Tag: federal government

  • Govt appoints Jameel Ahmad as Governor SBP for 5 years

    Govt appoints Jameel Ahmad as Governor SBP for 5 years

    According to a Finance Division announcement on Friday, the government has appointed Jameel Ahmad as Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for a tenure of five years, effective immediately.

    “In exercise of powers conferred under Section 11A (1) read with Section 14(1) of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Act 1956 (Amended 2022), Jameel Ahmad is appointed as Governor State Bank of Pakistan for a term of five (5) years with the approval of the President of Pakistan, upon the recommendation of Federal Government, with immediate effect,” read the notification.

    Jameel Ahmad was the deputy governor of the central bank and was reappointed by the government on October 25, 2018, for a three-year term. From April 11, 2017, to October 15, 2018, he also held the position of Deputy Governor (Banking & FMRM).

    “Jameel Ahmad has an illustrious career as an accomplished central banker span over 30 years at various senior positions at the State Bank of Pakistan and the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA),” read information available on the SBP website.

    Mr Jameel Ahmad did his MBA from University of Punjab at Lahore and is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan (FCMA), an Associate Member of the Institute of Bankers Pakistan and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Corporate Secretaries of Pakistan (FCIS).

  • Federal Govt teachers demand pay raise, promotion

    Federal Govt teachers demand pay raise, promotion

    Federal government employees have warned to hold another sit-in in the federal capital if their demands for salary increments and promotions are not met by May 23.

    They voiced the statement during a rally in front of Parliament House organised by the All-Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA), where a significant number of teachers showed up, responding to the Federal Government College Teachers Association’s call (FGCTA).

    Dr Nazir Ahmed Bhutta, the FGCTA’s General Secretary, urged the government to fulfill its promise made last year in February.

    As per the agreement, all perks or allowances should be combined with basic salaries, employees should be given timely promotion and raise, including pay and pension adjustments should be implemented to minimise wage discrepancy.

    Professor Tahir Bhatti, president of the FGCTA (local unit of H-9 College), demanded the return of the Saturday weekly off for government employees who, he claimed, couldn’t afford to work six days a week due to a large increase in fuel prices in recent months.

    To preserve electricity, he believes the government should proclaim Saturday as a holiday.

    Professor Farhan Azam, senior vice-president of the FGCTA, noted that the remuneration of employees in different departments differed significantly, causing resentment among lesser-paid staff of the same grade. He proposed that professionals of the same status should have the same pay and privileges.

    Rehman Bajwa, AGEGA’s chief coordinator, cautioned that if the employees’ demands were not met by May 23, they would take to the streets after speaking with their management.

  • MQM-P’s Amir Khan seeks mercy from PM Khan, says they don’t want more ministries

    MQM-P’s Amir Khan seeks mercy from PM Khan, says they don’t want more ministries

    Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Amir Khan in a Geo News‘ programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath‘ said that the party seeks mercy from the government, doesn’t want any more ministries and the government can take back the MQM-P’s current federal cabinet seat.

    Currently, MQM-P holds two federal ministries— Information Technology Minister Syed Amin-ul-Haq and Law Minister Farogh Naseem. However, MQM-P has been saying that the law ministry has not been given to it.

    Amir raised serious concerns about government policies. He stated, “Our legs have started trembling, carrying the weight of the government’s economic policies.”

    “We have our own identity and are independent in making decisions; we are not obligated to work with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government, and we will make decisions as we deem appropriate”, he added, while talking about the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Talking about the recent meetings with the Opposition who are gearing up for the no-confidence motion, the MQM-P leader stated, “The Opposition should have a clear stand on a vote of no confidence.” He demanded that the party wants an independent local bodies system in Sindh, and if contacted, they will present Sindh problems before the Opposition.

    On the contrary, while speaking on Geo News‘ Programme ‘Jashan-e-Cricket’, MQM-P leader Wasim Akhtar said that their party has a lot of compulsions to support PTI yet he questioned the incumbent government wining in Karachi. He claimed that PTI would not have won 14 seats in Karachi if Khalai Makhlooq (‘Aliens’) had not played a role.

    Akhtar further said that he wondered, “How Imran Khan has become Prime Minister of Pakistan.”

    It was reported on Wednesday that the premier would soon make changes in the federal and Punjab cabinets by including allied parties’ members i.e MQM-P and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

  • Govt to stop release of weekly Sensitive Price Index after severe backlash due to inflation

    Govt to stop release of weekly Sensitive Price Index after severe backlash due to inflation

    After severe criticism due to uncontrolled inflation, the federal government has decided to stop the release of weekly Sensitive Price Index (SPI) data and instead release monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI), reports Business Recorder.

    This decision was taken by the Federal Cabinet in its meeting held on November 2, presided over by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    The cabinet took note of the presentation by the Finance Division on prices of essential kitchen items and observed that despite inflationary pressure, prices in Pakistan were still lower in comparison to other regional countries.

    The Cabinet directed the Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Division to only release CPI on monthly basis, instead of weekly SPI, in line with the practice prevalent internationally.

    The Cabinet also directed the Finance Division to include Sri Lanka in the price comparison with regional countries.

  • PM Khan calls on departments to stop funding sports teams, promote regional teams

    PM Khan calls on departments to stop funding sports teams, promote regional teams

    Thousands of players in around 30 different sports disciplines are expected to be unemployed after the federal government issued a notice calling on all government departments, businesses and autonomous bodies to stop funding sports teams, reported Dawn.

    “During a meeting on the overhaul of the sport governance structure in Pakistan held under the chairmanship of the Pakistani Prime Minister on September 1, the Honorable Prime Minister wished to end the funding of departmental sports teams of various organizations / companies / autonomous government bodies. and, instead, these funds can be used for the promotion of regional sports teams,” wrote the additional secretary of the Ministry of Interprovincial Coordination, Mohsin Mushtaq Chandna, in a letter that was received in different departments working under the government. .

    He further asked them to divert funds to regional teams.

    “In order to implement the orientations of the Honorable Prime Minister, you are therefore asked to prepare a practical transition plan to divert funding from departmental teams to regional teams, within two months, which should be implemented. Work within six months of March 1, 2022,” the letter concluded.

    As per Dawn, one of the main features of the national sports policy that the IPC ministry has proposed is to discourage departmental sports.

    A copy of this letter was sent to the Presidents of Pakistan International Airlines, Islamabad, Wapda, Higher Education Commission, Railways, FBR, IGs of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and President National Bank from Pakistan.

    The move came after Prime Minister Imran Khan abolished the departmental cricket configuration, which resulted in thousands of cricketers losing their jobs.

    Although ministries have been asked to divert funds to sponsor the six newly formed provincial cricket associations, instead of spending this amount on their own teams, no ministry has been able to set rules for transferring these funds.

    Pakistan has historically produced athletes who have excelled in their disciplines through the departmental system.

    Read More – Punjab govt announces Rs1 million cash rewards for Arshad, Talha and Shehroz

    An official in one of the departments, who received the letter revealed that it was not possible for them to transfer their funds to the regional teams. Most of the athletes in Pakistan are employed by departments, including javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem and Talha Talib, who impressed with their performances at this year’s Tokyo Olympics. Both represent the department, Wapda.

  • Exclusive: Govt to disclose gifts received by PM Khan soon

    Exclusive: Govt to disclose gifts received by PM Khan soon

    The federal government has denied giving out information about the exchange of gifts between Prime Minister Imran Khan and other heads of state, following a citizen’s petition against the matter.

    Journalist Aamir Saeed Abbasi, shared a picture of a notice on Twitter in which the government has termed the gifts as ‘classified’.

    In the notice, it is mentioned that the matter is reflective of inter-state relations and the disclosure of such information potentially damages the interest of Pakistan in the context of international relations.

    However, sources told The Current that there is nothing that’s deliberately being hidden. They said that some countries do not like disclosing their gifts so they are marked ‘classified’.

    According to them, a list may soon be provided of gifts without the mention of countries’ names.

    The government also challenged the petitioner in Islamabad High Court (IHC).

  • Petrol price goes up by Rs 5 per litre

    The federal government has issued a notice to increase the price of petrol by Rs 5.0 per litre and diesel by Rs 5.1 per litre, reported Geo News.

    Apart from this, the prices of kerosene and light-diesel oil (LDO) have also been increased by Rs 5.46 and Rs 5.92 per litre, respectively. Now the new price for petrol will be Rs. 123.30 per litre, diesel will be 120.4 per litre, kerosene will be 92.26 per litre and LDO will be 90.69.

    Earlier the price of petrol was increased by Rs 5 per litre in July.

    According to Finance Minister, Shaukat Tarin the prices will be implemented from today (Thursday).

  • ‘More than half of Pakistanis dissatisfied with govt’s performance on all issues,’ survey reveals

    A survey conducted by lpsos has revealed that “More than half of Pakistanis are dissatisfied with federal government’s performance on all issues.”

    Key results of the survey:

    1 in 2 Pakistanis seem unhappy with the federal government’s performance on dealing with COVID-19; males, top elite, Sindh and Balochistan are even more dissatisfied

    Only 1 in 4 Pakistanis consider the PTI regime to have succeeded in eradicating corruption in Pakistan

    Majority (62%) Pakistanis expressed dissatisfaction with the PTI government’s performance on controlling inflation:

    Majority (53%) Pakistanis are dissatisfied with PTI’s delivery on providing justice, dissatisfaction even higher in less educated Pakistanis.

    Only 1 in 5 Pakistanis think that the current government has been able to eradicate poverty. Same trend prevalent across all segments and provinces:

    The sample size of the survey was 1020, and “random CATI interviews (Computer-assisted telephone interviewing )” were conducted between August 26 to September 2, 2021. The survey was named, “PTI’s three years in Federal Government.

  • ‘We do not use the Sindh card’: PPP responds to Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘We do not use the Sindh card’: PPP responds to Fawad Chaudhry

    In a hard-hitting press conference at the Governor House in Karachi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took a jibe at the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and the Sindh cabinet, blaming them for stealing Sindh’s water.

     Fawad said Punjab was not stealing Sindh’s water but Bilawal and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the provincial cabinet were guilty of the crime. 

    “The water never runs short when it comes to Zardari and his sister’s lands,” added Chaudhry. He said the Centre had increased the share for provinces in the federal budget and that Sindh would receive more than Rs750bn according to the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. 

    “If so much money is coming in (each year), where is it going?” he asked. “They [Sindh government] were unable to create a [competent] police force in the city. They have to seek help from the Sindh Rangers every time,” added the minister. 

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1404001153034096642

    Turning his guns towards the PPP leadership, Chaudhry accused Zardari of limiting the chief minister and provincial assembly’s role. 

    “All decisions are taken by the Zardari family,” he said. “They appoint one person as a rubberstamp chief minister. The Zardari family runs the chief minister in accordance with their wishes,” added Chaudhry. 

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1404001857714982915

    Sindh Minister for Information Nasir Hussain Shah responded at length to the allegations by Fawad Chaudhry against the Sindh government.

    Shah claimed that Chaudhry used to conspire against Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and now he is making statements against Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah based on “utter lies”.

    “Murad Ali Shah has never done the kind of politics that he has been accused of. We do not use the Sindh card, rather we advocate for the Pakistan card,” Nasir said.

    Nasir Hussain Shah added it was rather unfortunate that Chaudhry spoke out against the Sindh police, who have made countless sacrifices in ensuring law and order.

    “Who do you think thwarted the attack on the stock exchange which had foreign intervention?” he asked. “We have a lot of respect for the Rangers and they have supported us a lot but the sacrifices made by Sindh Police have ensured our success.”

    Shah said this propaganda that Sindh is not delivering is baseless. The reality, he said, is that the Sindh government is a thorn in the government’s side. “They themselves say that Sindh is not theirs. And they cannot digest the fact that the chief minister is performing.”

  • Federal budget to be presented today

    Federal budget to be presented today

    All eyes will be on the National Assembly today (Friday) as the federal budget for the fiscal year 2021-22 will be presented in the lower house of parliament.

    According to Radio Pakistan, the federal cabinet will meet in Islamabad today to discuss and approve budget proposals. Prime Minister Imran Khan will preside over the meeting.

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, who presented the Pakistan Economic Survey 2020-21 a day earlier, will unveil the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s budget. The session will begin at 4:00pm.

    The upcoming budget for the new fiscal year is likely to be pro-growth with an overall focus on increasing expenditures.