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PM shehbaz orders strict action against Profiteers ahead of raMazan g g
clean-up operation orDereD at warehouses, markets Distt aDmin, law enforcers given free hanD at feDeral, provincial levels to Deal with hoarDers ISLAMABAD
P
Staff RepoRt
rime minister shehbaz sharif monday directed strict action against those indulging in profiteering, hoarding and overcharging during the upcoming month of ramazanul-mubarak. he was chairing a meeting here to review the availability of essential edible items during ramazan and look into steps to ensure the stability of prices. a free hand was given to the district administration and law enforcement agencies at the federal and provincial levels to deal with profiteers and hoarders. the prime minister ordered a clean-up operation at the warehouses, shops and markets before ramazan. he said those who would charge the people already facing economic difficulties due to floods, more than the rates fixed by the ad-
ministration should be dealt with iron hands. the prime minister gave the federal government and the chief ministers the task to ensure the availability of goods and control of prices. elements, who would be creating difficulties for those fasting in ramazan, should be taught a lesson with the force of the law, he ordered. he categorically stated that if any problem arose in the demand and
supply of goods and prices, action would be taken against the officer concerned in the area. there was no shortage of edible items, including wheat, anywhere in the country, he noted. he inquired about the rise in the price of chicken when its feed was readily available. he reiterated that no leniency should be shown to those causing trouble for the public during ramazan and said unscrupulous elements should be taken to task. the profiteers who were burdening people with price hikes should be dealt with strictly according to law, he added. he said the quality of items should be ensured at the utility stores in the country. in the holy month of ramazan, mobile utility stores should be established for the benefit of people. he directed that “sasta ramazan Bazaars” should be set up in the federal capital and provinces, where modern technology should be used to keep prices under control.
Dar reiterates govt’s commitment to complete IMF programme ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
finance minister ishaq Dar has reiterated that the government is committed to completing the existing imf programme and fulfilling all international obligations. he said this while meeting with a delegation of executive Directors of asian Development Bank (aDB), who called on him at the finance division on monday. the delegation comprised liu weihua, eD for people’s republic of china, noor ahmed, eD for pakistan, takahiro Yasui, eD for Japan, sangmin ryu, eD for korea, mr. shunsuke sakugawa, adviser aDB, ronald san huan, adviser aDB and Yong Ye, country Director, aDB.
special assistant to prime minister (sapm) on finance tariq Bajwa, sapm on revenue tariq mehmood pasha, secretary finance and senior officers from the finance Division participated in the meeting. Dar welcomed the delegation and appreciated aDB’s role and support in promoting sustainable development in pakistan. he informed the delegation about the economic outlook of the country and challenges being faced by the country, coupled with the physical and financial losses due to devastating floods last year. he apprised the delegation that the present government with its pragmatic policy decisions has not only arrested the decline but has also been steering the economy towards
stability and growth. he also shared that the government has taken difficult decisions in key sectors including the energy sector in order to reduce budgetary and current account deficits and increase revenue generation. the finance minister also informed the delegation about the talks held with the imf mission. the aDB delegation appreciated the reforms introduced by the government, and the policy decisions in important economic sectors for achieving sustainable economic development. the delegation also exchanged views on climate financing and environment protection. the delegation extended aDB’s all out support and cooperation to pakistan.
KP, Punjab polls: President can announce poll date, says CJP ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
chief Justice umar ata Bandial said monday that the parliament has clearly written in the elections act, 2017, that the president can announce the date for polls. after deciding that khyber pakhtunkhwa kp and punjab governors — haji ghulam ali and Baligh ur rehman — and the election commission of pakistan (ecp) were not fulfilling their constitutional duties to announce the date for polls in both provinces, president arif alvi announced earlier this month that elections would take place in april — a move that drew strong criticism from the government. meanwhile, the cJp’s remarks came during the suo motu hearing related to the elections in khyber pakhtunkhwa and punjab. the bench, which earlier constituted nine members, now comprises only five members. the bench was reconstituted after Justice ijaz ul ahsan, Justice sayyed mazahar ali akbar naqvi, Justice athar minallah and Justice Yahya afridi recused themselves from hearing the case. the hearing of the case was scheduled to start today at 11am, however, it was delayed reportedly due to the bench formation in the light of a supreme court order of the february 23 hearing. a written order was issued on the sc’s website in which dissenting notes of Justice afridi, Justice minallah, Justice Jamal khan mandokhail and Justice syed mansoor ali shah had been included. following this, a five-member bench headed by chief Justice umar ata Bandial and comprising
Justice munib akhtar, Justice muhammad ali mazhar, Justice shah and Justice mandokhail was formed which presided over today’s hearing. the newly-formed bench — after the counsel of speakers from both provinces, Barrister ali Zafar concluded his arguments — adjourned the hearing of the case till 9:30 morning on tuesday. in a surprising turn of events, the supreme court saw a reduced bench of five justices instead of its usual nine, as it resumed suo motu proceedings regarding the tardiness in announcing election dates for punjab and khyber pakhtunkhwa. previously comprising nine judges, the bench underwent a restructuring and now stands as a five-member entity due to the disassociation of four judges, namely Justice mansoor ali shah, Justice Yahya afridi, Justice Jamal khan mandokhail, and Justice athar minallah. Despite experiencing two delays in scheduled timings of 11:30 am and 12:30 pm, the bench proceeded with its hearing. according to a court order, five judges — Justice Bandial, Justice ahsan, Justice akhtar, Justice naqvi, and Justice mazhar — demanded the case be heard on the three questions framed by the chief justice in the initial notice. the majority order has also indicated that the queries raised by Justice minallah concerning the legality of dissolving the kp and punjab parliaments for taking dictation from a particular party leader, a reference to former prime minister imran khan, may be examined at a suitable stage while bearing in mind the urgency of the matter.
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Pakistan marks anniversary of day it downed intruding Indian jet ISLAMABAD/LAHORE Staff RepoRt
the nation monday marked the fourth anniversary of the day it shot down an intruding indian fighter aircraft and captured its pilot, abhinandan varthaman, in an aerial battle over the disputed region of kashmir. on february 27, 2019, the pakistan air force (paf) downed the russianmade mig-21 warplane and captured varthaman after his plane crashed in azad Jammu and kashmir, in an offensive codenamed operation swift retort. the next day, imran khan, prime minister at the time, announced his release in a gesture of goodwill widely hailed by the international community. pakistan’s action came following an intrusion by indian jets that bombed an alleged militant training centre in Balakot town of the mansehra district in khyber pakhtunkhwa. new Delhi’s claim of killing “300 terrorists” in the strike was denied by islamabad and never independently verified as well. khan, in a series of tweets on monday, congratulated the nation for the response to india’s reckless military adventure of airstrikes. on that day, the government of pakistan tehreek-iinsaf (pti) ordered a “response to [the] indian air strike […] with paf air strikes on indian [military] targets in [occupied] kashmir [and] the paf downed an iaf [indian air force] plane over [pakistan] air space capturing the pilot,” he tweeted.
“we were successful in choosing a limited [military] response signalling a clear [message] to india.” meanwhile, shehbaz sharif said that although his government strives for peace with all nations, it remains “cognisant of our responsibility to safeguard the country.” “while we aim for peace with all, we are mindful of our duty to defend the country. let no one make any mistake about it,” he warned. in a series of tweets, the inter-services public relations (ispr) emphasised that the day served as a reminder that the pakistan army is prepared to safeguard “every inch of the motherland” in the event of any imposition of aggression. “cJcsc (chairman of the Joint chiefs of staff committee), services chiefs and air forces of pakistan pay tribute to the resilience of the nation and resolve of air forces displayed during operation swift retort,” he said.
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