Sunday, 25 September, 2022 I 28 Safar, 1444 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XIII No 87 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Dar likely to replace Miftah as fM following return next week g
RANA SANAuLLAH CONFIRMS ISHAQ DAR WILL RETuRN TO PAKISTAN NExT WEEK
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ORMER Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is set to return back to Pakistan and take up the charge of Finance Ministry which the ruling government believes has been messed with by outgoing finance minister Miftah Ismail. Well-placed sources have told Pakistan Today that the change of guard at finance ministry was decided by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif during his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held at his London residence. The meeting, also attended by Ishaq Dar, also decided to take immediate but concrete measures to tackle Imran Khan’s planned long march, end political uncertainty and appoint Ishaq Dar as finance minister. Separately, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also confirmed that PML-N’s former minister Ishaq Dar, an absconder in NAB case, would return to the county next week and would facilitate the government’s economic team. Addressing a news conference in Lahore, Sanaullah said Dar would be able to help Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif manage the country’s economic affairs “better”.
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NAWAz SPEAKS TO zARDARI, FAzL, TAKES BOTH ON BOARD FOR STRONG ACTION AGAINST PTI LONG MARCH
For weeks, there has been speculation that incumbent Finance Minister Miftah Ismail would be replaced by Dar, with certain top members of the PML-N — like Maryam Nawaz and Javed Latif — on several occasions publicly attacking and disowning his policies, in particular, the inevitable reversal of the costly fuel subsidy introduced by the previous PTI government. The sources said that Nawaz Sharif believes that Miftah had mishandled the affairs of finance ministry which had cost the country and the party dearly. The sources said that Sharif believed that Dar had the relevant skills and ability not only to handle the ministry with prudence but also he has a plan to give relief to the masses in the near future. The sources said that Nawaz Sharif wants to give relief to the public and go into the next elections with a better plan after giving a respite to the general public which is suffering badly at hands of skyrocketing inflation and price hike. Pakistan has recently touched highest inflation rate in past five decades and this has hurt the image of the ruling party badly among the public at large. The sources said that Nawaz Sharif also decided not to bow to the threats of Imran
Khan and rather take strong actions to end political crisis in the country. The sources said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and discussed a future strategy. According to the decisions reached during the meeting, Ishaq Dar will return to Pakistan and assume charge as the finance minister most probably on Tuesday while the current Finance Minister Miftah Ismail will also continue to be a part of the government. Miftah might be given another portfolio. PM Shehbaz is set to leave for Pakistan on Sunday and it’s not clear yet whether Dar will fly with the premier or later. The source said that Nawaz had not been happy with the economic policies of Miftah and had called for a change in the direction of economic policies. Nawaz, according to the source, is worried that the rise in prices of commodities had directly affected ordinary people which has impacted the support base of PML-N. Nawaz, during the meeting, also spoke to zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman and decided to take stringent measures against Imran Khan and also bring in some new faces to help stabilise the political situation. The sources said that the trio also decided to give tough time to Imran Khan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will take other allied parties into confidence on the decisions taken after his return to Pakistan. Meanwhile, Islamabad Capital Territory police have finalised a strategy to deal with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) possible long march towards Islamabad to put pressure on the government for fresh elections in the country. A high-level meeting was held in Islamabad on directions of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to deal with PTI’s planned long march towards the federal capital. The meeting was chaired by IG Islamabad Akbar Nasir and Commandant FC Salahuddin Mehsud. All DIGs, AIGs, SSPs and other senior officials attended the meeting and a detailed briefing was given to counter sit-in call. The meeting reviewed the overall law and order situation and decided to ensure effective security measures in the city besides enhancing vigilance. It was decided that any law-and-order situation in Islamabad would be dealt with by using modern techniques. Commandant FC assured that required the FC personnel would be provided to deal with the sit-in and a regular plan had been prepared in this regard. IGP Islamabad said that all the officers should be ready at all times to deal with the law-and-order situation in the wake of an upcoming protest march.
Suffering of people continues as respiratory diseases breakout islamabad staff report
Thousands of people in flood-hit areas of Sindh continued suffer as disease outbreaks continue to be a concern in the province, where another 11-month-old child died due to respiratory failure. According to the provincial health department, some 71,398 people were logged by authorities to have arrived for treatment at the various medical camps set up across the province, with complaints largely linked to waters that have stagnated in the aftermath of the floods. Of the thousands of people who were tended to, a disproportionately high number of acute respiratory infections — 13,989 — were mentioned in official Sindh health department data. Some 12,777 people complained of diarrhoea, 13,672 of skin diseases, 8,515 of suspected malaria, with 415 confirmed, and 33 had dengue. Another 22,413 were ill with other ailments. Cumulatively, more than three million displaced people have received treatment since July 1. Sindh, where floodwaters descending from the country’s north and hill torrents from Balochistan have converged to give rise to a health crisis, has seen thousands displaced by deluges and now being inflicted by various diseases, mainly waterborne. Dr Karim Mirani, a surgeon at the Dadu Civil Hospital, said that nearly 5,000 people in the district were brought to the hospital in the last few days. Separately, the National Disaster Management Authority said that 10 floodrelated deaths had been reported countrywide over the past 24 hours, taking the cumulative toll since mid-June to 1,606. The National Flood Response and Coordination Centre (NFRCC), in its daily update today, said that Qambar Shahdad Kot, Jacobabad, Larkana, Khairpur, Dadu, Noshero Feroz, Thatta, and Badin were the areas worst affected by the floods. In Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Quetta, Naseerabad, Jafarabad, Jhalmagsi, Bolan, Sohbatpur, Lesbela, Dir, Swat, Charsadda, Kohistan, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan had recorded the highest losses. The body highlighted that rescue operation by the Pakistan Army was underway in all these areas. “So far 147 relief camps and 235 relief collection points in Sindh, South Punjab, and Balochistan have been established across the country for flood affectees,” it said. More than 300 medical camps have also been established so far in which more than 565,359 patients have been treated all across the country and provided free medicines, it added. Dadu Assistant Commissioner Sonu Khan Chandio said that there was still up to six feet of water in the district, and adjoining areas such as Mehar and Khairpur Nathan Shah. Earlier, media reports said that under the supervision of district administration, labourers with the help of desperate local residents widened the breach of Johi branch dyke at Kali Mori. The horrific situation in the town had developed on August 31 after huge deluges caused breaches in Suprio bund near Gozo, a small settlement in KN Shah. Gozo was also heavily flooded. The water level of Manchhar Lake has also significantly dropped. It was recorded at 119.75RL on Friday, almost three feet below the danger level, according to irrigation engineer Mahesh Kumar. Dr Khalil Sikandar Kunharo, a resident of KN Shah, while leading local residents in widening the Kali Mori breach, revealed that around 3,000 men, women and children were present in their houses in the town and staying in upper storeys or on the rooftops. They had chosen not to leave the town when it was hit by flood, said the doctor.
Pakistan has no future if corrupt clique continues to rule: Imran RaHimYaR KHaN staff report
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan Saturday said that Pakistan has no future if corrupt clique, including PM Shehbaz Sharif, who were set to be indicted in money laundering case, continued to rule. Addressing a mammoth gathering of party workers in Punjab’s Rahim Yar Khan district, Imran said they had given themselves an NRO and closed down corruption cases worth Rs1,100 billion. “Foreign powers imposed corrupt leaders so that they can be controlled easily. The movement for ‘real freedom’ against the coalition government will not stop until the announcement of early and transparent elections,” he said. “You remain prepared I will give you [protest] call when my opponents believe that Imran Khan has given up and that day is not far,” he said while ad-
dressing a charged crowd. “I will give call when I believe I can take three wickets in one ball… I am monitoring the preparations of our activists and I will give call the day when I believe we are fully prepared.” Imran said that his much-hyped call for next protest against the coalition government will be the last and added that after that call he would not stage any protest or hold long march. “That call will be given to save Pakistan through free and transparent elections. We don’t have any other way other than the elections to save the country.” Without political stability and stable government, the country’s economic woes cannot be solved, said Imran, adding that only free and transparent elections can bring stability to the economy and the country. Responding to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s warning against marching on Islamabad, Imran while addressing
him said it was his party’s democratic right to stage peaceful protest. “This person [Rana Sanaullah] who should be in jail is lecturing us on democracy.” “Rana Sanaullah, listen with open ears that this time we will come with ‘full planning’. Everyone knows what Rana Sanaullah will do but no one knows what I will do,” he said while referring to violence his party workers were subjected to during their short-lived long march in May. “I have never witnessed such an awareness among masses which I am witnessing today… I have never seen my nation coming out of their homes during hot weather,” he added. Imran said no one can get high-profile position in this government unless without committing any major crime. “Neither we stopped opposition during my government from staging protest nor we created hurdles and did not place any containers… instead we offered food to their participants,” he added.
At the start of his address Imran thanked the supporters for turning up in large numbers and waiting for his speech. “They [PM Shehbaz and his delegation]
are staying at expensive hotels to showoff to those from whom he [PM Shehbaz] is asking donations,” he remarked.
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