Hello all on Tuesday, August 4.
If you’re in Sindh, schools are starting to open this week and if you’re in Punjab you still have about two weeks of holidays to go. Sindh is also mulling over a six day work week and Punjab is chilling (which isn’t a bad thing…or is it?).
Leads to the age old debate…is it better to be a work horse or have boundaries between your work and personal lives? It’s a topic Gen Z takes great interest in and millennials don’t really understand (especially the concept of boundaries) but one that changes lives. Millennials take pride in being able to work 24/7 and Gen Z is like that totally isn’t for me and cracking a balance is still something we are working on. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!
Today we have an update on the Mir Raza Ali murder case, cousin marriages are slowing down (shukar hai), Pak avoids a new US visa ban and Iran is coming back to Pak.
See you all tomo!
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PM Shehbaz has ordered all federal ministries to submit performance reports after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s comments that the govt system has collapsed sparked debate about the govt’s performance. The review will examine ministries’ achievements, reforms, development projects and the use of public funds since February 2024. The findings could possibly lead to changes in the federal cabinet.
Investigators in the Mir Raza Ali murder case (the co-founder of the food delivery platform Wafflix who was found dead in July) have obtained new CCTV footage showing him throwing what police believe was his mobile phone shortly before his death. The phone was later recovered by a citizen, who led police to the location. Police are carrying out analysis of the footage while examining whether Mir Raza’s recent losses in a cryptocurrency business are linked to the murder. Investigators are also trying to unlock his phone and also determine whether the missing .30-bore pistol, which matches the calibre of the bullet recovered, played a role in the case.
A new Gallup Pakistan survey has found that cousin marriages remain common in Punjab, with nearly 62 per cent of married women saying they married a blood relative, while almost half married a first cousin. The study found that education plays a major role: 69 per cent of women with no formal education married within the family, compared with 48 per cent of women with higher education who did not. Cousin marriages were also more common in rural areas and among women who married before the age of 16.
Pakistan has been lucky enough to avoid a new US visa bond programme that requires visitors from 50 countries to deposit between $10,000 and $20,000 before receiving business or tourist visas. Bangladesh and Nepal are included on the list, while India has also been excluded. The programme, which came into effect on August 1, was made permanent after US officials said it significantly reduced visa overstays during a trial phase in 2025. The bond is refundable.
The govt has invited Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Araghchi for urgent talks as tensions between Tehran and Washington escalate and Trump warns that his patience is running out. Iran has described Pakistan as its main mediator with the US, with Islamabad continuing to quietly engage in back-channel diplomacy and ceasefire efforts alongside Qatar. The invitations come just days after Trump claimed he had called off planned strikes on Iran, while continuing to threaten military action unless Tehran agrees to a deal or “total surrender”.
You’re tempted to ruin a surprise for a friend, but don’t. They’ll be happy to get it, despite your good intentions.
You won’t believe it but Pie in the Sky’s plain tea cake is SO GOOD. Moist, soft, perfectly plain, it’s the one to have with chai and is a super hit with the chai aunties as well. Try it (and use your discount card and it’s like a few hundred rupees)!
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