The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed officers in grades 17 and above to fill out a form for the receipt of specially branded Lenovo laptop bags. In a recent communication from the FBR’s Information Technology Wing to key officials, including chief commissioners, chief collectors, director generals, collectors, and directors, emphasis was placed on the distribution of these distinctive laptop bags to eligible officers who had previously obtained Lenovo T15 laptops. The FBR’s IT wing had previously distributed Lenovo T15 laptops to officers in grade 17 and above, specifically from the Pakistan Customs Service and Inland Revenue Service. Although…
Author: Saifullah
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The session court in Islamabad granted post-arrest bail to Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen in connection with the Tarnol police station case. The federal capital police, having completed the judicial remand, presented Pashteen before Senior Civil Judge Shabbir Bhatti’s court. Following arguments, the court approved post-arrest bail, requiring a surety bond of Rs 5000. Notably, a trial court in Islamabad had previously rejected the police’s plea for further remand, directing the PTM leader into judicial custody on December 31. In a related incident last month, the Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad granted Pashteen to the police on a…
Pakistan is expected to receive 500,000 doses of Pfizer’s new COVID-19 vaccine (2023-24 formula) in January 2024 to vaccinate high-risk groups, including pilgrims for the Hajj pilgrimage. Before administering the vaccine, fresh Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is required from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), as the new Pfizer vaccine is currently only authorized for emergency use by the US FDA. The vaccine is deemed effective against circulating variants, including Omicron. With rising cases globally, including the JN.1 sub-variant of Omicron, authorities anticipate the need for the new vaccine to prevent its spread among pilgrims. Despite low COVID-19 positivity…
In a continuation of a longstanding agreement, Pakistan and India exchanged lists of prisoners and nuclear installations on January 1st. The Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, signed in 1988, mandates the exchange of nuclear facility details every January 1st. Both nations also shared lists of prisoners in accordance with the Consular Access Agreement of 2008. Pakistan handed over a list of 231 Indian prisoners, while India shared details of 418 Pakistani prisoners. The exchange included a plea for the release and repatriation of those who have completed sentences, along with requests for consular access to…
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Latif Khosa expressed concern as his son, Supreme Court Advocate Sardar Khurram Latif Khosa, was arrested by Mozang police. The arrest, which occurred near the high court, is alleged to be politically motivated due to their association with the PTI. Police confirmed the arrest, stating that a case had been filed against Khurram, accusing him and a group of lawyers of assaulting and threatening police officials. This incident follows a previous attack on another son of Latif Khosa in Lahore last year. In a surprising move, Latif Khosa joined the PTI on December 17, citing his…
The Supreme Court is set to address the matter of lifetime disqualification of lawmakers, a crucial issue that may impact Nawaz Sharif’s eligibility for the upcoming general elections on February 8. A seven-member larger bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, will deliberate on contradictions in the Election Act, 2017, and a Supreme Court verdict. The discrepancies were highlighted during a petition filed by former PML-N provincial lawmaker Sardar Meer Badshah Khan Qaisrani, challenging his lifetime disqualification over a fake degree in 2007. CJP Faez Isa emphasized the need to resolve whether the parliament’s legislation or the Supreme Court’s…
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has disclosed comprehensive statistics on the 2024 general elections, revealing that 6,449 candidates – 6,094 male and 355 female – had their nomination papers approved for National Assembly seats across Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad Capital Territory. Conversely, 1,024 candidates, comprising 934 men and 90 women, faced rejection by returning officers for NA seats, out of a total of 7,473 candidates, which included 445 women. For the four provincial assemblies, the ECP-appointed returning officers greenlit 16,262 nomination papers from 18,478 candidates (17,670 male and 808 female). However, 2,216 candidates, including 2,081 men…
On Monday, north central Japan was struck by a substantial earthquake, registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.5, as reported by various media outlets. The Japan Meteorological Agency swiftly responded to the seismic event by issuing a tsunami warning for the coastal regions of Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama prefectures. This precautionary measure aimed to alert residents and authorities to potential coastal threats following the earthquake. In the aftermath of the seismic activity, Hokuriku Electric Power, a regional power company, took immediate action by initiating checks for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants. The significance of this response lies in the…
Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been called upon by the Faizabad Dharna Commission on January 03 in connection to the Faizabad Dharna case, according to reports from media sources. Established by the caretaker government in November 2023, the commission’s objective is to execute the court’s decision on the dharna and identify those accountable. Shehbaz Sharif, who served as the Chief Minister of Punjab during Tehreek Labaik’s sit-in at Faizabad, is expected to provide his statement. Notably, the inquiry commission is slated to submit its comprehensive report to the Supreme Court on January 22. In previous instances, former minister Ahsan…
The Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has initiated a period of load shedding in response to decreased electricity demand within the city. In an official announcement, IESCO explained that a notable gap between supply and demand in its region compelled the implementation of load management measures. This entails regulated power cuts across all circles for six to eight hours, with normalcy returning once the supply is restored. Adding to the complexity, an additional director from IESCO reported that 17 feeders in the G-9 area were manually switched off due to a fire incident. Simultaneously, the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO)…
