Islamabad, Dec. 16 : The advisor to the Prime Minster on Finance, Shaukat Tareen said on Tuesday that the poverty rate in Pakistan is climbing, and at present, it stands at 28 percent.

Addressing a seminar here, Tareen said government's top priority, at the moment, is to bring the rate of inflation down to nine percent.

The seminar was held in collaboration with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), The News reported.

Islamabad, Dec 16 : Once upon a time cinema halls in Karachi used to show Pashto movies that depicted the Pakhtoon culture, but now the halls are thriving on movies with vulgarity in them.

Cinema owners claim that the films are the sole reason for the survival of the industry in the city, and they also attract youngsters, who serve as a replacement of the old fans.

But many are criticising the new films as they are now attracting the audience at the cost of Pakhtoon cultural norms and traditions, with the increase in the number of viewers of pollywood films attributed to the sensually attractive scenes and dances.

Islamabad, Dec 16 : Pakistan has denied reports that the country's airspace had been violated along the Pak-Afghan border.

Reacting to a private TV channel report that at least three NATO fighter planes violated Pakistani airspace over Chaman for several hours on Monday before returning to Afghanistan, a Pakistan Air Force spokesman denied the violations.

PAF Director Public Relations Air Commodore Humayun Viqar said the Pakistani airspace had not been violated, the Daily Times reported.

Islamabad has refused to impose a ‘total ban’ on Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), thus raising questions about Pakistan’s commitment to co-operate with international community in eradicating terrorism inside its territory.

On December 10 the UN Security Council (UNSC) imposed sanctions on the JuD and identified four of its top commanders as terrorists, including JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and LeT operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks.

Islamabad - Pakistani stocks fell sharply Monday after the main Karachi bourse removed trading curbs after three and a half months.

The Karachi Stock Exchange's main 100-share index slumped 370 points, or 4.03 per cent, to close at 8,817, the lowest since June 2006.

The exchange had placed a floor under the index in late August after it had lost more than 35 per cent during the year, dragged down by political uncertainties and rising terrorism in the Islamic republic.

Analysts believe after the removal of trading restrictions, Pakistani stocks may lose to 50 per cent of their value in the coming weeks.

Islamabad, Dec 15 : Girls in Pakistan have said that they are being deprived of using computer and internet facilities owing to the non-conducive environment prevalent in the country''s internet cafes.

Although there are many Internet cafes in commercial and non-commercial areas in the country, girls find it difficult to enter such facilities, where receptionists watching vulgar movies or playing songs on their PCs, smoke-filled room with guys staring at the girls have become a common sight.

Many girls have revealed the problems they face due to unavailability of quality Internet cafes.