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Opposition blasts new NAB ordinance

In this photo, opposition leaders talking to journalists on July 29, 2018 in Islamabad. (AP)
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Updated 31 December 2019
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Opposition blasts new NAB ordinance

  • Amendments are intended to benefit government allies, says opposition
  • Businessmen welcome the changes, say the new law will help bring investment
Updated 31 December 2019
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition on Monday requisitioned a session of the parliament to discuss recent amendments by the government to the country’s accountability law, which they said are discriminatory and bound to favor the ruling party’s allies.

The government has passed the amendments through a presidential ordinance, which may remain effective for a period of 120 days. The government will have to table the ordinance in the parliament after the period to extend it or pass it into law.

The amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) have excluded businessmen, bureaucrats and other private persons from being investigated by the country’s top anti-corruption body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

“These amendments are discriminatory and intended to benefit only friends and close allies of the ruling party,” Senator Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, chairman of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) told Arab News on Monday. “We totally reject these amendments.”

Haq said the opposition had requested a parliament session to discuss the changes and would “push the government” to do proper legislation on it instead of “secretly benefiting a few” with the presidential ordinance.

On Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan assured the Pakistani business community at a Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) event in Karachi that the country’s antigraft body will no longer endanger their operations.

“It was important to take this step as NAB was considered a major hurdle,” the premier said on the day the amendments were approved by the federal cabinet.

The text of the controversial ordinance signed by President Arif Alvi was released by the Ministry of Law and Justice on Saturday.

Imran Shafique, a former NAB prosecutor, said the government has narrowed the scope of the anti-corruption agency through the amendments, by allowing it to investigate public office holders only, in contrast with the previous law which was applicable to “public office holder or any other person.”

“The NAB is virtually made toothless through the amendments,” he told Arab News, adding that in accordance with the new law “it will be almost impossible for NAB to prove a corruption or misuse of authority case in a court of law.”

The NAO was promulgated in 1999 under military ruler General Pervez Musharraf’s government. The country’s main opposition parties – the PMLN and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – say that over the years the law has been used to victimize their leaders and fragment their parties and support bases.

Shafique said the new law would benefit over a dozen of people whose cases have already been pending in accountability courts for adjudication. “Businessmen and bureaucrats used to complain of harassment by NAB,” he added.

Meanwhile, businessmen say the new law would help end an “environment of fear” and bring investment into different sectors. “This was one of our longstanding demands that businessmen should be excluded from NAB’s purview,” Mirza Ikthiar Baig, renowned industrialist, told Arab News.

Baig said that if a businessman would commit any wrong, he would be held accountable by the Federal Board of Revenue and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. “In case of tax evasion or any other fraud, these institutions can investigate a businessman,” he said, “the NAB was doing nothing except harassing the business community.”

According to the ordinance, all pending inquiries and investigations into cases related to taxation, levies or impost will be transferred to “the respective authorities or departments which administer the relevant laws of taxation, levies or imposts in question,” while all pending trials will be transferred “from the relevant accountability courts to the criminal courts which deal with offenses under the respective laws pertaining to taxation, levies or imposts in question.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan came to power in July 2018, vowing to root out corruption. Recent probes by the NAB into veteran politicians – including former premiers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and ex-President Asif Ali Zardari – have been a topic of heated debate, with many saying the drive is hurting an ailing economy and others pointing to a one-sided purge of political foes.

In response to the criticism by members of the opposition, Foreign Affairs Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday that NAB was fully independent in its action and investigation. He said the government will welcome the opposition’s proposals and recommendations to further strengthen the anti-corruption law.

Topics: opposition parties NAB

Pakistan’s cabinet approves policy guidelines for trade in carbon market

Updated 27 sec ago
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Pakistan’s cabinet approves policy guidelines for trade in carbon market

  • The new guidelines will establish regulatory framework for governing both voluntary and compliance carbon market activities
  • These markets are carbon pricing mechanisms that enable governments, non-state actors to trade greenhouse gas emission credits
Updated 27 sec ago
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Friday approved policy guidelines for trade in carbon markets that help channel financial resources to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate their contribution to climate change.
Carbon markets are carbon pricing mechanisms enabling governments and non-state actors to trade greenhouse gas emission credits. There are two types of carbon markets: compliance and voluntary. In compliance markets such as national or regional emissions trading schemes, participants act in response to an obligation established by a regulatory body.
In voluntary carbon markets, participants are under no formal obligation to achieve a specific target. Instead, non-state actors such as companies, cities or regions seek to voluntarily offset their emissions, for example, to achieve mitigation targets such as climate neutral, net zero emissions.
The new guidelines aim to establish a clear regulatory framework for governing both voluntary and compliance carbon market activities in Pakistan, following international requirements and good practices.
“The federal cabinet approved policy guidelines for trading in the carbon market on the recommendation of the Ministry of Climate Change and Climate Coordination,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said in a statement after the meeting.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change marked Nov. 16 as the Pakistan Pavillion’s “Carbon Market Day” and organized a high-level event on carbon markets at the UN COP29 climate summit to cement Pakistan’s commitment to participation in the new global carbon market.
Nearly 200 governments agreed on the framework that sets up a centralized global mechanism with clear rules and procedures for countries and companies involved in carbon credit transactions.
Pakistan’s policy guidelines aim to foster investments in energy, agriculture and forestry sectors, according to state media. Through these carbon markets, businesses will be encouraged to adopt eco-friendly technologies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), developing countries can host emissions reduction and removal projects and trade the resulting carbon credits internationally as a means to generate new revenue streams and unlock investment in ambitious climate action.
Pakistan’s “Carbon Market Policy Guidelines” outline a cohesive strategy and authorization criteria, which prioritizes investment in resilience and climate change adaptation, and works closely with provincial governments, the UN Environment Program says on its website.
“While these guidelines offer cultural and geographical nuance for each province’s differential needs, they set stringent quality control criteria, thus ensuring high-quality project development with substantial co-benefits. Finally, countries will experience a competitive and cost-efficient framework that emphasizes fairness in benefit distribution,” the document says.
A number of project opportunities have already been identified on the basis of which the government of Pakistan intends to initiate dialogues on Article 6 collaboration, according to the UN.

Topics: federal cabinet Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Carbon market

Bosch, Jansen put South Africa on top against Pakistan

Updated 28 min 53 sec ago
AFP
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Bosch, Jansen put South Africa on top against Pakistan

  • Bosch, batting at number nine, enabled South Africa to take a 90-run first innings lead
  • Bowlers made it count by taking three wickets before Pakistan could wipe out the deficit
Updated 28 min 53 sec ago
AFP

CENTURION: Debutant Corbin Bosch hit 81 not out and left-arm fast bowler Marco Jansen claimed two late wickets as South Africa took control on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan at SuperSport Park on Friday.
Bosch, batting at number nine, enabled South Africa to take a 90-run first innings lead — and the bowlers made it count by taking three wickets before Pakistan could wipe out the deficit.
Pakistan finished the day on 88 for three — still two runs behind.
South Africa would qualify for next year’s World Test Championship final for the first time with a victory in either match of this two-Test series.
The contest was evenly poised when opening batsman Aiden Markram was eighth man out for 89 with South Africa on 213 for eight — just two runs ahead of Pakistan’s first innings total of 211.
Four South African wickets had fallen for 35 runs either side of lunch, with Naseem Shah taking three in a fiery spell, and it seemed probable the sides would start the second innings almost on level terms.
But Bosch, who has a first-class batting average above 40, batted with freedom and a wide variety of strokes as he shared stands of 41 with Kagiso Rabada (13) and 47 with Dane Paterson (12) to turn a narrow lead into a substantial one.
Bosch hit 15 fours in a 93-ball innings.
“It was a huge momentum shift and it was probably worth more than a hundred,” said Markram, who captained Bosch and Rabada when South Africa won the Under-19 World Cup in Dubai in 2014.
It was the continuation of a remarkable debut for Bosch, 30, who took four for 63 in the first innings and was clocked at 147kmh, the fastest of any bowler in the match.
Bosch, whose Test cricketer father Tertius died when Corbin was five years old, was low on the list of potential Test fast bowlers at the start of the season.
But a lengthy list of injuries to bigger-name players, as well as good recent form, opened the door for him.
“He’s a really talented guy and in the last few years he’s really put his head down and worked to get his opportunity,” said Markram.
Bosch shared the new ball with Kagiso Rabada at the start of Pakistan’s second innings but did not take a wicket and left the field at the end of a three-over stint.
Saim Ayub and Shan Masood, who both made 28, put on 49 for the first wicket before Rabada bowled Ayub.
Jansen followed up by having Masood caught at third slip and first innings top-scorer Kamran Ghulam caught at gully for eight before bad light stopped play.
Markram said it was a typical Centurion pitch, providing assistance for the fast bowlers.
“While I was batting it did feel that at any time the ball could nip past your edge,” he said.
Markram cautioned South Africa would need to bowl well to press home their advantage on Saturday.
“If you’re not going to land the ball in the right areas it’s still going to be nice to bat on,” he said.

Topics: Pakistan vs South Africa Pakistan cricket

Pakistan’s deputy PM praises late Manmohan Singh for fostering regional peace

Updated 28 December 2024
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Pakistan’s deputy PM praises late Manmohan Singh for fostering regional peace

  • Ishaq Dar says former Indian premier relied on dialogue and believed in collective progress
  • Deputy PM’s statement comes at a time of strained diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan
Updated 28 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday expressed grief over the death of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, praising his leadership for prioritizing dialogue and mutual understanding to address regional issues, which improved ties between the two nuclear-armed rivals.
Singh, an economist and the first Sikh to serve as India’s premier, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92. Born in Gah, a village in what is now Pakistan’s Chakwal district, Singh’s family migrated to India following the partition in 1947.
He studied at Oxford and Cambridge, earning recognition as a scholar before spearheading economic reforms that lifted India out of a financial crisis in the early 1990s.
“His approach to regional issues reflected his belief that mutual understanding, dialogue, and cooperation were essential for collective progress,” Dar said in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter. “He played a notable role in improving Pakistan-India bilateral relations during his tenure as Prime Minister.”


He added “the people and the Government of Pakistan extend their heartfelt condolences to Dr. Manmohan Singh’s family, and to the people and the Government of India.”
The deputy prime minister’s statement comes at a time of strained diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan, with both countries having downgraded their bilateral relations in 2019 following India’s revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status.
Regular border skirmishes and accusations of cross-border militancy have further exacerbated tensions.
Singh is widely regarded as a key architect of India’s economic liberalization, credited with steering the country through a severe balance-of-payments crisis in 1991 as finance minister.
His tenure as prime minister was characterized by steady economic growth and efforts to improve relations with neighbors, though his critics cite challenges in domestic and foreign policy toward the end of his term.

Topics: Manmohan Singh Foreign minister Ishaq Dar Pakistan India Ties

Pakistan installs first smog cleaning tower in Lahore for field testing

Updated 27 December 2024
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Pakistan installs first smog cleaning tower in Lahore for field testing

  • Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, often ranks among the most polluted places in world
  • Smog towers are large-scale air purifiers that create localized zones of improved air quality
Updated 27 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has installed its first locally designed smog cleaning tower in Lahore, a city that frequently ranks among the most polluted in the world during the winter season, the Environmental Protection Agency of Punjab announced this week.
Smog towers are large-scale air purifiers designed to reduce pollution by filtering out fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants. Using fans, the towers draw in polluted air, which passes through high-efficiency filters to capture PM2.5 and PM10 particles, which pose severe health risks. The cleaned air is then released back into the surrounding area, improving local air quality.
While smog towers offer potential short-term relief, their efficacy in addressing large-scale urban air pollution remains debated.
“Pakistan’s first locally designed Smog Cleaning Tower installed in Lahore,” the provincial environmental agency said in a social media post this week. “A 15-day field test will be conducted to assess its performance for further installations.”

 
The smog tower, located in Mehmood Booti, is capable of purifying 50,000 cubic meters of air per hour and is designed to reduce harmful PM2.5 particulate matter.
Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, suffers from severe air pollution during the winter, largely due to the phenomenon of smog. A combination of vehicle emissions, industrial output and crop burning in Punjab contributes to hazardous levels of fine particulate matter, with the city often topping global rankings for poor air quality.
Residents endure weeks of poor visibility, health warnings and respiratory illnesses as the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently exceeds 300, categorized as “hazardous” by international standards. This year, the AQI reached unprecedented levels in several cities of Punjab, rising well over 1,000.
Smog towers can create localized zones of improved air quality, especially in high-density urban areas. However, they are expensive to build and maintain, with limited coverage areas.

Topics: Smog Clean Tower Pakistan Smog Lahore Smog

Imran Khan says he declined house arrest, urges overseas Pakistani to halt remittances

Updated 27 December 2024
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Imran Khan says he declined house arrest, urges overseas Pakistani to halt remittances

  • Ex-PM’s social media post hints at a backchannel offering him a ‘deal,’ without naming interlocutors
  • Khan criticizes military trials and sentencing of supporters, says the proceedings violated basic rights
Updated 27 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been in jail for well over a year, said in a social media post on Friday he rejected a house arrest deal, as he also urged Pakistanis abroad to boycott remittances in protest against the country’s political situation.
Khan’s statement comes only a few days after the government began formal negotiations with his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to address mutual differences and ease the country’s growing political polarization.
Talks began after Khan threatened civil disobedience, urging overseas Pakistanis to halt remittances unless the government freed PTI political prisoners and formed judicial commissions to probe violent protests on May 9 and Nov. 26, blamed on his supporters.
His latest message hints at a backchannel offering “a deal,” without naming interlocutors.
“The proposal I received for a deal was: ‘Negotiate with us, and we will give your party political space, but you will be placed under house arrest and moved to [your] Bani Gala [residence],’” read a message posted from Khan’s account on X, formerly Twitter.
“My response was that all other political prisoners must first be released. I would rather stay in jail than accept any deal. I will neither go into house arrest nor to any jail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he added, referring to the province ruled by his party.
Khan doubled down on his call for overseas Pakistanis to boycott remittances, framing it as part of a campaign for “true freedom and the restoration of democracy.” It is not clear how his stance might affect the ongoing negotiations between his party and the government.
“Currently, the government is playing ‘committee after committee’ regarding our demands,” he said, adding that the boycott campaign would be halted if negotiations produced positive results.
Khan also assured his supporters that the coming year would bring better prospects for democracy in the country while pledging to remain steadfast.
Criticizing military trials and recent sentencing of his party supporters arrested in the wake of the May 9 protest last year, Khan said they had violated basic rights of civilians and caused international embarrassment for Pakistan.
“If these trials had been conducted in open courts, the video footage of the events of May 9 would have had to be presented,” he said, adding transparent trials were also guaranteed in Pakistan’s constitution.
Hundreds of people carrying flags of Khan’s party attacked government and military installations last year on May 9 after he was briefly detained on corruption charges.
The government is yet to react to the former premier’s statement.

Topics: Imran Khan adiala jail

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