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Monday, 6 February, 2023 I 14 Rajab, 1444 Revocation of Article 370 worsens Kashmiris’ plight: Dr Mahathir
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Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 219 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
PM Shehbaz vowS to break ‘habit of begging’ g
SayS iMf Scrutinizing, reviewing recordS of ‘everything, every SubSidy’
g
StreSSeS unity to fight inflation, produce own reSourceS
ISLAMABAD/MUZAFFARABAD
P
Staff rePort
riMe Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday stressed that being a nation we have to stay alive but only how alive nations live and not with begging bowl in hands, saying the international Monetary fund (iMf) was “combing every book” during the ongoing negotiations over the ninth review of the $7 billion loan programme. “this has been going on for 75 years. we have to put a stop to this,” the premier said and vowed to break “this habit of begging” that country was embroiled in. addressing the azad Jammu and Kashmir (aJK) assembly on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity day in Muzaffarabad on Sunday, pM Shehbaz again said that the fund was scrutinizing the records of various ministries and reviewing “everything” and “every subsidy”. he reiterated that the country was facing substantial financial challenges, with the international Monetary fund (iMf) “combing through every book” during the ongoing negotiations for restoring the stalled $7 billion loan programme. “the iMf is looking critically at every book, be it petroleum, finance, commerce or the power sector,” the premier said. “they are looking at each and everything, every subsidy.” the prime minister also shed light on how the country has been on a “begging spree”, calling for it to be stopped once and for all. “this will stop when the entire nation [stands] united to fight inflation and vows to produce their own resources,” he said. “it was very easy to say so but doing it was harder. we deliver speeches but after an hour i forget what i had said.”
‘pakistan to continue support for right to self-determination’ the iMf delegation, headed by nathan
porter, and the government began the make-or-break discussions last week. pakistan needs to complete the review to stave off default. Subsequently, the government had increased liquefied petroleum gas (lpg) price by 30 per cent and finalised a minimum of rs6 per unit average increase in electricity rates between now and august. over the weekend, the premier said the iMf delegation was giving a “very tough time” to finance Minister ishaq dar and his team. Meanwhile, prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday said pakistan would continue to extend all kinds of support to Kashmiris till they achieve their right to self-determination. talking to members of the azad Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly here, he said the whole pakistani nation stood with the Kashmiri brothers in their struggle for freedom.
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Govt, IMF at loggerheads over power subsidies, PDL ISLAMABAD: a deadlock between the international Monetary fund (iMf) and pakistan persisted over power subsidies as well as petroleum development levy (pdl). Sources said that the iMf has been demanding withdrawal of power subsidy worth of rs100 billion provided to the export-oriented sector and also wants full recovery of rs952 billion gape through increasing electricity tariff. however, the government side has been trying to explain to the iMf that it would be difficult to settle the entire amount. in addition, Sources said that the government has also requested the iMf to decrease pdl target to rs650 billion from rs800 billion. fbr can only achieve rs500 billion from pdl during this year if the government increased pdl on petrol and diesel to rs50 per litre. the petroleum consumption decreased 10% due to increase in prices, sources added. Sources also said that the government will impose rs180 billion flood levy, however additional tax measures would depend on the tax gap that would be determined during the policy level talks. Shahzad Paracha
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Sanaullah says knows well how to deal with PTI’s Jail Bharo Tehreek MULTAN Staff rePort
interior Minister rana Sanaullah said on Sunday that pakistan Muslim league nawaz (pMl-n) is not afraid of elections and it will contest and emerge victorious in the upcoming polls across punjab. while addressing pMl-n workers convention in Multan on Sunday, rana Sanaullah said pMl-n Quaid nawaz Sharif had tasked Maryam nawaz with the party’s reorganization. “propaganda is being made that pMl-n is afraid of elections. we are ready for elections. we will contest the elections and win grab victory across punjab.” he predicted that pMl-n will form its government in punjab. he said that pMl-n is aware of inflation that increases troubles for the common man. he said that pakistan was on the path of prosperity in 1999 and the whole world was telling that pakistan will become the asian tiger after becoming a nuclear power. he said that former premier nawaz Sharif had rejected the pressure from foreign countries including the united States (uS) for refraining from nuclear tests
but nawaz Sharif ordered to conduct of six nuclear blasts in response to india’s five nuke tests for sake of the pakistani nation and the Muslim ummah. rana Sanaullah said that pakistan secured its future by conducting nuclear tests and nawaz Sharif had brought the country out of the crisis. he added that Sharif had also brought the country out of crisis after becoming the premier in 2013. he claimed that the menace of load shedding and terrorism were eliminated from the country in 2017 but unfortunately, Sharif was ousted for not receiving salary from his son. “pMl-n is not afraid of elections. we will contest the polls. criticizing the pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti) chief and expremier imran Khan, Sanaullah alleged, “ladlay knows only one thing to do which is holding long marches. ladla had hurled abuses against nawaz Sharif and ordered attacks on police stations during 2014 long march.” “he had concluded the sit-in after the apS incident. the then premier nawaz Sharif had invited him to sit together for uniting the nation at the time too.”
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General turned autocrat Musharraf passes away in Dubai ISLAMABAD Staff rePort
former president gen (retired) pervez Musharraf passed away in dubai on Sunday after a long battle with rare disease amyloidosis. he was 79. pakistan consulate in dubai and his family confirmed the death of the former military ruler at american hospital in dubai. his family has filed an application in pakistani consulate in dubai for shifting the body of Musharraf. Musharraf had been suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. the former general was admitted to the american hospital dubai for treatment. he was also admitted to dubai hospitals more than once in the past. in a statement, the inter-Services public relations (iSpr) expressed heartfelt condolences over the sad demise of former army chief. “May allah bless the departed soul and give strength to
bereaved family,” the military’s media wing said. pervez Musharraf was born on august 11, 1943 in new delhi, india. he who took power in a coup in 1999 and also served as president of pakistan from 2001 to 2008. Musharraf moved with his family from new delhi to Karachi in 1947, when pakistan was separated from india. the son of a career diplomat, he lived in turkey during 1949–56. he joined the army in 1964, graduated from the army command and Staff college in Quetta, and attended the royal college of defence Studies in london. the former army chief held a number of appointments in the artillery, the infantry, and commando units and also taught at the Staff college in Quetta and in the war wing of the national defence college. he fought in pakistan’s 1965 and 1971 wars with india. the then prime Minister nawaz Sharif appointed gen Musharraf head of the armed forces in october 1998.
on october 12, 1999, while Musharraf was out of the country, Sharif dismissed him and tried to prevent the plane carrying Musharraf home from landing at the Karachi airport. the armed forces, however, took control of the airport and other government installations and deposed Sharif, paving the way for Musharraf to become head of a military government. although he was generally considered to hold moderate views and promised an eventual return to civilian rule, Musharraf suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament. he formed the national Security council, made up of civilian and military appointees, to run pakistan in the interim. in early 2001 he assumed the presidency and later attempted to negotiate an agreement with india over the Kashmir region. following the September 11 attacks in 2001 in the united States and the subsequent uS invasion of afghanistan later that year, the uS government cultivated close ties with Musharraf in an attempt to root out is-
lamic extremists in the afghan-pakistan border region. following a movement led by the political parties, Musharraf resigned as the president on august 18, 2008. on March 30, 2014, Musharraf was indicted for suspending the constitution on november 3, 2007. on december
17, 2019, a special court handed Musharraf death sentence in the high treason case against him. the former military ruler left the country in March 2016 for dubai to seek medical treatment and didn’t return to pakistan since.
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