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PM-Led CABINeT BodY ProPoSeS CuTTINg 150,000 vACANCIeS Saturday, 17 August, 2024 I | 11 Safar, 1446
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INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AIM TO REDUCE PUBLIC SECTOR SIZE AND EXPENSES
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PM DIRECTS PROPOSED REFORMS BE SENT TO CABINET FOR APPROVAL AND SEEKS PLAN FOR THEIR IMPLEMENTATION
PM hails Punjab govt's historic relief for electricity consumers ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
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PROFIT STAFF REPORT
HE Cabinet Committee on Institutional Reforms on Friday recommended curtailing 150,000 vacant positions, banning contingency recruitment, and outsourcing non-core services like cleaning and janitorial work, which will gradually phase out many positions in grades 1 to 16. In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif focused on reducing public sector size and expenses, the committee, led by the Federal Finance Minister, presented its recommendations for right-sizing fed-
eral government departments. The Ministry of Finance was tasked with overseeing the cash balances of other federal ministries. The committee provided a detailed briefing on recommended reforms for five federal ministries: the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Ministry of Industry and Production, and the Ministry of National Health Services. One key proposal involves merging the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan with the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions. The committee also proposed closing 28 institutions
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed the historic package for the electricity consumers announced by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif under the leadership of PML-N President and former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. "The decision to reduce electricity rates by Rs14 per unit for consumers who use up to 500 units per month is a notable example of a people-centric initiative by Nawaz Sharif and the Punjab Chief Minister," the prime minister said in a statement issued by the PM Office. He said under the guidance of Nawaz Sharif, public relief had re-
across these five ministries, transferring the Privatization Ministry and some other ministries to federal units, and merging 12 institutions within these ministries. During the meeting, the prime min-
mained the government's top priority since day one of assuming his office. Recently, he said the federal government had announced relief for the electricity consumers using up to 200 units per month by cutting the size of its annual development budget by Rs50 billion. He highlighted that under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, the government was taking steps to make the lives of the people easier. After economic stabilization, the country is heading in the right direction, he said adding that public relief and reduction in inflation were the top priorities of the government. He assured that the government was working for the long-term solution of reduction in electricity prices and all possible efforts were being made in this regard.
ister directed that these proposed reforms be approved by the Federal Cabinet and that a comprehensive plan for their implementation be presented.
No Pakistan, India bilateral talks either ‘overt or covert’: FO
LHC orders Lahore Police to produce ‘missing’ YouTuber Aun Ali by Aug 20
ISLAMABAD
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LAHORE
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 48 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday gave the Lahore police time until August 20 to recover YouTuber Aun Ali Khosa, who was allegedly “whisked away by some unknown armed men.” The court ordered the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) to locate the whereabouts of the “abducted” YouTuber and produce in the court on August 20. LHC’s Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi issued directives while hearing a petition filed by Beenish Iqbal, the wife of Aun Ali Khosa, claiming that her husband was “in the unlawful and illegal custody of the law enforcement authorities”. She informed that on August 15 at around 2am, a dozen police officials along with masked plainclothesmen” barged into her apartment after breaking apart the entrance door. “The heavily armed men confiscated Aun’s phone, laptop, computer system, and digital camera, and drove away with Aun Ali Khosa,” the petition further detailed. “The petitioner followed them as they left in a Fortuner and a Black Revo double cabin vehicle. After manhandling him and shoving him into the Black Vigo parked outside the flat, they fled,” Beenish Iqbal alleged. She stated in the petitioner that she repeatedly asked the men the reason for picking him up but they refused to provide any information and left. She stated that the whereabouts of her husband were unknown, fearing “her husband might have been a victim of enforced disappearance.” The petitioner submitted that Aun was a “digital content creator, a writer, and a dignified comedian/artist having a massive following of 137,000 subscribers on YouTube”. On the other hand, Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran denied the police had not received any complaint about the alleged abduction of Aun. He stated that the police would investigate the matter after receiving any complaint. Appeal for prayers and support Taking to platform X on August 15, the artist’s brother, Ali Sher Khosa, said Aun had been “taken into custody by some unknown armed men from his flat in Lahore”.
Pakistan on Friday categorically declared there were no bilateral talks, either overt or covert, taking place between Pakistan and India on any of the issues including restoration of trade ties. “At this point there are no bilateral talks between the two countries on any of the issues including restoration of trade ties”, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters in response to a question at the weekly briefing. “First, you would recall the developments that took place in 2019 and the illegal and unilateral steps taken by India in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Following that, several measures were taken by Pakistan, including the suspension of bilateral trade,” the FO spokesperson elaborated.
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During the briefing, the FO spokesperson said that Pakistan strongly condemned the killing of four Kashmiri youth by Indian troops in Doda district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (. “This brutal action by the Indian occupation authorities is yet another example of their illegal and oppressive acts against the Kashmiri people,” she added. “We urge the international community to take immediate and decisive action to hold India accountable for its egregious human rights violations in IIOJK and to take steps to protect the rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people.” She reiterated that Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.
Pakistan will welcome Gaza ceasefire talks The FO spokesperson said Pakistan repeatedly since October 2023 called for an urgent and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. “We have called on the international community to bring an end to the massacre and genocide of the Palestinian people. And in that context, we welcome any initiative that may lead to peace and dialogue and resolution of the current situation where Palestinians continue to be under attack by the Israeli occupation authorities,” she said. She said Pakistan was deeply concerned at the recent developments in the Middle East. “We are concerned that the situation in the Middle East is a result of the illegal acts by Israel against the people of Palestine and its adventurism against its neighbours and countries in the region.”
Relations (ISPR) stated. The attendees were: Jehangir Khan, Islahuddin Siddique, Shahbaz Senior, Sohail Abbas, Muhammad Asif, and Aisamul Haq. Arshad Nadeem’s close relatives, associates, and coaches were also present. General Munir praised Nadeem for winning Pakistan’s first-ever gold medal in a singles event and setting a new Olympic record at Paris Olympics, crediting his success to commitment, perseverance, and passion for excellence. The army chief acknowledged
Nadeem’s achievement as a source of national pride, noting that the entire nation had honoured him in a manner befitting his accomplishment. General Munir reiterated the military’s commitment to supporting not just sportsmen but the broader Pakistani youth, emphasising the importance of youth engagement, development, and entertainment for a prosperous society. Arshad Nadeem expressed gratitude and highlighted the potential of Pakistani youth, urging hard work, positivity, and perseverance in overcoming challenges.
COAS hosts ceremony to honour Arshad Nadeem for heroics at Olympics RAWALPINDI
STAFF REPORT
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir on Friday hosted a ceremony at the Army Auditorium in GHQ to honour Olympian Arshad Nadeem’s historic achievement, the military’s media wing said. The event was attended by sports teams and legendary Olympians, including members of the 1984 Olympic and National Hockey Teams, the National Cricket Team, and other notable figures, the Inter-Services Public
‘It doesn’t matter if accused is a former PM’: IHC to NAB while hearing Toshakhana case ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
A division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) emphasized on Thursday that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) must demonstrate its independence and good intentions, ensuring that it is not being used for ulterior motives. The bench, composed of Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Babar Sattar, was hearing a petition challenging the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the new Toshakhana reference case initiated by NAB. During the proceedings, the NAB prosecutor informed the court that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had not cooperated with the investigation. Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb noted that the lack of cooperation from the PTI founder and his wife made it difficult to move forward with the case. Justice Babar Sattar expressed surprise that the accused, despite being in jail, had not participated in the investigation. When the NAB prosecutor pointed out that the accused was a former prime minister, Justice Sattar responded that this fact was irrelevant to the matter at hand. Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb reiterated that NAB must prove it is acting independently and not under external influence. He questioned why the cabinet secretary, who is the custodian of the Toshakhana, had not been made the primary suspect in the case. PTI’s legal counsel, Salman Safdar, argued that nothing substantial had been provided beyond NAB’s call-up notices, which themselves lacked clarity. The NAB prosecutor countered by stating that a reminder notice had also been sent, but Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi still did not cooperate with the investigation. Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb inquired whether NAB had conducted inquiries into other Toshakhana gifts and questioned why more expensive gifts were ignored while this particular case was singled out. He also asked if NAB had investigated the role of the cabinet secretary in the matter. The NAB prosecutor admitted that investigations related to other Toshakhana gifts were still incomplete. The court then directed the NAB investigating officer to visit Adiala Jail and obtain answers to the questionnaire from the accused. The hearing was subsequently adjourned until August 21.
Senior journalist Hamid Mir moves IHC against internet firewall installation ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Senior journalist Hamid Mir on Friday moved the Islamabad High Court with a petition, challenging the installation of an internet firewall. The petition, filed through lawyer Imaan Mazari, appealed to the court to stop the installation of the firewall, arguing it infringe on citizens’ fundamental rights, and to declare internet access for livelihood as a basic human right under the constitution. The petition names the Cabinet Secretary, Secretary for Information and Technology (IT), Secretary of Interior, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and Ministry of Human Rights as respondents. The petition also requests that the court demand a detailed report on the firewall from the relevant parties and suspend the installation process until a decision is made. Furthermore, the petition appealed for the firewall installation should be contingent on consultations with all stakeholders and the protection of basic rights, with orders to ensure citizens have uninterrupted access to the internet. It is pertinent to mention here that a second successful trial of the firewall installation was completed Thursday, with internet service providers installing the firewall after temporarily disabling social media apps. Audio and video downloading on social media platforms was suspended during the installation, and it is expected that social media services will return to normal in the next 2 to 3 days.
Federal government debt soars to Rs68.9 trillion in FY24 g
SBP DATA SHOWS GOVT PAID $16.94 BILLION IN DEBT SERVICING DURING FY2023-24 PROFIT
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The central government’s debt increased by Rs8.07 trillion, or 13%, during the last fiscal year 2023-24, reaching a total of Rs68.9 trillion by the end of June 2024, according to data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The debt stock rose by 1.7% in just one month, up from Rs67.73 trillion at the end of May, reflecting mounting financial challenges. Despite the growing debt, the government has struggled to curb its spending, which could have provided some relief to the public and allowed for development expenditures. The Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) has seen repeated budget cuts to accommodate rising spending, contributing to economic contraction in FY23 and a modest growth rate of 2.4% in FY24.
Much of the government’s spending has been financed through additional borrowing, with debt servicing costs amounting to Rs8.3 trillion in FY24 alone. For the current fiscal year, the government has allocated Rs9.78 trillion for debt servicing, which constitutes more than half of the total budget outlay of Rs18.9 trillion. The federal government’s domestic debt saw an increase of Rs8.35 trillion, rising from Rs38.81 trillion in June 2023 to Rs47.16 trillion by the end of June 2024. Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) were the dominant component of this domestic debt, growing by Rs6 trillion to reach Rs28 trillion over the year. Market Treasury Bills, which attracted around $444 million in foreign investment during FY24, contributed to a rise in total debt to Rs10.25 trillion by June 2024, up
from Rs9.33 trillion a year earlier. In terms of foreign debt, the SBP data showed that the country paid $16.94 billion in debt servicing during FY24, down from $20.82 billion in FY23—a reduction of $3.89 billion. Of this, $5.46 billion was for interest payments, while $11.48 billion covered the principal amount. As per Topline Pakistan Research, Pakistan’s external debt-to-GDP ratio has decreased to 26%, the lowest in six years. This improvement is attributed to a slower increase in foreign currency borrowings compared to local currency borrowings. In FY23, the external debt-to-GDP ratio stood at 32%, but the latest figures reflect the government’s efforts to manage external liabilities more effectively. Another positive sign was the drop in the ratio of external debt servicing to total
exports, which fell sharply to 35% in FY24 from 51% in the previous fiscal year. This ratio indicates the extent to which export
revenues are consumed by debt servicing, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to potential declines in export earnings.