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Monday, 16 January, 2023 i 23 Jamadi us sani, 1444 Bilawal: PPP will support PM in ‘potential’ vote of confidence
rs 15.00 | vol Xiii no 198 i 12 Pages i islamabad edition
Despite odds, govt committed to polio eradication: PM
Work on two WB-funded 245MW power projects to begin this year
Govt allegedly violates international obligations in promotions of bureaucrats
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PTI, PML-Q PIck Three naMes for Punjab careTaker cM g
AHMAD NAWAZ SUKHERA, NASEER KHAN AND NASIR SAEED KHOSA AMONG CANDIDATES LAHORE
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staff report
UTGOING Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Sunday announced that both the PTI and PML-Q had finalized three candidates – namely: Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, Naseer Ahmad Khan and Nasir Saeed Khosa as their picks for the Punjab caretaker chief minister. Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was speaking to the media outside PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence after both the leaders held a consultative on the matter. Sukhera is a serving bureaucrat, Khan is the former federal health minister and Khosa is a retired civil servant. It is to be noted that Elahi had signed a summary to dissolve the Punjab Assembly. In a brief one-line advice addressed to Governor Balighur Rehman, Elahi said: “I Pervaiz Elahi, chief minister of Punjab, hereby, advise you to dissolve the provincial assembly.” On Saturday, the provincial assembly automatically dissolved after Rehman refused to sign Elahi’s summary. Elahi announced the names on Sunday night, saying that the selections were made by
Imran himself. He later also shared the names in a tweet, saying that the names would now be sent to Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman. He urged the opposition to “think with an open heart” and said that if it did, he could see consensus being reached. During the media talk, Elahi was also asked whether the PML-Q was considering joining the PTI. “We have scheduled a meeting for tomorrow. All our MPAs MNAs and party officeholders are coming for that and we will discuss [the matter] there,” he said. “They (the PTI) have told us that ‘if you are absorbed into the party (PTI) then it will be good for you and the party’,” he said, adding that his son Moonis also felt the same. He also said that the preparations for introducing a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were “100 per cent complete”. FawaD CH invites PML-n FOr COnsuLtatiOn : Earlier in the day, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry invited the PML-N to consultation on the caretaker set-up in Punjab following dissolution of the provincial assembly. “We want the PML-N to come up to table for consultation with PTI to install a consensus caretaker set-up in Punjab”, he elaborated and noted that
PPP leading allegations tinted LG polls in Karachi, Hyderabad KARACHI staff report
The PPP is leading the second phase of Sindh local body elections tinted by allegations of electoral irregularities, rigging low turnout, and an unusual delay in results from polling stations in Karachi. Polling—which took place in 16 districts of Karachi and Hyderabad divisions in the second phase—began at 8am and continued till 5pm without any break. As the vote count gained momentum, unofficial results started pouring in from several districts of Hyderabad division. According to unofficial results, PPP appeared to have swept the polls in Hyderabad Division, emerging victorious on more than 726 seats. While 56 independent candidates secured seats in the division. Meanwhile, PTI bagged 50 while GDA could only manage 11 seats. JI and JUI-F claimed 10 and five seats respectively. Taking to Twitter, PPP Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari said that his party had "swept" the local bodies elections in the province.
But, hours after the end of polling, results were still awaited from most districts in Karachi division, with reports of polling agents not receiving Forms 11 and 12 from presiding officers, and reporters complaining of being barred from covering the vote counting process. Meanwhile, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami's Karachi chapter Hafiz Naeem ur Rahman threatened to stage sit-in protests if the results of the local body elections were not announced on time. He claimed that some Deputy Commissioners working in favour of the PPP-led Sindh government were interfering in the process. He said that his party had not been provided the forms even after 10pm. "If the forms are not provided in the next one hour and the ROs do not announce the results, there will be sit-ins across the city," he warned, adding that the party's would announce its strategy after consultation. Earlier, despite the demands of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the consecutive requests of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)led Sindh government to delay the polls, the local body elections were held as per the schedule.
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Govt keeps POL prices unchanged to provide relief to masses: Dar ISLAMABAD staff report
Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar here on Sunday said that the government has decided to keep the existing prices of petroleum products unchanged for next 15 days to facilitate the masses, particularly to provide relief to lower-income people during intense winters. Addressing a press conference, the minister said that these prices would be applicable from January 16, 2023 and would remain in force for next 15 days to January 31, 2023.
He said that the decision for keeping the existing prices of petroleum products unchanged in local market was taken under the special directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to provide relief to common man, particularly the lower income groups and ensure provision of fuel at household level on affordable prices to meet the winter requirements. The price of diesel will remain unchanged at current level and it would be available on existing price of Rs 227.80 per liter, petrol Rs 214.80 per liter, kerosene oil Rs 171.83 per liter and light diesel oil at Rs 169.00 per liter, he added.
Due to movements of petroleum prices in the international markets, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has recommended Rs 8.76 per liter increase in kerosene oil and Rs 7.73 per liter of light diesel oil. However, the government has decided again to keep the existing prices of other oil products unchanged. Meanwhile, a spokesman for Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Sunday strongly rejected speculative reports circulating in a section of the media about the shortage of petrol and diesel in the country.
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FAWAD CH INvITES PML-N FOR CONSULTATION ON CARETAKER SET-UP IN PUNJAB
his party will propose two names for the caretaker chief minister (CM). “If the opposition does not agree on the proposed names, the matter will be referred to the parliamentary committee and the election commission,” he added. He further said that they would try to come up with a better name through consensus. Meanwhile, Fawad also said that party Chairman Imran Khan would not meet any defiant member, asking the latter to respond to the show cause notice to the
party secretariat. A day earlier, the Punjab Assembly was dissolved as Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman excused himself from signing the summary, saying he could not become a part of the process, ARY News reported on Saturday. Taking to Twitter, Governor Punjab wrote: “I have decided not to become part of the process leading to the dissolution of Punjab Assembly.”
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