Author: i2wtc

Listen to article A new survey has found that a majority of Punjab residents view Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s governance positively, particularly in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, while concerns remain over employment and inflation. The survey, conducted by the Institute of Public Opinion Research (IPOR) across Punjab’s 36 districts, revealed that 62% of respondents rated Maryam Nawaz’s first year in office as “remarkable” in addressing public issues. In education and healthcare, 73% and 68% of respondents, respectively, rated the provincial government’s performance as “good” or “very good.” However, 63% expressed dissatisfaction with job creation efforts, calling them “poor” or “very poor.” Overall,…

An unverified audio recording that is being circulated online and reported on in local media suggests police had been meting out special treatment to Armaghan, the prime suspect in the murder of 23-year-old Mustafa Amir. The recording, which surfaced on Thursday, reportedly features Armaghan’s uncle, Asif Jamil Qureshi, in conversation with a senior police officer. In the conversation Qureshi identifies himself as the establishment in charge under DIG CIA Muqaddas Haider. He claims in the recording that he had personally ensured Armaghan’s surrender and stayed with him for two hours at a bungalow prior his arrest. The officer assures Qureshi…

Listen to article Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Aun Abbas Bappi on Saturday recounted his dramatic arrest, claiming he was forcibly taken from his home and later presented before a judge without being informed of his charges. Addressing the Senate after his production orders were enforced, Bappi thanked Chairman Senate Senator Yusuf Raza Gilani for ensuring his presence in the House, Express News reported. However, he expressed disappointment over the non-implementation of production orders for fellow PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry. Recounting his arrest, he stated, “On March 6, I was at home when, at 8:30 AM, 20 people arrived. My office and residence were raided.…

China has extended the repayment period of a $2 billion loan to Pakistan by one year, offering crucial financial relief to the country, the finance ministry confirmed on Saturday. The loan was originally due for repayment on March 24, but China has agreed to defer it to support Pakistan’s economic stability and recovery efforts, the ministry said in a statement. “This extension will help Pakistan maintain its foreign exchange reserves and strengthen financial stability,” the statement added. China has been a key economic partner for Pakistan, providing financial assistance and investments, particularly under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, Express…

South Sudan has seen an “alarming regression” as clashes in recent weeks in the country’s northeast threaten to undo years of progress towards peace, the United Nations commission on human rights for the country has warned. The statement on Saturday from Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, comes amid a spate of violence between security forces overseen by President Salva Kiir and an armed group his government has alleged is linked to First Vice President Riek Machar. The situation has put in peril the pair’s fragile power-sharing agreement reached in 2018 to end…

Listen to article KARACHI: The arrest and extradition of the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) terrorist behind the August 26, 2021, deadly attack on US Marines underscores the importance of the US-Pakistan counterterrorism partnership and could serve as a “building block” to restore bilateral ties. In an interview with VOA Deewa Services, Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS), described the development as an important step. “I think this could be sort of a building block, to reset the US-Pakistan relationship – a very important step – and obviously President…

Demonstrations from Buenos Aires to Lagos demand justice for victims of femicide and urge reforms to protect women.Demonstrators have taken to the streets across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas to mark International Women’s Day, with many demanding an end to gender-based violence and inequality. In cities like Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday, those warnings were particularly grave, as protesters railed against austerity plans put forth by President Javier Milei that they say will roll back services for women. Milei’s government has shut down the country’s Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity and plans to strike “femicide” – the term…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday pushed back against the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s demand to impose a carbon levy on petroleum products, coal, and internal combustion engine cars, which the global lender is advocating to discourage the use of fossil fuels. The IMF has proposed that the existing petroleum levy be increased from Rs60 per litre to Rs70 per litre over three years, starting with Rs3 per litre in the first year, according to government sources. The additional revenue generated from the levy may be used for activities to promote green energy, according to the proposal. Sources said the IMF…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it expects the economy to grow by 3.1% and the current account will be largely balanced in this fiscal year on the back of higher remittances and the economic stabilisation policies will continue in the next fiscal year. For the next fiscal year, the government may allow the economy to grow to 4.5% and a current account deficit of $3 billion compared to close to zero deficit in this fiscal year, according to a briefing to the IMF on the country’s macroeconomic framework. The Ministry of Finance on Friday…

France, UK, Italy and Germany say $53b plan shows ‘realistic’ path to reconstruction of Gaza devastated after 15 months of war.The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several European nations have backed the recently unveiled Arab plan for Gaza following 15 months of Israel’s devastating war on the besieged enclave. The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement on Saturday that they supported a plan for the reconstruction of Gaza at a cost of $53b. “The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented –…