Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Wednesday, 25 January 2017
BUSINESS Seven latest locomotives reach Pakistan from United States
ISLAMABAD: A consignment of seven new and modern locomotives reached Karachi from the United States in a bid to strengthen Pakistan Railways’ existing fleet, said sources in the ministry of railways on Monday.
“Pakistan will receive a total of 55 locomotives in different phases from the US. The remaining 48 are expected to be handed over to the Pakistan Railways by June 2017”.
The locomotive consignment includes 4,000 horsepower modern diesel locomotives of General Electric with 676 mm gauge and fully assembled, they said while commenting on its specifications.
“The 137 tonnes six-axle locomotives are designed for a maximum speed of 120 km per hour, and are expected to provide better fuel efficiency and longer maintenance intervals than Pakistan Railways’ current fleet”.
The locomotives, with 12-cylinder of 563 horsepower engine, would help cope with the harsh operating conditions in Pakistan, having additional cooling capacity and an air-conditioned cab suitable for bidirectional operation, official sources added.
This is a first ever consignment of evolution series locomotives not only to Pakistan but also to anywhere in the South Asian region.
According to the contract, they said, a US based Corys Electric Company would supply a full-scope simulator for driver training.
The official sources continued that the locomotives would be used for transporting coal from Karachi’s Port Qasim to Sahiwal Power Plant in Punjab and Jamshoro Power Plant in Sindh.
In 2015, they said that Pakistan Railways had signed an agreement with the US for provision of 55 General Electric diesel locomotives, out of which 40 would be used to haul imported coal and 15 in general freight services.
Sunday, 1 May 2016
Imran to raise four issues at Lahore rally today: sources
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan is likely to highlight four issues in his speech including Panama Papers’ at his Lahore rally today, ARY News reported.
The speech will consist of four main parts. The first part will be about Labour Day and the challenges faced by workers across the country.
The second part is based on the Panama Papers where he will insist on a transparent investigation in the matter.
The third part will be on the judicial commission and the controversy surrounding the TORs which are drafted by the government.
The final part will be on criticizing the policies of the Sharif brothers and the return of ill-gotten wealth back into the country.
All set for PTI ‘power show’ in Lahore
LAHORE: Arrangements have been finalized for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s rally in Lahore today, said organisers.
PTI chairman Imran Khan is expected to address the public gathering after 8pm. Party sources revealed that his speech will surround four key features including labours’ rights, Panama Papers’ revelations, ToRs of judicial commission to probe Panama leaks and plundering of national wealth.
People are converging at the rally venue in large number to express support for their party.
Meanwhile, after mistreatment of women at a public gathering in Islamabad, PTI has decided to deploy ‘bouncers’ at its Lahore rally to avoid any untoward incident.
A bouncer is an unarmed burly man deployed at private and public gatherings to control crowds. Bouncers worldwide are required to have strong built, bear good character and not addicted to the use of drugs to say the least.
The PTI chief also issued directives to ensure that the women activists and supporters remain at a safe distance from male participants in order to avoid mistreatment of anyone.
Following the episode in Islamabad, PTI leader Uzma Kardar had complained to party chairman Imran Khan about mistreatment doled out to her by party activists
Do not make us scared of forensic audit: Pervez
LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcast Pervez Rashid on Sunday said his party leadership should not be made scared of forensic audit.
“We have had three to four times forensic audit before in different eras,” he said while addressing media with Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique and MNA Talal Chaudhry in Lahore .
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had presented himself before the commission for probe into Panama leaks because he had clean record.
The minister said father of the prime minister, Mian Sharif, had started his steel business in 1936, while Nawaz’s business flourished even before he came into politics.
He said Sharif’s father had billions of rupee Ittefaq factory which was seized by former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Later, steel factory of Sharif family was also seized.
He said those who had accumulated black money were creating hurdles in the constitution of probe commission consisting of Supreme Court Judges.
Rashid said forensic audit was conducted in former president Pervez Musharraf’s era as well. His oppression had forced the PM’s sons, Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, to stay abroad, otherwise they were not willing to stay away from their home country.
Pervaiz Rashid said during the period of dictatorship, Nawaz Sharif’s family was put on exile. He said his elder son Hussain was confined in Jeddah and younger one Hassan in London and their passports were confiscated. They settled there and started their business.
“From grandfather to grandchildren of Sharif family were held accountable and jailed at one time,” he said.
Three human traffickers nabbed in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Three human traffickers were nabbed on Sunday from Islamabad on accusation of sending people abroad illegally.
The human traffickers, Babar, Safdar and Iqbal Hussain are accused of sending people out of the country on fake United Nations letter.
According to Wikipedia, many Pakistani women and men migrate voluntarily to the Persian Gulf States, Iran, Turkey, South Africa, Uganda, Greece, and other European countries for low-skilled employment such as domestic work, driving or construction work. Once abroad, some become victims of labor trafficking.
False job offers and high fees charged by illegal labor agents or sub-agents of licensed Pakistani Overseas Employment Promoters increase Pakistani laborers’ vulnerabilities and some laborers abroad find themselves in involuntary servitude or debt bondage.
Employers abroad use practices including restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, threats, and physical or sexual abuse. Moreover, traffickers use violence, psychological coercion and isolation, often seizing travel and identification documents, to force women and girls into prostitution in the Middle East and Europe.
PM Nawaz to lay foundation stones of projects tomorrow: Quetta mayor
QUETTA: Mayor of Quetta Kalimullah Khan Kakar said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday will lay the foundation stone of several projects during his visit to the provincial capital.
According to Radio Pakistan, the mayor made the statement as he was talking to a delegation.
The projects include Guli Mar Chouk under-pass, widening of Saryab Road Quetta and Mizan Chouk Parking plaza are included in the projects.
He expressed his optimism that the issues, being faced by the people, would be addressed by the inauguration of the projects.
Kakar went on to say that PM Sharif has taken special interest in making Quetta more beautiful.
Saturday, 30 April 2016
IMF announces $1.5bn loan for Sri Lanka
COLOMBO: The IMF has agreed a $1.5 billion loan for Sri Lanka in support of economic reforms aimed at reversing a two-decade decline in tax revenue and reviving growth, it said Friday.
The International Monetary Fund’s chief for Sri Lanka, Todd Schneider, said a staff-level agreement was reached to release $1.5 billion over a three-year period in support of the island’s reform agenda.
“This agreement will be subject to completion of prior actions and approval by the IMF’s Executive Board, which is expected to consider Sri Lanka’s request in early June,” he said in a statement.
The island has already announced an increase in value added tax (VAT) from 11 to 15 percent from Monday. It has also said it will scale down tax exemptions and promised to simplify revenue collection.
The IMF said the Sri Lankan government will seek to raise its tax-to-GDP ratio to 15 percent by 2020 from the current level of 11 percent.
Schneider said the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to Sri Lanka was expected to “catalyse an additional $650 million in other multilateral and bilateral loans, bringing total support to about $2.2 billion”.
An EFF is designed to help countries resolve serious balance of payment problems brought on by structural weaknesses in the economy.
Sri Lanka enjoyed a blistering economic growth rate averaging more than 8.0 percent for two years after a prolonged civil war ended in 2009.
But the pace of expansion has since slowed, falling to 4.8 percent in 2015, down from 4.9 in the previous year, according to official data.
The new government in Colombo sought an IMF bailout immediately after taking power in January last year, but the fund turned down the request, saying the country’s reserves were at a comfortable level then.
However, the government faced a balance of payments crisis after the government went on a huge spending spree to implement its election pledges of higher public sector salaries and lower prices.
In 2009, Sri Lanka received $2.6 billion from the IMF to boost its financial reserves, which dropped below $1 billion at the height of fighting between Tamil Tiger rebels and troops.
Pakistani women’s rights activist honored with Nelson Mandela award
KARACHI: Swat’s Tabassum Adnan was honored with the prestigious Nelson Mandela – Graça Machel Innovation Award 2016 in Columbia, ARY News reported.
According to details, Tabassum Adnan was recognized for her struggle for women’s rights.
Adnan said that she was thankful to the Pakistani nation whose support and cooperation helped her win the prestigious award.
She suffered 20 years of mental and physical abuse after getting married at the age of 13 years. She lost her children, money and home following her divorce.
After her divorce, She founded the first ever female-only jirga in Pakistan by the name of Khwendo Jirga. The jirga supports rights for women which includes voting and security.
She was awarded International Women of Courage award in the United States in 2015.
IDP camp in Kurram Agency closed as families return home
PARACHINAR: The government has announced to close a camp established for internally displaced people after all those residing there have returned to their native areas.
Since the last 5 years several Internally Displaced People (IDPs) were staying at the New Durrani Camp in Kurram tribal region. The camp was established some 30 kilometers east of Parachinar in 2010 where around 54,000 IDPs were accommodated.
The FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) has announced that these people have now returned to their homes and the camp has now been closed.
The camp was declared abandoned as more than 10,000 families staying have been repatriated to their homes. The FDMA also said those IDPs outside the camp will also be sent to their homes till 9th May.
It has also announced the schedule for the return of IDPs from other tribal regions of the area which included South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Orakzai and Khyber Agency. More than 150,000 families are expected to be returned by end of November.
Till 2008, Kurram Agency was the stronghold of various terrorist organizations including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), until the Pakistan Army launched a military operation to flush out the militants.
This military offensive called Operation Koh-e-Safaid continued till 2011 after which the area fell back into Pakistani control and it was later declassified as a conflict zone. The closure of this camp is a significant step in bring peace and prosperity in one of the most remote and restive areas of the world.
PTI disassociates with Soran Singh murder suspect Baldev Kumar
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced disassociation with Baldev Kumar, an accused of the murder of Sardar Soran Singh, a PTI lawmaker in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Advisor to CM on Minorities.
Police had claimed that Hindu rival of Singh, Kumar, had ordered his assassination a week back.
Since Kumar was second in priority list to take the reserved seat for minorities after Singh, therefore the KPK government has decided to get issuance of the notification for Baldev Kumar blocked.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly had on Friday paid rich tributes to Soran Singh for playing active role in proceedings of the assembly and serving public.
Members from both treasury and opposition benches had demanded a special package for family of Sardar Soran Singh.
They had expressed concern over the target killing and asked the government to protect life and property of people.
The House had also passed a resolution for giving incentives to family of Sardar Soran Singh.
Chief Minister KPK Pervez Khattak had assured the House that children of Sardar Soran Singh would be paid monthly scholarship besides meeting their other needs. The Chief Minister also assured the House that the case would be registered under terrorism act against those who have been involved in the crime.
Court grants bail to ARY News anchor Iqrarul Hassan
KARACHI: A judicial magistrate granted bail to senior anchorperson of ARY News Syed Iqrarul Hassan, ARY News reported.
ARY News anchorperson Syed Iqrarul Hassan, who was arrested over exposing the poor security measures at Sindh Assembly, was produced before a civil judge in City Court.
The court granted bail to Iqrar-ul-Hassan and a member of Sar-e-Aam team Kamran in the two cases under PPC 452 and 188. Earlier, the judge had reserved his verdict in the case.
The court has ordered the anchorperson to submit two surety bonds of Rs. 50,000 each in the court.
Sar-e-Aam host Iqrarul Hassan was produced in the court after being questioned by the investigation officer. Speaking on the occasion, he said that he was handcuffed for showing the truth to the people.
He said that he did not do any corruption nor did he loot the nation.
“I am happy as my child is proud of me,” he said.
Senior citizens bill passed in Sindh Assembly
KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly has passed three bills on senior citizens welfare, employee’s old-age benefits and the abolition of bonded labor.
The Sindh Senior Citizens Welfare Bill would allow senior citizens to be issued cards by the Senior Citizens Council which would entitle them certain essential services and benefits.
This includes 25 percent discount on transport fares and other purchases, concession at recreation centers, free funeral and burial services, and free treatment of geriatric, medical and health services from government medical institutions.
This council would be established to take measures for the economic welfare of senior citizens. It will be headed by the social welfare minister. Its membership includes the secretary of the concerned departments, two senior citizens from civil society, two members of NGOs and one retired judge.
Those who do not honor the senior citizens card or any of it provisions will be punished with rigorous imprisonment between one to three years and a fine of up to 30,000 rupees or both.
The bill also states those people or family members who abandon the care of a senior citizen will also face imprisonment for three months or a fine. Senior citizens are increasingly facing neglect in our society and some even have been forced to join old-age homes.
This law not just aims to convert the country into a welfare state but also treat senior citizens with respect, compassion, kindness and selflessness as enjoyed upon by our religion. Sindh is the first province in the country which has introduced legislation for the well-being of senior citizens.
The Sindh Senior Citizens’ Welfare Bill, 2014 and the other bills, Sindh Employees Old-age Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and The Sindh Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Bill, 2015 were passed by the assembly with a majority vote.
Important bills from Dr Asim case misplaced, says Rangers lawyer
KARACHI: Important bills linked with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Dr. Asim Hussain’s case of providing treatment to terrorists at his private hospital, have been misplaced, claimed Rangers lawyer.
The law said this while confronting investigation officer in court on Saturday. The lawyer exchanged allegations with the investigation officer in the courtroom. The court had to intervene to stop the brawl.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Waseem Akhter and Pak Sarzameen Party leaders Mustafa Kamal and Anees Qaimkhani were also present before the court on this occasion.
The lawyer alleged that the investigation officer had misplaced the bills with regard to providing treatment to terrorists of Al Qaeda, Gang war groups and MQM.
He accused that the bills were misplaced from record in an attempt to provide benefit to the accused.
However, the investigation officer rejected the allegations and termed them baseless. He said the report contained 26 additional documents and nothing was missing from them.
An accountability court had on Friday deferred the indictment of Dr Asim and others, in a corruption case involving Rs17 billion, till May 07.
Dr. Asim Hussain has been in the custody of law enforcement agencies since his arrest in August 2015 on charges of corruption and providing treatment to terrorists at his hospital.
Of late, he was allowed to visit the embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he signed a Power of Attorney transferring all his assets to his son.
Earlier, he had also rejected reports of meeting with PPP MNA Faryal Talpur for getting assurance of the party help. He had said neither he held a meeting with Talpur, nor any telephonic contact with former president Asif Ali Zardari.
Following torrent of allegations of corruption and terror-financing he is facing, he had repented of taking part in the politics.
Intelligence agencies track RAW facilitators in Karachi
KARACHI: Pakistani intelligence agencies have tracked facilitators of Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in Pakistan, ARY News reported on Saturday.
RAW uses Mehmood Siddiqui and Khalil Behrami to carry out terrorist activities in Karachi, said intelligence sources.
The sources said both the RAW agents, who were previously operating from South Africa and Malaysia and now have been shifted to India, are running an organised network of agents in Pakistan.
Law enfrocement agencies have acquired legal documents of Siddiqui and Behrami.
ARY News has got recent pictures of both the suspected RAW agents.
Earlier, this month a RAW officer Kulbhushan Yadav, who has served in the Indian navy, was arrested from Balochistan.
Yadav was arrested during a raid in Balochistan on March 25. A Pakistani foreign ministry statement had described the incident as the “illegal entry into Pakistan by a RAW officer and his involvement in subversive activities in Balochistan and Karachi”.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, has been battling a years-long separatist insurgency that the army has repeatedly highlighted as terrorism promoted by states hostile to Pakistan such as India.
Friday, 29 April 2016
US Senate body wants Pakistan to pay total price of F-16 deal
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan itself will have to pay for the eight F-16 fighter jets which are being brought from the United States after the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee stopped Washington from paying its half of the deal, ARY News reported.
According to details, for the eight fighter jets worth $700 million, Pakistan had to pay $270 million and remainder $430 million of the cost was to be paid by the United States . However, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Bob Corker has stopped the American administration to make its part of the payment for the jets.
Corker had notified the Obama administration that he would not approve using U.S. funds to pay for the planes under the foreign military financing (FMF) program.
Moreover, U.S. Congress has also suspended the $742 million aid for the Pakistan Army as well.
Pakistani Embassy in the United States has said that the fighter jets are crucial for the country in the war against terror and it is necessary to build the capacity of Pakistani security forces to curb terrorism.
F-16s would allow Pakistan’s Air Force to operate in all-weather environments and at night, while improving its self-defense capability and bolstering its ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
On 22nd October 2015, the U.S. administration announced to sell eight new F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan in order to bolster a tenuous partnership between the two countries.
Pakistan’s Minister of Defence Khawaja Asif has said that the Indian lobby did not want Pakistan to obtain F-16s.
India had said it was disappointed with the U.S. decision. “We disagree with their rationale that such arms transfers help to combat terrorism,” Vikas Swarup, a spokesman for India’s Foreign Ministry, had said on Twitter.
The U.S. government had formally published a federal notification in May this year for the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to the South Asian country. The notification read, “This proposed sale contributes to U.S. goals by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner in South Asia.”
Sindh Police chief orders step up security in province
KARACHI: Inspector General Police Sindh A.D. Khawaja has directed the police to step up security in the province, ARY News reported on Friday.
According to a statement issued by Sindh Police, IG Sindh Khawaja has ordered stepped up security across the province. He added that police patrolling and snap-checking to be carried out in all police zones and districts.
Khawaja highlighted the need of integrated and effective intelligence collecting and sharing. He urged that the entry and exit points of the province should be blocked whereas the suspected persons and vehicles should be monitored closely.
IG Sindh has also instructed the concerned officials to deploy personnel at mosques and Imambargahs while fool-proof security arrangements should be made for Friday prayers.
He also ordered stepped up patrolling by the police on mobile vans and motorcycles.
Panama leaks ended rifts within PTI: Imran Khan
ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan admitted internal conflicts in his party existed when he said Panama leaks ended all rifts in PTI, ARY News reported.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf members had been time and again denying reports that divisions and groups existed within the party. However, PTI chief Imran Khan finally admitted that there were reservations and apprehensions among his party members for each other when he said that the Panama leaks had proved to be a good thing for the party.
Last week, Shah Mahmood Qureshi had publicly criticised Jahangir Tareen and said he would rather quit politics than receive a ticket from him. Then, reports also started doing the rounds that Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar was quite upset with some party members and had decided to leave for London. Following this outburst, Imran was forced to cancel the party elections.
Imran apologised again for the harassment of females that took place during the PTI’s Islamabad rally and said that from now on, such incidences will not take place. The PTI chief also said that those who had misbehaved with women at the rally had been identified and would be punished in accordance with the law.
Panama Papers: Judicial commission formation challenged in SC
ISLAMABAD: The formation of judicial commission to investigate Panama Papers, accusing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family of having huge offshore wealth, has been challenged in the Supreme Court, ARY News reported.
The petition challenging the commission was filed by Barrister Zafarullah Khan at Supreme Court Lahore registry.
It was argued in the plea that Panama leaks corruption was a political matter while formation of commission was just a tactic to throw red herring into the matter.
The petitioner contended that a parliamentary committee should be formed to probe Panama leaks.
Read: Did not take out PM’s name from Panama papers nor issued an apology: ICIJ clarifies
If corruption charges proved against the government in the committee probe, then a no-confidence motion be tabled in the parliament.
He said the parliament rules allow to bring government to accountability, hence formation of judicial commission be stopped. While government plea for constituting the judicial body be declared void, it was stated.
PM Nawaz Sharif on April 22 pledged to resign if a probe related to the Panama Papers tax scandal found his family had committed any wrongdoing.
Related read: Imran sees Panama Papers as second chance to oust PM
Three of Sharif’s children were named in a vast leak of documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca this month that has revealed how the wealthy hide their money.
He also pledged to create a new judicial commission headed by a retired judge to investigate the allegations, after his first proposal was rejected by lawmakers.
“If the allegations levelled against me any my family members are proved, I will resign without any delay,” he said.
“I hereby announce (I will) write to the chief justice, asking him to lead the judicial commission, which will investigate revelations made in the Panama Papers.”
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