Tribune Trends, Islamabad (2025)

21/09/2025

Weekly inflation in Pakistan declined by 1.34%, offering a respite to consumers. Prices of flour decreased, while ghee prices rose during the same interval.

As per the Bureau of Statistics, the overall inflation rate for a year fell to 4.17%. 18 items became pricier, 14 items cost less, and 19 items did not change price.

Among the products whose prices increased were diesel (1.06%), eggs (0.91%), beef (0.42%), and rice, mutton, ghee, moong pulses, ci******es, wood, and energy savers.

Conversely, 14 major items decreased in price, such as tomatoes (-23.11%), chicken (-12.74%), flour (-2.60%), bananas (-5.07%), onions (-1.17%), masoor dal, chana dal, and garlic. Also, electricity tariff for the first quarter fell by 6.21%.

21/09/2025

Flooding has brought traffic to a grinding halt as part of the M5 Motorway has been shut down, the motorway spokesperson said.

Officals confirmed the motorway police are also diverting traffic on to other routes. Cars traveling from Multan towards Sukkur are being rerouted through assigned diversions to maintain flow.

Traffic is able to go out from the motorway at Shah Shams Interchange and proceed via the National Highway, rejoining the M5 at Uch Sharif Interchange. Vehicles are also able to re-enter from Shershah Interchange after taking the alternative road.

The authorities promised that every possible step is being adopted to ease the travelers while the damaged part of the motorway is closed due to floodwaters.

21/09/2025

Oxford University has given free access to its students to ChatGPT, promoting the use of AI in education.

Reports suggest that Oxford has become the first university in the UK to offer free access to ChatGPT to both staff and students. The specific version provided is ChatGPT EDU, which is specially made for educational institutions with strict data usage guidelines.

This follows previous concerns that AI tools such as ChatGPT would be exploited for academic cheating. Nevertheless, the institution feels that structured access will facilitate the use of responsible use.

Oxford Pro-Vice Chancellor for Digital Anne Trefethen said that numerous students and staff were already utilising generative AI. Oxford wants to create a safe and supportive environment for using it responsibly within learning and research.

20/09/2025

Suzuki Pakistan, along with Habib Bank Limited (HBL), has launched a new scheme for customers under which they can trade-in their old cars and get a new Suzuki Alto on easy installments.

The customers are offered to buy the new Alto model at a 9.99% markup, with monthly installments from Rs. 18,999. The old car will be accepted as a down payment with HBL's financing support.

For instance, if a customer's old car is valued at Rs. 2.1 million, they can purchase the new Suzuki Alto by paying just Rs. 18,999 each month. This keeps the scheme within the reach of numerous customers.

As per the company, the scheme aims to facilitate car ownership among the middle class along with increasing Alto sales. Suzuki Alto continues to be Pakistan's top-selling vehicle with 4,193 units being sold in August 2025 against 2,023 units in the same month last year.

20/09/2025

Pakistan and China have made fresh headway in green development, educational, and agricultural projects through their collaboration. The collaboration hopes to introduce innovation and sustainability in major sectors.

With greater investment, China's high-tech will be used to modernize Pakistan's agriculture, enhancing efficiency and productivity. The move has been viewed as a milestone for greater bilateral ties.

With the support of SIFC, agriculture and the education sector are inclining towards development. As a result of this collaboration, three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have been inked between Pakistan and China.

These MoUs are to uplift economic growth and provide fresh employment opportunities in Pakistan. Academic cooperation will also provide scholarships and facilities to students, making the youth empowered with improved chances.

20/09/2025

Japanese scientists have been awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for an unconventional experiment that demonstrated that painting cows with stripes like those of a zebra can effectively shield them from biting flies. According to the study, the stripes cut fly attacks by almost 50 percent.

The Ig Nobel Prize is given to scientific research that appears to be unusual or quirky but also has significant meaning. This year, the award went to researchers from Japan's Aichi Agricultural Research Center for their creative solution to protecting livestock.

Biting flies are unhealthy for cattle, causing them to lose their appetite, gain weight, and not produce milk. Farmers typically use insecticides, but overuse creates resistance and environmental problems, making this find a possible alternative.

The scientists added that because the water-based paint stripes will wear off within weeks, further research is needed to come up with something more permanent. Scientists hope this technique has the potential to cut down on chemical pesticide use in the future.

20/09/2025

Pakistani citizens will soon get the e-visa and visa-on-arrival facility from Tajikistan. This came after the Prime Minister's Coordinator for Tourism, Sardar Yasir Ilyas, met with top Tajik officials.

During the talks, Tajikistan promised the launch of the visa-on-arrival and e-visa facilities in the near future to enhance economic, trade, and tourism relations between both countries. The two sides also agreed to increase cooperation in several areas.

Tajikistan had shown willingness for barter trade in the agricultural sector, while deals were also concluded to increase exports of textiles, leather, and construction materials. Sardar Yasir Ilyas asserted that the visit is a reflection of close friendship and shifting towards sustainable alliances.

He also extended an invitation to a Tajik trade delegation to Pakistan to discuss new possibilities and foster active cooperation between the business fraternity of the two nations.

20/09/2025

The private information of approximately 300,000 Hajj applicants has allegedly leaked on the dark web, and serious questions have been raised regarding Pakistan's cybersecurity.

PTA Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez-ur-Rehman verified the breach, noting that applicants' sensitive information was made available online.

Senator Afnanullah meanwhile disclosed that Pakistan is under global pressure not to enact strong data protection regulations. This has further ignited discussion over the digital security mechanism of the country.

Experts believe that such leaks can cause identity theft, financial fraud, and exploitation, and demand immediate action to protect citizens' data.

20/09/2025

Hania Aamir again left fans abuzz as she posted snaps from her journey to Bangladesh. The star shared new images and videos on her Instagram account that immediately hogged all the limelight.

What actually created the buzz was her enigmatic caption: "break up jhalmuri." The words soon became the buzzword in town, and her fans were left trying to decipher its secret meaning.

Some of her fans related it to her real life, while others thought it was Hania's tongue-in-cheek way of maintaining the limelight on her foreign trips. Either way, the post made waves on social media.

With her spontaneous and frank nature, Hania has perfected the art of keeping her fans hooked. Her updates on her Bangladesh trip are still creating buzz and discussion online.

20/09/2025

Pakistan's weekly inflation, as indicated by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), has declined by 1.34 percent for the combined consumption basket during the week ended September 18, reported the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The SPI of the current week was 330.84 points from the last week's SPI of 335.35 points, reflecting a slight relaxation in consumer prices across the nation.

Economists indicated the drop in weekly inflation might bring some respite to consumers temporarily, but watchfulness must be maintained to gauge longer-term trends in living costs.

20/09/2025

Gujranwala authorities have exposed a racket under which actual gold stored in bank lockers was substituted with spurious gold. Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Gujranwala zone has detained the chief accused in the case.

The mastermind behind the operation was identified by FIA officials as Saqib Ali. He and some bank officials allegedly masterminded the exchange of original gold for spurious ones, cheating locker owners.

The arrest is an important development in the ongoing investigation, with officials cautioning the public to be alert and report any suspicious behavior with regard to bank lockers and contents.

20/09/2025

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday rejected a petition for the cancellation of Additional IG Crime Control Department (CCD) Sohail Zafar Chattha's appointment. The petition was submitted by Advocate Mian Shahid Mehmood.

At the time of the hearing, Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry conducted the case. Additional Advocate General Khawaja Mohsin Abbas appeared for the Punjab government, whereas Chaudhry Nasir Abbas Panjotha represented the CCD.

With the rejection of the petition, Sohail Zafar Chattha remains in his role as Additional IG CCD and continues performing his tasks of crime control and law enforcement in the province.

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