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COASTAL AREAS READY FOR ‘WORST’ AS BIPARJOY YET TO MAKE LANDFALL
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Friday, 16 June, 2023 I 26 Zilqad, 1444
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NDMA, PMD SAY BIPARJOY HAS NEITHER REACHED KETI BANDAR, NOR HIT ANY AREAS IN PAKISTAN
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KARACHI/ISLAMABAD
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OVER 80,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EVACUATED; POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER CYCLONE IN JULY
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SINDH CM PUTS ADMINISTRATIONS OF KARACHI, HYDERABAD ON ALERT
STAFF REPORT
HE landfall of Cyclone Biparjoy, classified as a “very severe cyclonic storm”, has commenced along the coast of Indian Gujarat and the Pakistan-India border on Thursday but has not reached Keti Bander yet, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The PMD said the cyclone had moved further east-northeastward during the last three hours and its landfall would be complete by midnight. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) too said in its latest bulletin that the “landfall process is continuing and by midnight it will be completely over the land. Strong winds and heavy rain lashed coastal areas of Pakistan and India as the cyclone made the landfall, the weather office said. Chief Meteorologist at PMD Sardar Sarfaraz told Dawn.com that various areas in Sindh had been receiving rain and experiencing strong winds under the impact of this weather system. He said the cyclone had not directly hit any of the areas in Pakistan as of Thursday night. “However, some of the areas in the country came under its outer periphery.” Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) tweeted that the cyclone had yet not reached Keti Bandar, which is at a distance of 150km from Indian Gujarat, and its impacts in Pakistan would only be certain after further development. In another tweet posted at 11:35pm, the NDMA said the cyclone had not veered towards Keti Bandar until then. On the other hand, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said the cyclone was “still at a distance from Pakistan,
and will likely begin counterclockwise landfall around or after midnight in our coastal areas. The sea may be rough with high waves at the core. Please stay safe,” she added. As the cyclone’s landfall began, Sherry urged the people not to panic, assuring them that all preparations to deal the situation were in place. “Don’t go out to ‘see the storm’ or venture into the water. Sindh police has better things to do right now than plead for picnickers to come back to dry land,” she tweeted. PMD FORECAST: In its latest alert, the PMD said the cyclone now lies near latitude 22.9°N and longitude 68.2°E at a distance of about 245km south of Karachi, 200km south of Thatta, and 150km south of Keti Bandar. It added that the cyclone would bring winds between 100-120km/h with gusts up to 140km/h with maximum wave height of 20-25 feet. The alert said that widespread winddust/thunderstorm and heavy rain was likely in Sindh’s Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, and Umerkot
Education Ministry approves new National Curriculum of Pakistan ISLAMABAD
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districts from June 15-17. It further predicted dust/thunderstorms and rain accompanied by squally winds in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Sanghar districts today and tomorrow (Friday). It added that dust/thunderstorm and isolated heavy rainfall was likely in Balochistan’s Hub, Lasbela, and Khuzdar districts today and tomorrow. The weather alert said that a storm surge of 3-4 metres was expected at Keti Bander, where the cyclone will make landfall, and its surroundings. “Sea conditions along Sindh coast may get very rough/high (2-2.5m) and rough/very rough (2m) along Balochistan coast (Sonmiani, Hub, Kund Malir, Ormara and surroundings),” it added. Sarfaraz too explained that the cyclone’s effects would persist in the region for at least next two days, as a cyclone’s reduction to a depression and then a low pressure area was a gradual process. ‘100MM OF RAINFALL’ EXPECTED IN KARACHI: Addressing a
press conference alongside NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider after noon today, Rehman said Karachi would experience heavy rainfall and strong winds but would not be directly impacted by the cyclone. Rehman also stated that there were 90 electricity feeders in coastal areas and there were chances of power failure when the cyclone made landfall. “Therefore, teams have been called in from Punjab for assistance in repair work.” Regarding flight operations, the minister said airports had been given told to suspend commercial flights at airports in Karachi, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Sukkur, and Moenjo Daro if the air pressure crossed the threshold of 30 nautical knots. Separately, Rehman took to Twitter and shared a PMD report, saying that over 100mm of rainfall was predicted in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Sanghar. Meanwhile, over 300mm of rainfall was predicted in Thatta, Sajawal, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Umerkot, and Tharparkar between June 15-17. IN DIFFERENT SHOWERS SINDH AREAS: As the cyclone fast approaching Sindh’s coastline, rain has been reported in several areas across the province on Thursday. According to the PMD, light showers were recorded in Karachi’s Clifton, Defence Housing Authority, Sharea Faisal, Keamari and other areas. Similarly in Shah Bandar, a port town located at a distance of 200km from Hyderabad, said heavy rains commenced at 2pm and continued throughout the day in intervals. Light showers with strong winds were also reported in Badin, Chuhar Jamali, Hyderabad, Thatta and Sujawal, the PMD added.
Govt maintains POL prices for next fortnight
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PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
STAFF REPORT
The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has approved the new National Curriculum of Pakistan after seventeen years of the previous curriculum that was notified in 2006. A notification in that regard has been issued by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. The task of curriculum development for grades 9 to 12, was carried out in an inclusive manner. Relevant stakeholders were taken on board with all the steps of curriculum development, the notification said. An intensive consultation exercise was carried out with the stakeholders including policymakers, academics, practitioners, parents, and students from across Pakistan, it added. For this purpose, not only policy dialogues were conducted across Pakistan but also a number of curriculum workshops were held to take feedback from the concerned. Moreover, all concerned were also invited to share their feedback via an online portal. After regional curriculum workshops in each province, a final curriculum workshop was held at National Curriculum Council (NCC) Secretariat Islamabad where nominated experts from all the provinces, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit Baltistan signed off the curriculum for nine subjects: Urdu, English, Islamiat, Pakistan Studies, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science.
The federal government has announced that the prices of petroleum products will remain unchanged for the next 15 days, according to a statement made by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar during a press conference in Islamabad. Minister Dar confirmed that the current prices will continue to be in effect until June 30. He highlighted that in the previous two rounds, there were significant reductions in the prices of petroleum products, with a reduction of Rs35 in high-speed diesel tariffs and Rs20 in petrol prices. Explaining the decision to keep the prices unchanged, the minister noted a slight increase in international market prices for petroleum products from June 1 to June 15. As a result, the government opted to maintain the existing prices. Petrol is primarily used in motorbikes and small cars, serving as an alternative to com-
Pakistan secures deal for cheaper LNG imports from Azerbaijan, boosting energy supplies PROFIT
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan has received approval from the federal cabinet to procure liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes from Azerbaijan at discounted rates, as announced by the PM House in a statement on Thursday. During a meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif informed him of the cabinet’s decision, marking another significant achievement for Pakistan in meeting its energy needs, following the recent shipment of crude oil from Russia. Under the agreement, Pakistan will start receiving one LNG cargo per month at concessional rates, starting from next month. PM Shehbaz has been actively working on this deal with Azerbaijan for the past six months, as stated by the PM Office. Both leaders agreed on cooperation in the oil and gas sectors to support Pakistan’s energy requirements. The Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) will collaborate at the government-to-government level to determine the energy resources. Moreover, Azerbaijan has expressed its willingness to invest in Pakistan’s alternative energy sector, including solar power generation. In a separate development this week, Pakistan issued two tenders seeking spot LNG cargoes for the first time in almost a year. Due to its reliance on gas for power generation and challenges in foreign exchange availability for imports, Pakistan has faced difficulties in procuring spot cargoes of LNG, especially after global prices surged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This situation led to widespread power outages. However, Asian spot LNG prices have eased this year, currently trading below $10, providing some relief. Pakistan LNG, a government subsidiary responsible for LNG procurement, has issued tenders seeking a total of nine cargoes to be delivered to Port Qasim in Karachi in October, December, January, and February. Pakistan continues to have long-term supply agreements with Qatar and ENI, which help fulfill a portion of its LNG requirements. In 2022, Pakistan’s LNG imports decreased to 6.93 million metric tons from 8.23 million metric tons in 2021, according to data from analytics group Kpler. The recent agreement with Azerbaijan is expected to enhance Pakistan’s energy supplies and contribute to meeting the country’s growing demands.
MPs reiterate govt pledge to combat powerful tax evaders, leakages ISLAMABAD
GHULAM ABBAS
pressed natural gas (CNG). Highspeed diesel (HSD) finds widespread usage in the agriculture and transport sectors, while the low-speed diesel oil (LDO) is commonly used in industries. The reduction in HSD prices is expected to benefit farmers and potentially lead to a decrease in transportation costs for goods. Kerosene oil is utilized in remote areas of Pakistan, particu-
larly in the northern regions where liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is not readily available for cooking purposes. The military also relies on kerosene oil in the northern parts of the country. By maintaining the current prices of petroleum products, the government aims to provide stability and relief to consumers while considering the dynamics of the international market.
While the government has already presented the budget for 2023-24 in the assembly, federal ministers emphasized the government’s determination to tackle tax evasion in various sectors. Addressing a briefing session organized by IPSOS for parliamentarians, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the federal minister for economic affairs, claimed that tax evasion in various important sectors was a major issue. The briefing session focused on the prevalence of tax evasion in five sectors of Pakistan. Highlighting the detrimental effects of tax evasion, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq expressed concern over the significant losses suffered by the domestic industry and employment opportunities due to smuggling. This situation leads to increased dependency on foreign goods, creating an endless cycle of economic challenges. He specifically mentioned tax evasion in the real estate and tobacco sectors as major contributors to the problem. Estimates indicate that the tobacco industry’s annual tax potential for the fiscal year 202324 exceeds Rs500 billion, but more than 50% of this amount is lost to a powerful illicit tobacco sector.
Clashes, rigging allegations as PPP wins KMC’s top slots for first-time KARACHI
STAFF REPORT
Clashes erupted between the workers of Jamaat-e-Islami and PPP on Thursday following the announcement of unofficial results of mayoral election wherein Murtaza Wahab was elected as mayor, becoming the first elected chief of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation belonging to PPP. South Deputy Inspector General (DGP) Irfan Ali Baloch told the media that the police detained eight suspects after clashes erupted between JI and PPP supporters outside the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) where voting for the city’s mayor elections was held. The DIG said the clashes broke out after unofficial announcement of PPP’s Barrister Murtaza Wahab victory in the mayoral elections. According to Returning Officer (RO) Nazr Abbas, Wahab won the election for the seat of the mayor by securing 173 votes while his rival JI’s Naeemur Rehman remained runner-up with 160 votes. According to reports, the situation outside the ACP premises remained extremely tense during the voting process but the police maintained control and let nobody take law into
hand. However, as unofficial results came out, the verbal altercation turned into clashes. The workers of both parties pelted stones at each other, on which the police and Rangers took action to control the situation. Moreover, law enforcers also detained several workers for pelting stones. In the tight contest, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Murtaza Wahab and Jamaat-eIslami’s (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman were facing each other with Salman Abdullah Murad of PPP and Saifuddin Advocate of JI contesting for the post of deputy mayor Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) City Council. ‘JI TO OBSERVE BALCK DAY ON FRIDAY’: Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq announced to mark Friday as “Black Day” after Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Murtaza Wahab was elected as Karachi’s mayor, defeating JI’s Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. In a tweet the JI chief said: “Black Day will be observed across the country tomorrow (Friday) against the controversial Karachi Mayoral Election. I appeal to every democrat to participate in tomorrow’s gathering.” ‘ECP SHOULD DECLARE KARACHI MAYORAL ELECTIONS NULL AND
VOID’: Addressing a press conference outside Arts Council, Jamaat Islami Karachi chief Naeem has demanded of the Chief Election Commissioner to declare the mayoral election in Karachi as null and void and issue a new schedule. “We had the 192 while PPP had 173 voters,” he claimed. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also announced to approach courts against Karachi mayor poll. In a letter to ECP, the JI leader said: “the Sindh government abducted 29 PTI council
members to restrain them from casting vote in the election.” “The election commission should cancel this ‘fraud exercise’ and issue a new schedule for polls,” JI letter read. “It is prime objective of the election commission to hold fair and transparent election, but the electoral body was utterly failed in it,” the letter reads. “The doors of the hall were closed at the time of the mayor’s election, while 29 PTI members were stopped from casting vote
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after abducting them from homes,” JI spokesperson complained in the letter. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman questioned role of the returning officer, saying that more than 30 elected members have gone missing. “There are reports that these persons have been detained and it was the ECP’s responsibility to bring these people,” he said. Rejecting the “rigged mayoral contests,” the PTI said that the PPP has preferred rigging over elections from day one.
Murtaza steals mayor election by using police, corruption money: Farrukh FAISALABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) West President Farrukh Habib said that Murtaza Wahab stole the Karachi Mayor election through use of police for intimidations and the corruption money by staging a drama of ‘Changa Manga’ to change the loyalties. In a statement on Thursday, Farrukh Habib said that in order to change this system, PTI Chairman Imran Khan made direct election of mayor in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) so that voters could directly elect their mayor because it was next to impossible for any
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government and candidate to buy or kidnap millions of voters. He stated that even in the Punjab Local Bodies Act, Imran Khan passed the direct election law despite all the political opposition. Similarly, Farrukh Habib said that Imran Khan tried to reform the open and traceable ballot in the Senate for transparency, which was thwarted by the fraud mafia. He recalled that PTI Chairman also made attempts to bring electronic voting machines in order to prevent rigging in the national and provincial assemblies, which were also rejected by the rigging mafia. Farrukh said that it was Imran Khan who first demanded for neutral empires in cricket.