Category: Islamabad

Islamabad: A boy working as a house servant in Lahore's Ghalib Market area was killed due to alleged violence.

According to a private news channel and police, the victim, identified as Sunni, worked at the residence of Sajid, a citizen of Main Market.

According to police, the child's body bore signs of violence, including injuries to sensitive areas.

Two suspects have been arrested, and a case has been registered on the statement of the victim's father at the Ghalib Market police station.

Islamabad: Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Commerce and Industries Rana Ihsan Afzal stated on Saturday that no progress had been made in the ongoing talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as the party has yet to present its charter of demands.

Talking to a private news channel, he said the government initiated the dialogue process to promote democracy and agreed on two key points of them during initial discussions with PTI. The first was for PTI to submit its demands, and the second was for their negotiating team to consult with the party's founder for further guidance, he added.

"Despite holding consultations with their founder, the PTI team has failed to finalize or present its demands," Rana Ihsan said.

He accused the PTI of attempting to derail the country while crediting the government for pulling Pakistan out of economic and political instability.

Highlighting the government's achievements, he stated that inflation had dropped to single digits, while remittances and exports had been increased.

"The economic indicators reflect the government's commitment to turning the economy around," he added.

Rana Ihsan assured that the government remains focused on stability and development and vowed that no attempts to derail progress would succeed.

Islamabad: A 20-year-old young man was killed on Saturday while resisting a robbery in Karachi's Bheens Colony.

According to a private news channel, the victim, identified as Athar, was shot in the chest by two unknown robbers when he resisted being searched near Street No. 10.

According to police, he was a resident of Sukkur and had been married for a year.

The rescue team reached the spot and shifted to Jinnah Hospital, where the injured Athar succumbed to his injuries.

Police filed an FIR, started investigating the incident, and searching for the suspects.

Islamabad: The role of media in shaping society by informing the public, analyzing events, and holding authorities accountable was underscored by Nasir Mehmood Chaudhry, Acting Senior Vice President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), during an interactive session with media personnel at the Chamber House in Islamabad.

He highlighted that through investigative reporting, journalists have the ability to uncover hidden truths, ignite public debate, and drive legal and social reforms that benefit society at large.

Chaudhry stressed that the business community currently faces numerous challenges, including bureaucratic hurdles, regulatory inefficiencies, and economic barriers that hinder the ease of doing business.

These challenges are not only stifling business growth but are also adversely affecting the national economy. He urged the media to consistently spotlight these issues, ensuring that policymakers are aware of the difficulties and can take swift action to resolve them.

He stressed the need for improved coordination between the media and the ICCI to more effectively address these issues.

Zafar Bakhtawari, former President of ICCI and Secretary General of the United Business Group, expressed optimism regarding the government's ongoing economic initiatives. He emphasized that these efforts will enhance the nation's economic stability. Bakhtawari also advocated for the need to highlight the success stories of business leaders, inspiring the youth to consider entrepreneurship and become job providers rather than job seekers.

Chaudhry Nadeem Ahmed, acting Vice President of ICCI, also spoke on the critical role of the media in ensuring accountability. He pointed out the importance of media in addressing instances of power misuse, especially within government institutions, which can have a far-reaching impact on both public trust and the economy.

He further discussed the obstacles faced by local industries that impede business growth, urging the media to bring attention to these issues for the greater economic good.

Naeem Siddiqui, Special Advisor to the ICCI President, raised concerns about the inefficiencies within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and its tendency to make decisions without engaging with business leaders. He criticized this approach, claiming that it harms businesses and creates barriers to their development.

In his welcome address, Ghulam Murtaza Siddiqui, Secretary General of the ICCI, praised the media for its vital role as a pillar of the state.

He acknowledged the global recognition of the media's contribution to uncovering real issues and fostering nation-building.

The session concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen the collaboration between the media and the ICCI.

Both sides recognized the importance of working together to address the barriers to business expansion and contribute to the economic growth and prosperity of the country.

Islamabad: The weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), went down by 0.26 percent for the combined consumption groups during the week ended on January 2, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.

According to the PBS data, the SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 326.10 points as compared to 326.96 points during the past week.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 3.97 per cent.

The weekly SPI with the base year 2015-16 =100 covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

The SPI for the lowest consumption group of up to Rs 17,732 witnessed decrease of 0.51 per cent and went down to 320.01 points from last week's 321.65 points.

The SPI for consumption groups of Rs 17,732 to 22,888; Rs 22,889-29,517; Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175, declined by 0.59 percent, 0.28 percent, 0.10 percent and 0.10 percent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 18 (35.29%) items increased, 10 (19.61 percent) items decreased and 23 (45.10 percent) items remained stable.

The items, which recorded major decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week basis included tomatoes (13.48 percent), electricity charges for q1 (7.48 percent), potatoes (5.59 percent), pulse gram (0.34 percent), eggs (0.23 percent), garlic (0.21 percent), LPG (0.18 percent), wheat flour (0.09 percent) and pulse mash (0.05 percent).

The commodities which recorded major increase in their average prices on week-on-week basis included chicken (10.28 percent), onions (4.93 percent), bananas (1.68 percent), diesel (1.18 percent), pulse moong (1.08 percent), sugar (0.95 percent), gur (0.58 percent), firewood (0.55 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (0.53 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (0.28 percent) and petrol (0.21 percent).

On-year basis, the commodities that witnessed decrease included wheat flour (36.12 percent), onions (29.95 percent), chilies powder (20.00 percent), eggs (15.78 percent), electricity charges for q1 (13.92 percent), pulse masoor (11.24 percent), rice basmati broken (8.42 percent), diesel (6.39 percent), bread (6.01 percent), pulse mash (5.98 percent) and petrol (5.45 percent).

The commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices on year-on-year basis included tomatoes (77.84 percent), ladies sandal (75.09 percent), potatoes (66.63 percent), pulse gram (47.53 percent), pulse moong (30.73 percent), powdered milk (25.62 percent), beef (23.94 percent), garlic (17.82 percent), gas charges for q1 (15.52 percent), cooked daal (15.10 percent), shirting (14.36 percent) and firewood (13.18 percent).

Islamabad: The price of 24 karat per tola gold increased by Rs.2,200 and was traded at Rs.276,900 on Friday against its sale at Rs.274,700 on the last trading day, All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association reported.

The price of 10 grams of 24 karat gold increased by Rs.1,886 to Rs.237,397 from Rs. 235,511 whereas that of 10 grams of 22 karat went up to Rs.217,614 from Rs.215,885.

Per tola and ten gram silver were sold at existing prices of Rs 3,350 and Rs.2,872.08 respectively.

The price of gold in the international market increased by $22 to $2,657 from $2,,635, the Association reported.