Wednesday, 16 June, 2021 I 5 Dhul-Qadah, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 346 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
Another nA session devolves into violence between government, opposition g
SAPM HURlS ABUSeS AT PMl-N lAWMAKeR
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He National Assembly session Tuesday nearly came to physical blows during Pakistan Muslim leagueNawaz President Shehbaz Sharif’s speech was met with loud jeers, slogans and whistles from the treasury members. During the speech, opposition members formed a protective circle around the leader of the opposition in the lower house while MNAs from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf surrounded them. “Imran Khan Niazi promised 10 million jobs. Where are those jobs?” asked Shehbaz. “Where are the $300bn that were supposed to be brought back to the country from abroad?” Continuing to lash out at the government, he said that PM Imran Khan’s claims of eliminating corruption from Pakistan were hollow.
“Pakistan is suffering from the worst form of corruption today,” he said. “No act of posting or transferring someone these days is done without an element of corruption these days,” added Shahbaz. He criticised the government’s budget, saying that it had failed to provide relief to the masses amid spiralling unemployment and inflation. NA Speaker Asad Qaiser repeatedly asked the PTI members to calm down and allow the PMl-N president to deliver his speech, but his words were ignored. Subsequently, Shehbaz reportedly wore headphones to drown out the noise and continued his speech. Shehbaz called out the ruling party’s claims of generating excess power by pointing out the bane of loadshedding that troubled the masses currently. He compared this
coronAvirus in
pAkistAn
CONFIRMED CASES:
943,027
LAST UPDATED AT 7:38 AM ON JUNE 15, 2021
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
59
838
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
880,316 21,782 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
328,663
344,196
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
136,205 AJK/GB: 19,791/5,727
26,275 ISLAMABAD:
82,170
to the PMl-N regime, which had set up various power plants to reduce the amount of loadshedding within the country. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Ali Nawaz Awan can be seen in a video clip from Tuesday’s session, responding in kind to abusive language by a PMl-N lawmaker. A woman lawmaker tried to pull the PTI MNA away from the group of legislators who were shoving each other. He can be seen in the video, throwing a booklet at the PMl-N leader and shouting angrily at him. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry were also seen standing by their seats. Another minister, Ali Amin Gandapur can be seen in another video clip exchanging words with Opposition lawmakers. A day earlier, Shehbaz had accused the incumbent government of showing false numbers in the release to trick the public. The leader of the opposition in the National Assembly was speaking on the federal budget issued by the government a few days prior, Geo reported. lamenting that the poor were suffering from poverty while the government claimed they were on the path to economic growth and prosperity, he asked, “If the country has seen growth, has only the elite and those residing in the palaces of Bani Gala availed that prosperity?” The PMl-N president said poor people were starving to death in the country. Taking a jibe at the prime minister, Sharif said he wished those who gave examples of Riyasat-e-Madinah would take pay heed to the dismal affairs of the “widows, orphans and the destitute”. Members of the opposition, along with the PMl-N president as well, thumped their desks as PMl-N leader Mian Javed latif attended the session for the first time since securing bail. News Desk
Sindh presents budget with Rs1.477.903tr outlay The Sindh government has presented the budget for the financial year 2021-22 on Tuesday. The total outlay of the budget is Rs1,477.903 billion with a deficit of Rs25.7 billion, said Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of finance, while unveiling the budget in the Sindh Assembly. Wearing headphones as he gripped a microphone in his hand, the chief minister shouted to drown out the reverberating shouts of opposition lawmakers, who did their utmost to disrupt the chief minister. He said that the total volume of the budget for next financial year is 19.1 percent more than previous financial year. He announced a 20 percent increase in the salaries of provincial government employees and minimum wages for workers increased from Rs17,500 to Rs25,000. A 10 percent increase in the pensions of retired employees has also been proposed in the budget. The current expenditure of the province is projected at Rs1.14 trillion, which includes current revenue expenditure of Rs1.089 trillion and current capital expenditure of Rs59.49 billion. “This is 78 per-
G-20 suspends Pakistan’s $3.17bn debt payment by year-end: Fawad ISLAMABAD tltp
The G-20 has suspended Pakistan’s debt payment of $3.17 billion by the end of this year. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary shared this at a press conference after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, saying this is yet another positive development for the country’s economy. Briefing the media persons about the cabinet decisions, he said that the federal cabinet has decided to monitor the implementation of development projects under the Public Sector Development Programme. He also said that a mechanism will be evolved in order to ensure timely availability of funds for the development projects. The minister said that a third party evaluation of the development projects will be carried out in order to ensure transparency. He said that the annual PSDP for the next fiscal year is of Rs900 billion, and most of the mega projects for Sindh will be financed from it. Fawad said that the cabinet approved implementation of storm water drains projects
cent of total expenditure of the province and shows an increase of 14 percent over estimates of Rs1 trillion for last year,” he said. Receipts from the federal government on account of revenue assignment, straight transfers and grants are estimated at Rs869.68 billion, which constitute 72.5 percent of total receipts of the province. Shah said spending on development for the next financial year has been increased by 41.3 percent. He said that an amount of Rs222.5 billion has been earmarked for Annual Development Programme which is 43.5 percent more than the ADP of current financial year while a hundred percent increase has been made in district development programme for next financial year. He said that the development expenditure of the province is estimated at Rs329.032 billion, which include Rs222.5 billion for Provincial ADP and Rs30 billion for districts ADP, foreign project assistance of Rs71.16 billion and Rs5.4 billion from federal PSDP grant for schemes being executed by the government of Sindh. News Desk
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more inside
Formation commanders briefed on cuttingedge technologies for army’s outfits STORY ON BACK PAGE
Govt jacks up petrol, diesel prices by up to Rs2.13 STORY ON BACK PAGE under Karachi transformation programme. The cabinet also approved the National Digital Cable Policy. He said the digitalisation of cable will improve the quality and ensure the people have access to more television channels. He said, “We will also give rights to the cable operators to purchase content.” Fawad added that the move will also help increase the number of channels to up to 900 to 950, such as those related to science, technology and history. Moreover, he maintained, the channels will be run on the subscription model to create a futuristic media scene. Fawad said that there is also
a proposal to reopen the cinemas from the 30th of this month. He said the final decision to this effect will be taken by the National Command and Operator Centre. “Have spoken to the NCOC and Asad Umar has promised that cinemas will be reopened by June 30. However, a final decision will be taken by the NCOC,” he clarified. The cabinet approved the appointment of community welfare attache in seven countries. On the complaints of overseas Pakistanis, two officers of Pakistani embassy in Saudi Arabia have been called back.
Qureshi urges Afghan leadership to work out internal differences
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Govt speeds up facilitation of Chinese investors to put SeZs on fast track