News has always been changing through time, with different kinds of aspects coming into the picture by putting out facts that tend to matter the most. Thanks to that, there is a lot that one needs to catch up on, and we are here to provide a basic summary from different fields. So without further ado, here’s a round-up of news emerging from Pakistan.
Foreign Minister and Bipartisan Consensus
On Monday, foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi went ahead to invite lawmakers of the opposition for a briefing on external affairs and develop consensus on various issues related to the same. As the foreign policy is linked to the state’s interest, he emphasized not developing rival views against the same. He also asserted that the government in the centre is open-minded and that he is also willing to visit opposition leaders who did not want to come over to him. As a result, he went ahead to reject the opposition’s claim that the country is facing diplomatic isolation.
Widening the Fiscal Deficit
Due to an Rs.1.138 trillion fiscal deficit in the first half of the current fiscal year, the government has moved forward to call for the 10th National Finance Commission’s inaugural meeting on February 18th. The meeting will review the fiscal position and come up with a solution that stands to be the need of the hour. According to the finance ministry’s fiscal data, the total revenue in the first half of FY21 stands at 7.4pc of GDP, whereas tax revenues stand at 5.4pc of GDP. Due to all that, the centre has also announced that it has a two=point agenda for the meeting going to take place on 18th.
Pakistan Vs. South Africa
Captain Babar Azam has won the toss and chosen to bat in the final and second test in Rawalpindi against mighty South Africa. The team has managed to retain the playing Ⅺ, which was responsible for winning the first test by seven wickets. Since the team is chasing its first test series against South Africa in over 18 years, the pressure on Babar Azam’s shoulders is quite evident. In their previous encounter at home in 2003, Pakistan beat the Proteas and went home to be declared as the winners.
Ali Gul Pir Vs Kangana Ranaut
Controversial actor and a self-declared right-wing model Kangana Ranaut has yet again lashed out at another celebrity, and this time it is none other than Ali Gul Pir. The two exchanged a few tweets after Kangana shared a video of the rapper talking about his friendship with Rihanna. She went ahead to accuse him of funding terrorist activities by also claiming to have a Khalistani in his head. While there were other exchanges, it ultimately ended with Pir taking the lead by calling Ranaut someone who relies on the controversy.