The Times PK, Karachi (2025)

25/12/2022

A joint investigation team (JIT) has been formed to probe the su***de bombing in the federal capital’s Sector I-10, a notification from Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner’s Office said Saturday.
Commissioner’s Office said
By News DeskDecember 25, 2022
Four-member JIT formed to probe Islamabad su***de attack. Twitter
Four-member JIT formed to probe Islamabad su***de attack. Twitter
ISLAMABAD: A joint investigation team (JIT) has been formed to probe the su***de bombing in the federal capital’s Sector I-10, a notification from Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner’s Office said Saturday.

One cop was martyred while several others were injured on Friday in the su***de attack, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Operations, Sohail Zafar Chattha, said.

The notification mentioned that the team was formed on the recommendation of the Islamabad Inspector-General’s Office.

The team comprises four officers, a Senior Superintendent of Police (CTD) Islamabad, one representative each from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), and any member that the inspector-general nominates.

The CTD Police Station’s SHO and investigating officers in the case will assist the team in the probe, the notification mentioned.

Following the attack, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the terrorists had plans to attack a “high-value target” and had the police officers not stopped them, it would have “been a shame for the country”. The incident comes as the security situation in the country seems to be deteriorating, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after the Tehreek-e-Taliban (Pakistan) ended a ceasefire with Pakistan.

An increase in threats and attacks on security forces and high-profile political personalities in KP has been noticed since then, but the government has stressed that terrorists would be dealt with “iron hands”.

25/12/2022

Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani says to make Gilgit plastic free, ban on use of plastic bags would be ensured in Gilgit from 1st of next month.

Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani says to make Gilgit plastic free, ban on use of plastic bags would be ensured in Gilgit from 1st of next month.

In a statement, he said a campaign in this regard to create awareness is in full swing.

Magistrates paying visits to shops and markets in Gilgit are motivating businessmen to avoid use of polythene shoppers to avoid pollution.

He said action will be taken against those who violate the order administration.

He pointed out that under a pilot project, use of polythene is ban in Gilgit and it will be extended to other districts phase wise.

🌍

25/12/2022

The nation is celebrating the 146th birthday of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah today across the country with pledges to uphold his guiding principles of unity, faith, and discipline.

Quaid-e-Azam was a true and upright leader whose devotion and committed efforts resulted in the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Sub-continent.

A lawyer and politician, Jinnah served as leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan’s independence on 14 August 1947, then as Pakistan’s first Governor-General until his death September 11, 1948.

Today, Pakistan is observing the birth anniversary of the father of the nation with traditional zeal and fervour by paying rich tributes to him for his untiring struggle, sagacity and leadership that led to the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the sub-continent.

Public and private departments will hold a variety of events including seminars, conferences, competitions and discussion programs to highlight the messages and vision of Quaid-e-Azam.

The national flag will be hoisted on major government buildings throughout the country on the birth anniversary of the Quaid-e-Azam.

The day dawned with special prayers for the security, progress and prosperity of the country. Meanwhile, special events have also been arranged on this day to highlight and promote the ideals and views of the father of the nation, particularly with regard to the rule of law, the supremacy of the constitution, and the upholding of democracy.

Among these events was a change of guard ceremony at the Mazar-e-Quaid this morning. During the ceremony, the cadets from Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, took over guard duties from the Pakistan Air Force

💚

24/12/2022

British-Pakistani journalist, Reham Khan, took to Twitter to make a special announcement. The anchor shared a picture on her official handle, reading, "Just married," without sharing further details
This will be Reham's third marriage. She was previously married to PTI Chairman and former premier, Imran Khan. After her announcement, many took to the post to congratulate her.
Reham first tied the knot in 1993 to Ijaz Rehman. The former couple then got divorced in 2005. The journalist later married Imran in 2014 and the two announced divorce a year later.

24/12/2022

Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf tied the knot today with his class fellow Muzna Masood Malik amid friends and family in an intimate nikah ceremony in Islamabad.

Fans went gaga as pictures and videos of the Pakistan pacer and his bride all ready for their nikah surfaced on social media hours ahead of the ceremony.

24/12/2022

Shanghai authorities urged residents to stay at home this weekend, seeking a toned-down Christmas in the nation’s most populous city as Covid-19 rages nationwide after tough curbs were lifted.

A branch of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission on Saturday urged young people in particular to avoid crowded gatherings, due to the ease of spreading the coronavirus and low temperatures.

Christmas is not traditionally celebrated in China but it is common for young couples and some families to spend the holiday together.

The Omicron variant is surging weeks after the authorities abruptly ended their zero-Covid policy, lifting strict testing requirements and travel restrictions as China becomes the last major country to move toward living with the virus.

23/12/2022

Afghan universities were declared off limits to women because female students were not following instructions including a proper dress code, the Taliban’s minister for higher education said on Thursday.

The ban announced earlier this week is the latest restriction on women’s rights in Afghanistan ordered by the Taliban since their return to power in August last year.

It has drawn global outrage, including from Muslim nations who deemed it against Islam, and from the Group of Seven industrialised democracies who said the prohibition may amount to “a crime against humanity”.

But Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the minister for higher education in the Taliban government, insisted Thursday that women students had ignored Islamic instructions — including on what to wear or bring accompanied by a male relative when travelling

23/12/2022

A man wearing a protective mask, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, walks past an electronic board displaying graphs (top) of Nikkei index outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Global shares were mixed on Friday as the last full trading week of the year comes to a close, with looming U.S. inflation data a reminder of how surging prices and interest rates have fundamentally shifted investor thinking over the past 12 months.

Reporting by Huw Jones; Additional reporting by Ankur Banerjee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Edwina Gibbs
You

23/12/2022

There's a new AI bot in town: ChatGPT, and even if you're not into artificial intelligence, you'd better pay attention.

The tool, from a power player in artificial intelligence called OpenAI, lets you type questions using natural language, to which the chatbot gives conversational, if somewhat stilted, answers. The bot remembers the thread of your dialogue, using previous questions and answers to inform its next responses. Its answers are derived from huge volumes of information on the internet.

It's a big deal. The tool seems pretty knowledgeable in areas where there's good training data for it to learn from. It's not omniscient or smart enough to replace all humans yet, but it can be creative, and its answers can sound downright authoritative. A few days after its launch, more than a million people were trying out ChatGPT.

But its creator, the for-profit research lab called OpenAI, warns that ChatGPT "may occasionally generate incorrect or misleading information," so be careful. Here's a look at why ChatGPT is important and what's going on with it.
You can ask anything, though you might not get an answer. OpenAI suggests a few categories, like explaining physics, asking for birthday party ideas and getting programming help.

I asked it to write a poem, and it did, though I don't think any literature experts would be impressed. I then asked it to make it more exciting, and lo, ChatGPT pumped it up with words like battlefield, adrenaline, thunder and adventure.

One wacky example shows how ChatGPT is willing to just go for it in domains where people would fear to tread: a command to write "a folk song about writing a rust program and fighting with lifetime errors."

ChatGPT's expertise is broad, and its ability to follow a conversation is notable. When I asked it for words that rhymed with "purple," it offered a few suggestions, then when I followed up "How about with pink?" it didn't miss a beat. (Also, there are a lot more good rhymes for "pink.")

When I asked, "Is it easier to get a date by being sensitive or being tough?" GPT responded, in part, "Some people may find a sensitive person more attractive and appealing, while others may be drawn to a tough and assertive individual. In general, being genuine and authentic in your interactions with others is likely to be more effective in getting a date than trying to fit a certain mold or persona."

23/12/2022

The rupee continued a downtrend against the US dollar for a fourth successive session, with negative sentiments on the country's dwindling foreign exchange reserves taking a toll on the local currency.

The local unit closed the day at Rs225.64 against the US dollar in the interbank market compared to losing 0.09% from Thursday’s close of Rs225.43.
A currency dealer counting $100 notes while a stack of Rs500 is placed on table. — AFP/File
A currency dealer counting $100 notes while a stack of Rs500 is placed on table. — AFP/File
The rupee continued a downtrend against the US dollar for a fourth successive session, with negative sentiments on the country's dwindling foreign exchange reserves taking a toll on the local currency.

The local unit closed the day at Rs225.64 against the US dollar in the interbank market compared to losing 0.09% from Thursday’s close of Rs225.43.

The external sector figures are not encouraging for the country as the foreign exchange reserves are dwindling with foreign inflows not in sight yet.

Foreign exchange reserves fell to $6.1 billion in the week ended December 16 — their lowest level since April 2014. The reserves held by the central bank declined $584 million.

22/12/2022

Joyland may have faced trials and tribulations in its home country but to the international community, it was a banger from the start. The film has been shortlisted for the Oscars, the first ever movie to do so from Pakistan.

On Thursday, the Academy released its Oscar shortlists for the 95th Awards for 10 categories. Joyland is among 15 films that made the cut for the best International Feature Film category and will advance to the nomination process. Films from 92 countries and regions were eligible in the category. Last Film Show also made it to the list, India’s second nomination since Lagaan from 20 years ago, according to Deadline.

Other films in the same category include Argentina’s Argentina, 1985, Austria’s Corsage, Belgium’s Close, Cambodia’s Return to Seoul, Denmark’s Holy Spider, France’s Saint Omer, Germany’s All Quiet on the Western Front, Ireland’s The Quiet Girl, Mexico’s Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, Morocco’s The Blue Caftan, Poland’s EO, South Korea’s Decision to Leave and Sweden’s Cairo Conspiracy.

Malala, who recently joined team Joyland as executive producer, dialled up director Saim Sadiq to congratulate him on the milestone and share this “moment of Pakistani pride

22/12/2022

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has attained a career-best second position in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) men’s Test player rankings after notching two half-centuries in the final Test of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series against England in Karachi.

Babar’s knocks of 78 and 54 have helped him overtake Steve Smith, who managed 36 and six in a low-scoring game between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane. Babar, who is ranked first in ODIs and fourth in T20Is, trails Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne by 61 points in the Test rankings.

Australian batter Travis Head, whose first innings score of 92 was the highest in the Brisbane Test, has gained three slots to reach a career-best fourth position as he crosses the 800-rating point mark for the first time in his career. His previous best was fifth position in January this year.

In the latest weekly update that also takes into account performances in the first Test of the WTC series between Bangladesh and India in Chittagong, Cheteshwar Pujara’s knocks of 90 and 102 not out have lifted him 10 positions to 16th while Shreyas Iyer (up 11 places to 26th) and Shubman Gill (up 10 places to 54th) have also gained after some fine performances in the match.

The Times PK

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