ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communication Abdul Aleem Khan has promised to bear the repatriation expenses of Pakistani prisoners in Sri Lankan jails, said an official statement on Friday, making it possible for them to return to their home country by removing a major obstacle.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka agreed to take immediate steps to ensure the return of 43 prisoners in a meeting held between the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, Admiral (r) Ravindra Chandra, and Federal Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, in May.
However, their release had been delayed due to the financial issues.
“Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has announced to bear all expenses for the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners stranded in Sri Lanka for years,” the interior ministry said in a statement. “These prisoners will now be able to return home soon after completing the necessary procedures.”
The interior minister expressed his gratitude to Khan for taking interest in the matter, applauding his gesture which he said would be “a breath of fresh air for the prisoners and their families.”
According to Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), nearly 14,000 Pakistani citizens are languishing in prisons across the world.
JPP, a local advocacy group, represents vulnerable Pakistan prisoners at home and abroad.
Pakistani minister announces plan to bear prisoner repatriation expenses from Sri Lanka
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Pakistani minister announces plan to bear prisoner repatriation expenses from Sri Lanka
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- Abdul Aleem Khan’s decision will bring back more than 40 Pakistani prisoners to the country from Sri Lankan jails
- According to the interior ministry, their release was delayed due to difficulties in meeting the required expenses
Bangladesh skipper believes historic cricket triumph in Pakistan will bring smiles at home
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- Bangladesh won two consecutive Test matches against Pakistan at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
- The team is now scheduled to tour India this month for two Test and three Twenty20 matches
RAWALPINDI: Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believed his team’s first test cricket series win over Pakistan will give his compatriots reason to smile amid ongoing difficulties.
The recent civil unrest that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid caused Bangladesh to be stripped of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup, and in the past week the country has been hit by deadly flash floods that have affected millions of people.
“For the last one and a half months, everyone (in Bangladesh) has struggled a lot,” Shanto said after Bangladesh beat Pakistan by six wickets in the second test on the last day Tuesday.
“We all know cricket is a very emotional thing in our country, so I hope they will get some smiles because we’ve won the series.”
Bangladesh followed an epic 10-wicket victory in the first test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium with a comeback win in the second test on the same ground.
Bangladesh was 26-6 in its first innings but Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz batted them to just a 12-run deficit. Then the fast bowlers dismissed Pakistan for 172 and Bangladesh reached the winning target of 185 in 56 overs.
“The belief in the dressing room is very different this time,” Shanto said. “We were nervous (at 26-6) but the way Litton and Miraz batted … we believed that those guys will take us to a good position.”
Shanto was impressed with the work ethic of young fast bowlers Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana, who shared nine wickets in the second innings.
“We read the conditions very well,” Shanto said. “The bowlers did their job … and just tried to bowl in the channel for a long time, not like one or two overs. The bowlers did a lot of hard work and that’s why we got the result.”
Bangladesh is scheduled to tour India this month for two tests and three Twenty20s, and Shanto said the historic win in Pakistan — only their second series triumph away from home — boosts their morale.
“This series (in Pakistan) gives us a lot of confidence,” Shanto said.
Pakistani generals vow to defend ‘hard-earned gains’ against militants after Balochistan attacks
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- The meeting discussed the army’s ‘rigorous system of accountability,’ saying it ensures professionalism and loyalty
- Pakistani generals also reiterated the need to safeguard national cyberspace among concerns over disinformation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top army generals reviewed national security challenges on Tuesday following a series of coordinated militant attacks by a separatist outfit in the southwestern Balochistan province last month that killed more than 50 people, vowing not to let the “hard-earned” gains against such groups to be reversed.
The army has carried out a number of intelligence-based operations in Pakistan’s western region, including the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), in recent months to quell extremist and separatist violence, killing a number of fighters from various armed factions while also sacrificing its soldiers.
The meeting of top officials, led by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, began with the remembrance of these soldiers, according to an official statement that said they had “laid down their lives in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in pursuit of peace and stability of Pakistan.”
“The forum was briefed on the prevailing geo-strategic environment, national security challenges, and strategic and operational responses to emerging threats,” the statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, informed.
“In assessing the inimical forces, malicious actors, subversive proxies, and the facilitators of Pakistan’s external and internal adversaries, particularly those active in Balochistan and KPK, the forum deliberated on a range of measures to neutralize these threats,” it added. “The forum reaffirmed that the Pakistan Army, with the unwavering support of the people, will not allow the hard-earned successes against terrorism to be reversed.”
The statement highlighted the professionalism, integrity and loyalty to the state within the army, attributing these qualities to a “well-established and rigorous system of accountability” that ensures these values are preserved within its ranks.
The army has recently taken action against its own officials, including Lt. Gen. (retired) Faiz Hameed, the former director general of the country’s most powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency, by launching court martial proceedings on charges of extortion and meddling in politics.
“This strict adherence to accountability fortifies the Army’s integrity, ensuring that no individual is above the law or exempt from scrutiny,” it continued.
It also noted that law enforcement agencies would take “swift and lawful action against terrorists, anarchists, and criminal mafias” in the country.
The top army forum, which has previously highlighted the issue of “digital terrorists” spreading disinformation on social media, also reiterated the need to safeguard national cyberspace.
Pakistan’s disaster body warns of more rain, flooding as monsoon death toll hits 320
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- Authorities in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province warn of flooding in Ravi, Chenab and Indus rivers
- An official in Balochistan also reports flash floods in districts like Chaman, Qila Saifullah, Kach and Kalat
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday warned of flooding in the Punjab and Balochistan provinces, informing that 320 people have lost their lives since the beginning of the monsoon in July, while anticipating more rain in the next 24 hours.
Monsoon rains are crucial for Pakistan’s agrarian economy, providing essential water for crops and replenishing water reservoirs. However, the country has been experiencing increasingly erratic weather patterns, including heatwaves, droughts and flooding, which are widely attributed to climate change.
The unprecedented rains during the 2022 monsoon season were a stark reminder of these changes, resulting in nearly 1,700 deaths and causing estimated losses of over $35 billion.
The NDMA anticipated more rains, gusty winds and thundershowers in most parts the country on Wednesday.
“Scattered thunderstorm rain of moderate intensity with isolated heavy falls is expected over the upper catchments of all major rivers along with Islamabad & Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, DG [Dera Ghazi] Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, DI [Dera Ismail] Khan, Zhob, Loralai, Sibbi, Mirpur Khas, Larkana, Sukkur, Nasirabad and Kalat divisions,” the NDMA said in its situation report.
FLOODS
Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab Irfan Ali Kathia said local administrations were put on alert and asked to take citizens living near the areas that could be affected by floods to safe places in advance.
“In the next 24 hours, there is a possibility of rain in most of the districts of Punjab, and due to the rains in the upper areas, there is a fear of increasing the flow of water in the rivers,” the PDMA statement said.
“There is a risk of low-level floods in the Indus River, while there is a risk of flooding in the rivers adjacent to the River Chenab and Ravi,” it added.
Meanwhile, Younus Mengal, head of the PDMA Balochistan’s control room in Quetta, said flash floods had been reported from various districts, including Qila Abdullah, Chaman, Qila Saifullah, Kach, Kalat and Khuzdar.
Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also warned of heavy downpours, windstorms and lightning, saying they could affect daily routines and lead to the collapse of weak structures, including rooftops, walls, electric poles, billboards and solar panels.
The provincial administration also informed that due to heavy rains and landslides, the Thal to Kumrat road in Upper Dir had been closed to all types of traffic at various locations.
The monsoon currents are still penetrating Pakistan as the regional meteorological center in Karachi said during the day, saying they were entering eastern parts of the Sindh province.
“As a result, thunderstorms with moderate to isolated heavy rainfall are likely in the districts of Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar, Badin, Thatta, Jamshoro, Dadu, Matiari, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Khairpur,” the center said in a statement.
Pakistan parliament bills seek to ban judges’ dual citizenship, limit powers
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- The private member bills seek to strip the judiciary of contempt of court powers, curtail suo motu authority
- Legal experts say parliament wants to control the courts amid their excessive involvement in political cases
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani opposition lawmaker on Tuesday tabled three constitutional bills in the National Assembly, seeking a ban on dual citizenship for judges, proposing a nine-member bench for public interest cases and abolishing the Supreme Court’s authority to initiate legal proceedings on its own through suo motu powers.
The opposition member, Noor Alam Khan of the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) party, introduced the bills on private members’ day, allowing lawmakers to propose legislation independently of their party’s policy.
The bills come at a time when the government is at odds with the country’s judiciary following a Supreme Court ruling declaring the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed ex-PM Imran Khan eligible for reserved seats for women and religious minorities in the national and provincial legislatures.
The ruling weakened Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s fragile coalition, which could lose its two-thirds majority in parliament if the decision is implemented. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party has already filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the verdict favoring the PTI.
“Whether it’s a judge or a bureaucrat, no one should be a dual national,” Khan said while introducing the bill, adding if members of parliament could not have dual nationality, nobody should have it.
While private member bills rarely become laws since they require government support, particularly in case of a constitutional amendment which requires two-third majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate, Pakistan’s law minister Azam Nazir Tarar described it a “reasonable suggestion.”
The JUI-F lawmaker also objected to how the top court employed Article 184(3) of the constitution, which grants suo motu powers to judges, previously.
“This Article 184(3) has been often misused in the past,” he said, adding that numerous politicians including prime ministers had been convicted after the court invoked the legal provision and calling for an amendment to prevent its misuse.
In the bill, he suggested that a nine-member Supreme Court bench should first decide if a case warrants suo motu proceedings and also grant the right to review to the applicants.
The Pakistani law minister said the right to appeal in such cases was already granted to applicants through a previous legislation, and a five-member bench could hear public interest cases. However, he did not oppose the bill.
Khan also introduced another bill in the house seeking the repeal of contempt of court powers, saying the court had previously targeted prime ministers and their cabinet members by using the law and initiating legal proceedings.
“This constitutes a human rights violation,” he continued, emphasizing that no such law existed in the entire world.
The law minister agreed there should be no “oppressive law” that could impact the citizen’s freedom of expression. However, he suggested any amendment in this regard should be introduced in the act of parliament instead of the constitution.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and chairman of ex-PM Khan’s PTI party, urged the speaker of the assembly not to allow the JUI-F member to introduce the bill since it was against the independence of judiciary.
“The judiciary should have powers to get its judgments implemented through force of law,” he emphasized.
Legal experts said that successive governments in Pakistan had tried to either control the courts through legislations or get the judgments in their favor by curtailing their powers.
“Our Supreme Court and high courts’ involvement in political cases have increased manifold over the years,” Justice (retired) Shaiq Usmani told Arab News. “Therefore, the lawmakers are trying to control them through legislation which is their constitutional right.”
Advocate Faisal Chaudhary said introduction of the bills regarding the superior judiciary in parliament was an attempt to “push back” the judges, adding the attempt would not succeed.
“The government along with its allies doesn’t enjoy the required two-third majority in parliament to pass these constitutional amendments,” he told Arab News. “They are just trying to intimidate the judges through different tactics to get favorable verdicts, but they won’t succeed.”
Pakistan’s finance minister says 43 percent economic sectors contribute less than one percent tax
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- Muhammad Aurangzeb urges wholesalers, distributors and retailers to improve their tax contributions
- Pakistan’s tax collection body generated $5.2 billion in July-August, falling short of its $5.6 billion target
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday highlighted that 43 percent of the sectors in Pakistan’s economy pay less than one percent of the total tax collected, urging wholesalers, distributors and retailers to improve their contributions.
Pakistan’s narrow tax base and persistent tax evasion issues lead to insufficient revenue collection for the country’s fragile economy each year. The shortfall exacerbates the government’s tendency to run a high fiscal deficit, often financed through domestic and international borrowing, which increases the nation’s debt burden.
The country’s top tax collection body, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), collected Rs1.455 trillion ($5.2 billion) in July-August against the projected target of Rs1.554 trillion ($5.6 billion), according to provisional figures compiled officially over the weekend.
“43 percent sectors of this economy pay less than one percent tax so we have to make a collective effort and request these sectors to contribute otherwise we will keep going to the IMF [International Monetary Fund] for more [loans],” the finance minister said.
“Wholesalers, distributors, retailers we request you again to make a move to contribute to the country’s economy,” he continued. “We request them to help us.”
The minister made it clear the tax imposed on these sectors would not be withdrawn, pointing out that such a step would create more problems for the salaried class and manufacturing sector.
Pakistan has set a challenging tax revenue target of Rs13 trillion ($46.66 billion) for the current fiscal year, nearly a 40 percent increase from the previous year, to strengthen its case for a new bailout deal with the IMF.
The South Asian nation’s new administration has also decided to digitalize the tax collection system to prevent leakages, even as a large segment of the national economy remains undocumented.
Aurangzeb highlighted his commitment to cutting down the size of the federal government, adding that a method was being followed in which six ministries were initially chosen, of which two would be abolished.
However, he did not specify which ministries he was referring to.
“There will also be a reduction in the number of officers from grade 17 to 22,” he added. “We are closing the entities and departments that can be shut down.”
The minister said once the implementation of “rightsizing” the initial ministries was completed, the government would address the next five ministries and continue the process.
He also mentioned that remittances had remained at an all-time high in recent months, and highlighted that rating agencies Fitch and Moody’s had also upgraded Pakistan’s ranking by one notch.