The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will begin providing helicopter services for tourists in the near future. The CAA director-general notified the Senate Aviation Committee that helicopter service is under progress. He assured the committee members that a plan would be implemented soon. He said the flight to Saidu Sharif Airport in Swat had also been suspended because only six people boarded the flight.
The government will launch the country’s largest welfare program, “Kamyab Pakistan,” on July 29. Shaukat Tarin, Minister for Finance, said Wednesday the plan was meant to lift around four million families out of poverty. The Prime Minister will launch the program during a function scheduled for the Convention Center. Moreover, Usman Dar is being assigned responsibility for organizing the event.
The internet speed record has been tainted by Japanese engineers after they demonstrated 319 Terabits per second through optical fibers. The fiber was used for approximately 3,000 km (1,864 miles), with the system apparently compatible with existing cable infrastructure. Moreover, that is almost double the previous record set less than a year earlier of 178 Tb/s.
A new immigration policy in Qatar has allowed Pakistani nationals to enter the country with a visa upon arrival. The concerned authorities have issued directives regarding a new immigration policy. Pakistani citizens can obtain a 30-day visitor visa for QAR 100 upon arrival at the airport. Moreover, the visitor’s visa is valid for 30 days and can be extended for the same period.
Foreign exchange reserves in Pakistan have risen by over $25 billion following fresh Eurobond investments. The State Bank of Pakistan has received US$1.0bn from the government’s tap offering of its recently issued Euro Bond. Pakistan’s foreign exchange market saw handsome inflows last week as it received separate tranches of loans. These included $1 billion from China and $440 million from the World Bank.
A top European Court rules companies may ban Muslim women employees from wearing headscarves if certain conditions are met. The EU court ruled Thursday in two cases brought by Muslim women in Germany who had been fired after they started wearing Islamic clothing. Consequently, the court said that employers may restrict the wearing of visible forms of political or religious expression at work.
Babar Azam became the first Pakistani cricketer to score an ODI century since 1983 by breaking Imran Khan’s record. Azam, meanwhile, has already crossed the landmark in 14 ODIs, making him the fastest batsman. He set many records in the final ODI against England, played on Tuesday at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.
Pakistan is soon to have one of the most modern jails in the country, one modeled after those in the United States. Initially, the Punjab government began planning to build a modern prison for women and children in Lahore. Moreover, prison authorities stated that there would be a capacity of 1,502 minor children and 300 women.
The Afghan Taliban claimed to have taken control over key Afghan-Pakistan border crossings. Pakistan has closed its Friendship Gate crossing at the Chaman border with Afghanistan. The Taliban released video footage of a white flag fluttering above the Friendship Gate in the Afghan town of Wesh. Additionally, it connects Chaman, Balochistan, with Afghanistan through the Spin Boldak crossing point.
Afghan Taliban spokesperson Sohail Shaheen said: Our countries share cultural, historical, and religious values with Pakistan. The Taliban will not allow any country to use Afghan soil against another country. The spokesperson said no meeting between India and the Taliban had taken place. In addition, he said that no one will be allowed to impose their decision on us.