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Yousaf Naseem Khokhar refuses to become chief secretary Punjab: sources

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  1. Yousaf Naeem Khokhar was among list of three people proposed by Punjab govt to take top bureaucrat’s seat in province.
  2. Apart from Khokhar, the names of Tahir Khurshid, and Abdullah were given to the federal government.
  3. Khokhar reportedly tells Establishment Division secretary that he found it beneath his dignity to be bracketed with Tahir Khursheed.

LAHORE: Yousaf Naseem Khokhar, who is currently posted as the interior secretary, has declined to consider the offer of becoming the chief secretary of Punjab, sources told The News on Sunday.

Khokhar was among the list of three people proposed by the Punjab government, to take the top bureaucrat’s seat in the province.

Apart from Khokhar, the names of Tahir Khurshid, and Abdullah were given to the federal government to take up the post of Punjab chief secretary. All three are senior bureaucrats, currently serving in the federal government.

However, sources close to these developments have told The News that upon learning that his name had been proposed as Punjab chief secretary, Khokhar called the Establishment Division secretary and told him that he was not interested in taking up the post.

It is learnt that Khokhar told the Establishment Division secretary that he found it beneath his dignity to be bracketed with Tahir Khursheed, one of the other contenders.

Khokhar has already served as chief secretary for more than a year during the Usman Buzdar-led government. The federal government removed him from his post in November 2019 and Azam Suleman Khan was posted as his replacement.

Tahir Khurshid served as former Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s principal secretary. He was relieved of his duties following an investigation into assets beyond means case initiated against him by the National Accountability Bureau.

Abdullah is also working as a secretary in the federal government.

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Microsoft and BlackRock are set to establish a $30 billion fund for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

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AI models, particularly those employed in deep learning and extensive data processing, necessitate considerable computer power, resulting in increased energy usage.

The computational demands of AI have compelled technology firms to interconnect thousands of chips in clusters to attain the requisite data processing capacity, resulting in a significant increase in the demand for specialized data centers.

The investment entity, termed Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership, seeks to improve AI supply chains and energy procurement, according to BlackRock and Microsoft.

MGX, the investment firm supported by Abu Dhabi, will serve as a general partner in the fund, while Nvidia (NVDA.O), a manufacturer of AI chips, will provide its expertise.

The collaboration is expected to generate a total investment potential of up to $100 billion, inclusive of loan funding, according to the corporations.

The investments will primarily be in the United States, with the remainder allocated to partner countries, as stated by the firms.

The Financial Times initially reported on the development.

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The price of gold declines in Pakistan.

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The price of 10 grams of 24 karat gold declined by Rs. 257, falling to Rs. 229,510 from Rs. 229,767, while the price of 10 grams of 22 carat gold reduced to Rs. 210,384 from Rs. 210,620, according to the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association.

The prices of per tola and ten-gram silver remained constant at Rs.2,950 and Rs.2,529.14, respectively.

The Association reported a decline in the international gold price by $18, falling from $2,587 to $2,569.

On September 16, gold prices in Pakistan continued to rise, reflecting the increase in the international market, as reported by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA).

The local market witnessed a surge in the price of gold per tola, increasing by Rs1,700 to reach Rs268,000. Likewise, 10-gram gold was transacted at Rs229,767 following a rise of Rs1,458.

Simultaneously, the global rate was noted at $2,587 per ounce, while silver prices remained consistent at Rs2,950 per tola.

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Prior to the Lahore demonstration, PTI seeks LHC against arrests.

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The petition requesting protection against the arrests of its workers and leaders prior to the event set for September 21 was submitted by Sheikh Imtiaz and Yasir Gillani.

The petition asserted that law enforcement is apprehending party members throughout Punjab, infringing upon their fundamental right to assemble for a rally.

The petitioners sought a court order to compel the authorities to cease arrests and for the march to occur peacefully.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is set to have a demonstration in Lahore on September 21.

Previously, multiple PTI MNAs, including party chairman Barrister Gohar, were apprehended by Islamabad police subsequent to the Sangjani demonstration in Islamabad.

Barrister Gohar and Sher Afzal Marwat were apprehended outside, while Zain Qureshi and Sheikh Waqas Akram were detained within the Parliament House.

Furthermore, law enforcement apprehended Owais Ahmed Chatha, Syed Shah Ahmed, Sahibzada Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council, Yousaf Khan, Maulana Naseem Shah, and Ahmed Shah Khattak.

Sources indicated that Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq permitted the detention of PTI Members of the National Assembly outside the premises of the house. The situation occurred after police submitted a copy of the FIR filed against the PTI legislators for breaching SOPs during the public protest on September 8.

Furthermore, three complaints have been filed in Islamabad under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, alleging breaches of the event’s NOC. The FIR identifies 28 individuals, including PTI officials Barrister Gohar Ali, Sher Afzal Marwat, Shoaib Shaheen, Omar Gul, Zartaj Gul, Aamir Mughal, Seemabia Tahir, and Raja Basharat.

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