Sikh shopkeeper gunned down in Peshawar

A Sikh shopkeeper was gunned down on Friday by unidentified gunmen riding on a motorcycle within the jurisdiction of Rehman Baba police station in Peshawar, Express News reported. According to details, the victim, Dayal Singh, was a resident of Peshawar's Mohalla Jogan Shah neigh bourhood. He used to travel from Dagri to his rented grocery shop on Kohat Road and returned home around 5:00 PM every day. His family depended on the income from the shop for their livelihood, but his life was tragically cut short when unknown motorcyclists shot and killed them. In May of last year, Dayal Singh's two cousins, Ranjit Singh and Koljit Singh, were targeted and killed in the suburbs of Sarband Butta Tal Bazar. An FIR was registered under terrorism provisions for the attack. Also read: Prominent Hindu doctor gunned down in 'targeted hit' in Karachi  Police officials have collected 30-bore pistol shells and other pieces of evidence from the crime scene, and obtained CCTV footage in an effort to identify the perpetrators. The victim has left behind a widow and three children. The incident marks the 28th incident of violence against the Sikh community as the government's efforts to prevent such targeted killings have fallen short, said Radesh Singh Tony, Chairman for the Minority Rights Forum Pakistan. He said that 27 other members of the community have previously lost their lives in similar attacks, adding that no arrests have been made as yet. "We strongly condemn this terrorist incident and demand the arrest of the killers," he said. Radesh Singh Tony said that a Hindu doctor in Karachi was also murdered in a similar fashion but, despite these incidents, we trust the police to bring the perpetrators to justice. He further said that these tragic incidents have sparked widespread sadness and concern. President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), Sardar Ameer Singh, also condemned the incident. Read more: Sikh yatrees perform rituals at Panja Sahib "I strongly condemn the brutal killing of Sardar Dayal Singh, an innocent and peaceful Sikh citizen, in Peshawar on March 31, 2023, and ask the government of Pakistan to arrest the murderers as soon as possible," he said in a statement. "I demand recognition from the government to ensure the safety of the lives and property of the peaceful Sikh citizens living in Pakistan," he further said.

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‘Pakistan can earn carbon credits by curbing gas emissions’

The Coordinator to Federal Tax Ombudsman Meher Kashif Younis Thursday said Pakistan can earn carbon credits through the plantation, reforestation, various green covers, solar and wind power, controlling methane emissions from livestock and paddy fields and other activities that control Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Speaking at a workshop on “Pakistan And Greenhouse Gases” held under the aegis of Gold Ring Economic Forum, a strategic think tank, he said Carbon trading offers emerging and innovative trade and business opportunities to developing countries including Pakistan which can earn dollars for controlling greenhouse gas emissions. He said in addition, all the hydro, biogas, plantation and other such green businesses can bring dollars on a very fast track, provided the focal ministry is proactive and willing to facilitate and support such strategic initiatives. He said Pakistan has completed a carbon credit earning project and the government of Sindh has already earned carbon credits for the mangrove forests and got the first tranche of $14.75 million last year which may swell to $24-25 million in the next five years and this increase will continue for the 60-year pledge period. Therefore, he said Pakistan is already enjoying the benefits of carbon credits from a forestry project and thus there is a great deal of scope and opportunities for earning carbon credits on a larger scale. He said this great success story can now easily be replicated in other forestry and GHG-controlling projects. Further explaining its features Meher Kashif Younis said Pakistan’s collaboration with China’s carbon emission trading scheme from 2021 to 2025 also offers great opportunities. He said under International Emissions Trading (IET), countries can trade in the international carbon credit market to cover their shortfall in the assigned amount of units. He said farmers and landowners can sell carbon credits because land can store carbon. He said Landowners can sell carbon offsets on the voluntary carbon markets. He said these carbon credit buyers are purchasing carbon credits as an investment or are businesses trying to meet internal standards for carbon footprint reduction. Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2023.

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IESCO transformers seized during raids

The Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) Islamabad conducted raids at four workshops in Islamabad and Taxila and recovered hundreds of transformers and other equipment of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO). The FIA team led by Deputy Director Rana Shahid Habib conducted raids in both areas and recovered a large number of transformers, precious oil and copper coils and substandard silver coils, which were being installed in the IESCO transformers. FIA officials said that valuable copper and oil were being stolen from IESCO transformers by the workshop owners. They said that valuable copper coils and oil of transformers were being replaced by substandard oil and silver coils. The FIA team said that the workshop owners with the alleged connivance of IESCO officials and employees were doing all the murky business. They said that original IESCO transformers were also being sold in the market while faulty and second-hand transformers were being returned to the IESCO. Interestingly, the IESCO spokesperson claimed that they send transformers to workshops under a proper procedure and with due permission of X-ENs, he was not sure whether the workshops, which were raided by the FIA, had the approval and NOCs to repair IESCO transformers. He said that the matter has been brought to the notice of the high-ups for further action. The FIA officials said that substandard transformers with silver coils often malfunction, leading to line losses and trippings, causing millions of rupees in losses to the national exchequer. The FIA team said that this malpractice and the sale of transformers and precious copper coils and oil were causing colossal losses to the IESCO and the government, which is struggling to cope with power shortages and load-shedding. The FIA sources said that the workshop owners were also giving financial benefits to the IESCO officials. Separate cases have been registered against the four workshop owners and an investigation is under way. FIA Deputy Director Rana Shahid Habib said that strict legal action will be taken against IESCO officials and workers for their alleged involvement in the heinous crime. ISCO spokesman Raja Asim said that IESCO faulty transformers were sent to ‘approved’ workshops. He said that when a faulty transformer is sent for repair, a regular record is kept and an NOC is sought from the XEN of the sub-division concerned. He said that the matter has been brought to the notice of the IESCO chief executive. He said that if ISCO officials or employees were found involved in the illegality, “strict action” will be taken against them. Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2023.

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OCAC proposes changes to motor fuel pricing mechanism

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) in Pakistan face several challenges with regards to pricing motor fuels. Through a letter addressed to the Minister of State Petroleum Division Musadik Malik, the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) proposed several changes to the existing pricing mechanism to ensure the viability of the industry. One major challenge that the industry is facing relates to negative Inland Freight Equalisation Margin (IFEM). The OCAC suggested that the IFEM should be removed to avoid burdening the cash flow of OMCs. Furthermore, an independent mechanism should be developed to manage adjustments, and negative IFEM should be discontinued in the next price change. The federal government has also been manipulating the IFEM to maintain artificial control on oil prices, which has led to the current negative levels. OMCs are also bound by oil marketing licenses to maintain fuel stocks for 20 days, which is a financial challenge. The OCAC recommended that OMC Margin should be immediately revised to Rs7 per liter in line with dealers’ margin. This will partially mitigate the challenge. Letters of Credit (LCs) confirmations have also been a challenge for OMCs due to increased country risk, leading to high charges that impact the industry’s viability. Additionally, processes around LC confirmations have caused disruptions in berthing schedules, which incur demurrage costs. The OCAC suggested that these costs be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and reimbursed as a pass-through cost through a separate line item in fuel pricing. The industry has also faced issues related to high Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on purchases made through debit/credit cards. These charges, coupled with the negative IFEM, have severely impacted OMCs’ cash flows. Despite only partial success in meetings with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor, the OCAC has appreciated the continued support of the government during these challenging times. While, the SBP confirmed the removal of the lower limit on MDR, the central bank stated that it could not advise banks to enhance oil industry’s limits as it is a commercial matter. The OCAC stated that the existing oil pricing mechanism has been causing serious financial issues for the oil industry, which will impact its capacity to operate. It is essential to take immediate action to address the issues related to negative IFEM and L/C confirmation charges, while revising OMC margins and developing an independent mechanism to manage adjustments. Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2023. Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

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Judges vacant posts blamed for pending cases

The Ministry of Law has presented the details of last five years’ pending cases in the Supreme Court and high courts in the National Assembly. Minister of State for Law Shahadat Awan termed the vacant posts of judges as the reason for the large number of pending cases, saying the judiciary was responsible to make the appointments. According to the documents, more than 380,000 cases are pending before the apex court and high courts. At least 51,744 cases are pending before the top court whereas in Lahore High Court (LHC) 179,425 cases; Sindh High Court (SHC) 85,781 cases; Peshawar High Court (PHC) 41,911 cases; Islamabad High Court (IHC) 17,104 cases and in Balochistan High Court (BHC) 4,471 cases are pending. Awan said there were three vacant posts of judges in the Supreme Court and 16 in the LHC. In SHC, 11 posts of judges are vacant whereas two each are vacant in BHC and IHC. He noted that parliament was supreme and people pinned their hopes in it. He said parliament will have to look into the matter if an institution does not work, adding that it will have to legislate on it. He said the “supervision control” of court rests with the judiciary and noted that judiciary had been given a “separate identity” in the Constitution. Awan stressed that judges should be appointed on vacant posts in the courts. National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf also expressed his concern over the large number of pending cases and questioned who was responsible if judges were not being appointed to the courts. Awan responded that judiciary appointed the judges, adding that the law ministry was only responsible for issuing its notification. Expressing his view point, he said seniority was considered for promotion in every department, emphasising that laws for the appointment of judges needed to be changed.

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Experts advocate small water reservoirs

Speakers at a workshop organised by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) on Thursday stressed the need of small water reservoirs to meet challenges posed by climate change. They said Pakistan had been listed in top 14 countries facing water scarcity and 80 per cent of the available water was being used to irrigate the wheat and rice crops. Modern techniques of irrigation would have to be used to avoid water scarcity. The speakers said about 1.2 million tube wells in Punjab had badly disturbed the groundwater level that had rapidly declined in Lahore, Multan, Lodhran, Minchanabad, Vehari and some other areas in past 10 years. The speakers explained the importance of water governance and how better management of resources could help ensure availability of water for different sectors, especially agriculture and industry. They discussed the significance of the Punjab Water Act 2019 and challenges in its implementation. They highlighted risks of climate change being faced by Pakistan, including the last flood resulting in $30 billion loss, 1,700 deaths and affecting 33 million people. IWMI Pakistan Country Representative Dr Mohsin Hafeez said the organisation was working on reforms such as water accounting and resources assessment, data, allocation system, groundwater management information system and irrigation demand management to promote sustainable use of water in Punjab. The IWMI through a UK Aid-funded programme has selected Okara as the pilot district for the implementation of water accounting and resources assessment reforms. Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2023.

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Indian diplomat attends Bilawal-hosted Iftar dinner

A senior Indian diplomat on Thursday attended an Iftar dinner Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari hosted for the Islamabad-based Diplomatic Corps. Sources told The Express Tribune that FM Bilawal extended an invitation to the Charge d’Affaires along with diplomats based in the capital. India accepted the invitation and its senior diplomat attended the dinner at the Foreign Office. The Indian diplomat, according to sources, sat next to Prime Minister’s Adviser on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira. In recent years Pakistan and India usually avoid inviting each other in such functions because of the tense state of their relationship. But the presence of an Indian diplomat at the dinner suggested a departure from that policy. There is a possibility of engagements at a higher level between the two countries if Pakistan attends the upcoming meetings of defence and foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in India. Read more: Pakistan deliberates on SCO participation in India Meanwhile, Bilawal, while addressing the Diplomat Corps, said that there were people in all our societies, not particularly in Pakistan who were facing incredibly difficult times. The foreign minister said that he was ready to accept that a lot of the difficulties were of ‘our’ own making, referring collectively to the economic policies adopted by the previous government. "We are facing economic consequences of certain decisions that are not in our control. The people are facing the devastating impact of a climate catastrophe in the face of floods, in the occurrence of which they played little to no role at all. The younger generation especially, is facing the consequences of decisions that they did not make," he said. "The economic quagmire that has been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is not only faced by Pakistan, but the entire world. The geopolitical situation in the world as well has added to the growing list of consequences faced by the globe," Bilawal maintained. "In this particular month, we are reminded that it is probable that the consequences of our actions are faced by those who are perhaps not as empowered as we are. Therefore, we have the opportunity through which we can positively affect the lives of those who are less fortunate. It should be our collective effort that we make it a point to minimise to the utmost extent, the burden that is on the shoulders of the underprivileged." Bilawal commended the efforts of the federal minister for the Benazir Income Support Programme Shazia Marri towards eradicating poverty as the head of the first and only safety net for the poorest of the poor, especially women in particular. "We have witnessed the incredible services rendered as a result of the BISP’s existence during the Covid-19 pandemic to bolster the dwindling hopes of the people. When the floods came, the most effective means of getting support to the vulnerable was through the BISP." He said that as we are persevering through the economic turmoil while the finance ministry is still in talks with the IMF as well as having the monumental task of rehabilitating flood victims ahead of us, this government is consistently trying within the space that it has, to provide the most benefits to those at the bottom of the pyramid.

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CS reviews flour distribution points across Punjab

Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman on Wednesday visited Gujranwala, Gujarat and Mandi Bahauddin to review arrangements at the points set up for provision of free flour to deserving people under the Ramzan Package. Speaking on the occasion, the chief secretary said distribution of free flour under the Ramzan package was a big initiative of the government. He directed the officers to make special arrangements to maintain discipline at the flour points and complete the process of flour distribution in minimum possible time to avoid rush. He appealed to the citizen to cooperate with the district administration. He also issued orders to increase the number of flour distribution staff at the trucking points. The chief secretary said that flour was being provided to the citizens at the centers with respect, adding that special attention should be paid to the convenience of the elderly. Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2023.

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‘IUB-PITB association reaps dividends’

The Adviser to the Chief Minister of Punjab on Sports, Wahab Riaz, appreciated the curricular and co-curricular activities, research and development projects at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB). Talking to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob, during his visit to the IUB on Wednesday, Wahab Riaz said that the university’s exceptional performance in all fields was commendable. The vice chancellor told him that under the E-Rozgar programme, 10 batches had graduated so far, and foreign exchange worth millions of rupees earned. The IUB was associated with various projects of the Punjab Information Technology Board, and the university students as well as the youth of the area were acquiring skills through “freelancing courses”, he added. During his visit to the Sadiq Computing and Research Centre, the adviser also visited the E-Rozgar and Plan 9 laboratories and met the students there. He also visited the newly-constructed cricket ground at the university.   Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2023.

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After Punjab, ECP notifies Oct 8 as election date for K-P

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday notified October 8 as the date for elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the same date it had set for the voting in Punjab. The electoral body has issued a notification in this regard. The ECP's decision came after K-P Governor Haji Ghulam Ali last week proposed elections for the provincial assembly on October 8. Governor Ali had written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, fixing the election date for the K-P Assembly election. The governor also mentioned a deteriorating law and order situation in the province. Read more: K-P governor proposes election on Oct 8 “Since the ECP has postponed the election date for the general elections of Punjab province to Oct 8, 2023, therefore, it is also suggested that same Oct 8, 2023 be proposed/appointed as election date for General Elections of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the best public interest as well as in the interest of the state,” the letter stated. The announcement of the date came after a series of consultations held between the governor and the ECP on the order of the Supreme Court in its judgement in the suo motu case about the election date earlier this month. The general elections of the Punjab and K-P assemblies were due after the two houses were dissolved by their respective chief ministers in January. However, in the absence of the announcement of the election date, the apex court took the suo motu notice. The Supreme Court then ordered the president to appoint the date for election of the Punjab Assembly and the K-P governor for his province in consultation with the ECP. Subsequently, the president gave the date of April 30.

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SC bill raises hopes of ex-premiers

The passage of the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill 2023 on Wednesday has raised hopes of former premiers Nawaz Sharif and Yousuf Raza Gilani to file appeals against their convictions as they faced suo motu proceedings initiated by the chief justice of Pakistan. Several others, who were convicted in suo motu cases during the tenures of former CJPs Iftikhar Chaudhry and Mian Saqib Nisar, are also expected to benefit if the bill becomes law. Sources said people who were affected by suo motu proceedings during the tenures of ex-CJPs Chaudhry and Nisar, respectively, would be able to challenge the Supreme Court’s verdicts against them within a month subject to the bill turning into law. The people affected by suo motu proceedings include estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen and the residents of the now-demolished Nasla Tower in Karachi. In November 2021, with sullen faces and teary eyes, residents of Nasla Tower were racing against the deadline to vacate the building on the orders of the Supreme Court. The top court had ruled on demolishing the building built partly on the service lane in the Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society. Also read: Bench orders postponement of suo motu notice until amendments in SC rules The builder had connived with government officials, who had turned a blind eye to the illegal construction. The victims of the building scam paid inflated wages to the workers to move their belongings on the day of the deadline. The loading vehicles were brought on the 4th floor parking space of the Nasla Tower to facilitate evacuation. Drivers of pickups and minitrucks kept making rounds throughout the day till late in the evening to haul away the belongings of the people who had made the mistake of buying or renting out apartments of a building built illegally by the construction company with the connivance of Sindh government officials. The labourers used the lift to bring their valuable home appliances including refrigerators, air conditioners, furniture, decorative items, kitchen ware and pile them in the vehicles which were immediately shifted. In December 2021, an FIR registered at Ferozabad police station nominated officers of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society (SCHS), and other relevant departments for allowing the illegal construction of Nasla Tower. Earlier this month, an anti-corruption court in Karachi indicted 18 people including a former director general of the SBCA as well as the director of the design department in the Nasla Tower case. The right to appeal would apply to suo motu cases earlier than those decided during the tenures of these former CJPs. Those affected by these proceedings initiated under Article 184(3) would be able to file an appeal against the SC verdicts against them within 30 days.

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Imran ready to sit with politicians: Umar

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar on Wednesday said that the party Chairman Imran Khan was ready to “negotiate” with political parties in a bid to move ahead and seek a political solution to the current crisis. Speaking to a private news channel in Islamabad, the general secretary said that his party chief demanded an undertaking from the government as well. Terming the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) "a group of thieves,” the PTI chief, a day earlier, gave green light to participating in political processes including All Parties Conference (APC). Reflecting on the Supreme Court’s ruling on PTI’s plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for delaying elections, Umar said that Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial had stressed the importance of consensus of all political parties. Read more: 'Won't need crutches': Imran hopes for heavy mandate in next elections “The chief justice is talking about a free environment. It is his positive view to unite everyone,” he said. “The chief justice is not a politician; his job is to enforce the Constitution,” the PTI leader said. He added that the PTI's government was ousted on the decision of the same chief justice. “Earlier, he [PM Shehbaz Sharif] wanted us to dissolve the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) assemblies for election. We dissolved both the assemblies and now he refuses to hold elections,” Umar said. “Now that the PTI chairman is ready to negotiate for the sake of stability and transparent polls in the country,” Asad Umar said, adding: “PM Shehbaz is asking him to apologise”. In a fiery parliament address, PM Shehbaz earlier said talks between the government and PTI chairman would only be possible if the former premier admitted his "wrongdoings" and apologised to people. “Mian sahab knows that the nation is against their narrative and no one is ready to trust what they are saying after how their lives have become difficult in the last one year,” Umar cited this to be the reason why the prime minister was giving such statements.

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Imran ready to sit with politicians: Umar

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar on Wednesday said that the party Chairman Imran Khan was ready to “negotiate” with political parties in a bid to move ahead and seek a political solution to the current crisis. Speaking to a private news channel in Islamabad, the general secretary said that his party chief demanded an undertaking from the government as well. Terming the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) "a group of thieves,” the PTI chief, a day earlier, gave green light to participating in political processes including All Parties Conference (APC). Reflecting on the Supreme Court’s ruling on PTI’s plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for delaying elections, Umar said that Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial had stressed the importance of consensus of all political parties. Read more: 'Won't need crutches': Imran hopes for heavy mandate in next elections “The chief justice is talking about a free environment. It is his positive view to unite everyone,” he said. “The chief justice is not a politician; his job is to enforce the Constitution,” the PTI leader said. He added that the PTI's government was ousted on the decision of the same chief justice. “Earlier, he [PM Shehbaz Sharif] wanted us to dissolve the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) assemblies for election. We dissolved both the assemblies and now he refuses to hold elections,” Umar said. “Now that the PTI chairman is ready to negotiate for the sake of stability and transparent polls in the country,” Asad Umar said, adding: “PM Shehbaz is asking him to apologise”. In a fiery parliament address, PM Shehbaz earlier said talks between the government and PTI chairman would only be possible if the former premier admitted his "wrongdoings" and apologised to people. “Mian sahab knows that the nation is against their narrative and no one is ready to trust what they are saying after how their lives have become difficult in the last one year,” Umar cited this to be the reason why the prime minister was giving such statements.

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Foreign job market opens doors for Pakistanis

Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Pakistani and Human Resource Development Syed Agha Rafiullah on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that as many as 829,549 emigrants were registered for overseas employment through the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE) during 2022. This number marks the highest amount of registered emigrants in the past five years. In response to various questions, he said that since 1971, 12.45 million Pakistani workers had been registered with BE&OE for employment abroad till 2022. However, a declining trend was observed in 2020 and 2021 as only 224,705 and 286,648 emigrants were registered by BE&OE, respectively, due to Covid restrictions, he said. He said that BE&OE has taken several measures to explore and tap the international job markets for intending emigrants. Read more: Pakistan's employment rate shrinks A diversification strategy adopted to shift focus to new labour markets and the declaration of intent on migration and mobility has already been signed with Greece and the UK and soon would be signed with Germany. The parliamentary secretary said 12 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on manpower export with different countries including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Portugal, Romania and Uzbekistan were under bilateral discussion. The overseas minister visited Romania and Portugal to explore new regular labour migration avenues, he said. Rafiullah said the government had appointed 24 Community Welfare Attaches in 16 different countries to explore new avenues for Pakistani manpower through Labour Market Analysis (LMA) of the host country so that skilled Pakistani intending emigrants could be imparted required training as per labour market requirements of the host country. He said approximately 9 million Pakistanis were working/residing in different countries around the world and contributing towards the socio-economic development of the country. However, the Parliamentary Secretary said that there was no dedicated mechanism for providing solutions to the protection of their properties. In order to address the issue, the Ministry/OPF undertook the initiative of proposing a bill that would address their grievances and provide protection to overseas Pakistanis with regard to their properties. To another question, he said all the regular employees of OPF schools and colleges were getting minimum remuneration as prescribed by the government. Furthermore, contract employees were being paid a salary as per the terms and conditions of contractual employment rules/polices and as per advertisements published in newspapers at the time of hiring, he said. However, he said, the remuneration of some contract employees was still less than the minimum wages as declared by the Federal government. Furthermore, up to a 10% annual increment was also granted to the contractual employees upon renewal of their annual contracts, he said.

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'Won't need crutches': Imran hopes for heavy mandate in next elections

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday hoped that his party would manage to bag a heavy mandate in the next general elections, and said there will be no need for "crutches". He made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation of retired additional and sessions court judges at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, Express News reported. The delegation expressed solidarity with Imran on behalf of 297 members. "We want to make efforts for the betterment of the people on a large scale and hope to form a government in the future with a heavy mandate," Imran was quoted as saying during the meeting. Imran said that PTI is never afraid of negotiations or talks, but discussion will take place on election matters only. Read more: Imran presents PTI’s roadmap to economic prosperity at Lahore rally "It is important for us to consider how we can protect the ordinary citizens. We will move forward with the agenda of reforms in the country and establish the rule of law for the betterment of society, which has become essential," he said. The remarks come as PTI presses for early elections in the country which, according to the party, were essential for the economic revival of Pakistan. On Saturday, the deposed premier presented his party's roadmap for economic prosperity at a public rally at Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan. He emphasised that the country needs difficult decisions to be made to revamp governance and increase exports. Khan pointed out that Pakistan doesn't collect sufficient taxes, resulting in an outflow of dollars that exceeds the inflow. He said that if exports increase, the inflow of dollars would also increase. He also urged the need for a complete revamp of governance to achieve economic prosperity. The deposed premier stated that a "surgery" was needed in Pakistan to put the house in order, and if that were done, overseas Pakistanis would bring their dollars to the country. He suggested incentivising overseas Pakistanis to invest and proposed VIP status for exporters. The PTI chief highlighted the IT and tourism sectors' growth during his party’s tenure and emphasised increasing productivity in the agriculture sector. He also proposed restructuring all government corporations, including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). According to Khan, only 2.5 million Pakistanis out of 220 million people pay taxes. He stressed the need to increase the tax base to achieve progress, and said PTI collected record taxes during its tenure. Khan also said that the PTI government introduced health cards, which the current government has stopped, but his party would revive the initiative.

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Free wheat flour: protests erupt in K-P

Protests and brawls for the supply of free government wheat flour on Tuesday were witnessed at various places in Peshawar as the city’s police expressed their helplessness to control the situation and asked the provincial government to avail the services of the Frontier Constabulary for this purpose. Protests broke out in different parts of the city including Ashraf Road, Khyber Colony, Yousufabad, Ittehad Colony, Zaryab Colony, Faqirabad, Ring Road, and Badhber. Protesters blocked Kohat Road over not receiving the free flour, resulting in a massive traffic gridlock in the area. In Hayatabad, protesters blocked Masjid-e-Zarghoni Road over the same issue. Protesters also blocked a road in Zaryab Colony. The protesters complained that they had to wait in long queues for the entire day and still return home empty-handed. They claimed that flour was being distributed on the basis of nepotism, with political affiliation taken into account. Complaints of not receiving the free government flour are increasing with each passing day. The city's police have advised the provincial government to use the FC to keep the law and order situation under control during the process of free flour distribution. Police officials said they had hardly come up with the manpower for the ongoing census in the city. Apart from that, they also have to deploy police personnel for the security of bazaars and mosques during the holy month of Ramazan. They said across the province, its southern districts in particular, a large number of women gather at the distribution points to collect free flour, making it difficult for the police to manage the situation. The police officials said the provincial government could identify the distribution points where the problems were being faced and deploy FC personnel there as an additional force. The provincial government would consult with the Centre to make the final decision on the deployment of the FC personnel. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while recently chairing a review meeting in Islamabad, said free flour would be provided to the underprivileged people of Punjab in the first phase under the special Ramazan package. Later it was decided to include the deserving people of Islamabad in the scheme. Similarly, other provincial governments also announced plans to distribute free flour bags. However, unorganised distributions in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa resulted in stampedes. A man was killed in Charsadda, and several others were injured in Swabi and Kohat. Another man in Bannu died after the boundary wall of a flour mill collapsed ahead of the distribution process. In the Hasilpur tehsil of southern Punjab, at least five women were injured in a stampede at a free flour distribution point.

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‘Mafias’ hoard, smuggle sugar on large scale

After urea, fertilizer, wheat and flour, business mafias have started hoarding and smuggling sugar on a large scale, causing the market price of the commodity to exorbitantly rise. With the 2022-23 crushing season coming to an end, sugar has started to become expensive, with rates reaching Rs10,110 for a 100 kg bag after an increase of Rs110 on Tuesday. During the past two months, sugar prices rose by Rs30 per kilogram and Rs2,300 per 100 kilogram sack, while the wholesale rate of sugar in the market increased from Rs85 to Rs105 per kg and by Rs110 at retail stores. Arbitrary prices of sugar are being charged in rural and suburban areas. The Sugar Mills Association sought permission from the government to export sugar as soon as crushing of sugarcane crops had started. The association assured that the price of sugar would not exceed Rs90, however the price of sugar rose by Rs30 per kg and Rs2,300 per sack barely 15 days after the end of the sugar crushing season. Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2023.

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Govt hatching conspiracy to divide judiciary: Imran

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan has warned the government and “neutrals” that the human rights violations can take ugly turn if they did not mend their ways. “I want to tell the ‘neutrals’ that free and fair elections are the only way forward as their strategy of threatening the public has badly failed and backfired,” the PTI chief said while addressing the nation via video link from his Zaman Park residence on Tuesday. The former premier reiterated that the responsibility of implementing the rule of law in the country was now on the shoulders of the legal fraternity. “The government is hatching a conspiracy to divide the superior judiciary for its personal interests,” he maintained. Also read: Govt clips top judge’s powers on suo motu, bench constitution Imran invited the lawyers of the country to participate in the Lawyers’ Convention being held in Lahore on Wednesday (today) as it was high time for the legal community to put their differences aside for the implementation of the rule of law in the country. On the other day, he highlighted, Barrister Hassaan Niazi was arrested and a series of fake cases were registered against him in different provinces. The imported government and its handlers had also abducted several social media activists to silence their voice, he said, adding that restrictions were being imposed on media to silent opposing voices. “The legal fraternity is not being allowed to function for the implementation of rule of law in the country,” he added. The former premier stressed that every Pakistani citizen had to raise his voice for the rule of law in the country otherwise the situation would further deteriorate and provision of justice would become a distant dream from common citizens and human rights violations would further increase. The gross human rights violations witnessed in the last 11 months, Imran pointed out, were not witnessed in any democracy. “Unprecedented inflation has been witnessed during this period as the imported rulers have no plan to rein in the economic chaos in the country. Their complete focus is to find an escape route from elections.” The PTI chairman warned that the way the government and the establishment were trying to silent opposing voices and deteriorating economic situation had pushed the country towards a dangerous point. Torture on political workers and common citizens was increasing hatred among the masses and this situation could go to the point where nobody would be able to handle the situation. “I am trying my best to calm down my workers and supporters but it will not work for long,” he added. Imran pointed out that when he appeared for hearing in the Islamabad court, the police and “unidentified” persons attacked his party workers to instigate violence. Same happened on the previous hearing. Also read: Imran enjoys ‘fight’ against PDM govt amid crackdown on PTI A journalist of a foreign TV channel had witnessed how the police and neutrals attacked peaceful workers of his party. Because neither the government nor the neutrals wanted to hold elections in the country. “We want free and fair elections to bring back political stability but the government and their handlers want to create unrest in the country,” he maintained. Lamenting the government’s free wheat flour distribution campaign, the former premier pointed out that over eight precious lives were lost and dozens of citizens had been injured owing to this cheap publicity stunt of the incumbent rulers. “During the Covid pandemic, the PTI government distributed Rs14,000 stipend to needy families in a transparent and dignified way, while the incumbent rulers are humiliating common citizens in long queues for flour distribution,” he highlighted.

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Maryam owns assets worth over Rs840.89m

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday submitted details of her financial assets along with her nomination papers, according to which, she owns assets worth more than Rs840.89 million. Maryam has shown MA English Literature as her educational qualification in the nomination papers, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune. Maryam owes more than Rs20.89 million to her brother Hasan Nawaz. Maryam’s husband Captain Safdar also owes Rs60 million to his friends. It is stated in her nomination papers that Maryam is the owner of more than 1,400-kanal of land in the Raiwind area and has no property abroad. Also read: Maryam Nawaz’s nomination papers reveal assets worth millions Maryam has shown her agricultural income to be more than Rs10.90 million in three years. She has paid more than Rs1.2 million in income tax on agricultural land in the three years. Maryam has bought shares worth more than Rs5.469 million in the Hudabiya Paper Mills. She bought shares worth Rs4.821 million in Muhammad Bakhsh Textile Mills Maryam owns shares worth Rs1.6 million in Hamza Spinning Mills and Rs90,000 worth of shares in Junaid Poultry Farms. The documents showed that Maryam did not have her own vehicle. “There is more than Rs7.8 million in the bank accounts of Maryam Nawaz.”

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Stay orders for ‘corrupt’ officers irks PAC

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament Chairman Noor Alam on Tuesday criticised the issuance of stay orders by courts on action against corrupt officers. During a PAC huddle, Alam maintained that the committee worked for the country. “What is the job of the courts? Issue stay orders to corrupt people?” he questioned. The committee then summoned the attorney general for Pakistan at its next meeting for a briefing on the cases being heard by the courts. While reviewing the audit report of the food security ministry, the body expressed its displeasure over lack of holding a departmental accounts committee meeting. The PAC sought the details of farm research conducted during the last 10 years and the number of PhD researchers at the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Alam observed that the government paid an amount of around 500 million annually to PARC researchers and employees. Also read: PAC orders audit of Supreme Court accounts PAC member Hussain Tariq noted that the average yield of wheat was 20 maunds per acre,10 years ago and it was still the same today. Later, the PAC directed the ministry to provide it with the details of the PARC PhD researchers’ salaries and benefits. The PARC chairman in his briefing to the PAC pointed out that the cultivation of strawberries in the country was the result of his organisation’s research. However, the committee emphasised the importance of focusing on important crops including wheat instead of strawberries. The PAC members raised the question as to how many varieties of wheat and rice had been introduced in the country in the last 10 years. The chairman of the committee observed that there were many PhD holders in the country but no research in the agricultural sector. Food Security Secretary Zafar Hassan told the committee that his ministry was spending 0.12% of the GDP on agricultural research -- a figure that was less than all other countries in the region. He further informed the committee that the production of wheat per acre in the country was 60 to 80 maunds. However, the members of the committee maintained that the average production of wheat per acre in the country was 27 maunds. The PAC reviewed the audit report of the National Heritage and Culture Division. It sought the details of the investments from the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa). The audit authorities told the PAC that the administration of Napa did not care about financial rules and regulations. In the meeting, irregularities worth millions of rupees were revealed in the academy. The PAC was informed that the Napa board had kept a sum of Rs300 million in two separate private banks against the rules. According to the audit report, more than Rs10 million could not be kept in a single bank according to the rules, which prompted the PAC to seek investment details from Napa.

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Pakistan to skip US democracy summit

After intense in-house deliberations, Pakistan decided on Tuesday to skip the second 'Summit for Democracy' being hosted by United States President Joe Biden this week. Pakistan had been invited to the three-day summit initiated by President Biden in 2021 as well, but did not attend due to concerns related to China. This year, the US has invited over 100 countries, including Taiwan but once again excluded China. Just hours before the summit was to kick off, the Foreign Office issued a statement citing reasons for not attending the summit. “We are thankful to the United States and the co-host countries for inviting Pakistan to attend the Second Summit for Democracy being held on 29-30 March," read a statement. "As a vibrant democracy, the people of Pakistan are deeply committed to democratic values and generations of Pakistanis time after time have upheld their faith in democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms. This month, the nation is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Constitution that is the fountain of democratic polity in Pakistan," the statement further read. "We value our friendship with the United States. Under this Biden Administration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially. We remain committed to further solidifying this relationship for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region." The statement said that Pakistan had not been part of the summit process that commenced in 2021 and required countries to make certain national commitments. Read Pakistan deliberates on SCO participation in India "The Summit process is now at an advanced stage and therefore, Pakistan would engage bilaterally with the United States and co-hosts of the Summit to promote and strengthen democratic principles and values and work towards advancing human rights and the fight against corruption," it said. What made Pakistan's decision complicated was that the US has not invited China and Turkey while Taiwan would be attending the summit. Pakistan enjoys close ties with China and Turkey and any decision taken would keep in view both the countries, particularly Beijing's concerns. Islamabad skipped the first US democracy summit in December 2021 because of China’s exclusion from the event. Pakistan also stayed away from the summit since President Biden did not speak to then prime minister Imran Khan. Moreover, Imran was only asked to send a recorded video statement for the summit, something that compelled the government to stay away. Beijing had welcomed Islamabad's move, reinforcing the perception that Pakistan had taken the decision at the behest of China. Since the change of government in April last year, there has been visible push by both Pakistan and the US to reset their ties. Similarly, Pakistan is desperately looking for the IMF bailout and the US role could be very crucial in that. However, at the same time, Pakistan cannot antagonise China, whose support is critical for the country in case there is no IMF deal. "Frankly, we need to stay neutral. We need to stay out of this power game of big powers," said a source explaining the reason behind Pakistan skipping the summit for the second time.

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Sanaullah won’t stay if there’s room for one: Imran

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in response to recent remarks by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah expressed his desire for both the parties to remain active in the political arena, saying that should the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) insist on the notion that only one party can exist, then Sanaullah will not stay. On Saturday, the interior minister said in an interview with a private news channel that "the country’s politics has been brought to the level where the existence of only one of the two [PTI and PML-N] is possible”. Sanaullah also said that when the ruling party felt that its existence was under threat, it could go to any extent against its chief political rival—without considering “what is illegal or undemocratic”. In an informal conversation with journalists outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday, Imran noted that if those supporting the government were to withdraw their support, the government would collapse. When asked who was in power, Imran responded that the answer was well-known. He went on to express his concern over the rule of law in the country, citing the alleged kidnapping of Azhar Mashwani and the release and subsequent arrest of Hassaan Niazi. Imran also stated that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was likely waiting for his (Imran’s) disqualification or death before returning to Pakistan. To another question about resisting arrests, the former prime minister said that if he had committed any crime, he would have obliged. In light of Sanaullah's statements, the PTI chief filed an application against the interior minister for issuing "direct threats" against him and his party at the IHC. Seeking the IHC's intervention on the matter, Imran requested the court to block his arrest and prevent the respondents from carrying out their "plans". Notably, in addition to Sanaullah, the federal government, Islamabad IG and SSP operations had been made respondents in the case. PTI Secretary General Asad Umar also issued a statement, saying that courts should take notice of Sanaullah's statements, adding that the party "has no intention to threaten his existence". "We did not make any cases when we were in the government," he said. "All cases against Sanaullah were National Accountability Bureau's references." He simultaneously lamented the crackdown on PTI workers, saying: "Five hundred PTI workers have been arrested in Islamabad alone." Similarly, former minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Shiekh Rashid also condemned the interior minister's remarks. "They usurped the state," Rashid said, claiming that Sanaullah "wants bloodshed in the country".

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Rain, thunderstorm alert issued

The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a warning that intermittent rains accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms are likely in the province till March 31. PDMA Director General Imran Qureshi issued the warning citing the meteorological department’s forecast about the weather conditions. He said in a statement that westerly winds would enter the western regions of the country on Tuesday and remain until March 31. The cities likely to witness rain and thunderstorms during the period include Lahore, Khushab, Mianwali, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan, Sahiwal, Okara, Pakpattan, Khanewal, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan. He also warned of heavy rains and hail in some places, which could cause severe damage to standing crops, particularly wheat, and weak infrastructure. “Farmers should take precautions keeping in view the weather forecast,” he said. The PDMA stated that the heavy rain could also cause flooding in the hilly areas of DG Khan. Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2023.

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Mansoor Usman Awan appointed new AGP

Mansoor Usman Awan has been appointed as the new Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP), days after Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi stepped down as the country’s top law officer. President Dr Arif Alvi appointed Awan as the AGP with the rank and status of federal minister with immediate effect, read a notification issued by the Law Ministry on Monday. Sources had revealed to The Express Tribune that Elahi resigned from his position of attorney general on Friday after he was asked to step down by the government. However, in a statement issued on Saturday regarding the media reports, Elahi said: “It is not true as I had already informed about my resignation.” “[The rumour that] I was asked to resign is baseless and incorrect. When I informed the important government figure about my resignation, I was prevented from resigning, but I have signed my resignation and handed it over to the senior minister so that the government can send my resignation to the president whenever it wants,” Elahi said. It was learnt that the federal government had appointed him as the AGP on the recommendation of a section of the superior judiciary. Also read: Attorney General Elahi steps down Elahi, who enjoyed a good reputation in the legal fraternity, appears to have become a victim of the ongoing clash between the judiciary and the executive. Now, it seems that the government has sent a message to the section of judges who had earlier halted the appointment of Mansoor Usman Awan as the AGP.  Following Elahi’s resignation, The Express Tribune had reported earlier that the government was again considering the name of Awan for the same slot. In December last year, President Alvi had approved the summary regarding Awan’s appointment as the new AGP. However, his notification was not issued due to the reservations from a section of the judiciary. Later in January this year, Awan recused himself from becoming the new Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) due to “unavoidable professional commitments”. Sources had revealed to The Express Tribune that Awan informed the incumbent federal government that he would not be in a position to get the portfolio of AGP at this time. In his letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Awan had stated, "last month you had offered me to serve as the Attorney General for Pakistan, for which I am very grateful. However, due to unavoidable professional commitments, I will be unable to serve as the Attorney General for Pakistan, at this time. I remain very thankful to you for reposing your confidence in me." Who is Mansoor Awan? Awan, who also enjoys a good reputation within the legal fraternity, was partner with Justice Babar Sattar in a legal firm before the latter’s appointment to the Islamabad High Court. Senior lawyers are of the view that Awan became a victim of judicial politics. He was former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shehbaz's counsel in a case wherein the three-judge special bench of the apex court had set aside the ruling of deputy speaker Dost Mazari. Also read: Mansoor Awan declines AGP post All the respondents in the case including Hamza had boycotted the court proceedings after the bench had refused to form full court in the matter. Interestingly, Awan was not among the lawyers who supported the seniority principle for the elevation of judges to the apex court. However, it is believed that he is close to one section of the judiciary as well as superior bars which are following the seniority principle for the elevation of judges to the top court. He completed his Master of Law (LLM) in 2005 from Harvard Law School and received the Dean’s Award for Leadership. He also served as president of the Harvard Graduate Council from 2004-05. He did his Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the Punjab University Law College in 2002 and earned the Justice M Jan Memorial gold medal for the first position in jurisprudence, and the Charles Earl Bevan Petman law prize for the first position in criminal law. Awan was also the counsel of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in several matters including the implementation of Article 95 and presidential reference on the interpretation of Article 63(A) of the Constitution. On behalf of the SCBA, Awan also filed a petition against the lifetime disqualification of lawmakers under Article 62 (1) (f) of the Constitution.

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Pakistan stands vulnerable to a ‘severe’ locust attack

Pakistan is currently vulnerable to a severe locust attack, which could cause significant damage to the country's agricultural sector and threaten food security. The Plant Protection Department of the federal government, which was responsible for controlling the spread of locusts, was facing a major setback as 18 aircraft that were previously used for aerial spraying to neutralise locust attacks were now inactive. The Plant Protection Department had procured these aircraft for tens of millions of rupees, using them for aerial spraying in various regions. However, in 2021, one of the aircraft crashed in Rahim Yar Khan, and since then, all the planes had been grounded. Currently, 10 of the aircraft were stranded in Karachi, while eight in Lahore, and it was feared that lack of proper maintenance had caused further damage to the planes. The Plant Protection Department's air fleet consisted of Beaver, Cessna, and Fletcher aircraft. The Fletcher and Cessna aircraft fleet was grounded in 2004, and the Beaver aircraft fleet in 2021. The aerial spray wing of the Plant Protection Department became completely inactive due to the grounding of the planes, leaving the country vulnerable to locust attacks. Pakistan faced its worst locust outbreak in nearly three decades in 2020-21, which caused severe crop yield reduction or even total failure in many areas. The desert locusts affected 38% of Pakistan’s land area, leading to significant damage to food crops, including wheat, maize, and vegetables. The locusts damaged over three million hectares of crops, resulting in losses of around $3 billion, according to the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council data. In response to the locust crisis, Pakistan collaborated with China to control the locust attack, but these latest revelations exposed the authorities’ preparedness to deal with the situation. The looming threat of a severe locust attack in Pakistan's primary food-producing regions had the potential to inflict significant damage on the agriculture sector. The devastation of locust swarms could be profound, as they were equipped with an insatiable appetite that could sweep through green fields, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. In the absence of effective measures to control their spread, farmers were faced with the perilous prospect of an infestation that could potentially wipe out entire crops, thereby posing a severe threat to food security in the region. Locusts, a species of grasshoppers, could inflict extensive damage to crops and vegetation when they swarm in large numbers. The challenge of controlling these pests was compounded by their ability to travel vast distances and reproduce rapidly. While pesticides remained the most effective method of control, they had detrimental effects on the environment and human health. Consequently, there had been a surge in interest in biological control methods that involved introducing natural predators or pathogens to target locusts without causing collateral damage to other species. Moreover, early warning systems and vigilant monitoring could detect locust outbreaks and allow for timely and targeted intervention. Therefore, a combination of different strategies and a coordinated effort among nations and organisations was vital to mitigate the impact of locusts on agriculture and food security.

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K-P all set to have first woman chief justice

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province is expected to have its first woman chief justice as two senior judges of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) are scheduled to retire this week. PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid, who is also a member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), is retiring on March 30 and Senior Puisne Judge Roohul Amin Khan on March 31. After their retirement, Justice Musarrat Hilali is the senior-most in the PHC judges’ seniority list. Therefore, she will be the first woman PHC chief justice until her retirement on August 7. Interestingly, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial has yet to summon a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) to consider the nomination of the new PHC CJ. It is expected that Justice Musarrat will be appointed as an acting CJ first. Later, she may be recommended as a permanent PHC CJ. Former K-P advocate general Shumail Butt said, “Iit is a proud moment for the K-P province.” A province otherwise portrayed as a hardliner archaic hub of patriarchal mindset was going to appoint the first lady chief justice of the high court. “This is going to present a very soft image of Pashtuns to the world," Sarwar Muzaffar Shah Advocate, who is doing practice at the PHC, said. “Justice Musarrat’s appointment as the first woman chief justice of K-P is a positive development in many aspects- she is a judge who demonstrates a lot of judicial courage on the bench which even some men judges lack it." Though she will be the chief justice of the PHC for a few months, symbolically it will have far-reaching effects especially for the women of the province. Advocate Sarwar stated that many young girls, especially law students and lawyers, would be encouraged because a very high glass ceiling would be shattered by her appointment as the K-P chief justice. "Her most celebrated characteristic as a judge is that she is an independent-minded judge who takes decisions without fear or favour," he added. Another lawyer Umer Gilani said that as the first-ever woman chief justice of a high court, the elevation of Justice Musarrat would be a milestone in judicial history. "In almost one decade of judicial service, Justice Musarrat has established herself as a judge of unimpeachable integrity. She carries out her court in a commanding yet courteous manner. Pakistan can rightfully be proud of the accomplishment of such a person,” he added. Meanwhile, K-P lawyers were upset for not considering PHC judges’ elevation to the Supreme Court. Pakistan Bar Council member Amjad Shah expressed disappointment for ignoring two senior-most PHC judges regarding their elevation to the SC and now they were retiring this week. He wondered why the PHC judges were being subjected to discrimination. He said that after the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the population of the K-P province had increased. “At least the two PHC judges should be elevated to the SC,” he added. Interestingly, CJP Bandial had recommended the elevation of incumbent PHC CJ Qaiser Rashid last year but majority of the JCP members were in favour to defer his nomination. Later, he was not recommended for elevation to the SC. Strong voices were being raised from the bench and the bar over what was being seen as an “improper” representation in the superior court. Last year, a delegation of four PHC judges met with CJP Bandial to convey their concerns over the non-nomination of a judge of the PHC for elevation to the apex court.

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Standing crops damaged by hailstorms, rain

Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel said that around 16,000 acres of standing crops were affected by poor weather in Layyah district. He expressed these views during a visit to Layyah, where he assessed the impact of recent rains, wind and hailstorms on various crops and vegetables, including wheat. He directed the field staff to complete a survey of losses caused by rain and to submit a report as early as possible. He further added that the wheat crop has now entered an important stage in its growth and directed field formations to remain present in the field to guide farmers. The Secretary said that the sowing of other Kharif crops, including cotton and mango orchards, entered a key phase across South Punjab and added that field formations need to work diligently. Ateel said that the next generation could be saved from the damage of climate change by planting trees, adding that growers suffer a great deal and their hard work is often wasted due to climate change. The Punjab government was providing financial protection to registered farmers under the insurance scheme. Secretary Agriculture further added that serious steps were being taken to increase cotton cultivation and production, with a special insurance policy for cotton crops launched to ensure profit for farmers. He ordered field formations to convince farmers to increase cultivation of cotton crops and spread awareness about its importance so that cotton could be cultivated across the maximum possible area. Meanwhile, Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel chaired a meeting reviewing the performance of the Agriculture department and inspected the bio lab.   Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2023.

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Lady doctor found dead in hostel

A lady doctor was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a hostel at Lady Willington Hospital on Sunday. The victim was identified as Dr Naseem Ejaz who hailed from Gilgit-Baltistan. She had been living in the hostel for the past four years and was found dead in her room. Police moved the body to a morgue for an autopsy, collected forensic evidence from the crime scene and recorded statements of witnesses. Police officials said the family of the deceased had been informed about her death. They said the cause of death would be ascertained after the autopsy and further investigations. Darul Aman resident A 36-year-old woman was found hanging in a washroom in a Darul Aman in Nawan Kot. The woman, identified as Sania, had contracted a love marriage with Tanveer, a resident of Rawlakot. She had been staying in the protection centre in order to record her statement before an additional session judge. Other women staying in the centre spotted the body and alerted the authorities. A police team moved the body to a morgue for an autopsy and collected forensic evidence from the spot. The victim reportedly was found hanging by a scarf. Police said they were investigating the matter while keeping various angles in view.   Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2023.

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Tourism — massive untapped potential

Despite constraints like a strict visa regime, terrorism, poor infrastructure, inadequately trained human resources, and the lack of a robust tourism culture, Pakistan’s tourism sector still has vast potential to achieve significant milestones and act as an engine for economic growth. If tapped carefully, the lucrative sector can turn around the lives of hundreds of millions for good. With an amalgamation of the scenic beauty of mountain ranges, vast plains, soothing lakes, gushing rivers, enchanting coastline, calm deserts, and religio-historic monuments, the country hosts socio-cultural relics gathered from knowledge and experience of invaders, rulers, historians, and communities. Diversified in cultures and cuisines, the country also boasts noble traditions of hospitality, brotherhood, and religious harmony rooted in civilisations like Gandhara and Indus. It is geographically unique with archaeological heritage, and spiritual and cultural sites providing ample tourism opportunities for nature lovers and followers of different religions. Thus one can judiciously claim that Pakistan’s tourism industry holds limitless potential. But unlike many countries of the world earning billions of dollars annually through their tourism industry, Pakistan is still struggling to fully capitalise on this potential although some strides have been made in the recent past like winning the Best New Exhibitor Award at Travel and Adventure Show 2023 at New York in January this year. Around 20 prominent companies in the tourism and hospitality sector along with provincial tourism departments from Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan presented Pakistan’s rich tourism potential at the international show. The participating companies also had meetings with major tour operators in USA and counterparts in other countries as a series of shows at this event had attracted over 2.5 million travelers to over 4,500 destinations of the world. “Pakistan has a variety of tourist destinations with the strongest and unique traditions of warm hospitality which is also acknowledged by foreign tourists,” said PTDC Managing Director Rana Aftab. “Therefore, it is high time to promote awareness by educating people about their duties to preserve the environment and cultural heritage of the country.” He said Pakistan's participation in Travel and Trade Show has been highly impactful in terms of response from the public and international tourism organisations. “The event provided an opportunity to interact with top international and domestic tour operators, cruise lines, and travel providers,” he stated. “Besides routine tourism, we also have vast potential to promote cultural and religious tourism by attracting believers of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikh religions.” The statistics show that on average, around 7,500 Sikhs from India and around 2,000 from Europe, the USA, and Canada visit Pakistan annually. Similarly, around 2,000 Buddhists visit their holy sites in Pakistan. This is far below the potential as there are around 30 million Sikhs and around 500 million Buddhism believers living in different countries across the world. “Pakistan is a country with landmarks of various religious ethnicities and unexplored potential for religious tourism,” Rana Aftab said. Therefore, PTDC is pursuing a plan to boost religious tourism for promoting inter-faith harmony and revenue generation, he said. He, however, mentioned some visa policy and security issues and suggested a conducive environment for international tourists to have a due share of earnings from this industry. Pakistan, owing to vast natural and cultural beauty and religious tourism potential can earn its due share, Rana Aftab said. “Therefore keeping in view its economic value, we need to ensure a better and secure environment and ease of traveling for tourists to earn direly needed foreign exchange,” he pleaded. For this purpose, we can promote group tourism through registered and licensed tour operators globally, ensuring an amicable environment for international tourists. Although PTDC arranges events like National Ice Hockey Championship at Ghulkin in Upper Hunza to promote winter tourism yet it also needs to broaden its spectrum to highlight multiple sites for tourism in the world tourism market. Statistics show that during 2021-22, around 91,185,177 local tourists visited Northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s tourist destinations like Chitral, Kalash, Dir-Kumrat, Swat, Kalam, Dasu, Kohistan, Manshera, and Naran. But this figure stood just at 3,500 in terms of foreign tourists which is too small for a country bestowed with amazing landscapes, pines, and deodar forests, rich historical and cultural heritage, and snow-covered mountain peaks. The country also boasts thousands of years old history with civilizations like Meher Garh, Mohenjo-Daro, and Gandhara and protected archeological sites. Its potential for sports tourism is also unmatchable as the country possesses vast opportunities for hiking, ice hockey, skating, rock climbing, and mountaineering. Therefore, if we cannot attract a vast number of foreign tourists despite having such countless bounties of Nature, we need to revisit our policies and approaches to benefit from this highly valuable income resource of our economy.   Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2023.

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In a first, religious textbooks to be published for students of minority groups

For the first time in the country’s history, the National Curriculum Council (NCC) has allowed the publication of religious textbooks for students of seven minority religious groups enrolled in educational institutions supervised by the federal government. The issuance of the no-objection certificates (NOCs) by the NCC will allow the National Book Foundation (NBF) to publish textbooks on Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Bahai, Zoroastrianism, Kalasha and Buddhism. According to the seven different NOCs, students of the minority communities from grade one to three will be taught religious textbooks in schools in the federal capital or educational instituworking under the ambit of federal government. Also read: Separate curriculum for minorities likely NCC chief Maryam Chaghatai told The Express Tribune that the decision is only applicable to the schools that are under the administrative control of the federal education ministry and added that education is a provincial subject under the 18th Constitutional Amendment. However, the NCC chief said they were also sharing the draft of the religious textbooks with the provincial governments. “If any province wants, they can publish these books through their respective boards. We have also received a request in this regard. Punjab is interested in teaching religious textbooks to the students of the minority communities in their schools,” she added. Moreover, according to the NOCs, initially these books will be published in Urdu language. The textbooks for the Bahai will be published from the first to the fifth grade, while for Hinduism, Kalash, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and Sikhism, from grade 1 to 3. Also read: Students from minority communities get scholarship cheques For Christian community, the textbooks will be published for students of grades 1 to 4. According to the notification, the textbooks will be published as per National Curriculum for Religious Education and will be free of any kind of cultural, linguistic or ethnic prejudice, while these textbooks will not include any material against any religion or the state of Pakistan. All the authentic references of the religious books will be included in the textbooks and all the maps will be as per survey of Pakistan, the notification added.

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Rana Sanaullah hints at taking ‘any step’ against PTI

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that country’s political situation has reached the point where the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) could go to any extent to protect its existence from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan. “The country’s politics has been brought to the level where the existence of only one of the two [PTI and PML-N] is possible,” the interior minister said in an interview aired on Saturday. یا عمران خان کا وجود رہے گا یا ہمارا اور ہم اِس کے لیے ہر حد تک جائیں گے چاہے آئینی ہو یا غیر آئینی۔ رانا ثنااللہ pic.twitter.com/hlm6NUGKkR — Abuzar Furqan (@AbuzarFurqan) March 26, 2023 Sanaullah said that when the ruling party feels that its existence is under threat, it can go to any extent against its chief political rival—without considering “what is illegal or undemocratic”. When asked if his statements could provoke PML-N supporters into considering the PTI chief as their enemy, Sanaullah said the supporters of Imran Khan already consider them as their enemy. “The anarchy is being spread already,” the minister remarked while responding to the question. Calling Imran a fitna [mischief], the interior minister said there can be no peace in the country with the presence of PTI chief in politics. “Imran Khan has turned politics into enmity. We consider him as a political rival but he sees us as his sworn enemy. There can a major disaster in the country if Imran Khan is not eliminated from politics,” he added. Also read: Sana lampoons Imran for ‘paradoxical narrative' Earlier in the day, Senior Vice President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz Sharif questioned why former prime minister Imran Khan was not punished by the Supreme Court despite his involvement in abrogating the Constitution. Speaking to the lawyers' wing of the party in Lahore, she said that while former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was convicted of fake cases like the 'Panama Leaks', Imran Khan has not faced any significant legal consequences despite repeatedly attacking the courts during protests. "Imran Khan is still being treated like a 'ladla' (favourite) but others are treated unfairly," she added. Maryam said that Imran's politics revolve around his "facilitators" and that their remnants are still present in the judiciary. "A man tramples the law of Pakistan but gets bail in five minutes. He has now discovered the 'judicial establishment'." she added.

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Several injured in stampede over free flour in Mardan

Multiple people have been injured in a stampede during the free distribution of wheat flour at the Sports Complex in Mardan on Sunday, allegedly due to mismanagement during the distribution process, Express News reported. According to eyewitnesses, the distribution process was chaotic, with citizens accusing administrative staff of making them wait in queues for hours despite being eligible for the free distribution of flour. Also read: Man dies after receiving free flour The mismanagement led to protests by citizens, who blocked the Nowshehra Road and threw stones at police personnel and the Sports Complex gate. In response, the police resorted to baton-charge and aerial firing to disperse the crowd, resulting in injuries to many citizens. This incident comes only five days after the start of the flour distribution campaign, during which incidents of women and elderly citizens getting injured and fainting have widely been reported. The Express Tribune had earlier reported that hundreds of bags of flour were being embezzled on a daily basis through the issuance of fake slips, and bags of flour were being sold at exorbitant prices in the market. Due to the lack of effective checking by district administration and alleged involvement of staff, dozens of people are being deprived of free flour every day. Read more: For a bag of flour This is not an isolated incident. In recent weeks, several incidents of mismanagement and stampedes have been reported across the country during the free distribution of flour. In Charsadda, a man was killed, and several others were injured, in a similar stampede. In Swabi and Kohat, several people were injured during the free distribution of flour. In the Hasilpur Tehsil of southern Punjab, at least five women were injured in a stampede at a free flour distribution point.  In January, a man was killed during a stampede at the sale point of subsidised flour in Mirpurkhas.

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Man held with fake govt motorbike number plate

The police have arrested a man who falsely claimed to be an employee of the excise department and had affixed an official number plate on his motorcycle. According to a case filed by ASI Shehbaz Gul, the suspect was stopped at Babar Chowk while coming from Satyana. The motorcycle had a green number plate, and the rider was asked for documents. The suspect, Abdul Samad, a resident of Peoples Town, claimed to be an employee of the excise department and said the motorcycle was official. The police contacted the department, but there was no record of the suspect. Subsequently, he was arrested.

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150 PIA passengers stranded at Jeddah airport

The destination of the PIA flight PK-860, which was supposed to arrive from Saudi Arabia, was changed at the eleventh hour, sources revealed, leaving 150 Umrah pilgrims clueless at the Jeddah Airport. Flight PK-860 was scheduled to depart from Jeddah for Karachi at 5:40pm according to Saudi time, but the flight was diverted to Lahore instead of Karachi before departure. Jeddah-Karachi passengers were given two options – either to adjust to the Lahore flight or to wait for the next Karachi-bound flight. The PIA spokesperson cited unforeseen operational issues as the reasons for the diversion, saying: “Passengers travelling from Jeddah to Karachi will now be brought by flight PK-732 today (Sunday).”

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Imran granted pre-arrest bails in three FIRs

The anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore has granted pre-arrest bails to former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan till April 4 in three FIRs, restraining the police from arresting him. The PTI chief had filed petitions for pre-arrest bails in three FIRs registered with the Race Course police station under different charges, including alleged attack on police officials and setting ablaze state properties in the Zaman Park area. As the proceedings commenced, the ATC judge told Imran’s counsel that he would not hear the case if they came with a large crowd. The lawyer apprised the court that the crowd was “much less in size” than the one that had accompanied the PTI chairman to the Lahore High Court (LHC). “The problem is not that the crowd is small or huge,” the judge remarked, waring the counsel to come with less people next time. During the arguments, Imran’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar argued that 140 cases had been registered against his client of which 40 FIRs were about anti-terrorism charges. However, the court summoned the relevant record, directing the PTI chief to join the investigation. Later, the court granted Imran pre-arrest bails in three FIRs till April 4. Meanwhile, the judge also extended the pre-arrest bails of PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Senator Ijaz Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed till April 4. On Friday, a division bench of the LHC headed by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh had extended the period of protective bails of the PTI chairman in five FIRs till March 27. The cases were registered against the former premier under terrorism charges, allegedly for attacking courts and law enforcers as well as resorting to vandalism. He was also charged with stopping a court from functioning in Islamabad. The bench was hearing Imran’s plea seeking extension in time of the protective bails in the five FIRs. The LHC had already granted him protective bails in the same cases. Justice Sheikh made it clear that the LHC was extending the time only on the grounds that the petitioner, Imran, would face the consequences if his pleas were not pending in an Islamabad court. The bench warned the PTI chief that contempt proceedings might be initiated against him if he violated the commitment.

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PM Shehbaz felicitates PM Hasina on Bangladesh's national day

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday felicitated his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on the national day of Bangladesh. "On behalf of the government and people of Pakistan and on my own behalf, I have the pleasure to convey sincere felicitations on the National Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh," he was quoted as saying by the Pakistan High Commission Bangladesh on Twitter. 4. Please accept my best wishes for your Excellency’s long life, good health and happiness, and for the continued progress and prosperity of the brotherly Bangladeshi people. (Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif) — Pakistan High Commission Bangladesh (@PakinBangladesh) March 25, 2023 Shehbaz said that Pakistan accords high importance to its fraternal ties with Bangladesh and remains committed to further strengthening the bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of our peoples. Read more: The farewell speech Irfan Siddiqui never penned for PM Shehbaz "Please accept my best wishes for your Excellency's long life, good health and happiness, and for the continued progress and prosperity of the brotherly Bangladeshi people," he further said. Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif also said that saving the planet earth from the ill effects of climate change was a collective endeavour, in which everyone mattered. Pakistan joins the global community today in observing Earth Hour & demonstrating its commitment to the fulfilment of its obligations to climate change actions. Saving our planet from the ill-effects of climate change is a collective endeavour, one in which everyone matters. — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) March 25, 2023 On his Twitter handle, the prime minister reiterated that Pakistan joined the global community today in observing ‘Earth Hour’ and demonstrating its commitment to the fulfilment of its obligations to climate change actions.

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Qureshi accuses govt of arresting workers ahead of Minar-e-Pakistan rally

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday accused the government of arresting party workers ahead of the Minar-e-Pakistan public rally scheduled for later tonight in Lahore. Speaking to the media ahead of the PTI’s rally, the former foreign minister said that despite the Lahore High Court's order allowing a political gathering, the caretaker government had blocked all roads leading to the rally venue by placing containers and barricades to create hurdles for PTI workers, supporters, and the general public. Qureshi claimed that police were conducting raids and arresting PTI leaders, stating that 1,800 workers had been arrested so far. He urged them not to arm themselves with sticks or other weapons, refrain from violence, and advised them not to take the law into their own hands. Read more: Imran urges people to exercise 'fundamental right', attend Minar-e-Pakistan rally Qureshi emphasised that holding the public rally was the party's constitutional right and expressed confidence that a large number of people would participate in the political gathering. He appealed to the people of Lahore to show their support for former prime minister Imran Khan by coming out of their homes to participate in the rally. Qureshi claimed that police had closed all entry and exit points of the city to bar PTI leaders, workers, and supporters from other cities from reaching tonight’s rally. Meanwhile, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry slammed the crackdown on their party leaders and workers, saying the action was aimed to sabotage the political gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan. He urged the international community, especially Islamic countries, to condemn abductions and killings of political workers during the holy month of Ramazan. He also called for the government to be declared "persona non grata" for its "fascist tactics." The authorities had blocked various roads, including entry and exit points in the provincial capital, to thwart the PTI political gathering. The Lahore district administration used dozens of shipping containers and trucks to block off major roads. These measures have caused hurdles for commuters heading to their jobs and other routine activities.

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Five terror suspects held in operation

Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested five terror suspects belonging to banned organisations during operations across Punjab on Friday. According to details, the Department conducted Intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Gujranwala and Dera Ghazi Khan and arrested suspects identified as Abdul Muqit, Abid Waheed, Gul Zaman, Ramzan and Ikram. CTD officials said explosive materials, suicide jacket-making equipment and weapons were recovered from the possession of terror suspects. They were arrested after the investigation of 33 suspects. Officials added that 66 suspects were arrested in 420 combing operations conducted this week. On March 7, CTD arrested 11 terror suspects, including four members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and five other suspects allegedly belonging to banned outfits. The spokesman said that three FIRs were registered against the arrested accused. During raids, CTD also recovered an IED, 2.41kgs of explosives, three packets of ball bearing, 9ft of primer cord, a detonator, a hand grenade, an electric circuit board with 10 feet of wire, two batteries, a 30-bore pistol with five rounds, 59 pamphlets, nine flags, two magazines, books and stickers from a banned organization, a laptop, two cell phones, a motorcycle and Rs13,300 in cash.   Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2023.

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Rising inflation leads to higher costs for police uniforms

The Punjab Police has allocated over Rs1.2 billion for the procurement of stitched and unstitched uniforms, cloth, jackets, and shoes during the current financial year. The procurement includes 122,656 sets of stitched dark olive green uniforms, with a spending of over Rs527 million, 6,800 sets of stitched uniforms for the Special Protection Unit with badges, with a spending of Rs29 million, and 12,213 sets of stitched PHP uniforms, with a spending of Rs52 million. At least six companies, namely Nishat Mills Ltd, Blue Start International Lahore, Wah Industries Limited Rawalpindi, Sarena Textile Industries Pvt Limited Lahore, Arshad Corporation Pvt Ltd Lahore, and Excel Tex Industries Pvt. Ltd Karachi, have been shortlisted to compete for the awarding of the contract. Regarding cloth and unstitched uniforms, 37,000 metres of black uniform cloth will be procured, with a spending of Rs33 million, 29,812 metres of shirt cloth for traffic wardens will be procured, with a spending of Rs24 million, and trouser cloth for traffic wardens of over 22,359 metres will be procured, with a spending of Rs19 million. Three companies, namely Nishat Mills Ltd Lahore, Blue Start International Lahore, and Sarena Textile Industries Pvt Limited Lahore, have been shortlisted. Furthermore, the procurement includes Rs13 million for 1,950 units of winter jackets for CTD, Rs45 million for winter jackets for SPU (4,150 units), Rs15 million for 2,500 reflected winter jackets for traffic warden, Rs152 million for 22,443 winter jackets, Rs3.4 million for 500 winter jackets for PHP, and Rs10 million for 1,542 winter jackets for the elite unit. At least six companies, including Blue Start International Lahore, Sarena Textile Industries Pvt Limited Lahore, Excel Tex Industries Pvt. Ltd Karachi, Nishat Mills Ltd Lahore, AH Corporation Lahore, and Usman Traders Lahore, have been shortlisted for this purpose. Moreover, over Rs200 million will be spent on the procurement of over 27,800 pairs of boots for Punjab Constabulary, Anti-Riot Force, Traffic Wardens, Special Protection Unit, Dolphin Squad, and other units. Three companies, including Bata Pakistan Ltd, Batapur Lahore, Service Industries Ltd Lahore, and Baraka Logistics Worldwide Lahore (JV) Firhaj Footwear Pvt. Ltd Lahore, have been shortlisted in this regard. The inflation has also affected the rates of Police Uniform. Like other items, its price has multiplied. In 2019, a stitched uniform would cost less than Rs1,900. The rate has shot up to Rs4,300 per unit this year. Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2023.  

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President should remain within his ‘constitutional limits’: Sana

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan has criticised President Dr Arif Alvi's recent letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stating that the president should "work within his constitutional domain." In his response, the minister suggested that the president should focus on asking former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to return 190 million pounds to the national exchequer, as well as seeking answers for "acts of terrorism", accepting Tyrian as his daughter, and facing the Toshakhana and foreign funding cases in court. The president's letter to the prime minister urged him to direct all executive authorities to assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in holding general elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa within the constitutional timeframe. Also read: President asks PM to 'push' for Punjab, K-P polls on time However, the interior minister accused the president of acting on the orders of Imran Khan and becoming his puppet, stating that a person breaking the constitution and law had been appointed to the constitutional position. The minister went on to criticise the president for not acting over human rights violations when a person was arrested in a fake case of 15 kg of heroin. He questioned whether putting the opposition leader and the sisters and daughters of political opponents in death cells were not violations of human rights. The minister also accused the president of remaining silent when journalists were tortured during Imran Khan's tenure, stating that this was a violation of human rights. Furthermore, the minister questioned the president's silence over human rights violations of policemen, who were targeted with petrol bombs, grenades, and slingshots during recent clashes between law enforcers and PTI workers.

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PM Shehbaz visits free wheat distribution points in Lahore, Kasur

To dispel the impression of mismanagement at free flour and wheat distribution centres, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif spent a busy day touring different centres in Lahore and Kasur, where he met people sat in an orderly fashion to seek their feedback.  The pictures and videos officially issued of his visit were a world apart from the ones available on social media and from those being reported by the media. According to the PM Office, the prime minister paid unannounced visits to flour distribution points in Lahore and Kasur, directing authorities to ensure hassle-free and uninterrupted supply of the commodity to the entitled people. A senior officer, who accompanied the premier on his visit, however revealed that all administrative officers had been informed of prime minister’s visit earlier in the day, and the said information was passed on to the official in-charge of these distribution centres to put their best foot forward. At which time the premier would visit, though, was not shared with them, so all centres had made the necessary arrangements prior to his visit. Also read: One killed, eight injured in stampede over free flour in Charsadda The PMO statement further stated that the prime minister, who was accompanied by Advisor Ahad Cheema and Special Assistant to the PM Malik Ahmad Khan, interacted with the people, including children. at the distribution centres. He listened to the problems faced by them and issued instructions for their immediate redressal. The PM also directed relevant authorities to continue the free flour distribution until the 25th of Ramazan as per the program announced by the government. Pictures issued of the premier’s visit showed people neatly sat on seats arranged in queues, happily waiting for their turn.—APP photo The videos and pictures issued of the premier’s visit showed people neatly sat on seats arranged in queues, happily waiting for their turn. Another strangely odd fact was the thin presence of the people at the centres, which was completely on the contrary to what was being showed by electronic media and social media. Footage coming out of these distribution points showed insanely long queues of people standing out in the open, pushing their way towards the distribution point that in past few days had led to several stampedes which reportedly have claimed several lives. The wait-time on these distribution points, according to those who have received free flour, was exhaustingly long.    Read more: Officials told to redress complaints about flour distribution On Thursday, the office of the Chief Minister Punjab also tried to paint a hunky dory picture of these distribution points when, in a press release, it claimed that it only took two minutes for people to get free wheat and flour.  As per the plan, around 15.8 million households of Punjab province would receive wheat flour free of charge during the holy month of Ramazan. It is for the first time in the country’s history that a package for the distribution of free wheat flour has been prepared. The wheat flour distribution would continue till the 25th of Ramazan through 8,500 Utility Stores. Moreover, around 20,000 flour distribution points have also been set up to facilitate the people.

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PM Shehbaz visits free wheat distribution points in Lahore, Kasur

To dispel the impression of mismanagement at free flour and wheat distribution centres, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif spent a busy day touring different centres in Lahore and Kasur, where he met people sat in an orderly fashion to seek their feedback.  The pictures and videos officially issued of his visit were a world apart from the ones available on social media and from those being reported by the media. According to the PM Office, the prime minister paid unannounced visits to flour distribution points in Lahore and Kasur, directing authorities to ensure hassle-free and uninterrupted supply of the commodity to the entitled people. A senior officer, who accompanied the premier on his visit, however revealed that all administrative officers had been informed of prime minister’s visit earlier in the day, and the said information was passed on to the official in-charge of these distribution centres to put their best foot forward. At which time the premier would visit, though, was not shared with them, so all centres had made the necessary arrangements prior to his visit. Also read: One killed, eight injured in stampede over free flour in Charsadda The PMO statement further stated that the prime minister, who was accompanied by Advisor Ahad Cheema and Special Assistant to the PM Malik Ahmad Khan, interacted with the people, including children. at the distribution centres. He listened to the problems faced by them and issued instructions for their immediate redressal. The PM also directed relevant authorities to continue the free flour distribution until the 25th of Ramazan as per the program announced by the government. Pictures issued of the premier’s visit showed people neatly sat on seats arranged in queues, happily waiting for their turn.—APP photo The videos and pictures issued of the premier’s visit showed people neatly sat on seats arranged in queues, happily waiting for their turn. Another strangely odd fact was the thin presence of the people at the centres, which was completely on the contrary to what was being showed by electronic media and social media. Footage coming out of these distribution points showed insanely long queues of people standing out in the open, pushing their way towards the distribution point that in past few days had led to several stampedes which reportedly have claimed several lives. The wait-time on these distribution points, according to those who have received free flour, was exhaustingly long.    Read more: Officials told to redress complaints about flour distribution On Thursday, the office of the Chief Minister Punjab also tried to paint a hunky dory picture of these distribution points when, in a press release, it claimed that it only took two minutes for people to get free wheat and flour.  As per the plan, around 15.8 million households of Punjab province would receive wheat flour free of charge during the holy month of Ramazan. It is for the first time in the country’s history that a package for the distribution of free wheat flour has been prepared. The wheat flour distribution would continue till the 25th of Ramazan through 8,500 Utility Stores. Moreover, around 20,000 flour distribution points have also been set up to facilitate the people.

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