Thai Tourist Police Urge Progress in Missing Young Russian Siblings Case After Motorcycle Found Dismantled and Buried Near Pattaya

  The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has launched an investigation into an alleged social media campaign aimed at damaging the reputation of Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and his son. According to NCCIA officials, the agency has received a formal complaint from Sharjeel Inam Memon regarding the alleged defamatory content circulating on various social media platforms. The complaint was received by the Deputy Director of the NCCIA’s Karachi Zone, who has initiated the process of investigating the matter. Officials said the agency is currently working to identify individuals allegedly involved in operating social media accounts, creating content and disseminating posts that are claimed to have harmed the reputation of the senior provincial minister and his son. The investigation will focus on tracing the origin of the posts, identifying the people responsible for creating and publishing the material, and determining how the content was circulated and amplified across social media platforms. NCCIA officials said the agency has contacted around 10 major social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, X, and Instagram, as part of its investigation. The platforms have reportedly been asked to provide relevant information about the accounts and individuals involved in spreading the alleged defamatory posts. The agency has also sought details of accounts that allegedly played a role in making the posts viral. Investigators are attempting to determine whether the content was originally posted by a particular account and subsequently shared or promoted by other users. In addition, the NCCIA has requested data relating to social media accounts from which the allegedly objectionable posts were later deleted. Officials are seeking information that could help investigators identify the users behind such accounts, even where the original content is no longer publicly available. The development comes amid growing concerns over the use of social media platforms to circulate unverified, misleading or allegedly defamatory material against public figures. With social media allowing information to spread rapidly across multiple platforms, cybercrime investigators increasingly rely on digital records and platform data to trace the origins of online content. The NCCIA’s investigation is expected to examine the digital trail associated with the alleged campaign, including the accounts involved in creating, sharing and circulating the material. Investigators may also examine the extent to which the content was distributed and whether multiple accounts were coordinated in spreading it. The complaint reportedly alleges that the social media campaign was intended to damage the honour and reputation of Sharjeel Inam Memon and his son. However, the allegations remain part of the ongoing investigation, and any responsibility for the content will ultimately depend on the findings of the relevant authorities. The agency’s request for information from social media platforms is aimed at obtaining additional evidence that could assist in identifying the people behind the accounts and determining the circumstances surrounding the creation and distribution of the posts. The NCCIA has not yet disclosed the identities of any suspects or announced arrests in connection with the case. Further action is expected after investigators receive and analyse the requested information from the social media platforms. The case highlights the increasing role of cybercrime authorities in addressing complaints involving online harassment, defamation and the alleged misuse of social media. The investigation will determine whether the content in question violated relevant laws and whether those responsible can be identified and proceeded against under the applicable legal framework.

Lahore: An important consultative meeting of the Core Committee of the Pakistan Association of Alternative Medicine (PAAM) was held, in which the “Policy Draft and Working Paper” was finalized to make the country’s alternative medicine sector namely Homeopathy, Herbal, and Unani economically self-reliant and to transform it into an international industry. During this meeting, PAAM Core Committee members Dr. Tariq Mahmood Chaudhry and former Director of Homeopathy at the Punjab Health Department, Dr. Jamil Akhtar Ghauri, met with PAAM President Kashif Aslam Malik and held deep consultations on the framework of the proposed federal ministry. According to the text of the policy draft, more than 80 percent of the world’s population relies on alternative and natural methods of treatment. China earns an annual export profit of 60 billion dollars from this sector, and India earns over 5 billion dollars in valuable foreign exchange. In contrast, despite having abundant natural resources and hundreds of thousands of qualified doctors, Pakistan accounts for less than 0.5 percent of the global market due to the lack of an independent federal ministry. The working paper prepared by PAAM highlights that establishing an autonomous federal ministry could be the fastest way to pull Pakistan out of its economic crisis and boost exports. The PAAM leadership has presented three-year economic targets to the government and parliament, setting the export target at 200 million dollars for the first year, 500 million dollars for the second year, and aiming to exceed 1.5 billion dollars in the third year through international trade agreements and Business-to-Business (B2B) partnerships. Another key feature of this policy draft is that commercial herb farming will be initiated nationwide under the new ministry, directly benefiting the rural economy and local farmers. Furthermore, this initiative aims to eliminate Pakistan’s reliance on expensive imported raw materials for the allopathic industry, making the country truly economically independent. During the meeting, the PAAM leadership emphasized that the alternative medicine sector is facing a severe crisis due to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan’s (DRAP) hyper-focus on allopathic brands and bureaucratic red tape. They noted that introducing a one-window operation under an autonomous ministry would ensure medicine quality complies with World Health Organization (WHO) and International Herb Pharmacopeia standards, while also reducing public healthcare expenditures at the government level by up to 50 percent through the provision of affordable alternative medicines. Following the completion of the policy draft, PAAM has demanded a joint emergency meeting of the Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees on Health and Commerce, the formation of a dedicated task force, and a special export package for alternative medicine manufacturers. The Chairman and Core Committee of PAAM reaffirmed their commitment to presenting this policy paper to the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Federal Cabinet very soon to make the country self-sufficient on both economic and medical fronts.

The federal government has announced a reduction in petroleum prices, lowering the cost of petrol by Rs. 4.08 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs. 2.45 per litre. The revised prices will come into effect from August 4, providing some relief to consumers amid easing international oil prices. According to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division, the new price of petrol has been fixed at Rs. 331.95 per litre, while high-speed diesel will now be available at Rs. 389.93 per litre. The latest revision follows a decline in global crude oil prices after geopolitical tensions in the Middle East showed signs of easing. Despite the reduction, the government continues to impose substantial taxes and duties on petroleum products. Petrol carries approximately Rs. 110 per litre in taxes and levies, while diesel is subject to Rs. 96 per litre in government charges. Fuel prices had surged sharply earlier this year following heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, which raised concerns about potential disruptions to global oil supplies. High-speed diesel reached a record Rs. 520.35 per litre on April 3 after climbing from Rs. 281 per litre in late February. During the same period, petrol rose from Rs. 266 per litre to a peak of Rs. 458.41 per litre. Earlier, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be reviewed daily instead of weekly in response to increased volatility in international energy markets. Under the new mechanism, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has been tasked with determining petroleum prices based on prevailing global market trends. The decision to introduce daily pricing has, however, faced criticism from the All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, which has opposed the move and indicated that it may consider launching protests against the policy. Petrol remains the primary fuel used by private vehicles, motorcycles, rickshaws, and small transport, making its price particularly important for middle- and lower-income households. Meanwhile, high-speed diesel is widely consumed by the heavy transport sector, agriculture, industries, power plants, and commercial generators, meaning changes in diesel prices have a broader impact on transportation costs, supply chains, and inflation. The latest reduction is expected to provide modest financial relief to consumers and businesses. However, future fuel prices will largely depend on international crude oil trends, exchange rate movements, and developments in the Middle East, all of which continue to influence Pakistan’s petroleum pricing policy.