01 FRONT PAGE (14-12-2022)_Layout 1 12/14/2022 1:32 AM Page 1
Wednesday, 14 December, 2022 I 20 Jamadi Awwal, 1444 I Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 165 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
‘Irrefutable evIdence’ exposes delhI fannIng terrorIsm In pakIstan: sana g
Says FM Bilawal to take up subversive activities by RAW at UN ISLAMABAD
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Staff RepoRt
INISTER for Interiors Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said Pakistan had “irrefutable evidence” of the involvement of Indian spy agency RAW in the blast at Johar Town, Lahore last year, saying India was not only behind the Johar Town blast, but also found involved in fanning terrorism in Pakistan. “This is a matter of internal security and we are initiating the process to take it up at the international level. The Secretary Foreign Affairs will highlight the issue at different world forums while Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will raise the matter of Indian involvement in terror financing and subversive activities in Pakistan at the United Nations,” the minister said while address-
ing a news conference here along with Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General (IG) Imran Mehmud. Rana Sanaullah said Pakistanis had rendered innumerable sacrifices in wiping out terrorism from the country. “Pakistan has been facing terrorism for several decades, and Pakistanis including citizens, personnel of armed forces, police, Rangers and agencies, journalists, and politicians have either lost their lives in this war or became its victims.” He said gatherings at mosques, Imambargahs, important buildings and elsewhere were targeted. India had remained involved in every form of terrorism in Pakistan. India was acting just like an enemy and at the same time trying to conceal its brutalities in the occupied Kashmir, he added.
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Says India had transferred more than $0.8m for patronage of terrorists in Pakistan
The minister said the arrest of spy Kulbhushan Yadev and his statement was sufficient to prove that India was involved in every act of terrorism in Pakistan and was adopting different ways for the purpose. He said they had “undeniable evidence” that could establish India and its premier spy agency (Research and Analysis Wing) were involved in different terror incidents. He said the Foreign Ministry would raise the issue of Indian involvement in terrorism in Pakistan and also expose it before the world. “After investigation it transpires that India is involved in the Johar Town terror act and its own narrative also tells about its involvement,” he added. He said India had transferred more than $0.8 million to the terrorists to carry out the task.
PM vows to interconnect country via road infrastructure development g
Says mainstreaming disadvantaged areas through motor way to ensure prosperity
SUKKUR/HYDERABAD Staff RepoRt
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated resolve of his government to interconnect the entire country through the development of road infrastructure connecting all provinces, particularly the disadvantaged areas of the country, saying connecting the deprived areas, including Balochistan and Sindh, would pave the way for economic and social development, besides strengthening the national economy. “PTI Chairman Imran Khan despite tall claims, failed to initiate this much-needed project during his government.” The prime minister criticized former prime minister Imran Khan for instigating public for his personal gains, and said instead, he should have protested over the manipulation of the cartels of sugar and wheat during his tenure. He hoped that the public would not fall prey to his negative campaign.
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TOSHA KHANA PAC seeks gifts’ record received by public office holders
306km-long M-6 to be completed with Rs307b within 30 months
PM Shehbaz gave credit to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for initiating motorways in Pakistan, saying the PML-N Supremo had revolutionized road infrastructure building in Pakistan. He announced the completion of the Sukkur-Rohri Bridge, which was earlier announced by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and also directed improvement of Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway to avoid traffic congestion and accidents. The prime minister, who twice performed the foundation-laying of M-6 motorway in Sukkur and Hyderabad cities of Sindh province respectively, said connecting the deprived areas, including Balochistan and Sindh, would pave the way for economic and social development, besides creating new business opportunities. With its ends in Sukkur and Hyderabad, the 306-km-long M-6 will be completed with Rs307 billion within 30 months as per international standards. The M-6 portion will complete the North-South Motor-
way Corridor, also known as the Karachi-Peshawar Motorway, which will interconnect major cities of the country. The prime minister, in his address at the two events, said it was a matter of satisfaction for the coalition government to restore construction work of the M-6 motorway that faced a prolonged delay due to the inefficiency of the previous government. He emphasized upon ensuring the quality and standard of the M6 motorway not less than rest of the motorway network in the country. He directed the relevant authorities to complete the public-private project within the stipulated time period. The prime minister encouraged Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal to promote further projects on publicprivate projects so as to achieve the goals of development and prosperity. He also called for improving road connectivity from Balochistan to the up-country in order to connect the all-important Gwadar Port and mainstream the province in the national economy. He also announced that the Federal Government would contribute Rs one billion to Sindh’s development fund to mitigate the sufferings of flood-affected people and urged the provincial government to allocate the same amount from its exchequer. He mentioned that federal and provincial governments, national and provincial disaster management authorities, and international aid agencies were collaborating in the rehabilitation efforts.
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ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Noor Alam Khan on Tuesday directed the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to provide the record of gifts received by the public office holders and declared in “Tosha Khana” during the last 10 years. These gifts are not awarded to individuals but the public office holders who represent the government of Pakistan during their foreign visits, said the PAC chairman adding that these gifts, under the law, have to be declared deposited in Tosha Khana. The committee wanted to know the procedure and law according to which the value of gifts was determined, said Noor Alam. He further said that the committee also wanted to know the names of political leaders, Chief Ministers, Governors, Judges, Generals, bureaucrats, the federal secretaries who received gifts during their foreign visits during the last ten years and whether they declared those gifts in Tosha Khana or not. “They were reluctant initially to share the record with PAC therefore I ordered Auditor General to obtain the record”, said PAC Chairman adding that later the committee will review the process of auction of those gifts. The committee while considering the audit report of 2019-20 pertaining to audit paras against Pak PWD, Estate Office and Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation, directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB)
to vacate possession of Shaheed-e-Millat secretariat building in 15 days period and submit the compliance report to the committee. The committee also directed NAB to immediately pay dues to the Pak PWD failing which the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Frontier Constabulary (FC) and if needed Pakistan Army to initiate action to get vacate the building from NAB’s possession and recover amount of dues. The committee also directed the Auditor General of Pakistan to stop payment of pensions to those retired officers who failed to vacate their official residence after their retirement and do not submit NOC. The committee took strong exception to such official residences which were still under the use of retried officials and the Estate Office was helpless to get them vacated. “I know, my file is with you, do whatever you want, I have faced Imran Khan for 3 years and will also face you, but you will have to vacate the building immediately,” said the PAC Chairman while talking to the NAB officials who were justifying the possession. In another audit para regarding non-recovery of dues from the allottees of houses and shops all over Pakistan, the chairman directed Chief Ministers, Chief Secretaries to get such houses, shops and petrol pumps vacated from allottees and to re-auction them according to the latest market value. The committee also directed FIA to initiate legal proceedings against ministers, governors and officials involved on the allotment of government property at low rates.