https://arab.news/gh6st
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on Monday.
During the call, they reviewed the strong Saudi-Pakistani relations and ways to support and enhance them.
They also discussed the most important regional and international issues of common concern, and aspects of intensifying joint efforts that would enhance international peace and security.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has increased the price of petrol for the next fortnight by Rs3.72 per liter due to varying prices of petroleum products in the international market, the Finance Division said this week.
Pakistan revises petroleum prices every fortnight. Petrol is mostly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers in Pakistan while any increase in the price of diesel is considered highly inflationary as it is mostly used to power heavy transport vehicles and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables.
The price of petrol has increased from Rs248.38 per liter to Rs252.10 per liter after the Rs3.72 hike, the Finance Division said.
“The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has worked out the consumer prices of petroleum products, based on the price variation in the international market,” it said on Saturday.
According to the notification, the price of high-speed diesel has seen an increase of Rs3.29 per liter, raising its price to Rs258.43 per liter.
Meanwhile, the price of kerosene oil has been reduced by Rs. 0.62 per liter, which means it is now being sold for Rs164.98. The price of light diesel oil has also seen a reduction of Rs0.48 per liter, lowering it to Rs151.73.
Fuel prices in energy-starved Pakistan are instrumental in contributing to inflation. The South Asian country saw inflation reach a record high of 38 percent in May 2023.
Pakistan’s finance ministry said this week that inflation, which was clocked at 7.2 percent in October, is expected to slow to 5.8-6.8 percent in November.
PESHAWAR: Over 50 heritage automobiles from 1935 to 1980 were displayed at the 15th Vintage and Classic Car Show at the Peshawar Services Club on Saturday, drawing car enthusiasts and their families to attend the event.
The show, arranged by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) in collaboration with Classic Land Rover, featured prized vehicles from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Peshawar and other cities.
Visitors were also immersed in local culture through captivating performances of the traditional Khattak dance, known for its energetic movements and sword displays, and the soulful melodies of the rubab, a centuries-old stringed instrument native to the region.
“More effort will be made to organize similar events,” KPCTA Director General Tashfeen Haider said, according to an official statement. “The exhibitions would be expanded to historical sites in the future.”
Vehicles on display included iconic brands like Mercedes, Jaguar, Ford, Chevrolet, Mini, Land Rover, Mustang, Porsche, vintage Vespa motorcycles and more.
Haider said the show aimed to promote Peshawar as a hub of culture and tourism.
Participants and attendees praised the organizers for bringing such an event to Peshawar.
“The goal of the rally and car show is to send a message of peace from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to make Peshawar once again a city of flowers and joy,” the KPCTA official said, referring to KP’s provincial capital that witnessed militant violence for over two decades.
The official statement informed the participants of the show would drive their vintage vehicles to Swabi after the Peshawar exhibition to join the 12th Indus River Cross Jeep Race at the historic Hund point at the Indus River after passing through the Balahissar Fort.
Subsequently, they will continue through Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Moro and the Thar Desert before reaching Karachi.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator has decided not to block unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) despite an earlier deadline expiring on November 30, media reported on Saturday.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had asked businesses, freelancers and information technology (IT) companies to register their VPNs by the end of November to ensure compliance with government regulations.
While the original deadline ended on Saturday, officials say there will be an extension, though it remains unclear what the new deadline will be.
“VPNs are not being blocked starting today, and the decision to extend the registration period is with the Ministry of Interior,” PTA Chairman Major General (Retd) Hafeez Rehman told Independent Urdu.
Another PTA official, speaking to the same publication, said blocking VPNs was not a viable idea for now.
In recent years, Pakistan has implemented measures to control online content, including social media restrictions, drawing criticism from digital rights activists, who argue that such policies suppress free speech and hinder access to information.
In February 2024, following the general elections, Pakistani authorities imposed a nationwide restriction on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, citing national security concerns.
The move coincided with widespread concerns about alleged electoral fraud and vote manipulation.
The recent crackdown on VPNs has also impacted businesses, particularly in the IT sector, which rely on unrestricted Internet access.
The PTA chairman clarified on Saturday that VPNs were still operational, emphasizing the authority’s awareness of the IT industry’s reliance on them.
“So far, 25,000 VPNs have been registered, and those registered will continue to work,” he said.
ISLAMABAD: Opener Shahzaib Khan’s scintillating 159 powered Pakistan Under-19 to a 43-run victory over arch-rivals India in a Group A match of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Shahzaib’s knock, spanning 147 balls and featuring five fours and 10 sixes, anchored Pakistan’s innings as they posted 281 for 7 in 50 overs.
India, in reply, were bundled out for 238 in 47.1 overs despite a fighting 67 by Nikhil Kumar.
The Mansehra-born opener shared a 160-run stand with Usman Khan (60 off 94 balls), setting a solid platform. Their partnership came on the back of impressive recent form, with Shahzaib and Usman scoring 330 and 314 runs, respectively, in a tri-series against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.
“There was a lot of seam movement, and the fast bowlers were getting good support,” Khan said after the match. “But after spending some time at the crease, when the spinners came on, I focused on dispatching deliveries in my range to the boundary.”
“By God’s grace, it worked out for me today,” he added.
Khan continued to dominate with a 71-run third-wicket stand with Muhammad Riazullah (27). Pakistan accelerated late in the innings, adding 74 runs in the last 10 overs, as captain Saad Baig’s decision to bat first paid off.
India’s Samarth Nagaraj was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-45, while Ayush Mhatre chipped in with 2-30.
India started their chase positively but lost early wickets. Abdul Subhan dismissed Mhatre (20) in the fourth over, while Ali Raza removed Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the next spell, leaving the team reeling at 28 for 2.
Usman Khan and Faham-ul-Haq continued to build pressure, reducing India to 81 for 4.
A 53-run partnership between Nikhil Kumar and Kiran Chormale (20) briefly revived India, but Faham broke the stand by dismissing Chormale.
Kumar’s valiant 77-ball 67 ended when he was caught off Naveed Ahmed Khan at 174, dashing India’s hopes of a recovery.
Ali Raza’s 3-36 led the bowling for Pakistan, with Abdul Subhan (2-45) and Faham-ul-Haq (2-41) providing crucial support.
Pakistan will next face the UAE on December 2 at the same venue.
PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) administration on Saturday vowed to eliminate trenches dug by warring tribes in Kurram, where 10 days of sectarian clashes have killed over 100, warning that anyone disrupting peace in the area would be treated as “terrorist.”
Kurram, a former semi-autonomous tribal region bordering Afghanistan, has a long history of violent conflicts, including a major clash in 2007 that lasted for years before being resolved by a jirga, or council of tribal elders, in 2011.
The recent clashes erupted on November 21, when gunmen attacked a convoy carrying members of the minority Shiite community in Lower Kurram, killing 41 people.
“Anyone who takes up arms will be called a terrorist, and the fate of a terrorist is hell,” KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced while addressing a grand jirga that brought together tribal chieftains along with senior government functionaries in Kohat, located near Kurram.
Last week, the provincial administration announced it had brokered a seven-day ceasefire to end hostilities between the warring tribes. However, a local police official told Arab News a day earlier that violence continued unabated, with sporadic gunfire echoing in the area, reflecting that the arrangement had not worked.
Gandapur noted the army, police and district administration officials were making concerted efforts to achieve enduring peace in the region.
“Though political differences between federal and provincial governments persist, the central government should provide Frontier Constabulary (FC) troops to maintain peace in the area,” he said.
The members of the grand jirga would remain in the area until peace was established, he added, noting that the provincial government would provide them with all possible support.
“Those who are disrupting peace in Kurram should be identified by the local community,” he added. “Local elders should play their role to end the atmosphere of hatred between the warring factions.”
Only a day earlier, Hameed Hussain, a parliamentarian from Kurram, confirmed to Arab News that the ceasefire announced by the provincial authorities had failed to hold.
He said the death toll from the ongoing clashes had reached 110.
The KP chief minister directed the relevant authorities to collect heavy weapons from residents of the restive district.
“The government will ensure the dignified return of families displaced due to fighting,” he added. “Funds will be released for the repatriation of temporarily displaced people.”
