Pakistan

If PTI’s long march leads to bloodshed, govt will stop it: Marriyum Aurangzeb

Published

11 months ago

Farwa

Information minister says nothing is bothering Imran Khan more than the fact that Shehbaz Sharif has become country’s premier.
Says there was no conspiracy as claimed by Imran.
Says Imran trampled on honour of country by letting IMF sway over SBP.

LAHORE: Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday announced that if the PTI’s planned long march to Islamabad leads to bloodshed, then the government will take measures to stop it.

Her comment came in response to former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed’s statement when he expressed his fears that the PTI’s planned long march might get “bloody” and demanded the “powerful quarters” to intervene.

Speaking during a press conference in Lahore, Aurangzeb criticised former prime minister Imran Khan and said that nothing is bothering him more than the fact that Shehbaz Sharif has become the country’s premier through a democratic process.

“An incompetent, thief and corrupt prime minister was removed from power through a no-confidence motion,” said Aurangzeb, adding that his allies left him because he failed to fulfil his promises.

She further said that Imran Khan, through his “independence march”, will not be able to distract the attention of the masses from the Farah Gogi corruption scandal.

Addressing Khan’s alleged US-backed conspiracy which, according to him, led to his ouster from the government, Aurangzeb asked: “What kind of atomic bomb were you making that the United States felt threatened by you and sought to remove you from power?”

“There was no conspiracy. Imran Khan is not sad about his ouster but he cannot tolerate Shehbaz Sharif replacing him,” she said, adding that the Shehbaz did not get a single vote from a “turncoat” to become the premier.

She said that despite being in power for almost four years, Imran Khan is still hurling accusations against his opponents.

Shedding light on Imran Khan’s foreign policy and the decision of his government to allow the International Monetary Fund to sway over the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) by giving it autonomy, the information minister said that it was PM Shehbaz Sharif who broke the country free of shackles and approached friendly countries for the sake of Pakistan’s development.

“Shahbaz Sharif did not become a beggar by trampling on the honour of the country like you,” she said.

Criticising the former premier further, Aurangzeb said that the PTI-led government had gagged the Opposition as well as the media for four years.

Speaking high of the PML-N government, she said “We have always accepted criticism if it is for the better. We stood by the journalists when they were bullied.”

Pakistan

Ramadan 2023: Sindh revises school, college timings

Published

16 hours ago

Farwa

The Sindh School Education and Literacy Department on Monday announced the revised timings for all the educational institutions in the province during the holy month of Ramadan.

All the government and private schools in Sindh will now start at 7:30am and continue till 12pm (noon) from Monday to Thursday and on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the school timings on Friday will be from 7:30am to 11am.

Office timings

On Monday, the federal government also notified timings for public offices during the holy month.

In a notification, the Establishment Division said the public offices coming under the ambit of the federal government would operate from 7:30am to 1:30pm from Monday to Thursday.

Moreover, the public offices coming under the ambit of the federal government would operate from 7:30am to 12:00pm on Fridays.

First Ramadan expected on March 23

Meanwhile, The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast that there is a strong possibility that the crescent for Ramadan 2023 will be sighted on the evening of March 22 (Wednesday).

The update was shared by the Met department’s Climate Data Processing Centre. This means the first of Ramadan is likely to fall on Thursday, March 23 in Pakistan.

Pakistan

Cleric shot dead in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar

Published

16 hours ago

Farwa

A cleric was shot dead in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Tuesday after morning prayers.

According to police, Maulana Abdul Qayyum Sufi, was going back home after Fajr prayers in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block-9 when assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire at him.

The police said that Maulana Abdul Qayyum Sufi was a member of the Pakistan Ulema Association and a prayer leader at Mohammadia Noorani Islamic Centre.

There were no further details available about the incident.

Pakistan

Ramadan 2023: Minimum Nisab set at Rs103,159 for Zakat deduction

Published

16 hours ago

Farwa

The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety has fixed the Nisab for Zakat deduction for the ongoing year.

According to a notification issued by the ministry, Zakat will be deducted from saving accounts, profit and loss sharing accounts and other similar accounts having a minimum balance of Rs103,159 or above, on the first of Ramadan.

The Nisab was fixed at Rs88,927 in the previous year.

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Under the Zakat and Ushr Ordinance 1980, no Zakat would be deducted in case a bank account has a lesser amount than the value announced by the ministry, added the statement.

“All the Zakat Collection Controlling Agencies (ZCCAs) are requested to deduct the Zakat accordingly,” it said.

The first of Ramadan will likely fall on March 23, this year, subject to the appearance of the moon.

To be liable for Zakat — which is one of the five pillars of Islam — one’s wealth must amount to more than a threshold figure, termed the “Nisab”.

Those who do not want Zakat deduction from their accounts can submit a “Zakat exemption” form to their respective banks.