Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan (HACP) has decided to shut down its plant for 10 days as its inventories piled up to 2,000 units on plummeting car sales amid rising prices due to imposition of new, higher taxes in budget and steep currency devaluation in recent weeks. Extremely low car sales during first week of July has prompted the company’s decision.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal has laid to rest all reports of President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to PM Imran to the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). Calling the reports merely ‘speculative’, the spokesperson clarified in a Tweet that while both countries are in contact “at highest level”, any announcement about the meeting will be made formally at “an appropriate time”.
Veteran TV actor Zaheen Tahira passed away in Karachi at the age of 79. Tahira who had been ill since last one month, was admitted to a hospital in Karachi due to cardiac issues. She was put on a ventilator and was later shifted to the CCU. Celebrities used social media to request everyone to pray for her speedy recovery.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has reportedly expressed desire to stay at the ambassador’s official residence instead of an expensive hotel during his three-day visit to Washington, starting on July 21. While staying at ambassador’s residence can considerably reduce the cost of the visit, neither the United States secret service nor the city administration appears “very receptive” to the idea.
Pakistan has allowed all Qatari passport holders immediate entry visas (tourist/visit) for one or several trips. The visa will be valid for 30 days which is extendable for an additional 30 days. However, the traveller needs to have valid passport for at least six months, a round trip ticket and cash equivalent of $1500 or valid credit card.
Noorul Hassan, a taxi driver from Sadiqabad, who underwent treatment in Lahore for health complications caused by obesity, passed away on Monday. Reportedly, Hassan was left unattended due to commotion in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital after relatives of a dead patient wrecked havoc at the facility by breaking windows and switching off ventilators.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to transfer more than 2,500 of its officials between grade 14 and grade 22, in an attempt to break their nexus with businesses and improve efficiency. In order to achieve its target of collecting a massive Rs5.550 trillion in fiscal year 2019-20, people with tainted reputation are also being sidelined.
Pakistan have been knocked out of the 2019 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in England and Wales. Pakistan needed to dismiss Bangladesh for seven runs, after setting them a target of 316 runs at Lord’s, in order to qualify for the semi-finals of the mega event ahead of New Zealand on basis of a better net run-rate.
A hashtag calling for arrest of journalists who mainly criticise ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Prime Minister of Pakistan and Pakistan Army, became top Twitter trend in Pakistan. The hashtag #ArrestAntiPakjournalists had been used or forwarded more than 28,000 times after dropping to second place in few hours. Some users even accompanied photographs of prominent journalists with the hashtag.
Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has admitted that in order to qualify for World-Cup semi-finals the team needs a miraculous 500-600 score against Bangladesh. The 316-run win seems unrealistic, he said, but claimed that Pakistan will try its best to at least win. Pakistan will play its final league game against Bangladesh at Lord’s on Friday.