ISLAMABAD: Members of a Pakistani opposition alliance are considering the modalities and legal aspects of a no-confidence motion before making their move in parliament to dislodge Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government while hoping to finalize their strategy in the next 10 days.
The nine-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) announced its decision to table a no-trust motion earlier this month, knowing it would need the support of at least 172 lawmakers in the 342-member National Assembly to bring down the government.
The PDM has collectively 156 seats in the assembly and is short of 16 votes to achieve its objective. The alliance is trying to woo smaller parliamentary parties who are currently allied with the government.
“We have the required numbers in the National Assembly to dislodge this government,” Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a former Pakistani prime minister and senior lawmaker of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, told Arab News on Sunday. However, he declined to share the details of how the opposition would reach the magical number of 172.
Abbasi said a committee of the opposition factions had been “working out the modalities” to go ahead with the move.
“People are fed up with the performance of this government and they want us to overthrow it,” he added.
Asked about the nomination of the next prime minister from the opposition alliance in case its move succeeded, he said his party would demand new general elections to seek fresh mandate instead of continuing with the current assembly.
“We can directly go for general elections after the success of the no-confidence motion,” he said. “There is no need to install a new prime minister, and the constitution allows it as well.”
Abbasi confirmed the opposition would first move the no-confidence at the federal level before going to the province of Punjab to dislodge the chief minister. “Hopefully, we will be moving the no-trust against the government in the next ten days,” he maintained.
Another major opposition faction in parliament, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), started a long march on Islamabad from Karachi on Sunday to “expose” the government by mobilizing the public. The march is expected to reach the federal capital in the next ten days as per the party’s announcement.
“Our protest march will prove to be the last nail in the coffin of this government,” Senator Palwasha Khan, deputy information secretary of the PPP, told Arab News.
She also claimed the opposition had completed the numbers required to topple the government without divulging further details. “The government’s allied parties will also see public sentiment through our march and decide to quit the alliance,” she claimed.
The PPP office-bearer declined to share details of any consensus within the opposition when asked about its next possible steps.
“You will see all these things at the appropriate time,” she commented.
Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed charge of the country’s top political office in August 2018 after winning a majority in the last general elections. The opposition parties alleged rigging in the polls, though the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party denied their claim.
The opposition PDM alliance has also announced to lodge a protest demonstration in Islamabad on March 23 to mount pressure on the government to make it resign.
“We may submit thee separate no-confidence motions in the National Assembly against the prime minister, speaker and deputy speaker, and we are considering different legal aspects,” Aslam Ghauri, a spokesperson for the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) party, told Arab News.
Talking about the logic behind bring these no-trust motions, he said the opposition would like to cripple the government’s influence over the house. “The speaker and deputy speaker won’t be able to chair the session after submission of no-confidence against them,” he explained.
Ghauri said a committee comprising legal experts was looking into different options as well before submitting the no-confidence motions. “We want to be ready beforehand for any retaliatory move by the government,” he said. “What if the President delays summoning of the session for vote of no-confidence? We are considering that too.”
The JUI-F leader also claimed to have completed the number game required to topple the government without providing further details. “We will have at least six more votes than what we need to oust the government,” he claimed while declining to share his preferred scenario after the no-confidence motion.
The federal and state ministers for information and broadcasting did not respond to calls and text messages seeking their comments for the story.
In a statement on Sunday, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the “leaderless” and “aimless” alliance of the opposition parties posed no serious threat to “the democratically-elected government.”
“We have been hearing for the last fifteen to twenty days a no-trust move is around the corner,” he said, “but in reality, it is beyond their power since they lack the capacity to bring the motion.”
Opposition says has 'numbers' to dislodge Khan government as no-confidence motion pressure mounts
https://arab.news/8k8h3
Opposition says has 'numbers' to dislodge Khan government as no-confidence motion pressure mounts
- The opposition says it is working out the modalities to go ahead with the move in parliament
- The information minister believes the ‘leaderless’ opposition alliance poses no serious threat to the government
Pakistani port authorities under scrutiny over likely award of dredging contract to Chinese firm
- Karachi Port Trust declared China Harbor Engineering Company lowest bidder, likely to award contract to it
- A final evaluation report reveals the Chinese firm scored lower than Dutch bidder Van Oord in two categories
KARACHI: The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has been under scrutiny for suspected foul play in the award of a dredging contract, which is likely to go to a Chinese firm that did not comply with the Pakistan’s procurement rules, according to documents and media reports.
The contract, which was advertised in July, will require the successful bidder to clear mud, weeds and rubbish from 4 million cubic meters of the Karachi port’s navigation channel. The port, one of the largest in South Asia, handles about 60 percent of Pakistan’s seaborne cargo, making the dredging project crucial to its operations.
Three of the four bidders offered dredging equipment with a capacity exceeding 15,000 cubic meters, according to the documents. Reports published in Pakistani media said the Chinese firm, China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC), submitted a bid with underpowered equipment that failed to meet the required timelines and quality standards, making it non-compliant with the specifications outlined in the tender.
In November, Pakistan’s Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) sought an explanation from the Karachi port authorities as to why they had not issued a full technical evaluation report of the bids.
“The procuring agency is hereby required to explain as to why complete technical evaluation report containing justification for acceptance or rejection of technical proposals could not be issued,” it said, highlighting the breach of a mandatory seven-day standstill period following the announcement of technical evaluation results as stipulated in Public Procurement Rules.
Van Oord, a leading Dutch dredging, land reclamation and island construction company, filed a formal complaint with the PPRA on November 15 with regard to the tender. The Dutch company alleged that the KPT announced technical evaluation results on the same day as the opening of financial proposals, which was in violation of Section 35 of the Public Procurement Rules that mandates the announcement of a complete technical evaluation report prior to the financial evaluation.
Van Oord said this procedural oversight deprived the bidders of the opportunity to appeal the results before the Grievance Redressal Committee, a process also mandated by Section 48 (3) the Public Procurement Rules. The complaint highlighted that any breach of procurement rules could be considered “mis-procurement” under Section 50 of the Public Procurement Rules and called for a “thorough investigation.”
On Friday, Arab News approached KPT spokesperson Naheed Tariq, but she declined to comment on the matter.
The “final evaluation report” posted on the KPT’s official website indicated that CHEC-Al Fajr International (AFI) Joint Venture (JV) was declared the lowest bidder. CHEC-AFI offered a bid of Rs6.49 billion, while Van Oord’s bid was Rs7.51 billion, according to the document.
The report revealed that two bidders received almost equal score in six of eight technical categories. However, the Chinese consortium scored significantly lower in the category of “Method of Performing Work,” receiving 14 out of 20 points, while it scored 47 out of 50 for “Availability of Major/Critical Equipment,” compared to Van Oord’s 100 percent scores in both categories.
Pakistani oncologists debunk ‘misleading’ claims about chemotherapy aired on state TV
- Panelists on a PTV show last week said doctors in Pakistan recommended excessive chemotherapy sessions to treat cancer patients
- Society of Medical Oncology Pakistan criticizes the panelists for sharing ‘misleading’ information, says they follow global standards
ISLAMABAD: An association of Pakistani oncologists on Friday described as “misleading” the claims of some analysts about chemotherapy and its use in treatment of cancer patients, which were aired by Pakistan’s state television last week.
Rizwan Razi, a political commentator, on Dec. 13 declared chemotherapy in Pakistan a “fraud” and said on a Pakistan Television (PTV) show it was used to swindle patients of billions of rupees. Without naming the doctor, Razi said he was informed by an Australian oncologist that they feared going beyond three chemotherapy sessions of a patient and in Pakistan, the treatment usually involved eight sessions, calling oncologists suggesting excessive sessions a “fraud.”
He said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was going to bring a “Chinese technology” to Pakistan to successfully treat cancer patients in the country. Ameen Hafeez, another panelist, hailed Nawaz for offering free treatment to all cancer patients at Nawaz Sharif Cancer Care Hospital. Shumaila Chaudhry, the host of show ‘Siyasat Tonight,’ said those who were scared of the disease should stop being afraid of it, as its “solution” was soon going to be introduced in the country.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Society of Medical Oncology Pakistan (SMOP) criticized the panelists for sharing “misleading” information about cancer treatment and said “such statements could endanger people’s lives.”
“Authentic institutes such as National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), European Society for Medical Oncology (ESO), and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASMO) stress the important role of chemotherapy in cancer treatment,” the SMOP said. “In Pakistan, cancer is treated according to international standards.”
Nawaz announced in October the establishment of 920-bed Nawaz Sharif Cancer Care Hospital in Lahore, saying the “expertise to treat cancer are quite rare in Pakistan, for which people spend all their savings.”
This week, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said that Nawaz, during her recent visit to China, had signed an agreement with a Chinese firm for the transfer of ‘HYGEA’ innovative therapy, which uses extreme cold to destroy cancer cells and is said to be minimally invasive.
The SMOP said airing misleading information regarding such topics was not only dangerous for patients, but it impacted public confidence in medical procedures and treatment.
It requested the PTV to issue a “clear statement” distancing itself from the views of aforementioned program host and panelists.
“It must be ensured in the future that discussions on sensitive topics like medical treatment should be based on expert opinions of information from authentic, professional individuals,” the SMOP added.
Pakistan prepares to terminate take-or-pay contracts with independent power producers
- Pakistan approved a decade ago dozens of mostly foreign-financed private projects by IPPs to tackle chronic power shortages
- PM Sharif’s cabinet this month approved settlement agreements with eight IPPs with the aim to reduce power tariff, expenses
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is making preparations to stop capacity payments to independent power producers (IPPs) by dissolving the mechanism of take-or-pay, Pakistani state media reported on Friday.
Take-or-pay is referred to as capacity payments in Pakistan where the government has to pay private companies irrespective of how much of the power they generate is transferred to its grid.
Pakistan approved dozens of private projects by IPPs, financed mostly by foreign lenders, a decade ago to tackle chronic power shortages. But the deals, featuring incentives such as high guaranteed returns and commitments to pay even for unused power, ultimately resulted in excess capacity after a sustained economic crisis slashed consumption.
This month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet approved settlement agreements with eight bagasse-based IPPs with the aim to reduce electricity prices and save the national exchequer billions of rupees, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The agreement between IPPs and the government’s Energy Task Force is a significant milestone, which can result in saving of 300 billion rupees ($1.07 billion) of the national exchequer,” the broadcaster said.
Short of funds, successive Pakistani governments have built those fixed costs and capacity payments into consumer bills, sparking protests by domestic users and industry bodies.
In October, PM Sharif said his government was terminating purchase agreements with five IPPs to rein in electricity tariffs as households and businesses buckled under soaring energy costs, according to state media. Pakistan’s Central Power Purchasing Agency was due to approach the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for a reduction in the electricity tariff generated from these power plants.
There is a possibility of Rs3.50-6.50 decrease in the electricity tariff as a result of government reforms as the government has pledged to pay outstanding dues within 90 days as prescribed in the agreements, Radio Pakistan reported on Friday.
“The government has also expressed resolve to promote private partnership for development of energy sector,” the report read.
The need to revisit power deals was a key issue in talks for a critical staff-level pact in July with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $7-billion bailout. The program was approved in September.
Pakistan has also been holding talks on reprofiling power sector debt owed to China and structural reforms, but progress has been slow. It has also vowed to stop power sector subsidies.
Pakistan stocks bounce back strongly a day after ‘massacre’ at bourse
- The KSE-100 index gained 3238 points to close the weekend trading session at 109,513 points
- Stock analysts attribute strong recovery of the market to easing pressure at local mutual funds
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Market on Friday bounced back strongly and gained more than 3,000 points, stock analysts said, a day after it witnessed a “massacre” on the back of significant redemptions from local mutual funds and year-end profit-taking.
The benchmark KSE-100 index gained 3238.17 points to close the weekend trading session at 109,513.14 points. On Thursday, the index plummeted by 5,132 points, or 4.32 percent, to close at 106,274.97 points, compared to Wednesday’s close of 111,070.29 points.
Stock analysts attributed the strong recovery to easing pressure at local mutual funds.
“Likely easing redemption pressure at local mutual funds together with the opening up of attractive valuations encouraged value buyers to reenter the market,” Raza Jafri, head of equities at Intermarket Securities, told Arab News.
Thursday’s slump was led by Hub Power Company Limited, United Bank Limited, Oil and Gas Development Company, and ENGRO, cumulatively contributing a staggering 1,556 points to the index’s overall decline, according to Topline Securities.
The sharp sell-off was triggered by significant redemptions from local mutual funds, compounded by year-end profit-taking by institutions, that dragged the market into a “turmoil,” it added.
The decline came days after Pakistan’s central bank cut its key interest rate by 200 basis points to 13 percent, marking the fifth straight reduction since June.
Yousuf M. Farooq, head of research at Chase Securities, said the market had entered a corrective phase, following a significant rally over the past year.
“We believe that earnings will now drive market performance rather than valuation rerating,” he added.
Pakistan province sets deadline to surrender weapons, dismantle bunkers to stem sectarian clashes
- Kurram, a tribal district near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, has been a flashpoint for sectarian tensions for decades
- Last month’s clashes between Sunni, Shia tribes killed over 100, triggered a humanitarian crisis with reports of starvation
PESHAWAR: Authorities in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Friday set a deadline of Feb. 1 for warring Sunni and Shia tribes in the Kurram district to surrender all weapons and dismantle their bunkers to stem sectarian clashes in the region.
Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan where federal and provincial authorities have traditionally exerted limited control, has been a flashpoint for sectarian tensions for decades.
Fresh clashes last month killed more than a hundred people, triggering a humanitarian crisis with reports of starvation, lack of medicine and oxygen shortages following the blocking of the main highway connecting Kurram’s main city of Parachinar to the provincial capital Peshawar.
On Friday, the KP apex committee, which comprises civilian and military officials, met to discuss a sustainable solution to the issue and decided that both sides would have to surrender their weapons and sign a peace agreement facilitated by the government.
“The agreement outlines that both sides will submit a detailed action plan within 15 days for voluntary submission of weapons,” read a declaration issued after the apex committee meeting.
“All weapons are to be deposited with the local administration by February 1. Additionally, it was decided that all bunkers in the area will be dismantled by the same deadline.”
The decision is aimed at reinforcing the government’s writ and establishing peace in the region, according to the statement. In the meantime, land routes to the area would be opened intermittently on humanitarian grounds and a mechanism had been put in place for secure transportation.
“Personnel of police and Frontier Corps will jointly provide security to the convoys,” the statement read.
Last month’s clashes erupted after rival tribes attacked convoys of passengers on the Parachinar-Peshawar road, which were followed by attacks on each other’s villages.
On Thursday, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi criticized the provincial government’s handling of the Kurram issue, accusing it of adopting an “indifferent approach.”
“The provincial government has maintained a criminal silence on the Kurram issue,” he said. “This matter should have been addressed in the provincial assembly.”
Talimand Khan, a senior analyst on tribal affairs, told Arab News on Friday that Pakistan’s tribal districts, including Kurram, had remained a “launching pad for proxy wars, especially the Soviet-Afghan war and the so-called War on Terror.”
“The issue is not merely a law-and-order situation,” he said. “It is deeply rooted in the state’s foreign and security policies, domestic political dynamics.”
A special air service would be launched on an emergency basis, for which the federal and provincial governments would provide helicopters. Temporary evacuation may be carried out from some areas to protect people’s lives, according to the apex committee declaration.
Both sides must avoid any violent action in the future to keep the land route safe and open at all times, otherwise the administration would be forced to close the route again.
“All social media accounts spreading sectarian hatred in the region will be closed,” it read. “No one will be allowed to play politics on this issue.”
The apex committee hoped that the parties would fully cooperate with the government for a lasting solution to the issue.
