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PM SHEHBAZ REAFFIRMS ‘ZERO TOLERANCE’ AGAINST SMUGGLING, CORRUPTION Saturday, 30 March, 2024 I 19 Ramazan, 1445
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Says no interference to be allowed in ‘major surger y ’ undertaken for collective good of Pakistan ISLAMABAD
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XIV No 272 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
COAS assures military ’s unwavering support for economic recovery
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RIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said the government will not allow any political or bureaucratic interference in the campaign to curb smuggling, corruption, power theft and tax evasion in the country. “No political and bureaucratic influence will be allowed to interfere in this major surgery which we have to undertake collectively for the good of Pakistan and its 250 million people,” the prime minister said while chairing a meeting on the agenda of: “Measures against Spectrum of illegal activities & Criminal Mafias,” according to Radio Pakistan. Members of the Federal Cabinet, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Provincial Chief Ministers and high-level government officials were present in the meeting. The PM said it was very important to understand the real challenges of the country and then immediately fix them to revive and stabilize the economy. For this, he said all stakeholders including the provinces, institutions, and armed forces will have to collaborate with the federal government to tackle one of the most important challenge of revival of economy. PM Shehbaz said illegal trade and smuggling were the biggest challenges that had badly dented the country’s economy. He recalled that in 2022, the coalition government allowed export of 250,000 tons of sugar,
PTI rejects inquiry commission on judges’ letter, seeks CJP, Chief Justice IHC resignation
but it had to withdraw its decision “because we were told that the surplus target was not up to that level”. However, he said the same amount of sugar was later exported to Afghanistan. Similarly, the prime minister pointed out that the country had to face loss of around Rs400 to 500 billion annually in term of power theft, whereas leakages, transmission losses and line losses of electricity were other than that. As regards tax revenues, he said the government’s target this year was Rs9 trillion. But it has the potential of collecting Rs4 trillion extra revenues by streamlining the tax system and by
ISLAMABAD
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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) categorically rejected the formation of an inquiry commission to investigate the letter of six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) detailing the intelligence agencies’ meddling in judicial matters, demanding the resignation of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chief Justice IHC for their inaction to safeguard the independence of judiciary and judges. Addressing a press conference along with senior PTI legal team Shoaib Shaheen, Niazullah Niazi and Naeem Haider Panjutha on Friday, PTI Central Information Secretary said that the judges of the IHC clearly stated in their startling letter that they repeatedly raised the issue before the Chief Justice IHC Aamir Farooq and even apprised the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court detailing about the interference in the affairs of the judiciary and pressure exerted on them to get decisions of their choice. “What is happening in front of us is judicial surrender, as the judiciary itself is selling its independence to the executive,” he added. Apart from Chief Justice IHC, Chief Justice of Pakistan and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had also been nominated in the letter; therefore expecting justice from these persons was tantamount to murder of justice, constitution and law, he added. He noted that Chief Justice IHC was complicit in the crime; hence he remained silent and did not take any action in this regard. Raoof stated that all these unlawful activities were taken place when Shahbaz Sharif was the Prime Minister, thus it would be murder of law and justice to expect fair and transparent conduct of investigation because how the so-called planted Prime Minister could determine whether or not he was guilty. PTI CIS categorically stated that PTI vehemently rejected the reject the inquiry commission and they would take every step within the constitution and law to ensure independence of the judiciary come what may. Cameras were installed at people’s bedrooms how they would do justice it was the murder of the law and justice
curbing corruption and tax evasion. He said a tax amount of Rs2.7 trillion was still under litigation either in tribunals or in appellant courts. The government, he said would try its best to recover this amount. Appreciating the efforts of Chief of Army Staff in curbing smuggling and power theft, the prime minister said during the nine months of interim government, an amount of Rs58 billion was saved in power sector. Similarly, a significant improvement was witnessed in smuggling in the country due to the commitment, will to do, and cooperation of all
President Biden reiterates Pak-US ‘enduring partnership’ in letter to Shehbaz ISLAMABAD
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Marking first official communication with any Pakistani prime minister in years, President of the United States Joe Biden wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, emphasizing that the “enduring partnership” between the United States and Pakistan was “critical to ensuring the security of our people — and people around the world.” According to the contents of the letter shared by the US Embassy, President Biden wrote: “The enduring partnership between our nations remains critical to ensuring the security of our people—and people around the world— and the United States will continue to stand with Pakistan to tackle the most pressing global and regional challenges of our time.” “That includes advancing our shared vision for a future of greater health security, economic growth, and access to education for all. Through our US-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework, we will also continue to strengthen our climate resilience, support sustainable agriculture and water management, and assist with Pakistan’s recovery from the devastating floods in 2022,” Biden said. “And, the United States remains committed to working with Pakistan to protect human rights and promote progress,” he added. According to the content of the letter, President Biden conveyed his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the newly-elected government of Pakistan. “Together, we will continue to forge a strong partnership between our nations, and a close bond between our people,” he concluded. In his letter to the prime minister, President Biden reiterated the US’ unwavering commitment to standing alongside Pakistan in confronting the most pressing challenges facing the world and the region. Ad powered by advergic.com He also emphasized the shared vision of prioritizing public health protection, economic development, and education, affirming the commitment to advancing these goals in tandem, a press release of Prime Minister Office
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Says ‘partnership’ critical to ensure security of our people — and people around world
said on Friday. Highlighting the significance of the enduring partnership between the peoples of the United States and Pakistan, President Biden said the partnership was critical to ensuring the security of the world and the people. Moreover, President Biden emphasized the continued collaboration between the two nations under the US-Pakistan Green Alliance Framework, aiming to bolster environmental improvements and sustainable development initiatives. ‘US PRESIDENT BROKE WITH TRADITION’ Through the letter, the US President broke with tradition by not engaging with any of the prime ministers in Pakistan during his tenure. He neither telephoned former prime minister Imran Khan after his electoral victory nor spoke to Shehbaz Sharif when he succeeded him in April 2022. Biden’s letter suggested that despite allegations of ballot fraud, the US government is ready to work with the new government. Earlier this month, US lawmakers had urged President Joe Biden and Secretary of
Aurangzeb snubbed again in favour of Dar. But what will foreign minister do in CCI? CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
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In what is becoming a very clear pattern, role of finance minister is being diminished as Mr Dar tries to once again insert himself in economic affairs ISLAMABAD
AbdullAh NiAzi
In what is fast becoming a pattern, Muhammad Aurangzeb’s role in the cabinet as the finance minister is being undermined by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The latest episode of Aurangzeb’s role in governance being reduced comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif did not include him in the Council of Common Interests which is meant to foster coordination between different provincial governments and the federal government. Instead, the foreign minister has been
provinces, and the personal commitment and interest of the Chief of Army Staff, the prime minister added. Besides initiating reforms in certain sectors, he said the government was also committed to promote industry and agriculture sector in the country. He informed that the government had chalked out a plan to fully digitize the system of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to boost the tax revenues in the country. He said the well reputed and honest officers will be encouraged while the corrupt element will be discouraged. As regards law and order situation, the prime minister said the government was determined to foil the evil designs of the enemy. The Chief of the Army Staff assured unwavering resolve of Pakistan Army to support government’s initiatives aimed at economic recovery of the country. During the meeting, the participants acknowledged the importance of such actions and their positive impact on the economy and wellbeing of the people of Pakistan. The meeting showed firm resolve to take action against smugglers, hoarders and market manipulators, who have impacted the economic trajectory and to provide immediate relief to common citizens. The meeting gave approval to agreements among Federal and Provincial governments on Anti-Power Theft policy, restructuring of Power Distribution Companies on modern lines, installation of Smart meters for full eradication of Power Theft and ordered strict action against the corrupt officers.
given a seat at the table where it is unclear what his exact role will be. What is the CCI and what does it do? The announcement that Dar would be part of the Council while Aurangzeb would not has already raised many eyebrows. The council, which is a constitutionally mandated body, plays a vital role as a platform for approving various projects between provinces and ensuring equitable distribution of resources. Constitutionally, the council has five fixed members which include the prime minister and the chief ministers of all four provinces and three members that are appointed at the
discretion of the prime minister. Normally, these three members are drawn from the cabinet. The finance minister has not always been a member of the council but has been a regular inclusion. Members often change depending on different challenges. For example, during the previous caretaker government, the council included the finance, law, and privatisation ministers. Similarly, the ministers for commerce, energy, etc have also remained part of the CCI. This is the first time, however, that the foreign minister has been included in the council. One could argue that since foreign affairs are
entirely the domain of the federal government this is the one ministry that does not have anything to do with interprovincial coordination. But it has become clear in the past few months that the foreign minister intends to extend his influence far beyond his new ministry. NOT THE FIRST TIME This is not the first time that the finance minister has been so obviously sidelined. In less than three weeks in office, Mr Aurangzeb has had a hard time doing anything other than the tough job of negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). That it seems is all the
State Antony Blinken to refrain from recognising the new government until allegations of election rigging were thoroughly investigated. The lawmakers, all Democrats like President Biden, in their joint letter, had expressed concerns about pre and post-poll rigging in Pakistan’s parliamentary elections. They called for a transparent and credible investigation before recognising a new Pakistani government, citing evidence of violations and disruptions on election day. Although Pakistan is no longer a priority for the US after its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, the South Asian nation remains key in terms of regional security and counter-terrorism efforts. While American civilian leaders have shown indifference towards Pakistan in recent years, the American military establishment still seeks a working relationship with Pakistan. In some of the recent testimonies before the US Senate committees, US CENTCOM chief Michael Kurilla stressed the importance of Pakistan and said the US must evaluate ties with Islamabad on their own merit. government wants him to do. He was first excluded from the all-important Economic Coordination Committee where the prime minister maintained chairmanship. It was only after criticism that he relinquished it to Mr Aurangzeb. The finance minister was also kept away from chairing the cabinet’s committee on privatisation, which is headed interestingly enough by Mr Dar. DOES THE NEW CCI MAKE SENSE? Normally, at a time like this when Pakistan is entering negotiations with the IMF, the role of the finance minister in the CCI would have been vital. For starters, budget season is only a few months away and with the IMF keeping a very close eye on Pakistan’s taxation, the provincial chief executives would want to have face time with the federal finance minister over the issue of the NFC awards. Interestingly enough, the other inclusions in the council are also somewhat strange. Defence Minis-
Chinese investigators arrive to join Besham suicide attack probe ISLAMABAD
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Chinese investigators arrived in Pakistan on Friday to join the probe into the killing of five Chinese nationals in a suicide attack in Besham, the interior ministry said. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met the visiting team of investigators at the Chinese embassy and briefed them on the investigation so far, according to a statement issued by the government. He assured the special investigation team that the culprits of Shangla attack would be brought to justice. The Interior Minister also briefed the team about the progress made so far in the investigation into the incident. During the meeting, measures about the protection of Chinese nationals and overall security were also discussed. The Interior Minister also met with the Chinese Ambassador and apprised him of the probe into Shangla incident. Tuesday’s incident was the third major attack in little over a week on China’s interests in Pakistan, where Beijing has invested more than $65 billion in infrastructure projects as part of its wider Belt and Road initiative. Two days earlier, officials shared with the Chinese embassy the preliminary findings of their investigation into the attack. In late 2022, the two allied countries started a joint investigation into an attack that year on China’s nationals and its interests, which have seen a rise in recent months. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack, in which a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project at Dasu, killing six people.
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ter Khawaja Muhammad Asif has been included in the body. With the recent resurgence in terrorism, one might think that this makes sense. But the coordination between the provinces and the centre on matters of anti-terror activities should ideally take place through the interior ministry. In fact, the announcement of the new CCI was made the same day that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi went to Peshawar to meet KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to hold discussions on coordinating an anti-terror response. Engineer Amir Muqam, Minister for States & Frontier Regions (SAFRON) is also a part of the council. This might indicate that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is focusing more on giving old party loyalists as much influence as possible and clipping the wings of the team that he has been assigned. This report was contributed to by Ahmad Ahmadani in Islamabad.