Marriyum urges parliamentarians to acknowledge competency of women ministers
ISLAMABAD, Dec 12 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said all parliamentarians should acknowledge the competency of women ministers, who had been appointed on merit.
Responding to the remarks of Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali against Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ms Hina Rabbani Khar in the National Assembly, she said the Taliban rulers had no problem in negotiating with Ms Khar, who had taken up Pakistan’s concern very well during her Kabul visit.
She said she respected Maulana Chitrali and also expected him to respect his fellow women parliamentarians. Ms Khar had been assigned the responsibilities as a cabinet member on merit, she reiterated.
Right from Ms Fatima Jinnah to Kalsoom Nawaz and Najma Hameed, she said, the women had given sacrifices for the strengthening of democracy. They were all pride of Pakistan.
About the recent Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference, Marriyum said Ms Khar was the only woman minister among 48 countries, which was an honour for Pakistan.
Cabinet’s sub-committee on ECL notified
ISLAMABAD, Dec 12 (APP):A notification had been issued on Monday regarding the re-constitution of Cabinet sub-committee on Exit Control List (ECL).
According to the notification, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazir Tarar had been appointed as convener of the sub-committee while others members included Minister for Economic Affairs & Political Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Communications Asad Mehmood and Minister for Information & Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb.
An attractive view of sunset in the Federal Capital
Imran doesn’t want economic stability, rather chaos & anarchy: Marriyum
ISLAMABAD, Dec 12 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan did not want the economy to stabilise and for that he desired riots, chaos and anarchy in the country.
Reacting to Imran Khan’s video statement, she said the situation was the worst, but it was not for the country rather for Imran Khan whose “crutches have been broken.” He was worried that the institutions were not becoming part of his dirty politics. “The umpires whom he called animals” were neutral, the minister added.
Marriyum said the “incompetent and inefficient” person, who had stolen the Toshakhana gifts, was out of his habit dragging the national institutions into his “unholy politics”.
She pleaded that it was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan and the judiciary to hold the “foreign agent” accountable for his wrongdoings, including the Toshakhana theft.
The minister said the traders, the business community, and the farmers were fully aware that the country was caught in the vortex of economic collapse caused by the Imran Khan regime.
“The PTI leader is an insane person who thinks that the whole of Pakistan is crazy,” she added.
The minister said the incumbent government was bringing the country back from the bankruptcy where it was left by the PTI government.
Imran Khan would have to be accountable for the looted public money and land taken in bribe, stolen diamonds, theft of Toshakhana gifts and illegal foreign funding, she said. He would also have to answer for his four-year misrule which resulted in economic collapse, unemployment and inflation, the minister added.
She said Imran Khan might continue making a hue and cry, but no one would come to his rescue as the institutions were no more part of his conspiracies.
President Alvi highlights significance of continuation of policies for economic growth
ISLAMABAD, Dec 12 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday termed the continuation of policies essential for sustainable economic growth, promotion of industrialization and attracting foreign investment.
He underlined that digitalization of economy and business processes were vital for enhancing tax collection, promoting tax culture and transparency in the economy.
The president expressed these views while addressing the 2nd Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) Taxpayer Recognition Awards, at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
He said that hurdles in the process of filing taxes by the business community required removal, besides provision of facilitation to the business community and resolution of their grievances and issues.
The president regretted that the low tax-to-GDP ratio had been a perennial issue in Pakistan, ever since its establishment, adding that tax culture in the country could be promoted by simplifying and easing the tax regime, reducing hurdles in the taxation system.
He also called for encouraging businessmen to pay more taxes, judiciously and honestly spending the collected tax, reducing corruption and pilferage, and ensuring merit and transparency.
Group Leader RCCI, Sohail Altaf, President RCCI, Saqib Rafiq, Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), Dr Asif Mahmood Jah, representatives of FBR, and members of the business community attended the ceremony.
The president said that Pakistan’s economy had been under stress due to multiple internal and external factors, adding that all stakeholders must act responsibly and display a unity of purpose to come out of the present situation.
The president also urged the need to focus on the skill development of youth and establishing partnerships between academia and industry, besides providing education to over 20 million out-of-school children.
He said that it was the collective responsibility of the state and society to care for the most vulnerable sections of its population and regretted that Pakistan’s education sector had declined, which required efforts to improve the educational standards throughout the country, besides enhancing the enrollment of students in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs).
The president also called upon the members of the business community to enhance the participation of women in businesses and industry, besides providing them safe and friendly environment at the workplace.
He also impressed upon the need to establish baseline KPIs regarding the inclusion of women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the private sector, instead of merely paying lip service to the cause of women and PWD’s inclusion in the mainstream of society.
RCCI Group Leader Sohail Altaf highlighted the need for political and economic stability, continuation of policies, providing facilitation to businesses, and taking steps to address their grievances.
RCCI President Saqib Rafiq said that RCCI was making efforts to promote business activities in the country, enhancing exports, and developing linkages with foreign trading partners in different sectors, particularly the IT sector.
He further stressed upon continuation of policies for promotion of industrialization in the country, besides attracting foreign investors to invest in Pakistan.
Earlier, the president distributed the RCCI awards among the highest taxpayers from the business community in different sectors, including retail, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, travel, construction, steel, poultry, and import sectors.
PEMRA makes NOC compulsory for pvt housing societies to run ads on TV channels
ISLAMABAD, Dec 12 (APP):The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday made it mandatory for private housing societies to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOC) before running any advertisement on TV Channels.
The decision to this effect was taken during the 175th meeting of the authority chaired by its Chairman Muhammad Saleem Baig, said a news release.
The meeting, which reviewed implementation of the decisions taken in its 174th session, approved amendment in the TV Broadcast Regulations about airing of advertisements of the private housing societies and other related projects on the Television Channels.
Under the amended regulations, it is mandatory (for the developers) to fulfil all rules and regulations and get an NOC from the relevant development authority before seeking a permission from PEMRA for running ads of housing projects.
It said disciplinary actions would be taken against the housing projects who would run the advertisement campaigns without obtaining NOC from the authority.
Moreover, the meeting approved the request for change in the management and the inclusion of new directors and shareholders in FM radio of M/s Public Media Entertainment Solution (PVT) Ltd.
The authority also accorded approval for the issuance of non-commercial FM radio licenses to the Primary and Secondary Health Departments in Lahore.
The authority after approving the request of changing the language of satellite TV channels 11 HD of M/s Galaxy Broadcasting Network (PVT) Ltd had allowed its broadcasting in Sindhi language.
The authority approved the request of M/s Open Media Marketing (PVT) Ltd for renewal of landing rights to the foreign satellite TV Channel DW.
The meeting among others was attended by Federal Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Shahera Shahid, Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Asim Ahmad, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman Major General (R) Amir Azeem Bajwa, Member Federal Capital Syed Abu Zar Peerzada and Member Balochistan Farah Azeem Shah.
