Benta News

The federal government on Saturday hiked the petrol price by Rs3.72 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs3.29 per litre for the next fortnight.

The new petrol price is Rs252.1 while that of HSD is Rs258.43.

Meanwhile, the prices of kerosene oil and light-diesel oil were slashed to Rs164.98 and Rs151.73 with cuts of Rs0.62 and Rs0.48, respectively.

A notification issued by the Finance Division said: “Ogra has worked out the consumer prices of petroleum products as per variation in the oil price in the international market. It has accordingly been decided that the prices of petroleum products for next fortnight starting from Dec 1, 2024, would be slightly revised.”

The prices were estimated to remain mostly unchanged for the next fortnight owing to a negligible change in international prices and a minor gain in the exchange rate.

Informed sources had said the average prices of petrol and HSD had slightly increased in the international market in the last fortnight. Import premium on both petrol and diesel remained unchanged. The exchange rate moved slightly in favour of the rupee.

As a result, the latest calculations as of Nov 28 showed around Rs3 per litre increase in the prices of petrol, HSD and kerosene, despite a slight decline seen in international prices for the last two days of the month.

Petrol is mostly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers and has a direct bearing on the budget of middle- and lower-middle class.

On the other hand, most of the transport sector runs on HSD. Its price is considered inflationary as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains and agricultural engines like trucks, buses, tractors, tube wells and threshers, and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables.

At present, the government is charging about Rs76 per litre tax on both petrol and HSD. Although the general sales tax is zero on all petroleum products, the government is charging a Rs60 per litre petrol development levy on both petrol and HSD that normally impact the masses.

The government is also charging about Rs16 per litre customs duty on petrol and HSD, irrespective of their local production or imports. In addition, about Rs17 per litre distribution and sale margins are going to oil companies and their dealers.

On the other hand, it is charging Rs50 per litre on light diesel and high octane blending component and 95RON petrol used by the wealthy in luxury imported vehicles.

The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has said PTI founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan was “guilty” in a case related to the May 9 riots, it emerged on Saturday.

Following the arrest of the ex-premier on May 9, 2023, from the Islamabad High Court’s premises, riots erupted across the country and went on for at least 24 hours.

The state subsequently launched a crackdown against him and his party, filing several other cases against Imran since the events of May 9, in many of which he has been acquitted.

The ATC on Wednesday had dismissed Imran’s petitions seeking post-arrest bail in eight May 9 cases, including an attack on the corps commander’s residence.

ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill had reserved a verdict after hearing the final arguments of the lawyers for the petitioner and the prosecution, which he announced later in the evening.

In a written order issued today, available with Dawn.com, for one of the petitions regarding a case registered at the Mughalpura Police Station about an attack on a police official’s vehicle, Judge Ali Gill observed: “It is not an ordinary case of abet ment, instigation or conspiracy.”

He said that as per the case record, Imran was alleged to have plotted a “conspiracy” at his Zaman Park residence with other party leaders for the public and party workers to “attack upon the state machinery as well as military installation throughout Pakistan and also attack upon police officials, jam the state machinery by overawe the law enforcement agencies.

“Same directions and instigation was complied with not only by the other senior leadership but also the general worker and supporters.”

The order said the statements of prosecution witnesses were available on the record regarding the allegation of conspiracy and “the prosecution has also other audio-visual evidence to prove the instigation, abetment of the petitioner and the commission of offence by other leadership and workers.”

The order said that Imran’s role in the conspiracy was also discussed in detail by the Lahore High Court while deciding the post-arrest bail of PTI leader Ejaz Chaudhary.

It added that the offences fell within the prohibitory clause of Section 497 (when bail may be taken in ease of non-bailable offence) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Section 497 gives the right to apply bail on the ground of statutory delay provided that delay in the trial has not been occasioned by an act or omission of the accused or any other person acting on his behalf.

“Petitioner was found guilty. It is also in the mind of this court that the petitioner is not an ordinary man. He is chairman of PTI and his directions and communication carries weight to the workers, other senior leaders, voters and supporters. None from the other leadership of PTI even think about to deny or reject the directions and command of the petitioner being chairman/founder of the party.

“As per police the incident in hand as well as dozens of other like nature episodes took place on the same day. In all the such like incidents only the army installations, government institutions and police officials were under attacks by the protestors. No independent or private property was damaged or attacked,” the order reads.

The judge said he found no merit in Imran’s bail petition and dismissed it.

Imran’s lawyer Salman Safdar told Dawn.com that the legal team would approach the high court next for bail.

The post-arrest bail petitions were filed after the Lahore High Court on July 25 quashed Imran’s physical remand in 12 cases.

ATC-III Judge Arshad Javed on Nov 8 granted post-arrest bail to Imran in four cases, including burning the PML-N office in Model Town, a container near Kalma Chowk, police vehicles in Gulberg, and violence at Sherpao Bridge during the May 9 riots.

Several members of US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration have received threats, including bomb alerts, a spokesperson for the president-elect said Wednesday.

“Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, un-American threats to their lives and those who live with them,” said transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt in a statement.

Without saying who was targeted, Leavitt said these incidents ranged from bomb threats to “swatting”, a practice in which police are summoned urgently to someone’s house under false pretences.

Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist congresswoman tapped to be UN ambassador, said her residence in New York was targeted in a bomb threat. In a statement, she said she and her husband and small son were driving home from Washington for the Thanksgiving holiday when they learned of the threat.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was aware of “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents” and that “we take all potential threats seriously.”

As he prepares to return to the White House in January, Trump has already swiftly assembled a cabinet of loyalists, including several criticised for severe lack of experience.

The Republican, who appears set to avoid trial on criminal prosecutions related to attempts to overthrow his 2020 election loss, was wounded in the ear in July in an assassination attempt.

Three terrorists were killed in two separate engagements with security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber and South Waziristan districts, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.

A statement from the Inter Services Public Relations issued today said that an intelligence-based operation was conducted in Khyber’s general area of Bara.

“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged” the location of the terrorists and eliminated two, Haqyar Afridi alias Khyberay and Gulla Jan.

The ISPR said that in another incident, the movement of a terrorist group that was trying to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was detected by security forces in South Waziristan.

“Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate,” the ISPR said, adding that one terrorist was killed while three were injured.

It said the two engagements took place on Thursday and Friday.

“Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the ISPR said, adding that Afghan authorities were expected to fulfil their obligations and deny the use of their soil by terrorists for perpetuating terrorism against Pakistan.

“Security forces of Pakistan are determined and remain committed to secure its border and eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.”

President Asif Ali Zardari praised security forces for the successful operations.

“The nefarious intentions of the enemies of humanity will continue to be crushed in the same way. The entire nation stands with the fearless youth of the security forces in the war on terror. The government is active for the complete elimination of terrorism from the country,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement paying tribute to the security forces.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated the security forces and said terrorism would be wiped out from the country.

The country has lately witnessed a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and KP, with at least 55 security personnel being martyred in the first three weeks of November, according to a think tank.

Attacks escalated after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terrorist group broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 and vowed to target security forces.

The Foreign Office on Thursday expressed grave concern over the growing threat posed by terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, urging the Taliban administration in Kabul to take decisive action against militants sheltering in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had emphasised the regional and global ramifications of unchecked terrorism from Afghanistan.

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Friday night notified that the prices of petroleum products will remain unchanged for the next fortnight.

Earlier this week, the prices of major petroleum products — petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) — were estimated to go up by about Rs4-5 per litre for a fortnight owing to higher international prices and import premium on petrol.

Informed sources said the average prices of petrol and HSD increased in the international market by about $1.7 and $4.4 per barrel, respectively, in the last fortnight.

The import premium on petrol was up to almost $1 per barrel. Depending on final exchange rate calculation and existing tax rates, the prices of petrol and HSD are projected to increase by up to Rs4 and Rs5 per litre, respectively.

According to a finance division notification seen by Dawn.com, Ogra decided that the prices will remain unchanged “based on the price trends in the international market during the last two weeks”.

The notification states that the price of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) will remain at Rs255.14 per litre, while the price of petrol (MS) will stay at Rs248.38 per litre. These prices will stay the same for the next 14 days.

https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1145249/

The United States has charged an Iranian man in connection with an alleged plot ordered by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to assassinate president-elect Donald Trump, the Justice Department said on Friday.

In a statement, the department said that Shakeri had informed law enforcement “that he was tasked on October 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill” Trump, the department said.

The department described Shakeri as an IRGC asset residing in Tehran. It said he immigrated to the US as a child and was deported in or about 2008 following a robbery conviction.

The department said it had charged two other individuals in connection with their alleged involvement in a plot to kill a US citizen of Iranian origin in New York.

In September, Trump claimed that he received threats to his life from Iran.

“Big threats on my life by Iran. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again,” the Republican presidential nominee said on Truth Social. He also said the entire US military is “watching and waiting”.

Trump thanked the US Congress for unanimously approving additional funding for the Secret Service, noting that he is now surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than ever before.

Trump’s comments came after gunshots were heard near his location in Florida on September 15, though officials later confirmed he was safe.

The rhythmic beat of dhol drums welcomed Republican supporters at the White House early on Wednesday, celebrating Donald Trump’s return after a four-year hiatus from the political spotlight.

Once it became clear he had defied obstacles to reclaim the presidency, a lively group of his supporters gathered to mark what they saw as an extraordinary comeback.

“This is the greatest political comeback in US history,” declared Sajid Tarar, leader of “Muslims for Trump,” who brought a group of drum-beaters, Muslim, and Sikh supporters to celebrate.

Tarar, who had recited Surah Fateha at Trump’s inauguration in 2016, was emphatic about Trump’s return: “He will make America great again.”

Standing beside Tarar was Irfan Yaqub, who explained his support: “Trump at least pledged to end the war in the Middle East, which Kamala Harris never committed to. That’s why I’m here celebrating his victory.”

Trump’s supporters, who drummed outside the White House, had travelled from the Maryland and Virginia suburbs to celebrate his victory.

In stark contrast, an overwhelming sense of gloom and defeat hung over Washington, long a bastion of Democratic street power.

On Wednesday, the city streets were eerily quiet, as Democratic activists and political workers remained absent, still grappling with the aftermath of their election defeat.

Washington residents voted decisively for Harris on Tuesday as well.

The contrast was evident against the jubilant atmosphere at Trump’s campaign headquarters in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where supporters gathered for an official watch party that erupted in celebration with every favourable update.

Kamala Harris’s supporters, meanwhile, gathered at Howard University in Washington, DC, anticipating a historic moment.

The mood at Howard’s Yard was electric early on, with campaign co-chairs leading songs and dances as they awaited the results.

But as the night wore on and updates increasingly favoured Trump, the excitement ebbed.

By the time Cedric Richmond, a campaign co-chair, took the stage to announce that Harris would not address the crowd, the disappointment was palpable. “The energy was so high at the start,” one volunteer said, “but it fizzled out quickly.”

At Trump’s Florida headquarters, the optimism only grew. Trump met with top aides, reaching out to key battleground states like Pennsylvania, while his supporters, decked out in “Make America Great Again” hats and bright reds, cheered as news networks reported leads in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

As the night continued, the mood at Howard University shifted further, with rows of empty seats and discarded flags left behind by Harris supporters who quietly dispersed.

Small groups tried to keep the enthusiasm alive by dancing to the music of pro-Harris performers, but a bittersweet tone lingered.

“We thought we were witnessing history,” said Margaret Dean, a Howard student. With results from Georgia and North Carolina favouring Trump, anxiety ran high.

“It was tense to watch,” echoed Fred Hanson, another student.

Howard University’s Yard became a gathering place for supporters to come to terms with an outcome they hadn’t anticipated.

By Wednesday afternoon, Harris supporters were beginning to reflect on the loss. For many, like Hadi Jawad, a Texas-based campaign organiser, the result served as a rallying cry. “The real work begins the day after the election,” he said, urging fellow Democrats to press on. “All is not lost. Organise, organise, organie.”

Others, like Fayyaz ul Hassan, a Democratic delegate, emphasised resilience. “The fight continues. We don’t give up,” he stated firmly. “A new dawn comes after every dark night.”

For Zulfi, a party strategist, the moment called for introspection. “Democrats alienated young progressives — their base — by sticking with an outdated strategy for too long,” he commented, “and missed critical issues like immigration and inflation. This defeat is a wake-up call.”

As the dust settled, Democratic supporters resolved to move forward with renewed commitment, already focusing on regrouping for the future.

Security forces killed seven terrorists in separate operations on Monday, with one terrorist killed in Balochistan and the other six killed during two operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said.

“In the wee hours of Monday, six khawarij were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province,” said a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

“An intelligence-based operation was conducted by Security Forces in general area Dosali, North Waziristan District,” the press release said. “During conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij’s location, resultantly one kharji Ahmed Shah Intizar was sent to hell.”

In the second incident, the ISPR said that a group of *khawarij“ were attempting to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border when they were intercepted by security forces in Khamrang, in KP’s South Waziristan District.

“Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate,” the press release said. Five khawarij were “sent to hell”, while three others were injured.

“Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the ISPR added.

“Interim Afghan Government is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, in Balochistan’s Noshki district, one terrorist was killed during a gun battle with security forces the military’s media wing said in a press release.

“On 4 November 2024, a fire exchange took place between own troops and the terrorists in Nushki District of Balochistan,” said the ISPR in a separate statement.

Security forces exchanged fire and one terrorist “was sent to hell”. Weapons and ammunition were seized after the gun battle subsided.

“[A] sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area,” the ISPR added.

“Security Forces of Pakistan are determined and remain committed to secure its borders and eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country,” said the ISPR.

The ISPR added: “Security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.”

In July, the government, through an official notification, designated the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al Khawarij, while mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.

On November 2, four terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan region.

“In the early hours of November 2, 2024, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in general area Sarwakai, South Waziristan District on reported presence of khawarij,” the ISPR said. The ISPR said that security forces engaged the terrorists, with four khawarij “sent to hell”.

F1 Drivers’ Championship leader Max Verstappen won a chaotic, rain-lashed Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, roaring back from 17th on the grid to reignite his push for a fourth successive world title.

The Red Bull driver came home ahead of Alpine duo Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who benefitted when the race was earlier red-flagged, with title rival and pole-sitter Lando Norris only managing a sixth-place finish in his McLaren.

The victory was Verstappen’s first in a grand prix since Spain in June and he now boasts a 62-point lead in the championship with three races left in the season. “You know what that is? Simply lovely,” said Verstappen on the team radio as he crossed the finish line.

George Russell was fourth in a Mercedes with Charles Leclerc fifth in a Ferrari while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was seventh. Yuki Tsunoda of RB Racing was eighth with teammate Liam Lawson in ninth and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton filling out the top 10.

The race was suspended on lap 32 after a huge crash involving Williams driver Franco Colapinto. The Argentine lost control on the treacherous surface, smashing into a wall and tearing off the left side of his car.

Colapinto appeared unhurt but had to retire from the race. The race was red-flagged while debris was cleared.

At the time of the suspension, Ocon was leading ahead of the championship leader after the early pace-setters, including Norris, had pitted. After the delay, the race resumed under a rolling start.