Youth’s tortured body recovered in Okara

A tortured body of a youth was recovered from a private housing society within the limits of City Depalpur Police Station in the city on Friday. Police said unidentified assailants brutally cut the throat of the victim. The victim was identified as Mohammad Akhtar, a resident of Mohalla Hamid Shah. Police said the victim’s throat was slit with a sharp-edged weapon. The police reached the spot on receiving information and the body was shifted to THQ Hospital for postmortem after the necessary investigation DPO Faisal Gulzar took immediate notice of the incident and directed SHO City Depalpur Qalb Sajjad to form a team to arrest the suspects. Read After eight long years, Perween Rahman's killers finally brought to book Police said the motive for the killing was yet to be ascertained. Empty bottles of liquor and alcohol were reportedly found near the naked body of the victim. A police official said it could be possible that the victim and the killer drank alcohol together and later the victim was killed in intoxication. He said the facts will only come to light after the investigations. The province has witnessed a number of cases in which tortured bodies were found after horrific crime incidents. On November 4, the body of a minor was found by the police in Lodhan. Reportedly, the police claimed that the minor girl was abducted and raped before the decapitation. The accused allegedly abducted the victim and brutally murdered her after raping her. He then tied the victim's body to a tree in a cotton field and escaped. It was reported that the accused could not sleep for 15 days due to “fear” and remained restless. The accused told the whole story to the girl's family. Police later recovered the body of the deceased from a local field on the identification of the accused. Animals had torn the victim's body, and only parts of the body were found which were sent for forensic tests. Sources said that the suspect was upset that the victim had had a relationship with someone else as well. The killer was so upset over the matter that he committed the horrific murder. Suspect Nawab Ali, Pinnu and Ijaz had abducted the 19-year-old victim from her parents' house on 25/9/21. Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2022.

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‘Agriculture researchers must collaborate’

University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said on Friday that the collaborative efforts on the part of agriculture researchers are imperative to provide tangible solution to the problems of agriculture sector and ensure food security. While addressing the closing-ceremony of “Capacity Building and Professional Development Workshop (CB&PDW)” arranged by the Directorate of Academics and Teaching Resource Centre, UAF, he said that workshops were being organised on a regular basis to enhance the capacity building of teaching and non-teaching staff, so that the affairs of the university could be run efficiently. The VC said that research work should be carried out keeping the problems of the farmers in view in order to enhance yield and make agriculture a profitable sector. He said that all-out efforts were being made to bring the programmes at UAF in line with the international standards. He urged the agricultural scientists to find local solutions to the problems of the farmers keeping in view the ground realities. Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2022.

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ECC approves to roll over $142m Roosevelt Hotel debt

The government on Friday approved to roll over $142 million debt of Roosevelt Hotel in New York, and cut interest rates on loans under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s housing project after commercial banks termed existing rates unaffordable for the people. Headed by Federal Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet also approved Rs2.4 billion annual subsidy for foreign exchange companies to lure them to deposit their cash dollars with the commercial banks. Under the arrangement, the government will pay Rs1 over and above the exchange rate to the dealers for depositing the dollars. The step aims to offset pressure on the rupee value. During the meeting, the Aviation Division submitted a summary on the financial challenges of Roosevelt Hotel and a request of PIA Investment Limited for re-rolling of the principal amount along with mark-up payments by the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) for a further period of two years ending on December 31, 2024. The ECC approved to roll over $142 million debt of Roosevelt Hotel, owned by Pakistan International Airlines, for two years. Affordable Housing The ECC approved a summary to revise terms for lending under Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA) for low-cost housing projects and allowed the inclusion of Housing Finance Companies in the scheme. The federal government is providing subsidies to make housing affordable for low-income groups. However, according to an appraisal of the existing scheme being carried out by the Commercial Banks, the bankability of the applicants belonging to the Tier-1 NAPHDA Projects is not viable mainly due to the higher debt-burden ratio and low socio-economic ranking of the applicants, the ECC was informed. Read More: ECC gives nod to UEP providing gas to SSGC Therefore, the applicants are unable to qualify for the required amount of loans. In order to address the situation. The government has now reduced the interest rate for low housing project from 3% to 2% for the first five years and from 5% to 4% per annum during the next five years. It also increased the subsidy period from 10 years to 15 years and set a 5% per annum rate during the 11 to 15 years lending period. Motorway subsidy The ECC also approved the proposal of the Ministry of Communication for a special allocation of additional funds of Rs8 billion against approved government share for the Sialkot–Kharian Motorway Project. Public-Private Partnership Authority Board meeting in August this year accorded approval for the execution of PPP Agreement with M/s FWO & M/s SMC (Sultan Mahmood & Company. Exchange companies subsidy The ECC approved Rs1 per US dollar cash incentive for exchange companies that will surrender each USD mobilized from inward remittances. As against the existing requirement of surrendering only 15% of inward remittance, the exchange companies will now be required to surrender 100% of inward remittances in the interbank market. The ECC approved the proposal with direction to review the model to achieve further improvement. The average monthly inward remittances for the first 5 months of the current fiscal year are $200 million. Based on this trend, the expected annual inward remittances mobilized by exchange companies may reach a level of $2.4 billion, according to the Finance Ministry. It added an annual amount of approximately Rs2.4 billion would be required to incentivize the exchange companies against surrender of foreign exchange in the interbank market. For the next half of the current fiscal year, at present, a budgetary allocation of Rs1.2 billion would be required. The ECC also approved the Petroleum Division’s proposal of debt swapping against a long-term loan secured by SNGPL worth Rs54.7 billion at 6 months KIBOR+110 basis point for the construction of a dedicated pipeline project.

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Poultry farms urged to renew licences

The livestock department has asked the poultry farms and manufacturers and seller of livestock and poultry feed to get their licences renewed for year 2022. Livestock Deputy Director Dr Jamshed Akhtar said Punjab Animals Feed Stuff and Compound Feed Act 2016 for preparation and sale of livestock and poultry feed while Punjab Poultry Production Act 2016 was applicable for poultry farm traders throughout Punjab. In this regard, the licenses issued to those who manufacture and sell livestock and poultry feed and those trading in poultry farms have been expired by December 31, 2021. As per the relevant laws, running a poultry farm without a license or expired license and preparing and selling food was a crime which could be resulted in imprisonment and heavy fines so get renewal of license for poultry farms and manufacture and sale of livestock and poultry feed for the year 2022, he concluded. PITB has collaborated with the Punjab Food Authority to launch a ‘Smart Food Licensing System’ to facilitate food business operators in applying for a licence. Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2022.

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As gloomy year ends, 2022 shows ‘economic uplift’

The country’s economy unexpectedly entered into a relatively higher growth mode despite underperforming during the calendar year 2021. The incentives-laden original budget presented in June 2021 for the current fiscal year set the stage for a further expansion in businesses and economy. The stimulus package, the then low benchmark interest rate at 7%, slightly overvalued rupee and central bank measures to inject ample liquidity into the system through different schemes accelerated business and economic activities beyond expectations during the second half of the year 2021 -- July-December. Accordingly, the economy became overheated with inflation reaching a 21-month high double digit at 11.5% in November 2021. The import bill hit a record high of $8 billion in the month, trade deficit widened to a record high at over $5 billion and the current account deficit soared to a 40-month high at $1.9 billion in the month. Also read: Reviewing economy in 2021 The expansion in the economy beyond authorities’ expectations during Jul-Dec 2021 (which is first half of current fiscal year 2022 as well) and significant rise in global commodity prices like petroleum products and LNG – which was a major cause of the surge in monthly import bill and current account deficit – started reducing foreign exchange reserves and caused notable depreciation of 17% (or around Rs26) in domestic currency to record low of Rs178.24 against the US dollar by December 29, 2021 compared with 22-month high of Rs152.27 in May 2021 in the inter-bank market. The developments prompted the central bank to aggressively increase the benchmark interest rate by a cumulative 2.75 percentage points during Sep-Dec 2021 to 9.75% at present. The targeted measure of the rate hike was aimed at controlling inflation, narrowing down the current account deficit and improving the balance of international payments. At the same time, it helped limiting economic growth to pre-planned level of around 5% in the current fiscal year 2022 against the existing potential for higher economic growth. "The growth of over 5.25-5.5% would damage the economy if taken in current fiscal year 2022," Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin had recently said. Earlier, the country unexpectedly saw a jump in economic growth to 4% in the previous fiscal year 2021 against the contraction of 0.5% in the prior fiscal year 2020 amid Covid-19 pandemic. The year 2021 also saw the International Monetary Fund (IMF) $6 billion loan programme resuming in February 2021 after remaining on hold for the past one-year amid the pandemic. The programme was again halted in June 2021 on difference between the government and IMF teams on the way to deal with the financial crisis in Pakistan. Also read: December blues Recently, the two sides reached a staff-level agreement in late November 2021 to resume the programme. The IMF Board would be presented with the sixth review of the economy under the loan programme on January 12, 2022. Accordingly, the IMF would release the next tranche of $1 billion of the loan to Pakistan in January-February 2022. This will be followed by raising foreign debt by selling Sukuk (Islamic bond) by the government in international market, other inflows from multilateral and bilateral lender and rollover of maturing foreign debt during the year 2022. Such inflows are estimated to build up foreign exchange reserves by net $1.3 billion to $27.5 billion by end of June 2022 and help the rupee to partially recover ground against the US dollar in the inter-bank market during the year. Now the nation has entered 2022 with the benchmark interest rate reaching close to its peak expected at 10% in March 2022. The rupee partially recovered almost 1% (or Rs1.73) against the US dollar in the last two working days of December 2021 to Rs176.51 after losing to a record low of Rs178.24 on December 29, 2021. Also read: Slumpflation and structural constraints The expected cut in the benchmark interest rate to 9.25% during second half of calendar year 2022 and stabilisation in the rupee-dollar parity at around Rs178 against the US dollar till end of June 2022 would reset the economy back to high growth mode from second quarter (April-June) of 2022 and onwards. "The inflation reading is expected to slow down into single digit and current account deficit coming back into affordable range of $600-800 per month from February-March 2022 and onwards," said Pak-Kuwait Investment Company Head of Research Samiullah Tariq. However, Fahad Rauf, the head of research at Ismail Iqbal Securities, said the second half of 2022 might see increased political noise. “This will be because political parties would start preparations for the next parliamentary poll expected in fourth quarter (October-December) of 2023," he added. The preparations may prod the ruling PTI party to spend more on development projects and the masses to keep intact its vote bank. The expected higher spending, however, might increase the deficit in fiscal year 2023, as the completion of IMF loan programme of $6 billion in September 2022 (as per the original programme) would allow the government to increase spending beyond available resources. The calendar year 2022 may see improvement in inflation, some appreciation in the rupee against the dollar and cut in current account deficit. “However, "they (inflation, rupee-dollar parity and deficit) would remain elevated during 2022," Rauf added. The next fiscal year 2023 is expected to record an economic growth of 5.4% compared to 5.2% estimated for ongoing fiscal year 2022, said Arif Habib Limited Head of Research Tahir Abbas.

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Pakistan achieves target of vaccinating 70m against Covid-19: PM

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the government has achieved its target of fully vaccinating 70 million people across the country. "We have completed our target of fully vaccinating 7 crore of our people by end of 2021," the premier wrote on his official Twitter handle on Friday. We have completed our target of fully vaccinating 7 crore of our people by end of 2021. To achieve this our federal govt alone procured vaccines worth almost Rs 250 bn. & provided free vaccines to citizens in all the provinces. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 31, 2021 He said that the federal government alone procured vaccines worth almost Rs250 billion and provided free vaccines to citizens in all the provinces to achieve the target. Read more: Govt’s vaccination target fully in sight "I want to thank the tireless & coordinated work done by the NCOC [National Command and Operation Centre], federal & provincial administrations & health teams to ensure success of our gov[ernmen]t's vaccination prog[ramme]." I want to thank the tireless & coordinated work done by the NCOC, federal & provincial administrations & health teams to ensure success of our govt's vaccination prog. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 31, 2021 Earlier today, NCOC Chairman Asad Umar had also announced the development on his Twitter handle. He appreciated the NCOC team and the health teams from the central government and provinces for their hardworking efforts to achieve the tough goal. Also read: Vaccination centres to remain closed on January 1, 2 Umar said that the central government procured vaccines and provided them free of cost to all citizens, adding that 46 per cent of the country's total eligible population have been fully vaccinated. To make this massive vaccination drive possible, the Federal Government has procured vaccines worth nearly Rs. 250 Billion. 100% of vaccine procurement done by the federal government, which has provided free vaccines to all citizens regardless of which province they live in. — Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) December 31, 2021 Amongst the Federating units Islamabad leads with 77 % fully vaccinated. Punjab is at 51 %, GB 46 %, AJK 45 %, balochistan 42 %, KP 41%, and sind at 37 %. Of the total eligible population 46 % is fully vaccinated and 63 % has recieved atleast one dose. — Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) December 31, 2021 In early February, Pakistan kicked off its nationwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign after receiving a batch of China-donated vaccines. Pakistan's overall tally of the infected people reached 1,295,376 across the country on Thursday, including 1,256,337 recoveries and 28,927 deaths, according to the NCOC.  

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Azam Jamil appointed SAPM on 'tourism coordination'

Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed Azam Jamil as his special assistant on tourism coordination with “immediate effect”. According to an official notification issued on Friday night, his appointment will be in an “honorary capacity”. With the latest appointment, the number of special assistants to the prime minister has reached 18 with 12 non-elected aides. Last year, PM Imran had formed a National Coordination Committee on Tourism (NCCT) to help Pakistan become the “fastest-growing tourism destination”. The committee was formed to raise the competitiveness of the tourism industry and maximise utilisation of Pakistan's natural, cultural, historical, archaeological, religious and geographical tourist assets. The NCCT has also been formed for employment creation, poverty reduction, sustained economic growth, social inclusion, quality of life improvement, as per the official notification. Some of the members of the committee included special assistant to the prime minister on overseas Pakistanis and human resource development, secretary of Ministry of Industries and Production and secretary of Ministry of Interior.

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PM launches Naya Pakistan National Sehat Card for Punjab

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday launched the distribution of health cards under the Naya Pakistan National Sehat Card project for Punjab starting from Lahore. The health cards will enable every family to avail medical treatment of up to Rs1 million a year at both government and private hospitals. Addressing the launching ceremony, the premier said that this was a 'revolutionary step'. "None of the governments in the past took such a bold decision of providing Rs1 million health insurance to the entire population,” the PM said. Read: UCs to compile data for Sehat cards The premier lauded the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, the health minister and the whole team involved in the project. "The Punjab government has moved on a course that will uplift the country in pursuance of the forefathers’ vision to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state," he said. The premier further added that under the programme about 30 million families will benefit from the health insurance facility, which will cost Rs400 billion to the government. "Our forefathers had dreamed to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state but unfortunately it could not be developed on that course," PM Imran said. He added that unfortunately, no welfare state was formed in the Muslim world after Madinah and, in fact, the Scandinavian states were close to that model "Denmark, Norway and Sweden always believed in inclusive growth and had compassion for the weaker segment," he said. "Any individual or nation abiding by the teachings of Allah Almighty will get His blessings," he added. He said all the Scandinavian countries did not have more resources than Pakistan but they were more prosperous by having adopted the model of a welfare state. “Today, the Punjab government took such a step to put the country on the course of uplifting this nation… We want to turn Pakistan [into] what it was established for. If we don’t opt that course, it will be great treachery with the Indian Muslims who had voted for it,” he remarked. The premier added that some leaders in the past claimed to make Pakistan an Asian Tiger, which could in no way be greater than the idea of a welfare state like Madinah. The prime minister told the gathering that the time will prove that initiative of Sehat Card, involving almost equal funding, will have far better outcomes than the Metro Buses or Orange Train. He said all families across the province will get the Sehat Card by March and also resolved to replicate the model in Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Read More: Taxing time: A closer look at the finance bill The prime minister said the Sehat Card will lead towards the development of health infrastructure across the province as it will attract the private sector to build hospitals even in remote areas. He said the government will close down the government hospitals in far-flung areas where the doctors did not want to be posted, to save the cost. He said the government will incentivize the private sector by allowing duty-free import of their equipment to expand the network of private hospitals. 'Silent revolution' The prime minister told the gathering that a silent revolution was in the making through the government’s initiative of housing construction loans by banks for the salaried class after the government removed all the impediments. He said the people had applied for loans worth Rs260 billion out of which Rs110 billion had been approved and Rs34 billion disbursed already. He said under the Kamyab Pakistan Program, around two million people had been given interest-free loans for house building. Moreover, under the same programme, a loan of Rs0.5 million was also being given to the farmers and others to establish their own businesses. Through the Ehsaas Ration scheme, almost 54% of the population was being given a 30% subsidy on the purchase of ghee, flour and pulses. Read Also: PM terms Shehbaz’s speeches as ‘job applications’ Earlier, the prime minister also distributed Sehat Cards among the beneficiaries. In his address, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said the provincial government had allocated Rs399 billion for the health budget compared to Rs169 billion from 2013-18. He said 23 big hospitals were nearing completion, the up-gradation of 158 health facilities had been completed and 78 projects were in the pipeline. He said the provincial government was spending Rs37.5 billion on the purchase of medicines. Moreover, he said the government would soon fulfill its commitment by filling 100,000 vacancies.

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PM terms Shehbaz’s speeches as ‘job applications’

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday described PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif's speeches as job applications, while refuting that the government was in any kind of danger. “After every three months it is said that the government is in trouble. The government is not in any trouble,” the premier told reporters while heading towards the Parliament House after a meeting of the federal cabinet. The prime minister further said he kept hearing that former convicted premier Nawaz Sharif was returning to the country today or tomorrow. “The same was the case when he [Nawaz] was in Saudi Arabia. He did not return until an agreement had been reached.” Earlier, the premier, in response to queries from some party members on the sovereignty of the State Bank of Pakistan, replied that his government would not take any step that would affect the integrity of the country. Addressing a meeting of the PTI central executive committee, the prime minister said his party was the most popular and organised political force in the federation. He added that the PTI was moving towards the goal of empowering the people at the grassroots level both politically and administratively. “We are paying special attention to the welfare of the poor in the process of national development.” The premier maintained that from health cards to cheap ration schemes, the government was spending extraordinary resources on public welfare. Read: ‘Mini-budget’ tabled in NA amid ruckus PM Imran Khan instructed the newly appointed officials to complete the process of reorganisation at the lowest level as soon as possible. “The leaders of the PTI should organise themselves at all levels and prepare to face future political challenges.” In the new party set-up, Asad Umar has been given the post of general secretary while Pervez Khattak, Ali Haider Zaidi, Qasim Suri, Shafqat Mahmood and Khusro Bakhtiar have been appointed as new provincial heads of the party in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, and Southern Punjab, respectively. Aamir Mehmood Kiani has been made the party's additional secretary general. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said it was the parliamentarians’ right to be acquainted with the legislation which was about to be tabled in parliament. He said the finance minister had responded to the questions raised by the legislators about the supplementary finance bill as well as amendments to the SBP law. The foreign minister added that parliament was empowered to amend any law with a simple majority if required to remove any lacuna.

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Quetta blast death toll reaches six

The Quetta blast death toll reached six on Thursday a day after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded near Saleem Medical Complex on Jinnah Road in. The Balochistan Health Department identified the deceased as Muhammad Akram, son of Khan Muhammad; Sharafuddin, son of Niaz Muhammad; Younis Agha, son of Agha Jan; Hafiz Muhammad Akram, Sanaullah, son of Muhammad Akram; and Muhammad Ramzan, son of Muhammad Sadiq. A case was registered by the officials of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) against unknown terrorists, which includes provisions of attempted murder, terrorism and explosives. Read 15 perish in Karachi Shershah blast A day earlier, the CTD spokesperson said in a statement that at around 9:40pm an IED planted at the main gate of the Science College Ground went off as participants of a public meeting were leaving the venue. Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo condemned the terrorist incident and expressed dissatisfaction over the security arrangements in the provincial capital. He also expressed sorrow over the causalities and sought a report on the incident from the provincial police chief. Express News quoting the police reported that a powerful blast shattered the windowpanes of nearby buildings and also damaged several vehicles.

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46% of Pakistan's eligible population vaccinated: Asad Umar

Chief of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and Planning Minister Asad Umar on Friday announced that 46% of Pakistan’s eligible population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and 63% have received at least one jab. The minister took to his official Twitter handle and stated that Islamabad led the federating units with 77% of its population being vaccinated. Amongst the Federating units Islamabad leads with 77 % fully vaccinated. Punjab is at 51 %, GB 46 %, AJK 45 %, balochistan 42 %, KP 41%, and sind at 37 %. Of the total eligible population 46 % is fully vaccinated and 63 % has recieved atleast one dose. — Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) December 31, 2021 The capital was followed by Punjab at 51%, Gilgit Baltistan at 46%, Azad Jammu and Kashmir at 45%, Balochistan at 42%, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at 41%, and Sindh at 37%. “To make this massive vaccination drive possible, the Federal Government has procured vaccines worth nearly Rs250 billion,” he added. Read: 75 cases of Omicron variant confirmed in Pakistan To make this massive vaccination drive possible, the Federal Government has procured vaccines worth nearly Rs. 250 Billion. 100% of vaccine procurement done by the federal government, which has provided free vaccines to all citizens regardless of which province they live in. — Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) December 31, 2021 He emphasised that “100% of [the] vaccine procurement” was done by the federal government, which has provided free anti-Covid jabs to citizens across Pakistan “regardless of which province they live in”. The NCOC separately announced that Pakistan had achieved its target of 70 million fully vaccinated individuals. According to the NCOC, which serves as the nerve centre of the government’s unified efforts against Covid, 1,599,380 vaccines were administered in the past 24 hours, bringing the national total up to 156,623,021.

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Senate committee directs NIH to fill vacant seats

Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has directed the National Institute of Health (NIH) to fill vacant posts. A meeting of the standing committee was held under the chairmanship of Senator Dr. Muhammad Humayun Mohmand at the Parliament House on Wednesday. The committee expressed serious reservations on the human resource deficit in the NIH as 350 posts were currently vacant, seriously affecting the quality of services being provided there. “One-third of NIH’s strength is missing,” Senator Mohmand lamented. The committee sought a reason for this, to which it was told that the delay in filling these vacant posts was caused by new regulations. It was also told that advertisements in this regard were approved 10 days ago. Upon this, the committee chief set up a timeline for the appointment of the medical staff, and was assured by the NIH that the appointments would be made within three months. The NIH apprised the committee that Genomic Sequencing Centres for Infectious Diseases have also been established and 75 cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus had been detected through genome sequencing till December 28. The committee was briefed on the work, performance, budget allocation and progress on various vaccines by the NIH. Read Govt to abolish 70,000 vacant posts Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan appreciated the tremendous progress made by MIH during the coronavirus pandemic. “The speedy development the NIH made during the Covid-19 crisis is commendable,” he said. The committee also acknowledged NIH’s work and termed it as a great contribution to the health sector. During the briefing, it was also informed that a new Act has been introduced along with new Board of Directors (BoD) comprising highly adept members. The committee also discussed the steps taken by the government to substantially increase the number of seats in medical colleges for the students of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan in compliance of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directives. The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) told the meeting that the commission has no objection any quota seats of the erstwhile FATA, established by the federal government or implemented by the provincial government, as long as the admission was not “over and above” the allocated strength of each college and minimum merit benchmark was fulfilled. The meeting was also informed that since public colleges are owned by the provincial government, hence any quota for public colleges is to be issued in consultation with the provincial government if deemed necessary by the federal government through its notified universities. “It is for the provincial government to implement any quota notified by the federal government,” the PMC representative said. “The PMC is not the admission agency for admissions to public medical and dental colleges and has no role in the enforcement of quota.” PMC also told the meeting that they have already added 793 seats in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to accommodate all quotas, including the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) scholarship project for deprived areas. It also added that the PMC has recently approved remaining 36 MBBS seats of the total 265 seats under this project and issued a notification on November 3 at K-P Health Department’s request. It further informed that the matter of enhancement of seats in public colleges is the prerogative of the respective provincial government. The committee discussed issuing a summon to HEC for further briefing on the matter, and sought a report from the provincial government regarding allocation of seats through the Pakistan Medical Commission. The matter of regularisation of contractual employees of Federal Government Hospital, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, was also taken up. The secretary of Ministry of Health informed the committee that the ministry has sent a letter tot he Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) for the postponement and rescheduling of the test due to the employee’s request given that they are preoccupied with coronavirus-related duties. The secretary also informed the committee that demand of contractual employees for regularisation without examination could not be entertained under the law. However, on committee chief’s request, the secretary said that he would speak to the FPSC chairman on personal grounds for a way forward under special circumstances. Read more AI termed future of Pakistan's healthcare The report by the convener of the sub-committee, Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen, regarding Legend College Multan for grant of licencing was laid before the committee. The committee adopted the report and directed that the recommendations be sent to the Pharmacy Council in the next two to three days. Senator Tareen raised the issue of three medical colleges of Balochistan whose students have been asked to retake the admission test despite being in the third or fourth year of MBBS. The committee decided to take up the matter in the next meeting along with the issue of “aesthetic doctors” and “quackery”. The meeting was also attended by Senator Professor Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, Fawzia Arshad, Dr Zarqa Suharwrdi Taimur, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar. Senior representatives of the ministry and its attached departments were also in attendance.

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Two accused of beheading father arrested

Police have arrested two brothers, along with their mother, in Sheikhupura on the charges of killing their father. The accused were identified as Arsalan Sohail, his brother, Ghulam Haider, and their mother Najma. According to police sources, the accused have confessed to their crime which was said to have been committed in June this year. During the interrogation, the sons of the victim, Ghulam Sarwar alias Ballu, said that their father had divorced their mother Najma Kausar and threatened to build a wall to partition the house and remarry on which they got so angry that they tortured their father in the house, tied his hands and feet, hired a car and at midnight they forced their father into the car and drove off. Read Man kills wife over suspicion One of the two brothers drove the car while their mother took the front seat so that no one would find them suspicious. The other brother sat in the back seat pointing a gun at his father to keep him from making an attempt to escape, the investigators said. They drove all the way to Gujrat via the GT Road in search of a deserted place. They found one near Mouza Kaliwal Syedan where they pulled up, threw their father out of the car and shot him in the head. Not being content with having shot their father in the head, they even cut his head off and drove away. Police Station Saddar Lala Musa staff found the body of the victim near Mouza Kaliwal Syedan and started investigation. In addition, fingerprints of the deceased were sent to NADRA for identification. In view of the seriousness of the incident, the DPO of Gujrat, Omar Salamat, formed a special team and directed them to investigate all aspects of the incident. Once the police managed to identify the victim through NADRA records as Ghulam Sarwar, they interrogated various suspects and close relatives of the deceased. In addition, investigations were carried out on modern scientific grounds which helped the police track down the accused. Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2021.

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‘Paigham-e-Pakistan’ a step forward: CII chairman

Thanking SAPM Dr Babar Awan for the initiative, Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman, Dr Qibla Ayaz on Wednesday said tabling the copy of Paigham e Pakistan document in the Senate and National Assembly was a giant step forward.  Dr Qibla recalled that CII, in its session of December 20, held after the Sialkot tragedy, had stressed that the discouragement of violence and the tendency to take the law into one's own hands in the country was possible only if unanimously approved the Paigham e Pakistan document. He added that it could also be ratified by the parliament, besides enacting necessary legislation in that regard. Read Govt to review counter-terrorism strategy after Sialkot incident: Mazari Dr Ayaz also gave a detailed briefing to Awan on the Paigham e Pakistan narrative and expressed his gratitude that formal steps have been taken for getting parliamentary support. The CII chairman hoped that through those measures, a new and peaceful face of Pakistan would emerge. “Misuse of the sacred name of religion would be impeded.” Dr Ayaz expressed his gratitude for the continuous consultation with the council on legislative matters. 

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Shehbaz, Bilawal slam ‘mini-budget’

The top leaders of the two main opposition parties – PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – on Thursday lashed out at the PTI-led government for imposing a “mini-budget” on the people. Shehbaz, who is also the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, in statement lamented the imposition of Rs360 billions worth of new taxes on the people, who were “already being butchered by PTI government's economic terrorism”. He added that he had warned the country that the budget 2021-22 presented by the PTI government was a fraud, while the “real hammer would be dropped on the nation through mini-budgets”. “The most vulnerable sections of the society have been hit the hardest with this disastrous mini-budget.” Shehbaz pointed out that there was not a single measure of relief for the poverty-stricken Pakistanis in the mini-budget. “Essential commodities and food items have been brutally taxed. In addition to that, mobile phones have been slapped with an advance income tax of 10-15%,” he noted. "A whopping 17% GST has been imposed on infant formula milk, dry milk, flavoured milk, any type of red chillies, yoghurt, bread, buns, laptops, personal computers, ghee and cooking oil, oil seeds, greenhouse farming, drip agriculture, medicines, ingredients of pharmaceutical products, various machinery, gold and silver.” Read: Taxing time: A closer look at the finance bill The PML-N president claimed that making infant milk, yogurt, bread, buns, and chillies more expensive would make life even harder for the people, who were already on the verge of starvation because of the PTI’s policies. Shehbaz also criticised the State Bank (Amendment) Bill. “According to this bill dictated by the IMF (International Monetary Fund], the State Bank is only responsible to control inflation and cannot fund the government no matter how grave or dire the situation might be even in the event of a natural disaster.” Bilawal also rejected the mini-budget, saying that to receive $1 billion tranche from the IMF, Prime Minister Imran Khan had pushed the common man against the wall. “We have been saying since day one that Imran Khan's deal with the IMF would bring the country to the brink of disaster,” he added. The PPP chairman claimed that PM Imran had increased his “brutality” by increasing taxes on everything from bakery items to infant milk. He added that PM Imran had proved that he was the enemy of the people by increasing the price of packaged milk and matches in the mini-budget. Both Shehbaz and Bilawal were absent from the proceedings of the National Assembly at the time the finance minister tabled the supplementary finance bill or “mini-budget” earlier in the day.

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PTI CEC approves party’s draft constitution

The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has approved the draft constitution of the party, according to which the constitution of 2019 was declared null and void and the constitution of 2015 was restored. A meeting of the CEC was held on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by Foreign Minister and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and CEC members, including Minister for Planning and General-Secretary Asad Umar. Sources told The Express Tribune that the Constitutional Review Committee has been given the task of further amending the constitution. According to the 2015 constitution, a 40-member working committee will be set up, a 24-member central executive committee will be set up and the term of party posts will be two years, they added. They further said that under the 2015 constitution, the party's election commission will also be formed at the national level. Prime Minister Imran urged the newly-appointed officials under the leadership of the central secretary general to complete the process of reorganisation to the lowest level as soon as possible. Read PM dissolves all PTI bodies after K-P setback Addressing the attendees of the meeting, the premier said that PTI is the “most popular and organised political force” in the federation of Pakistan. He said that they were moving forward with the “goal of empowering people at the lowest level”, both politically and administratively. He added that in the process of national development, special attention is being paid to the welfare of the poor segments of the society. “From health cards to cheap ration schemes, the government is spending extraordinary resources on public welfare in the style of a welfare state,” he further said. PM Imran said that workers should participate in the process of disseminating the fruits of PTI government’s welfare schemes to the people. He also urged PTI’s organisational leaders to organise themselves at all levels and prepare to face future political challenges.

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Senate body directs food ministry to probe urea shortage

The Senate Standing Committee on Food Security has directed the Ministry of Food Security to conduct an inquiry into the shortage of urea in the country. A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Food Security was held under the chairmanship of Senator Muzaffar Hussain Shah. A support price of wheat could not be determined, and the committee decided to write a letter to the ministry regarding the matter. The committee recommended fixing of support price before the sowing of wheat. Senator Shah said that the ministry needs to set up a board, which should include PASCO, provinces and other stakeholders, to fix the support price. The issue of increase in urea prices was also discussed during the meeting. The committee chairman asked who was responsible for its shortage in the market Secretary food security said that this matter does not come under their ministry. Senator Shah then said that nobody has been held responsible for price hike and shortage of urea so far, and directed the ministry to investigate the matter. The chairman also asked why urea plants had been closed from June to September, highlighting how this led to hoarding and price hike. He pointed out that urea’s supply was less than its demand, therefore, they have decided to provide gas supply to these plants on par with the export-oriented industries. The committee also expressed frustration over PARC chairman’s late arrival. The committee chief asked him why he was late, and told him to bring the agenda and read it. The PARC chairman started reading out the agenda, drawing laughter from the attendees. The committee chief asked why junior officers of BPS-19 were appointed as director generals, to which the PARC chairman said that the two officers he was referring to were not persuaded to become DGs. The committee also sought details of transfers from the PARC chairman. The meeting also discussed ways of promoting kitchen gardening.

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Pakistan, China vow to tap full potential of Gwadar port, free zone under CPEC

Pakistan and China resolved on Thursday to redouble the efforts to tap the full potential of Gwadar port and free zone under the mega project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Islamabad and Beijing also agreed to make sure that the local population of Gwadar and surrounding areas fully benefit from these projects by utilising the massive opportunities being created in various sectors. The governments of Pakistan and China held meetings of the two Joint Working Groups on Gwadar and Socio-Economic Development through video conferencing. The sixth session of the Joint Working Group on Gwadar was co-chaired by Secretary Planning Development and Special Initiatives Abdul Aziz Uqaili and Ying Xiong, Director General of the National Development and Reforms Commission of China. Secretary Economic Affairs and Maritime Affairs, representatives of Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Aviation, Defence, CPEC Authority, PPIB, GPA, the government of Balochistan, GDA as well as representatives of their counterparts in China participated in the meeting. The meeting reviewed the implementation status of the CPEC projects in Gwadar and deliberated upon the future course of action with regard to the development of Gwadar city, port and the free zone. Read more: Who is denting CPEC? Both sides expressed satisfaction over steady progress made on various projects including full operationalisation of Gwadar Port and its inclusion in the Afghan transit trade route; finalisation of the Smart Port City Master Plan; completion of the Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute; substantial progress on Eastbay Expressway; commencement of work on New Gwadar International Airport and the Pak-China Friendship Hospital. It was noted that Gwadar Free Zone Phase -1 had been successfully completed, while work on the much larger Phase-2 covering an area of 2,221 acres had been started. The meeting emphasised the need for the finalisation of marketing and investment plan for the free zone along with its implementation strategy. The meeting was informed that the plan would soon be submitted for consideration by the cabinet committee on CPEC. Chinese enterprises, including Zhejiang DRC, China Communication Construction Company, Zhejiang Seaport and Huazhang Technology made presentations during the meeting on their planned investments in low carbon recycling park, within the Gwadar Free Zone. Pakistani side assured the investors of full support and cooperation for their ventures. It was noted that despite the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting travel restrictions the projects in Gwadar were implemented at a steady pace. The meeting also took note of various operational issues faced by the projects during the course of the year. It was noted that several issues had been resolved through intervention of relevant authorities. Also read: Global businesses free to enter CPEC The two countries also resolved to address any remaining issues on priority. The meeting was also informed that the government of Pakistan is actively implementing various projects, in close collaboration with the provincial government to ensure the provision of all the necessary facilities in Gwadar. The projects include linking Gwadar to the national electricity grid; provision of water to Gwadar city from nearby dams; establishment of University of Gwadar and Gwadar Safe City project and certain other projects in the socio-economic domain. Meanwhile, the third meeting of Joint Working Group on socio-economic development under CPEC was held under the co-chairmanship of Abdul Aziz Uqaili, Secretary, Planning Development and Special Initiatives and Deng Boqing, Chairman, China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) to review the progress of current projects and deliberated on potential new projects to enhance cooperation in the socio-economic development under CPEC. The group was established in November 2018 under the CPEC framework to ensure that economic dividends of CPEC projects reach the less developed areas and peoples’ livelihood is improved. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the steady progress of the first Batch (17 fast track) projects of and second batch (10 priority) projects despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The convenor from Pakistani side thanked the government and people of China for their generous support to Pakistan for tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, especially the timely supply of vaccines. He also thanked the Chinese counterparts for their support and assistance to the government of Pakistan for socio-economic development. The chairman of CIDCA reiterated China’s strong support for the people and government of Pakistan and stated that the two iron brothers have always helped and supported each other. He recalled Pakistan’s support to China in the early phase of the pandemic and stated that such help is highly valued. Pakistani side shared the proposed third batch of projects for consideration of Chinese counterparts. The projects were finalised after due consultations with stakeholders including all provinces, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. It was decided to further enhance bilateral cooperation and implementation mechanism by constituting sub-committees at the working level on both sides. The meeting was attended by representatives of federal ministries and all the provincial governments, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan and 11 relevant departments of the government of China. The embassies of the two countries also joined the meeting.

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Political merry-go-round to extend into new year

The year which started with the opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), threatening to unseat the government, saw some wins for the ruling party and some major losses that triggered a party restructure. Just like threats of sending the sitting government packing fizzled out, the PDM’s joy over the win of Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani in the Senate elections over a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) candidate was short lived too as two of its allies the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) quit the movement to seek greener pastures.However, this was not the only loss the opposition alliance experienced as the PTI dished out several through the course of the year as well. Putting election reforms under its belt, the PTI introduced Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) - a device that the opposition vehemently opposed. The same day, November 17, that the ruling party registered a win on EVMs it passed a record 32 other bills in one joint sitting of the parliament amid opposition parties’ protest. President of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, does not see this as a win for democracy though. “Rushing bills through Parliament without proper scrutiny in committees and debate in plenaries shows total disregard for democratic norms. Lack of sufficient efforts to forge consensus on electoral laws is even more objectionable & dangerous,” Mehboob said. Overall, in terms of legislation the PTI-led government bulldozed a major chunk of the legislative business and managed to pass a total of 61 bills from the National Assembly - 27 more than the previous year. Data obtained from Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), shows that 110 bills have been passed so far during the current government’s tenure, in contrast during the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) tenure from 2013 to 2018, a total of 192 bills were passed. READ Rashid warns PDM against taking out march on March 23 Apart from the bills passed, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s absence from the National Assembly as well as from the meetings of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security remained evident. As opposed to his promise of frequently attending assembly sessions, the premier only attended four sittings, including one where he took a vote of confidence, between August 2020 and December 2021. Data obtained from FAFEN shows that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan was present in 24 out of 269 sittings, 9%, compared with former PM Nawaz Sharif who was present in 40 out of 319 sittings, 12%.“It is a tragedy for Pakistan that at this critical time in the country’s history we have a PM who dislikes parliament, abuses the opposition, and has been unwilling to use the most important constitutional forum for forging consensus on key national issues,” PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said.Similarly, Mehboob, who is based in Lahore, expressed his displeasure by stating that this lack of interest sets a bad example and provides an excuse to Ministers and Members National Assembly (MNAs) to skip parliamentary sittings. Mehboob’s assessment holds weight as the assembly was marred by a quorum syndrome throughout the year - quorum was pointed out by the opposition 54 times and it was found incomplete 39 times upon counting.“Quorum loss 39 times makes a mockery of the Parliament,” remarked Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, “it shows that the ruling party lacks interest or it has no control over its members.” Apart from the economic woes, perhaps this lack of control, as asserted by Sayed, is what translated into two of the most significant losses that the ruling party faced during the year - Daska by-election, in which 20 presiding officers went missing mysteriously and, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government polls, in which the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) dominated. Sayed, the veteran politician, was quick to term these losses as a prediction of the times to come. “2021 was the year of survival for PML-N, as even with the leadership either in exile or in jail, it still managed to hold itself together which shows its resilience,” he stated. The Express Tribune contacted Fawad Chaudhry, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting and PTI spokesperson, for a rebuttal on Senators Sayed and Rehman’s hard-hitting comments but he did not respond to messages.Mehboob, on the other hand, does not see the year as belonging to any particular political party. “2021 has seen further rise of political confrontation which is not a good sign for the future of mature democracy in Pakistan,” he despondently told the Express Tribune.

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Bars to meet on Jan 3 on Justice Ayesha’s elevation

The superior bars have summoned an emergency meeting on January 3 (Monday) to evolve a joint strategy on the nomination of Lahore High Court’s Justice Ayesha Malik for her appointment as a Supreme Court judge. The Pakistan Bar Council, being the apex regularity body of lawyers, issued a statement on Wednesday. It read that the PBC vice chairman had convened a joint meeting including himself, executive committees chairman, Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) members and the chiefs of the provincial and Islamabad Bar Councils, Supreme Court Bar Association and high court bar associations on Monday to consider the matter of the elevation of a junior judge of a high court to the Supreme Court in violation of the seniority principle. The statement read that Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed had again proposed the name of an LHC junior judge, who was at number four in the seniority list. The move was superseding three senior judges including the LHC chief justice and the decision would be made at next JCP meeting which is being held on January 5. Justice Ayesha Malik’s name was earlier disapproved by the commission. READ CJ again floats Justice Ayesha’s name for SC slot The superior bars are consistently opposing the elevation of junior high court judges to the SC for the last couple of years. Even the members of the JCP are divided on the seniority principle. PBC member Muneer Kakar said the bar was not against the elevation of female judge to the SC, but consistently advocating that the seniority principle should be followed. However, former PBC vice chairman Abid Saqi has dissented with the bar’s opinion against nomination of Justice Ayesha. He believes that Justice Ayesha must be elevated to the SC. It is learnt that most of the PBC members belonging to Punjab have a soft corner for a female judge’s elevation to the SC. A meeting of the PBC Executive Committee was held on Wednesday in Islamabad under the newly-elected chairman, Muhammad Masood Chishti. The participants of the meeting passed a resolution that “unanimously praised the illustrious career of Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani, who remained an independent Judge and refused to take oath under the PCO”. “[Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani] held his ground against the worst form of dictatorship and always stood for the Rule of Law and the Constitution while adhering to the principle of good conscience and justice,” it added. “After his appointment as a member of the JCP, the bar council and public at large expect the same level of steadfastness and perseverance for principle of seniority in appointment of judges to the superior judiciary.” The PBC reiterated its consistent stance to stand for the principle of seniority for which the legal fraternity remained on strike for the last one year.

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Pakistan, India nearing deal on Afghan wheat transit

New Delhi has provided the list of Afghan contractors and truck drivers to Islamabad who would transport Indian wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan, as the two sides inch closer to finalise the agreement. Diplomatic sources confirmed to The Express Tribune that both sides in principle agreed to the modalities and the wheat shipment would begin once Pakistan approves the list of Afghan contractors and drivers. India in October had announced 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat for Afghanistan as humanitarian assistance and requested Pakistan to open its border for transporting the food grains. Pakistan, which otherwise does not allow two[1]way trade between India and Afghanistan, decided to create an exception by allowing the Indian wheat to pass through its land route. Pakistan said the decision of allowing India to transport wheat was taken keeping in view the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and must not serve as a precedent for future transhipment. The two sides initially struggled to agree on modalities as Pakistan initially suggested for the transportation of wheat under the banner of the United Nations. But New Delhi made a counter proposal, suggesting the wheat be carried either by Afghan or Indian trucks. READ Islamabad snubs Delhi’s wheat transit proposal Following Islamabad’s nod to New Delhi’s proposal, the latter has now handed a list of Afghan contractors and drivers. Sources said Pakistani authorities are in process of vetting the list. The shipment would be set in motion as soon as Pakistan approves the list provided by India. The two nuclear-armed neigh[1]bours have agreed to join hands for the people of Afghanistan despite the otherwise tense relationship between them. Other than the longstanding Kashmir dispute, Afghanistan has also been a source of friction between Pakistan and India. Both have accused each other of using the Afghan soil to undermine each other’s security and strategic interests. Islamabad has long accused India of funding and backing the terrorist groups targeting Pakistan. But the two sides reluctantly agreed to work this time as the people of Afghanistan are in desperate need of help as UN figures show nearly 23 million Afghans are facing acute food shortage. As many as 3.2 million children are at risk of malnutrition. The UNDP has warned that 97 per cent of Afghans would slip below the poverty line by June next if urgent steps are not taken to help them. Pakistan recently hosted an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers, who agreed to set up a humanitarian trust fund for Afghanistan. Islamabad separately is also helping Afghans with a donation of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and other necessary goods.

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Govt realigns uplift priorities

After development in underprivileged areas, especially South Punjab, the provincial government has shifted its focus to urban centres ahead of the general elections scheduled in 2023. During initial years, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had hardly initiated any mega infrastructure project in central Punjab or any urban centre of the province. The entire focus of the provincial government was on South Punjab and thousands of big and small development schemes were initiated and completed in underprivileged areas. A separate secretariat has been established for which construction of a new building in Multan is under way and expected to be completed by August 2023. In addition, a 400-kanal piece of land has been allocated for the South Punjab Secretariat building in Bahawalpur. Official statistics highlight that out of total 1,541 development projects, as many 1,441 were approved and work orders for 87 per cent of the schemes were issued for 11 districts of South Punjab. Out of total Rs189 billon budget, almost 50% has already been spent on various schemes of South Punjab. Now after three years in power, the government appears to have shifted its focus towards central Punjab, especially Lahore, to showcase projects in upcoming general elections. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar recently announced a Rs50 billion elevated expressway project from Gulberg to M2 Motorway and new multilevel entry and exit points at Shahdara Morr with an estimated cost of Rs6.5 billon. A plan for an additional lane at Lahore Bridge, Data Ganj Bakhsh Flyover at a cost of Rs4.9 billion and Shahkam Flyover project with an estimated cost of Rs2.54 billion were also announced. The government has also approved a 5km signal-free corridor project from Center Point in Gulberg to Defence Morr on Walton Road to improve the traffic flow in the city with the estimated cost of Rs2.8 billion. Expansion of Sagian Road at an estimated cost of Rs3.4 billion and an underpass and flyover at Karim Block in Allama Iqbal Town with expenses of Rs2.9 billon have also been approved. The government has also announced a new eco-friendly public transport feeder bus system for Lahore. Chief Minister Buzdar on Wednesday gave approval in principle to a proposal to run 100 feeder buses in Lahore in the first phase. He issued directives to increase the number of buses to accommodate the rising number of daily commuters. He also announced better transport facilities for Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur and other cities, declaring that eco-friendly buses would also help to overcome smog. “Improving the public transport facilities is the need of the hour as it would help to reduce environmental pollution,” he underlined. The CM also sought a report about a modern bus stand project at Thokhar Niaz Beg and ordered its early completion to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution. The chief minister pointed said the Orange Line Metro Train project was also completed by the incumbent government by arranging necessary funding like other incomplete projects of the previous government. He said the previous government conceived projects without caring for the welfare of the people and subsidies to the tune of billions of rupees had to be given to run them. The public transport schemes should have been finalised after proper study and a large amount was being spent on six projects as subsidies, including the Orange Line Metro Train, Metro Bus System and feeder route system, he further said and pointed out the income of the projects was minimal. Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2021.

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4k rural revenue centres to open next week

Out of the planned 8,000 rural revenue centre of Punjab government, over 1,130 are functioning currently, while the number will increase to about 4,000 from January 3. Provincial government spokesperson Hasaan Khawar said while briefing the media along with Senior Member of Board of Revenue (SMBR) Babar Hayat Tarar said the 4,000 rural revenue centres would be set up five months ahead of the targeted date. He said the purpose of the centres was to provide services to the people at their doorsteps. He said 1,139 centres were already functioning, while about 4,000 would be operational from January 3. Hasaan Khawar said that instead of spending billions of rupees on the project, the government had thriftily used its existing infrastructure and facilities for the purpose. He said one-window e-service centres at the tehsil level were providing all services to the people under one roof, while reducing the chances of fraud at the same time. He said the Revenue Courts Management System, which had been neglected for a long time, had been made functional to assess and minimise the backlog of cases. In the period from April to December, the number of pending cases dropped from 117,000 to 63,000. Out of the 441 cases pending before in the SMBR, only two cases remain unconcluded. Answering a question, the spokesperson said action had been taken against 400 employees of the revenue department over their involvement in corruption and 150 of them had been sacked. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had increased the country’s revenue through austerity measures and efficient economic reforms unlike previous regimes. He alleged that the opposition’s politics revolved around negativity, conspiracies and deals, turning a blind eye to “flourishing economy and the government’s public welfare schemes”. He said improvements in the governance model were part of PTI’s manifesto and the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had introduced revolutionary measures in education, health, local government, police and other important institutions. Reforms had also been introduced in the revenue department on a priority basis, he said. Khawar said the opposition should have a viable economic plan apart from simply criticising the mini-budget. He said the local body elections would be held on time. He also said that Punjab’s system of local bodies would empower the representatives unlike a ‘toothless’ system of Sindh. Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2021.

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Man demands extortion money from brother

A brother of a trader turns out to be an accomplice of a suspected extortionist operating from Turkey orchestrating a firearm attack on his neighbour’s home and his brother over refusing to pay extortion money in Shafiqabad.   The suspect, Fiyaz, had asked his brother, Ejaz, for financial help. However, all his brother could offer him was a motivational speech. “Take an initiative. God will help you,” the suspect Fiyaz said. This was revealed by the SP of City, Hafeez-ul-Rehman Bugti. A few months back, a trader’s house in Shafiqabad was sprayed with a volley of bullets. This trader was Ejaz’s neighbour. The suspected shooter was no other than an associate of an extortionist. This the victim revealed before the police. He had been receiving threatening calls from a suspect asking him to pay five million rupees. “His man would approach your shop disguised as a customer. Pay him the money,” he had told him telephonically. After sometime, he once again received a call from the suspect with the same demand. The victim tried to argue with him, but he increased the amount demanded. “You will face the consequences,” the suspect told him. The following day, his door had many holes due to some indiscriminate firing by unidentified suspects. After the attack at his house, the victim became frustrated over the repeated threats by the extortionist to harm him and his family. He also discussed the matter with his neighbor, Ejaz, also a trader. He advised him to restrict his movement acting upon which he confined himself at his house. Umair is not the only one who was frustrated. The extortionists also got more restless. Few days after Umair went underground, Ejaz also received a call demanding five million rupees. He also ignored it. One day, he was standing at a shop when two suspected motorcyclists approached him. After firing a few rounds in the air, they warned him, “We can also hit you if we can shoot in the air.” The incident was caught on the CCTV camera. He also filed a complaint with the police. When police traced the call record, they discovered that these calls were made from Turkey. When the CCTV footage was analyzed, police found a clue. Following it, police arrested a suspect and with his help they arrested two other suspects. The suspects were identified as Shahid Prince, Fiyaz and Abdul Rehman. Shahid Prince had recently returned from Europe. He too had been suffering from financial crisis. When Fiyaz shared his grievances, Shahid had reportedly presented the extortion plan. Bugti told the media that Shafiqabad police used the latest technology to arrest the suspects. Their alleged ring leader, Shahid Nazir, was based in Turkey, he said. “The suspects would use different numbers to demand money from the victims,” said Bugti. Police have recovered automatic rifles from their possession also, Bugti added. Police have said to have traced two similar cases leading to the suspected gang. Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2021.

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Kallar Syedan gets 15 water projects

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar inaugurated 15 clean drinking water projects of the Punjab ‘Aab-e-Pak Authority’ worth Rs44 million in Kallar Syedan on Wednesday. We are working on a war footing basis to address the challenges faced by the country, including inflation,” said the governor after inaugurating water projects in Kath Bukhari. Aab-e-Pak Authority Chairman Dr Shakeel Ahmad Khan, along with several lawmakers, were also present on the occasion. The governor said that the present government was taking steps for the development of the nation beyond political interests. He added that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) was working to address the challenges facing the country. “Corona has caused economic hardship to the entire world, including Pakistan, leading to rising inflation and other challenges,” he said. “The present government has given relief to the poor people through the social safety net, and the government is taking further steps to reduce inflation.” He said that the Aab-e-Pak Authority was working on clean drinking water projects throughout Punjab, without any political discrimination. He said, “We will fulfill our promise to provide clean drinking water to about 8 million people this year.” He said that transparency in water projects was a top priority. “It is my responsibility to protect every penny of the people in all the projects which I will fulfill,” he added. Sarwar said that in addition to the authority, clean drinking water was also being provided to people through the Sarwar Foundation, Pak Aid, Al-Khair Foundation, several and other welfare organisations. He said that so far, more than 200 filtration plants had been installed by Sarwar Foundation alone, through which clean drinking water was being provided to more than 2 million people daily. Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2021.

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Islamabad Local Govt Ordinance 2021 challenged in IHC

Local body representatives of the federal capital challenged the new local government ordinance in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday. The court issued notices to President Dr Arif Alvi, home secretary, secretary of law and the attorney general of Pakistan in this regard, and summoned them on January 11. Petitioner Sardar Mehtab said that the direct election of the mayor and removal of the post of deputy mayor was against the law. Petitioner's counsel Qazi Adil argued that the council of unelected persons to run a local government was also against the law. Earlier, it was reported that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) workers, traders and different unions held a protest rally against the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance 2021. The protest rally was organised by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) trade union Yasin Group at the Aabpara Chowk. The demonstration was attended by thousands of CDA workers, traders and trade unionists. Read: Govt agency gets CDA projects The speakers said that CDA employees have built a beautiful city like Islamabad but the present government has passed a presidential ordinance in presence of the parliament, which was not acceptable to the stakeholders. They will not allow the division of national institutions like the CDA and its employees, the speakers maintained. They urged the prime minister not to divide the CDA and protect the rights of 15,000 workers.

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Physical remand of accused in Wajiha Swati murder case extended

A local court extended on Wednesday the physical remand of the main accused in the kidnapping and murder case of American national Wajiha Swati by three days. The prime suspects – including Wajiha’s ex-husband Rizwan Habib – were bought before the court by the police after the completion of their earlier physical remand. The police maintained that the murder weapon and the vehicle used to transport the victim’s body to Lakki Marwat were yet to be recovered from the accused. The court extended the physical remand of accused Rizwan Habib, Hurriyatullah and Sultan Khan for three days. The remand was obtained from the court of Civil Judge Tariq Khan. The police took the accused under tight security and returned to Civil Lines Police Station. Read Accused in woman’s murder case sent on physical remand Earlier this week, the former husband of the victim confessed to abducting her, as soon as she reached Pakistan, and killing her and burying her in Lakki Marwat. Despite the fact that the accused was named in the FIR, the police deferred his arrest for two months. Addressing a press conference on the abduction and murder of the woman, Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Sajid Kayani had informed that Wajiha had reached Pakistan on October 16. Her former husband killed her on the same day after kidnapping her and buried her body in a room at the house of one of his own servants in Lakki Marwat.

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Saudi envoy calls on FM Qureshi

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday reiterated their firm commitment to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation in diverse fields. Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki called on Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and reaffirmed the pledge. During the meeting, the foreign minister said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoyed brotherly ties based upon religion, culture, history and strategic cooperation. He said the leadership of both the brotherly countries was determined for enhancing bilateral ties and cooperation in diverse fields. According to a statement, Qureshi observed that both countries had supported each other in every difficult situation. He also lauded the Saudi government's cooperation in the progress and prosperity of Pakistan.

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A timeline of the plight of Pakistan's trans community in 2021

Transperson – or Khwaja Sira, as they are locally known – have been granted certain rights, with the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018 allowing them to choose their gender identity, and having it acknowledged on official documents such as the National Identity Card and passport. However, to this day, discrimination against them is rampant in Pakistan. “At an event today a Deputy Superintendent of Police asked me if I was ‘real or fake’”, trans model and human rights activist Kami Sid recalled while talking to The Express Tribune. “No one has the right to declare who is real or fake,” she maintained, adding that our society “tolerated” trans individuals instead of “accepting” them. She hoped people will accept her community one day, emphasising that society will not change if those around a transperson – their friends, family and others – did not accept them. “Some good things happened [this year], and the community was bought towards positivity. However, negative things occurred, and issues remained,” Kami told The Express Tribune, maintaining that people like her have not come to “fight” but to educate and sensitise people about the trans community and the difficulties they face. “As human beings we deserve to be treated as equal citizens”. This timeline aims to highlight the injustices suffered by the trans community throughout 2021, at the hands of our society and our leaders, while mentioning the small victories that they were able to achieve. January 7 – Model Rimal Ali attacked in Lahore Trans actor, model and dancer Rimal Ali was attacked and harassed in Lahore, and her alleged abuser Jahanzeb Khan chopped off all her hair. “I am being oppressed daily so I can be prevented from working in the showbiz. My life is in danger, so if anything happens to me, Jahanzeb should be held accountable,” said Rimal. January 29 – Rimal joins Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf A few weeks after her attack, the model joined the ruling party in vengeance, claiming that her traumatic experience forced her to do so. Rimal’s primary focus in PTI was the welfare sector, as she hoped to strengthen her community for people like her. February 4 – LHC directs the Punjab Public Service Commission to admit a trans-person’s job application Faziullah’s application for appearing in a competitive exam for the post of a lecturer was rejected by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), due to the Punjab Higher Education Department’s (HED) gender requirements. In response, Faizullah filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, highlighting that her master’s degree in Urdu qualified her for the job. The Lahore High Court subsequently ordered the Punjab HED and PPSC to accept her application. February 11 – Two trans people murdered in Gujranwala Two transperson – identified as Sanam and Zaini – were shot dead by unidentified assailants in their home. The two were getting ready to leave for an event when motorcyclists entered their house and shot them. After the victims were killed protests were held by the trans community, particularly outside the Central Police Office and in GT Road. They demanded the immediate arrests of the killers. February 16 – Trans community seeks legislative representation On a plea seeking basic rights and representation of the transgender community in the Senate, National Assembly, provincial assembly, district councils and union councils, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the federal and provincial government law officers to submit final arguments on the application on April 16. Petitioner Atif Sattar sought directions from the LHC to ensure enforcement of rights of the bereaved community in public as well as private spaces and enforce a ban on the use of derogatory terms for the Khawaja Siras. The application also highlights the need to introduce measures to include transgender persons in the work environment of the government in various roles, even as elected representatives. March 1 – Dolphin killed by her brother When transperson Dolphin went to her hometown of Kohat, her visit’s information was leaked to her family. Soon after, her dead body was found in a dump. A First Information Report was lodged with the Kohat Police for Dolphin’s murder, upon request of her father Waheed Ahmed. Upon suspicion, Dolphin’s brother Rehman was soon booked for questioning. The accused confessed shooting Dolphin out of spite, during preliminary interrogation. “We condemn dancing but murdering my child was cruel beyond measure. I had no idea my son would punish his own brother so severely. He should be arrested and brought to justice” the deceased’s father lamented. March 5 – Ex-SAPM urges trans people to register for NIC cards Ex-Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza urged the transgender community to register with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and acquire National Identity Cards (NIC) to open avenues for their accessibility to state-sponsored welfare programmes. Highlighting the dire financial condition of the country’s marginalised factions, especially trans people, Dr Mirza briefed the participants regarding efforts being made by the incumbent government to provide accessible healthcare to underserved citizens. “Currently, only 1,600 transgender people are registered with NADRA, which is an alarmingly low figure,” said Dr Mirza, adding that out of these 1,600, only 500 have enrolled for the government’s Sehat Sahulat Programme. March 22 – First madrassa for trans people opens in Pakistan Rani Khan set up Pakistan’s first trans-only madrasa, or Islamic religious school, which she established herself using her life savings. “Most families do not accept transgender people. They throw them out of their homes. Transgender people turn to wrongdoing,” Rani said in an interview. According to Rani, the government did not provide money for the school. However, some officials promised jobs for the students. Along with some donations, Khan is teaching her students how to sew and embroider, in hopes of raising funds for the school by selling clothing. March – Jiya opens a tailoring store in Karachi 35-year-old trans woman Jiya opened a boutique to make clothes for women and trans women. Other trans people running tailoring businesses have tended to do so out of their homes, wary of ostracism in a country with many. Many landlords were reluctant to give a shop to a trans woman, Jiya said. However, she finally secured one in a new market, which she opened with two other trans women. "We want to expand this business. We want a boutique with Eastern and Western designs, all types of dresses," she said. July 21 - Punjab Social Protection Authority approves Equality Programme The Punjab Social Protection Authority approved an ‘Equality Programme’ to provide monthly financial help to transpersons across the province. Registration for the scheme was to start from August 2. Under the programme, transpersons aged 40 years and above were to be given monthly financial help of Rs3,000 and be offered jobs in private companies in the province. On the other hand, all differently-abled transpersons between the ages of 18 and 40 years were to be given financial help of Rs2,000 per month. NADRA ID cards were required for the registration. July – First trans school opens in Punjab Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas announced that the provincial government will open up the first-ever transgender school in Pakistan, in the city of Multan. "We are opening the first-ever transgender school in Pakistan. Why would we deny education to anyone in our country? Our first school is opening in Multan," tweeted the minister. The provincial education minister vowed that schools for the transgender community will be opened in all districts of Punjab. "One step at a time. Education for ALL," he added. We are opening first ever Transgender School in Pakistan. Why would we deny education to anyone in our country? Our first school is opening in Multan tomorrow. We will open such schools in all Districts of Punjab InshAllah. One step at a time. Education for ALL. https://t.co/Xq19NV7yix — Murad Raas (@DrMuradPTI) July 6, 2021 August 5 – Punjab government allows induction of trans people into police, health departments The trans community was allowed to submit applications at any police centre in 36 districts of Punjab. The age limit for candidates was fixed between 18 to 25 years with a three-year relaxation in the upper age limit. For induction against the posts of stenographers, the candidate was to be able to type 40 words per minute. The hiring was to be made through the Punjab Public Service Commission. Police sources further said that after the induction, transgender people would be deployed in police offices. September 1 – Trans people excluded from anti-rape bill The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice cleared the Anti-Rape Bill, 2021 with amendments, paving the way for death sentence, life imprisonment or chemical castration for those found guilty. Taking up the issue of inclusion of the trans community into the bill, the ministry suggested doing so would create complications, especially due to capacity issues in the healthcare sector. Minor members of the transgender community, however, would fall under the ambit of children under the law. October 13 – Ministry of Human Rights establishes Transgender Protection Centre Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari inaugurated the Transgender Protection Center to provide rehabilitation, referral services, psychological counseling and legal assistance to trans people. The Transgender Protection Center, inaugurated today by Minister @ShireenMazari1, has been established under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018 to provide rehabilitation, referral services, psychological counseling, legal assistance to transgender persons. pic.twitter.com/Ro9bkzRHSp — Ministry of Human Rights (@mohrpakistan) October 13, 2021 October 17 – Trans people get special quota in Rehri Ban Project Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Senator Dr Sania Nishtar revealed that a special quota will be allocated for women and transgender persons under the novel “Ehsaas Rehri Ban” project to provide them conducive business environment and ensure their respectable livelihood. Dr Sania said that the eligible families would be able to avail the facility of buying essential commodities like flour, sugar, ghee at subsidized rates. November 11 – Senate told 28k people applied for sex-change surgery in the past three years The Senate was told that in the past three years 28,723 people had applied for a sex change surgery under the incumbent PTI government. According to the interior ministry, citizens apply for gender reassignment due to medical reasons. November 15 – JI presents bill seeking amendment to Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018 The Jamaat-i-Islami presented a bill in the Senate, seeking an amendment to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018. The amendment seeks the creation of a medical board that would recommend whether a person's gender should change, instead of them seeking a reassignment on the basis of their personal identity. The amendment bill presented by Senator Mushtaq Ahmad calls for the formation of a gender re-assignment board to suggest to Nadra whether a person's gender should be reassigned. It recommends the formation of such boards at the district level after the approval of the prime minister and provincial chief ministers, with each board comprising a professor, doctor, psychologist, male general surgeon, female general surgeon, and chief medical officer. Opposing the bill, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari said the proposed amendment was aimed at "victimising" transpersons as the current law gave them the right to identity. "Till date, not a single complaint has been received regarding the misuse of this [existing] law," she added. November 17 – 25 trans community leaders join PPP At least 25 leaders of the transgender community announced joining Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), expressing faith in the leadership of the Bhutto family scion, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. "The PPP is a social-democratic party and provides equal opportunities of progress to everyone," PPP leader Nisar Khuhro remarked. Trans leader Bindiya Rana said her community wanted to see Bilawal Bhutto as the next prime minister of the country. Other members of the community also expressed complete confidence in PPP's leadership. December 2 – Efforts made to give trans people the right to inheritance Director General Federal Ministry of Human Rights Muhammad Arshad said that they are working closely with all institutions to provide transpersons with other rights including inheritance, employment and education. “The transgender community is the oppressed section of the society, for their welfare we need measures. Safety centres for transgender persons are being set up,” he said. December 11 – Trans woman, organizer of climate march sexually assaulted A trans woman, who was also one of the organizers of the Karachi Climate March, was sexually assaulted and tortured by unidentified men, a day before the march. The unidentified persons kept her in detention for three hours and tortured her to extract information regarding the march’s speeches. The assailants also allegedly threatened her to stop trans rights activism and related political activities, otherwise, the trans community would be subjected to greater violence in the future. TW: RAPE + ASSAULT On the 12th of December, 2021, we organized a People’s Climate March in Karachi. The night before our protest, we held an organizing meeting. One of our organizers, a trans woman, was abducted on her way home. She was tortured and raped#ClimateMarchKarachi — Karachi Bachao Tehreek (@StopEvictionKHI) December 13, 2021 December 19 – Trans Pride Day celebrated in Lahore Happy Trans Pride Pakistan 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/gsjCSi2Zze — Nayyab Ali (@nayyabalipk) December 19, 2021 Allahamdolillah , Successful Organized Third Chapter of Trans March/Pride 2021 Pakistan .. From Platform of Track-T Team ..#jannatali #trackt #tracktrans #transpridepakistan #transpridepk #transpridepk2021 #transpridepk3 Thnx Trans Allies ,Community leaders and media partner pic.twitter.com/xX5MoGmDJn — Jannat Ali (@j4jannatali) December 23, 2021 @OryaMaqboolJan Look at energy during Today’s 🏳️‍⚧️ Trans Pride March. Every citizen have equal rights in Pakistan. So Please stop your Boo-Hooing. @TMItalks pic.twitter.com/YWWOMz0BC9 — Nayyab Ali (@nayyabalipk) December 19, 2021 December 25 – Sindh government reserves 0.5% quota for trans people’s employment Sources revealed that an amendment is being made to the Sindh Services Act 1973 for the appointment of transgender persons within the basic pay scale 15 and under. “The bill is aimed at creating space for this marginalised segment through inclusion in the mainstream society,” the source said. A law department spokesperson further said that the bill, which is soon to be passed, has been drafted following consultation with the local transgender community.   Addressing her community, Kami emphasised that they need to become economically independent, otherwise “this cruel society” would give them nothing. “You need to empower yourself socially, mentally, financially, morally. When they are empowered, no one will look down on them,” she stated. Partial responsibility falls upon the incumbent government to ensure that guidelines set for the rights and betterment of the trans community are adhered to. A top-down change in attitudes may help transform the negative ideologies of society. “Don’t be a picture mafia and use the community for false show. A lot of parties use minority communities for gaining numbers and portraying a good image,” Kami commented. Political leaders should maintain their promises and be serious about these promises, she said.

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Prices of construction material soared in 2021

Prices of construction materials touched a new high level during the current financial year as a result of the prime minister’s housing scheme initiative. The construction cost of a five marla double-storey house has increased by Rs1 million in 2021 alone. Several contractors predict that the prices of cement, bricks, sand and steel will rise further in the financial year 2022. Despite the rising prices of construction material, the daily wages of housebuilders and daily labourers have remained stagnant throughout the year. As inflation continues its upward trajectory, their economic woes have become even more pressing. In January this year, the daily wage of a housebuilder was Rs1,500 and the wage is still Rs1,500. Similarly, the wage of labourers was Rs1,000 in January, and today it stands at Rs1,000. The painter's wage has remained the same at Rs1,500 per day, even though the price of house paint material increased by 20 to 25 per cent in 2021. The paint industry has not been able to grow much since the introduction of the new Chinese ceiling material for the decoration of walls and ceilings. Although a slight decrease in the price of cement and steel was recorded in the outgoing year in the open market, the prices of bricks rose sharply along with rates of plumbers and labours of wood and steel doors. Read Construction cost hits new high In January 2021, a bag of cement costing Rs490 jumped to Rs730. In November, the price of cement further increased to Rs750 per bag with an increase of Rs20 per bag. At the beginning of the current year, the price of 1000 bricks was Rs11,500, which has now increased to Rs13,000. Gravel trolleys costing Rs4,700 at the beginning of the year has now increased to Rs6,000. Prices of plumbing materials for sewerage, washrooms and kitchens increased by 30 to 35 per cent in the current year. Meanwhile, steel doors and window prices have shot up by 40 per cent and wooden windows and door prices by 45 per cent. Raja Gustasp, a citizen who built a new five-marla double-storey house, said he started building the house in December last year. “I bought all materials from the market myself and now I know that items like cement, gravel, sand, brick, and transportation have almost doubled,” he said. He, however, said the housebuilders and labourers were getting the same wages as they were getting at the start of the year. “If the five-marla house is built now, the cost will increase by at least Rs0.5 to 0.7 million,” Gustasp said. Meanwhile, Munshi Abbasi, a contractor who builds houses, said: “Since the prime minister's sasta housing scheme kicked off, the cost of building material is increasing every month.” Demand for cement, bricks, steel and sand and gravel has increased, he added. Abbasi further said that the prices of building materials had also gone up due to the influx of housing societies. “These prices will go up further in the next year,” he said. Similarly, Samander Khan, a wholesale dealer of cement, bricks, sand and gravel, said that the prices of building materials increase every year. However, in 2021, the prices of sand, crush, cement and bricks witnessed an increase every month, he added. With the new year fast approaching, several kiln owners and gravel dealers have already sounded the alarm for the price increase of everything. In mid-January, the price of bricks is expected to increase by Rs500 to Rs700 per thousand, while the price of gravel will increase by Rs300 to Rs500 per trolley, they said. The rise in prices of building materials will discourage construction and daily wagers will bear the brunt as they will lose the opportunity to get work. Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2021.

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ECP decides to hold LG polls in Punjab in April next year

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to hold local government polls in Punjab in April 2022, sources within the polls supervisory body said. It was further said that the second phase of LG elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will be organised in March next year. According to ECP sources, LG polls in Punjab will be held in the last week of April 2022 whereas the final list of delimitations will be published on March 22. After the completion of delimitations, the ECP will announce the schedule for LG polls. Read Women barred from casting ballot in LG polls Sources maintained that after the completion of delimitation work no delay will be observed in the election schedule. The local bodies’ institutions in Punjab are completing their tenure on December 31 after which the election supervisor is bound to hold LG polls in the province within 120 days. The polls supervisory body also decided to hold the second phase of LG polls in K-P in March 2022. The polls will be held in 18 districts of K-P including Hazara and Malakand Division.

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A year of the country’s health infrastructure being pushed to its limits

In a year that severely strained the country’s healthcare system with the coronavirus and dengue causing hospital bed shortages, the ruling party’s bid to provide universal healthcare was the source of joy for many but medical exam uncertainty drew the ire of future doctors. Earlier during the year, the fourth wave of the superspreader gained traction aided by the highly transmissible Delta variant which originated in neighboring India and wreaked havoc over there causing a burial site shortage. At home fears grew that a catastrophe similar to the one that had hit India awaited Pakistan as well and thus began the nationwide lockdowns. Despite virus related safety protocols being implemented in April the number of daily cases in the country exceeded 5,000 and the spread of Covid-19 was concentrated to its biggest cities For instance, Karachi, the most-populous city, accounted for about 22% of all cases, Lahore, the second-largest city in the country, accounted for 19%, Islamabad, the federal capital, recorded 9% of cases, and Peshawar, the oldest city of the country, accounted for 5% of the country's total number of confirmed cases. However, the superspreader related fears soon turned into vaccine hesitancy with the arrival of the Sinophram vaccine, which was donated by the government of China as a goodwill gesture. Myths about the inoculation drive being a human monitoring tactic and leading to possible death made the rounds. When the initial hesitancy gave way, the country’s inoculation drive saw an uptick and brought along with it fake vaccine entries. For instance, in Lahore, the name of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently residing in London, was used to make an entry in the National Immunization Management System (NIMS). The vaccination drive’s upsurge, currently at 67.5 million people fully vaccinated as per the National Command and Operation Center’s (NCOC) website, made citizens return to life as normal with masks long-forgotten and sometimes jostling around in mall and eatery queues to find their vaccination cards. Such was the status of normalcy that future and young doctors held protests across the country against the Pakistan Medical Council’s, National Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) and National Licensing Exam (NLE) policies and the government’s intervention in the workings of PMC. Read More: Healthcare in Sindh hamstrung by shortage of nurses With the protests ongoing but the need to carry an inoculation certificate subsiding, using insect repellent and covering up the body became paramount as dengue strengthened its vice like grip across the country. Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), in particular, were hotspots for the mosquito-borne viral infection as reported cases stood at more than 26,000 and 10,000 respectively. Dengue and the superspreader were not K-P’s only problems though as the province’s medical professionals refused to accept the Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Act 2015 for the sixth year running. Former president Young Doctors Association, Dr Rizwan Kundi termed the MTI Act a disaster while talking to the Express Tribune, further stating: “Senior doctors are leaving hospitals which has not only damaged the healthcare system as poor patients are being treated by inexperienced doctors but at the same time trainee doctors have lost the opportunity to work under seasoned medical specialists and surgeons.” Kundi also grilled the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in K-P by stating that it had thrown money into the Sehat Sahulat Program, an initiative to provide universal healthcare, which benefited private facilities more than the government run hospitals. The universal healthcare initiative by the ruling party which also made its way to Punjab, however, could not make it to the country’s largest province in terms of land area, Balochistan as the provincial government’s plans to launch the Balochistan Health Card, under which health insurance of Rs1 million would be provided to each resident family of the province, stalled with the change in government. However Balochistan’s problems, despite having allocated Rs 38.5 billion for health in the 2021-22 budget, are manifold as the sole polio case of the year came from the Killa Abdullah District of the province and as per sources more than 70% of its population has not been inoculated. “Balochistan’s issues are serious as on one hand the young doctors have been on strike and on the other the government has done a poor job in providing basic medical facilities in all districts of the province,” Zia ur Rehman, an independent health expert based in the province, informed the Express Tribune.

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