Day: December 13, 2022

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Tuesday that damage assessment survey has been carried out in the flood-affected areas in an impartial manner with the involvement of all stakeholders.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi while responding to a calling attention notice said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) assisted the provincial disaster management authorities in this process. He said the government has effectively highlighted Pakistan’s case regarding climate change impacts at the international level. Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that international partners including the World Bank were also involved in the survey of flood-affected areas.

He rejected the impression that the federal government is responsible for the lapse of Asian Development Bank’s loan of two hundred million dollars for Greater Thal Canal project. He said this soft loan can still be secured if Punjab and Sindh develop consensus on this important project. He said we are ready to facilitate this process.

Responding to a calling attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Hamid Hameed said efforts are afoot to check gas load-shedding in the country. He said a gas load management plan is being implemented at present to ensure that the gas is available to the domestic consumers during cooking times. Alluding to the depletion of gas reserves, he said work is continuing to explore new oil and gas reserves.

The National Assembly on Tuesday also passed a resolution extending the Tax Laws Second Amendment Ordinance 2022 for a further period of one hundred and twenty days. At the outset, the House offered fateha for the departed soul of former MNA Saeed Iqbal. The House has now been prorogued.

ISLAMABAD: Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon is arriving on a two-day official visit to Pakistan tomorrow (Wednesday).

During the visit, the two sides will exchange views on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas. A number of bilateral agreements and MoUs are expected to be signed. The Tajik President’s visit to Pakistan is expected to impart a renewed impetus to deepening cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields and further strengthen the growing geo-economic partnership.

In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Pakistan and Tajikistan are brotherly countries linked through longstanding historical, cultural and religious bonds. She said these ties are marked by mutual respect and exceptional cordiality. The two countries have commonality of views on various regional and international issues.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated Prince Karim Aga Khan IV on his birthday.

In a tweet on Tuesday, he said we acknowledge, appreciate and remain grateful for his wonderful contributions to the cause of education and socio-economic development in Pakistan and around the world.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted 14-day protective bail to Suleman Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who recently returned to Pakistan after over four years of self-exile in UK.

He was granted 14-day protective bail in two separate cases of money laundering and accumulating assets beyond known sources of income. He was declared proclaimed offender in both the cases. The court directed Suleman Shehbaz to appear within 14-days before the relevant court hearing the money laundering case as well as NAB reference regarding assets-beyond-means cases against him. During the hearing of both the cases, Suleman Shehbaz appeared before the court alongside his lawyer Amjad Pervez.

To a query by the IHC Chief Justice, Suleman Shehbaz’s lawyer Amjad Pervez, stated that his client has to appear before the court of special judge central, Lahore, which is hearing a Rs16-billion money laundering case against him. Besides, another reference regarding assets-beyond-means was pending before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Suleman Shehbaz, in his petition, before the IHC, contended that he left Pakistan in 2018 and the money laundering case was registered against him in 2020. He also contended that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had not issued a call-up notice to him, and got him declared a proclaimed offender without any action.

On last hearing, the IHC had directed Suleman Shehbaz to surrender before it by December 13 and barred authorities from arresting him till then. Suleman Shehbaz is an accused in a money laundering case registered with the FIA, while the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has nominated him in an assets-beyond-means reference.

Later, talking to media persons at the IHC, Suleman Shehbaz said former Prime Minister Imran Khan had attempted to exert pressure on then FIA Director General Bashir Memon to target his political rivals. He said National Crime Agency of UK had also acquitted him and his father in a case related to suspicious bank transactions. He said it was a ‘slap on the face’ of Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has said there is a great potential of diversifying trade relations and entering into joint ventures in the areas of agriculture, IT, textile, energy, logistics, housing and construction between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

Talking to Chairman of Lower House of the Kazakh Parliament Koshanov Yerlan Zhakanovich here in Islamabad on Tuesday, he said the existing trade level of 219.12 million dollars needed to be substantially increased keeping in view the immense potential that existed between the two countries by building new and improving existing linkages through roads and railway networks.

He said trade by Kazakhstan and other Central Asian Republics through Karachi and Gwadar is an important element of the Vision Central Asia Policy. The President said the international community should take a strong exception to the atrocities being perpetually committed by the Indian Security Forces against innocent Kashmiris who are demanding their legitimate right to self-determination as promised to them by various UNSC resolutions.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to announce the final date of dissolving the assemblies during a public meeting at Liberty Chowk, Lahore on Tuesday.

Imran Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), will announce the final date of dissolving the assemblies during a party’s rally at Liberty Chowk.

It is to be noted here that the PTI chairman had announced dissolving the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), apparently for exerting pressure on the federal government to announce general elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), however, had announced holding by-elections in the provinces if the assemblies are dissolved.