ISLAMABAD, May24(ABC): Shortly after the government’s decision to stop PTI’s ‘Azadi March’, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah summoned the Pakistan Army for the security of the Red Zone in Islamabad, citing sources. According to the sources, army personnel will be stationed at PM House and PM Office, the Supreme Court and other sensitive government buildings in the area. All security arrangements …

LAHORE, May 23(ABC): Government has started sealing entry and exit points of provincial capital of Punjab ahead of planned long march of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The police have closed Ravi River bridge with containers while government is also likely to close Lahore-Islamabad Motorway and heavy contingent of police is stationed at Thokar Niaz Baig and Babu Sabu interchange. Authorities have …

LAHORE, May23(ABC): Pakistan has reported no death in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has risen to 1,529,896. The nationwide tally of fatalities stands at 30,379 on Tuesday. According to the latest figures by the National Institute of Health (NIH), at least 62 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 across the country in …

DHAKA, May 23(ABC): The International Cricket Council will soon re-introduce neutral umpires despite the Covid-19 pandemic providing an opportunity to give home umpires more exposure, chairman Greg Barclay said on Monday. “There were some benefits (of Covid) for cricket,” Barclay told reporters in Dhaka. “One of them was the chance to use umpires at home. It has given home umpires …

LAHORE, May23(ABC): Punjab Police late Monday raided the houses of several PTI leaders, including former energy minister Hammad Azhar, Usman Dar, and Babar Awan, while a police constable was also shot dead during a raid in Lahore. The development comes hours after PTI’s Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry, in a press conference, warned the government against using force to stop …

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (ABC): The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a high alert to all the relevant federal and provincial agencies to tighten the surveillance of the Monkeypox virus in Pakistan. The NIH has said that there have been 92 confirmed cases of the Monkeypox virus in different countries. The NIH has declared on Monday that no case …

KARACHI, May 23(ABC): The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday raised the benchmark policy rate by 150 basis points (bps) to 13.75% for the next six weeks to maintain the balance between inflation and economic growth. The central bank believes that this “effective action” was important to anchor inflation expectations and maintain external stability. “This action, together with much …

LAHORE, May 23(ABC): Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squad for the three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League One-Day Internationals against the West Indies, which are scheduled at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on June 8, 10 and 12. As the series will not be played in a Managed Event Environment, the selectors have decided to reduce the …

KARACHI, May 23(ABC): Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has once again said the government doesn’t plan to increase the prices of petroleum products. However, the minister hinted at an increase in the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) interest rate. Speaking during a media talk at the Karachi airport on Monday, Miftah said that former finance minister Shaukat Tarin had promised the …

KARACHI, May 23(ABC): Pakistan’s central bank is scheduled to meet today (Monday) to announce its key policy rate for the next six weeks to maintain the balance between inflation and economic growth. On April 7, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), in a surprise move, raised its benchmark interest rate by a significant 250 basis points (bps) to 12.25% to …