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ARY NEWS

Anjum Wahab

  • Pakistan Railways announces new tickets refund policy

    Pakistan Railways announces new tickets refund policy

    The Pakistan Railways has announced a new refund policy for tickets purchased from POS counters and online through RABTA, ARY News reported.

    According to a notification, passengers, who bought tickets through Point of Sale (POS) counters, will be able to get a refund of up to 90 percent within 48 hours before the departure of the train.

    “80 precent refund is allowed up to between 24 hours and 48 hours before departure of the train,” as per the Pakistan Railways.

    Passengers will be allowed a refund of 70 percent within 24 hours before their train’s departure.

    Passengers will be allowed 50 percent refund within two hours of departure of their train.

    In case a train is cancelled or more than six hours late, the Pakistan Railways will give a full refund to passengers which they will be able to collect from the POS counters.

    Read more: Pakistan Railways announces major relief for passengers in Karachi

    Passengers will need to show their original ticket along with a copy of their CNIC copy to get a cancellation slip and a full refund.Pakistan Railways, refund policy, tickets, passengers

    Passengers, who purchased tickets online, will get their refund online i.e., the service provider who received the payment at the time ticket’s booking, according to the Pakistan Railways notification.

    The refund policy for online ticket purchasers is the same as those who bought tickets from POS counters.

    However, online purchasers will not be allowed a refund after their train’s departure.

    “There will be no cancellation of online ticket when departure time of the train is less than 1 hour and 30 minutes,” as per the notification.

  • New Currency Notes to Enter Circulation in 2025: SBP

    New Currency Notes to Enter Circulation in 2025: SBP

    KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that the newly designed currency notes will enter circulation in 2025, ARY News reported on Monday.

    After announcing the new policy rate, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed said in a press conference that new currency notes in all existing denominations will be rolled out in phases, rather than all at once, and will feature updated designs.

    He said that the new currency notes would be sent to the federal cabinet for approval after the completion of the technical evaluation.

    SBP Governor didn’t reveal which denomination will be the first to be issued.

    Read More: State Bank reveals potential designs for new currency notes

    According to a statement of SBP, it is an established practice of central banks to introduce new banknote series after every fifteen to twenty years to secure the integrity of banknotes and align them with the latest technological developments in the banknotes design and security features.

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) last year revealed potential designs for new currency notes across all denominations.

    The potential designs have been shortlisted from a number of designs submitted by the citizens in an art competition organised by the SBP.

    The winners of the competition were Dr Shery Abidi, Haroon Khan, Syed Fawad Hussain, Memoona Afzal, Hadiya Hassan, and Noureen Aslam for the first prize. Similarly, Mirza Sufiyan, Aynee Zahra, and Karim Muhammad were announced as the winners for the second prize.

    The SBP said that the designs were shortlisted after a rigorous evaluation process conducted by a committee of esteemed experts from relevant fields.

    The SBP said that the shortlisted designs of new currency notes are suggestive in nature and are being shared with international designers who have been tasked with working with the central bank.

  • Multan-bound train derails near Matiari, causes widespread disruptions

    Multan-bound train derails near Matiari, causes widespread disruptions

    KARACHI: Bahauddin Zakariya Express train traveling from Karachi to Multan derailed near Odero Lal station in Matiari, suspending rail traffic and causing widespread disruptions, ARY News reported.

    According to railway sources, the derailment occurred when several bogies of the train went off the track, blocking both up and down main lines. As a result, multiple trains were forced to be halted at various stations.

    The incident has caused severe hardships for passengers, including women, children and elders who are facing delays in the harsh winter weather.

    Meanwhile, other trains also faced delays as Khyber Mail is delayed by four hours at Kotri Railway Station, Green Line delayed by three hours at Hyderabad Station, Sir Syed Express delayed by four hours at Detha Railway Station.

    Read More: Train derails at Karachi’s Drigh road railway station

    Farid Express has been delayed by five hours at Allah Dino Sand Station, Multan-bound Millat Express is delayed by eight hours at Palari Halt Station and Shalimar Express is delayed by five hours at Shahdadpur Station

    Pakistan Railways officials are investigating the cause of the derailment.

    It may be noted here that this is the second derailment incident in two weeks as Rahman Baba Express heading to Peshawar was derailed at the Drig Road station in Karachi on December 16.

    The derailment had occurred due to the breaking of the coupling (kpler) between the bogies, resulting in three bogies of the Rahman Baba Express leaving the track. This caused the main line for domestic travel to be blocked.

  • Passport applicants in Pakistan get new facility

    Passport applicants in Pakistan get new facility

    KARACHI: Two mega National Database and Registry Authority (NADRA) centres in Karachi have begun operations to provide citizens with efficient passport services, ARY News reported.

    The two NADRA mega centres located at Siemens Chowrangi and North Nazimabad have five counters each for passport processing. Three counters will be dedicated to processing, one for distribution, and one for approval.

    Citizens can now visit these centers 24/7 to renew their passports or apply for new ones.

    The assigned staff started performing their duties at the counters with the official inauguration ceremony for both centers taking place next week.

    Read also: Pakistan machine-readable passport fee update for December 2024

    Earlier, DG Mustafa Jamal Qazi claimed that, the backlog of pending passports across Pakistan has been cleared, during a surprise visit to the production unit.

    The DG reviewed the printing and issuance process, highlighting that since July 1, a record 3,376,510 passports have been printed. These include, issuance of 776,451 passports in normal category, 1,896,403 were printed under urgent category and 703,656 were printed under fast track category.

    DG Passports acknowledged the relentless efforts of the production team, which worked tirelessly without breaks to achieve this milestone.

    Citizens are now advised to collect their passports directly from regional passport offices without waiting for notifications via message or email, as the delivery process has been completed.

    Mustafa Jamal Qazi emphasized that the timely issuance of passports will continue to ensure convenience for all applicants.

  • Fog disrupts train schedule in THESE areas

    Fog disrupts train schedule in THESE areas

    Severe fog and adverse and foggy weather conditions in Punjab and others areas of the country have caused delays in timings of train services arriving and departing from Karachi, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

    According to details, experiencing a delay of 4 hours and 15 minutes, Pakistan express which was set to leave the station is now set to depart at 6:15 PM.

    Karakoram express is scheduled to leave at 8:30 PM, now delayed by 5 hours from its initial departure time of 3 PM.

    Allama Iqbal Express will now depart at 4:30 PM, it shows that a delay of 1 hour from the previously scheduled time of 3:30 PM.

    Pak Business Express also experienced a delay of 45 minutes and expected to leave at 4:45 PM.

    Moreover, Millat Express, which is scheduled to run from Lala Musa to Faisalabad, is delayed by 5 hours and 30 minutes and will now depart at 10:30 PM.

    Read also: Pakistan Railways plans new express Karachi-Lahore train

    In addition to, Fareed Express is now scheduled to leave at 8:30 PM, with a delay of 1 hour from its scheduled time of 7:30 PM.

    Khyber Mail is also facing a delay of 3 hours and 45 minutes from its original schedule of 10:30 PM. Initially it was scheduled to leave at 2 AM.

    In a separate development, it was reported that Pakistan Railways planned to induct around 80 new High-Capacity freight Wagons and 32 passenger AC standard coaches this year which would help increase the revenue of the department.

    The department also assembled 92 freight wagons in Mughalpura Workshops during the last three years to improve the department’s performance, generate income and ensure smooth goods forwarding service across the country, an official in the Ministry of Railways told APP.

    “Besides, 508 more freight wagons will be assembled at Mughalpura Workshops and Pakistan Locomotives Factory, Risalpur by next year,” he added.

  • Pakistan Railways announces major relief for passengers in Karachi

    Pakistan Railways announces major relief for passengers in Karachi

    KARACHI: Pakistan Railways took an important decision for the convenience of the passengers in Karachi who have been struggling with massive traffic jams, ARY News reported.

    A religious party has been holding protests and sit-ins on major roads in the city for three consecutive days, causing massive traffic jams across the city.

    Both tracks of the road from Gurumandir to Numaish Chowrangi are temporarily closed to traffic due to an ongoing protest, causing severe traffic congestion on the surrounding roads, and lengthy queues of vehicles.

    Similarly, Abu al-Hasan Isfahani Road near Abbas Town is completely blocked in both directions.

    Meanwhile, the University Road near Metro Shopping Center towards NIPA and Shahrah-e-Faisal leading to Kala Chhapra Malir are also closed.

    The railway passengers are facing difficulty reaching the Cantt and City railway stations.

    In a bid to ease the difficulties faced by passengers, Pakistan Railways added two additional stops for all the trains departing from Karachi to other parts of the country.

    Read more: MWM sit-ins disrupt traffic flow across Karachi

    Pakistan Railways’ officials said that all the up trains will now stop for two minutes at Drigh Road Junction and Landhi railway station, allowing passengers who are unable to reach the Cantt and City railway stations due to traffic congestion to board their trains from these additional stops.

    Authorities continue to monitor the situation and manage traffic flow to minimize inconvenience to citizens.

    Motorists were advised to take alternative routes and allow extra time for travel to avoid delays during these peak times. The Traffic Police are actively managing these disruptions to ensure smoother traffic flow across the city.

  • PSO board greenlights SPA execution with Azerbaijan’s SOCAR

    PSO board greenlights SPA execution with Azerbaijan’s SOCAR

    ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan State Oil’s (PSO) Board of Management (BoM) approved the execution of a Sale Purchase Agreement (SPA) with the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR).

    The PSO dispatched a letter to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), which includes information pertaining to an agreement.

    “Kindly be informed that the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division), through its letter dated December 03, 2024, informed PSO of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC)‘s approval of the SPA and the Federal Cabinet’s ratification of the ECC’s approval. The Ministry further advised PSO to make necessary arrangements for signing the SPA with SOCAR at the earliest,” the PSO’s letter read.

    “PSO’s Board of Management recently approved the execution of the SPA between PSO and SOCAR and the signed agreement has been received from SOCAR on December 24, 2024.”

    According to the PSO, the execution of the said agreement will take place in due course.

    Read more: PM directs uninterrupted gas supply to domestic consumers

    The Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) communicated with PSO in a letter dated December 3, 2024, regarding these endorsements and directed the company to initiate the signing process.

    The letter further read that the agreement was signed after the approval by the Economic Cooperation Committee (ECC) on 24 December.

  • Pakistan set to experience significant boost in internet speed

    Pakistan set to experience significant boost in internet speed

    ISLAMABAD: Internet users in Pakistan are set to experience a sigh of relief with the installation of a modern undersea cable connecting Africa to the South Asian country, ARY News reported citing sources.

    The modern cable is expected to be connected in the coming days, the sources said, and that the cable, which is part of a larger program, will stretch 45,000 kilometers and have a capacity of 180 terabits per second.

    The installation process is currently in its final stages. Once connected, the cable is expected to increase internet speeds, particularly for social media apps and other online services.

    Pakistan is part of the 2Africa Pearls project, which will extend from the Gulf countries to India. The 2Africa cable has 46 landing stations in 33 countries, making it a vital component of the global digital infrastructure.

    Pakistan is part of the 2Africa Pearls project, which will extend from the Gulf countries to India. The 2Africa cable has 46 landing stations in 33 countries, making it a vital component of the global digital infrastructure.

    Earlier, it was reported that Pakistan ranks 198th globally in internet speed rankings, according to a report by the World Population Review.

    Read more: ‘Internet speed issue in Pakistan to be resolved within three months’

    According to the report, Pakistan ranks below Palestine, Bhutan, Ghana, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Libya in internet speed.

    The average mobile internet download speed in Pakistan is 19.59 Mbps, while broadband internet averages 15.52 Mbps.

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) leads globally in both mobile and broadband internet speed, followed by Singapore in mobile internet and Qatar in broadband speed.

    Over the past few months, internet users across Pakistan have been increasingly voicing their frustrations regarding frequent outages and slow internet speeds.

    The situation has particularly impacted the country’s freelancing community, raising concerns about its potential to increase unemployment rates.

    Read More: Freelancers demand immediate restoration of internet services

    It is pertinent to mention here that the current internet issues are linked to the implementation of internet firewalls, which are installed at a country’s main internet gateways to monitor and filter traffic. While these systems can control or block content on websites and social media platforms, authorities claim that, they also have the capability to trace the origin of objectionable material.

    Federal Minister of State for Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja had revealed that the slow internet service in Pakistan is due to the excessive use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

    She clarified that the internet was neither blocked nor intentionally slowed down, but the increased usage of VPNs has affected the internet speed.

    Shaza Fatima Khawaja explained that when certain apps’ services were blocked, people started using VPNs, which bypassed local internet services and slow down the internet. She added that using VPNs also slows down mobile internet speeds.

  • SSGC denies loadshedding for domestic sector at nighttime

    SSGC denies loadshedding for domestic sector at nighttime

    The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has claimed no loadshedding for the domestic sector during nighttime in winter, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

    According to SSGC spokesperson, the company continues to prioritize domestic consumers as part of its load management plan.

    “No gas loadshedding is carried out during the night for domestic sectors, with pressure profiling being conducted to ensure better gas supply during these hours.”

    The SSGC spokesperson acknowledged a shortage of gas due to a decrease in natural reserves, with annual declines contributing to the scarcity. He noted a significant increase in gas demand, with a 40% decrease in gas supply since the 2017-18 period.

    In the last two years, the company has successfully restored distribution networks in Karachi, Thal, and Shahdadkot. Special priority was given to Karachi’s tail-end areas, including Defence and Lyari, as part of the restoration project, the SSGC spokesperson said.

    Read more: SSGC charges billions from consumers to offset gas losses

    Work in Lyari has already seen 50% completion, with the remaining work expected to be completed by June. Restoration work in North Nazimabad and North Karachi is progressing rapidly, along with ongoing restoration efforts in certain areas of Hyderabad, he added.

    The management of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has reportedly charged billions of rupees from consumers under the guise of covering gas losses.

    According to sources, SSGC consumers have been issued additional bills amounting to over Rs11 billion, allegedly to compensate for gas theft.

    SSGC sent out bills for a total of 23 billion cubic feet of gas. Sources say that by overcharging customers, SSGC managed to lower its Unaccounted-for Gas (UFG) percentage from 18 percent to 10 percent. This move seems to have been a way for the company to turn its reported losses into profits.

  • Customs uncovers millions in fraud within Export Finance Scheme

    Customs uncovers millions in fraud within Export Finance Scheme

    KARACHI: A major financial fraud and money laundering operation has been uncovered by the Customs Department within the Export Finance Scheme (EFS), involving millions of rupees in tax evasion and illegal transactions, ARY News reported.

    According to reports, the fraud was discovered through a post-customs clearance audit, which revealed that the company Fazal Rabi Enterprises had been involved in fraudulent activities, draining off huge amounts from the national treasury.

    According to the Deputy Director of Customs, Shiraz Ahmed, the company had used fake addresses in Karachi and Hub, where it had never actually conducted business. Investigations revealed that the company’s registration profile contained a fake National Tax Number (NTN) with a fraudulent address.

    Despite being registered with bogus information in Karachi, the company fraudulently obtained EFS facilities from the Gwadar Customs Collectorate.

    Customs data further exposed that the fake company, operating under a false user profile, had never conducted exports, despite having secured permissions for the same.

    The company managed to illegally import goods worth Rs208 million, evading taxes and duties in the process. As a result, Rs140 million in tax duties were stolen through fraudulent transactions.

    Additionally, investigations found that the illegal funds, totalling Rs208 million, were transferred abroad, further complicating the case.

    The Customs department has initiated strict actions against the fraud and is continuing its investigation into the matter.

    Read More: Customs foils bid to smuggle gold, iPhones at Lahore airport

    Back in November 2024, Customs apprehended an individual at Lahore airport attempting to smuggle gold and iPhones.

    According to the details, a man named Asif Shahzad, arriving from Dubai on the private airline PA-417, was arrested for trying to smuggle over 1.628 kg of gold, six diamond sets, and five iPhones.

    Customs officials indicated that the suspect concealed gold within his clothing.

    Authorities have filed a case against him under the customs act, officials noted.

    Earlier in September, the customs officials thwarted a money laundering attempt at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi and arrested a passenger.

    As per the customs spokesperson, on the basis of suspicion, the staff stopped a passenger bound to board an international flight from Karachi airport to Doha.

    During the deep inspection of the luggage, the customs officials recovered a total of $20,000 US in cash.

    After confiscated the currency, the officials registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the Doha-bound passenger to investigate and identify the real culprits behind the money laundering attempt.