The nation barely made it through the teaser; apparently, PDM 2.0 will have a full five-year spectacle. Despite botching their initial attempt at “saving” Pakistan, this motley crew of “patriotic” politicians will soon try again. The way this agreement came to be would irritate PML-N supporters as well as PTI supporters who voted for change. They were informed that Nawaz Sharif would take office for a fourth term as prime minister following these elections. It was a sombre reminder of all that he had accomplished and was forced to forfeit over his career when he chose to hand over the government to Shehbaz Sharif instead.

MUZAFFARGARH - Two minor sisters burn to death while another girl sustained injuries as hut of wood caught fire in Basti Goram Pitafi Chowk on Thursday. According to Rescue officials, three minor girls including two sisters were present into their house when sud­denly fire erupted in hut made with wood near Basti Goram Pitafi Chowk, Mondka Road. As a result, seven years old Hijab daughter of Ansar and eight years old Nayyab daughter of Ansar burnt alive while eight years old Dua Fatima daughter of Abid sustained serious burn injuries as 84 percent body burnt. MEDIATOR KILLED IN BRAWLMediator in the fight was killed by repeated strike of dagger at Alipur Road, Chowk Munda here on Thurs­day. However, the move to resolve the brawl enraged Muhammad Hassan further, who attacked Naveed Iqbal with the dagger, and killed him on the spot.

From Tribune staff reportsJEFFERSON COUNTY — Two people were found dead in a vehicle following a fiery crash in north Jefferson County, according to Lt. Joni Money of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. According to Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates, the two deceased individuals were adult males. Yates is still working to identify the victims and determine the exact cause of death. At 1:53 a.m. Thursday, Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a vehicle crash in the 5000 block of Snowville Brent Road in North Jefferson County. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team was activated and will be conducting the investigation into this incident.

From Tribune staff reportsJEFFERSON COUNTY — Deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office are asking the public to be on the lookout for a 13-year-old Jefferson County boy missing since Tuesday, according to Lt. Joni Money of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Money said Jason Gonzalez was last seen around 10 p.m. in Quinton. He is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 135 lbs. The sheriff’s office is currently searching the area near Bluff Creek Road, but have public is asked the public refrain from entering the woods in the area due to hazards. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Gonzalez, you are asked to contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 205-325-1450.

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government may increase the price of petrol and diesel after the exchange adjustment for the next 15 days starting from February 16, 2024. However, without the exchange adjustment, petrol prices are likely to increase by Rs 1.97 per liter with the ex-depot sale price rising to Rs 274.86 per liter from Rs 272.89 per liter. Similarly, without exchange adjustment, diesel price is likely to increase by Rs 9.20 per liter from Rs 278.96 to Rs 288.16 per liter. Kerosene prices are also likely to increase by Rs 1.57 per liter from Rs 186.62 per liter to Rs 188.19 per liter if the dollar-rupee exchange rate is not adjusted. According to official sources, the caretaker government may increase the price of petrol by Rs 1.47 per liter and the price of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) by Rs 7.50 per liter after the exchange adjustment.

The announcement follows a meeting at Adiala Jail with PTI founder Imran Khan, according to acting PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. Barrister Gohar announced the initiation of nationwide protest demonstrations on Saturday against perceived rigging in the general election. He cautioned the public against potential harassment and false flag operations during the protest, urging massive participation for the future of Pakistan. Meanwhile, PTI leader Asad Qaiser has labeled the February 8 elections as the worst in Pakistan's history and called for concerted action against electoral malpractice. The coming days are likely to witness heightened political tensions as PTI mobilises its supporters and engages in nationwide protests against perceived election malpractice.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved the increase in sales tax on manufacturers at the local level, after which the prices of vehicles are likely to increase. According to sources, sales tax of up to 25% will now be imposed on vehicles worth 4 million or 1400 cc. Sources say that the sales tax imposed on vehicles worth 4 million or 1400 cc will be imposed in the upcoming budget as well, after the approval of ECC, vehicles are expected to become more expensive in the country. In the meeting, the ECC directed the Competition Commission to investigate the recent hike in fertilizer prices and take action against those involved. The ECC says the Competition Commission should take action against those involved in the recent hike in fertilizer prices.

The country was created in 1947, but it wouldn’t be wrong to argue that the nation was born on February 8, 2024. That crowd also coalesced and became a nation, much like the dust coalescing to form planets and stars. No other nation is fortunate enough to have a leader that with the power of his character and charisma can unite the entire nation. Pakistan didn’t have to beat the drums of war or be attacked by India for the nation to come together. And no war has coalesced the nation together like Imran Khan has with nothing but charisma and the strength of character.

The acting prime minister declared lately that we need to “move on” because the country had “accepted” the election results. Respectfully, this looks like an overly optimistic interpretation of an extremely complex scenario. The fact that Mr. Kakar is still struggling to define what “free and fair” implies is equally peculiar. If the ECP is unable to arrange a seamless handover of power from one elected government to the next, it would be held responsible. They do, however, appear a little startling coming from someone who is only given one task to complete in the office.

DUBAI - India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple, the largest in the United Arab Emirates, boosting his credentials as a global statesman months before he heads to the polls in a nationwide election where he is seeking a rare third term in power. The BAPS Hindu Mandir, built on a sprawl­ing 27-acre site in the Abu Dhabi desert, is the city’s first traditional Hindu stone mandir, its pink sandstone columns topped by seven spires representing the number of Sheikhs that rule each of the Emirates. Yet, analysts expect this will not present an issue for Modi during his visit, given India’s rising prominence, its growing economy and strategic position on the global stage. It’s like the religion and pride of India going over­seas,” Ali said. “He’s sending a message to the world: India is the protector of the Hindu religion.” The opening of the Abu Dhabi Temple comes just a few weeks after Modi inaugurated the controversial Ram Mandir, a temple built on the foundations of a centuries-old mosque that was torn down by hardline Hindu crowds in the ear­ly 1990s in northern India.

ISLAMABAD: There are two days left before the expiry of the deadline for the assurance given to the IMF regarding the increase in gas prices, but the Cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee meeting could not decide on the summary of the increase in gas prices. ECC has decided to further consider the summary of gas prices, due to the increase, gas prices will increase for the third time in a year and the implementation of Ogra recommendations will put an additional burden on gas consumers of about 100 billion rupees. A meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee was held under the chairmanship of caretaker finance minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar. After the approval of ECC, the approval of the prices will be taken from the Federal Cabinet, after which the OGRA will issue a notification. OGRA has approved an average increase of 35.13% in tariff for gas consumers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Islamabad, and 8.57% for consumers of Sindh and Balochistan.

He also expressed reservations about the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) role which, he alleged, had been “dubious from day one”. He accused the election process of being manipulated at the behest of “anti-Islamic forces”. He went on to claim that the election results indicated widespread bribery and asserted that the party's candidates and workers faced threats and intimidation. He accused the Election Commission of Pakistan of being under the control of the establishment, claiming that the entire election process was manipulated. "The election process was held hostage, with bribes influencing both victories and defeats.

New Delhi: India’s Hindu extremist ruling party BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha member Subramaniam Swamy has made a sensational revelation and said that Qatar had sentenced eight Indian naval officers to death for spying for Israel. Indian actor Shah Rukh played a role in the release. According to Indian media, Subramunimswamy says that the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Security Adviser had failed to return this decision to Qatar. In response to one of Modi’s messages on Twitter, he also suggested to the Indian Prime Minister that Prime Minister Modi should take Shah Rukh Khan with him when he goes to Qatar, because the advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Security has failed in this task.

ISLAMABAD - ISNET Sec­retariat has planned to organize webinar on “Big Data in Space Sci­ences” on February 14 (Wednes­day) with experts deliberating over the impact of big data in space sciences. According to the ISNET, the we­binar is aimed at providing an op­portunity to the practitioners, researchers, and educators to dis­cuss the most recent innovations, as well as practical challenges en­countered in the context of big data from space. The experts in the field will share their insights into the transformative impact of big data in space sciences. While Aerospace Engineer, Irani­an Space Agency (ISA) Specialist, Mostafa Azadi Aghdam will speak on the topic, “Space based cloud data storage network. General Manager, Space Application and Research Wing, SUPARCO, Ayyaz Ameen will speak on the top­ic, “Ionospheric Modelling Using Big Data”.

ATTOCK - Police have arrested two anti-social elements and recovered 30 litre liquor and 500 kites from their possession. Cases under the act have been regis­tered against them and have been sent behind the bars. During the first attempt, Hazro police re­covered 30 litre liquor from Daud Arshad who was traveling by his pri­vate car. During the sec­ond attempt, police ar­rested Rasool Khan and recovered 500 kites and five rolls of string.