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298 PAKISTANIS FEARED DEAD AS GREECE HUNTS FOR SHIPWRECK’S SURVIVORS
Profit
Sunday, 18 June, 2023 I 28 Zilqad, 1444
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Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 349 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
FO RELEASES LIST OF PAKISTANIS RESCUED g PAK MISSION IN CONTACT WITH AUTHORITIES AFTER MIGRANTS BOAT CAPSIZED FOR IDENTIFICATION, RECOVERY OF PAKISTANIS KALAMATA
AGENCIES
ESCUERS were scouring the seas off Greece on Saturday in a massive search operation as hopes dwindled for survivors of a shipwreck that estimatedly killed 298 Pakistan nationals. The ship was carrying 310 Pakistan nationals along with other migrants when it met the accident earlier this week. The Pakistan embassy in Greece has confirmed that 12 of the citizens had been rescued, adding that the local authorities had managed to recover 78 bodies as search operation continues for fourth day. The embassy said the identity of the bodies was yet to be confirmed. It asked the families in Pakistan, whose beloved ones were on the boat, to send verified reports of their DNA tests for crossmatch. Sources said over 130 Pakistanis belonged to the Kashmir region. GREECE BOAT CRASH: FO RELEASES LIST OF RESCUED PAKISTANI PEOPLE: The Foreign Office (FO) has released a list of rescued Pakistani people in the capsizing incident of a fishing boat in Greece, wherein more than 500 migrants have been presumed drowned. These people include; Muhammad Adnan Bashir S/o Muhammad Bashir, District Kotli, Haseeb Ur Rehman S/o Habib ur Rehman, District Kotli, Muhammad Hamza S/o Abdul Ghafoor, District Gujranwala, Azmat Khan S/o Muhammad Saleeho, District Gujrat, Muhammad Sunny S/o Farooq Ahmed District Sheikhupura, Zahid Akbar S/o Akbar Ali District Sheikhupura, Mehtab Ali S/o Muhammad Ashraf, District Mandi Bahauddin, Rana Husnain S/o Rana Naseer Ahmad District Sialkot,
Usman Siddique S/o Muhammad Siddique, District Gujrat, Zeeshan Sarwar S/o Ghulam Sarwar, District Gujranwala, Irfan Ahmed S/o Shafi (Hospitlized) and Imran Arain S/o Maqbool (Hospitalized). A team of the Embassy of Pakistan
has visited them. The Embassy is in close contact with Greek authorities for recovery of the missing and confirmation/identification of the deceased. Earlier in the day, FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the Pak-
istan Mission in Greece remained in contact with the local authorities for identification and recovery of Pakistani nationals among the deceased and providing relief to the survivors. Earlier on Wednesday, hundreds of people were thought to have packed a fishing boat that capsized in international waters about 50 miles (80 km) from the southern coastal town of Pylos, while being shadowed by the Greek coast guard. As dawn broke on Thursday, a coast guard vessel sailed into the nearby port city of Kalamata, transferring victims of the year’s deadliest shipwreck off Greece. By the early hours, the survivors there numbered 104 out of several hundreds. Authorities said it was unclear how many had been aboard the vessel, and they were investigating one account from a European rescue-support charity that there could have been 750 people on the 20- to 30 metre-long (65- to 100- foot-long) boat.
Speaker NA calls for stern action against human smugglers
ISLAMABAD: While reacting to the boat disaster which allegedly claimed lives of over 290 Pakistanis, National Assembly Speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf has urged the government to take firm action against the human smugglers. Speaking during the National Assembly session on Saturday, he while expressing concerns over the death of migrants including those from Pakistan in the boat accident said the government should take notice of the incident as the human smuggling was a grave crime. The Foreign Office said that a total of 12 Pakistanis were identified among the survivors of the capsized boat off the coast of Greece, but so far the number and identity of Pakistani nationals among the deceased was not yet verified. In a statement, the FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Pakistan Mission in Greece under the leader-
ship of Ambassador Aamar Aftab remained in contact with the local authorities for identification and recovery of Pakistani nationals among the deceased and providing relief to the survivors. The spokespersons further stated, “Our Mission also remains in contact with the Greek authorities in the identification process of the 78 recovered bodies. This identification process will take place through DNA-matching with close family members (parents and children only).” Families of likely passengers on board the ill-fated boat were requested to contact Pak Mission in Greece on the 24/7 helpline numbers for verification purposes. They were also requested to share DNA reports from authenticated laboratories and the identity documents of the passenger at ‘info@pakistanembassy.gr’
Abbasi quits ECC over Azerbaijan LNG Deal
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Previous governments intentionally targeted Lahore with vengeance: PM LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday regretted that during the previous government’s dark period, Lahore was intentionally targeted with revenge and the international companies were unjustly harassed. Moreover, with political inductions, he said the companies and institutes were destroyed. “The nation will not forget those who stalled the country’s journey towards progress and development,” the prime minister said while talking to a delegation of Albayrak Group, a renowned Turkish company, led by its President Ahmet Albayrak that called on him, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. During the meeting, the prime minister appreciated the group’s services in solid waste management and public transport. PM’s adviser Ahad Cheema, PML-N senior leader Khawaja Hassan, Board members of Albayrak Group and other relevant authorities were present on the occasion. The prime minister said that during their previous tenures, they had provided the residents of Lahore with international standard facilities. With global investment, they introduced the latest traveling, solid waste management facilities and created job opportunities, he added. The delegation expressed its deep interest in investment in different sectors of Pakistan. During his recent visit to Turkiye, the Group had apprised the prime minister of its keen interest to invest in different sectors of Pakistan and their upcoming visit.
RESIGNATION PART OF PROLONGED PROCESS BY WHICH ABBASI HAS SLOWLY BEEN PARTING WAYS WITH PML-N PROFIT
AHMAD AHMADANI
In a surprising turn of events that may dent the PML-N, former prime minister Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi has resigned from his position on the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet. Well placed sources privy to the happenings at the ECC have informed Profit that Mr Abbasi resigned after developing differences with Dr Musadik Malik over the recently announced Azerbaijan LNG Deal. No official clarification has come from Mr Abbasi whose phone remained off after the news started making the rounds that he had resigned from the ECC. Other members of the PML-N and the government also maintained a tactful silence or ignored questions regarding the matter. Profit reached out to Maryam Aurangzeb, Dr Musadiq Malik, Khurram Dastagir, and a number of other sources including Mr Abbasi himself but to no avail. Political background The decision comes merely a day after Abbasi was passed over for any party office at a convention of the PML-N which elected prime minister Shehbaz Sharif as the party’s President and elected Maryam Nawaz as its Senior Vice President — the post Abbasi
formerly held within the party. The resignation is part of a process that has been dragging on for months in which Mr Abbasi has slowly distanced himself from the party that took him to the highest office in the land. A career politician whose father had also been a Nawaz loyalist, Mr Abbasi has been estranged from the PML-N for the entirety of the time that the PDM government has been in power. He first launched the Reimagining Pakistan platform along with Miftah Ismail that many thought would be turned into a political party. He was also a vocal critic of the government’s wheat scheme, alleging corruption in it on a grand scale. The LNG tussle As things stand now, Profit’s sources have cited that the former prime minister has resigned over differences with Musadiq Malik. It is worth mentioning that Abbasi held the petroleum portfolio in the Nawaz Sharif administration of 2013-18 and is known as the architect of Pakistan’s switch to LNG. The sources claimed that Mr Abbasi advocated for a private company to procure LNG from Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, rather than signing a government-to-government agreement during the course of ECC meeting held on 5th June 2023 where petroleum division
tabled a summary titled 'Approval of Framework Agreement between PLL and SOCAR’. A heated debate reportedly ensued between Dr. Musadik Malik and Abbasi during the ECC meeting held on June 5, 2023, regarding the signing of the LNG procurement agreement between Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) and SOCAR, which ultimately resulted in a stalemate. Despite the lack of consensus during the initial meeting, the Petroleum Division, responsible for the deal, resubmitted the summary on June 14, 2023. However, Abbasi's recommendations were not incorporated in the revised version of the summary under which petroleum division sought 'Approval of Framework Agreement between PLL and SOCAR’. And, the ECC subsequently granted approval to Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) to proceed with the proposed framework agreement with SOCAR. Despite the lack of consensus during the initial meeting, the Petroleum Division, responsible for the deal, resubmitted the summary on June 14, 2023. However, Abbasi's recommendations were not incorporated in the revised version of the summary under which petroleum division sought 'Approval of Framework Agreement between PLL and SOCAR’.
TLP calls off March after successful negotiations with govt: Sanaullah ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Federal Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah has said that the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) had called off its “Pakistan Bachao March” (Save Pakistan March) after successful negotiations with the government. This was announced by him on Saturday while addressing a press conference flanked by TLP’s leader Shafiq Amini. Rana Sanaullah said that crucial matters were settled with the TLP after the second round of talks. Talks were primarily focused on safeguarding the Prophethood, and curbing blasphemy which is integral to every Muslim’s faith, he added. Regarding the demand of TLP for the Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s release, the interior minister described her case as a national issue that saddened every Pakistani. He urged human rights organizations to pay attention to her situation and assured that the government would write a letter to United States (US) authorities regarding her imprisonment, considering her 86-year sentence unfair. Rana Sanaullah said that the government also accepted other demands of TLP, including a reduction in petrol prices. He said Finance Minister Ishaq Dar briefed the TLP negotiators about how petrol prices were determined and assured them to decrease petrol prices and resolve issues peacefully. The TLP leader appreciated the government for avoiding confrontation, unlike its predecessor.
13 die, 15 injure as bus overturns near Kallar Kahar on M-2 motorway
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
At least 13 people were killed and 15 others sustained injuries when a passenger bus overturned on M-2 Motorway near Kallar Kahar, some 133km away from Islamabad on Saturday. According to rescuers and police, the Jhang-bound Shalimar Express bus, coming from Rawalpindi, overturned due to break failure on M-2 motorway near Kallar Kahar. Rescue sources said that at least 10 people including women and children were killed while 13 others sustained injuries. Upon receiving the information, the police and rescue teams arrived on the spot and immediately launched rescue operation. The deceased and injured were shifted to the district headquarters hospital. According to hospital sources, the death toll could rise as condition of some of the injured persons is critical. Earlier in Feb 2023, at least 14 members of a wedding party, including women and children, were killed and 64 people were injured after a bus fell into a ravine and overturned near Kallar Kahar. Rescue and police officials said that 12 passengers passed away at the spot while two others expired at the hospital. The driver of the bus was also killed in the fatal accident. Reportedly all the victims were travelling back to Lahore from Islamabad after attending a marriage ceremony. The reason behind the tragic incident is said to be tyre burst while overtaking on motorway.
Dar reaffirms resolve to make debt payments on time g
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SAYS SHELL WAS NOT CLOSING BUSINESS IN PAKISTAN PROFIT INP
Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Ishaq Dar on Saturday reaffirmed the firm resolve of the government to ensure international payments on time in order to fulfill all the commitments. Addressing a press conference, he said that all the arrangements for due payment during the months of May and June were in place, which would also have no impact on foreign exchange reserves held with local commercial banks and State Bank of Pakistan. The minister said that by the end of the current month (June), payments of two Chinese banks including $1 billion of China Development Bank and $300 million of Bank of China were due. He said the adoption of formal payment
process usually takes time and sometimes, it takes months, adding that to simplify the formal procedures, the Ministry of Finance initiated negotiations with both the banks and ask them to make payments before last week. Ishaq Dar further informed that the government has paid $1 billion to China Development Bank and $300 million to Bank of China without any extra charges. The payment to China Development Bank was made on June 12, 2023 and under the understanding between both countries, the Chinese banks will payback this amount to Pakistan on Friday, he added. The minister said that another payment amounting to $300 million was also made on Friday, adding that this payment would also be received to Pakistan within next three to four days, he added. The finance minister further said that
all the arrangements for the payment of $1 billion, which was state-to-state payments between both countries, were also finalized and matters were in order. About the rumors regarding winding-up of business by Shell Company, the minister said that the Company was not closing its business from Pakistan. He said the Company was intended to divert its share to another foreign direct investor, which would have no impact on its business operations and not it was shifting its capital abroad. He informed that Shell was not only operating in Pakistan but it was also running its business in many other countries of the world and intended for revising its business plan. He said that the government was also aware about all the programs of the Company and it was legally bound to take the
government into confidence. Shell is selling its shares to another international investor
and its business will continue and no one will be deprived from livelihood, he concluded.