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ELECTION REFORMS BILL APPROVED TO GRANT ADDITIONAL POWERS TO INTERIM SET-UP thursday, 27 July, 2023 i 8 muharram, 1445
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PTI’s Ali Zafar says caretaker setup could not replace an elected representative govt
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ISLAMABAD
Staff CorreSpondent
joint session of the Parliament on Wednesday passed amendments to the Election Act 2017, granting the caretaker government powers to take actions or decisions regarding existing bilateral or multilateral agreements and projects. The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was presented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi. The PML-N had on Sunday announced that an amendment was being introduced to empower the interim setup to have powers similar to that of an elected government. “The interim setup will not be confined to day-to-day affairs of the government till elections are held. An amendment is being brought (to the Constitution) to empower
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PPP’s Rabbani says he believed extra powers should not be with caretaker govt
the caretaker setup to take important decisions like an elected government does,” PML-N supreme leader’s spokesperson Muhammad Zubair said. The amendment is among several others being proposed to the elections laws ahead of polls scheduled to take place later this year. However, during a joint session of the Parliament a day earlier, objections were raised to the amendment after which it was deferred for a day. When the session resumed today, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government had prepared a new draft of the said amendment after concerns were raised by the allies and opposition members. “Apart from Section 230, there was 100 per cent consensus on all the other amendments,” he said. Tarar clarified that while it was being said that the amendment to Section 230 was
PM reaffirms resolve for resilient, recovery and reconstruction
made a day earlier, “the truth is that the changes were proposed five days back via WhatsApp and email” to members of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms. “But the committee was called again today and examined the amendment to Section 230 again,” he said, adding that the members of the committee deemed the changes “unnecessary”. Tarar further said that a new draft of the amendment, to simplify Section 230, had been shared by Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar. “Rest of the amendments that have been circulated are those on which there is 100pc consensus.” The draft of the law says: “Provided that sub-sections 1 and 2 shall not apply where the caretaker government has to take actions or decisions regarding existing bilateral or multilateral agreements or the projects already initiated under the Public Private Partnership Authority Act 2017, the Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions Act 2022, and the Privatisation Commission Ordinance 2000.” PTI says caretaker’s powers violation of Constitution PTI Senator Ali Zafar said that a caretaker government could not replace an elected representative government. “The sole responsibility of the caretaker government is to hold fair, transparent and timely elections. The caretaker government can only run the day-to-day administrative affairs of the country.” Zafar added that if the caretaker government was given the powers of an elected government, it would be tantamount to trampling the Constitution. “If the parliament doesn’t reject it today, the Supreme Court will strike it down in the next few days,” the PTI senator warned. Rabbani drops objection, falters again Meanwhile, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani
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In a display of Pakistan’s commitment to rebuilding the regions affected by floods, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Wednesday, reiterated the country’s unwavering dedication to the Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework (4RF). The ambitious initiative aims to create stronger and more resilient communities in the aftermath of the devastating floods that struck the nation. Taking to Twitter to share updates, the Prime Minister highlighted that he presided over the 3rd meeting of the International Partners Support Group on Tuesday. During the meeting, the progress of ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the floodaffected areas was thoroughly reviewed. The formation of this Support Group came to fruition after the Resilient Pakistan Conference held in Geneva, and this gathering marked one year since the calamitous floods wreaked havoc on Pakistan. Prime Minister Sharif expressed his profound gratitude to all international development donors, partners, and friendly nations for their timely and generous assistance. With transparency at the core, he assured that foreign assistance would be put to efficient use, and a third-party of global reputation would duly audit the utilization of these funds. Amidst this collaborative endeavour, he lauded the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its outstanding coordination and seamless collaboration between the government of Pakistan and the international community. This partnership holds the promise of a more resilient and prosperous future for the regions affected by the floods. As Pakistan marches steadfastly towards a future of resilience and recovery, the nation stands united in its determination to turn adversity into opportunity, firmly supported by international allies and partners.
ISLAMABAD
Staff CorreSpondent
As the National Assembly passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to grant extraordinary powers to the interim government, the PTI has claimed that these powers were in contradiction of the spirit of the Constitution and these would be struck down by the courts sooner than later. A careful analysis of the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, reflects that the federal government has proposed 54 amendments to the Election Act, 2017, including amendments to its Section 230 that will enable a caretaker government to take major decisions with regard to the economy and upcoming general elections. The PML-N-led government has proposed an amendment to sub clause 2 of Section 230 of the Election Act, 2017. The amendment will empower the caretaker government to take important decisions to bolster the economy, but it would not be able to signing bilateral agreements as well as agreements with international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The changes came not to empower the caretaker setup with signing new agreements after a change made in language of this section, as claimed by Law Minister Mr Azam Nazeer Tarar. Under the amendment bill, presiding officer (PO) will take pictures of the election results and send them immediately through electronic means to the returning officer (RO) concerned and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). In case of non-availability of the internet, the PO will deliver the result physically to the RO and the ECP. The PO will be bound to send the election results by 2am on the day following an election. However, the deadline for submitting the result will be 10am the next day. In case of a delay in compilation of results, the PO will have to give some solid reasons. In case of negligence, election staff will have to face criminal proceedings. said that though he believed these extra powers should not be with the caretaker government, but he had no objection to other amendments to the Election Act 2017. This is second time he dropped his principled objection to the amendments like he did to an amendment allowing extension in the services of the chief of army staff and other services chiefs. “Section 230, as it stood yesterday, was opposed by a lot of members who had several observations against it. I am
Exchange companies must submit original customs, export documents from foreign govts Staff report
ISLAMABAD
What changes made to Election Act, 2017 and how they would impact upcoming polls?
SBP allows exchange firms to import US dollars on a need basis g
Staff report
Rs 15.00 | Vol XIV No 27 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has given permission to exchange companies to import physical US Dollars as and when required. They can do this by using the value of their export consignments of permissible foreign currencies within five working days. Reputed cargo and security companies will be involved in facilitating this process. This arrangement will remain in effect until December 31, 2023, with the condition that the total cash US Dollars imported by an exchange company during this period does not exceed 50 percent of the value of its export consignments. The exchange companies must include this arrangement in their dealings with overseas entities, and the details of the cash US Dollars to be imported will be mentioned in the systemgenerated deal ticket. Before importing US Dollars through cargo or security companies, the exchange companies need to inform the Director of Foreign Exchange Operations Department (FEOD) at SBP Banking Services Corporation (SBP-BSC) in Karachi and also provide a copy to the SBP-BSC staff at SBP-Customs Joint Booth at designated airports. They must present an original deal ticket from a foreign bank
or exchange company showing the amount of cash US Dollars to be imported, which will be verified and stamped by SBP-BSC officials. Additionally, the exchange companies must submit original customs and/or other export documents from the foreign government, which will also be stamped by SBP-BSC officials. Copies of these documents must be kept for on-site inspection by the State Bank’s inspection team. The import consignment will be verified according to the laid-down procedure for exporting foreign currencies. Once verified, it will be packed, sealed, and handed over to the cargo/security company for delivery to the exchange company. Exchange companies must ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations, including those of the jurisdiction from where the US Dollars are being imported. They are also required to properly record all transactions related to the import of cash in their books of accounts. It’s worth noting that exchange companies were already allowed to export permissible foreign currencies (excluding US Dollars) through cargo/security companies and repatriate an equivalent amount of US Dollars to their foreign currency accounts maintained with banks in Pakistan within five working days from the date of the foreign currency export.
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grateful to the law minister that he keep yesterday’s discussion in view and this is the beauty of the Parliament that the government is guided by the wisdom of the House.” He asserted that wisdom prevailed and as a result, subclause one and subclause 2 of the amendment had been deleted. However, at the same time, Rabbani said: “I believe that the powers, no matter what the exigencies that are existing, these powers should not be with the caretaker government.”
ECC approves Rs98.5 crore spent by USC under PM’s free flour scheme g
Scheme was launched on March 18, 2023 and continued till April 16, 2023 ISLAMABAD
Shahzad paraCha
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved £98.5 crore spent by the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) under the Prime Minister’s Free Atta scheme during Ramzan in the last financial year 2022-23. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, chaired the ECC meeting on Wednesday 26th July 2023. The Ministry of Industries and Production informed the Cabinet on March 9, 2023, that they had approved the Ramzan Relief Package 2023 for the sale of 19 items at subsidized rates, and the finance division released £4.9 billion to USC. It was informed to the PM in the meeting that free atta was decided to be distributed to 185,984 families of Islamabad Capital Territory registered as BISP beneficiaries, and three bags of 10 KG atta were provided to the BISP. MG USC has certified that the initiative was launched on March 18, 2023, and continued till April 16, 2023, with an expenditure of £985 million, and no separate funds were allocated for the supply of free/gift atta bags at USC outlets. The amount spent for this initiative was adjusted from £2.18 bn allocated for the distribution of subsidized atta under Ramzan Relief Package 2023 by USC. According to the finance division, the ECC considered a summary of the Ministry of Industries and Production on the provision of free Atta under Prime Minister’s Gift Atta initiative during Ramzan and approved an amount of £985.43 million spent by the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) under the Prime Minister’s Free Atta scheme during Ramzan in the last financial year 2022-23.
NEPRA indicates another hike in power tariff for KE, DISCOs
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K-Electric customers to pay an additional Rs 2.31 per unit from August onwards ISLAMABAD
ahmad ahmadani
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Wednesday, hinted at a rise in the power rates for both K-Electric and consumers of other power distribution companies (DISCOs). According to NEPRA, power tariffs for K-Electric customers will increase by Rs 2.31 per unit. The move is projected to inflict an additional expense of Rs 4.30 billion on Karachi consumers, raising concerns among inflation-hit masses who are already concerned about economic woes. Mean-
while DISCOs’ customers will also face a Rs 1.81 per unit hike. The increased electricity tariffs are slated to go into effect in August. The increase, however, will not apply to K-Electric Lifeline subscribers or Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. Before announcing the fuel price increase, NEPRA held separate hearings for K-Electric and DISCOs customers. NEPRA will issue the detailed decision on the FCA for June after thoroughly reviewing the relevant data. The increase in energy prices is attributable to rising fuel costs in June 2023. Dur-
ing the same time period, K-Electric generated power at a cost of Rs 24.90 per unit from its own resources, whereas the cost of electricity received from the federal government was Rs 11.56 per unit. The FCA hearing also focused on the delays in issuing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for renewable energy projects. Several renewable energy projects are now on hold for NEPRA approval. Rehan Javed, an industrial consumer in Karachi, voiced concern about the upcoming RFPs and stressed their potential to offer inexpensive and affordable power through renewable energy projects. These projects will ulti-
mately lead to the lowering of electricity bills for enterprises and commercial organisations in the city. Rafique Ahmed Shaikh, NEPRA Member indh, had previously expressed worry about KE’s progress in raising its renewable energy share, attributing the delay to the pending RFPs awaiting approval. The incorporation of renewables into Pakistan’s energy mix is viewed as critical for ensuring price stability and lowering the country’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. With electricity rates in Pakistan expected to reach all-time highs as a result of the Ministry of Energy’s recent petition to
raise base tariff for the next fiscal year, the incorporation of renewables into the country’s energy mix is more important than ever. It is regarded as an important step toward establishing price stability and decreasing Pakistan’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. In the case of DISCOs customers, NEPRA has indicated a fuel adjustment hike of Rs 1.81 per unit in June, which will apply to all DISCOs customers except Lifeline and electric vehicle charging stations. According to NEPRA, consumers would be taxed 9 paise per unit less for fuel adjustment in June than in May 2023. NEPRA will publish a detailed judgement on the fuel price adjustment after additional examination of the relevant data.