Islamabad: Former federal minister and PML-Q MNA Tariq Bashir Cheema tendered an apology to former minister and PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) MNA Zartaj Gul following an altercation between the two leaders in the National Assembly. Zartaj later accepted the apology.

The matter was resolved after NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq intervened in the matter and resolved the issue in a dignified manner. Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan thanked the speaker for his role in the matter.

Confirming the report, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan along with Gul — during an interaction with journalists — said: “Tariq Bashir Cheema has tendered an apology to Zartaj Gul.”

مجھے سب سے زیادہ خوشی آج وزیراعظم عمران خان کی جھلک دیکھنے پہ ہے اور آج طارق چیمہ نے جو الفاظ استعمال کیے اس کا جواب دینا میں خوب جانتی ہوں میں بہت طاقتور خاتون ہوں مجھے آنکھوں میں آنکھیں ڈال کر اپنے حق مانگنا آتا ہے۔ زرتاج گل وزیر @zartajgulwazir pic.twitter.com/2twVRApYYL

— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 16, 2024

“Zartaj Gul has pardoned Tariq Bashir Cheema,” he confirmed. For her part, Gul said that she had forgiven Cheema as per the decision of her party’s leadership.

Earlier in the day, the lower house of the parliament witnessed pandemonium after the PML-N’s Cheema, after concluding his speech on the assembly’s floor, suddenly moved towards PTI’s Gul and reportedly hurled cuss words at her.

Cheema lost his temper as Gul, during his speech, kept referring to the Islamia University of Bahawalpur scandal.

The Bahawalpur University scandal regarding drugs and sexual harassment of female students allegedly involving Cheema’s son, came into the limelight in July last year. Cheema, however, had denied the media reports, saying that he himself would “evict his son from his home” if proven guilty.

According to the spokesperson of the National Assembly, the matter was settled amicably with the efforts of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

Karachi: Foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) swelled by $15 million on a weekly basis, clocking in at $9.13 billion as of May 10.

According to the official data released by the central bank on Thursday, total liquid foreign reserves held by the country stood at $14.62bn, while net foreign reserves held by commercial banks stood at $5.49bn. The SBP didn’t specify a reason for the increase in the reserves.

“During the week ended on 10-May-2024, SBP reserves increased by US$ 15 million to US$ 9,135.5 million,” it said.

Last week, Pakistan’s central bank reserves significantly increased by $1.114bn to reach above $9bn after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the last tranche under the $3bn Standby Arrangement.