Foreign Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry, has invited Tesla’s owner, Elon Musk, to establish a car plant in Pakistan. Chaudhry invited Elon after the billionaire’s company shared its goal of producing half a million electric vehicles in its upcoming factory near Berlin. The minister in his attempt to convince the company’s owner mentioned some benefits regarding exports as well as customs.
The Flour Mills Association (FMA) on Saturday increased the price of flour to Rs64 per kg in the whole Punjab after an increase of Rs4. The price was increased after a surge in wheat price by Rs7 per kg, according to a FMA spokesperson, adding that the situation had gone from bad to worse after the government hiked electricity and gas tariffs.
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan will only play the role of a peacemaker and not take sides in the ongoing conflict between the United States and neighbouring Iran. He also added that Pakistan has defeated terrorism on its territory and will not allow its soil to be used against any other country.
Shia organisations are holding a rally in Karachi today (Sunday) against the killing of Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general and the chief of the IRGC’s Quds Force, and and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a leader of Hashd al-Shaabi. The protest will begin at the Karachi Press Club at 3pm and demonstrators will march to the US Consulate on Mai Kolachi. Roads leading to the US Consulate have been closed ahead of the rally.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has inaugurated its JF-17 Integration Facility in a bid to achieve self-reliance. Working under the Avionics Production Factory, the facility is located at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra. With the first phase of trial tests already done in China, now Pakistan will be able to assemble, install, test and qualify advanced weapon packages and electronics subsystems at its own facilities.
A Karachi anti-terrorism court sentenced journalist Nasarullah Chaudhry to five years in prison for possessing “material against Pakistan” and “spreading religious hatred”. He has been sentenced to jail under Section 11 W(a) of the ATA. Nasarullah, who was working for Nai Baat, has been convicted of possessing literature about Jihad and books which were critical of the “Pakistan army and the government”.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan has said that the India has installed heavy weaponry at the Line of Control (LoC). He added that the nefarious designs of Indian rulers were not only dangerous for Pakistan, but also a big threat to the peace of the entire region and warned the Modi government to stay ready for deadly results in case of war.
Abu Dhabi, UAE Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be visiting Pakistan on Thursday on a one-day trip. According to UAE’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Al-Zaabi, Prince Muhammad will be in the country for one day and will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan. They will discuss relations between the two countries, as well the state of regional and global politics.
The government has given the people a thoughtful gift to start the new year – an increase in petrol prices for January. The price of petrol has been hiked to PKR 116.60 from PKR 113.99, an increase of PKR 2.61. While in the case of High-speed diesel and Light-speed diesel, the prices have been increased by PKR 2.25 and PKR 2.08 per litre, bringing their new prices to PKR 127.26 and PKR 84.51 respectively.
A special flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying 113 stranded Pakistani prisoners in Malaysia is scheduled to arrive today in Islamabad. The information was shared by Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, which stated that the “boarding process” to bring back the stranded Pakistani is “in process”. The government had brought back 300 Pakistanis from Malaysia in May 2019 as well.