Tag: government

  • Monitoring committee takes action against use of luxury cars by officials to cut expenses

    Monitoring committee takes action against use of luxury cars by officials to cut expenses

    State-run Radio Pakistan has reported that the monitoring committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of austerity measures has expressed serious concerns about some officers using vehicles above 1,800cc.

    The committee, chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, met in Islamabad on Monday to review the implementation of the decisions made at its first meeting regarding austerity measures. As part of an austerity drive to save the government Rs200 billion ($766 million) a year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had asked ministers and advisers to fly economy class and forgo luxury cars and their salaries.

    These cuts were made as Pakistan, facing a balance of payment crisis, negotiates with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure $1 billion in funds that have been pending since late last year over policy issues.

    The meeting today was updated on the status of the use of luxury vehicles and was informed that a majority of the allocated vehicles have been returned by cabinet members. However, the committee expressed concerns over the non-return of the remaining luxury vehicles and directed the Cabinet Division to strictly implement the decision and retrieve the luxury vehicles within three days. The committee also discussed the withdrawal of the use of security vehicles and decided to implement the decision.

    Furthermore, the Ministry of Law and Justice was tasked with suggesting the implementation of austerity measures in the judiciary to the superior judiciary and approaching the Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker to suggest the use of teleconferences for all meetings to save time and expenditure. The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination has also approached provincial governments to suggest the implementation of similar austerity measures.

    The committee also deliberated on working timings and decided that the new timing for office work will be 7:30 am to 2:30 pm, and up to 12:30 pm on Fridays, starting from the first of Ramzan and will be followed in the summer season, as per the cabinet’s decision. A notification will be issued accordingly. The finance minister, speaking at the occasion, directed all to expedite the implementation of austerity measures with sincerity and true spirit without any exception. These cuts are part of an effort to prevent an economic meltdown as Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves have fallen below a month’s import cover.

  • Basic necessity becomes luxury in Quetta: Flour shortage drives prices up to Rs2,800 per 20kg bag

    Basic necessity becomes luxury in Quetta: Flour shortage drives prices up to Rs2,800 per 20kg bag

    In Balochistan’s capital of Quetta, a shortage of flour has led to skyrocketing prices for 20kg bags of the commodity. According to reports, profiteers are taking advantage of the situation and selling flour bags for between Rs2,640 to Rs2,800 in Quetta and surrounding areas.

    The residents of Quetta are frustrated that they are unable to obtain flour at the government’s fixed rate and are instead forced to pay an excessive price. They are calling on the provincial government to take action against the profiteers and ensure the availability of flour.

    According to ARY News, the President of Flour Mills Association Balochistan, Nasir Agha, has also weighed in on the crisis. He stated that the supply of wheat to the mills has been suspended for the last ten days, and he blamed the incompetence of the Balochistan food department for the current situation.

    With prices for flour continuing to rise, it remains to be seen how the provincial government will respond to the demands of the residents and the Flour Mills Association.

  • Govt to present Finance Bill 2023 today to fulfil IMF conditions

    Govt to present Finance Bill 2023 today to fulfil IMF conditions

    The federal government has been forced to head to parliament after President Arif Alvi ‘adv­ised’ Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday to take parliament into confidence over the Rs 170 billion in new taxes that are being levied.

    As per the agenda, the National Assembly will meet at 3:30pm and Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar will present the Finance Supplementary Bill, 2023 in the lower house.

    A session of the Senate has also been summoned at 4:30pm to move the bill there as well so the document can be sent to President Dr Arif Alvi immediately for assent.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who didn’t attend the last session, will be present during today’s meeting.

    The governm­ent had initially planned to introduce “tax and non-tax mea­­sures” to generate funds to the tune of Rs 170 billion. However, in a last-minute change, it decided to drop proposals pertaining to non-tax measures, particularly the flood levy to the tune of Rs 100 billion.

    In a late-night development, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued SRO178 to enhance a federal excise duty on locally manufactured cigarettes which would generate up to Rs 60 billion in taxes on tobacco products.

    The government will generate Rs 55 billion more through a 1 per cent increase in GST – from 17pc to 18pc. The remaining Rs 55 billion will be collected through an increase in excise duty on airlines tickets, sugary drinks and an increase in withholding tax rates.

    Dar had called on President Alvi to apprise him about the talks with the IMF for the revival of the programme.

    The government decided to approach the Parliament after President Dr Arif Alvi gave the government a cold shoulder on bringing the mini-budget via an ordinance in his meeting with Dar.

    “The president advised that it would be more appropriate to take parliament into confidence on this important subject, and that a session be called immediately so that the bill is enacted without delay,” a statement issued by the President House said after the meeting.

  • ‘We would much appreciate if you could label us as Norway’: Norwegian ministry asks Twitter to remove Nigeria labels

    ‘We would much appreciate if you could label us as Norway’: Norwegian ministry asks Twitter to remove Nigeria labels

    In an apparent instance of name confusion, Norway’s foreign ministry complained to Twitter on Tuesday that it had been mistakenly labeled as representing Nigeria.

    Both the foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere’s Twitter accounts were also identified as representing Nigeria.

    Some accounts on Twitter have labels and little flag icons to indicate their association with governments; however, this appears to be a significant blunder that surely cannot be expected from a billion-dollar platform.

    “Dear @TwitterSupport, as much as we enjoy our excellent bilateral relations and close alphabetical vicinity with Nigeria, we would much appreciate if you could label us as Norway,” the Norwegian foreign ministry tweeted.

  • Some PTI members don’t want to dissolve assemblies, says Asad Umar

    Some PTI members don’t want to dissolve assemblies, says Asad Umar

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former federal minister Asad Umar has admitted that there is a difference of opinion among party members on the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies, reports Daily Jang.

    He also revealed that while a few party members are in favour of the immediate dissolution of assemblies, however, others are against it.

    It is pertinent to mention that PTI has given December 20 deadline to the government to finalise a date for general elections or else assemblies will be dissolved as announced by Imran Khan on November 26.

    A day earlier, PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry warned the ruling coalition that the party would order the dissolution of assemblies if a final date for the next general election is not announced by next week.

    Earlier this month, Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Pervaiz Elahi said that he did not see elections taking place in the next four months. However, he showed full support for Khan’s decision over the dissolution matter.

  • Punjab IT Board develops more than 500 quality websites for different govt departments

    Punjab IT Board develops more than 500 quality websites for different govt departments

    For several government departments in the province, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has designed and developed more than 500 official websites, 490 of which are in English and 18 of which are in Urdu.

    This was announced at a progress review meeting on Tuesday presided over by PITB Chairman Syed Bilal Haider. The meeting was briefed on how the PITB’s web presence team developed these websites with a strong emphasis on transparency and citizen facilitation, offering optimised performance, scalability, improved loading times, and responsiveness.

    According to The News, the Punjab government has been helping many ministries set up portals to increase the government’s online presence with the help of PITB. CPEC, Web 3.0, SMU, CM Inspection Team, PESSI, Punjab Portal, Punjab Examination Commission, Lahore High Court, Punjab Police, Excise & Taxation Department, Punjab Information Technology Board, Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority, Finance Department, and Chief Minister Punjab are among the top 10 websites developed by PITB among many others.

    It was reported that these websites had received more than 8.5 billion hits overall. The Right to Information (RTI) Act of 2013 has been used by PITB to increase transparency. As websites are being developed, PITB instructs the relevant departmental officials how to frequently and independently update and manage the content on their own websites.

    PITB has assisted various government departments, including the Audit Bureau of Circulation, the Baluchistan Police, the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, and National History and Literary Heritage, in addition to creating websites for the administrative departments of Punjab and their affiliated bodies. The services offered as part of this project are all free. You can visit the websites created by the PITB’s web presence team at pitb.gov.pk/web.

  • ‘Agar mulk chalana hai toh NAB ko khatam karey’: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

    ‘Agar mulk chalana hai toh NAB ko khatam karey’: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has demanded the abolishment of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), blaming the watchdog institution for the ongoing crisis in the country.

    While speaking outside an accountability court in Islamabad after attending a hearing in the LNG case, he said, “Agar mulk chalana hai toh is idaray [NAB] ko khatam karain (If you want the country to progress, this institution [NAB] should be abolished).

    He said the “so-called” accountability was aimed at defaming only politicians. “The so-called process of accountability operates just to ridicule politicians,” he added.

    Lambasting ex-chairman of NAB, Javed Iqbal, the former premier said that he should confess who told him to register false cases.

    It is pertinent to mention that PML-N has repeatedly criticised NAB and said that false cases were made against party leaders.

    In August, the National Assembly passed the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, which sought to exclude private transactions from the scope of NAB.

    Under the amended bill, the pecuniary jurisdiction of NAB had been fixed to only take action against mega scandals. Furthermore, it had been proposed that supplementary references can only be filed with the permission of the court to expedite the proceedings of the court within one year.

  • KP launches AI-based attendance system for schools

    KP launches AI-based attendance system for schools

    Due to an upsurge in complaints about teachers’ absences, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has deployed artificial intelligence (AI)-based video systems in schools to monitor students’ and teachers’ live attendance.

    According to Zarif-ul-Mani, MD of the Elementary Schools Education Foundation (ESEF), the AI-based attendance system in the foundation schools would uphold the standard of instruction and improve student performance.

    He also described how the School Management Information System (SMIS) works to guarantee quality, accountability, and a simple transfer of scholarship cash to partners.

    He also commended the ESEF’s e-governance division for reviving this project, which had been mismanaged in the past.

    Additionally, the project would reduce dropout rates while guaranteeing that professors are present and that classes start on schedule.

    Prior to that, the government of Sindh made the decision to take strong action against teachers who were getting their wages while staying at home and neglecting their jobs.

    The provincial education agency reportedly stopped more than 2,000 “ghost teachers” being paid across the province.

    According to Express Tribune, Akbar Laghari, the education secretary for Sindh, said in a statement on the choice that they have filed a letter to the AG for Sindh asking him to cease paying the wages of 2,019 ghost teachers.

    He added that the department would fire the “ghost teachers” and would do everything it took to ensure that teachers showed up for work.

  • ‘My eldest son always wanted me out of politics’: Imran Khan

    ‘My eldest son always wanted me out of politics’: Imran Khan

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister has said in an interview that his life was in danger and he received immense death threats when he was campaigning against the incumbent government that was “imposed on the nation”.

    Talking to British television presenter Piers Morgan, he said, “I came into politics to fight these two families. When they brought them back through a conspiracy and imposed them on us, I decided that I was not going to sit at home.”

    The former premier again named PM Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and an intelligence officer as the conspirators behind the assassination attempt on him in Wazirabad. He urged Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial to look into the matter.

    Talking about slain journalist Arshad Sharif, he said, “He was hounded out of Pakistan, and the same intelligence officers were involved”.

    Narrating the firing incident, the PTI chief said the firing of shots sounded like firecrackers. “It felt like a burning sensation”, Khan recalled.

    He again claimed that there were two shooters at the scene who attacked him.

    Khan said that it took him two hours after the attack to reach Shaukat Khanum Hospital, Lahore from Wazirabad.

    “I went to the hospital after a two hours drive, and the moment I got there I spoke to my sons and of course to my wife. My wife was remarkable. The fact I was safe, she was relieved but my boys were worried.”

    Imran disclosed that his eldest son [Sulaiman] always differed with his decision to join politics. “He was quite worried when I was shot”, he said.

    “Sulaiman is very sensitive, he always wanted me to out of politics,” Imran said.

    “The moment my legs heal, I am going to be out again,” Khan said, during the interview. He claimed that he could be attacked again.

    “People are so worried in my country, I never had this feeling before because they know the guys who missed this time, they would try again,” Khan added.

    He also said that his party [PTI] is going to sweep elections this time.

    The PTI chief said his remarks about the significance of Pakistan’s ties with the United States (US) had always been clear.

    “It’s a superpower,” Imran said in response to a question. He underlined that it was unthinkable that one would not want to have good ties with the US.

    “I have only one issue. Pakistan-US relationships have been like a transactional master-slave relationship. We degrade ourselves, I think we allow ourselves to be used like a tissue paper,” he stressed.

    He said he wanted a relationship that mirrors the one that the USA has with India.

    Commenting on the election of Rishi Sunak as the first-Indian origin British PM, Imran said he was surprised at his election.

    “I must confess that I never thought that a day would come that Britain would be ready for an Indian-origin PM,” Imran said.

  • District administration Rawalpindi cracks down on cash & carry stores that overcharge customers

    District administration Rawalpindi cracks down on cash & carry stores that overcharge customers

    The district administration of Rawalpindi has launched a major campaign against megastores and cash-and-carry businesses, fined them Rs100,000, filed three police reports, and detained five persons for looting the public by overcharging for basic food items.

    On Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Dr Zunera Aftab conducted raids on a number of megastores and cash & carry establishments, including marriage halls, according to The News.

    Additionally, the Rawalpindi district government issued warning letters to shopkeepers for allegedly participating in hoarding and faking a shortage of necessities.

    According to Assistant Commissioner Zunera Aftab, strong action has been taken against hoarders and profiteers. She said, “We cannot spare hoarders and profiteers at any cost. She added that hoarders are attempting to create a fake shortage while profiteers are attempting to make a 100 per cent profit on every item. “I will never spare them at any cost,” she threatened.