Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif has claimed that a Pakistani bureaucrat’s daughter received Rs720 million (USD $2.8m) at her wedding in salaami. Not revealing the identity of the bureaucrat, the minister also claimed that a whopping Rs 1.2 billion (USD $4.6m) were collected in salaami at the wedding of the first daughter of the same bureaucrat.
Police on Monday arrested former army general Lieutenant General (retired) Amjad Shoaib on allegations of engagement in “hate speech” and provoking government employees against the administration. Amjad Shoaib was arrested from his residence by the Islamabad police under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Pakistanis are queuing for hours to grab coffee and pastries from Canadian chain Tim Hortons, which opened its first outlet in the South Asian country this week just as its economic crisis took a turn for the worse. Inflation in January spiked to 27% year-on-year, the highest in more than a decade, and the government only has enough foreign reserves to pay for just over three weeks of imports.
The government on Tuesday increased the general sales tax (GST) rate to 18% and drastically enhanced taxes on cigarettes with immediate effect to collect Rs115 billion out of the planned Rs170 billion mini-budget. The government is likely to drop another petrol bomb on the masses on Feb 16 after it already jacked up the prices by Rs35 per litre on Jan 29.
The Supreme Court directed wealthy organisations, earning over Rs150 million, to deposit 50% of the super tax imposed on them with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) within seven days, as IMF tightens the noose around government to ‘do more’ for next bailout. The FBR has projected Rs250bn from the imposition of the super tax in FY23.
Three of Pakistan’s top richest men now have net worth more than country’s foreign exchange reserves
With the latest drop in Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, country’s top three richest men are now richer than the country itself. With a net worth of $8.5 billion, $4.6 billion and $3.7 billion respectively , Shahid Khan, Anwar Parvez and Mian Mansha exceed the country’s foreign exchange reserves of a meagre $3.7 billion, which decreased by $923m during the week due to external debt repayments.
A record over 675,000 Pakistanis moved abroad for better jobs due to a lack of proper opportunities and worsening economic conditions in the country in 2022. The picture is even grimmer as 95,000 highly educated Pakistanis left the country to look for well-paid jobs elsewhere. The number is a three-fold increase from 2021 when over 3 lac Pakistanis left the country for work.
After almost a decade, Pakistan’s team of qualified racers will participate in the final round of the Dubai Endurance Karting Championship 2022. Up to 42 karting teams, including 15 European national champions, will compete in the event. Formula one world champion Fernando Alonso and former F1 driver Pedro De La Rosa will also participate in the race.
Pakistani athletes won more than two dozen medals, including seven gold, at the South Asian Karate Championship 2022 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Irshad Ali bagged two gold medals in U-21 and senior categories while Pakistan won third gold by defeating an Indian player. Mah Gul clinched gold in -61 category while Humayun won gold medal in -60 category by defeating an Indian athlete.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Monday said that they have called off a ceasefire agreed with the federal government in June. In a statement from the banned terror outfit, it said it has ordered its militants to stage terrorist attacks across the country. The TTP has been responsible for hundreds of attacks and thousands of deaths since emerging in 2007.