Pakistan

Is Ishaq Dar resigning?

Published

3 weeks ago

Farwa

Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar — who is under severe criticism over the worsening of the economic situation and dwindling forex reserves — said on Friday that he is going to conduct a press conference at 04:10pm.

While leaving the Parliament, a journalist asked the finance minister whether he was resigning from his post to which he responded with a smile saying: “Do you have any problem with my work?”

He was also asked what is the government’s strategy amid the current economic condition of the country to which he simply said: “I am going to conduct a press conference at 04:10pm.”

A journalist also asked whether there was any truth to claims made by former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Shabbar Zaidi that he was resigning.

“What did Zaidi do to the country? Zaidi should have been behind bars over refunding of billions of rupees,” said the finance minister — who took charge in September last year.

On Thursday, the rupee slumped by nearly Rs19 against the US dollar ahead of the central bank’s off-cycle monetary policy review and concerns over a stalled deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The finance minister had assured that Pakistan would strike a staff-level agreement (SLA) with IMF next week as the negotiations were about to conclude, further adding that “the economy is headed in the right direction and blamed miscreants for spreading rumours about Pakistan’s possible default.”

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

17 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

17 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.