Govt sets Sept deadline for civil servants to declare assets

The federal government has given civil servants until September 2025 to declare their assets, with a digital portal set to be launched for the process. Meanwhile, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of its plan to bridge the Rs605 billion tax shortfall, assuring that no mini-budget will be introduced for revenue generation. According to sources, negotiations between Pakistan and the IMF for the next tranche of the loan programme are ongoing. Officials from the IMF, FBR, and the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) participated in discussions held the previous day. The FBR detailed its tax collection strategy to the IMF, reiterating that the shortfall would be covered without imposing additional taxes through a mini-budget. Sources maintained that both the sides have agreed not to introduce a mini-budget to address the revenue gap. Instead, Rs157 billion is expected to be generated through a super tax. The pending tax litigation cases will be expedited in courts and the government has assured full cooperation in resolving these cases swiftly. The chief justice has also approved a request to prioritize hearings for tax-related cases. The plan involves fast-tracking tax cases in courts, with the Prime Minister's Office facilitating the process. Meanwhile, sources said that the government has set a September deadline for civil servants to declare their assets, with a digital portal to be launched for this purpose in line with IMF demands.

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LHC, IHC take up pleas against PECA

The Lahore High Court has sought replies from the PTA and the Punjab government on petitions filed by the PUJ and others challenging the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025. During the proceedings, Justice Farooq Haider expressed displeasure over the non-submission of replies by the Punjab government and the PTA. However, the federal government had already submitted its response. The PTA's counsel requested additional time to file a reply. Granting the request, Justice Haider warned that if the PTA fails to submit its response by the next hearing, legal action will be taken. Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued notices to the respondents on another identical petition against the Prevention of Electronic Crime Amendment Act 2025 (PECA 2025). The court also summoned Attorney General of Pakistan for assistance in the case on next hearing. Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas of the IHC heard the petition against the PECA Amendment Act filed through lawyer Adil Aziz Qazi. The court noted that there are other similar petitions pending before the court. The court issued notices to the parties and adjourned the hearing till April 17. The petitioner has named ministries of information, law and justice and others as respondents in the case. It may be mentioned that the identical petitions of PFUJ, Islamabad High Court Journalists Association and others against the PECA Amendment Act are also under hearing at high court. (More input from APP)

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Military courts' place in judiciary in focus

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar of the Supreme Court's Constitutional Bench on Wednesday observed that military courts were not part of the judiciary, adding that there was no judicial ruling that defined military courts as part of the judiciary. "First, let the military court be recognised as part of the judiciary, then talk about separating it from the judiciary," he pointed out. The remarks were made as a seven-judge bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard intra-court appeals challenging the Oct 23, 2023, ruling by a five-judge bench that nullified the military court trials of civilians involved in the May 9 violence. During the proceedings, Advocate Abid Zuberi, representing ex-SCBA officials, argued that the attorney general had violated assurances given to the court. He pointed out that the attorney general's written assurances were referred to in the five-member bench's decision. During his arguments, Zuberi recalled that former military ruler General Ziaul Haq had ordered a military trial for F.B. Ali in 1978 but later released him. To this, Justice Mandokhail said Gen Zia did what F.B. Ali wanted to do. Justice Mazhar said that the army act provided a complete procedure for military trials, ensuring fundamental rights. However, he noted that "if the procedure was not followed, then its mere existence is meaningless." Justice Mazhar further noted that there were two key objections to military trials: their perceived lack of impartiality and the limited legal expertise of those conducting them. Advocate Zuberi argued that military courts functioned as part of the executive. At this, Justice Mazhar questioned, "What is the role of the army? Where does the executive come into it?" Zuberi responded, "The army's job is to defend the borders." Justice Mandokhail added that the army's role was national defence. Justice Mazhar then questioned whether Zuberi considered military courts to be part of the judiciary. "If you recognise them as the judiciary, the consequences will be different. If a military court is judicial, then it is part of the judiciary. Justice Munib did not classify military courts as the judiciary." Zuberi reiterated that Supreme Court rulings have established that civilians cannot be court-martialled for civil offences. "Military courts are not part of the judicial system under the Constitution. They can only try civilians who are part of the military. Under Articles 10-A and 4, civilians cannot be court-martialled." He further argued that under Section 2-D, Article 8(3-A) does not apply to the accused. However, Justice Mazhar pointed out that Article 8(3-A) includes the term "other persons," adding that no ruling has provided clarity on military courts so far. Zuberi insisted that "under Article 10-A, military trials cannot be conducted." Justice Mazhar then questioned, "Where does the nexus provision fit in?" Justice Mandokhail noted that Section 2-D does not explicitly mention military courts but only states that a trial will be held for the crime. "It does not specify which forum will conduct the trial," he said. Zuberi informed the court that amendments had been made to include military trials for attacks on military installations. Justice Hasan Rizvi responded, "These attacks are still happening—there was an attack in Bannu Cantt just yesterday."

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Banks earn Rs600b profit on govt borrowings

The government's borrowing from the domestic banks soared to Rs35 trillion in 2024 leading to hefty Rs600 billion profits for the commercial banks mainly because of high interest rates, sources said on Wednesday. Finance ministry sources said that commercial banks earned more than Rs600 billion in profits for the first time in 2024 due to the government borrowing from private banks at high interest rate. They added that the loans from local commercial banks topped Rs35 trillion, compared with Rs25.2 trillion external debt.

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Major reforms in pension system

The federal government has introduced major changes to the pension system, impacting all government employees and pensioners. According to a newly issued notification, pensions will now be calculated based on the average salary of the last 24 months, and employees will no longer be allowed to receive multiple pensions. As per the new policy, government employees' pensions will be determined using the average salary of their final 24 months of service. They will not be permitted to draw more than one pension. However, this rule will not apply to employees who opt for voluntary retirement.

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NA body reviews PR PSDP budget for FY 2025-26

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways on Tuesday scrutinized the budgetary proposals related to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the Ministry of Railways and its attached departments for the Financial Year 2025-26. MNA Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan chaired the committee meeting. The secretary, Ministry of Railways, informed the committee that the ministry had requested Rs65 billion from the PSDP last year. However, the Finance Division approved Rs45 billion, which was subsequently reduced to Rs35 billion.

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Faisal Vawda stands tall, recovers Rs60b

The Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs on Tuesday reviewed critical issues related to the management of maritime assets, particularly the controversial sale of 500 acres of land at Port Qasim. The committee, chaired by Senator Faisal Vawda, later ordered cancellation of the sale. Vawda later expressed his gratitude for the swift action taken by the committee, stating, “Had we not intervened and exposed the corruption, the country would have lost Rs60 billion. Our collective action ensured that the fraudulent sale was canceled within 72 hours of our recommendations.”  According to a press release, the committee delved into the sale of 500 acres of land at Port Qasim, which was reportedly sold for a mere 2 percent advance, amounting to a fraction of its actual value, estimated at Rs60 billion. The senator questioned the legitimacy of the transaction, stating, “Only 2 percent was taken after selling land worth Rs60 billion. If the transaction was legitimate, why was it reversed within 72 hours?” The land was originally allotted for industrial use in 2006, and the committee heard from officials that an out-of-court settlement had been pursued in this matter. However, Vawda raised doubts, questioning why the land was sold for just 10 percent of its actual value and why the board did not take action sooner. “Who authorized the Port Qasim Board to sell land worth Rs60 billion for just Rs5 billion? This goes beyond their scope and authority,” he remarked. In his remarks, the senator outlined three options for dealing with such cases of mismanagement and corruption, “Surrender, admit the corruption, or fight against it.” He emphasized the importance of holding accountable those responsible for the financial loss to the country. Senator Danesh Kumar raised concerns about the lack of a permanent chairman at both the Karachi and Gwadar ports, stressing the need for stable leadership in the maritime sector. Vawda agreed stating that if the acting chairmanship was to continue, then the permanent chairman should be removed. “The importance of proper leadership cannot be overstated.” The committee also questioned the role of the Port Qasim Board in the controversial land sale. Port Qasim officials claimed that the matter was handled appropriately and that the board had not done anything illegal. However, Senator Vawda challenged this assertion, saying, “Port Qasim not only sold the land maliciously but also changed the location of the Balkhnum Razi project.” He pointed out that the land was sold at an extraordinarily low price, noting that a foreign company, “which was not truly foreign but local and had a questionable track record”, was involved in the deal. The committee was also briefed on the current state of Port Qasim’s land holdings. Port Qasim owns approximately 14,000 acres of land, with 9,574 acres leased out. In addition, the authority purchased 1,000 acres of land and is awaiting possession of 1,250 acres from the Sindh government. The committee noted the importance of prioritizing exports at the ports, which remains a key issue for Pakistan’s maritime sector. Vawda called for the inclusion of technocrats and businessmen from private sector in the port’s management board to ensure efficiency and transparency. In line with the findings of the meeting, the senator proposed several recommendations for immediate action. These included freezing pending payments in land acquisition deals at Port Qasim, KPT, Gwadar Port and the PNSC until further investigations are completed. The committee also recommended a thorough examination of the Shawn Refining project, with the potential for cancellation if criminal negligence is found. The committee issued directions that all the lease agreements that were issued from 2018 to 2024 to any companies be frozen. The committee also directed that the details of all the out of court settlements made during the governments of the PTI, the PDM and the PML-N be provided to the committee. All lease agreements of which the payments have not been made be cancelled.  The next meeting will further discuss appointments in important maritime departments and follow up on unresolved issues related to the Port Qasim land sale and other maritime affairs. The meeting was attended by Senators Danesh Kumar, Naseema Ehsan, Rubina Qaim Khani, Husna Bano, Nadeem Bhutto and other senior officials, including the chairpersons of relevant departments. WITH INPUT FROM APP

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