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  Navigating Pakistan's Political Landscape Election 2024 By Masooma Amjad Khokhar As Pakistan gears up for the crucial Election 2024, the political atmosphere is charged with anticipation and dynamism. Parties are actively recalibrating their strategies, forging alliances, and presenting their policies to the public. Emerging issues like economic recovery, social welfare, security, and diplomatic relations are at the forefront of the pre-election discourse. Climate change, technology integration, and healthcare resilience are also gaining attention, reflecting the evolving priorities of a changing world. The youth, a significant demographic, is expected to play a pivotal role. With increased political awareness facilitated by digital platforms, young voters are actively participating in discussions, demanding accountability, and influencing the national dialogue. Technological innovations are shaping the campaign landscape, with social media, live debates, and virtual engagem

By Author   Masooma Amjad Khokhar The free flour programme in Punjab has not only made the underprivileged that seems disgraced, but it has also shown the true scope of the widespread poverty in the region possibly for the first time. For hours on end, thousands of people, mostly women, have endured kilometer-long lines only to get a 10kg bag of flour, which cost Rs1,156 prior to Ramadan. The police and the district administration have made an effort to keep the masses under control, but the sheer volume of people and their willingness to risk everything for free flour have proven impossible for the government to contain. Some millers from Lahore, says, "Violence at the distribution stations will not stop." "Since poverty is a persistent condition, the [free flour distribution] plan will last for one month. While the programme is in place, everyone wants to reap the most possible benefits. Individuals who have signed up for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BIS

  MASSIVE HIKE IN PRICES OF AUTOMOBILES By Masooma Amjad Khokhar   Although the government has chosen to perform a forensic audit of the country's historic increase in car prices, industry sources assert that prices have increased by almost 50% as a result of the rise in input costs over the past two years. After a 200 percent increase in advance tax in the budget for 2022–2023, some new car prices. For non-filers, the federal government has levied a 200 percent advance tax on the acquisition of vehicles with engines larger than 1600cc. An official from the auto sector ascribed the historically high price increase to rising input costs brought on by an exponential spike in freight expenses, the devaluation of the rupee, and increases in the price of steel and fuel. In addition to the regular price increases implemented by regional automakers and assemblers, a number of automakers recently announced major price hikes on automobiles. When government decided to reduce taxes an

  Flash Floods By Masooma Amjad Khokhar As torrential monsoon rains drenched Pakistan, intense floods killed dozens of people and made hundreds homeless, according to officials   Ziaullah Langov, the disaster and home affairs adviser to the province's chief minister, reported on Saturday 31 st July, that 127 persons, including women and children, died in the southern province of Balochistan after being swept away by surging flood waters. Flash floods from Balochistan infiltrated Sindh province in Pakistan, submerging up to 30 communities, bringing the total number of drowned villages in the hilly region to 50, according to local media.   The second stream of floodwater flooded the neighbouring Qambar-Shahdadkot area and the steep region of Kachho in Dadu district as torrential rains and flash floods persisted in Balochistan. ARY News claimed that this is increasing losses in several places. According to sources, "the number of drowned villages in the hilly region has

SUDDEN AND SHARP DROP IN PAKISTANI RUPEE By Masooma Amjad Khokhar     N ow Pakistan's currency has taken a sudden and sharp drop marking its worst plunge in nearly a decade. The Pakistani rupee felt more fell more than three percent in this month of July alone and this rupee has lost 18 percent of its value since December 21 on closing the day at 108 against the US dollar the International Monetary Fund highlighted last year that the currency may be overvalued by as much as 20% the sharp drop is expected to push up prices and inflation. The Pakistani rupee slumped to record lows against the dollar on July 19 as domestic political and economic factors weigh on the currency. The rupee first fell to 224 against the U.S. currency on the interbank market during the day, after closing on July 18 at 215.2. Now the  Pakistani rupee  7.6 per cent tumble to Rs228 to the dollar marked the latest setback for the currency, which  has fallen  sharply this year . The currency was not r