ISLAMABAD, June 24 (APP): Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf on
Friday directed all the concerned departments and ministries to
ensure compliance of the International treaties and conventions
signed by the country from time to time.

According to a press release Ashtar Ausaf while addressing a
marathon session attended by Federal and Provincial Secretaries and
representatives of foreign office said compliance of all the treaties and conventions be ensured.

The meeting was also attended by Mr I A Rehman and ILO chief
in Pakistan.

RAWALPINDI, June 24 (APP): British High Commissioner to
Pakistan Thomas Drew CMG, on Friday called on Chief of Army Staff
General Raheel Sharif, at GHQ.

According to ISPR, matters of mutual interest and regional security
came under discussion.

ISLAMABAD, June 24 (APP): National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Major General Asghar Nawaz has stressed urgent need of addressing the shortfalls, further improvement of Community Early Warning Systems (EWS) in vulnerable areas of flash floods.

“The Chairman NDMA while appreciating the efforts, emphasized urgent
need of addressing the shortfalls, further improvement of Community Early Warning Systems (EWS) in vulnerable areas of flash floods & GLOF, timely stockpiling of required relief items especially at district level and completion of ongoing flood protection schemes beside a need for continuous and vigilant monitoring of Flood Situation.”

Chairing a meeting of NDMA officials and representatives of
PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FDMA, he directed to ensure storage of wheat, early procurement of additional rescue equipment to ensure prepositioning of earth moving machinery at critical bridges and road sections, sufficient stocks especially in the vulnerable areas of Malakand and Hazara divisions, and enhancement of measures against rains in TDP camps.

DG PDMA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amir Affaq and Director Operations
FDMA briefed the NDMA Chairman on preparations for monsoon 2016, existing gaps and preventive measures undertaken based on past experiences and state of preparedness of all relevant departments.

The NDMA Chairman had a detailed meeting with Chief Secretary
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amjad Ali Khan wherein need for efficient surveillance of ground situation before and during emergencies was stressed.

Discussions also included operational matters as related to
the disaster management at provisional level.
The NDMA Chairman assured all possible support to the provincial authorities.

It may be mentioned that National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has already initiated consultations and coordination with all the stakeholders, provincial/regional and state Disaster Management Authorities (DMAs) and all related departments to cope with any emergency.

The comprehensive process closely supervised by the NDMA
Chairman culminated into the National Monsoon Preparedness Conference held on June 9 at Islamabad resulted formulation of a National Monsoon Contingency Response Directive 2016.

In order to consolidate efforts, series of consultative meetings commenced.

ISLAMABAD, June 24 (APP): The President on Friday granted
assent to the Finance Act, 2016, Spokesman of Federal Board of
Revenue (FBR) said.

A Spokesman highlighting the provisions of the sales Tax Act,
1990 and the Federal Excise Act,2005 would, therefore, become applicable from June 25.

He said that Finance Act, 2016 has provided that certain provisions thereof shall come into force from the day next following the assent of the President to the Act.

The Spokesman said that under Finance Act, 2016, Sales Tax on
Sugar – Sugar was exempt from sales tax whereas it was chargeable to
FED @ 8%.

Through the Finance Act, 2016, exemption of sales tax from
sugar has been withdrawn.

Moreover, FED on sugar has also been abolished. Now sugar is chargeable to sales tax at the reduced rate of 8%.

Pesticides and their active ingredients were chargeable to sales
tax @ 7%. Through the Finance Act, 2016 pesticides and
their active ingredients have been granted exemption from sales tax.

Agriculture Tractors were chargeable to sales tax @ 10%.
Through the Finance Act, 2016 the rate of sales tax on
agriculture tractors has been reduced to 5%.

He said that Urea Fertilizer was chargeable to sales tax
at the standard rate of 17%. Through Finance Act, 2016 urea
fertilizer will now be chargeable to sales tax @ 5%.

The Spokesman said that under the Finance Act 2016, The rate
of sales tax on Category “B” and Category “C” mobile phones
has been increased from Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1000 and
Rs. 1500 respectively.

Similarly, he said that aerated waters and beverages were
charged to FED @ 10.5%. Through Finance Act, 2016 the rate of FED
on aerated waters & beverages has been increased to 11.5%.

The Cement, he said was chargeable to FED @ 5%. Through
Finance Act, 2016 cement is now chargeable to FED @ Rs. 1 per kg.

The FBR Spokesman said that all the concerned taxpayers
were therefore requested to charge and pay sales tax at the new
rates given above with effect from June 25,2016.

MOHMAND AGENCY, June 24 (APP): Tribal elders of 50 different clans of Mohmand Agency on Friday assured support to the government and political administration in maintaining writ of the government, peace and order.

In a Jirga held here with political administration, they said the tribal militia would take action against those who would be found guilty of unrest in the area, adding the government should also have to ensure conducive law and order situation so that the displace persons could return home.

The tribal elders said they would protect their own villages and areas against any criminal or anti state activities and would take action in collaboration with political administration and security forces.

They told that villages on border areas are free from anti state elements, however disputes among the local clans sometimes create untoward situation, suggesting that political administration should have to take action them.

The elder said peace and order is established in villages on border areas and whole all the tribes are united to see prosperity and development in their respective areas. They said that hundreds of families Mohmand tribes are still residing in Punjab and Peshawar as their houses have been destroyed and poor people cannot afford to rebuild the structure.

Speaking on the occasion, Assistant Political Agency Pir Abdullah Shah said the political administration would take every possible step to facilitate displace families in resettlement however the tribal elders would have to take responsibility to ensure peace in their areas.

He appealed the displaced families to come back to their native towns and assured that political administration would provide full security to the displaced families.

Later, it was decided that a grand Jirga of all tribal elders and notables would be convened after Eid to take various important decisions for maintaining peace and carrying out development activities.

ISLAMABAD, Jun 24 (APP): Minister for National Health
Services, Regulation and Coordination, Saira Afzal Tarar on Friday
suggested to hire services of international nursing experts in order to review and improve the nursing sector in the country.

Chairing a high level meeting with officials of Pakistan
Nursing Council (PNC), she said with expertise of international
experts, country’s nursing sector could be improved as per international best practices.

She strongly emphasized on making the necessary arrangement
of previous audit reviews and to arrange brainstorming meetings for expanding the vision of the council.

She assured that the ministry will be ready to provide any
technical guidance regarding the strengthening of nursing and midwifery education and related manpower planning in Pakistan.

Earlier, the minister was briefed about the current
prevailing registration, managerial and administrative issues in Pakistan Nursing Council by President PNC on which she strongly emphasized on merit based recruitments and administrative reforms at PNC.

The purpose of meeting was to brief the minister about
National Consultative Meeting on the Nursing Vision 2025, in
line with the National health vision, which was held on June 2 in Karachi with the aim of formulating a National Nursing and Midwifery Strategy to guide the development of the future role of nursing and midwifery in the provision and improvement of health services in the country.

Pakistan would be the first country in the WHO Eastern
Mediterranean Region (EMRO) to start working on the National Strategic Plan for Nursing and Midwifery development, following the recent publication of EMRO’s Action Framework for strengthening nursing and midwifery in the region 2016 2025.

Director General Health Dr Assad Hafeez, President PNC Dr
Rafat Jan and other senior officials attended the meeting.