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Saturday, 18 March, 2023 I 25 Shaban, 1444 IATA warns of reduced, ceased operations in Pakistan if repatriation issues persist

Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 259 I 08 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Suzuki decides to shutdown motorcycle, automotive plants to remain operational

Why is a Pakistani chemical dyeing company acquiring subsidiary of a US-based textile house? Story on Back Page

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LHC granTs proTeCTIve baIL To Imran In nIne Cases, aLLows poLICe To probe g

Bail granted till Mar 24 and 27 respectively in cases registered by Islamabad, Lahore police

They want to take me to Balochistan to treat me like Gill and Swati, says Imran

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday stopped the capital’s police from arresting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan till Saturday in Toshakhana criminal case on his assurance to appear before the trial court on March 18. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq while hearing the appeal against the verdict of the Additional District and Sessions Court for restoring the non-bailable arrest warrants of Imran Khan, directed the authorities to ensure foolproof security measures in the trial court on Saturday. The Registrar Office had raised some objections to the appeal filed earlier in the case. However, the court took up the case for a hearing. During the proceedings, the chief justice observed that there were some objections raised by the Registrar on the application. Imran Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris said the biometric objection had been removed.

spectively. The PTI Chairman Imran Khan along with his counsel appeared before the court at 5.30pm, on being summoned. Imran's counsel argued before the bench that Islamabad and Lahore police had registered eight different cases against his client under the terrorism charges. He further submitted that details of some cases were not available. However, the bench observed that it would consider only those cases wherein the petitions had been filed, adding "We could not grant blanket bail". Subsequently, the bench granted protective bail to the PTI chairman in eight cases registered by Islamabad and Lahore Police. earlier, Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh had summoned Imran Khan to appear before the court in connection with his protective bail at 5.30pm. Imran Khan had filed petitions for protective bail in two cases registered at Ramna Police Station, Islamabad, two cases registered at Khana Police Station, Islamabad, one case registered at Bhara Ka hu Police Station, Islamabad, and three cases registered at Race Course Police Station Lahore. Meanwhile, the single bench comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh also granted protective bail till March 27 to the PTI chairman in a case registered by Sarwar Road Police against the PTI leadership over hiding facts in the PTI worker (Zille Shah) death case.

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LAHORE

Staff ReoRt

He Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday granted protective bail to former prime minister Imran Khan in nine cases, while also allowing the police to investigate the FIRs against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and others related to clashes between PTI workers and police at Zaman Park. Meanwhile, Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh has directed the federation and all provinces to provide complete details of the FIRs and restrained concerned quarters from taking any coercive measures against Imran Khan until Monday. The LHC's division bench, headed by Justice Tariq, heard the protective bail pleas on eight FIRs registered under anti-terrorism charges. The bench granted Imran protective bails in three FIRs registered in Lahore by March 27 and in five lodged in Islamabad by March 24. The PTI chairman, after leaving his Zaman Park residence in a convoy, had arrived at the LHC for hearing on multiple petitions to seek protective bail in order to get access to relevant courts and details of FIRs registered against him. The court granted protective bail to the PTI chairman in five cases registered by Islamabad police and three cases registered by Lahore police till March 24 and March 27 re-

IHC bars capital police from arresting Imran in Toshakhana case ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

people in punjab, Kp to be given free flour in ramazan, says pm ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

PBC READY TO CALL APC

Fawad urges govt to walk the talk on ‘talk mantra’ LAHORE

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday said needy persons in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be given the gift of free flour in the holy month of Ramazanul Mubarak. Speaking at a meeting held here to review arrangements for the provision of flour to needy persons, he said for the first time in the history of the country, a package had been prepared for the provision of free flour to poor people in the month of Ramazan He said no negligence would be tolerated regarding the quality of flour to be provided to the citizens. The prime minister said the government was making all efforts to provide relief to the poor and middle class. It was told that in Punjab, 15.8 million households would be provided free flour during Ramazan while free flour would also be provided in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The needy persons can know about their eligibility for a gift of flour by sending their identity card number on SMS 8171 assigned by Benazir Income Support Programme. It was further told that flour would be available on less rates in 50 Sasta Bazaars in Balochistan.

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Staff RepoRt

PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry on Friday asked the coalition government to “decide a date and venue” for a meeting to bring together all political parties to rid the country of the ongoing political as well as economic turmoil. Fawad Ch’s tweet coincided with the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) which said it was “ready to convene” an All-Parties Conference for defusing the current political turmoil. In a tweet Friday, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said, “Azam Nazeer Tarar is making statements every day to sit together and solve issues. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also asked for talks.” “Take this action further than statements as well and give a

Oil rebounds 1% as investors take stock of banking crisis

date and venue for the [political] parties to meet. Imran Khan has already favoured dialogues,” he added. His tweet comes a day after PTI Chairman Imran Khan struck a conciliatory tone, saying he was ready to “talk to anyone” and “render any sacrifice” for the sake of the country. “I will not shy away from any sacrifice for the sake of Pakistan’s uplift, interest and democracy. In this regard, I am willing to talk to anyone and take every step towards it,” the former premier had tweeted. Imran’s tweet had come a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had once again extended an olive branch to him on Wednesday, emphasising that “all political forces will have to sit together to take the country forward”. Fawad also

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punjab govt, pTI reach deal to scale down tension ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Punjab government and the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) reached an agreement to defuse ongoing tension began following clashes erupted between supporters of the PTI chairman and the personnel of the law enforcement agencies during a bid to arrest Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case. Both sides have finalised Terms of Conditions (ToRs) related to holding rallies, security of the PTI chief and other legal matters. As per the agreement, the PTI will cooperate with the administration to implement the arrest warrants and search warrants. The PTI has nominated Shibli Faraz and Ali Muhammad Khan as focal person while SSP Imran Kishwar will represent police for communication. Furthermore, the PTI will cooperate with the police for investigation in cases registered over clashes occurred on March 14 and 15. It has also been decided that the Imran Khan’s party would hold public gathering on Monday instead of Sunday while it would contact the administration for permission. The PTI, as per the agreement, will also inform the administration five days prior to holding the rally. The government will implement the guidelines formulated for the security of the PTI chief, the agreement states, adding that the party will submit a request for security to the authorities concerned. The agreement will be submitted in the Lahore High Court (LHC), which has halted the operation to arrest Imran Khan till 3pm today. ‘Punjab police agree to provide security to Imran’.

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10 of same family dead in Kohistan house fire incident KOHISTAN Staff RepoRt

reiterated the call for a meeting date and venue while speaking outside the Lahore High Court later today. Addressing the premier and Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, he said: “You are making statements [so] you should move forward with it. Whatever venue [you decide and if there is an] invitation, Asad Umar is here. You talk, we are ready for that.” The last time the conversation of all parties coming together had emerged was when the prime minister had called an All Parties Conference (APC) in February and had invited the country’s political leadership, including Imran, to discuss ways to overcome the challenges the country was facing.

Ten members of a same family, including women and children died and 13 others sustained injuries when a house caught fire and subsequently its roof collapsed in Siri Paye area of Lower Kohistan. The incident occurred in wee hours of Friday, said District emergency Officer Sajid Ali while talking to the media. He said that during the night, a sudden fire broke out in the house of Nawab Wali Muhammad Khan in Siri Paye area of Lower Kohistan. He added that as a result of the fire, roof of the house collapsed and the residents were trapped underneath. The wife of Nawab Khan, his five daughters and three sons were killed on the spot while three others sustained multiple injuries. Sajid Ali said that upon receiving information, Rescue 1122’s fire-brigade and ambulance immediately arrived at the scene and started rescue operation, but due to the intensity of the fire and the people trapped underneath, teams from Upper Kohistan and Shangla were also requested for help. He said that during the search operation, Rescue 1122 rescued 13 people and shifted the injured to a hospital, where three of them are undertreatment. The blaze was so intense that roof of the multi-storey house burnt quickly and later caved in.

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China deposits another $500m to Pakistan LAHORE MonitoRing DeSk

Pakistan on Friday obtained $500 million as the second payment from the $1.3 billion facility provided by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). Senator Ishaq Dar, the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, shared the news on Twitter, stating that the State Bank of Pakistan has received the payment in its account, which will enhance Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves. This disbursement was made after Pakistan fulfilled the required documentation.\On March 4, ICBC had approved a rollover of a $1.3 billion loan for Pakistan. At the time, Dar said the facility would be disbursed in three instalments, with the first instalment of $500m received by the central bank. This brings the total of commercial loans up to $1.7 billion out of the total

committed amount of $2 billion. Pakistan is currently undergoing a massive liquidity crisis due to a constantly delayed IMF programme. A day earlier, finance minister Ishaq Dar had admitted that the Fund was asking for the materialisation of commitments made by ‘friendly countries’ with Islamabad, which remains the “only delay” in resumption of the stalled programme. Speaking during the Senate’s session on Thursday, Dar said: “At the time of previous reviews, certain friendly countries made commitments to bilaterally support Pakistan. But the IMF is now asking that they should actually complete and materialise those commitments.” “That’s the only delay,” the finance minister told the Senate. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) received $500 million last week from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) just days after it had received $700 million from the China De-

velopment Bank. The upcoming refinanced loan of $500 million would bring the total of commercial loans to

$1.7 billion out of the total committed amount of $2 billion. Now, Pakistani authorities are anx-

iously waiting for confirmation from other ally countries like Saudi Arabia, UAe, and Qatar, as well as from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, for fulfilling the external financing needs of $6 billion until the end of June 2023. The IMF team left Pakistan on the 9th of February without signing a staff level agreement, since when the government has been scrambling to meet the fund’s demands and get the vital $1.1 billion released. On February 11th, the government bulldozed a mini-budget through the national assembly to placate the IMF and agreed to impose Rs 170 billion in additional taxes to meet the fund’s conditions. In the meantime the government has been trying to receive loans from friendly countries to try and shore up forex reserves and avoid default. Pakistan has previously received a $700m loan from China to help in this regard.