Day: November 9, 2022

Citizens seek action against illegal charging for parking

KARACHI:: Residents of Burns Garden at Muhammad Bin Qasim Road has asked Administrator Karachi, Deputy Commissioner South, and Sindh Rangers against what they said illegal parking charge by Peoples Square management in the residential area.

In a letter written to Administrator Karachi, Deputy Commissioner South, Sindh Rangers, Municipal Commissioner KMC, Assistant Commissioner Arambagh and Administrator South, the residents stated that they had been living in the vicinity for the past many years and parking their vehicles in their jurisdiction.

“From 1st November 2022, the people belonging to Peoples Square started charging Rs 80 and Rs 30 for car and bike, respectively, for parking,” they added. The area people requested the authorities to look into the issue and get them rid of this problem.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister

 

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Hassan Shoukry on the sidelines of COP27 World Leaders Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh on 8 November, according to the ministry information on Wednesday.

Minister for Climate Change Ms. Sherry Rehman was also present in the meeting. The Foreign Minister congratulated the Egyptian Foreign Minister for excellent arrangements for the COP27. He invited FM Shoukry to visit Pakistan early next year to commence bilateral activities for celebrations of 75 years of friendly relations.

During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. They also discussed the way forward for enhanced bilateral engagement to further strengthen cooperation in political, trade, economic, cultural and commercial domains. Pakistan and Egypt have longstanding cooperative relations rooted in common faith, culture and values. The year 2022 marks the 75 years of Pakistan-Egypt.

Sindh to give Rs5000 subsidies on seed, fertilizer for Rabi crops

 

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his meeting with the World Bank Wednesday decided to provide Rs5000 per acre subsidy to the growers for seed and fertilizer for Rabi Crop.

The world bank has agreed to provide subsidies to the growers holding up to 25 acres of land and the chief minister said that the growers holding land over 25 acres would be provided subsidies at the same rate.

This was agreed upon in a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the World Bank 13-member delegation led by its Country Director Mr. Najy Benhassine here at CM House today. The CM was assisted by his cabinet members, Manzoor Wassan, Sharjeel Memon, Mukesh Chawla, Imtiaz Shaikh, Murtaza Wahab, Rasool Bux Chandio, Haris Gazdar, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P and D Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Finance Sajid Jamal abro and other concerned secretaries.

The World Bank delegation comprised Regional Director Guangzhe Chen, Sector Group Leader Abedalrazq Khalil, Practice Manager Shomik Raj Mehndiratta, Program Leader Teuta Kacaniku, Senior Energy Specialist Anjum Ahmad, Executive Assistant Waleed Anwar, Senior Transport Specialist Hasan Afzal Zaidi, Transport Specialist Muhammad Bilal Paracha, Disaster Risk Management Specialist Bilal Khalid, Senior Social Development Specialist Kamran Akbar, Lead Agriculture Specialist Mr. Olivier Durand, Senior Water Specialist Mr. Francois Onimus.

Subsidy on seed: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told the World Bank country chief that his government has decided to provide subsidies on seed and fertilizer to the growers across the board at a rate of Rs5000 per acre.

Mr. Shah said that the world bank has already agreed to provide subsidies to the growers of land holding up to 25 acres. The growers holding over 25 acres would be given subsidies by the provincial government. “We have incentivized the rabi crop, particularly of the wheat so that next year’s wheat requirement could be met,” he said.

Yellow Line RBT: The Chief Minister talking about the route of the Yellow Line said that the consultants have told him about the structure condition of the existing Jam Sadiq Bridge. He added that the consultants have recommended full-scale rehabilitation that would cost around $5.3 million.

Murad Shah said that the proposal for the construction of a new 4-lane, one-kilometer bridge, adjacent to the existing Jam Sadiq Bridge was being worked out. The tender documents have been forwarded to the World Bank for approval. Based on the World Bank Meeting and Project Steering Committee’s directives, the following steps were taken:

Mr. Shah said that a detailed field survey was carried out on all the off-corridor routes, and our team reviewed Road and Drainage conditions on off-corridor routes in comparison with the local Govt depart and DMC Korangi to avoid duplicity in the scope of works. He added that the reports have been reviewed and discussed with the consultants, and now detailed Design and Bidding Documents for off-corridor were under preparation.

Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project (SFERP): Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the project Assignment Account has been opened and he has released Rs 5.77 billion as the first trench. This is an Rs101.35 million or Rs23,109.54 million project that would be financed by the world bank on a retroactive basis.

It may be noted that for the rehabilitation of Irrigation and Drainage Infrastructure damaged in Flood 2022, SFERP has been launched with the financial assistance of the World Bank. The works included in the project are as under;

The emergency works include plugging/closing and strengthening of breaches, relief cuts, and repair/replacement of pumps and motors at different pumping stations, and repair of small dams. The CM said that these works would be completed by November 30 to ensure water availability during the Rabi Season.

The emergent rehabilitation works include critical works that are severely damaged and associated with the safety of communities, cities, towns, and rehabilitation of infrastructure needed to be completed before the next monsoon.

The rehabilitation phase works include remodeling and rehabilitation of regulators, canals, drainage network, flood embankments, flood detention dams/weirs, and other irrigation infrastructure. The chief minister said that all 36 emergent works have been awarded, 12 works have been completed, and 17 were in progress, while seven could not be started due to water draining from the cuts or submerged under water.

Mr. Shah said that the consultants have completed the survey work, detailed designing, and engineer estimates of the emergent rehabilitation works. He added that the procurement process has been initiated and it is expected that work would be started by November 15, 2022.

Health: The chief minister and the world bank also discussed the repair and rehabilitation of health facilities such as dispensaries, and hospitals.

The CM said that there were around 1000 health facilities damaged partially or completely during the recent floods. The world bank has offered a $40 million loan for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the damaged health facilities. The CM directed the P and D dept to submit the approved documents to the bank so that the project could be started.

Housing project: The world bank has already pledged $500 million or Rs110 billion for the reconstruction of the houses damaged during heavy rains/floods. The chief minister and the world bank country chief agreed to appoint a consultant so that the project could be started.

PTI to resume long march from tomorrow

 

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday said that PTI’s long march will resume from tomorrow (Thursday).

According to details, former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry said in his tweet that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Haqiqi Azadi March will start again tomorrow. The PTI leader further said there will be a meeting of the officials of the Gujranwala and Lahore divisions today, after which a senior leadership meeting of the party will be held. He said Imran Khan will be in Rawalpindi to lead the march in the third week of November.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI’s Haqeeqi Azadi march, which demanded early and fair elections, was brought to an abrupt halt after Imran was shot in the leg during a procession. The attack was being called an assassination attempt. The former prime minister and several other PTI leaders were injured after a man opened fire near the PTI reception camp at Allahwala Chowk during party’s long march.

FM Bilawal will Saudi Arabia on 9-10 Nov.

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will undertake an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 9-10 November 2022.

During the visit, the Foreign Minister will co-chair the Joint Sub-Committee meeting of the Political and Security pillar of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council (SPSCC) with his Saudi counterpart. The Foreign Minister will also hold a meeting with Secretary General of the GCC during his visit.

Besides the official engagements, the Foreign Minister will have interaction with the local media and other dignitaries of the Kingdom. The visit of the Foreign Minister will further deepen Pakistan’s engagement with Saudi Arabia for enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

SBP launches Environmental and Social Risk Management manual

SIALKOT: State Bank of Pakistan organized a Sustainable Banking Conference, in collaboration with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today in a local hotel in Karachi.

The objective of the conference was to create critically needed awareness related to climate change and sustainability within the financial sector and launch the Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Implementation Manual. The inaugural session of the conference was chaired by Governor, SBP, Mr. Jameel Ahmad.

The conference was attended by high profile dignitaries including, Mr. Khawaja Aftab Ahmed (Regional Director, IFC), Mr. Zeeshan Ahmed Sheikh (Country Manager for Afghanistan and Pakistan, IFC), Mr. Toshio Odagiri (the Consul General of Japan in Karachi), Dr. Shamshad Akhtar (Chairperson, PSX Board), Mr. Yaseen Anwar (Senior Policy Advisor, IFC), Ms. Sima Kamil (Deputy Governor, SBP), presidents/CEOs of banks/DFIs, senior officials from Pakistan Banks Association, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant stakeholders.

During the conference, Governor, SBP, launched the ESRM Implementation Manual for banks and DFIs. While delivering the keynote address, Governor, SBP remarked that this manual has been launched as part of SBP’s ongoing efforts to promote green banking in Pakistan. The ESRM manual is a procedural guide for the banks/DFIs to establish their environmental and social risk management systems, as advised in SBP’s Green Banking Guidelines (GBGs).

Further, he highlighted that the conference was an effort to spread awareness on the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on the financial sector of Pakistan and a step towards SBP’s endeavor to reduce the vulnerability of financial sector from such risks. He added that Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change as we have witnessed during the recent floods; therefore, it is critical time for Pakistan’s financial sector to become sensitive to financial consequences arising from environmental and social risks.

SBP, being a responsible regulator of the financial system, has also undertaken certain initiatives like Green Banking Guidelines and Financing Scheme for Renewable Energy, to ingrain sustainability considerations into the financial sector as per international best practices. Governor, SBP, encouraged the entire banking industry to take full benefit of the manual to establish their ESRM systems and procedures. State Bank will keep on providing necessary support and guidance at every stage of ESRM implementation.

In the inauguration ceremony, Khawaja Aftab Ahmed, IFC Regional Director for the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan, shared that the launch of the Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Implementation Manual marks a significant step towards promoting sustainable banking practices in Pakistan. He added that the manual can help the banking industry better manage environmental and social risks throughout their lending practices, and subsequently, enable a green and inclusive economic recovery at a critical time for Pakistan.

The conference also included two high-level panel discussions on important topics including ESG integration in financial sector and climate finance risk and climate disclosures wherein, in addition to other senior level experts, two ex-SBP Governors shared their experiences. Deputy Governor, Sima Kamil concluded the conference and thanked all participants.

Punjab government decides to form JIT to probe assassination attempt on Imran

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Wednesday decided to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the assassination attempt on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan.

The decision to form the JIT was taken in a meeting of the Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order, which was chaired by the chairman of the committee, Raja Basharat, through a video link from Rawalpindi. In the meeting, it was decided that the Joint Investigation Team will be headed by Additional IG Highways Patrol Riaz Nazir, other members of the JIT will include representatives of the relevant agencies.

The Punjab Cabinet Committee has also decided to provide special security to Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan and in the second phase of the long march, strict security arrangements have been made for the container.

Chairman Committee Raja Basharat said that the police and district administration should keep in touch with the local leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, bullet-proof rostrum and glass will be installed on the container, deployment of snipers and other security arrangements should not be neglected. In the meeting, it was also decided to talk to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to open the motorways soon and give way to the judges.