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Thursday, 9 March, 2023 I 16 Shaban, 1444 Chinese embassy writes to govt for resolving Port Qasim payments issue
Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 250 I 08 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Honda announces longest plant shutdown since Covid-19
NA panel expresses displeasure over delay in hiring CCP members
‘SBP to facilitate import transactions as balance of payment situation improves’
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Imran calls off lahore rally after Govt raises Rs1.57tr in PolIce ‘crackdown, brutalItIes’ T-bill auction g
BLASTS PUnJAB PoLICE For ‘MUrDErInG’ UnArMED WorkEr, ArrESTInG SCorES oTHErS
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PTI ACCUSES SAnAULLAH oF EnCoUrAGInG BLooDSHED To PoSTPonE ELECTIonS
LAHORE
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staff report
AkISTAn Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran khan lashed out at the Punjab Police for brutality and murdering the party worker Ali Bilal and vowed that they would file cases against IG, CCPo and others for the murder. In a strong reaction to the murder of the PTI worker, PTI Chairman said: “Ali Bilal unarmed, our dedicated and passionate PTI worker murdered by Punjab police.” “Shameful, this brutality on unarmed PTI workers who were coming to attend election rally. Pakistan is in the grip of murderous criminals. We will file cases against IG, CCPo and others for murder,” he added. Sharing his video, Imran khan said: “This video clearly shows that Ali Bilal, also affectionately called Zille Shah, was alive when taken to police station. So he was killed while in police custody – such is the murderous bent of the present regime and Punjab police.” Ali Bilal aka Zille Shah participated in the PTI’s rally on Wednesday. In a clash with the police, he was hit by a baton on the head. Earlier, PTI Chairman, during his address to the nation, after the crackdown on party workers, announced: “Stop everything. We are not taking out the rally that we were supposed to as, I am saddened to say, that all the moves the government are making are aimed at running away from elections. “They are trying to ensure that chaos spreads and that is why I’m saying to my workers to finish it, we will not carry out the rally,” he said. The PTI Chairman said that the imported government had launched a crackdown on PTI workers not for the sake of law and order but in an effort to avoid elections in the province. “We cannot give the government any excuse to delay the elections,” the PTI Chairman, calling on party workers to return to their homes. “They picked up and took
away our people today as well around 100 workers for what reason?” he asked. The PTI chairman said that his party had launched its election campaign with hardly 55 days left for elections in Punjab and khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Under what law and in brazen contempt of the Supreme Court, the Punjab caretaker government uses massive police violence against unarmed workers to stop our planned rally?” he asked. “The only job of caretakers is to ensure fair and free elections. What they are doing is an assault on rule of law, our Constitution and democracy. Above all, once the Supreme Court ruling is defied, it is now law of the jungle,” he said. It is pertinent to mention here that scores of the PTI workers including women gathered for PTI’s election campaign rally have been arrested, harassed and intimidated who were participating peacefully in the rally. The Police have resorted to use massive tear gas and also used water cannons to disperse the peaceful PTI workers, resultant in a death of one of the PTI worker. Police officials also smashed the windows of the cars of the participants of the rally to spread fear and panic among the PTI workers. However, they remained disciplined despite all the barbarity and brutality unleashed by the Punjab police. Earlier, violence flared in the Mall road neighbourhood of central La-
hore between police and supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), wounding scores of workers, after the interim government of Mohsin naqvi suspended public gatherings in the provincial capital hours before the
opposition party was scheduled to take out a planned election rally. The Punjab Police arrested several PTI workers who turned up on Mall road to participate in the rally the party claims to have been taking out in ‘favour of the judiciary’. Police also baton-charged the people after the PTI workers thronged Canal road and set up a temporary bridge. The road leading to Zaman Park from The Mall was blocked with containers. The PTI had announced a pro-judiciary rally and gave a call to its workers to gather at chief Imran khan’s Zaman Park residence. Hours earlier, the Punjab government imposed Section 144 in the city for seven days, citing security concerns and warned the PTI workers against taking to the street. A heavy police contingent and water cannons have been moved near Zaman Park.
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‘Fascist govt’ wants ‘Jallianwala Bagh’ like massacre to delay polls: PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership lashed out at the “fascist imported” government for using brute force against innocent peaceful PTI protestors and said that the “gang of thieves” wanted to stage “Jallianwala Bagh Massacre” like bloodbath in Lahore to postpone the elections, vowing the PTI would not let them succeed in their nefarious design. PTI leadership, in their strong reactions to the Punjab police highhandedness and brutal use of force against PTI peaceful protestors on Wednesday, said that that the fascist government crossed all limits of barbarism and brutality just to create anarchy in the country to escape the elections since their defeat was unavoidable. PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the fascist government cabinet of 78 plus jet off across the world on taxpayers money at drop of a hat to speak about human rights. “Yet in Pakistan they beat and attack the very taxpayers who fund their lavish lifestyles – abusing innocent protestors and destroying their property,” he added. In his strong reaction, PTI Central Secretary General Asad Umar said that the PTI welcomed the ECP’s announcement of the Punjab Assembly election schedule. However, he said that on one hand, the ECP announced polls schedule and on the other Section 144 was imposed, which was nothing but to make a mockery of the democracy. PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry reacted that the ECP’s Punjab polls date announcement was welcoming; however, he added that the electoral watchdog should take notice of the shelling and baton charge on the election rally in Lahore on the order of General Dyer.
pROfit REpORt The Treasury Bills (T-Bills) cut-off yields rose by 120 basis points in the paper auction held on Wednesday, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The government’s initial target of rs. 1.8 trillion was not met, as it raised rs. 1.57 trillion in the auction. The threemonth T-Bills cut-off yields rose by 105 bps to 20.99 percent, the six-month paper’s cut-off yields increased by 95 bps to 20.84 percent, and the 12-month paper yields went up by 120 bps to 20.98 percent. The government raised rs. 1,505.4 billion from the three-month paper and rs. 0.3 billion from the sixmonth paper, exceeding its targeted amount. However, it raised only rs. 2 billion from the 12month bond against a target of rs. 600 billion. During the auction, the government raised a total of rs. 1,564 billion for the three-month paper, rs. 2.5 billion for the six-month paper, and rs. 3.4 billion for the 12-month paper. Furthermore, it raised rs. 1,507.7 billion from the competitive auction and rs. 62.3 billion through non-competitive bids, totaling proceeds of rs. 1,570 billion.
Rupee loses ground against dollar
ECC fixes Rs3,900/40 kg wheat procurement price pROfit REpORt isLaMaBaD
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved the assigning of wheat procurement target of 1.80 MMT at rs. 3,900 per 40 kg. This meeting of the ECC was held under Federal Minister for Finance and revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The Ministry of national Food Security and research (MnFSr) submitted a summary on the fixation of Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Serv-
ices Corporation Ltd’s (PASSCo) wheat procurement targets for the year 2023. It also presented details on public wheat stocks, projected release of wheat from PASSCo’s stocks and carry forward stocks at the start of the new food year on January 4, 2023. Considering an additional demand of wheat from PASSCo’s stocks by Punjab, Sindh, khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, a minimum level of carry-forward stocks and the prevalent pricing trend in the local wheat market, the ECC approved the recommendation of MnFSr to as-
sign a wheat procurement target of 1.80 MMT at the price of rs. 3,900 per 40kg. Furthermore, the ECC directed the MnFSr to form a committee to review wheat usage, wheat storage mechanisms/silos in the country and present its findings in 15 days. The ECC also considered a summary of the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination, and granted Technical Supplementary Grant of rs 10 million for the medical treatment of Jan Sher khan, ex-world Squash Champion, who has been diagnosed with multiple health issues.
pROfit inp
The Pakistani rupee depreciated against the US dollar in the interbank market on Wednesday after witnessing a slight recovery in the past two sessions. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee weakened by rs 1.26 against the dollar in the interbank trading to close at rs 279.12 against the previous day’s closing of rs 277.86. According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of dollars in the open market were recorded at rs 278.2 and rs 281, respectively.
Sanaullah claims ex-spymaster Faiz Hamid under investigation iSLAMABAD staff report
Interior Minister rana Sanaullah said Wednesday said the investigation agencies were conducting an inquiry against former Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid and any progress about it will be shared. While addressing a press conference in Islamabad, following the imposition of Section 144 in Lahore ahead of Aurat March and Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf’s (PTI) election rally, Sanaullah said only the institution can conduct Faiz’s court martial and the General Headquarters (GHQ) holds the military trial, not the interior ministry. He said that whatever was being done was required and PTI Chairman Imran khan will be arrested when need be. Moreover, the minister requested Jamat-e-Islami (JI) to organise Haya March on March 7 or 9, instead of March 8 when there are several events, including the Aurat March, which is held on account of International Women’s Day “Aurat March is taking place on March
8, our mothers and sisters are marching in it,” he said, adding that the day holds immense importance for the women. He said that the women take to the streets to highlight two separate narratives. SECTIoN 144 IN LAHoRE: While speaking about the ban on public gatherings imposed in Lahore, Sanaullah said that the government imposed Section 144 in light of security reports by the agencies. The interior minister said that the government imposed Section 144 in light of reports by the security agencies. He said that PTI had been asked to share the route of their rally but khan’s group didn’t provide any details. “Fitna, anarchy, and chaos are his [khan’s] ways. There are no such people in the system who have stopped the Law Enforcement Agencies [LEAs],” he added. The minister said that there were several events, including Aurat March and Haya March, simultaneously taking place in Lahore. While mocking the PTI chief, Sanaullah said, “Imrani fitna announced the burger march” and selected the same place for their election rally which
the Aurat March rally organisers had already picked. He said that “fitna khan found it fit to highlight his own fitna in between” all these happenings. Sanaullah said that everything was being done in the same area therefore any untoward incident can occur in such a situation. “on one hand, [khan’s] leg has a plaster on for five months and he can’t move due to 72 years of age,” he said, challenging khan to appear in the courts if he has recovered from the bullet wounds he sustained in a bid on his life in Wazirabad last year. He said that the courts had been seeking replies from the deposed prime minister but he is getting relief instead. oN KHAN’S ‘RELIEF’: Sanaullah further stated that the courts had been seeking replies from the deposed prime minister but he is getting relief instead. “Any further relief for him [khan] will raise questions. Judiciary’s impartiality will be hurt,” he added. Heaping scorn on the PTI chief, Sanaullah said that khan wanted to establish the state of Madina but his ac-
tions are totally opposed to it. He said that khan didn’t want to appear in the courts on the basis of his excuses. “You [khan] don’t even have the de-
fence in three of the cases [against him],” the minister said. Sanaullah requested the courts not to give any more relief to khan in case he skips the hearings on March 13 again.