EXTREMISM, DIVISIVE RHETORIC THREAT TO SOCIAL PEACE, SAYS PM In partnership with
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Saturday, 1 February, 2025 I 2 Shaban ul Moazzam, 1446
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PM SHEHBAZ UNDERSCORES RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS, COMMUNITY LEADERS ROLE IN PROMOTING BROTHERHOOD
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TO THOSE WHO SOW HATRED, WE RESPOND WITH DIALOGUE. TO THOSE WHO PREACH FEAR, WE ANSWER WITH COURAGE: PM
preach fear, we answer with courage. To those who divide, we build bridges,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. He added that the government was
committed to fostering an environment of acceptance, tolerance, and mutual respect. The groundbreaking Interfaith Harmony Policy and Strategy of Religious
Tolerance were enforced, targeting hate speech at its core, safeguarding every temple, church, and shrine, the prime minister said. PM Shehbaz Sharif underscored that despite policy interventions implemented, the government recognized that challenges persist. “Extremism and divisive rhetoric, remain threats to our social fabric. At a time when the world faces growing challenges of intolerance and division, it is essential to reaffirm our collective commitment to peace and unity,” he said. “May this week inspire us all to embrace the values of tolerance and cooperation, ensuring a peaceful and prosperous future for all,” the prime minister said.
ISLAMABAD
He was talking to Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, who called on him at the prime minister’s house, in Islamabad. The Prime Minister greeted the Chinese ambassador on the occasion of the New Year and conveyed his good wishes to the Chinese leadership as well as the brotherly people of china, including Chinese nationals residing in Pakistan.
Matters related to economic and security cooperation between the two countries were also discussed during the meeting. The Ambassador thanked the prime minister and the people of Pakistan for extending their warm wishes to the Chinese government and its people on the joyous occasion.
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
RIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif urged the religious scholars, community leaders and citizens to play role in promoting brotherhood as extremism and divisive rhetoric were threat to social peace and harmony. In his message on World Interfaith Harmony Week being observed from February 1st to 7th, PM Shehbaz said this week served as a powerful reminder of the importance of dialogue, understanding, and cooperation among diverse religious communities, according to a Prime Minister’s Office news release. “Pakistan, envisioned by our founding father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a sanctuary for all faiths, remains steadfast in its constitutional oath to protect every citizen’s right to belief, dignity, and equality. Our faith— rooted in Islam’s timeless teachings of justice, mercy, and respect for all creation—compels us to lead by example,” the prime minister said. He resolved that the government would continue to uphold these values through policies that promote inclusivity and social cohesion. “To those who sow hatred, we respond with dialogue. To those who
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‘PM greets Chinese Envoy’: Chinese New Year to further strengthen Sino-Pak bonds of friendship STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed the hope that the Chinese New Year will further strengthen bonds of friendship between Pakistan and china and bring prosperity to the peoples of both countries.
PTI’s Omar Ayub slams PM as a ‘servant without real power’ SARGODHA
STAFF REPORT
PM Shehbaz assents to whopping salary raise for MPs ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday gave assent to the whopping salary raise for members of the Parliament. The decision follows the recommendations made by the Finance Committee, and the new salaries will come into effect from January. Under the new arrangement, each member of Parliament will receive a monthly salary of Rs519,000. However, it is important to note that the salaries of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly have not been increased. Both the speaker and the deputy speaker will continue to receive their current monthly salary of Rs218,000. In response to queries, the speaker’s office clarified that the Finance Committee does not have the authority to increase the salaries of the speaker and the deputy speaker. Last week, the National Assembly speaker forwarded the finance committee’s recommendations for a salary increase to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Prior to this, the federal government had announced an increase in the salaries and housing allowances for high court judges in November last year. The house rent allowance was raised from Rs65,000 to Rs350,000, while the superior judicial allowance has increased from Rs342,431 to Rs1,090,000. With these adjustments, the total salary for a high court judge is expected to exceed Rs2 million on November 26, 2024. The Sindh government announced wage increases for workers in the industrial sector, with a rise of 15.62% on October 22, 2024. Last year, the government imposed a higher income tax rate of up to 35% in the budget 2024-25. The new income tax slabs for the salaried class were effective for salaries above Rs600,000.
Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub on Friday lambasted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, describing the PM’s role as that of a “servant holding no real power.” “The premier only is ready for negotiations when an ‘order’ arrives,” PTI stalwart stated while speaking to the media outside Sargodha Anti-Terrorism Court on Friday. Ayub stated that PTI came to power through the public’s mandate but pointed to the government’s policies as the primary cause of rising inflation. He also stated that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would likely agree to water distribution deals at the expense of Sindh’s people. The PTI leader also expressed strong disapproval of the recent
amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), stating that the government is curbing freedom of speech. He accused PPP of hypocrisy, noting that while the party once opposed the PECA law, it has now fallen silent on the matter. He said the notion of press freedom or
even freedom of expression in Pakistan has ceased to exist, with media personnel unable to speak or write freely. Ayub further asserted that PTI harbors no hopes from the United States or the United Kingdom, particularly in the context of Pakistan’s political crisis. He called for Article 6 to be invoked against former Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, accusing him of aiding the current rulers in rigging elections. Additionally, Ayub highlighted that despite PTI’s repeated appearances in court, they remain unclear about the charges against them. He also criticised the government’s inaction, saying his letter requesting the formation of a parliamentary committee had not yet received a response from the PM. He vowed that PTI would not allow the matter to be delayed any further.
IHC judges raise alarms about proposed CJ appointment ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Five judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday penned a letter to the chief justices (CJ) of the Supreme Court and high courts, urging them to take a stand against reports of a transferred judge being appointed to the IHC’s top seat and to resist such a development. The letter is addressed to CJP Yahya Afridi and the top high court judges of Islamabad, Sindh
and Lahore. The letter was signed by IHC’s senior puisne judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justices – Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan and Saman Rafat Imtiaz. The names of Justices Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb were also in the letter but didn’t bear their signatures. The judges urged the four chief justices to advise President Asif Ali Zardari not to allow any
such transfer as being reported since there was no conception of a unified federal judicial service in Pakistan under the existing scheme of the Constitution. “The high courts are independent and autonomous. The justices who are elevated to a particular high court, take oath, under Article 194 of the Constitution, with respect a particular province, or for the purposes of the IHC, with respect to the Islamabad Capital Territory.
10 terrorists neutralized in North Waziristan, DI Khan IBOs: ISPR RAWALPINDI
STAFF REPORT
Ten terrorists were killed in fire exchange with security forces during multiple intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Friday. In a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the operations took place a day ago and today with the first encounter in Dera Ismail Khan district’s general area of Khulachi where an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was carried out on the reported presence of terrorists. “During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and resultantly, four khwarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR said, using the term the state assigned to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It added that six more terrorists were “successfully neutralised” in four separate encounters in North Waziristan district’s general areas of Datta Khel, Hassan Khel, Ghulam Khan, and Mir Ali. The ISPR said weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed terrorists who were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in these areas against the security forces as well as the killing of innocent civilians. It added that sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country,” the ISPR concluded. Pakistan has been grappling with a sharp uptick in terror attacks on security forces, especially in KP and Balochistan. The year 2024 turned out to be the deadliest year for the civil and military security forces in a decade as at least 685 personnel of security forces lost lives in a total of 444 terror attacks, according to a security report. The report claimed the overall fatalities recorded last year were a record nine-year high, and over 66pc more than in 2023. On average, nearly seven lives were lost daily.
Petrol, diesel prices hiked as global rates rise
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The government has increased petrol and diesel prices for the upcoming fortnight due to a rise in global market rates, effective from February 1. The price of petrol has been increased by Re1 per litre to settle at Rs257.13 per litre, while the price of highspeed diesel (HSD) has been increased by Rs7 to settle at Rs267.95 per litre. This increase follows a price hike on January 15, when petrol prices were raised by Rs3.47, and HSD by Rs2.63 per liter. At that time, petrol was priced at Rs256.13 per litre, and diesel at Rs260.95 per litre. Earlier, on January 1, the government had also raised petroleum prices, with petrol increasing by Rs 0.56 per litre and HSD by Rs 2.96 per litre.
IMF mission likely to visit Pakistan by early March for EFF review g
FINANCE MINISTER SAYS COUNTRY COMMITTED TO PROGRAMME TARGETS PROFIT
MONITORING DESK
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission is expected to visit Pakistan by late February or early March for the first review of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb stated no specific date had been confirmed. According to the IMF’s October report, the first review under the EFF, along with the end-December 2024 performance criteria, is scheduled for March 15, 2025. The successful completion of the first review and its approval by the IMF board will enable the release of the next loan tranche exceeding $1 billion. However, the review remains crucial for Islamabad, as it has yet to fulfill certain agreed conditions, including the agriculture income tax, tax
collection from retailers, and the half-yearly Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) tax collection target. Aurangzeb, while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, chaired by Saleem Mandviwalla, said Pakistan remains committed to the programme’s targets. He noted that some measures may be incorporated into the 2025-26 budget, while others could be introduced later. The finance minister reiterated the government’s plan to separate tax policy from the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) operational functions in the next fiscal year. He said this move aims to improve efficiency by allowing the FBR to focus exclusively on tax collection. Aurangzeb also addressed concerns about the tax burden on the salaried class, describing it as disproportionately high. He
said the government is working to simplify the tax system and reduce this burden, noting that 60-70 percent of employees are not subject to the super tax. The committee also discussed a proposal to introduce a carbon tax by converting certain existing levies. While Aurangzeb acknowledged the World Bank’s focus on climate and carbon taxation, Senator Farooq H Naik and others expressed concerns about its inflationary impact. The finance minister clarified that gas prices were raised to Rs3,500 for 1,100 Captive Power Plants out of 56,000 industrial units. Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal informed the committee that no new Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) budget is planned for 2025-26. However, five ongoing projects under the Finance Division will continue, with a proposed allocation of Rs3.1 billion.