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Minister terms all previous budgets fake

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LAHORE: Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said that all previous budgets were fake and now real budgets were being presented.

“The upcoming January 23 mini-budget will lay a foundation of Pakistan’s strong economy,” he said and added that the PTI government would come up to the expectations of people.

The information minister’s remarks come a day after Finance Minister Asad Umar on Saturday dispelled the impression that the upcoming mini-budget would be loaded with new taxes. While addressing members of the business community in Karachi, Mr Umar had said that the mini-budget would focus on ease of doing business and measures to facilitate trade and industrialisation.

Says governance will improve in two to three years

The information minister urged people to have trust in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding that governance would improve in two to three years.

“Have patience for two to three years and this government’s governance will be of par excellence,” he told the media at ThinkFest at Alhamra Arts Council.

Mr Chaudhry said PM Khan did not believe in giving relief (NRO) to any corrupt.

“One has already landed in jail, while the other will follow suit,” he said while referring to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, respectively.

He reiterated that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari were pressurising (the government) in and out of parliament but they would not get any NRO.

The information minister said that Mr Sharif’s and Mr Zardari’s parties had collapsed.

“They have dug their political graves with their style of politics. We didn’t contribute anything [to their troubles],” Mr Chaudhry said.

The minister expressed wonder over the way the trial of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif was being conducted, saying they were enjoying all freedom when compared with incarceration of Wali Khan, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and other high-profile people who remained in prison. “Nawaz Sharif flew to London during his trial and his lawyers cross-examined witnesses for 22 days.”

He said that Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif was in jail only on papers as he was living in his house and holding meetings and sometimes even called the NAB and prosecutors to appear before him. “I haven’t seen such a trial in my life,” he said and added, “still they are heading towards their political death”.

Responding to a question about former US Ambassador Cameron Munter that Pakistan had misused funds given by the US to counter terrorism as well as promote education, Mr Chaudhry brushed aside Mr Munter’s statement, saying he had retired long ago and did not know anything happening now.

He pointed out that the US had already discontinued the Coalition Support Fund. However, he added, Pakistan-US relations were now improving. He said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had visited Pakistan and later Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met him in Washington leading to improvement in Pak-US ties.

“I guess Munter has not visited Washington for quite some time,” he said.

Referring to the PPP leaders’ names on the ECL, he said the direction was given by the JIT and the government had just implemented it.

Regarding his re-scheduled visit to Sindh and PPP minister Saeed Ghani’s assertion that he could stop him entering Sindh, Mr Chaudhry said Sindh was part of Pakistan and no one could stop him from going there. He said he was going to Sindh in connection with the affairs of his ministry and would obviously meet his colleagues there.

Mr Chaudhry said the information ministry would come up with a calendar of mega events in the country in a couple of weeks to allow space to thinkers and writers to speak up their minds.

Emphasising the need for promotion of tourism, he said Pakistan had decided to allow visa-free entry to people from 66 countries.

“People from across the globe will be invited to participate in various literary, cultural, social and religious festivals,” the minister said and added that the government was working on mechanisms to keep the events safe.

He said authors would be encouraged and film industry would be revived.

“PM Imran Khan’s vision is not just political but also social, and he wants to generate activity that will bring people closer unlike past rulers, who only worked to fill their coffers,” Mr Chaudhry said.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2019


NAB to file another case against Sharifs

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LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is planning to file another case against the Sharifs as the investigation agency claims to have recorded statements of many witnesses in this respect.

Media reports suggest that NAB has got information about involvement of the Sharifs in illegal money transfer (hundi) and that it has recorded statements of many witnesses [belonging to the Walled City of Lahore and Sheikhupura] against Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza and Salman Shahbaz.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2019

CJP berates FBR for 'sluggish' investigation in foreign properties case

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Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday assailed an audit member of the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) for the body's "sluggish" investigation in the case against 44 politically exposed individuals or their benamidars who own properties abroad.

At the outset of the case today, the FBR representative told the court that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had provided data of 895 people and 1,365 properties. About 360 people took advantage of tax amnesty scheme to protect 484 properties, he added.

The FBR audit member further said that Rs340 million have so far been recovered, while the recovery of another Rs768m is expected.

The progress of the case did not impress the chief justice. "You have all the data; you should have taken action within hours," he said, adding that the matter would never have been taken up if the court had not taken notice.

The FBR member apprised the court that 157 people have still not come forward and that the FBR has written to the Dubai authority for their data.

Meanwhile, a report submitted in the court by the FIA claimed that 1,211 Pakistani citizens own 2,154 properties in the UAE. A further 345 people have been served notices, the report said.

The report also said that 61 people remain unidentified, five are deceased, 10 are uncooperative while one is absconding.

Furthermore, the FIA report said that 413 people took advantage of the tax amnesty scheme that ended in August last year, whereas 167 people declared their properties to the FBR inquiry officer.

It stated that 79 people declared their properties in tax returns filed for the FBR, while 97 people disowned their properties in the UAE. Previously, the FIA had identified 1,115 people who owned properties in the UAE.

Prime Minister Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khanum, who is named as one of the benamidars of a property in the United Arab Emirates, was also present in the court for today's hearing. The court had ordered Khanum to appear in person today.

Talking to the media after the hearing, Khanum regretted that people were poking fun at "the machines that employ hundreds and thousands of people".

"You can check [my] wealth statement, I have earned for myself after working for 20 years," she claimed.

In Dec 2018, the top court had ordered Khanum to pay Rs29.4 million in taxes and fine for concealing her property in Dubai.

SC upholds IHC verdict, dismisses NAB's appeal against suspension of Sharifs' sentences in Avenfield case

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The Supreme Court on Monday upheld an Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict that had ordered the suspension of prison sentences awarded to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in the Avenfield corruption reference.

A five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, dismissed National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) plea against the high court's decision.

The apex court, in its ruling, said that NAB has failed to provide the "ground for cancellation of bail" and that the IHC had not exceeded its authority in granting bail to the convicts of the Avenfield reference.

Read: Avenfield House or ‘tax haven’ house?

The Supreme Court's decision brings a rare relief for the Sharif family, both of whose leaders — Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif — are currently incarcerated.

Maryam thanked "Allah Almighty for today's decision" but said that her "true relief and happiness would be when my father comes back home."

At the outset of the hearing today, the chief justice told NAB prosecutor Akram Qureshi to "convince [the bench] why the high court's ruling should be suspended".

The chief justice told the NAB counsel to delineate the grounds on which the apex court can suspend the granting of bail. "Also tell us if the high court had the authority to suspend the sentence," he added.

Qureshi explained that his argument stood on the basis of earlier cases heard by the top court, claiming that bail can only be granted in the case of "hardship", which was not the reason behind IHC's verdict.

The NAB prosecutor pointed out that the IHC had questioned the merit of the trial in its judgement — something he said a high court cannot do in a bail plea.

Take a look: IHC surprised at ‘lapse’ by NAB in Avenfield case

"Nawaz Sharif was granted bail on the same grounds that had led to his conviction," observed Justice Gulzar Ahmed, who was also part of the bench. "You did not challenge those grounds."

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who is set to succeed Justice Nisar as the top judge, said that NAB's argument was not "solid" and rejected the claim that the high court had exceeded its authority.

He further said that the high court had mentioned that its "observation was not final".

The chief justice, however, told the NAB prosecutor that "an interim order is never final and [it] never affects the final verdict either."

In July 2018, an accountability court had handed Sharif 10 years as jail time for owning assets beyond known income and 1 year for not cooperating with NAB.

His daughter Maryam was given seven years for abetment after she was found "instrumental in concealment of the properties of her father" and one year for non-cooperation with the bureau. Meanwhile, Nawaz's son-in-law retired Captain Safdar has been given one year jail time — for not cooperating with NAB, and aiding and abeting Nawaz and Maryam.

In Sept 2018, the IHC had accepted the convicts' petitions and suspended the trio's respective prison sentences — a decision that the corruption watchdog had subsequently challenged in the apex court.

Pakistani journalist Asad Hashim wins AFP's Kate Webb Prize

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Freelance reporter Asad Hashim was named as winner of the 2018 Agence France-Presse Kate Webb Prize on Monday for his coverage of the plight of ethnic Pashtuns and blasphemy issues in his native Pakistan.

The award, named after one of AFP's finest correspondents, recognises journalism by locally-hired reporters in Asia operating in risky or difficult conditions.

Hashim, 33, was honoured for a series of articles on ethnic Pashtuns and other minority groups caught in the crossfire of Pakistan's fight against militants.

Take a look: The cold emptiness of South Waziristan

These included an investigative report into enforced disappearances allegedly conducted by the country's powerful military and a reporting mission to the South Waziristan tribal region — birthplace of Pakistan's Taliban — to look into the civilian toll from landmines.

Pakistan has battled homegrown militancy for nearly 15 years, with tens of thousands of people killed, and insurgents retain the ability to carry out devastating attacks despite recent improvements in security.

“These are challenging times for journalists in Pakistan, and Asad Hashim's work stands out for the kind of courageous, independent reporting the Kate Webb Prize was created to recognise,” said AFP Asia-Pacific regional director Philippe Massonnet.

Freedom of press on the decline in Pakistan: Committee to Protect Journalists

“His deeply-researched articles tackle sensitive subjects with an admirable balance of passion, commitment and journalistic detachment.”

The award also recognised his work on other highly sensitive issues, such as Pakistan's blasphemy laws and the country's judicial system.

“I am honoured by the jury's decision to select my work this year,” Hashim said after learning he was the winner of the 2018 prize.

“I consider the award not just a recognition of my work, but of all Pakistani journalists, who have been working in an increasingly restrictive reporting environment over the last year.”

The Kate Webb Prize, with a $3,400 purse, honours journalists working in perilous or difficult conditions in Asia, and is named after a crusading AFP reporter who died in 2007 at the age of 64, after a career covering the world's troublespots.

The award, which in 2017 went to Myanmar journalist Mratt Kyaw Thu for his brave coverage of ethnic and religious conflict in his homeland, is administered by AFP and the Webb family.

The prize will be formally presented at a ceremony in March.

PU, HEC served notices over alleged discrimination against visually impaired student

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The Lahore High Court on Monday issued notices to the Punjab University (PU) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) regarding the alleged discrimination against a visually impaired woman wishing to appear in the entrance exam for a Master’s programme.

Read: Challenges that Persons with Disabilities face

According to a petition filed in the LHC, gold medallist Kinza Sajid was not allowed to take the admission test for clinical psychology and that the university had refused to print the examination paper in a larger font upon her request.

Sajid was first "called and told to not show up for the exam, but later, after much pleading, was allowed to appear in the exam," the application said.

Once there, Sajid was not given a question paper printed in a large font, which she had requested for. This resulted in her not being able to properly read and respond to questions in the exam, the petition adds.

Furthermore, the petition claims that Sajid was kicked out of the examination hall during the course of the exam and that she was failed by a margin of five marks.

Subsequently, PU and HEC were ordered by the court to send its representatives in the next hearing of the case, which has been set for Jan 30.

Mentally ill ex-cop Khizar Hayat's case forwarded to larger bench for hearing

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A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court Lahore registry on Monday while hearing an appeal for the suspension of the death sentence of mentally-ill prisoner Khizar Hayat forwarded the matter to a larger bench for hearing and adjourned the case for an indefinite period.

Hayat, a former police constable, was convicted in October 2001 for killing a fellow policeman. He was sentenced to death by a trial court in 2003. He has spent nearly 15 years on death row. Hayat was first diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic in 2008 by jail medical authorities.

In 2010, the jail medical officer recommended that Hayat needed specialised treatment and should be shifted to the psychiatric facility. However, this was never done. In 2017, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had stayed the execution of Hayat, but rejected his mother's appeal for a stay in December 2018.

Last week, a district and sessions court in Lahore fixed Hayat's execution for Jan 15.

On Saturday, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken notice of the issuing of a death warrant for Hayat and sought a report to ascertain his ailment, suspending his sentence until further orders. He had also directed the law officer to verify whether the condemned prisoner was mentally ill.

A two-member bench comprising Justices Manzoor Ahmad Malik and Sardar Tariq Masood heard the appeal for suspension of Hayat's death sentence filed by his mother Iqbal Bano. Jail officials and a mental health specialist were in court today, along with Hayat's lawyer.

The lawyer contended before the bench that the Supreme Court had halted executions in similar cases in the past.

"But why wasn't the state of his mental health raised earlier during the trial?" Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik asked. "Why, when he is set to be punished, is the point being raised?"

The lawyer responded that Hayat had been diagnosed with schizophrenia during the trial, adding that a six-member medical board had been set up in 2016 to examine his mental health and confirmed that he had a mental illness.

According to Section 444 of the jail rules, a person with a mental illness cannot be executed, the lawyer argued.

"Do you believe that Hayat's mental state is not right?" Justice Malik asked the doctor in court.

"Khizar Hayat is suffering from a mental illness," replied Dr Mubashir, adding that a medical board could be set up to examine his mental state.

"In this state, the subject does not know what he is doing," the doctor added.

The jail official apprised the court that Hayat was being held at the hospital at Kot Lakhpat jail.

Justice Malik noted that Hayat's medical report is not completely clear. He appeared wary that other convicts would start appealing against their convictions using mental illness as a pretext.

"We're sending the matter to a larger bench," he added.

The court subsequently ordered that the appeal against Hayat's execution be forwarded to a larger bench, and adjourned the case indefinitely.

Mother challenges death sentence

Khizar Hayat's mother, Iqbal Bano, in her appealing challenging her son's death sentence, had requested the chief justice to visit the Kot Lakhpat jail ward for mentally ill prisoners and investigate what medicines were being given to her son.

She pleaded that his medical records be investigated "to determine why his treatment was not being done properly and why his condition was worsening day by day".

The appeal also challenged the LHC division bench's 2018 judgement, and sought a stay on Hayat's execution. It said the judgement passed by the division bench was not in accordance with law and the prison rules. It said the bench mixed the conviction with execution and thereby dismissed the petition on wrong premises.

It stated that the bench had not appreciated the extensive medical history of the appellant’s son as well as the reports of the medical boards establishing the mental ailment of Hayat.

The appeal argued that a condemned prisoner could not be executed in utter disregard of the prison rules on the subject. It pleaded that the government had a legal duty under the Prisons Rules 1978 to provide the appellant’s son with adequate and appropriate treatment for his mental illness at a psychiatric facility. To deny him this treatment was an arbitrary abuse of power and a violation of Articles 9, 14 and 25 of the Constitution, it contested.

NAB chairman should appear before parliament, demands Zardari

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PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman should appear before the parliament in person, instead of lawmakers going to him to discuss the bureau's procedure for moving against opposition members accused of corruption.

Speaking during a National Assembly session, the former president said the time has come for the parliament to call the NAB chairman and "proclaim a law" that before any parliamentarian is summoned by NAB, their case should come to the house committee on law so it can decide whether there is actually a case against the said lawmaker or their family.

Editorial: Meaningful accountability

Zardari said he was hearing of plans among various parties to call on the NAB chairman, purportedly to discuss the bureau's anti-corruption drive that has ensnared several opposition members.

"Why will you go to the NAB chairman?" he asked the MNAs present, before declaring: "The NAB chairman should appear in person before the parliament."

Zardari said the matter was not personal to him because he had encountered "many NABs" during his career and "will continue to face them".

"The real issue is, what will happen when you are summoned [by the accountability watchdog]?" he said with a meaningful smile, addressing the treasury benches.

Zardari said his party was "totally happy" that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had today been given relief by the Supreme Court in the Avenfield corruption reference. He added that the PPP also "does not want to see" Nawaz's daughter, Maryam Nawaz, in the jail.

Speaking about his own troubles, he said it would be "uncalled for" and "above the law" if a new joint investigation team is formed comprising representatives of the ISI and other institutions, in the fake accounts case.

The PPP co-chairman said it was in the government's interest to "tighten" the NAB as doing so will reduce the prevailing "insecurity" among the bureaucracy and the country will start functioning to some extent.

Criticising the PTI government's performance of the first few months, he told the treasury members: "We will not bring down your [government], you will fall yourselves."

He said he wants to work to strengthen the parliament and democracy, and pointing towards government benches said, "I also want to train these news friends that have come to the parliament."

'No foreign force can prevent economic slide'

Zardari said the international financial support being given to Pakistan by friendly countries is welcome, but no "foreign force" can prevent the economic slide the country appeared to be heading towards because of PTI government's policies.

"Considering the financial situation at present [and] the way decisions are being taken arbitrarily... the country cannot be managed in this manner," the former president said.

He said no foreign power, be it China or any other country, could save Pakistan once it starts its journey towards becoming a "failed state" on the sliding scale "because everyone will think of their own country".

Zardari said during the PPP government's tenure, he had generated interest for investment in Pakistan through his 15 visits to China. It later materalised in the form of the agreement leading to the handover of the Gwadar port to China, he added.

Shahbaz questions Mohmand dam contract award

Earlier, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif expressed concern over the government's move to award the contract for the Rs309 billion Mohmand dam to a Descon-led consortium on a single bid basis.

He said the manner in which the contract had been awarded had "put question marks" on the entire procedure. The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Pepra) rules allow the award of contracts on a single-bid basis, but with certain conditionalities, he added.

"What was the urgency in awarding the contract?" the PML-N president questioned. "Why was rebidding not done?"

He said the bidding process for the project was initiated during the PML-N government, but it was the incumbent government that had awarded the contract. "The responsibility of awarding the contract for the project lies with the PTI government," he added.

He said there was a "direct conflict of interest" in awarding the dam contract to the company allegedly owned by Abdul Razak Dawood, who is an adviser to the prime minister.

Shahbaz claimed that the PML-N government had eliminated loadshedding from the country by launching a number of projects on a war-footing basis

"If the country is facing loadshedding again then it is due to the negligence and incapability of the present PTI government."

He said the current government was generating electricity through furnace oil which is the most expensive fuel and LNG-based power plants were presently not functioning to full capacity.

Opposition hatching conspiracy against dams: Vawda

As Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda stood up to respond to Shahbaz's criticism, the opposition refused to listen to him and staged a walkout.

Meanwhile, Speaker Asad Qaiser ordered a headcount after PPP lawmaker Shagufta Jumani pointed out the quorum. The opposition bid to disrupt proceedings by pointing out the quorum failed, however, with the speaker declaring the house in order after the headcount.

Vawda in his remarks criticised the opposition for staging a walkout after delivering speeches and presenting "wrong facts before the house".

Defending the government's award of the Mohmand dam contract to the Descon-led consortium, he said the project had been in files for 54 years and the PTI government had pulled it from there.

"The opposition is hatching a conspiracy against dams as they want to do politics on this issue," he alleged.

Vawda said the Mohmand dam will be completed under Imran Khan's government.

He said it was wrong to say that the contract had been awarded on a single-bid basis as five companies had submitted bids for the project after issuance of advertisements.

"The opposition leader has wrongly interpreted the Pepra rules," he claimed.

The minister said the government will not offer any NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance-like deal) to the opposition leaders.

"Their politics have been buried [...] they will either go to jail or in exile."

The NA was session was adjourned until 11am on Tuesday.


Shahbaz to 'think about military court extension' if approached by PTI

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PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif on Monday spoke in military courts' favour and hinted that his party could consider supporting an extension, if approached by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government.

Earlier this month, the law ministry informed a National Assembly standing committee that the summary for a second extension in military courts has been forwarded to the federal cabinet for approval.

In December, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had unequivocally said that his party would not support another extension to the military courts, whose current two-year term is set to expire in March.

While the PPP chairman, who had his reservations the last time as well, is unlikely to support the extension, his PML-N counterpart does not appear to oppose the idea.

"If the current government contacts us over the extension of military courts, we will think about it," Sharif told media representatives at Parliament House today.

The PML-N leader recalled that the military courts were formed during his sibling Nawaz Sharif's premiership, adding that "terrorism was eradicated due to the establishment of the military courts, Zarb-i-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad".

The leader of the opposition in the National Assembly credited the fear created from the military courts as a major factor in the war against terrorism.

Sharif's remarks are in line with those of his fellow PML-N leader Miftah Ismael, who recently said that his party will support the government in extension of tenure of military courts only if the PTI satisfies them in parliament on the issue.

“The military courts issue will be discussed in parliament. And if the government satisfied the PML-N lawmakers on the reasons behind extending term of the special courts, they will support the cause,” the former adviser on finance told the media on Sunday.

In March 2017, military courts were revived for the next two years after then president Mamnoon Hussain had ratified a NA bill on the matter.

The extension, however, had come after more than two months of deliberations and a tug of war between government and opposition parties over the technicalities of military courts' functioning.

The PML-N government at the time had argued that the revival of military courts was imperative keeping in view the "recent spate of terrorism in the country".

PTI backtracks on promise not to spend funds through MPAs

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RAWALPINDI: Backtracking from its previous claim of not utilising development funds through lawmakers, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Punjab government is all set to allocate Rs100 million to each of its MPAs.

In this regard, the government has already collected development proposals from the ruling party MPAs.

In the past, the PTI criticised the PML-N for utilising development funds through its parliamentarians. But after coming to power in Punjab, the party sought development proposals from its members of the provincial assembly.

A senior leader of the party told Dawn that the MPAs submitted their development proposals to the government last month but due to the financial crisis the funds were yet to be released.

“PTI’s parliamentary meeting is scheduled to be held in Lahore on Monday to discuss issues pertaining to the ruling party members in their respective districts. The MPAs will ask the provincial government to start development works.”

Punjab govt collects proposals from ruling party lawmakers to carry out development works worth Rs100m each

He said the ruling party members had also decided to raise the issue of bureaucracy as senior officials of the district administrations were not cooperating with them to resolve problems of the citizens.

He said the MPAs also wanted to launch new projects in their areas, especially in those union councils which were neglected during the tenure of the PML-N government.

He said the party also wanted to change the local government system in the province as at present the PML-N has a majority in all the municipal corporations and district councils. Any changes to the local government law could only be made through the provincial assembly but the PTI does not have the required majority in the house.

In this situation, he added, the provincial government had allocated Rs100 million for each ruling party MPA and asked them to submit their development proposals.

“We have submitted the development proposals to the Punjab government which would release the funds soon,” Chaudhry Adnan, PTI MPA from Rawalpindi city, told Dawn.

He said there was a dire need to launch new projects in many areas as the previous government remained busy in executing projects to make commissions.

“The shortage of water and other issues were ignored in the past and being elected representatives of the people it is our duty to inform the government about it,” he said.

The MPA said the PTI lawmakers had presented their proposals to the government which would spend funds on the sectors as pointed out by the MPAs.

When contacted, MPA Umer Tanveer of the PTI said the development funds would be spent by the government and the role of the ruling party MPAs was only to identify problems of the residents.

“The provincial government allocated Rs100 million for each constituency and in this regard we will give a presentation in the parliamentary meeting on Jan 14,” he said.

The government would also resolve problems of the citizens in the cantonment areas as the proposals included water supply schemes.

On the other hand, a senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the previous PML-N government in Punjab made a political move before the general elections by preparing the development plan in 2018 and launching many projects.

“More than 50pc work on the projects had been completed on these development schemes worth over Rs3 billion and the provincial government would not take the risk of stopping work on them. These projects have to be completed before launching new schemes.”

The official said the government was facing problems to start new schemes before completing the ongoing ones.

“It is the basic reason behind the delay in the release of funds for the new projects. But the MPAs are hopeful to arrange funds for development schemes in their areas,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2019

Islamabad district magistrate bans advertisement of housing schemes

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The district magistrate of Islamabad on Monday placed a ban on any form of advertisement of housing schemes and societies.

In a notification issued by the capital administration, it was said that the ban was imposed as the creators of these housing schemes use advertising as a means to con money out of citizens.

“Such societies, trusts, companies invite membership either in excess of the land available to them or without having any land at all,” the order read.

According to the order, such practices result in “exploitation, fraud, forgery, disputes, offences, law and order problems and massive litigation in courts.”

The order, which is to be immediately enforced, shall remain in place for a period of two months.

Opposition set to give tough time to ruling coalition in NA

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ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly is set to go into its seventh session on Monday (today) with Speaker Asad Qaiser still struggling with the formation of the house committees as the opposition parties flexing its muscles to give a tough time to the ruling coalition on a number of issues, including the ongoing energy crisis, alleged one-sided accountability process, the government’s move to present another mini-budget and the recent increase in the prices of medicines.

The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is also planning a strong protest on the floor of the assembly, if the speaker does not issue the production order for former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafique, who has been in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) along with his brother Salman Rafique in connection with an inquiry into a housing society scam.

Sources in the National Assembly Secretariat told Dawn that the speaker had already issued the production order for Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif while the process of the issuance of the production order for Mr Rafique was under way.

Seventh session of National Assembly begins today

Mr Sharif has been attending the NA sessions and meetings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the speaker’s production orders since his arrest by NAB on Oct 6 last year in the Ashiyana housing scam.

Mr Rafique had been arrested by NAB on Dec 11 last year at a time when the assembly was already in session. The opposition parties had lodged a strong protest and even boycotted most of the sittings before the speaker issued production order only a day before prorogation of the house on Dec 21.

The speaker has already summoned a meeting of the House Business Advisory Committee comprising representatives of all the parties present in the assembly before start of the session in which he is expected to take up the issue of the formation of the committees, besides discussing the agenda for the upcoming session which is expected to continue for more than two weeks as the government intends to present a mini-budget on Jan 23.

Finance Minister Asad Umar, while speaking to the members of the business community during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Saturday, had announced that the government would present a mini-budget on Jan 23 and dispelled the impression that it would be loaded with new taxes.

Mr Umar had admitted that last year had been difficult not only for the government but also for the business community as during the five months (July-November) of the current financial year, only $818 million came under Foreign Direct Investment against $1.35 billion in the same period last financial year.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the PML-N are questioning the government’s move to present second mini-budget in less than six months.

Strongly opposing the plan, PPP’s vice president Senator Sherry Rehman had asked if the government, which was determined to bring about a revolution, would introduce mini-budgets every four months. She alleged that the mini-budget was being unveiled to meet the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund.

She regretted that just a day after an increase in the prices of drugs, the government announced its plans about unveiling a mini-budget.

Similarly, the PML-N leaders, including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, had also questioned the government’s move to present another mini-budget. Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, the PML-N leaders had lashed out at the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government for its “directionless and failed” economic policies, which had drastically brought down the country’s growth rate in just five months.

House committees

Despite succeeding in breaking the deadlock between the government and the opposition over the issue of the PAC chairmanship last month, Speaker Asad Qaiser is still struggling to complete the process of the formation of house committees.

The delay in the formation of over three dozen committees has badly affected the legislative work of parliament, and the National Assembly which came into existence in August after the general elections held in July is functioning with only two committees, including the PAC.

Sources said that an understanding between the government and the opposition had already been reached on the distribution of the chairmanship of 38 standing committees. Under the agreed formula, the chairmanship of 18 committees would go to the opposition while the remaining 20 committees would be headed by the PTI and its allies.

However, they said, the two sides were yet to discuss the committees to be distributed among the treasury and the opposition members. The opposition parties, the sources said, wanted to head the important committees like interior, foreign affairs, power and finance.

The speaker had met Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan and the opposition leaders in the last two days and after his meeting with the government and the opposition representatives, he expressed the hope that he would constitute the committees during the session.

Meanwhile, the NA Secretariat on Sunday issued a nine-point agenda for the Monday’s sitting which includes presentation of a report by the government on “I-Voting Pilot test in 35 constituencies held on October 14 last year, as required under Section 94 of the Elections Act, 2017”.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2019

SC lambasts 'insensitive' government for failure on water conservation, taxation

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The Supreme Court on Monday expressed disappointment with the central and provincial governments over their failure to devise a mechanism for the conservation and purification of underground water and impose tax on its extraction, in line with a previous decision of the apex court.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nasir, was hearing a case pertaining to conservation, purification and taxation on extraction of underground water by bottled water companies.

Last week, the apex court had imposed a levy on companies selling mineral water and beverages at a rate of Re1 for every litre of surface water extracted by them. The revenue so collected will go to the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams fund. Authored by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, the judgement also required the provincial governments as well as the Islamabad Capital Territory administration to set up separate and distinct accounts to receive the amounts collected under the water charges. The amounts will then be deposited in the SC-created dams fund.

The judgement was issued on a suo motu case pertaining to selling by the companies of water extracted from underground sources without any charge as well as the quality and fitness of the same for human consumption.

The apex court had also constituted a special committee to devise a mechanism for calculation, collection and monitoring of the recovery of water charges from all major industries consuming surface or groundwater. The court had directed the federal and provincial governments to ensure installation of a foolproof and state-of-the-art metering mechanism at every extraction unit. The extraction will be monitored closely by the respective EPA on a daily basis, the verdict said.

On Monday, the chief justice remarked that water has become more "precious than gold [but] if we passed remarks [over the situation] then headlines would state that [the judiciary] has raised questions on the credibility of the government".

Dr Abdul Rahim, the secretary of the Law and Justice Commission — established for the systematic development and reform of laws — informed the top judge that neither its recommendations on the issue were heeded upon, nor an awareness campaign was launched.

The representative of the Punjab government, Owais Ahmed, informed the bench that the provincial government had approved 31 recommendations out of 38. He said that the government has formed a task force on water reservoirs, purification and taxation to deal with the issue.

Chief Justice Nisar reprimanded the representative, saying that the Supreme Court-mandated Water Commission did a lot of work, "the government[s] are provided with everything but they don't want to do anything."

"The Punjab government lacks both the will and the capability," the chief justice remarked.

"It seems that you people have decided to kill people of thirst [while] bureaucratic tapes appear in each and every matter. It seems that all the papers will be left in the record room of the court."

"[We have] said time and again to take measures on a war-footing basis [to resolve the issue]," he added.

The law and justice commission secretary pleaded the court to issue an order in this regard, to which Justice Nisar replied: "The court will continue to issue orders but the government has become insensitive. People's lives are associated with water. If the government does nothing, it will be criminal negligence."

Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that the price of water being used by sectors other than bottled water should also be fixed.

The bench observed that the Punjab government had devised a good plan as per the apex court's directions but only on paper. "No political will is seen," Justice Ahsan remarked.

The apex court declared that the reply submitted by the Punjab government was an attempt to eyewash the judiciary and ordered the federal and provincial governments to submit a fresh response within 15 days.

Meanwhile, the commission's secretary said that the ICT administration also lacks a mechanism. He informed the court that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) charges a Rs100 water fee from each and every household, no matter how big or small it is.

The top judge expressed his displeasure over the situation and reprimanded the authority.

During an earlier hearing, the apex court had noted that the government of Sindh had set prices for the use of groundwater. "Balochistan too has set prices for mineral water and soft drinks," a representative from the Balochistan government had informed the court.

Saudi governor holds meetings with Pakistan's civil, military leadership

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The governor of Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Fahad Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud visited Pakistan on Monday to meet the civil and military leadership and discuss matters related to mutual interest including the regional security situation, Radio Pakistan reported.

During meeting with President Dr Arif Alvi, Fahad Bin Sultan said strong brotherly relations exist between the two countries because of the close people-to-people contact and the services and role of the Pakistani community in the progress and development of Saudi Arabia.

Alvi responded by saying that Pakistan greatly values its “close fraternal and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and wished to further enhance these relations in all fields”.

The president emphasised that recent leadership level interactions will further cement the relations between the two countries and expressed satisfaction over the accelerating trade and investment ties.

Later, the Saudi governor met Prime Minister Imran Khan and discussed bilateral relations. Defense Minister Pervez Khattak and the foreign secretary were also present on the occasion.

Earlier in the day, Fahad Bin Sultan had called on Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ, read a statement issued by the military's media wing.

BAP general secretary elected Senator from Balochistan

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Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) General Secretary Manzoor Khan Kakar has been elected as Senator from Balochistan following the by-election on the general seat on Monday, DawnNewsTV reported.

The seat had fallen vacant after PkMAP Senator Azam Khan Musakhail passed away last month due to a heart attack.

According to the provisional results of the poll obtained by DawnNewsTV, Kakar — candidate fielded by the ruling alliance — secured 38 votes while his opponent Ghulam Nabi Marri of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) bagged 23 votes. Whereas, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s (PkMAP)candidate Muhammad Haneef got only one vote.

In the provincial house of 65 members, a total of 62 votes were cast during the Senate by-election. Former chief minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri and PTI's provincial president Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind did not cast their vote.

The ruling coalition comprises the BAP, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A), Hazara Democratic Party (HDP), ANP and Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP).


Policemen in whose presence Karachi man was killed released

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The police on Monday set free their four colleagues who were found to be “negligent” a day earlier when a man shot another man dead in their presence in Karachi's New Town locality.

Sohail Mughal, who had filed a petition in court for the recovery of his estranged wife and three daughters, had on Sunday allegedly gunned down 37-year-old Munawar Ali, with whom his wife and the children were living in flat in New Town. He had opened the fire in the presence of police personnel, who had escorted him to the victim's residence.

But police authorities said there was no legal cover to book the law enforcement personnel under criminal negligence charges as the new police act put in place a few years ago did not carry any such provision.

“We don’t have any penal section in PPC (Pakistan Penal Code) or Sindh Police Act wherein we could charge police officers for acts of criminal negligence,” revealed DIG East Amir Farooqi.

The senior officer pointed out that previously “we had section 155 in Police Order 2002 to place criminal liability in instances of criminal negligence by police officers”, but it was no longer applicable.

All detained police officers of Darakshan police who escorted the suspect on Sunday were thus released.

However, the DIG Farooqi said they have written to the DIG South to "initiate departmental action against the delinquent police officers who brought accused Sohail Mughal in a police mobile bearing a gun".

On Sunday, a police party had gone to the residence of Munawar Ali along with petitioner Sohail Mughal to arrest Ali on a court order to present Mughal's wife and his three daughters in court on the next hearing of the case.

However, before the police could arrest him, Mughal, who had hidden a 9mm pistol concealed in his shalwar, took out the gun and opened fire on Ali.

He fired four shots as a result of which Ali sustained two bullet wounds and was taken by the additional SHO Darakhshan to the Liaquat National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police arrested Mughal with the pistol and collected spent bullet casings from the crime scene.

On Monday, a case was registered against the suspect under Section 302 (murder) of the PPC on behalf of SHO New Town Mohammed Zubair.

The DIG East explained that the case was registered on behalf of the state as the victim’s family was insisting to nominate the police party which brought Mughal to the victim's residence.

An initial inquiry revealed that the officers could be guilty of ‘negligence’ but they had no involvement in Ali's murder.

The suspect in his initial statement before the police stated that he killed Ali as the deceased had allegedly "misguided" his family against him and also "occupied" his property.

According to DIG Farooqi, a daughter of the suspect is a doctor and the family had been separated "legally" from the father three years ago.

Police said it was still being probed as to what relation the deceased had with the family. The victim was involved in the construction business and also owned a car showroom.

Police sources said the deceased was being "supported" by an official of a civilian federal agency.

Mughal, on the other hand, was stated to be a retired officer of a civilian federal intelligence agency.

Poliovirus detected from sewage in eight cities

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The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Monday announced that Poliovirus was detected from the sewage of eight cities across the country during the environmental surveillance carried out by the polio eradication programme during last month.

According to the results shared by National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), the presence of poliovirus was confirmed in sewage samples collected from Karachi, Peshawar, Bannu, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Killa Abdullah, Pishin and Quetta during December 2018.

Under the supervision of the relevant provincial health departments, samples of sewage water are collected on a monthly basis from 58 sampling sites across Pakistan. They are tested by the regional reference laboratory for polio housed at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad.

As per the statement issued by the health ministry, in consideration of the associated risks, the country's polio programme has urged parents to ensure the immunisation of all children under the age of five in the upcoming polio campaign, which is scheduled to start from January 21.

National Coordinator Emergency Operation Centre for Polio Dr Rana Safdar said that while case counts were declining, as long as the virus was present anywhere in the country, the threat of the virus for vulnerable children remained.

"To finally eradicate the virus, vaccinating all children against all preventable diseases including polio is imperative both in routine as well as in special door to door campaigns," Dr Safdar added.

While acknowledging the progress that had already been made, the recently concluded Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Polio urged the programme to focus on children who missed the vaccination, for any reason and to ensure that the virus didn't survive any longer.

The group met on January 11-12 in Islamabad to assess the programme progress, opportunities and the remaining challenges towards achieving the goal of stopping transmission of the poliovirus.

Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Eradication Babar bin Atta said the "misconception of a caregiver led to paralysis of another child in Bajaur agency, who had every right to live healthy and productive life. It is a reminder to everyone that no excuse can save your child from paralysis, especially if the child is not repeatedly vaccinated."

He added that it was more cumbersome when paralysis is life long and irreversible.

SC disposes of Army Public School carnage case

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The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of the 2014 Army Public School (APS) carnage case after being briefed on the progress made by a judicial commission probing the matter.

In the deadliest terror attack in the country’s history, 131 schoolchildren and 10 other people were killed when heavily armed militants stormed the APS on Dec 16, 2014.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken a suo motu notice of the APS case in April when parents of some martyred students, including mothers, approached him while he was hearing other cases in Peshawar.

The parents had complained that a few weeks before the attack, the authorities had been alerted by the National Counter Terrorism Authority to the possibility of an attack on an army-run institution, but no measures had been taken to prevent the attack.

The parents pointed out that they had been demanding justice for the last three years and had been calling for the appointment of a judicial commission to look into the incident, but to no avail.

Read: Remembering lives lost in the Peshawar school attack

“We cannot bring back the near and dear ones who lost their lives but at least we can lessen the agony and grief of the victim families to some extent,” Chief Justice Nisar had remarked during a hearing in October, ordering the formation of a commission with instructions to file a report after a thorough inquiry lasting six weeks.

At the outset of the hearing today, the chief justice recalled that the court had formed a commission, and enquired if it has submitted its report.

Advocate general Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told Justice Nisar that 147 testimonies have been recorded but another 109 are still pending.

"Until these testimonies are not complete, we cannot furnish the report," said the provincial advocate general.

"All right then, we will dispose of this case," remarked the chief justice. "Submit the report in court when it's complete."

Dog fighting becomes costly hobby in Potohar

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GUJAR KHAN: Despite a ban, dog fighting remains one of the most popular activities in the Potohar region and an open secret.

Affluent families from Kharian, Bewal, Jabbar, Mirpur and Dhadial spend large sums of money on bull terrier breeding.

A puppy from a bull terrier who has won fights is sold for between Rs50,000 and Rs200,000, according to Chaudhry Khadim, who had come all the way from Mirpur to watch the much-awaited dog fight in Gujar Khan on Sunday.

A buffalo is set aside exclusively for providing milk to the bull terrier, who is also fed pure desi ghee during training.

Bashir Mughal, who hails from Daultala and is famous for breeding bull terriers, told Dawn that one puppy is assigned three trainers. A dog’s routine involves a 10-km jog twice a day to improve its stamina.

Another breeder, Mohammad Zakir, said his dog had recently won a fight and that he has been offered Rs1 million for it but he has refused to sell the dog.

“I bought him in Quetta and love him like family,” he said.

The Sunday fight near Gujar Khan was attended by thousands of people from Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and even people from outside the country.

The dogs were driven to the venue in cars and were given VIP treatment.

Some of the better known fighter dogs include Bubloo, Moon, Heera, Moti, Doggar, Koka, Shankar, Kaala and Jockey.

Mohammad Bashir, who attends dog fights regularly, told Dawn that some dog owners either rub bitter tasting ointments on their dogs so other dogs would not hold their bite for long, oil so they cannot get a grip and sometimes even poison to kill rival dogs.

That is why two referees are tasked with properly washing the dogs before they are allowed to fight, he said.

Dog fighting has been prohibited by the district administration and the police.

The hosts of these events organise them in secret, deep inside forests and other remote locations. Those attending the event are never given an exact location and are given the address to a neighbouring location.

The matches continue from morning till sunset and are filmed so they can be uploaded on social media, where they are avidly followed.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2019

Opposition elated at production order power for speaker

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LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly session on Monday saw the treasury and the opposition developing consensus on multiple legislative work.

Both the treasury and the opposition unanimously adopted amendment to the rules of procedure of the Punjab Assembly house empowering the speaker to issue production order of an MPA detained by the law enforcement agencies.

The house also adopted the Punjab Right to Public Services Bill of 2018, while two other bills - the Punjab Domestic Workers Bill of 2018 and the Punjab Prevention of Conflict of Interest Bill of 2018- were postponed by the speaker until January 21 on the request of the opposition.

Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz led the opposition, which of late has turned hostile towards the speaker for expelling their six members for hooliganism in the house. On Monday, they praised Speaker Pervaiz Elahi for listening to their concerns on the two deferred bills and for amending the rules to bring PML-N MPA Khawaja Salman Rafique (who is in the National Accountability Bureau’s custody in Paragon City scam) to the house.

Mr Elahi, however, asked Mr Shahbaz to also thank Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for these developments.

Mr Shahbaz said: “We are political workers and always appreciated the good work.” He said the rule of issuing production order for a detained MPA was functional in the other three provincial assemblies and now the Punjab Assembly also joined them. He requested the speaker to issue the production order of Mr Rafique.

Following the opposition’s serious concerns over the Punjab Domestic Workers Bill of 2018, the chair said there were chances of misuse of the bill if adopted without addressing certain matters.

“I suggest the treasury engage the opposition, experts and the general public before finalising the draft to be tabled in the assembly next Monday,” the speaker said.

PML-N’s MPAs Malik Ahmad, Khalil Tahir Sandhu, Azma Bokhari, Waris Kalu, Dr Mazhar Iqbal and Bilal Atta Tarar raised objections to the domestic workers bill, saying that everybody wanted the protection of the rights of the domestic workers but at the same time did not want exploitation of the new law to be used against employers.

Although Law Minister Basharat Raja argued that the bill addressed the objections of the opposition, the speaker insisted that the house should not adopt such law in a haste as it might spoil the reputation of someone if anything went wrong.

“We should welcome opposition’s suggestions as these will be fruitful for the new legislation,” the speaker said.

Former Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal took strong exception to the comments of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Mian Aslam Iqbal that he (Rana Iqbal) would run the house on the instruction of his boss Shahbaz Sharif and never accommodated the opposition in the past. Malik Ahmad asked the chair to expunge Aslam Iqbal’s comments. Earlier, the speaker expunged Azma Bokhari’s remarks calling Imran Khan “selected prime minister”.

PPP Parliamentary Leader Hasan Murtaza staged walkout for not taking the opposition on board in the Punjab Right to Public Services Bill of 2018. PTI’s Chaudhry Zaheeruddin persuaded him to end the boycott and return to the House.

Chief Minister Buzdar joined the house only for a few minutes.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2019

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