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GOVT, PTI CLAIM ‘PROGRESS’ AS TALKS PUT OFF FOR ‘FINAL ROUND’ Saturday, 29 April, 2023 I 8 Shawwal, 1444
DAR SAYS BOTH SIDES TABLED TWO PROPOSALS EACH AS TALKS TO RESUME ON TUESDAY
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ISLAMABAD
QURESHI INFORMS PTI’S SUGGESTIONS ARE REASONABLE, IMPLEMENTABLE AND WITHIN CONSTITUTIONAL BOUNDS
STAFF REPORT
EMBERS of the government and PTI teams on Friday tabled their proposals in the second round of much-anticipated talks on developing a consensus on same day elections in the country and agreed to resume dialogue on Tuesday (May 2). The talks were held in the Parliament House, which was initiated yesterday (Thursday) for a breakthrough in the weeks-long deadlock on elections between the ruling coalition and the PTI. The team represented the opposition PTI consisted of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Ali Zafar. The government was represented by PML-N’s Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Azam Nazeer Tarar and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq along with PPP’s Senator Yousuf Raza Gilani and Syed Naveed Qamar. Talking to the media after conclusion of second round of the talks, Ishaq Dar informed that each side had tabled two proposals, which would be presented to the government and PTI leadership. “Some progress was made today,” he said, adding that “almost final round” of the talks would resume on Tuesday (May 2) at 11am. When asked to share details about the proposals, Dar said, “We are morally bound. We cannot share the proposals of either side.” Meanwhile, PTI’s Qureshi also said progress was made during the talks today. Speaking to the media outside the Parliament House, he said the negotiations were held in a “pleasant environment” today and with the intention to “find a way forward while staying within the ambit of the Constitution”. “In my view, we made appropriate progress in this regard today,” he added. Qureshi confirmed that both sides had tabled their proposals during today’s meeting, saying that the PTI’s suggestions were “reasonable, implementable and within the constitutional bounds”. “We will now consult our leadership and they will seek the opinion of their coalition partners,” he said. “I, Fawad Chaudhry and Ali Zafar will go to Lahore tomorrow and take
Imran Khan into confidence on today’s progress,” Qureshi said, adding that talks on Tuesday would be held in the light of this development. Speaking alongside Qureshi, Chaudhry criticised the detention of PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur and “arrest of 33 supporters of Imran Khan” outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) today, saying that such actions would “destroy the process of dialogue”. He noted that government ministers had maintained that they had no involvement in these arrests. “Then whoever is doing this, it is akin to ruining the talks, and the responsibility falls on the govern-
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ment in any case,” he added. “If you will engage in arrests without reason, the matter will derail,” the PTI leader said. Qureshi also condemned the arrests outside the IHC today, saying that today’s discussion began with this issue. The arrests, he said, had no justification. “There are talks on the one hand and this situation on the other. So they ( government representatives) were asked what are they trying to do and were they creating an enabling environment. “They understood [our stance] and consequently, 33 arrested people were released,” he added.
IMRAN MAKES TALKS CONDITIONAL ON EARLY POLLS: Later, while addressing his supporters at Zaman Park via a video link at night, Imran said his party would make a decision regarding the talks by tomorrow. He further claimed that the government had proposed to dissolve the assemblies — which sources privy to the talks say is a key demand of the PTI — after the budget. “I ask them what will you achieve with the budget? You have already led the country to default,” he remarked. Ahead of the second round of negotiations today, Imran — during an informal conversation with journalists at the Islamabad High Court — said that he had requested Fawad and Qureshi to initiate talks with the government only if the ruling party was prepared to immediately dissolve the assemblies and hold elections. He added, “There’s no need to proceed if they insist on holding polls in September or October,” with both leaders present during the conversation. Separately, Fawad said prior to today’s meeting that the main objective of the negotiations was to recognise that the public was the “centre of power” in Pakistan and move towards elections.
Imran blasts govt for brazen display of ‘state oppression’ against PTI yet again
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan came down hard at the imported government for resorting to brazen display of state oppression once again against peaceful PTI workers, reiterating that they could not break the PTI through fear of jail and harassment, as all these brutal tactics would not serve their purpose. PTI Chairman said that PTI’s workers were sitting in their vehicles peacefully when Imamabad police in brazen display of state oppression pulled them out and took them away. “This is why they want elections to be delayed because they feel they can break PTI by then, through fear of jail and harassment,” he added. However, Imran Khan vowed that these tactics would not work. In a strong reaction to the imported government’s highhandedness, PTI Central Secretary General Asad Umar said that the PTI senior leader Ali Amin Gandapur was not being released despite being granted bail in all cases. He said that this act of the imported government clearly indicated that they were afraid of him.
Government hikes drug prices by 20pc, manufacturers want more
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Lashing out at the cabal of crooks for targeting judges of the apex court, Asad stated that an FIR was registered and arrest warrants was issued instantly against Imran Khan for his one sentence about Sessions Judge that they would take action against her. However, he said that contrary to it, the government was threatening and targets the judges of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, but there was no one to question them. He asked why these blued-eyed were given free rein. He went on to say that innocent citizens were being arrested from outside the Islamabad High Court once again. Asad stated that negotiation session with the government should be put on a halt until these innocent detained people were not released. About elections funds, Asad stated that the government repeated the mantra that they did not have Rs. 21 billion to conduct elections; however, the government sanctioned Rs. 515 billion in expenses in the first 8 months of this financial year, which were not even in the budget. STAFF REPORT
ECP reports no fund-availability for polls to SC ‘for third time’ ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday submitted in the Supreme Court its report about the unavailability of funds for conducting elections to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies for third time. According to apex court sources, the electoral watchdog, in the two-page report, informed the apex court about non-availability of funds for elections in Punjab and KP. According to the report, the ECP has not received funds from the federal government so far. The apex court had issued a notice to the ECP secretary in this regard and gave the federal government deadline till April 27 for the provision of polls fund for the third time. The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned indefinitely the hearing of the petition seeking simultaneous elections in the country after hearing from all the sides about the prospects of the talks between the government and the opposition. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial declared that political parties should sit together and find a solution to the issue, otherwise the court is there to act. He remarked the court had proposed political dialogue keeping in view the prevailing situation in the country. “The political atmosphere is bitter,” he said. CJP Bandial remarked the court could not force the government to enter into dialogue with the opposition. “There is a proposal, not an order, to hold talks. For now, the court is not issuing any directive or timeline,” he made it clear. The top judge observed that there is Constitution and the apex court’s judgement if there would be no outcome of the talks. Earlier on Wednesday, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf wrote a letter to CJP Bandial, conveying “profound concerns” of the electedrepresentatives over recent Supreme Court orders and some comments by judges, terming them an “encroachment” on parliament’s domain. In his five-page letter, the speaker advised the Supreme Court to “avoid getting involved in the political thicket”, saying that “it is best to leave the resolution of political matters by the parliament and the political parties”.
China, Pakistan hail bilateral ironclad friendship BEIJING
STAFF REPORT
PROFIT REUTERS
Pakistan on Friday approved a rise of up to 20% in retail prices of general medicines and 14% for essential ones, prompting immediate criticism from drug manufacturers who said the increases were too small. The government decision followed a months-long stand-off with importers and manufacturers, whose associations have been demanding an across-theboard 39% rise, warning that the industry could otherwise collapse. Pakistan’s annual inflation rate hit 35% in March, fuelled by a depreciating currency, a rollback in subsidies and the
imposition of higher tariffs to secure a bailout package of $1.1 billion from the International Monetary Fund. Food inflation has soared to 47%. But the government had pushed back against the demands for higher medicine prices, fearing such a move would lose it support months before national general elections. The finance ministry said medicine prices could be reviewed again after three months if the Pakistani rupee appreciated, adding that “no increase under this category” would be granted in the next financial year. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association (PPMA) criticised the increase, which it said was way lower than it had expected.
Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir in Beijing on Thursday, with both sides praising the ironclad friendship between the two countries. Wang said the Pakistani army is a staunch defender of the ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan, noting that it is founded on mutual respect, trust and support, and has withstood changes in the international landscape. He stressed that the bilateral ironclad friendship has tremendous vitality and “will remain unshakable whatever incidents we encounter.” China commended successive Pakistani administrations and all political parties for their commitment to friendly policies towards China, Wang said, adding that China will continue to firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, achieving unity, stability, and development, and playing an active role in the region and the world as a major Muslim country. He also emphasized that no matter how
the international situation changes, China will always be a strategic partner that Pakistan can rely on. The senior Chinese diplomat further noted that China is ready to restart exchanges with Pakistan in all aspects in the post-COVID era, and suggested taking the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 10th anniversary of the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) as opportunities to promote the quality and efficiency of the CPEC and help Pakistan enhance its independent development capacity. Munir responded by saying that Pakistan will always stand with China through thick and thin no matter how the international situation changes, and that the Pakistani army firmly supports the further development of Pakistan-China relations.
has stopped giving gas to power plants and will instead provide 50 million cubic feet per day of gas to poor households. The government will take back cheap gas from the rich and provide it to the poor. In addition, the government has formed a policy to provide cheaper energy using liquified natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and solar energy resources. Lastly, Malik revealed that Pakistan’s first purchase of Russian crude oil will dock at Karachi port in May.
Earlier last week, Malik had told Reuters that the government had made its first purchase of Russian crude oil, and cargo would dock at Karachi port in May. He said the country would seek to import 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Russian crude oil if the first transaction went smoothly. Initially, the Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) would refine the crude oil in a trial run, to be followed later by Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO) and other refineries.
‘Govt to build multibillion-dollar refinery to meet energy needs’ PROFIT
MONITORING DESK
Pakistan’s Minister of State for Petroleum, Musadik Malik, on Friday announced the government’s plan to build a new refinery to meet the country’s energy needs. He revealed that the prime minister approved the project during a Cabinet Committee on Energy meeting. The estimated cost for the refinery is between Rs10-14 billion. Malik also shared that the government