LAHORE: Parcel bookings for the United States (US) have been suspended by the Pakistan Post for a month, resulting in an enormous loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the country, it was revealed on Monday. Parcels of those who sent goods through e-commerce also faced cancellation due to the ceasing of the booking by the Pakistan Post. The emergence has not only raised obstacles to the trade of Pakistani products in the US but has also made a significant mark in the national exchequer. The development has not only suspended trade of Pakistani products in the US but…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
DHAKA: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday stepped down from her position, confirmed country’s army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, prompted by overwhelming protests over quota system. Speaking during a presser after Hasina, 76, fled the country, General Zaman said the army will meet Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin to deliberate on formation of interim government. Media reports said she had flown in a military helicopter with her sister and was headed to the eastern Indian state of West Bengal just across the border. Another report said she was headed to India’s northeastern state of Tripura. Reuters could not immediately verify the reports. Television visuals showed…
ISLAMABAD / KARACHI: The country’s political landscape saw another dramatic shift on Sunday as the PPP hinted at the possibility of ‘re-elections’ if the ruling party could not deliver. The PPP, a major ally of the ruling PML-N, has advised the government to dissolve the National Assembly if it faces serious existential threats, citing concerns over recent narratives targeting Benazir Bhutto’s administration and a perceived marginalisation of PPP legislators in Punjab. The government, however, has remained silent on the PPP’s statement, apparently to avoid confrontation with its main coalition partner. The PPP’s demand comes as political analysts suggest that both…
Bangladesh’s army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, emerged in headlines across the globe on Monday as he announced the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after she fled the country. This came amidst ongoing protests and violence sparked by student groups calling for the removal of a controversial quota system in government jobs. The initial demand escalated into a movement to oust Hasina, 76, who has been in power for 15 years and was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in January, Reuters reported. The unrest has tagically resulted in the deaths of nearly 250 people. Zaman, 58, assumed the duties of army chief…
Not subdued by severe curbs, the hunger for freedom and citizen-based democracy worldwide is growing, with apparently no end to the current plight of the frustrated majority in the existing social structure. In the realm of ideas on how to go about putting things right, updated economic literature spotlights various issues in freedom and democracy, clearly spelt out by great thinkers and statesmen, though now forgotten. In his latest book, The Road to Freedom — Economics and the Society, Joseph E. Stiglitz asks: “What happens when one person’s freedom comes at the expense of another’s; the freedom of some to harm…
LAHORE: Police on Monday alleged that the son of slain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Shahid Siddique was behind his killing. In a statement, police said Qayyum, the PTI founding member’s son, plotted the murder and one of his friends aided him in this crime. The suspect resorted to this extreme measure after the victim refused to grant him permission to marry a girl of his choice, said police. An unknown assailant gunned down Siddique while he was standing outside a mosque after offering Jummah prayer in Valencia Town area of Lahore. The politician’s son, who was also present there,…
As Pakistan observes Youm-e-Istehsal against India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated Islamabad’s stance for finding a peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute via dialogue. In his televised address to the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday, the prime minister said the day was not far away when both India and Israel will be bound to give due rights to the people of Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as all ways other than this lead to total destruction. PM Shehbaz emphasised that granting due rights to the people…
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said the elements involved in “digital terrorism” and spreading propaganda to drive a wedge between armed forces and masses will face the law. He stated this while addressing a press conference at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi to brief the media about the country’s security situation. “First of all, the first line of defence against digital terrorism is the law. Unfortunately, falsehood and propaganda are very high on social media such as fake news and doctored images are posted to create confusion created in the minds…
KARACHI: After reports regarding Pakistanis being denied visa for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) surfaced, Consul General Dr Bakheet Ateeq Al Remeithi has refuted any such restrictions on visa issuance. The clarification by the Emirati envoy came after reports regarding the residents of Sindh facing difficulty in acquiring UAE visa surfaced. In a video interview on Monday, the diplomat said that Pakistani businessmen, real workers, and those travelling for medical treatment to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and other cities are being provided all facilities The envoy added that the Gulf nation has strong cultural, religious, and trade relations with Pakistan…
After her 15-year-long rule in Bangladesh, the autocratic ruler Sheikh Hasina fled her homeland on Monday weeks after angry protestors took to the streets against civil service job quotas in Dhaka. Hasina, who once helped rescue Bangladesh from military rule, saw the sudden end of her long rule with protestors storming her palace in the Bangladesh capital. Her 15 consecutive years in power were marked by an economic rebirth but also by the mass arrest of political opponents and human rights sanctions against her security forces. Protests began in July with rallies led by university students against civil service job quotas…
