Wednesday, 28 december, 2022 I 4 Jamadi us Sani, 1444 I rs 15.00 | vol XIII no 179 I 12 Pages I Islamabad edition
‘No other optioN’: pm vows to implemeNt imF programme
ISLAMABAD
p
staff report
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the government had “no other option” but to implement the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, calling it a “painful reality”. Pakistan entered a $6bn IMF programme in 2019, which was increased to $7bn earlier this year. The programme’s ninth review is currently pending for the release of $1.18bn. It had earlier been put off for two months due to the PML-N-led government’s unwillingness to accept certain conditions placed before it by the Fund, and the disagreements have yet to be resolved. Earlier this month, IMF Resident Representative for Pakistan Esther Perez Ruiz had said that discussions between Islamabad and the international moneylender on the ninth review had been “productive” so far. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad today, the premier said that the country had no other option but would have to implement the IMF programme and criticised the PTI for breaching its agreement with the inter-
national lender. He lauded the nation for braving the burden of the price hike with patience. PM Shehbaz also regretted that the government could not provide subsidies to any sector without approaching the IMF, saying that it was a “painful reality”. During the press conference today, the prime minister revealed that the government had devised a plan to immediately convert all the federal government entities’ buildings to solar power by April to slash a huge chunk out of the country’s costly fuel import bill hovering around $27 billion. Unveiling the details of the plan, he said the procedures for conversion of solar power should be fast-tracked as they had set April 2023 as the timeline for the implementation of this plan. “Consider it as our political, social, national, and religious duty to implement it as soon as possible.” PM Shehbaz highlighted that under the plan, all the federal government ministries, departments, authorities, and their offshoots in the provinces would immediately shift to solar energy. He asserted that the project would be a model for the rest of the provincial governments as the federal government
would not make additional expenditures over the solarisation process. The prime minister said that with these urgent measures, the government would be able to generate 300MW to 500MW of cheap power, thus reducing the import bill worth billions of dollars each year. He assured that the whole process would be conducted through transparent bidding via a third party, urging provincial chief ministers to emulate the federal government’s launched pattern and introduce solar systems in their respective provinces. “It is the only option for our survival as a nation,” he added. The prime minister said the process for the generation of 10,000MW solar power in the country had already commenced and such a conversion by the federal government buildings would be the first phase. Enumerating the economic challenges faced by the country due to skyrocketing fuel and gas prices after the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said developing countries like Pakistan had to bear the brunt. PM Shehbaz said that the $27 billion costly fuel import bill was a big challenge for countries like Pakistan, adding the ongoing conflict had also surged prices of gas and worsened its availability as the supply to Europe was disrupted. The prime minister said that during the Covid pandemic, the prices of gas crashed to the lowest and it was sold at $2 per unit, but the then government committed criminal negligence by not securing its import and now the whole nation had been suffering because of that decision. He recalled that during former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s tenure, a 15-year agreement for the purchase of LNG at 13.2 per cent of the Brent was reached with Qatar, but unfortunately, it was politicised by the previous government. “Now, due to the global situation, gas is not available while fuel is being sold at an exorbitant price in the global market,” he said, adding that authorities would have to convert to solar and renewable energy with lightning speed.
Bilawal accuses Imran for attempting to ‘make military controversial’ GARHI KHUDA BUX staff report
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday criticised former premier Imran Khan for what he called “attempting to make the military controversial” by asking them to intervene and pave the way for snap polls in the country. “Imran is raising hue and cry because the army had decided to remain apolitical, and for this reason, Khan has been pressuring the military establishment to involve itself in politics,” said Bilawal while addressing a rally in Larkana’s Garhi Khuda Baksh. The PPP rally was staged to mark the 15th death anniversary of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto. Bilawal lashed out at PTI chief Imran Khan, saying the former premier has also become a thing of the past like former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. “We will reject the politics of puppets which is based on lies. The ‘selected’ has also be-
come a thing of the past, just like Musharraf,” he asserted. “Shaheed [martyred] Benazir Bhutto believed in the politics of truth and not lies. We will bury the politics of lies and mischief,” the PPP chief said. “Perpetrators of Benazir’s assassination had thought they would prevent the party from pursuing its mission.. [but] see how many bibi jiyalas [supporters] have gathered here in Garhi Khuda Bux.” Referring to Imran’s foreign
conspiracy allegations, the scion of the Bhutto family said that for the first time in the country’s history the former premier was sent packing through a vote of no-confidence in April this year. “The ‘selected’ [Imran Khan] wanted to give the credit of no-confidence to US President Joe Biden but conspiracy of his ouster was hatched in Bilawal House not in White House,” he remarked. “This [no-confidence mo-
tion] was not a closed-room conspiracy but one that was taken to streets and publicly announced to topple his [Imran] government.” He also urged the PTI to return to the parliament and play its role in legislation on different matters, including accountability and elections. “Or else we won’t be able to stop those elements who want to victimise you,” he said. Who allowed negotiation with terrorists? Speaking about failed negotiations with the Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP), Bilawal blamed ex-PM Imran for an uptick in terrorism, saying, “Who allowed the incompetent and selected government to hold negotiations with terrorists responsible for killing innocent people?” “The entire nation, institutions, children and teachers of APS fought against those terrorists… but who allowed him [Imran] to kneel down before them? Who allowed the imprisoned terrorists to be released from the jail and return to Pakistan from Afghanistan?” he remarked.
Suspects involved in Islamabad suicide bombing ‘arrested’ ISLAMABAD staff report
Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Tuesday said that the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have arrested suspects involved in last week’s suicide bombing in Islamabad. “The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) accepted the responsibility for the attack,” the minister stated about the incident, which claimed the life of a policeman and wounded several others. He said the “taxi driver is innocent”, and he was not involved in the attack as the suspects had taken the cab on rent from him. The suspects, according to Sanaullah, travelled from Kurram Agency to Rawalpindi. Last Friday, a suicide attacker riding a cab with a woman, blew himself up when four bike-riding cops of Eagle Squad intercepted them at Sector I-10/4 — sending the federal capital into a frenzy. As a result of the blast a police official was martyred, while seven — including a policeman and civilians were injured — police told the media. Later, a joint investigation team (JIT) was formed to probe the suicide bombing. “We have rounded up four to five suspects and their handlers have also been apprehended,” the security czar said as several embassies — including the United States, Saudi Arabia and Australia — warned their citizens not to travel unnecessarily in the federal capital. The first was the US, which advised its mission personnel to avoid “non-essential and unofficial” travel in the federal capital throughout the holiday season. Later, other countries issued similar advisories. Pakistan is battling a fresh wave of terrorism after the outlawed TTP announced ending a ceasefire with the country and upped attacks on civilians and security forces alike. As many as nine intermittent blasts hit Balochistan leaving five soldiers, including a captain, martyred and injuring 15 others on Sunday.
Earlier this month, militants took over a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) compound in KP’s Bannu area, which was cleared by the Pakistan Army three days later. However, four soldiers embraced martyrdom and 10 sustained injuries. But the government and the army have expressed the resolve to ensure that the rising terror will be nipped in the bud before it grows out of hand. In his address during a ceremony a day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his resolve to uproot the menace of terrorism by using all resources available in Pakistan. “We are working hard to prevent them. We will employ all resources to uproot terrorism to bring peace in Pakistan,” he added. PIndI PolIce arreStS 13 SuSPectS, recoverS armS, ammunItIon In chauntra oPeratIon The Rawalpindi Police on the directions of City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Shehzad Nadeem Bukhari, conducted a search operation in Chauntra area, arrested some 13 suspects and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition. The search operation was conducted on houses in the vicinity of private housing societies, the Police spokesperson said. The search operation was headed by SDPO Saddar Waqar Azim, SHO Chauntra, SHO Chakri and special elite teams participated in the activity. The search operation was conducted in the areas of Ladian, Khengar and Sangral. The arrested accused included Faizan, Azhar, Sherbaz, Wajid, Abid, Salman, Shoaib, Sajid, Saleem, Hasan, Adnan, Sajid and Mikail. The weapons recovered from the possession of the accused were a light machine gun (LMG), Kalashnikov five, 8mm three, rifle 12 bore three, and 30 bore pistol, magazines and cartridges. CPO Syed Shehzad Nadeem Bukhari appreciated SDPO Saddar, SHOs Chauntra and Chakri and the team.