Is against England, before moving to Worcestershire. They will spend 14 days in isolation here before heading to Derbyshire on July 13.

The side are also scheduled to play two intra-squad matches on the tour.

The schedule for the two training games, which are to be played behind closed doors, will be announced in due course.

Court issues bailable arrest warrant for Asif Zardari

An accountability court on Tuesday issued a bailable arrest warrant for former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Toshakhana reference, in which he is one of the main suspects along with former prime ministers Yousaf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif.

During today’s proceedings, Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naek told the court that he had already filed a plea in court to exempt his client from appearing before the court.

“I am a senior lawyer and I am telling the court that Asif Zardari will be present at the next hearing,” Naek said.

Naek told Justice Asghar Ali that summoning Zardari to court will cause a lot of people to gather and cause a rush, which will be dangerous due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court, however, rejected the former president’s plea and issued a bailable arrest warrant for him.

"I'll give a long date, Asif Zardari should appear before the court," said Justice Asghar.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi countered Naek's stance by saying that if a rush were to develop due to Zardari's presence in court, then it was the administration's job to control it.

"He [Zardari] should not be given any relief, non-bailable arrest warrants for him should be issued," the prosecutor told the court He said that after the court granted exemption from appearing to Yousaf Raza Gilani, his lawyer had also abstained from appearing before the court.

Background of the Toshakhana reference
On June 11, a non-bailable arrest warrant for Nawaz was issued by the accountability court in the Toshakhana reference.

According to the accountability bureau, Zardari and former premier Sharif obtained cars from the Toshakana by paying 15% of the cars' price.

The bureau further alleged that Gilani facilitated Zardari and Nawaz in this regard.

Zardari had paid only 15% of the total cost of the cars through fake accounts, according to NAB. He also received the cars as a gift from Libya and the UAE when he was president and used them for his personal use instead of depositing them in the treasury, the anti-graft body had alleged.

NAB had also said that Abdul Ghani Majeed paid for the vehicles through fake accounts whereas Anwar Majeed made more than Rs20 million through illegal transactions using the Ansari Sugar Mills accounts.

According to reports, Nawaz was not holding any public office in 2008 but was given a vehicle without any justification. NAB says the leaders have been charged with corruption under sub-sections 2, 4, 7 and 12 of Section 9 (A) of the NAB Ordinance.

The Toshakhana (gift depository) gift from any country to the head of the state remains the property of the government unless sold at an open auction. Rules allow officials to retain gifts with a market value of less than Rs10,000 without paying anything.

Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 209,337 , recovery rate rose to 98,503

The number of confirmed Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 209,337 on Tuesday after new infections were confirmed in the country.

The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of June 30, is as follows:

Total confirmed cases: 209,337 

• Sindh: 81,985

• Punjab: 75,501

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 26,115

• Balochistan: 10,426

• Islamabad Capital Territory: 12,775

• Gilgit-Baltistan: 1,470

• AJK: 1,065

Deaths: 4,304

• Punjab: 1,727

• Sindh: 1,343

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 935

• Balochistan: 119

• Islamabad Capital Territory: 128

• Gilgit-Baltistan: 24

• AJK: 28

RECOVERED: 95,407

More than 10.3 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 504,269 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

 

 

 

Foreign investment in govt securities climbs to $66mn in June

Nearly $66 million were invested via foreign funds in government securities during June without any outflows recorded during the month, data from the State Bank of Pakistan showed.

Foreign funds amounting to $37.5 million were invested in treasury bills and $28.1 million in Pakistan investment bonds, according to the data from the central bank.

The robust inflows are an indication of foreign investors’ interest in high-yielding debt market despite back-to-back rate cuts by the central bank over the past three months.

Tahir Abbas, the head of Research at Arif Habib Limited said foreigner investors sense that there is a less likelihood of further rupee depreciation.

“Indeed, they are betting on potential [rupee] appreciation… together with good returns that means a win-win situation.” The SBP brought interest rate cumulatively down by 625 basis points to 7% since March 17 to boost the economy amid the coronavirus crisis.

However, the rate is still one of the highest across the region. Pressure on rupee is expected to ease due to foreign loan commitments by multilateral financial institutions. The rupee lost an estimated 19% of its value against the US dollar since April last year.

The country has already received $1.5 billion from the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Together with an expected restoration of the IMF’s loan program, the funding is expected to reinforce the foreign exchange reserves.

International Monetary Fund approved $6 billion of extended fund facility for Pakistan in July last year. But, it stalled program in March due to uncertain economic fallout of the coronavirus lockdown.

The SBP’s data showed that foreign funds invested $3.7 billion in treasury bills and $119.9 million in Pakistan investment bonds between July 2019 and June 2020. Outflows from treasury bills amounted to $3.1 billion and foreign funds divested $45.4 million from bonds.

Major inflows in treasury bills, during the fiscal year, came from the UK ($2.6 billion), followed by the US ($893 million) and UAE ($109.4 million).

The government intends to attract portfolio investment to increase foreign exchange reserves and develop the debt and foreign exchange market. It relaxed taxation on investment in government securities by non-resident companies that have no permanent business in Pakistan.

Withholding tax on investment in treasury bills was significantly reduced to 10% from 30%. It amended Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 to simplify the tax structure and process for non-resident investing in debt instruments and government securities, which would help deepen the capital market, generate greater interest in the longer-dated government securities, and reduce the cost of debt for the government.

U.N. to call for more aid for Syrians at virtual donor meeting

Governments are set to pledge billions of dollars in aid for Syrians at a virtual conference on Tuesday to help refugees enduring Syria’s ninth year of armed conflict, as COVID-19 and high food prices worsen the plight of millions.

This year, the United Nations is looking for almost $10 billion for people in Syria and surrounding countries. It hopes much of that will come from the 60 governments and non-governmental agencies gathering by video link on Tuesday from 0800 GMT. The European Union is hosting the event.

The pledging, now an annual event, breaks down into a U.N. appeal of $3.8 billion for aid inside Syria and $6.04 billion for countries hosting refugees. Only a fraction has been raised so far.

“The needs have never been greater,” said Corinne Fleischer at the World Food Programme, a U.N. agency.

In Syria, more than 11 million people need aid and protection, the U.N. says, while 6.6 million have fled to neighbouring countries in the world’s largest refugee crisis.

Many Syrians face an unprecedented hunger crisis, with over 9.3 million people lacking adequate food, while the country’s coronavirus outbreak could accelerate, the U.N. has said.

A combination of an economic slump and COVID-19 lockdown measures have pushed food prices more than 200% higher in less than a year, according to the World Food Programme.

“The COVID-19 crisis has had an immediate and devastating impact on livelihoods of millions of Syrian refugees and their hosts in the region,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement.

However, money pledged is only what European officials call a sticking plaster to meet Syrians’ immediate needs.

Rebuilding destroyed cities is likely to take billions more dollars and cannot start until powers involved in the war back a peaceful transition away from the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the European Union says.

Harry, Meghan will have to share stories of their royal life at future events

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had signed a new deal recently with public speaking agents.

And while it was understood that the couple will share their thoughts on a myriad of social issues, it looks like they might be expected to spill “steaming cups of royal tea” as well.

Editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, Ingrid Seward said that the two will have to speak up about some of the stories about their royal lives as well or they wouldn’t be able to justify their speaking fee.

Talking to The Mirror, she said: "No one wants to pay to hear them sounding off about gender equality and the environment. Harry and Meghan will really have to up their ante, and they will absolutely have to tell some stories about the Royal Family."

Last week, Meghan and Prince signed an engagement speaking deal with agency Harry Walker Agency – which also works with high-profile personalities like Barack and Michelle Obama, Hillary and Bill Clinton, and Oprah Winfrey.

As reported by Page Six, Harry Walker agency specializes in commanding $1 million fees for their in-demand clients.

According to a source quoted by Town & County, the highly sought after couple will hold conversations that will “relate to topics that are important in their lives—and in the world."

23 die in Bangladesh ferry accident: emergency services

Twenty-three people died and dozens more were missing on Monday after a ferry capsized in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka following a collision with another vessel, rescue officials said.

“We have so far recovered 23 bodies from the sunken ferry,” fire brigade official Enayet Hossain told AFP.

“There were 50 people on board… Our rescue divers are still searching,” she said.

The Morning Bird vessel was hit by another ferry at Farashganj, just metres (yards) from the country’s largest river port Sadarghat.

Several witnesses told local television stations that the boat was carrying more than 50 people, with many stuck in cabins.

Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh due to poor safety standards in the country’s many shipyards. The ferries are often overcrowded and sink in bad weather.

COVID-19 pandemic ‘is not even close to being over: WHO chief

The COVID-19 pandemic is not even close to being over, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing on Monday.

Tedros noted that, six months after China first alerted the WHO to a novel respiratory infection, the grim milestones of 10 million confirmed infections and 500,000 deaths had been reached.

“Most people remain susceptible, the virus still has a lot of room to move,” he said.

“We all want this to be over. We all want to get on with our lives. But the hard reality is that this is not even close to being over. Although many countries have made some progress globally, the pandemic is actually speeding up.”

The head of the WHO’s emergencies programme, Mike Ryan, told the briefing that tremendous progress had been made towards finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection, but there was still no guarantee the effort would succeed.

In the meantime, countries could fight the spread of the disease by testing, isolating confirmed cases and tracking their contacts, he said. He singled out Japan, South Korea and Germany for their “comprehensive, sustained strategy” against the virus.

The WHO plans to convene a meeting this week to assess progress in research towards fighting the disease, Tedros said.

PM Imran and COAS condemn PSX attack, pay tribute to martyrs

Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the terrorist attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday, saying the whole nation was proud of the jawans who bravely fought militants off to avert massive casualties.

“Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan condemns the terrorist attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange. The security forces bravely fought the enemy and thwarted the attack,” PTI’s Shahbaz Gill said in a tweet.

Gill added the whole nation was proud of its brave jawans. “I have extended my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs and pray for the recovery of the injured.”

Four terrorists were killed by the police around 10am today after they opened fire and killed four security guards and a police sub-inspector.

Armed militants stormed the PSX compound in a sedan and attempted to enter it from the parking ground side, according to initial reports and eyewitness statements. They were seen shouldering backpacks and carrying automatic weaponry in an amateur video captured by an eyewitness. The equipment, arms, and ammunition recovered from them indicated that they had come prepared for a long siege.

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar javed Bajwa paid tribute to the security guards of the Pakistan Security Exchange, who laid down their lives trying to thwart the terrorist attack.

The DG ISPR said that the army chief appreciated the LEAs, including Rangers and Sindh Police, for their operational readiness and prompt response.

“With support of our resilient nation, we will foil all efforts of enemies aimed at destabilizing hard earned peace achieved through sacrifices of our martyrs,” the COAS was quoted as saying by the DG ISPR on Twitter.

It was a terrorist attack, there's no doubt about it," said DIG South. Since security was beefed up, all four terrorists were not able to enter the building, they were stopped outside," he added.

The DIG South said that the blood being shown on media, inside the PSX building, was of a security guard and not the militants who had attempted to enter the building.

Kharal thanked security agencies for sharing intelligence about a probable attack which helped thwart massive casualties. He said that if it were not for the security guards who laid down their lives in the attack and the police as well as rangers personnel who acted swiftly, the situation could have gotten out of hand.

Once again commending the efforts put in by the law enforcement agencies, Kharal said that trading had not stopped for even a second whilst the attack took place.

 

Younis singles out Archer as main threat for Pakistan

Pakistan batting coach and former great Younis Khan singled out fast-rising paceman Jofra Archer as a ‘major threat’ in his team’s forthcoming matches against England.

The Pakistan squad left from Lahore on Sunday for England, where they will play three Tests and as many Twenty20 Internationals, starting in the first week of August.

Younis said 25-year-old Archer has made a reputation for himself since qualifying to play for England and going on to play a key role in last year’s Ashes and triumphant World Cup campaign.

“He [Archer] is a real match winner and a threat,” Younis said before the team’s departure from Allama Iqbal International Airport.

“Archer has strong nerves which he proved while bowling a crucial super over in the World Cup final,” said Younis of England’s nail-biting win over New Zealand at Lord’s last year. “He has bite in his bowling and his high arm action is very good and gives him nip in his bowling.”

But Younis — who himself played a key role in Pakistan’s 2-2 series draw in England in 2016 with a brilliant double hundred in the last Test at The Oval — said Barbados-born Archer can be countered.

“There is hype around him so that can be an added pressure on him. I have told the batsmen to play close to the body and play on the back foot because his in-swinger can be very dangerous.” Younis, who remembered playing Archer in Pakistan’s practice game against Sussex in 2016.

“I remember playing him in the side game,” said Younis of Archer’s debut first-class match. “He got five wickets in the match but was not on top of his bowling at the time like he is now.”

Pakistan’s highest Test run scorer with 10,099, Younis said Pakistan should also be cautious of England’s most experienced bowlers — James Anderson and Stuart Broad. “Anderson and Broad have a wealth of experience. They are always a great pair. Whenever England have won they have the major share, but in August the weather will be dry and not very overcast so they can be handled properly.

“Pakistan need to score 300-350 in the first innings, in order to challenge England in bowling,” the batting coach said.

The squad has a new pace battery with lanky Shaheen Shah Afridi as spearhead supported by 17-year-old Naseem Shah and seamer Mohammad Abbas, who also played a key role on 2018 tour.

“You face challenges in England as your technique as well as nerves are put to test. I am sure our team will be up to that task,” said Younis.

The squad left without 10 players who had tested positive for novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

Test skipper Azhar Ali said the tourists were looking forward to playing in what will be some of the first Test matches since the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a global lockdown.

“All the players are excited after a tough period,” said Azhar on the eve of departure. “Though a tour to England has always been challenging, our performances there on the last two tours [in 2016 and 2018] are encouraging and we will try to repeat those.”

Pakistan also drew a two-match series 1-1 two years in 2018.

A chartered plane carried 20 squad members including two reserves, who were seen wearing masks and observing social distancing at Lahore airport in pictures released by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The squad will face a two-week isolation period on arrival before continuing their preparations ahead of the first Test with two four-day warm-up matches.

Federal budget 2020-21 approved from NA despite opposition's criticism

The National Assembly of Pakistan approved the federal budget for the fiscal year 2020-2021 on Monday, despite the opposition's vow to not let it sail through the House.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar had presented a Rs7.14 trillion budget for fiscal 2020-21 on June 12.

Today, the government benches were also successful in getting approved the Finance Bill 2020 to give effect to the financial proposals. The amendments proposed by the Opposition in the bill were rejected by the House.

Prime Minister Imran Khan also arrived at the National Assembly session, where the clause-wise amendments to the Finance Bill began in order to sail it through the House.

As the process began, the NA speaker said that any amendment to remove an entire clause will not be acceptable.

The speaker made the statement after PPP’s Shazia Mari proposed amendment to remove an entire clause.

After approval of the budget, the House adjourned the session until 11am on Tuesday.

Earlier, the opposition had agreed to build a united front against the budget and made fiery speeches on the national issues in today's session.

Apart from protesting the budget, opposition lawmakers have also decided to demand the prime minister’s resignation.

Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz had earlier said the federal budget will be approved today, adding that the PTI will put its ‘full force’ to ensure it.

He had said that the opposition will get over its misconceptions about the budget in time.

Earlier, senior opposition leaders from the PPP, PML-N and the JUI-F had described it as an "enemy of the people". Reacting to the budget, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif had predicted that inflation and unemployment would surge as a result of it.

Erstwhile government ally Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) leader Akhtar Mengal had also announced that his party was breaking its alliance with the ruling coalition, which caused a momentary hurdle for the government by depleting its numbers in the House.

Bilawal Bhutto demands PM’s resignation

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan in his speech in the NA, saying that the premier should apologise for destroying the economy.

While addressing the House, Bilawal said that the PM has two options; either he works alongside all the political parties and strive for the betterment of the country, or he resigns and goes home.

Bilawal said that due to the ruling party, the oil companies benefited from the hike in petroleum prices.

“The prime minister should apologise for destroying the country,” said the PPP chairman, adding that the ruling party has usurped the rights of the people.

“The prime minister should not take notice of anything. He took notice of medicines, they became expensive, when he (PM Imran) took notice of sugar and wheat crisis, then they also got costly,” he said.

The PPP leader said that the pilots and Civil Aviation Authority were character-assassinated at an international level.

“What sort of relief is putting people out of jobs?” he said before the House, adding that not making any addition to salaries and pensions is also an ‘injustice’.

Khawaja Asif, Fawad Chaudhry exchange heated words in NA

PML-N leader Khawaja Asif also addressed the House, where he had a verbal spat with Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.

In his fiery speech, Asif criticised the prime minister for calling Osama Bin Laden a martyr. “May Allah save us from terrorists and their supporters.”

Chaudhry, however, interrupted the former defence minister’s speech by asking him to cut it short.

“I will say such a thing about you that you will find it difficult to remain seated in this House,” said the PML-N lawmaker.

Following the debacle, Chaudhry asked the NA speaker to make Asif rescind his statement and apologise.

During his speech, Asif remarked on today’s terrorist attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, saying the country is united against terrorism.

He added the prime minister’s statement on OBL damaged the measures Pakistan has undertaken against terrorism over the years.

Opposition walks out of session during Murad Saeed’s speech

The disgruntled opposition members walked out of the NA in protest during the speech of federal minister Murad Saeed.

After which, the NA speaker tasked Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to conciliate with the opposition members.

“When I end my speech, opposition will return by itself,” remarked Saeed on the opposition members, who were earlier chanting slogans against the budget.

FM Qureshi then took the floor to address the House, where he said that he wants to ask something from the opposition.

“Whenever Murad Saeed stands up to make a speech, why does the opposition run away?” said Qureshi, adding that the opposition had warned that it will not let the budget get approved.

During the address of the foreign minister, the opposition members came back to the session over which Qureshi sarcastically attributed their return to Saeed’s 'psychic' abilities.

The foreign minister, while denying the demand of the opposition, said that the prime minister will not resign as he has the mandate of the public.

 

Gold price rises to Rs104,400 per tola in Pakistan

Gold rates in Pakistan increased Wednesday to Rs104,400 a tola as the world economy headed towards a recession due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to rates issued by the All Sindh Sarafa and Jewellers Association (ASSJA), prices moved up Rs1,600 per tola on Monday. It further noted that the price of 10 grammes of gold bumped up Rs1,372 to Rs89,506.

On the other hand, the international gold rate has gone up $10 an ounce to almost $1,772.

The upward price fluctuation, however, was still considerably less than the surge that came last week when gold rates went up Rs2,000 a tola.

On June 24, the ASSJA said that the gold rates had shot up Rs2,000 per tola as prices around the world surged to their highest in nearly eight years as signs of an acceleration in the coronavirus cases kept investors on edge.

With the increase in gold rates, the price was at that time ascertained to be at Rs105,100 per tola, whereas the price of 10 grammes of gold bumped up Rs1,715 to Rs90,106 last week.

 

Gigi Hadid's father Mohamed Hadid claims to be a victim of racism over property scandal

Gigi and Bella Hadid’s father and real estate tycoon, Mohamed Hadid has been entwined in quite some trouble for a while now over one of his properties.

The $50 million Bel Air mega-mansion in Los Angeles has kept him locked in a court war but that came to a close earlier this month after Hadid’s last-ditch appeal was turned down by California’s Supreme Court.

Talking to Vanity Fair earlier this week, Hadid termed the entire debacle as nothing more than a decision tainted by ‘racism’ and ‘prejudice.’

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life and I’ve been doing this for 40 years,” he said, labelling the verdict as “political lynching.”

“They’re racist. Absolute racist. There is something beyond the normal that has happened here. I know that, I’m 100 percent, and I want to write about it,” he added.

He went on to lash out at his “nightmare neighbour,” Joe Horacek, alleging that he turned the entire hood against him with a smear campaign.

“This guy had nothing to do except me. I am his life. He is obsessed.”

Responding to that, Horacek’s wife Bibi told the Mail, “Hadid is a convicted criminal. It is not about ethnicity or religion. It is about his criminal conduct. He needs to stop blaming my husband for Hadid’s own illegal acts.”

The couple as well as the neighbourhood is also filing a lawsuit against Hadid for cash damages over a year-long ‘nightmare’ that they had to go through.

For the unversed, the property mogul saw legal trouble knocking at his door back when his first mansion was initially allowed for 15,000 square feet but doubled up to 30,000 square feet sans additional permits.

After shrugging off the orders from the city of Los Angeles, he plead no contest in July 2017 to three criminal charges over illegal construction and was slapped with a $3,000 fine, $14,191 fees to the city as well as 200 hours of community service.

PM Johnson to unveil new infrastructure plan

PM Johnson will launch a plan to get Britain “moving again” after COVID lockdown, when govt will set out measures to boost infrastructure construction.

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves as he leaves Downing Street in London, Britain, June 24, 2020.

Johnson will make a speech on Tuesday to set out plans to fast-track building projects such as hospitals, schools, housing, and road and rail infrastructure, part of efforts to try to stem a fall in support for his government.

The British leader has been criticised for his response to the coronavirus crisis, with opposition parties and some scientists saying the government was too slow to bring in a lockdown, too slow to carry out widespread testing and not clear in its messaging.

But Johnson, who won a large majority at last year’s election, hopes to revive his fortunes by returning to his pledges to “level up” Britain by focusing spending on traditional Labour-supporting areas that backed his Conservative Party.

“It’s an important plan … As we move out of this awful, awful period of coronavirus, this dreadful disease, we want to get Britain moving again,” interior minister Priti Patel said.

“We are building now very much a road to recovery, a roadmap, focusing on infrastructure right now … focused on roads, broadband, the type of things that effectively help to create jobs but also provide services and economic growth and opportunity around the country.”

Despite the likely questions over the bill for such works, Johnson repeated that his government would not return to the austerity policies seen under Conservative former prime minister, David Cameron. He told a newspaper that he was going to act fast “to build our way back to health”.

According to pollster Opinium, more of the public favour opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer as prime minister over Johnson, although the Conservatives still hold a lead in terms of voting intention.

Some scientists fear that Britain is on course for a second wave of coronavirus, not helped by some people holding parties and large gatherings after Johnson announced a further easing of England’s lockdown in early July, when pubs and restaurants can reopen.

“My concerns with the UK government are sometimes less with the substance … I’m more concerned that the messaging … seems much more that it’s all over and you can go back to doing everything as you did before,” Mark Drakeford, the first minister of Wales said.

Patel said people should still follow the guidelines.

“It’s important that the public realise that this virus has not disappeared at all,” she said. “We are still in a health emergency … People need to follow the guidance.”

source: politicaluprising

West Indies to wear ‘Black Lives Matter’ logo for England series

West Indies will wear “Black Lives Matter” emblem on the collars of their shirts during England series, Cricket West Indies (CWI).

Premier League soccer clubs have been wearing the logo since the season’s restart as a tribute to protests against racial injustice following the death of a Black man, George Floyd, who died in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis.

The same logo will be used on the shirts, which is designed by Alisha Hosannah, whose partner Troy Deeney is the Watford football club’s captain. Deeney was contacted by CWI for approval and the ICC gave permission for the emblem to be worn on the teams’ collars.

“We believe we have a duty to show solidarity and also to help raise awareness. This is a pivotal moment in history for sports, for the game of cricket and for the West Indies cricket team” West Indies skipper Jason Holder said in the statement.

“We have come to England to retain the Wisden Trophy but we are very conscious of happenings around the world and the fight for justice and equality,” he added.

“Alisha and I are immensely proud to be asked and take part in a monumental moment in world sport, this amazing decision by the West Indies cricket team to show their support for Black Lives Matter,” Deeney said.

“When I got the call, I didn’t hesitate to respond, because I know as sportspersons in the spotlight, how important our efforts are to bring about change and the role we play in move towards change in our society,” he added.

It must be noted that West Indies is in England to play three Tests series. The first Test will be played in Southampton.

Fuel shortage: OGRA fines three more oil companies

Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Monday imposed hefty fines on three more oil marketing companies (OMCs) for creating artificial fuel shortage in the country.

The oil and gas regulatory body imposed an overall fine of Rs 50 million on three oil marketing companies for not maintaining the mandatory stocks.

It also issued a show-cause notice to the three companies on the matter and directed them to submit a reply within 24 hours.

Earlier on June 11, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) said that it had issued show-cause notices to six oil marketing companies (OMCs) and registered cases against two of them over fuel shortage in the country.

These cases have been registered in Karachi, said the Ogra spokesman.

He said that the regulatory body had nothing to do with keeping a check on demand and supply of the petroleum products in the country.

The spokesman said that the Ogra had received complaints of artificial fuel shortage being created in the country against three oil companies. We have proofs of artificial fuel shortage being created by these three companies, he said and assured that action would be taken against them as per law.

He claimed that the oil companies would end the fuel shortage in a while if prices of petroleum products were increased in the country.

Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 206,512 , recovery rate rose to 95,407

The number of confirmed Corona cases in Pakistan rose to 206,512 on monday after new infections were confirmed in the country.

The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of June 28, is as follows:

Total confirmed cases: 202,955

• Sindh:80,446

• Punjab: 74,778

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 25,380

• Balochistan: 10,376

• Islamabad Capital Territory: 12,395

• Gilgit-Baltistan: 1,442

• AJK: 1,049

Deaths: 4,167

RECOVERED: 95,407

576 MORE PEOPLE TESTED POSITIVE LAST 24 HOURS IN PUNJAB province 

576 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Punjab in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections in the province to 74,778.

According to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, eight more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll in the province to 1,681. Thus far, 26,026 patients have been cured of the disease in the province.

576 fresh cases were detected after 8,389 tests were conducted in the previous 24 hours.
A total of 498,496 tests have been conducted in the province so far.