News From National & International Press  National Jan 16: The ministry of Law and Justice issued the notification for the appointment of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi as Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges. Jan 17: MPA Manzar Imam, a member of the Sindh Assembly belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was killed. Jan 17: The …

The Greek philosopher and polymath, Plato, who is also referred to as the father of idealism in political philosophy, is, by any reckoning, one of the most dazzling writers in the Western literary tradition and one of the most penetrating, wide-ranging, and influential authors in the history of philosophy. Following is a panoramic view of the life of this great …

swivel: (v) revolve, rotate, swing around An owl swivels his head to visualize the surroundings. spurn: (v) reject, contemn, despise, rebuff, reprobate Investors have plenty of reasons to spurn PIA. denigrate: (v) belittle, malign, asperse, defame He has been known to both praise and denigrate “talent” equally. implacable: (adj.) merciless, grim, inflexible, rancorous, vindictive An officer with a face of …

Geographical Features Punjab is the second largest province of Pakistan in terms of area. Its total area is 208,064 sq. km with a population density of approximately 450/km2 (1,200/sq mi). Borders    Bordering territory Northeast    Kashmir (Azad Kashmir and Indian-occupied Kashmir) East    Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan South    Sindh Southwest    Balochistan West    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa North    Islamabad Capital Territory Bahawalpur that …

News From National & International Press   National  Dec 13: The NAB chief, Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari, raised the estimate of the level of corruption in the country to Rs.13 billion a day or Rs.5 trillion a year dismissing government’s reaction. Dec 13: The ministry of food security conceded that poverty has been increasing in the country during the past four …

confounded: (adj.) confused, befuddled, perplexed  PPP is confounded after PML-N victory in by-polls. swansong: (n) a final performance or effort He has decided to make this tour his swansong. fester: (v) intensify, aggravate, blister Political interference has festered power woes in Pakistan. stalemate: (n) deadlock, standoff, impasse Syrian civil war came at a stalemate as Assad said that he won’t …

News From National & International Press National President signs drug authority bill: President Asif Ali Zardari signed a bill for setting up the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to prevent sale of fake, substandard and non-registered medicines and regulate manufacturing, storage, distribution, import, sale and advertising of therapeutic drugs. Pakistan elected to UN rights council: Pakistan won a seat …

ex-officio: by virtue of one’s position or status Asif Yaseen Malik has been appointed ex-officio chairman of PIA. bar: block, restrict, thwart, obstruct, impede Myanmar bars OIC from opening its office. vandalise: damage, despoil, ravage, raze, wreck Bangladesh has started rebuilding 19 Buddhist temples vandalised by Muslim mobs. pedigree: lineage, descent, extraction, ancestry India’s new foreign minister blends an illustrious …

NATIONAL UK bans Bilour’s entry: Federal Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour has been barred by the British government from travelling to the UK in retaliation for the bounty he offered for the murder of a US filmmaker, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula. SC says govt has failed in Balochistan: The Supreme Court said the Balochistan government had constitutionally failed to curb human …

National Affairs Karachi inferno death toll hits 298: The death toll of the fire in a Karachi garments factory reached 298 with several dozen workers still unaccounted for and presumably dead in the basement that could not be penetrated by recovery team. MTDF provides $10m for promoting female education in Balochistan: The Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MTDF), under the supervision of …