Two pupils suffer acid burns at Kohsar varsity

Two female students suffered burns injuries after the acid they were using in a science experiment at the laboratory splashed onto their hands and faces at Kohsar University in Murree, it was emerged on Tuesday. A technical error was said to be the cause of the accident. The university administration swiftly alerted the Rescue 1122 emergency service. Rescue 1122 responders transported the victims to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Murree. The hospital staff provided immediate medical attention and treatment to the students. The girls were also served with juices. The university officials notified the students' families who took them home after necessary treatment. However, the families of the two students became furious over the university administration's cold response to the incident. Sources claimed that the students' faces suffered severe burns and the initial medical treatment was not sufficient. The families later shifted the girls to a private facility in Rawalpindi for treatment. According to family sources, the two girls are currently enduring extreme pain due to severe skin burns. Questions are being raised about how the acid could have splashed directly just onto the girls' faces. The university administration has labelled the acid spill incident as accidental and has initiated an internal inquiry into the matter, as directed by the vice-chancellor. The university's inquiry is underway and statements of students, teachers, and lab assistants present in the laboratory are being recorded. Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2024.  

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‘Imran Khan to walk free from jail soon’

PTI’s lawyer Intezar Panjutha has predicted that the party's founding chairman, Imran Khan, will be acquitted in all ongoing cases and walk free from incarceration without resorting to any deals for freedom. He said the former prime minister was enduring jail time for the nation's cause, adamantly refusing to make any deals contrary to his principles. Panjutha was speaking to the media after the legal eagles and the family met the incarcerated leader at Adiala Jail on Tuesday. The meeting came as the winds of change blew in PTI's direction, following a relief from the Islamabad High Court that found Khan and his close aide, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, free from guilt in the cipher case, offering a beacon of hope amid their legal storm. Read more: IHC acquits Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cipher case Following the visit to Adiala Jail, Panjutha relayed to journalists that Imran was briefed on the court's decision regarding the cipher case by Barrister Salman Safdar, the counsel representing both PTI leaders. Commenting on Imran’s controversial remarks regarding the 1971 tragic events, Panjutha said the former premier’s critique of the handling of the 1971 events was according to the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report. He said that the report noted that only one individual "showed incompetence" during the war while the rest of the army fought well. Also read: ‘Imran is not Mujib’: PTI’s Ali Muhammad rejects comparisons to 1971 crisis He said that Imran has also raised allegations concerning the assets of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his wife unveiled in the 'Dubai Leaks', questioning his "extravagant" lifestyle as the country's economy struggles to stand on its feet. Alvi criticises lack of accountability Former president and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Arif Alvi stated on Tuesday that regime changes have cost the country billions of rupees, with no accountability for those responsible. Speaking at a news conference attended by PTI leaders Azam Khan Swati, Pir Syed Muhammad Habib Irfani, Rana Mudassar, Khurram Virk, and Yunus Chishti in Lahore, Alvi expressed his disappointment over the persistent lack of accountability in Pakistan, an issue he claimed has existed since Ayub Khan's era. “The entire elite class is the biggest obstacle in the issue of accountability, and the people also believe that there is no justice in Pakistan," Alvi said, lamenting the corruption and misdeeds that have eroded his hope for accountability. Alvi welcomed the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) verdict in the cipher case, expressing gratitude to the judiciary for what he called a just decision. He maintained that the Prime Minister had the prerogative to share confidential matters with the nation, criticising the media for focusing on the cipher and 'iddat' cases to distract from more pressing issues. When questioned about negotiations with political rivals, Alvi stressed that talks should only be with the principal authority, noting the futility of recent efforts. “Negotiations have been ongoing through the media for the last two years, with no direct talks taking place. If there is no hope of negotiation, then why should I try?" he remarked.

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Court reunites child with mother

“There can be no better guardian for a child than his own mother, there is no substitute for the mother.” These were the remarks of a Rawalpindi Additional District and Sessions Judge with which he declared a father’s move to send his 10-year-old child over to a friend during his prison sentence as illegal and reunited the child with his mother. A case of family dispute has been ongoing between the child’s mother and father. The court had previously ordered the husband to pay Rs1.8 million. Since he failed to pay the amount, he had been arrested by the family court and had been sent to Adiala jail for one year. During this time, the father, Muhammad Yusuf, handed over his 9-year-old son, Muhammad Umar to his friend, Muhammad Sajid instead of giving him over to the court bailiff. The child’s mother, Ayesha Bibi, approached the court, and Additional District and Sessions Judge, Malik Noor Khan, ordered to recover the 10-year-old child from the custody of his father's friend. The particulars of the family dispute case are that the couple got married in 2009 and has three children, twelve-year-old Sahar Umar, nine-year-old Mohammad Umar and six-year-old Ibrahim. The family judge issued the degree on February 15, 2022, ruling on a domestic dispute, after which the ex-husband and children’s father, Muhammad Yusuf disappeared. The mother then filed a case for the expenses of the three children in the family court in Rawalpindi, which is currently under hearing, while in the execution case for non-payment of degree money, the court issued an arrest warrant for Muhammad Yusuf on April 29, 2024. He was arrested on May 18. When he had appeared in the court, the ex-husband said that he would not pay the Rs1.8 million. After which the court sent him to Adiala Jail for one year. Meanwhile, he himself urged his friend to kidnap his son, Muhammad Umar. The court recovered the child with the help of Sadar Baruni police station. After the court decision, the mother and son left for home under police security. The court declared that if the father wants to take the child back, he should take the legal route as taking away the child by force cannot be allowed. Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2024.

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Two motorcyclists injured as rain breaks heat spell in Lahore

A heavy rainstorm accompanied by strong winds in Lahore on Monday resulted in a tree falling, injuring two motorcyclists and plunging numerous areas into darkness due to power outages. According to details, the tree fell near Liberty Roundabout, trapping and injuring two motorcyclists who were subsequently taken to a hospital for medical treatment. Hospital administration reported that both injured individuals are in stable condition. Lahore Deputy Commissioner, Rafia Haider, took notice of the incident and directed the hospital's medical superintendent to provide immediate medical aid. She also instructed the relevant assistant commissioner to promptly reach the site and expedite rescue operations. Read more: Rain to bring relief from heatwave conditions across Pakistan aider also urged citizens to stay away from electrical wires and poles during the rain and strong winds, and to avoid walking under walls and trees. The storm severely impacted the distribution system of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), causing 322 feeders to trip and resulting in widespread power outages. LESCO officials stated that 227 feeders in Lahore, and 95 in Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Okara, and Sheikhupura were affected. The rainstorm, however, brought relief from the heat, making the weather pleasant across Lahore and various regions of Punjab, much to the citizens' respite.

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Rawalpindi sizzles as water crisis deepens

The garrison city of Rawalpindi is grappling with unannounced and prolonged power outages, which, coupled with the intensifying summer heat, have severely disrupted the water supply system, especially in suburban areas. This disruption has allowed private water tanker owners to exploit the situation by significantly hiking their prices. The cost of private water tankers has skyrocketed, with small tankers now costing between Rs1,200 and Rs1,500, medium tankers ranging from Rs1,600 to Rs2,000, and large tankers costing from Rs2,000 to Rs2,600. Citizens constructing houses in suburban areas are particularly affected and have announced plans to stage a protest. They intend to demonstrate in front of the WASA office, the Cantonment Board office, and the deputy commissioner's office, carrying empty pots to symbolise their plight. The water crisis is exacerbated by the intense heat and a continuous decline in the underground water level. In the inner city, tube wells operated by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and the Cantonment Boards are drying up. The underground water level has alarmingly dropped to depths of 700 to 900 feet. Old government tube wells built just 3.5 years ago and initially dug to a depth of 500 feet, have completely dried up. Additionally, the excessive usage of the remaining tube wells, which are being run for 8 to 14 hours a day, has caused the motors of many of them to break down. This has forced most members of the community, including women, children, and the elderly, to venture far from their homes to fetch water. The inner city areas hardest hit by the water crisis include Dhoke Khabba, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh, Arya Mohalla, Fazalabad, Millat Colony, Chah Sultan, Chamanzar, Fuji, Kasni, Pirwadhai, Dhok Hasoo, Naya Mohalla, Mohan Wara, Amarpura, Tench Bhata, Peoples Colony, Dhok Syedan, Gulistan Colony, Dhok Chaudharyan, Sharoon Colony, Dhok Lakan, Shaban Colony, Chakri Road, Adiala Road, Dhok Juma, and Dhamiyal. Women in these areas have protested against the non-availability of water. They have demanded that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, MNA Qamarul Salam, and MPA Imran Mehrban address the water supply issues in Shaaban Colony and Dhok Lakan. They emphasised the urgent need for clean drinking water, stating, "The people of Dhok Lakan and Shaaban Colony, including children and women, are desperately waiting for access to clean drinking water.” “We demand that the government establish public tube wells to meet the community's needs, rather than allowing the tanker mafia to monopolise water resources on Girja Road." Currently, approximately 15 to 20 private water tube wells operate within a kilometre radius of Girja Road, selling water tankers at arbitrary rates.  Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2024.

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IMF proposal to tax salaried class on hold

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has deferred the approval of a politically and socially sensitive budget proposal to increase the effective income tax rate for salaried individuals, giving hopes to block the controversial condition by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sources told The Express Tribune that during the last meeting on the taxation proposals for the new budget, the prime minister did not endorse the condition to increase tax burden of the salaried class. Instead, the premier instructed the finance ministry to revert back to the IMF with the request to drop the proposal. Pakistan’s salaried individuals are the fourth highest payers after the bank depositors, contractors and taxes collected at the import stage. Their purchasing power is sharply shrinking with constantly high double-digit inflation. Yet the global lender is after them to milk another Rs600 billion annually from salaried and non-salaried business individuals. During the first eight months of this fiscal year, the salaried individuals paid Rs216 billion in taxes. The government is aiming at a Rs12.9 trillion tax collection target for the FBR for the next fiscal year, which requires a 40% or Rs3.6 trillion increase at this year’s expected collection. The idea is to recover at least Rs600 billion in additional tax from salaried and non-salaried individuals by clubbing their tax rates and adjusting the income thresholds. The sources said that the IMF has recommended rationalising the tax rates for individuals by removing the salaried and non-salaried distinction and reducing the number of rate slabs to no more than four. It has also asked to lower the income threshold for the higher-rate slabs. If the IMF’s conditions are accepted and the government starts taxing the salaried and business individuals at a single income threshold by lowering the highest taxable income limit of the salaried people, the highest tax rate of 35% will apply at a monthly income of over Rs333,000. At present, business individuals are charged the 35% rate at Rs333,000 monthly income while the salaried persons’ highest tax rate starts at over Rs500,000 per month salary. Read IMF grills Pakistan on power rates Salaried individuals have five tax brackets with rates of 2.5%, 12.5%, 22.5%, 27.5% and 35% and the highest tax bracket starting at an annual income of Rs6 million. The global lender has also demanded to retain the current income-tax exemption threshold at Rs50,000 monthly income instead of further relaxing it. This will adversely hit the lower middle-income groups earning from Rs51,000 to Rs100,000 a month whose purchasing power has significantly eroded due to constant double-digit inflation. The IMF is of the view that the annual non-taxable threshold is Rs600,000 was equivalent to about $2,160 at the current exchange rate, which was close to regional averages. In addition to the fear of being exposed to higher tax rates, the citizens are set to brace another wave of inflation in the shape of the withdrawal of various sales tax exemptions, which would result in an immediate increase of 18% in the prices of goods and services. The IMF management has not yet agreed to sign a staff-level agreement with Pakistan and linked the deal with the prior approval of the budget in line with its conditions and also sought the prior endorsement of the executive board of the Fund. In its set of recommendations for the budget 2025, the IMF has also asked Pakistan to withdraw all income tax credits and allowances particularly available to teachers and researchers. It wants an end to an education expense allowance and workers' welfare fund-related tax credits. The sources said that the government has also not yet taken a decision on imposing tax on the pensioners. There are official voices in favour of introducing tax on the pensions but the threshold of the pension has not yet been agreed. The sources said that the PM was not in favour of imposing tax on the pensioners. The IMF also wants to end preferential treatments to fringe benefits to employees in specific sectors and an end to the tax credit for investment in shares. It also recommended withdrawing the benefit of a reduction in tax rates for mortgage payments. The IMF has also asked Pakistan to significantly enhance penalties to improve enforcement of the tax laws, as the current penalties are not enough to deter people from violating these laws. It has recommended that a robust penalties regime is critical in enforcing tax laws and promoting tax compliance, and a review of Pakistan’s tax penalty regime across various tax types to ascertain its effectiveness could be very helpful. The IMF has also asked to repeal the discretionary power of FBR to award tax incentives for industrialists besides seeking an end to the discretionary power of the cabinet to award tax incentives.  

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Govt's abrupt change of heart on fuel prices stirs controversy

The government’s abrupt change of heart on petrol prices late into the night stemmed from a strong disagreement between the prime minister and the finance minister after the latter pushed the premier to reconsider its decision amid talks with the IMF, insider sources disclosed on Saturday. Meanwhile, the government is facing staunch criticism from various quarters for releasing a late-night statement on petroleum prices. Opponents of the government in political circles allege that the administration is merely a puppet in the hands of the IMF as the stringent conditions of the lender have left the government hamstrung, unable to respond adequately to plummeting oil prices in the global market. Similarly, under the pressure of international financial institutions, the government initially raised hopes by promising significant reductions in petroleum prices, only to deliver a paltry decrease, leaving the public feeling shortchanged. Sources revealed that while the finance minister pushed for a reduction in line with global market trends and recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), the prime minister aimed for complete relief. However, the finance minister hesitated, citing ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a potential complication. Read also: After initial gaffe, govt notifies cut in fuel rates According to sources privy to the matter, the finance minister persistently urged the prime minister to reconsider while holding back the issuance of the notification until past midnight. Eventually, the government proceeded with reduced prices as per Ogra's suggestions. The government found itself in a pickle, facing public and political backlash for a sudden about-turn in its stance on petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices, resulting in a reduction far below the initially touted figures. Earlier, after a night marked by confusion and conflicting reports between the finance ministry and the PM Office, the government ultimately slashed petrol and HSD prices by Rs4.74 and Rs3.86 per litre, respectively. The adjustment sharply contrasted with the earlier promise of Rs15.39 and Rs7.88 per litre reductions, drawing protest and criticism. Read: Govt likely to further slash petrol prices Reports had also suggested that the discrepancy apparently arose from an administrative blunder after the office inadvertently presented an outdated decision from May 15, which had already implemented the larger price cuts. On the other hand, sources within the Prime Minister's Office revealed that the summary forwarded to the prime minister originated from the finance ministry. However, the figures contained in this summary pertained to a previous revision, and it was noted that the relief granted to the public on May 15 exceeded Rs15. Upon receipt of the summary, the prime minister, smelling a rat, opted to double-check the figures. Subsequently, it dawned on the finance ministry, following a substantial drop in petroleum prices, that they had made an error, PM Office sources said. Acknowledging the mistake, the finance ministry promptly reached out to the PM Office and dispatched a revised summary for the prime minister's endorsement. However, while sources in the PM Office are sounding alarm bells, alleging misinformation regarding the prime minister's involvement in reducing petroleum prices, adding that the prime minister has launched an inquiry.

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