Profit PM SHEHBAZ DENOUNCES ‘VILE CAMPAIGN’ AGAINST ARMY CHIEF In partnership with
Rs 15.00 | Vol XIV No 10 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Monday, 10 July, 2023 I 21 Zil Hajj, 1444
LIKENS ‘CONSPIRACY’ TO VIOLENT PROTESTS AND g DECLARES ANY PLOT AGAINST PAKISTAN, ATTACKS ON ARMY INSTALLATIONS ON MAY 9 INSTITUTIONS WILL BE CRUSHED
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced what he called a social media campaign alleging a murder attempt on the army chief, emphasising the government’s determination to thwart any conspiracy against Pakistan and its institutions. In a statement released by the PM Office, the prime minister expressed his condemnation of the “conspiracy”, which he likened to the protests triggered by the unlawful arrest on May 9 of former prime minister Imran Khan, suggesting a connection between the two events. Prime Minister Sharif has instructed the authorities to initiate legal action against both domestic and international entities involved in propagating such media campaigns within the country. “The message is clear to the planners, facilitators, and handlers of the 9th May conspiracy: any plot against Pakistan and its institutions will be crushed,” he asserted. He further characterised the “malicious and violent” nature of these media campaigns as a product of miscreants’ planning, emphasising that the “conspirators” are once again seeking to disrupt the political and economic stability of the country. The current media campaign is an extension of the abhorrent campaign previously launched against the “martyred” of the military, the prime minister declared, without offering any evidence. Sharif emphasised the alleged media’s attacks on the army and Gen. Asim Munir cannot be justified as freedom of expression. Instead, he categorised it as a con-
spiracy, asserting that it is the government’s legal responsibility to eradicate such tendencies with full force. He expressed confidence that the nation would thwart these attempts just as it did on May 9, when it successfully prevented violence and vandalism from
gaining a foothold in the country. The prime minister reassured the nation that it stands firmly behind its military and its chief, vowing not to allow disillusioned elements to create new crises within the country. Separately, on his Twitter handle, the
PM pays respects to Fatima Jinnah on 56th death anniversary
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif honoured the mother of the nation, Fatima Jinnah, on the occasion of her 56th death anniversary on Sunday. According to a press statement from his office, the prime minister described Jinnah as a benefactor of the nation and a source of strength for her brother Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father. Despite her advanced age, she steadfastly resisted dictatorship and played a historic role in championing democracy and the nation, the prime minister said.
Highlighting Jinnah’s exceptional contributions to the Pakistan Movement and her sacrifices for the motherland, Sharif emphasized that her personality continues to serve as a guiding light for young women and girls across the country. He further expressed that the entire nation acknowledges and pays tribute to her remarkable contributions, remaining forever grateful for her services. The prime minister offered prayers for the elevation of her soul and called upon the nation to join him in praying for her eternal peace. STAFF REPORT
Kh Asif sees dissolution of assemblies in August SIALKOT
STAFF REPORT
Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Sunday declared that assemblies will be dissolution in August upon completion of their constitutional tenure, saying preparations for general election have commenced and distribution of tickets will be started soon. Speaking at a worker’s convention in Sialkot on Sunday, Kh Asif said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) keeping in view dissolution of assemblies in August has started preparations for the general elections. The federal minister said that PMLN-led PMD coalition government had the choice to dissolve assemblies immediately but it would have deepened the economic crisis and Pakistan would have defaulted 14 months ago. He revealed that the reason behind the ouster of the former prime minister and PTI chief through noconfidence motion was their attitude toward allies – they turned their
prime minister said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan continued to engage in a vile, sinister and malicious campaign against COAS General Syed Asim Munir. “His trick of using the proxies to threaten the Army Chief of an assassination attempt has been badly exposed. After his methodically planned attack on the State symbols failed, he is clearly desperate & wants to coerce his way back into power, little knowing that the time of his politics of intimidation, violence & hatred is over,” he added. Through such highly condemnable antics, the prime minister said he (IK) was only exposing himself, the core of which was defined by putting his personal interest (power grab) over everything else. The people of Pakistan and the political parties stood behind their Army Chief and the armed forces like a rock and would thwart any attempt and conspiracy at undermining their prestige, honour and integrity, he added.
back to their allies. The defence minister lambasted the PTI chairman, saying that he dissolved the KP and Punjab assemblies despite disagreement among the party leaders. The PTI chief planned the May 9 violence and it will be a black day in the history of Pakistan. The federal minister said that the PTI chief made so many mistakes that in his depression he made a plan for May 9,” he said. “No one has ever thought in the history of the country of carrying out such attacks on the army installations. It was a dark day in the national history that challenged the state,” he added. Kh Asif said the PTI played the role of the enemy by attacking martyrs’ memorials and risking lives of law enforcement personnel. “This person (Imran Khan) challenged the defense institutions; he would have to pay for it so that if anyone had the misconception that our defense institutions could be challenged, it should be removed. The nation stands behind the guarantor of na-
tional defense, he added. The minister said the PDM took over the government in difficult circumstances. He said the PDM-led government had the choice to dissolve assemblies immediately after gaining power, but it would have deepened the economic crisis and Pakistan would have defaulted 14 months ago. “If the assembly was dissolved, the flow of IMF funds and other aid would have stopped and the country would have defaulted,” he added. He said after 14 months of struggle, “we saved the country from default and that is why the country is gradually improving.” Kh Asif said: “I have not seen any worker of any party absconding the way PTI leaders absconded. But now all fugitives were sitting in the zoom meeting of the IMF,” he added. He said that thousands of rupees of electricity, gas and taxes were stolen. If that theft had continued, the country could never have become economically stable.
$1.4b alleged scam shakes prospects of Custom officers for becoming next FBR chief ISLAMABAD
SHAHZAD PARACHA
A $1.4 billion Customs scam allegedly planned and executed at Karachi with connivance of high-level custom officers by allowing unlawful clearance of over 52,000 GDs of imported goods during the period from July 1, 2022 to June 15, 2023 has shaken the prospects of the senior custom officers for capturing the slot of Chairman FBR after their ‘non-involvement’ in the mega scam is being widely and publicly questioned. After the discovery of alleged scam, Member Custom FBR had taken the position that the concerned custom collectorates in Karachi had themselves detected the scam and had asked the Directorate of reforms and automation to build in the automated clearance system such features which could prevent such scams in future. On the other hand, the high ups of reforms and automation affirmed that the Directorate of Reforms and Automation had initially discovered the scam and had asked FBR to take action. Moreover, after the discovery of the scam member custom had taken the position that if importers had filed GDs without tagging financial instruments claiming a concessionary tax regime which, after processing of their doc-
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uments, was not found admissible and was denied, there was no illegality on the part of importers to file their GDs without tagging the mandatory financial instruments. Sources said that, by taking such a position, Member custom had declared lawful any attempt on the part of importers to commit fiscal fraud, an offence which the custom punishes with imprisonment of 14 years under section 156(14A) of the Custom Act. Interestingly, after the member custom took this position on the scam, his field officers contradicted it by issuing a letter and holding those importers liable who claimed inadmissible concessions and filed GDs without tagging the mandatory financial instruments. In another strange development after the scam, sources revealed, FBR has reportedly written to chief collector Quetta to prepare and furnish a charge sheet against director Reform and Automation who earlier served as Collector Quetta customs and who had now discovered the mega revenue loss scam in an apparent attempt to silence the whistle blower and bury the scam. Sources said that victimisation of whistleblowers by FBR has become the order of the day to shield the recurring custom scams in FBR’s field offices from public view and accountability.
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Seven killed, 10 injured as cylinder blast flattens hotel building in Jhelum JHELUM
STAFF REPORT
At least seven people lost their lives while another 10 were injured on Sunday after a three-storey private hotel located on the Grand Trunk Road in Punjab’s Jhelum collapsed due to a gas cylinder explosion, according to officials. According to Rescue 1122 district emergency incharge Rana Mohammad Saeed, the death toll reached seven after one more body was retrieved by the end of the rescue operation while 10 injured were under treatment in the hospital. “The [seventh] body belongs to a person named Qaiser who owns a gas cylinder refill shop,” he informed. Jhelum District Police Officer (DPO) Nasir Mehmood Bajwa told Dawn.com that the explosion did not occur in the building but in the cylinder shop — which was located in the basement of the building. “Proceedings have been initiated for registration of a case,” he added. A statement from Jhelum Deputy Commissioner (DC) Samiullah Farooq said that there was no evidence of anyone else under the hotel’s wreckage. He added that the rescue operation was continuing while a search operation would begin in the morning. According to police, district administration and Rescue 1122, a three-storey building located on the Grand Trunk Road in Jhelum collapsed after a gas cylinder exploded in the kitchen on the ground floor. The rescue teams, comprising police, civil defense personnel, and courageous civilians engaged to remove the debris from the building and evacuate the injured and dead bodies. Samiullah Farooq, Deputy Commissioner of Jhelum, confirmed the death of seven people and said almost 10 others were recovered from the rubble and shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital. “Two of the injured — who were in critical condition — have been transported to Rawalpindi, he added. “There are reports that four to five people could be underneath the rubble,” the deputy commissioner said, adding that the rescue operation would continue till the last trapped person was reached and the whole site was cleared.
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