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GREECE SHIPWRECK TRAGEDY: FIA ARRESTS ‘KEY SUSPECT’ FROM GUJRAT Tuesday, 20 June, 2023 I 1 Zil Hajj, 1444
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
S announced by the prime minister, Pakistan observed a day of mourning on Monday for citizens who died when a fishing trawler packed with migrants sank off the Greek coast. As many as 750 men, women and children from Syria, Egypt, the Palestinian territories and Pakistan were on board the vessel, trying to reach relatives in Europe. The Greek coast guard has defended its response to the tragedy that left more than 500 migrants presumed drowned. The vessel sank on Wednesday. Last week, Shehbaz Sharif expressed his grief over the tragedy and said Monday would be observed as a day of mourning, with the national flag flying at half-staff. He previously said that Pakistan’s embassy in Athens has identified 12 nationals who were rescued by the coast guard. There was no official information on how many Pakistanis were onboard the vessel, how many survived or how many perished. Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) announced they had apprehended a “key suspect” from Gujrat. In a statement released today, a spokesperson for the agency disclosed its Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Gujrat had successfully captured a crucial suspect linked to the tragic boat incident. The suspect, identified as Waqas Ahmed, allegedly received Rs2.3 million from an individual seeking assistance for an illegal journey to Greece. The spokesperson added the agency is also investigating the suspect’s involvement in acquiring money from other citizens. Originating from Wazirabad, the apprehended suspect was believed to have played
a significant role in the trafficking operation. The FIA further revealed that they are conducting raids to apprehend additional individuals involved in similar human trafficking activities. According to the spokesperson, a total of three “key suspects”
associated with the tragic incident have been apprehended thus far. The investigations are ongoing, with the authorities committed to bringing all responsible parties to justice. WORST DIASASTER: Greek authorities have been criticised for their failure to act
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faster. They say the migrants insisted they didn’t need any help, but non-governmental organizations say they received a number of calls for help. The sinking was one of the worst disasters of its kind this year. Meanwhile, police in Azad Jammu and Kashmir said Sunday they arrested 12 people involved in sending local youths to Libya for the onward journey to Europe. Senior officer Khalid Chauhan said police picked up the suspects amid a crackdown on human traffickers. Police are interrogating them for their alleged roles in luring, trapping and sending locals abroad after extracting huge amounts of money from them. Around 28 people from the Koi Ratta area in the district of Kotli have gone to Libya for onward travel to Europe, police said. Local official Chaudhry Haq Nawaz said there was still no confirmation on how many young men from the area were onboard the ill-fated boat, or how many are among the dead or missing.
Khawaja Asif calls for firm action against human traffickers
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ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has called for a firm action against those involved in sending the people abroad illegally. Acting upon his call, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered four separate cases against human traffickers involved in the Greece shipwreck tragedy. Asif while speaking in the National Assembly on Monday, expressed deep grief and sorrow over the deaths of Pakistani migrants in a boat incident near the coast of Greece. He said the government and the opposition parties should work collectively to initiate a stern action against these human traffickers and this illegal movement must stop. He said some people have been arrested in the country, but their nexus also exists in other different countries as well. The Defence Minister said the nation is observing a day of mourning today to express solidarity with the bereaved families of boat tragedy. The Chair, in his remarks, said that the Greece Boat tragedy has aggrieved the entire nation. He said the government must take action against the human traffickers and stressed that the people should also be educated about the hazards of illegal immigration. Earlier, at the outset, the House offered fateha for the departed souls of Pakistani migrants died in a boat incident near the coast of Greece as well as those who died in other accidents in the country. As many as 78 Pakistani nationals drowned when the ill-fated boat with reportedly 400 to 750 people onboard sank in the Mediterranean Sea near the Greek coast. According to media reports, some 104 people were rescued and sent to Kalamata, Greece. Cases were registered against the human traffickers in Gujrat and Gujranwala on the complaints of the people rescued in the boat wreckage tragedy. STAFF REPORT
IMF board meetings schedule set without Pakistan PROFIT INP
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board has issued meetings scheduled till June 29 without Pakistan as the ninth review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme still remains pending, sources said. Pakistan has barely enough currency reserves to cover one month’s imports. It had hoped to have $1.1 billion of the funds released in November – but the IMF has insisted on a number of conditions before it makes any more disbursements. Sources privy to the development said the IMF had to meet for the release of $1.1 billion tranche under the 9th review of the EFF programme which is expiring on June 30. Pakistani authorities are optimistic that the fund will complete the ninth review before the deadline and the meeting for the release of the tranche to Pakistan can be summoned at any time. It may be noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his telephonic conversation with the IMF chief requested for the early completion of the 9th review for the release of the loan. Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expressed dissatisfaction with Pakistan’s recently presented budget. Policy talks are underway with Pakistan. However, the draft FY24 Budget ‘misses’ an opportunity to broaden the tax base in a more progressive way, Esther Perez Ruiz, the International Monetary Fund’s resident representative for Pakistan said. Esther Perez Ruiz further added that the long list of new tax expenditures further reduces the fairness of the tax system and undercuts the resources needed for vulnerable recipients in the Benazir Income Support Programme.
PM Shehbaz lauds China for supporting Pakistan during ‘tough times’ ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday lauded Chinese government for extending all-out support to Pakistan during challenging economic times and expressed resolve to steer the country out of crisis. “China is fully supporting Pakistan and $1 billion have been received from China,” the premier said while addressing the PM’s National Innovation Awards ceremony here on Monday. In a major boost to the forex reserves, China announced refinancing $1 billion loan in Pakistan, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) confirmed late on Friday. The news of the refinancing came after Finance Minister Ishaq Dar informed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Friday that China would be refinancing the $1 billion loan it had given to Pakistan earlier. “$1 billion will come from China today or on Monday,” Dar had told the lawmakers. He also said that talks are ongoing with the Bank of China for a loan of $300 million. He added that Pakistan would also receive dollars under China’s swap agreement. Speaking at the ceremony ear-
lier today, the prime minister also praised Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE for helping Pakistan in the challenging times. PM Shehbaz emphasised the need for getting rid of foreign loans saying the friendly countries also urged Pakistan to use foreign loans efficiently to fully utilise the potential of natural resources. The prime minister said Pakistan has been “blessed” with natural resources and it has capacity to become self-sufficient. “We will come out of the economic and financial challenges,” the premier said. He also proposed non-partisan agenda to lift the country out of crisis saying that all stakeholders including opposition parties
needed to agree on the economic and foreign policy agenda to ensure continuation of the policies. In the past, he said as Khadime-Punjab, he introduced the Punjab Skills Development Company initiative which was first launched in the southern Punjab. He said that millions of rupees were spent not on brick and mortar type of structures, but training was imparted to the talented youth. They gave away Rs10,000 per student and companies trained them, he added. Further elaborating his point of view, the prime minister said governments always played a catalyst role to spur activities for industries and agriculture.
No new taxes in Punjab ‘mini-budget’ as allocations for health and education increased PROFIT
SHAHAB OMER
The Cabinet of Punjab, under the supervision of the caretaker government, has approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, effective from July 1, 2023, to October 30, 2023. The four-month budget, presented by the Punjab Treasury Department, has been given the green light, adhering to Article 126 of the constitution. The estimated total expenditure for this period amounts to PKR 1719.3 billion. Among the notable highlights of the budget is a substantial increase in allocations for education and health, with both sectors seeing a 31% budgetary surge. Additionally, the basic salaries of government employees will witness a 30% hike, bringing muchneeded relief to the public sector workforce. In a move to encourage growth in the IT industry, all provincial taxes on the sector have been eliminated. Furthermore, the Punjab government also establishment a PKR 1 billion for journalist endowment fund.
Addressing social welfare concerns, the budget allocates an amount of PKR 7 billion, moreover, an allocation of PKR 120.4 billion has been set aside for efficient service delivery. It is noteworthy that the budget does not impose any new taxes on the public. The proposal to increase stamp duty by 3% has been rejected, and the rate will remain at 1%. The energy sector receives a capital investment of PKR 16.4 billion, which will contribute to the development and improvement of the sector. Additionally, the agricultural sector will benefit from an approved allocation of PKR 47.6 billion, aimed at boosting agricultural growth and enhancing farmers’ livelihoods. Mujahid Sher Dil, the Secretary of the Finance, explained the budget’s provisions to control inflation. Furthermore, the Punjab government has taken the initiative to repay loans amounting to PKR 60 billion, which were acquired from banks for wheat procurement. “This measure will help reduce the daily interest payment of PKR 25 crore from the
provincial treasury. It is expected that these loans will be fully repaid within the next four months, allowing the saved interest amount to be utilized for public welfare projects,” he said. In addressing pension-related concerns, the Secretary Finance announced a 5% increase for pensioners aged 60 to 80, while retired employees above the age of 80 will receive an approximate 20% increase in their pensions. “This decision rectifies the previous practice of stopping pension payments on the day of retirement, forcing retirees to wait for one and a half years to receive their pension documents. With the Punjab government’s approval, retired employees will now be able to receive 65% of their pension one year after retiring, bringing significant relief to pensioners,” he added. Secretary also clarified that election expenses are the responsibility of the federal government. However, the provincial government will allocate funds for security expenditures during general elections. Additionally, the increase in the wheat subsidy loan is a re-
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SC reserves verdict in petitions challenging review of judgement law ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Supreme Court on Monday reserved its judgement on petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Review of Judgements and Orders) Act 2023. The Act widened the scope of review in cases decided under Article 184(3) of the Constitution which states that “without prejudice to the provisions of Article 199, the Supreme Court shall if it considers that a question of public importance with reference to the enforcement of any of the Fundamental Rights conferred by Chapter 1 of Part II is involved, have the power to make an order of the nature mentioned in the said Article”. A three-member bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard the matter. The chief justice maintained that the judges would consult with each other and give a decision soon. During the hearing today, the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Dr Mansoor Awan came to the rostrum and said he would give arguments regarding the legislative authority of the Parliament, adding that several judgements of the SC pertained to the legislative power of the Parliament. He continued that Article 184(3) reserved a separate scope for revision in cases and the perception of exploitation of some people from the right of revision appeal was incorrect. CJP Bandial questioned if the AGP was saying that the Constitution was exploiting people before the right of appeal. He further asked how the entire Constitution could be ignored for a constitutional issue. Awan said that before Article 184(3) there was no way of review, and no one was abused by government legislation. The chief justice said that the government can legislate but it did not seem right to give the right of appeal in review. He continued that in Article 184(3) cases, very thoughtful decisions should be taken to grant the right of appeal. According to the CJP, in India, there was no right of direct revisional appeal in Article 184(3) cases. Last week, Justice Bandial said that law related to the scope of review should be framed carefully with the advice of the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) as he has experience in litigations. The CJP wondered whether a review could be merged with an appeal as he expressed reservations about the newly introduced Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023. “Some grounds should be added for reviewing the judgments given under Article 184(3) of the Constitution,” the chief justice said, “otherwise, that would mean rehearing the case.” Nonetheless, the CJP said that the court would welcome the decision to provide a remedy in judgments decided under the original jurisdiction provisioned by Article 184(3) of the Constitution. In May, a three-member bench headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar was hearing the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) review petition against its April order with regard to elections in Punjab when the AGP revealed that a new law enlarging the scope of review petitions had been enacted. Subsequently, the apex court decided to hear the petitions filed against the review law together with the poll authority’s review plea.
sult of the previous untargeted subsidy, where even affluent individuals were benefiting from the prescribed price of wheat. The new budget aims to provide targeted relief for public welfare, which may include cash transfers alongside subsidies on food items. Later in a press conference, the provincial minister of Information and Culture Aamir Mir, along with Provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce SM Tanveer, expressed satisfaction with the people-friendly budget presented by the caretaker government. Amir Mir commended Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s leadership in crafting a budget that does not impose new taxes and abolishes the sales tax on IT-related businesses, promoting IT exports. Furthermore, the budget allocates 70 billion rupees to provide relief to the poor. The Provincial Minister highlighted that the caretaker government is working under the supervision of the Election Commission, and the Chief Minister’s selection was made by the commission. He con-
firmed that as soon as the election date is announced, the caretaker government will oversee the electoral process. Provincial Minister SM Tanveer revealed that the caretaker government has initiated the reduction of a 600 billion rupee loan obtained from Punjab Bank and other banks for wheat procurement. “The current daily interest payment amounts to 250 million rupees, and if not addressed, the loan would accumulate to 1,000 billion rupees in 2024 and 2,000 billion rupees in 2025, requiring a daily interest payment of 800 million rupees. This loan repayment initiative by the Punjab government will allow the saved interest amount to be directed towards the welfare of the people. Furthermore, the caretaker government aims to complete 50% of ongoing development schemes in the province within the next four months. The Punjab Thermal Power Company Limited will expedite the completion of the 1,240megawatt RLNG-based power plant within the next two months, aided by an allocation of 16 billion rupees. The budget also reflects a 31% increase in the allocation for education and health sectors, and a 20% increase in pensions for pensioners above the age of 80,” he added.