A 12-member Homeland Security team reached Islamabad Monday to finalise the matter of resuming direct flights from the United States to Pakistan and vice versa. American authorities green- lightened Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for the direct flight operations to the United States in May this year, which had shut its direct flight operations to US owing to financial losses.
The vice president of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), Maryam Nawaz Sharif, in a Tweet has asked people to come out for protest rallies over the country, demanding to free former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Maryam also added in her Tweet that people should come out to fight for their right as their mandate has been stolen.
Accountability watchdog, NAB has decided to initiate massive action against the Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif after a British newspaper accused Shehbaz of embezzling millions of pounds of aid for earthquake victims. The assets he accumulated through unfair means will be seized, which include bungalows situated in 96 Model Town Lahore, Dinga Gali, a residential house in KP and luxury vehicles.
Pakistan’s airspace has finally been reopened to civil aviation, providing relief to many after months of restriction that disrupted course of numerous flights. The Civil Aviation Authority announced on Tuesday, that airspace has been fully opened with immediate effect. Pakistan had fully closed its airspace following violation of its international boundary and airspace by Indian fighter jets on February 26.
During his recent visit to Pakistan, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani offered Prime Minister Imran Khan his country’s cooperation to transform five big airports of Pakistan. As per reports, Qatar will help replace outdated systems and infrastructure with modern technology and will provide financial support for the process to modify them on model of Qatar airport.
A day before Judge Arshad Malik is set to appear before Supreme Court in a case pertaining to investigation of the controversial secretly taped video of him, the judge has requested the law ministry to provide him ‘foolproof security’. Citing life threats to his family and him, Malik pleaded law ministry to not withdraw current security detail assigned to him.
Supreme Court’s order of removing service/maintenance charges on pre-paid mobile scratch cards has now been implemented. Users will now receive Rs88.9 on Rs100 mobile scratch card compared with Rs76.94 previously. Mobile phone service providers were told by the court that they could apply a 12.5 per cent withholding tax. However, they had to abolish 10pc administrative/service charges.
Reko Diq mines, known for their enormous reserves of gold and copper are believed to have the world’s fifth largest gold deposit in them. The news of the treasures this mine holds is not new, as gold diggers have been attempting to explore it since 1992. It was not until 2000, that the Tethyan Copper Company made its way into Pakistani market.
A recent investigation report by Daily Mail alleges that Shehbaz’s son-in-law, Ali Imran, embezzled about £1million from a fund established to rebuild the lives of 2005 earthquake victims. Britain’s Department for International Development gave £54 million in aid money to this fund. The report also gives details of how the Sharif family laundered millions, received via kick-back in different projects, to UK.
The International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has announced a massive $5.976 billion (Rs944.21 billion) award against Pakistan in the Reko Diq case, which is one of biggest in ICSID history. ICSID awarded a $4.08 billion penalty and $1.87 billion in interest. However, Pakistan has decided to challenge the award “very soon” by filing a revision application.