Around 92% fail this exam
Applicants struggle with the compulsory English
Sunday should be fun. Hey all, it’s May 17 and more than half the month is over.
The flyby year is real especially when things remain stagnant like this war. Same old except Interior Min. Mohsin Naqvi is in Tehran trying to cool things down again. The Anmol Pinky case is wild and getting more complicated as she’s now facing a murder charge and the coveted CSS exams? English is failing us throughout the country apparently.
Hope you guys have an easy day today. I’m prepping food for the week and there is frozen lasagne and fish nuggets on the menu! Wish me luck!
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Alleged drug kingpin Anmol alias Pinky is in police custody till May 22 in a drug case, while also in custody for a separate murder case in Karachi (The victim, in murder case she’s being charged with, died “due to the narcotic allegedly belongs to the brand of the accused.”). Police claim she ran a large drug network involving riders, suppliers and dealers, with investigators now investigating possible foreign involvement and pursuing several suspects still on the run. During court appearances, Anmol claimed she had been tortured in custody and forced into giving statements under pressure (allegedly about someone in Bani Gala), while her lawyers called the cases false and politically motivated. Investigations continue in both Sindh and Punjab against her and her network.
The government told the National Assembly that the high CSS exam failure rate (we don’t know an exact rate this year but previously it was around 92% in English-related papers) is mainly due to weak academic preparation and poor analytical and writing skills. The exam is highly competitive with around 25,000–30,000 applicants competing for just 200–225 vacancies each year. Officials said many candidates particularly struggle with compulsory English papers, while issues like poor subject selection, over-reliance on coaching academies and inadequate preparation continue to hurt success rates. The CSS syllabus and exam structure are now also under review for reforms.
The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is meeting in Karachi today to sight the Zil Hajj moon, with Eid-ul-Azha expected on May 27 if the crescent is seen. SUPARCO says astronomical calculations strongly favour moon visibility on Sunday evening, though the final Eid announcement will be made by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
The NDMA has warned that temperatures across the country are expected to rise sharply from May 18 to 23, with Sindh and Balochistan likely to remain especially hot and dry. At the same time, scattered rain, thunderstorms, windstorms and isolated hailstorms are forecast in parts of Punjab, KP, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir between May 19-22.
WAR UPDATE
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is in Tehran on an unannounced two-day visit as Pakistan makes a fresh attempt to revive stalled US-Iran peace talks after Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal. Pakistani officials are describing Naqvi’s trip as part of ongoing “shuttle diplomacy” to stop negotiations from collapsing completely.
Otherwise, it seems to be about the same as it was these past few weeks. Iran warned it was prepared to resume war if negotiations fail, while Trump said Iran had “an interest in reaching an agreement” but again threatened “annihilation” if no deal is reached.
Iran has unveiled plans for a new traffic management system in the Strait of Hormuz, saying only commercial vessels and countries cooperating with Tehran would benefit. European countries have reportedly started negotiating with Iran for transit access.
Trump’s China visit this past week was heavily overshadowed by the Iran conflict. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly discussed keeping Hormuz open, with China warning that force would not solve the crisis. Analysts described the summit as ending with “promise fatigue” and mutual distrust, while some experts argued the US war effort against Iran was weakening Washington strategically and benefiting China by draining American military resources.
Meanwhile, fighting continued across the region despite ceasefire extensions. Israel carried out heavy strikes in southern Lebanon, with Lebanese authorities saying nearly 3,000 people have been killed and over 9,000 wounded since March.
Leap of faith today, do something you never thought you would.
Who is helping the US (and Israel) in this war against Iran? There are more Muslim countries than you think…Watch this video to find out.
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