Day: June 3, 2022

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail on Friday said the upcoming budget 2022-23 will focus on the better livelihood of the poor people and small traders as the government will present a pro people and business friendly budget.

Talking to PTV, he said the government is taking measures to find out pathways for the poor people to get them out of extreme poverty. The Finance Minister criticized that PTI-led government is responsible for current loadshedding and inflation in the country as they did not pay attention to real issues of the people. Miftah Ismail said the government is taking all important steps to protect the common man from the impact of inflation.

ISLAMABAD: First Hajj flight will depart from Islamabad on Monday. This was announced by the spokesperson of Ministry of Religious Affairs on Friday.

According to the Hajj flights schedule, 32,000 pilgrims will be flown to Saudi Arabia via 106 Hajj flights. The spokesperson said 42 flights will be operated from Islamabad under Road to Makkah project. Hajj pilgrims are also being informed about the flights through the website and SMS on their mobile number.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been directed to involve external examiners in paper setting to ensure transparency in the overall assessment process.

Responding to a question during “Question Hour”, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain said that he has asked the HEC to involve a third-party for paper setting to avoid any kind of discrimination and harassment in universities.

Replying to another question, he said Readers Club, run by the National Book Foundation, has been closed as some booksellers were misusing this facility. He said now any citizen can buy books from the National Book Foundation on 50 percent discount.

Answering a question, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Javed Abbasi said that an e-commerce and online transaction project is being initiated to enhance international competitiveness of the Pakistan Post. The Senate was informed that seven more educational institutions are near completion in the Federal Capital and these will be functional from August this year.

In a written reply, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training said that after the completion, these educational institutions will accommodate 7480 students. It was told that a total of seventeen public sector universities are imparting higher education in Islamabad Capital Territory in which around six lac students are studying.

It was further informed that the Federal Directorate of Education has 424 educational institutions from Primary to Degree level and over 225,000 students are currently studying in these schools and colleges. Minister of State for Finance, Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha said that the government is providing targeted subsidies to 14 million households to protect them from adverse impact of inflation as a result of recent price hike in petroleum the products.

Responding to an Adjournment Motion moved by the opposition regarding hike in petroleum prices, she said anyone, earning less than 40,000 rupees per month can call 786 to avail the subsidy on petroleum and edible items. She said around 14 million families are receiving 2,000 rupees as subsidy for buying petroleum products. The Minister of State said the government took tough decisions due to economic mismanagement of the previous government.

She said it is the previous government, which trapped the country into an IMF Programme. She said the last government of the PTI had agreed to raise petroleum prices by four rupees a litre per month as well as the electricity rates. But, it backtracked its commitment, which resulted in suspension of the program.

Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha said we have not imposed any tax on petroleum products and only passed on the cost of buying. The Minister of State urged the opposition to come up with their suggestions for the cause of Pakistan’s economy and security instead of playing politics on this matter.

Earlier, taking the floor, Kamil Ali Agha said the government has increased difficulties of the masses by increasing petrol prices. Shaukat Tarin said the government should resist IMF’s harsh conditions to revive the programme. Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said that in view of the difficult economic situation, no government functionary, judge or general should use free petrol. The House will now meet on Monday at 4:00 p.m.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Defence met on Friday and was given a comprehensive briefing about the causes behind the India’s missile firing on March 9 last and the circumstances that followed.

The members of the committee expressed concern over India’s incompetence and bad intention, adding that the failure of the Indian military system could have caused a major tragedy. “This could have resulted in a very serious accident with a civilian plane or other consequences,” said the committee members, condemning the double standards of the international community, especially the western patrons of India.

They also condemned the silence of the international community on this act of India against Pakistan, commending the readiness and preparedness of the Pakistan Armed Forces to protect the motherland from any aggression. “The armed forces had fully responded to the Indian aggression in Balakot in February 2019,” members of the committee said.

The standing committee on defence was also briefed about the strategic importance of modern Chinese J-10C aircrafts recently inducted into the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). “Pakistan is the first country to receive J-10C aircrafts from China,” the military officials told the committee which expressed their gratitude to China for its strategic cooperation and partnership with Pakistan.

“China always supports Pakistan in all fields. Induction of J-10C aircrafts into the PAF will thwart India’s designs in an effective way. Pakistan now has the capability of a strong, strategic deterrence,” it was said during the briefing. The committee was briefed by Lieutenant General Hilal Hussain, additional secretary defense, and other senior officials.

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday barred the government from arresting former interior minister Sheikh Rashid in connection with his participation in the PTI’s long march.

During the hearing of the petition filed by Rashid against the registration of cases against him, IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Justice Athar Minallah also ordered the secretary interior to present in the court details of the cases registered against the former interior minister.

Sheikh Rashid appeared in the court along with his lawyer. Speaking on the occasion, his lawyer told the court that after he obtained bails for his client in four cases, he came to know that he had been booked in yet another case.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday threw out the contempt of court petition filed against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and others, saying it was inadmissible for the hearing.

Kulsoom Khaliq, the petitioner, had sought initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the prime minister and others on the grounds that police had registered cases against the PTI workers and leaders on May 25, 2022, on the day of party’s long march on Islamabad, in violation of the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling. “Total 19 cases were registered against the members of my party on that day in the evening despite the fact that the apex court had ordered the police to release those already detained,” the petitioner said, adding that this was done in clear breach of the SC order.

IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Justice Athar Minallah inquired from the petitioner as to where in the court order it was written that no FIR would be registered against the PTI workers and leaders. The chief justice further asked Kulsoom whether she had also been arrested. “How can you be called an aggrieved person when you were not arrested?” he questioned.