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sunday, 2 april, 2023 i 11 Ramzan, 1444 LHC to hear contempt petition against ECP boss, members for election delay
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Rs 15.00 | Vol Xiii no 274 i 8 Pages i islamabad Edition
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Ruling allianCe exPResses ‘no ConFidenCe’ in CJP-led THRee-membeR benCH g
CALLS FOR FORMATION OF FULL COURT FAZAL ACCUSES ‘FEW JUDGES’ OF TO DELIBERATE UPON PUNJAB POLLS TRYING TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO IMRAN g
ISlAmAbAd
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HE top leadership of the ruling alliance on Saturday expressed its mistrust in the three-member Supreme Court bench hearing the postponement of polls in Punjab and called for formation of a full court to deliberate upon the matter. A three-member bench is currently hearing the PTI’s plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP’s) decision to postpone elections to the Punjab Assembly till October 8. The three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar was constituted after the original five-member bench was disbanded following the recusals of Justice Aminuddin Khan on Thursday and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Friday. In this regard, the coalition government and its senior leaders sat together to discuss the current crisis situation and discussed various ways and means to deal with the stand-off between the ruling PDM alliance and the judiciary. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting held to devise a future strategy for the government amid the country’s judicial crisis on
top of long ongoing economic and political crises. According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz addressed the meeting via video link from Lahore. “The meeting expressed no confidence in the three-member bench headed by the chief justice, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar and demands that the present court proceedings be terminated by accepting the four-judge majority judgment of the suo motu no. 1/2023,” the press release reads.
“The sad fact is that the chief justice of the Supreme Court wants to impose the decision of the minority on the decision of the majority. This conduct is not only a serious constitutional and political crisis in the country but also a clear example of deviation from the Constitution and prevailing legal procedures, which is also a clear violation of the basic concept of the division of powers of the state,” the statement added. The meeting was referring to the Supreme Court’s 3-2 verdict issued
on March 1 that elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab — both of which have been under caretaker governments since the provincial assemblies were dissolved in January — should be held within 90 days. The bench was reconstituted to a five-member bench after four judges from the initial nine-member bench had raised objections on the constitution of the bench as well as the invocation of the apex court’s suo motu jurisdiction by the chief justice.
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Qureshi for joint efforts to ‘thwart PDM’s unconstitutional actions’ islaMabaD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi stressed the need to bring all the democratic political forces on a joint platform under a well-conceived PTI plan to protect the supremacy of the constitution and independence of the judiciary by thwarting the unconstitutional actions by the PDM. Talking to media here on Saturday along with Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Qureshi said that he held meeting with MWM chief to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country and to find out a workable solution to get the country of the quagmire of problems created by the PDM government during the over last one year. Keeping in view the prevailing uncertain political situation, Qureshi said that PTI decided to take onboard the other political forces. In the meeting with MWM chief, they agreed to hold joint efforts to ensure the supremacy of the constitution, the independence and autonomy of the judiciary. Qureshi made it clear that the PTI would continue to strive for ensuring of supremacy of rule of law and constitution, adding that he would hold meeting with other political parties. PTI Vice Chairman stated that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) violated the constitution by giving October 8 date for the election. He expressed his surprise that the government had enough funds for laptop scheme and MNAs but it did not have Rs. 20 billion fund to hold elections in the country to steer the country out of the prevailing uncertain political situation. staff report
Peshawar High Court swears in first-ever female chief justice PESHAWAR staff report
In a historic appointment, Justice Musarrat Hilali was sworn in as the first female chief justice of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday. The ceremony, held at the Governor House in Peshawar, saw Justice Hilali take the oath of office, which she will hold until a regular chief justice is appointed by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administered the oath and extended his congratulations and best wishes to Justice Hilali, a senior puisne judge of the court. In attendance were several senior judicial and government officials, including lawyers, KP police chief Akhtar Hayat Khan, provincial Law Secretary Masood Ahmad, and Special Assistant to Caretaker Chief Minister Pir Haroon Shah, among others. Justice Hilali’s profile on the PHC website reads she obtained her law degree from Khyber Law College Peshawar University. She began her legal career as an advocate of district courts in 1983, followed by an enrollment as a lawyer of the high court in 1988. In 2006, she was enrolled as a barrister of the Supreme Court. Her illustrious career also includes being the first woman additional advocate general of KP, a position she held from November 2001 to March 2004. Hilali was also appointed as the first woman chairperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Tribunal. Should Justice Hilali be appointed as the regular chief justice, she would become only the second woman to serve in this capacity in any of the high courts. Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar was appointed as the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) in 2018.
FbR fails to achieve revenue target of Rs5,460b g
BOARD COLLECTS RS5,156B IN FIRST NINE MONTHS AGAINST TARGET OF RS5,460B ISlAmAbAd shahzad paracha
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has failed to achieve nine months revenue target of Rs5,460 billion. Sources said that FBR has collected Rs 5156 billion in the first nine months against the target of Rs 5460 billion, indicating a shortfall of over Rs 300 billion from July to March. FBR has collected Rs 663 billion in March 2023 against the target of Rs 727 billion, indicating a shortfall of 64 billion in March. Overall, FBR has now collected Rs 2484 billion tax in the last quarter to meet the yearly revised revenue target of Rs 7640 billion. The government imposed Rs 170 billion revenue measures to meet the financing gap as instructed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Additionally, on Friday also increased petroleum development levy on petrol and diesel to Rs 50 per liter to fulfill IMF’s demand. Sources also said that FBR’s field offices are knowingly sending notices to recover Super Tax to companies that do not have any taxable income and are already suffering taxable losses for the year. Rather tax authorities are deceitfully computing the imputable income based on the amounts separately and clearly mentioned as subject to minimum tax which confirms the malafide intentions of Tax Authorities, sources added.
Currently the corporate sector is paying over 50% tax to the government of Pakistan. The collection has a breakdown of 35% of Individual and Association of Person’s (AOP) , 4% additional Super Tax for tax year 2022, 29% in corporate profits, 15% in dividends, 17% GST along with additional up to 4% additional Super Tax for Tax Year 2022. Sources said that such unfair and frivolous demands from FBR is adding fuel to the fire in quite disturbing and deteriorating economic environment and is only adding to the mounting worries of the corporate sector. The corporate community, according to internal sources, believes that this time and resources should have been put in the right direction in expanding the tax base, setting up a strong control environment by strengthening and enhancing the data based automated controls and overcoming the tax frauds.
fiqah-e-hanfia lahore sehr: 4:28 aM iftar: 6:24 PM
islaMabad sehr: 4:30 aM iftar: 6:32 PM
karachi sehr: 5:06 aM iftar: 6:49 PM
fiqah-e-jafaria lahore sehr: 4:18 aM iftar: 6:34 PM
islaMabad sehr: 4:20 aM iftar: 6:42 PM
karachi sehr: 4:56 aM iftar: 6:59 PM
Fatal stampede at Karachi factory results in police case against owner and staff KARACHI staff report
The owner and administration staff of a factory linked to a deadly stampede at a free ration distribution point in Karachi have been booked by police, according to reports on Saturday. At least 11 women and children were killed on Friday after hundreds of people gathered at a factory in Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE), the city’s industrial area, to collect edibles — which is part of charity drives that locals hold every Ramadan to help the needy, according to Geo News. An administration official said 600 to 700 people were coralled in the small compound. “When they opened the main gate, all the people rushed in,” added 22-year-old Fatima Noor, whose sister died in the crush. The case has been registered at the SITE A police station and is being pursued under Sections 322, 337-H(2), and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) by sub-inspector Malik Asif Zia. The first information report (FIR) said that negligence by factory staff caused the stampede. It also revealed that two factory managers had been distributing cash as zakat on behalf of the factory owner, Abdul Khaliq, for several years. The nominated suspects include Khaliq, the managers, and seven others, and eight suspects, including the owner and managers, have already been detained for questioning. Murad Ali Shah, the chief minister, has ordered an investigation into the incident. He also asked charities and business owners to inform the police before organising such Ramadan handouts. There was no comment from the prime minister’s office. “That is a provincial subject,” a government official told The Associated Press. “CM Sindh can respond,” the official added. It is the deadliest stampede at a food distribution point since the start of fasting during Ramadan. With the latest incident, the death toll from stampedes at free food centres across the country has risen to at least 21 since last week. Pakistan’s finances have been hobbled by decades of financial mismanagement and political chaos. The situation has been exacerbated by the global energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the crippling monsoon floods last year which submerged a third of the country. Weekly inflation is 45 percent, unseen since Pakistan got its independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Rising food costs and soaring fuel bills have raised fears of public unrest. The nation is deep in debt and must enact tough tax reforms and push up utility prices if it hopes to unlock another tranche of a $6.5 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bail-out and avoid defaulting.
Domestic inflation smashes all records; jumps to 35.37pc in March ISlAmAbAd GhulaM abbas
While the government is still ready for taking every step to flatter the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for unlocking a desperately needed bailout package, the year-on-year inflation in the country shattered all previous records to hit 35.37 percent in March 2023, data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reflected on Saturday. The inflation rate, as per documents, is the highest one since the available data i.e. July 1965. As a country needs billions of dollars of financing to service existing debt, supporting dwindling foreign exchange reserves, the move of increasing taxes, restricting imports, increasing exchange rate etc are ultimately increasing the burden on the masses. Poor Pakistanis are feeling the brunt of the economic turmoil. The data from PBS suggests that the country was fast heading towards hyper-
inflation, with at least three consumer goods groups already in the territory of around a 50% surge in prices yearly. The ministry of finance, through its Monthly Economic Update & Outlook shared on Friday had also indicated that inflation is expected to stay at an elevated level owing to market frictions caused by relative demand and supply gap of essential items, exchange rate depreciation, and recent upward adjustment of administered prices of petrol and diesel. As per the data, the monthly inflation rate; however, declined to 3.7% in March over February. In March 2022, inflation was recorded at 12.72pc. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI), which monitors prices in the wholesale market, also rose sharply to 37.5% in March compared to 23.8% in the same month a year ago. The short-term rate of inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) last week hit a record 46.65pc, while monthly inflation recorded by the CPI
reached 31.6pc in February, the highest in six decades. RuRal anD uRban inFlation: The PBS reported that the overall inflation rate recorded an increase in both the urban and rural areas. CPI inflation in urban areas increased to 33.0% on a year-onyear basis in March 2023 as compared to an increase of 28.8% in the previous month and 11.9% in March 2022. On a month-on-month basis, it increased to 3.9% in March 2023 as compared to an increase of 4.5% in the previous month and an increase of 0.7% in March 2022. Meanwhile, CPI inflation in rural areas increased to 38.9% on a year-onyear basis in March 2023 as compared to an increase of 35.6% in the previous month and 13.9% in March 2022. On a month-on-month basis, it increased to 3.5% in March 2023 as compared to an increase of 4.0% in the previous month and an increase of 1.0% in March 2022.
Consumer prices have risen sharply over the past several months, with annual inflation staying above 20pc since June last year. As per PBS data, the food group, which commands a significant weight i.e. 34.58% in the inflation reading, remained the major driver behind the increase. It increased from 170.06 in March 2022 to 250.25 in March 2023, a jump of over 47%. The transport group witnessed an increase of 55% YoY. The non-food inflation rate was recorded at 24.1% in urban areas and 28.5% in rural areas compared to 10.4% and 12.5% in the same month last year. The inflation situation has worsened to its worst, steeping the masses, whose purchasing power has eroded by leaps and bounds, into misery, as the price of almost every edible item has gone through the roof over a period of months. Core inflation, which was calculated after excluding the volatile energy and food prices, increased in March to 18.6%
in urban areas and 23.1% in rural areas. The Economic Adviser’s Wing of the finance ministry also conceded ineffective policy measures and the haplessness of the authorities in containing the inflationary spiral. “Despite SBP’s contractionary monetary policy, the inflationary expectations are not settling down,” it said and also tried to attribute the challenge to Ramazan-oriented demand pressures. It warned that bulk buying during Ramadan might cause a demand-supply gap and result in escalation of essential items prices, although the government was alert to the situation and had already taken on board all provincial governments to ensure a smooth supply of essential items. Additionally, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has decided to convene a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Tuesday to deal with the emerging risks to the economy due to uncertain developments.