Day: July 31, 2022

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Govt cuts petrol price by Rs3.05 per litre, hikes diesel by Rs8.95

ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Sunday announced slashing the petrol price by Rs3.05 per litre in order to provide relief to the general public. However, the diesel price increased by Rs8.95.

Miftah made an announcement on Twitter, he wrote that the new prices will be effective from midnight tonight. Following the changes in the prices, petrol will now be sold at Rs227.19 per litre. Previously, petrol was being sold in the country for Rs230.34 per litre.

Meanwhile, there has been an increase of Rs8.95 in the price of high-speed diesel, after which the new price will be Rs244.95 per litre. On the other hand, kerosene oil, which was previously available for Rs196.45 per litre, will now be sold for Rs201.07 per litre following an increase of Rs4.62.

Light diesel oil registered a slight decrease of Rs0.12, after which it will be sold for Rs191.32 per litre as against the previous rate of Rs191.44 per litre. The government had decided to revise the existing prices of petroleum products to pass on the impact of fluctuations in petroleum prices in the international market and exchange rate variation, according to a press release he shared from the Finance Division.

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Maryam seeks withdrawal of fixed ST on power bills

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on Sunday urged the withdrawal of fixed sales tax on commercial power bills.

Tagging Finance Minister Miftah Ismael in a tweet, she wrote that the trader community was perturbed and complaining about heavy tax imposed on their power bills. She hoped that Finance Minister Miftah Ismael would find a solution to the problem.

In another tweet, she penned that “Just spoke to Miftah Ismail, he assured me that he will sit with the traders tomorrow and find a solution to their complete satisfaction.”

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ABPSCA chalks out comprehensive relief aid program

QUETTA: Muhammad Nawaz Pandrani, General Secretary, All Balochistan Progressive Schools and Colleges Association, has said that ABPSCA has chalked out a comprehensive relief program for extending assistance to the flood affected people of the province.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, he said that relief goods would be collected from all private educational institutions of the province, so that the same could further be distributed amongst the flood affected families of the province. He added that besides cash money, medicines, household utensils, clothes, tents, blankets, flour, rice, pulses and other essential commodities would be collected from the educational institutions of the province for further distribution amongst flood affected families of the province.

He said a committee with Hafiz Muhammad Yahya as Relief Secretary had also been formed to monitor the collection of relief goods from educational institutions and its further distribution amongst the flood affected families across the province.

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Four children drown near Shikarpur

SHIKARPUR: Four children, including two siblings, died in two separate drowning incidents near Shikarpur on Sunday.

According to police, two siblings, including Qazbano aged seven and her brother Abdul Wahab aged four, the daughter and son of Abdul Hameed Chandio respectively, fell in a canal near their village Muhammad Azeem Chandio within the jurisdiction of Hamayoon police station and died on the spot.

Similarly, two minor girls Kanwal, aged seven, daughter of Aiwaz Khoso, and Zarina, aged eight, daughter of Imdad Ali Khoso, drowned when they were getting bath in a pond at village Muhammad Umar Khoso within the jurisdiction of Mian Sahib police station. The relatives shifted them to the Government Hospital for treatment, where they breathed their last.

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Miftah announces tax relief for shop-owners

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Sunday announced tax relief for shop-owners who consume less than 150 units per month.

Addressing a press conference, Miftah said that the government was seeking annual tax of Rs36,000 from small shop-owners and stressed that everyone will have to pay taxes. Finance minister also said that the Pakistani rupee, which is rapidly depreciating against the US dollar in recent weeks, should see some improvement in the two to three weeks.

He stated that this month and the previous month, the government had to make payments worth billions which had caused the local currency to come under pressure. The minister said that he would try to ensure that the dollars coming into the country on a daily basis would be more than those leaving.

Miftah highlighted that the country witnessed import reduction of $2.7 billion between June and July. He said that for now the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had given approval to lift the ban on imports “We are removing the ban on most items, except for vehicles, mobile phones and home appliances.”

“We plan to give Pakistan a healthy economy. We are determined to minimize the current account deficit and turn it into surplus within a year or so.” The minster said that the government had succeeded in curbing imports and would make efforts to increase exports over the next two to three months.

Miftah Ismail held former PTI government responsible for the country’s economic problems and said that the coalition government was not capable of bringing the country to the brink in a mere three months. “The ones who brought the country to this point was the PTI and Imran Khan.”

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Murad approves setting up of two new seawater desalination plants

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah keeping in view the water requirement of the city has decided to install two new Seawater Desalination plants, each one of 5 MGD, and to acquire a seawater desalination plant abandoned at KANUPP. “This will help to provide drinking water to the people living in old areas of the city to the DHA.”

This he said on Sunday while presiding over a meeting to review the status of some important projects of the city here at the Cm House. The meeting was attended by Minister Information Sharjeel Memon, Minister Local Govt Nasir Shah, Administrator KMC Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P and D Hassan Naqvi, Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon, Secretary LG Najam Shah and Special Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh and other concerned officers.

5 MGD Seawater Desalination Project: The meeting was told that Karachi was the city of 20 million souls and its water requirement stood at 12,00 MGD against which 655 MGD was being provided showing a shortfall of 535 MD.

Minister Local Govt Nasir Shah said that KWSB has prepared a scheme to set up a Seawater Desalination Plant (SWDSP) of five MGD capacity to supply water to the users in district South. Three locations for installation of desalination plants- Ibrahim Hyderi, Ayesha Masjid DHA-VII and Seaview at village restaurant were proposed. The CM approved Ibrahim Hyderi at Korangi Creek which is one and half kilometers away from Dhari Island.

The intake from this location would supply water to the Ghazi Pumping Station via Coast Guard Chowrangi where another pumping facility is available as a backup in case of a failure or other emergent circumstances at Ghazi Pumping Station.

The chief minister directed the local government department to install another 5 MGD desalination plant near Lyari so that Lyari could be provided water from there. He also directed the local government minister to talk to a private firm which had installed a 1.2 MGD desalination plant to provide water to KANUPP. The KANUPP has installed its own plant therefore that plant was abandoned and could be used to provide water to the city.

Minister local said that he had held a meeting with the concerned private firm and they were ready to enhance SWDSP’s capacity. At this the CM directed him to do it at the earliest.

Korangi Causeway bridge: The chief minister approved a one- km bridge on Korangi Causeway Bridge and 1 km approaching from while going from the DHA and 200 km after the causeway.

Mr Shah set the timeline of the bridge and directed the local government department to complete detailed design by August 31, 2022, bidders post qualification (international tender) by September 30, bid evaluation and award of work by October 31, and start of the construction by November 1, 2022.

It may be noted that earlier, the bridge was proposed to be constructed under PPP mode but now it would be an ADP scheme of Rs5 billion.

65 MGD project: The CM was told that the additional 65 MGD water would be brought through Haleji Lake to Pipri via an integrated system of Canal, Conduit, Pipeline, Pumping Station and other necessary ancillary works. Minister Local govt Nasir Shah said that presently this balance 65 MGD water would be drawn through Kalri Gujjo Canal and transmitted by gravity to the proposed Gharo Pumping Station from where water would be pumped to High point of Forebay of KWSB where new Forebay Chamber would be constructed and from Forebay water would be gravitated to Pipri filter Plant. The works proposed to be taken (General works) include four packages.

Package-1: Construction of RCC lined Canal and RCC Conduits from Haleji Lake to Gharo Pumping station, including construction of intake structure at Haleji Lake and Keenjhar Gujjo Canal.

Package-2: Construction of new 65 MGD Pumping Station, including Mechanical and Electrical works at Gharo.

Package-3: Laying of 72-inch dia MS Rising Main from new proposed Pumping Station at Gharo to Forebay, including construction of new Forebay Chamber at high point.

Package-4: Laying of RCC Conduit Gravity Main from Forebay Chamber to Pipri Filter Plant.

The chief minister directed the local govt department to restart the work on the packages one to three so th

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3300 police officers and personnel will provide tight security to the 179 mourning processions

LARKANA: As many as 3300 police officers and personnel will provide tight security to the 179 mourning processions and 181 Majalis to be held across Larkana district during Muharramul Haram.

This was stated in the contingency plan issued by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Larkana here on Sunday. Rangers will also be deployed to ensure foolproof security to the mourners while anti-terrorist squad and reserve platoon will standby at police headquarters to face any untoward incident, the plan added.

According to the plan, wall chalking, provocative speeches and display of weapons have been strictly banned and sweeping clearance of all the routes and Imambargahs will be made through district intelligence and special branches.

All police officers will share advanced intelligence collection with the control rooms and law enforcement agencies. Volunteers of various organizations have also been provided training who will also perform security duties alongside police.

Physical search of all the participants of Majalis, mourning processions and Imambargahs will be carried out. Police patrol will be increased, police pickets will be established, search and combing operations will be carried out to nab suspects. The contingency plan further said that CCTV cameras, video recordings, bomb disposal squads, traffic arrangements have also been finalized.

SSP Sarfraz Nawaz Shaikh directed all the DSPs and SHOs to ensure coordination with the district administration to maintain peace and tranquility during the month of Muharram-ul-Haram as no negligence will be tolerated at all, SSP further warned his subordinate officers. Joint control room will also be established with the coordination of district administration to monitor the entire situation, SSP concluded.