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  • Zia’s son believes ex-army chief played ‘suspicious role’ in father’s death

    Zia’s son believes ex-army chief played ‘suspicious role’ in father’s death

    Muhammad Ijazul Haq, son of former military ruler and the country’s longest-serving head of state Ziaul Haq, has said that ex-army chief General Mirza Aslam Beg and former national security advisor (NSA) General Mahmood Ali Durrani had a “suspicious role” to play in his father’s death.

    According to a report in The Hindu, Ijaz has said that as per the evidence he has collected, Indian and Israeli spy agencies were also involved in his father’s plane crash in August 1988.

    “The plane came down due to spraying of nerve gas in the cockpit that maimed pilots,” he said and confirmed to the Indian English daily the presence of explosives in mango crates, besides claiming that a projectile had also hit the plane.

    Talking to The Hindu, Ijaz said he believed that Generals Beg and Durrani were somehow involved because “some of the doctors who were working in CMH Multan informed Zia’s family probably a month or two after the incident that they received orders from higher-ups to no do the autopsy of the body parts that were found after the crash.

    “Later on, some of them told us that they were transferred from Multan to far-flung places, which was obviously done to cover it up. When the autopsies were done on Brigadier General Herbert M Wassom, who was the United States (US) military attache, then why not the Pakistanis? I asked Gen Beg directly and indirectly but he never responded. The orders to transfer the doctors to far-flung places didn’t come from their immediate bosses; only the GHQ could have done it.”

    ZIA’S DEATH:

    Zia died in a plane crash on August 17, 1988. After witnessing a US M1 Abrams tank demonstration in Bahawalpur, Zia had left the small town by C-130B Hercules aircraft. The aircraft departed from Bahawalpur Airport and was expected to reach Islamabad International Airport. Shortly after a smooth takeoff, the control tower lost contact with the aircraft.

    Witnesses who saw the plane in the air, afterwards claimed it was flying erratically, then nosedived and exploded on impact. In addition to Zia, 31 others died in the plane crash, including then chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) Gen Akhtar Abdur Rahman, close associate of Zia, Brigadier Siddique Salik, the American Ambassador to Pakistan Arnold Lewis Raphel and General Herbert M Wassom, the head of the US Military aid mission to Pakistan.

    Conditions surrounding his death have given rise to many conspiracy theories. There is speculation that the US, India, the Soviet Union (in retaliation for Pakistani support of the mujahideen in Afghanistan) or an alliance of them and internal groups within Zia’s military were behind the incident.

    A board of inquiry was set up to investigate the crash. It concluded that “the most probable cause of the crash was a criminal act of sabotage perpetrated in the aircraft”.

  • Sammy to be granted highest civilian award, Pakistan citizenship on March 23

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday announced that West Indies cricketing star and Peshawar Zalmi skipper Darren Sammy will be the recipient of the highest civilian award and honorary citizenship of Pakistan for his contribution to the development of cricket in the country.

    President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi will confer both the citizenship and award, the ‘Nishane Pakistan’, on March 23, the board said on Twitter.

    The Windies player will be the first cricketer to receive the award.

    Following the announcement, Peshawar Zalmi’s franchise owner Javed Afridi said that the recognition of the side’s skipper would encourage other players to provide support. 

    “When Sammy was supporting Pakistan cricket, he did not do this for obtaining citizenship, but this award is in recognition of his services,” Afridi said, adding it would encourage everyone to support Pakistan cricket.

    Meanwhile, Sammy said that his support was in extension for his “love for the country” and that he did not seek any personal gains.

    “My love for Pakistan is natural, my contribution for this country is pure. I don’t need a passport to show my love for this country.  I didn’t do it for myself it is for my affection with the people and for the love I get from here,” Geo Super quoted Sammy as saying.

  • Kaala Jadu: Jemima shares poster of herself, PM Imran and Bushra Bibi

    Kaala Jadu: Jemima shares poster of herself, PM Imran and Bushra Bibi

    Jemima Goldsmith has a refreshing sense of humour and she certainly knows how to take a joke. She shared an interesting poster on Twitter, that has gone viral.

    The poster has a picture of her along with Bushra Bibi and her former husband PM Khan. Bushra Bibi is seen looming above her like a sorceress with Jemima lost in thought and Khan sitting on his PM chair. The poster says, ‘Tu nay kaisa jaadu keeya’ in Urdu.

    Jemima tweeted the poster with the caption. “Who doesn’t love a Lollywood poster? Spotted today by a friend in Lahore. Caption: what kind of black magic did you do?”

    https://twitter.com/Jemima_Khan/status/1229499394237571072?s=20

    Soon after her tweet, twitterati criticized her and others also appreciated her sense of humour. She tweeted again saying, “Ps. No disrespect intended. Like most of you, I just found it funny. (Plus I’m a genuine fan of Pakistani film posters, street art & truck art.)”

    https://twitter.com/Jemima_Khan/status/1229524172088451082?s=20
    https://twitter.com/Jemima_Khan/status/1229696865467236352?s=20

  • Here’s what you need to know about wheat smuggling investigation

    According to the report, the committee formed to investigate on exports of wheat and wheat flour during the ban period failed to produce results.

    According to the statistics of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) shows 3,947 and 26,206 metric tonnes (Unit of weight equal to 1,000 kilograms) were exported between Aug-Oct 31, 2019.

    READ: Pakistan witnesses increase in remittances inflow: Moody’s

    The committee failed to produce the desired results and was also unable to identify the Customs officers involved in the scam. The only action that was taken is transferring of seven Collectorate officers of Peshawar and Quetta.

    When a senior customs officer was asked to comment on the matter, he said “I don’t want any media reporting on the issue as a lot of damage has already been done to the department”,

    READ: Freelancers payment limit raised to Rs. $25,000: State Bank of Pakistan

    Instead of revising the investigation processes or tracing the culprits behind the scam, the issue was turned into integrity matter of the Customs Department.

    Furthermore, according to the Custom Intelligence Department, they have conveyed to the government that 505 containers were cleared at Torkhan Border without the filing of goods declaration and payment of duty and taxes.

    READ: Reporter, who ‘exposed’ Bilawal’s train march, ‘murdered’

    The figures on clearance of containers without duty and taxes were challenged by Chief Collector North Dr Asif Jah. “I am still doing my investigation,” adding that “he has already reconciled 300 containers.”

    To investigate the matter, a number of committees were formed and Prime Minister’s Secretariat is not happy with the outcome of these reports and has now directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to conduct a probe.

    READ: PTI’s new social media laws: Are you in some sort of danger?

    The FIA has already compiled one report but it was returned with further directions to probe the issue thoroughly. “We will take action against the Customs officers if found involved,” the officer said.

  • Pakistan witnesses increase in remittances inflow: Moody’s

    Pakistan has witnessed an increase in remittances — money transferred back home by expats — inflows in recent years, a recent report by Moody’s — America’s biggest business and financial services company — has revealed.

    While an increase in remittances is good for any country’s household finances, according to the World Bank (WB), Pakistan is the seventh-largest recipient of remittances globally.

    READ: Pakistan’s first manmade island to be built in Gwadar at a cost of $10 billion

    This inflow reached $21 billion, or 6.8% of the country’s GDP in 2018-19.

    During fiscal years 2012-19, remittances grew by 9%. Majority of inflows coming from Gulf Cooperation Council countries added up to make 54% of total remittances in 2019, while the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK) and Malaysia stood at 16%, 16% and 7%, respectively.

    READ: Reporter, who ‘exposed’ Bilawal’s train march, ‘murdered’

    Such growth benefits Pakistani banks by providing a stable and low-cost deposit base (the deposit that could be used for long-term lending).

    Moody’s expects further growth in remittances because of Pakistani authorities’ focus on remittances and digitisation, which will further reduce the cost of repatriating funds.

  • Bilawal names sister Aseefa to lead party if arrested by NAB

    Bilawal names sister Aseefa to lead party if arrested by NAB

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has named his sister and daughter of the late former prime minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto, Assefa Bhutto-Zardari, to lead the party in case he is arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the days to come.

    As the PPP chairman spoke to journalists after appearing before the anti-graft watchdog in the case related pertaining to JV Opel-255 — a joint venture between Zardari Group Pvt Ltd, of which Bilawal is a director, and a large real-estate business –, he was asked about his party’s plans regarding the execution of its forthcoming protest movement against the “anti-people” government’s economic policies in case he was arrested by NAB.

    “The [protest] march would go on come what may. Both the leaders and workers of the PPP know what struggle is and have never shied away from it,” Bilawal said, adding that his sister Assefa would, however, be there to lead PPP workers. “She’ll be my voice if I am arrested.”

    NAB HEARING:

    Earlier, Bilawal appeared before NAB for hearing of the case regarding JV Opel-255. 

    PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokar had confirmed Bilawal’s appearance before the accountability bureau.

    “PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will appear before the NAB despite the fact that the NAB notice to him is just political victimisation. The PPP chairman believes in the supremacy of the law of the land,” Khokar had said.

    Khokar had noted that NAB sent Bilawal a notice within the week after he protested against the PTI’s “anti-poor” economic policies. 

    “NAB sends a notice to Bilawal whenever he criticises the government,” he had alleged, adding that the Supreme Court (SC) has already declared Bilawal innocent. “This is nothing but political victimisation by NAB.”

    The PPP chairman on Thursday reportedly recorded his statement with regard to the alleged transfer of over Rs1 billion from the accounts of JV Opel-225.

    JV Opel-255:

    JV Opel was set up in 2011 and had its office on a property in Karachi owned by the Zardari Group. From 2011 to 2013, the company did not generate any revenue, yet it purchased major assets, agriculture lands, commercial and residential properties in Islamabad and Karachi, according to a joint investigation team (JIT) report.

    The only amount it received, during this period, was Rs1.2 billion from its business partner, the real-estate firm, which, according to the JIT report, was not due to the Zardari Group.

    The investigators suspect that this payment was made by the real-estate company as a bribe or kickback for getting favours from the Sindh government in the form of illegal allotment of state land.

    While the JIT has not been able to make a direct link between the Bhutto scion and the fake accounts, it states that money stashed in these fictitious bank accounts was used to pay the water and sewerage bill of the Bilawal House; an amount to a restaurant that catered an event; to purchase air tickets for Bilawal and his younger sister; and to renovate his bomb-proof container and bullet-proof vehicles.

  • Rs10 billion subsidy approved to control inflating food prices

    Rs10 billion subsidy approved to control inflating food prices

    To counter the effects of inflating food prices, the federal cabinet on Tuesday approved a detailed package of Rs10 billion subsidies for Utility Stores, Dawn reported.

    According to reports, the government will open thousands of stores in Pakistan, moreover, consumer items at subsidised rates will be supplied to 50,000 tandoors and dhabas.

    To address the sugar crisis in Pakistan, the cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan also decided to lift the ban on sugar import and regulatory duty on it. Also, the cabinet in its meeting decided to establish five “free zones” along the Pak-Afghan border, where Utility Store Cooperation will set up its stores to curb smuggling.

    RATES:

    Under Rs10bn subsidy, a 20 kg bag of wheat flour will be sold for Rs800, sugar will be priced at Rs70 per kg, ghee at Rs175, pulses at Rs15 and rice will be available at Rs20 per kg at Utility Stores.

    In the meeting, the cabinet agreed that rupee devaluation against the dollar and the increase in gas and electricity tariffs were some of the reasons for the increase in food items prices. Cabinet also agreed that there would be no further increase in gas and electricity rates.

    Advisor to PM on Information and Broadcast Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. addressing a press conference, said, “The government would provide Rs2bn monthly subsidy to the USC for wheat flour, rice, sugar, pulses and ghee. She said the basic objective to give Rs10 billion subsidy was to ensure a sufficient supply of food items through Utility Stores.

    The also meeting decided that the government would use Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation as a reservoir to store sufficient quantity of essential items so that in times of crisis these reserves could be utilised.

  • Largest gas reserve in 20 years discovered in Balochistan

    Largest gas reserve in 20 years discovered in Balochistan

    Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has found a huge gas reserve in Margand block of Kalat, Balochistan, 100% of drilling rights of which are owned by the PPL.

    According to the details, PPL had been drilling at Margand X-1 block since June 30, 2019. It carried out Modular Dynamics Testing (MDT) that helps in the detection of gas reserves. PPL further conducted a Drill Stem Test (DST) that revealed that these reserves might potentially exceed 1 trillion cubic feet.

    In comparison, Sui has estimated reserves of 2 trillion cubic feet. This is the first significant discovery of gas reserves in Balochistan since 2000 after which companies such as British Petroleum, Petronas and Niko Resources had been trying to tap unexplored reserves.

    All companies had, however, failed to discover reserves this large and pulled out of the country.

    Furthermore, little to no attention was given during the tenures of previous governments to exploit the domestic wealth of minerals and fulfil the energy needs of the country. Instead, dubious contracts like rental power plants and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) power plants were signed, which the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been investigating.

    Pakistan can save more than $900 million on the import bill if Margand gas reserves replace LNG, which costs domestic consumers 100% more than Sui gas, a former board director of the PPL has said.

  • New survey reveals Pakistani businesses positive about future

    New survey reveals Pakistani businesses positive about future

    A new report has revealed that international investors are looking towards Pakistan for business opportunities and queries regarding this have increased to a great extent.

    Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), which provides commercial data globally in the form of ‘Business Optimism Index’ (BOI), presented the report which stated that the business community in the country is optimistic about their position.

    Read more – Imran’s ‘blue-eyed’ Shabbar Zaidi resigns as FBR chairman: report

    In an official statement, D&B said: “We used to collect data of Pakistani companies located in Dubai, We had data of around 100,000 Pakistani companies but looking at the rising demand we [D&B] decided to launch our office in Pakistan.”

    Read more – As Dar’s residence is converted into Panahgah, Musharraf’s farmhouse remains untouched

    As per the report, large companies are relatively more optimistic than small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Similarly, companies in the services sector are more hopeful as compared to the trading and manufacturing sectors.

    D&B, initiated in the early 1900s, will publish a report quarterly, in a bid to measure the progress of the business community and serve as a tool to assess the position of the businesses in Pakistan.

    Read more – Naya Pakistan: Govt to set up 50,000 shops to sell daily-use items on subsidised rates

    The response from the business community reflects respondents’ position regarding the current business situation, and forecast business situation. Based on the results, respondents are more optimistic regarding the forecast business situation in comparison to the current business situation.

    Around 66% of the respondents expect business situation to be good in the upcoming quarter compared to 42% of respondents in the current quarter. However, 9% of the respondents expect their business situation to be poor in the upcoming quarter, compared to 16% in the current quarter which is a positive indicator for businesses.

  • ‘Parliamentarians being threatened to legalise homosexuality in Pakistan’

    ‘Parliamentarians being threatened to legalise homosexuality in Pakistan’

    Lawmakers belonging to both the National Assembly and Senate are receiving threats for refusing to move the parliament for the legalisation of homosexuality in Pakistan, senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir has claimed.

    In his latest column for Daily Jang, Mir has quoted a senator as saying that students of a reputable educational institution are nowadays approaching parliamentarians to move the house for the legalisation of homosexuality in the country.

    “They [the youngsters] have been contacting different lawmakers and demanding, that like many other countries, homosexuality should be legalised in Pakistan,” the journalist quoted the senator as saying.

    He claimed that when the lawmaker advised one of the students to focus on religion and praying five times a day so that “their thoughts do not go astray”, the youngster urged the senator to at least move the Upper House in this regard.

    “When the senator strongly turned down the student’s demand, they were threatened by the youngsters,” Mir wrote. He further claimed that some students have also approached parliamentarians belonging to religio-political parties, but they not yet responded.

    HOMOSEXUALITY IN PAKISTAN:

    The Colonial British government criminalised homosexuality in India under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860. Pakistan, after independence, adapted the same laws under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) that states, “Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than two years nor more than ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

    In the 1980s, rules against homosexuality stiffened even more under General Muhammad Ziaul Haq. The punishment for homosexual activities increased to life imprisonment or even death by stoning as a result of the Sharia Law added to the PPC.

    Religious leaders have consistently forbidden and condemned homosexual activities as being immoral under the constitution of Islam. People in Pakistan, who identify themselves as homosexual, do not expose their sexual preference in public due to the fear of being looked down upon or physically attacked.