Ex-army man dies under mysterious circumstances

Former government official Major General (retd) Rao Ali Shan passed away under mysterious circumstances at his house in Faisal Town, within the jurisdiction of the Naseerabad police station. The family of the deceased has alleged that his death was the result of a premeditated murder carried out by two men over a dispute related to a financial transaction. The deceased’s brother-in-law filed a complaint after which the police initiated a murder case against the accused individuals. According to Brigadier Hamid Usman, who complained, he is a resident of DHA and is both the brother-in-law and cousin of Rao Ali Shan. Rao Ali Shan was reportedly involved in a financial transaction amounting to Rs70 million with Khawar Abbasi, who had allegedly been delaying repayment. On the day of the incident, Abbasi and his cousin Hasan Abbasi invited Rao Ali Shan to a plaza in Faisal Town, under false pretences. It is claimed that instead of showing him the property, they led him to a place where he met his demise. After they reached the hospital, the doctors confirmed the death of Rao Ali Shan. “I have known Rao Ali Shan for a long time. He was fully fit mentally and physically. He often said that Khawar Abbasi was delaying to return his money. I can say with certainty that he was pushed and killed from this place," stated Brigadier Hamid Usman. "Khawar Abbasi is behind this crime with prior planning. Legal action should be taken." Inspector Ibrahim Baloch confirmed the registration of the case based on the complaint filed by the deceased's relative. He added that further clarity on the situation would emerge from the final report of the post-mortem examination and the ongoing investigation. Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2024.

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‘PPP’s Buzdar’

Gloom has descended upon the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) camp in Punjab following the surprising appointment of a relatively unknown figure as the governor of Punjab, dashing hopes of any resurgence of the party in the province, according to senior party leaders. While some senior leaders within the party have pointed fingers at powerful circles for pulling strings to secure Sardar Saleem's elevation to the governorship, others have cast a suspicious eye towards Raja Pervez Ashraf. Furthermore, there are murmurs of discontent branding Sardar Saleem as a compromised candidate. Others are pointing fingers at all the above, suggesting that every single factor had a hand in reaching down to this appointment. Read President appoints governors in three provinces South Punjab President Makhdom Ahmad Mehmood, who was a contender himself, has stepped down from his party position. Meanwhile, Qamar Zaman Kaira, one of the strongest candidates in the running, reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment. However, sources claim that PPP Chairman Bilawal has approached him and assured him of a favourable position. Shortly after a power-sharing agreement was struck between PML-N and PPP, wherein, among other things, the governorships of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were conceded to PPP, several frontrunners emerged. However, from the outset, these frontrunners were categorised as favourites of either the PPP chairman or the PPP president. "So, a person who only garnered a mere six thousand votes in the recent general elections, landing at an abysmal fourth place in NA 50 (Attock 2), is expected to bring about change and help the party regain its roots in Punjab? Excellent choice indeed," mocked a central Punjab office-bearer while speaking to The Express Tribune. He went on to term Sardar Saleem "PPP's Usman Burger" and claimed that he was merely a pawn of Raja Pervez Ashraf in the governor's house. Describing Sardar Saleem Haider as a nobody, he pointed out that he had only won once in 2008, a time when several party leaders succeeded in Punjab due to the tragic death of slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto. Expressing disbelief at the party's hopes for revival with such credentials, he remarked, "Lord have mercy on all of us." Another leader from central Punjab said that it's not merely a matter of being old-fashioned but rather a concern about Saleem's ability to connect with the younger generation, which is the party's main hope in Punjab. He noted Saleem's background as a leader from the Potohar belt limits his understanding of the dynamics of central Punjab.

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Emergency response

Nations around the globe, including Pakistan, unite to pay tribute to the valour and sacrifices of firefighters. Established in 1999 following a tragic incident in Australia where five firefighters perished battling a sudden wildfire, International Firefighters Day serves as a solemn reminder of the inherent dangers faced by firefighters

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Three siblings stabbed, set on fire by aunt

Three siblings were injured in a fire allegedly set by their maternal aunt in Chorhatta. According to the police report, the victims’ mother accused her sister Amna Bibi of setting her three children on fire after sprinkling petrol on them because of a financial dispute. The victims, eight-year-old Misbah, four-year-old Irfan and two-year-old Rizwan, were taken to the Allama Iqbal Teaching Hospital, from where Misbah was shifted to the Nishtar Hospital in Multan due to her critical condition. The mother of the children told The Express Tribune the suspect was angry over a financial matter with their mother. She added “When I went to work, Amna and the children were alone in the house”. One of the victims reported that the suspect attacked them with a knife and attempted to slit their throats. Later, she set the bed on fire after sprinkling petrol, and locked the door of the room from outside. According to the police, Regional Police Officer of Dera Ghazi Khan, Captain (retd) Sajjad Hasan Khan took immediate notice of the incident. He asked for a report on the incident and reached the teaching hospital to visit the injured. He also issued orders to form teams to arrest the suspect. The official said the criminals involved in such crimes do not deserve any lenience. The police said they were carrying out raids to arrest the suspect. Published in The Express Tribune May 5th, 2024

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NA-53 villages to get gas infrastructure

The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has accorded final approval for the installation of gas pipelines in 12 villages, which fall in the ambit of the National Assembly constituency NA-53. The installation process of pipelines will kick off this month with an estimated cost of Rs3.42 billion. Gas pipelines will be laid in Rawat's village of Kotla, Jawa, Dhok Qazian, Kak, Sambal, Sood, Gahal, Dhok Hashu, adjoining villages of Sarhundi, Raika Meera village of Chontra, Hakimal, Ranutra and adjacent villages. PML-N general secretary from PP-10 Nazia Ilyas Kayani says the technical obstacles in the way of installation of gas pipelines have been removed with the efforts of Chairman Coordination Committee Rawalpindi and MNA Engineer Qamarul Islam Raja. In the next few days, the contractor will get the contract for laying the pipeline. “Qamarul Islam Raja wants to divert government resources to the common man. Steps will be taken to ease the life of the residents of the Rawalpindi district,” she added. Published in The Express Tribune May 5th, 2024.

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Islamabad, Riyadh to deepen economic ties

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference, in Banjul, Gambia. Noting the importance of the long-standing strategic and economic relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the deputy prime minister and the Saudi foreign minister reaffirmed the resolve to further enhance economic cooperation and Saudi investments in Pakistan. The deputy prime minister lauded the “Vision 2030”, which aimed at socio-economic transformation of the Kingdom in the 21st century. Deputy PM Dar and the Saudi Foreign Minister expressed deep concern over the recent developments in the Middle East and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They also noted the important role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on issues concerning the Muslim Ummah, including the situations in Palestine and Kashmir. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Egypt, Sameh Hassan Shoukry and discussed different aspects of Pakistan-Egypt ties. The two leaders emphasised further strengthening of relations which are characterized by common bonds of faith, cultural affinity and similarity of perception on regional and global issues. The foreign minister also held a meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and discussed areas of bilateral cooperation. The two sided agreed to continue engagement to advance bilateral relations in all domains, a press release issued by the Foreign Office said. The deputy prime minister underscored the utmost priority of the government to transform the traditionally fraternal ties with Kuwait into a mutually beneficial economic partnership, the statement added. The two leaders expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and condemned Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. The called on UNSC to take urgent steps for immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to facilitate increased and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. In his meeting with Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr Shaya Mohsen Al-Zindani, the foreign minister expressed Pakistan’s desire to explore avenues for cooperation with Yemen in various sectors such as education. Read: Dar in Gambia to represent Pakistan at OIC summit The foreign minister also met his Nigerien counterpart Bakary Yaou Sangare and exchanged views on a wide range of issues and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral dialogue and cooperation especially in the economic domain. The two sides also discussed coordination within the OIC framework and agreed to continue working closely to advance the collective interest within the OIC and beyond.   

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Budget targets to be set prior to IMF team’s arrival

The federal government aims to achieve budget targets before the anticipated arrival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) review mission in Pakistan. Negotiations for a new loan program are expected to commence in mid-May. Finance ministry sources said the ministries had been instructed to complete the targets before the negotiations on the new loan programme. They added that the details would be given to the IMF delegation when all the important targets were met. It has also been decided to have the budget strategy paper approved by the federal cabinet before the IMF review mission’s arrival in the country. According to the sources, the finance ministry has started preparing the budget. The targets for debt repayment, defence budget and tax collections will be set. Besides, the development and ongoing budget targets will also be determined. After successfully completing the short-term bailout package of $3 billion, a schedule was agreed between Pakistan and the IMF for negotiations on a new major loan programme. The talks for a fresh bailout will most probably kick off in the middle of May when the IMF delegation is expected to arrive in the country. The IMF team will stay in Islamabad for two weeks. According to sources in the finance ministry, the main features of the upcoming bailout package of $6 to $8 billion will be determined in the negotiations with the IMF review mission. However, they continued that the size of the new IMF programme would be determined in the upcoming talks. There is also a possibility of a request from Pakistan to expand its programme through environmental financing on the lines of those of Bangladesh and Egypt. The finalisation of the economic indicators and financial framework for the four-year programme will be discussed. After talks with the IMF, the government is likely to present its next budget before parliament on June 6 or 7 this year. More stringent measures are likely to be taken for financial stability in the upcoming budget. The Washington-based lender has proposed pension reforms. It insists that the continuation of pensions for several generations is infeasible. A proposal to bring pensions into the tax net is also under consideration. It has been proposed that at a uniform rate of 10% percent should be imposed on all pensioners. Apart from this, more stringent decisions will have to be taken to increase the prices of electricity as well as gas, expand the scope of taxes, and privatise loss-making state-run institutions. Pakistan faces major economic challenges especially following the failure of its ‘Trader-Friendly Scheme’ under which all unregistered wholesalers, retailers, dealers, and shopkeepers had to register themselves by April 30. In addition, the country will also have to satisfy the IMF on the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) recent decline in tax collections. The sources said entering a new IMF programme was inevitable. The growing debt and its repayment is a major challenge. It is necessary to stay in the IMF programme until the country’s exports increase and local resources are created. It has been decided to opt for a fresh IMF bailout to maintain balance payments and reserves. The finance ministry sources said the market exchange rat

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