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DEFENSE CZAR HINTS AT ‘OPERATIONS’ IN AFGHANISTAN TO TARGET TERRORISTS PRESIDENT REVIEWS SECURITY SITUATION IN Thursday, 20 March, 2025 | 19 Ramazan, 1446
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IF WE HAVE TO GO AFTER PAKISTAN'S ENEMIES IN ANY COUNTRY, WE WILL DO SO, SAYS KH ASIF
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 254 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
QUETTA, EXPRESSES DESIRE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND LASTING PEACE IN BALOCHISTAN
DEFENCE MINISTER ACCUSES AFGHAN GOVT OF SUPPORTING BANNED TEHRIK-E-TALIBAN PAKISTAN TERRORISTS ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
EFENCE Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday declared Pakistan can take strong action against forces that provide safe havens to hostile elements, indicated that Pakistan may conduct operations inside Afghanistan to target terrorists. “If we have to go after Pakistan’s enemies in any country, we will do so,” the defense czar stated while speaking to a private channel. To a question regarding safe havens of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP), Khawaja Asif accused the Afghan government of supporting TTP terrorists. He further claimed that during the tenure of former prime minister Imran Khan, the TTP was brought back to the region in order to establish a private militia, which he said harmed the country’s internal security. “The National Action Plan (NAP) already exists and is now being reinstated to eliminate terrorism effectively”, Kh Asif emphasized. The Parliamentary Committee on National Security on Tuesday approved a unanimous declaration, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to eradicating terrorism
in all its forms and vowing decisive action against elements threatening national stability. The country’s top civil and military leadership reiterated this commitment during the first committee meeting under the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government. However, the meeting was boycotted by the key opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), among others. The committee emphasised that no institution, individual or group acting in collusion with hostile forces would be allowed to undermine Pakistan’s peace and stability. While expressing regret over the absence of
Quoting Imran Khan to the media, she said: “Why are you trying to trigger a war with Muslim brothers?” She noted that the PTI founder said his party would only attend a National Security Committee meeting with his permission. Replying to a question however, Aleema said Imran pointed out that terrorism attacks had dropped by 2021 but started increasing again in 2022. The PTI founder’s purported remarks come day after as the country’s civil and military leadership convened at an in-camera Parliamentary Committee on National Security to mull the rising incidents of terror-
ism, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The meeting was attended by PM Shehbaz, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI) Lieutenant General Asim Malik, chief ministers of all four provinces, and other top officials. However, several key figures including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, NA Opposition Leader Omar Ayub and Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) members skipped the high-level huddle.
Imran calls into question logic behind making ‘enemy’ out of Afghanistan ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Wednesday questioned the government’s logic of making an enemy out of the neighbouring Afghanistan, asking “Why are (govt) you trying to trigger a war with Muslim brothers.” “Afghanistan is not our enemy and why are they (rulers) trying to make it our enemy?,” said Aleema Khan quoted her brother as saying while talking to the media outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.
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‘Abrupt’ transfer of case on PTI founder’s access to lawyers irks judge ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
UK declares Hassan Nawaz tax defaulter with over £9.4m liability LONDON
Staff RepoRt
The United Kingdom government has formally listed Hassan Nawaz, son of PML-N President and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as a ‘tax defaulter’, after he reportedly failed to pay £9.4 million in dues. According to updated records on the UK government’s official website, Hassan Nawaz accrued the unpaid taxes between April 5, 2015, and April 6, 2016. In addition to the outstanding amount, UK tax authorities have imposed a further £5.2 million penalty on him. Legal analysts point out that while Hassan Nawaz was declared bankrupt a few months ago, UK laws on tax fraud prevent such liabilities from being written off through bankruptcy. Authorities retain the right to pursue recovery of the full amount, including penalties. As of now, there has been no official comment from Hassan Nawaz or his legal team regarding the development. The latest controversy follows his acquittal, along with his brother Hussain Nawaz, in the high-profile Avenfield, Flagship, and Al-Azizia corruption cases earlier this year.
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Ejaz Ishaq Khan on Wednesday initiated suo moto contempt proceedings after it transpired that a case he was hearing regarding PTI founder Imran Khan’s right to meet with his lawyer — had been transferred to a larger bench without his “knowledge or consent.” “Under which law the miscellaneous petition for transfer of the case was filed,” Justice Ejaz Ishaq questioned the state counsel. “If the state supports transfer of the case to a larger bench without consent of the judge,” IHC judge asked. “Instead of doing this, you would have detonated the foundations of my court with explosives,” the judge remarked. Yesterday, the IHC administration had formed a three-member larger bench — headed by Acting Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar — to hear all 26 petitions related to the visitation rights and jail conditions of Imran Khan. As the orders in one such petition were not followed, Imran’s lawyer Mashal Yousufzai sought contempt proceedings against Adiala Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum. The case was heard last week by Justice Ishaq. However, the cause list for the case presided by Justice Ishaq — set to resume on March 21 — was cancelled by the IHC registrar’s office due to the larger bench’s formation, it emerged during a hearing on Wednesday. Yousufzai, her counsel Advocate Shoaib Shaheen and Imran’s spokesperson Niazullah Khan Niazi appeared before the court.
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PM to announce power tariff reduction by Rs8/unit from April 1: report ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to announce a reduction of Rs8 per unit in electricity tariffs starting April 1, 2025, following approval from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The reduced rates will be reflected in consumer bills in May, The News reported. Of the Rs8 per unit decrease, Rs4.73 per unit will be a permanent reduction resulting from renegotiations with six Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and the revision of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 16 IPPs under a take-and-pay model. Additionally, bagasse power plants will be delinked from the US dollar and aligned with the Pakistani rupee, and the return on equity (RoE) for government power plants (GPPs) will be reduced to 13% based on the Pakistani rupee,
with the US dollar fixed at Rs168. The tariff reduction will also incorporate the impact of the government’s decision not to lower petroleum product prices, which had decreased on the international market. This decision has been estimated to provide Rs168 billion in savings, which will be used to reduce power tariffs by Rs1.30 per unit for one month. Although the relief from petroleum price adjustments will be short-term, the IMF has approved this move as part of the government’s strategy to manage the fiscal impact of holding off on price cuts for three months. If international oil prices continue to fall, this could lead to up to Rs250 billion in relief, but only for a limited period. In addition to the Rs8 per unit reduction, government officials are working on further measures to reduce tariffs by an additional Rs2 per
unit, with final details expected to be announced on March 23. The government intends for Rs6 of the total Rs8 reduction to be a permanent adjustment. Officials clarified that the government will not remove the Electricity Duty (ED) on bills, as the Punjab government has opposed its elimination. Additionally, the IMF has rejected a proposed reduction in the General Sales Tax (GST) on electricity bills from 18% to 12%, citing concerns about increasing the tax revenue deficit, which has reached Rs606 billion in the first eight months of the current fiscal year. However, the government has agreed to eliminate the Rs35 fee for Pakistan Television (PTV), which will no longer be included in electricity bills starting July 2025. Instead, a separate budget allocation for PTV will be made in the FY2026 budget to ensure its operations continue smoothly.
President Zardari emphasizes ‘war against terrorism’ has to be won at all costs
QUETTA
Staff RepoRt
some opposition members, an official statement said that consultations on the matter would continue. The in-camera session, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, key federal ministers, parliamentarians and senior military officials. The military leadership provided a detailed briefing on the prevailing security situation, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). The meeting was informed about ongoing counterterrorism operations, recent threats and the state’s comprehensive strategy to ensure internal security. Prime Minister Shehbaz, in his address, emphasised the government’s resolve to eliminating terrorism, acknowledging the sacrifices of security forces. He expressed concern over the security challenges facing Balochistan and K-P, stating that national unity was imperative in countering these threats. The participants of the meeting said that the army chief delivered roughly an hour-long briefing , outlining the military’s operational measures and intelligence-based actions against terrorist groups. In addition, they said, the director general of military operations supplemented the briefing through presentation on strategic countermeasures.
President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday emphasized the need for winning the “war against terrorism” at all costs, saying the situation is clear….. “the state has to survive and the war against terrorism has to be won”, according to state-run PTV News. President Asif Zaradri was chairing a meeting held to review security situation during his visit to Quetta amid the prevailing tense security environment in Balochistan, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. A statement from the PPP said that President Zardari arrived in Quetta on a daylong visit to review the provincial law and order situation and later he also attended a briefing on law and order in the province. The visit comes amid an alarming rise in terror incidence in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Last week, the unprecedented Jaffar Express hijacking took place in Balochistan which resulted in loss of at least 31 lives and a suicide attack on a security convey in Nushki District the following day that left five dead. In a statement issued on the meeting’s discussion, the president was quoted as saying: “Terrorists will be defeated at all costs. Terrorists are trying to divide the nation. He emphasized that the situation is clear… “the state has to survive and the war against terrorism has to be won.” President Zardari pledged to provide modern weaponry to counter-terrorism forces and expressed his desire for development and lasting peace in Balochistan, the statement read. “Balochistan is close to my heart,” the president said, adding that he wanted “to see every child of Balochistan in school”. “Enlightening children with modern technology is the need of the hour,” he was quoted as saying. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was also a part of the meeting attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and provincial ministers. Earlier yesterday, the Parliamentary Committee on National Security had emphasized the need for implement counterterrorism frameworks — the National Action Plan and Vision Azm-i-Istehkam — to curb terrorism. During the meeting, Army Chief Gen Asim Munir pointed to governance gaps as a key reason behind the spike in terrorism and called for making Pakistan a “hard state”. The declaration of the security meeting also underscored a consensus and unified political commitment to combat the scourge of terrorism with the “full might of the state.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had similarly called for national unity and dialogue against the menace of terrorism in the country in a visit to Quetta last week after the attack.