Blaze News - Pakistan

Hawala networks are once again becoming a source of concerning headlines, as operators of the notorious informal money transfer system are reportedly using digital assets and the latest fintech to move money under the noses of regulators and law enforcement. A new joint report by the FATF and the OECD says hawala networks are now moving billions of dollars around the world every year. More than 80 per cent of reporting jurisdictions now identify hawala and similar service providers as principal channels for professional money laundering, and the networks continue to innovate to offer a product that is comparable, and arguably even better, than anything the formal banking system has to offer. Among the ways is that hawala operators often offer competitive exchange rates with 'zero fee' instant transfers, unlike banks and other legal money transfer services, which charge fees and taxes, and could take several minutes, hours, or days, depending on the value of a transaction ...

The judicial commission probing the Mir Raza Ali murder case on Friday summoned Gulistan-e-Jauhar Station House Officer (SHO) Kamran Qureshi and head clerk Zeeshan to appear before it on September 7. The commission formed by the Sindh High Court chief justice issued the summons while recording the statements of Ahmed Bhurday, Bhurday's brother Abdullah, driver Ehsanullah and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Arshad Afridi during Thursday’s proceedings. According to the written order issued by the commission on Friday, Ehsanullah told the judge that the company had taken back the vehicle provided to him, while the landlord of the house where he had been residing had also evicted him. He said he was now staying at the Ferozabad police station. Read: Judicial commission questions Mir Raza Ali's business partner over irregularities The commission directed the investigating officer, DSP Siraj Lashari, to contact the company management and the landlord and address t...

The judicial commission probing the murder of young entrepreneur Mir Raza Ali recorded statements from his business partner, brother, driver and a police official on Thursday, while expressing sharp displeasure at the conduct of Muhammad Ahmed Bhurday, who it said was behaving more like a suspect than a witness. The commission, headed by Justice Omar Sial at the Sindh High Court (SHC), summoned Bhurday, Ali's childhood friend and business partner, to explain his actions in the hours and days following Ali's disappearance on July 28. Also present during the proceedings were Ali's family, their lawyer Jibran Nasir, Sindh government's focal person, additional home secretary, Sharae Faisal Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Arshad Afridi, Ferozabad Station House Officer (SHO) Adeel Afzal, Ali's brother, friends, and driver Ehsan Ali. During a tense exchange, Justice Sial admonished Bhurday for what he described as suspicious conduct. “Mir R...

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has offered one of the most optimistic visions of artificial intelligence, predicting that if powerful AI develops in the right direction, the world could become “stunningly beautiful” — with many diseases cured, human lifespans doubled and poverty eliminated. But as Amodei's company races to commercialise its rapidly advancing Claude models and reportedly prepares for what could become one of the largest initial public offerings in history, Anthropic is also facing increasingly difficult questions about the boundaries of AI power. The debate is no longer confined to whether AI will transform productivity. It is increasingly about who gets to decide what AI systems can see, what they can do, and where the limits of their authority should lie. Anthropic's Claude family has rapidly emerged as one of the leading competitors in the frontier AI market. The company has also made important inroads among software developers through Cl...

The federal government on Wednesday increased the price of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs2.29 and Rs1.11 per litre, respectively, for September 3. According to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division, the price of petrol was fixed at Rs346.16 per litre, while HSD would cost Rs372.03 per litre for September 3. The latest revision comes a day after the government increased the price of petrol and HSD by Rs1.08 and 51 paisas per litre, respectively, for September 2. Read: Govt increases petrol price by Rs1.08, HSD by 51 paisas per litre for Sept 2 On July 17, the government announced a new pricing mechanism under which petroleum product prices would be reviewed and notified on a daily basis, replacing the weekly pricing mechanism, as renewed tensions between the United States and Iran continued to drive volatility in global oil markets and raise concerns over fuel supplies. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25, petroleum products constitute one of ...

The Jamaat-e-Islami on Tuesday confirmed that the government had approached the party for talks over its ongoing protests against petroleum prices and the petroleum levy, saying it was ready for negotiations provided the government team came with a “complete package”. Jamaat-e-Islami spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed Tarabi said the government’s negotiating team had contacted party Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch and offered to hold talks. According to Tarabi, Adviser to the Prime Minister and Senator Rana Sanaullah and Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal contacted Liaquat Baloch on Monday, while former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Punjab Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique had also contacted him earlier. Read More: JI announces Sept 3 nationwide strike against petroleum levy Tarabi said Jamaat-e-Islami had made it clear that it was ready for negotiations, but the government’s team would have to come with a “complete package” outlining wha...