Author: newsdesk

  • Commerce minister warns of financial loss over proposed early market closure 

    Commerce minister warns of financial loss over proposed early market closure 

    Caretaker Minister for Commerce, Industries, and Production, Dr Gohar Ejaz, has voiced his opposition to the early market closure proposed as part of the energy conservation plan, expressing concerns over the significant financial losses the government could incur as a result.  

    According to ARY News, Dr Ejaz said that Pakistan currently has a surplus of electricity, making the decision to close markets prematurely economically unfavorable. 

    He revealed that recommendations were sought from all chambers of commerce across the country within a 30-day period. Additionally, Dr Ejaz announced an upcoming anti-gas theft initiative following the anti-power theft operation. He urged traders to be flexible, considering the limited gas resources in the country. 

    Furthermore, he revealed plans to invite 100 international brands to a conference in Pakistan, granting them the status of state guests. Dr Ejaz also mentioned the current exchange rate of the US dollar, which stands at Rs260. 

    To encourage the purchase of electricity from Thar, he directed Sindh and Punjab to do so, promising tax exemptions if they comply. This move aims to make electricity tariffs in these regions more competitive. 

    The caretaker minister stressed the need to boost exports, pointing out that Pakistan’s foreign direct investment is contingent on increased exports. He called for cooperation from business leaders to resolve various issues.  

    Dr Ejaz expressed his commitment to serving the country and previously outlined plans to support industry stakeholders in boosting exports and establishing business parks in major cities to stimulate economic growth. 

  • NEPRA recommends electricity rate increase of Rs3.28 per unit

    NEPRA recommends electricity rate increase of Rs3.28 per unit

    The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has officially proposed to the government an increase in the electricity tariff of Rs3.28 per unit, citing the need for a quarterly adjustment.

    In this proposal, NEPRA is looking to impose an additional financial burden of approximately Rs160 billion on consumers of electricity. According to ARY News, this recommendation has been conveyed to the caretaker federal government through an official summary, outlining the suggested increment of Rs3.28 in electricity rates as part of the fourth-quarter adjustment for the fiscal year 2022–23. 

    The proposed increase, subject to approval by the federal government, would also apply to K-Electric consumers. As a result of this adjustment, power consumers would be required to make additional payments over the next six months, spanning from October 2023 to March 2024. 

    It is worth noting that the proposed surge in power tariffs has incited protests throughout the country, with citizens expressing their displeasure over the considerable rise in electricity costs and the imposition of excessive taxes on electricity bills. In some instances, individuals infuriated by inflated bills have resorted to burning them as a form of protest, while certain political factions have threatened to stage sit-in demonstrations outside K-Electric offices. 

    This unrest surrounding the increased electricity tariffs coincides with Pakistan’s ongoing economic struggles, characterised by financial constraints and an inflation rate hovering around 29 per cent. 

    Furthermore, it is important to highlight that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reportedly discouraged Pakistan from offering relief to consumers using over 200 units of electricity on a monthly basis. According to sources, the IMF argued that reducing electricity bills for such consumers would not address the issue of circular debt. 

    Consequently, relief in the form of deferred payments for electricity bills will be exclusively extended to consumers who consistently utilise less than 200 units for six consecutive months. This relief would be rescinded if a consumer’s bill exceeded 200 units within the same timeframe, as per the sources. 

    Caretaker Federal Minister for Energy, Power, and Petroleum, Muhammad Ali, has also announced that the revised electricity tariff will be introduced before October 31. During a press conference held alongside Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Minister Ali emphasised the government’s commitment to combating electricity and gas theft through indiscriminate measures. 

    He added that efforts are being made to regulate and potentially lower electricity tariffs, with a goal to supply cost-effective electricity to industries starting on October 31. Muhammad Ali attributed the surge in electricity bills to electricity theft and the increased price of the US dollar. 

    While acknowledging the challenges of amending previous agreements, the minister pledged that the government would explore solutions within the framework of existing arrangements. He also expressed the government’s commitment to promoting solar energy despite the lack of reductions in solar equipment prices, outlining plans to devise a strategy for the promotion of solarization. 

  • IG Punjab orders aggressive action against electricity thieves costing nation Rs600 billion annually 

    IG Punjab orders aggressive action against electricity thieves costing nation Rs600 billion annually 

    Inspector-General Police Punjab, Dr Usman Anwar, has directed top police officials in Punjab, including Regional Police Officers (RPOs), City Police Officers (CPOs), and District Police Officers (DPOs), to intensify efforts against anti-national and anti-social elements involved in electricity theft, which is causing a staggering annual loss of Rs600 billion to the national treasury. 

    In a special video message, Dr Usman Anwar emphasised that Punjab Police’s crackdown on electricity thieves has gained momentum, with over 1,000 cases registered daily, spanning the entire province, including Lahore. This financial loss surpasses the cumulative losses from 15 years of various crimes, such as dacoity and robbery, across Punjab. 

    According to Business Recorder, Dr Usman Anwar clarified that the scale of this theft far outweighs other criminal activities and assured that, following the directives of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Punjab, there will be no leniency for those involved in electricity theft. Offenders, regardless of their methods, will face legal consequences. 

    He expressed concern that innocent citizens must bear the financial burden of others’ theft, emphasising that no one will be allowed to rob citizens of their hard-earned money. Dr Usman Anwar urged citizens to cooperate with law enforcement, district administrations, and relevant institutions by reporting electricity theft in their areas to accelerate actions against these elements harming the nation’s financial interests. 

  • Pakistani fans can finally get a chance to watch ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani’

    Pakistani fans can finally get a chance to watch ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani’

    Great news for Pakistani Bollywood fans who bemoaned missing out on the excitement surrounding the release of Karan Johar’s much-lauded romantic comedy ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani’, because there is finally a chance for them to watch the Alia Bhatt starrer on their screens. The Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt film is finally out on the streaming platform Amazon Prime with a special twist: it will feature a full-screen version of the song ‘Kudmayi’.

    Director Karan Johar announced the release of the film on his Instagram account.

    The romantic comedy stars Singh as a West Delhi playboy and Alia Bhatt as the headstrong feminist journalist, who cross paths after both realise there was a special connection between their grandparents. The film also stars veteran actors Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi.

    The film was hailed by audience members and film critics for the strong feminist message, as well as the performances by both Ranveer and Alia, with many saying this was Karan Johar’s comeback film. The film grossed more than $23 million in India and a further $21 million overseas, making it the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.

  • Elections Date; kis nay kia welcome, kaun jaye ga court?

    Elections Date; kis nay kia welcome, kaun jaye ga court?

    After the announcement of the timeframe of elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), major political parties in the former ruling alliance welcomed the development, hoping that it would dispel apprehensions about the political situation of the country.

    “The final list of constituencies will be published on November 30. After that, elections will be held in the last week of January 2024,” the commission said in a statement.

    Reacting to the development, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) viewed it as positive development while Awami National Party (ANP) demanded a specific date. However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decided to challenge the move in court.

    PTI

    After the announcement, PTI has decided to challenge the Commission’s decision to conduct elections in the last week of January.
    While talking to Geo News, PTI’s core committee member Niazullah Niazi said that the Constitution calls for elections within 90 days, and exceeding the period is unlawful.

    “We will challenge the Election Commission’s decision. The way the ECP is working it does not look like a constitutional institution,” Niazi said, adding that President Arif Alvi has the authority to announce a date for polls.

    PMLN

    Senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal stated that his party welcomed the decision by the ECP as it has ended uncertainty about delimitations.

    “Everyone knew from the first day that the election commission was bound to conduct delimitation after the census,” he said.

    “Earlier, the ECP had said to complete the delimitation process by December 15 after which the polls were estimated to be held in February next year. However, our party had given suggestions to the ECP to reduce the delimitation period. In the light of those suggestions, the ECP reduced the delimitation time till November 30 and then announced elections at the end of January after the 54-day period,” he added.

    He further added, “It is important that the elections are held peacefully, and a stable government is formed that takes the country out of the economic crisis.”

    PPP

    PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira stated that he could only give his own opinion on the matter but viewed the development as “positive”.
    The former federal minister said that uncertainty would end and things would hopefully move in a positive direction. “Let’s hope for the best.”

    ANP

    Meanwhile, the Awami National Party has urged the ECP to fix an exact date for the election.

    Senior ANP leader Zahid Khan said that his part has demanded that elections be held in 90 days and the party raised the same issue when they met Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

    MQM

    MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal told Geo news that they are satisfied with the development.

    However, he said it is yet to be seen whether the ECP would address the party’s concerns regarding the demarcation of constituencies after publishing an initial list of delimitation.

    The former Karachi mayor said his party would file a complaint if they found any problem with the delimitation process.

  • Officers of ‘spy agency’ will perform duties in NAB

    Officers of ‘spy agency’ will perform duties in NAB

    The top anti-corruption watchdog, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), has decided to appoint intelligence agency officers to investigate high-profile corruption cases after Supreme Court’s decision of reopening graft references worth billions of rupees, Geo has reported.

    A letter has been written to the institutions, and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt has also approved that letter, sources have confirmed.

    According to the report, anti-corruption officials have also said that the officers of sensitive institutions will be appointed to key positions and will start working in a few days.

    The insiders also stated that vacant seats in NAB will be filled soon.

    A deputy chairman of the national anti-graft body and prosecutor general will also be appointed soon on a permanent basis, they added.

    The officers of sensitive institutions will perform duties in the NAB offices, as this way a strong and efficient intelligence system can be established in the institutions.

  • Tired of long queues at NADRA centres? Good news for you, then

    Tired of long queues at NADRA centres? Good news for you, then

    NADRA centres are to introduce various new facilities including renewal of national identity cards at post offices without waiting in queues.

    Counters have been set up in 10 General Post Offices (GPOs) in Karachi to provide facilities for national identity cards where devices are connected to the NADRA system.

    Post office counters have facilities for renewal of identity cards, change of marital status, while the facility of issuing replacements for lost identity cards will also be available at the counters.

    This means that ID cards can be renewed from the post office up to one year after expiry, while home address, signature and photograph can also be changed.

    However, biometric facility of blood relation is not available at post offices. Renewal of form is mandatory from a 16th grade officer while FRC and (b) form issuance facilities are not available.

    NADRA has agreed to set up counters at the Pakistan Post Office for 10 years.

  • Co-accused in Fatima case, Fayyaz Shah, rearrested for harboring criminals

    Co-accused in Fatima case, Fayyaz Shah, rearrested for harboring criminals

    Pir Fayyaz Shah, one of the suspects in the Fatima murder case, has been re-arrested today.

    The prosecution legal team has claimed that Fayyaz Shah has been arrested for two other pending cases filed against him after Fatima’s murder FIR was filed — one issue pertaining to a jirga and the other for harbouring criminals.

    A bench of the high court had granted Fayyaz Shah a six-day bail, ordering the police not to detain him in connection with the murder case of the child maid Fatima at the Ranipur Haveli.

    Following his arrest, Shah was relocated to an undisclosed location.

    Pir Fayyaz Shah is Asad Shah’s father-in-law, the owner of the mansion where Fatima died, and the father of the other suspect, Hina Shah. He has persistently claimed that Fatima died due to illness and the family had no involvement in the case. He claims that they are being targeted for political persecution.

    Earlier, Sindh High Court Hyderabad bench granted security bail of Rs50,000, while the decision on the bail of Hina Shah will be pronounced on September 26.

    Similarly, five-day physical remand of Asad Shah and Imtiaz Merasi were approved.

    Asad Shah and medical dispenser Imtiaz Merasi, accused in the Fatima murder case, were produced in the Anti-Terrorism Court.

    A 15-day physical remand was requested by the police, but the court granted a five-day physical remand and handed them over to CTD Sukkur.

    The accused were shifted to Sukkur CTD under tight security.

    Additionally, since the past one month, nothing, including the pin code of the mobile phone, could be recovered from the accused, Pir Shah.

    Fatima’s parents had expressed doubts over the performance of Khairpur police, on which IG Sindh handed over the accused to CTD’s DSP Abdul Qadoos.

    Caretaker Provincial Minister and IG Sindh visit Fatima’s house

    Caretaker Interior Minister Brigadier (retd) Haris Nawaz and IG Sindh visited village Khan Wahan of District Naushahro Feroze where they condoled with the father of deceased Fatima Phuriro.

    Nawaz said that he will ensure justice in Fatima’s case, giving instructions to the inquiry officer to complete the inquiry soon.

  • Peshawar restaurant owner imprisoned for ‘molesting’ foreign tourists

    Peshawar restaurant owner imprisoned for ‘molesting’ foreign tourists

    The owner of Peshawar’s famous Charsi Tikka restaurant, Nisar Khan, has been arrested by the Shah Gabool Police after videos emerged on social media of him misbehaving with foreign tourists.

    According to ARY, police arrested Nisar after receiving several complaints from foreign tourists, particularly foreign women. A case was lodged against him under the complaint of SI Naeem.

    The police told ARY that Namak Mandi Food Street has attracted foreign tourists and local travellers, while Charsi Tikka is a well known restaurant.

  • Elections in Jan ‘24: How you can register to vote in Pakistan

    Elections in Jan ‘24: How you can register to vote in Pakistan

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set a new date for the general election in January, which is about three months later than originally planned. This decision was made to clear up confusion about when the election would happen and to help the struggling economy. 

    In this article, we will explain how you can sign up to vote in the upcoming election. 

    To register to vote, you need to send in an application along with a copy of your Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to the District Election Commissioner (DEC), Registration Officer, or Assistant Registration Officer in the district where you want to vote.

    You can find the necessary forms online on the ECP website or get them for free at the offices of the District Election Commissioner, Registration Officer, Assistant Registration Officer, or Display Centre Incharge. 

    To be eligible to vote, you must meet these criteria: 

    (a) You must be a citizen of Pakistan.  

    (b) You must be at least eighteen years old.  

    (c) You need to have a CNIC issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) up until the last day for submitting claims, objections, and applications for updating the voter list.  

    (d) You must not have been declared legally unfit (unsound mind) by a court.  

    (e) You must either live in the area where you want to vote or be considered a resident under section 27. 

    Even if your NADRA ID has expired, it’s still valid for registering to vote or casting your vote in an election.