ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): In the wake of PIA ATR incident,the Prime Minister has directed all authorities concerned to immediately reach the site and start rescue and relief operations.
PIA has been directed to establish information centres at Chitral and Islamabad airports for the families and all concerned, said a press release of the PM House issued here Wednesday.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): In order to provide information about the PIA flight PK-661 victims to people, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government Wednesday established six information centers at various locations in the province.
The information centers include Deputy Commissioner Abbotabad Phone No (0992) 9310200 and (0992) 9310201, Deputy Commissioner Haripur Phone No (0995) 613391, District Police Officer Chitral Phone No (0943) 412077 and (0943) 412505, Deputy Commissioner Chitral Phone No (0943) 412055 and (0943) 412519, PIA Chitral Phone No (0493) 412547 and (0943) 412863 and PIA Peshawar Phone No (091) 9212567.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): The Supreme Court Wednesday adjourned hearing of the four identical petitions filed by PTI and others seeking investigation into the Panama Papers till Friday (Dec 9).
The apex court asked the counsels to consult with their clients whether they would prefer a commission to be formed to probe the case further or to have the court make decisions.
The chief justice remarked that incomplete evidence had been submitted before the court. “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Counsel Naeem Bukhari has submitted documents, downloaded from the internet. Such documents are not admissible evidence,” he observed.
PTI counsel Naeem Bukhari has sought time to submit opinion regarding formation of judicial commission to probe the Panama Papers case.
A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan heard the case.
During the course of proceedings, Salman Aslam Butt counsel for the prime minister appeared before the court and resumed his arguments in the case.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed asked Salman Butt that when did the prime minister buy the land for Maryam Nawaz and when did she pay back the money for the property to her father.
The father paid the money to the daughter as a gift, which she returned to him in lieu of the land, he observed.
He also asked the prime minister’s counsel to inform the court about the residential address of Maryam Nawaz.
Salman Butt replied that Maryam Nawaz lived in Jati Umra with other family members.
Salman Butt said that the PTI had mixed up arrears/liabilities with assets.
Justice Khosa remarked that recording of proof and evidence was not the court’s job and an inquiry commission had to be formed to scrutinize the documents for which all options were open.
Justice Azmat Saeed remarked that PTI argued that the trustee of the company should pay tax properly to which the prime minister’s counsel said that no tax was being paid for offshore company, because if such had been the case, there would have been no offshore company.
Salman Butt said that there were dozens of files in his office and Panama Papers had no legal or certified status. He said that according to the PTI the liabilities of Dubai Mill was 36 million dirhams, while its lawyer Naeem Bukhari put the amount at two million in electricity dues which were paid off in installments.
Justice Azmat asked who paid the installments. Butt replied that Tariq Shafi paid all the installments.
Justice Azmat Saeed asked if the mill was running in losses and was sold, how the arrears were paid. Salman Butt replied that how a 40-year old record could be produced, as Dubai’s banks do not keep record for more than five years. The record of our companies was sealed and taken into possession after the 1999 martial law, he argued.
Justice Amir Hani Muslim remarked that little arguments are being given in the court, but much more are being given in the media. The courts would make the decision about the case on the basis of documents that were before it.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow over tragic crash of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane, destined to Islamabad from Chitral.
In a message issued here, he expressed sympathies with grief-stricken families and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude.
Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Interior, Rehman Malik also expressed grief and sorrow over loss of lives in PIA’s ATR plane crash near Havelian (Abbottabad).
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)’s Quarterly
Performance Review for Q3CY16 Wednesday said banking sector remained sound and stable.
A SBP statement said it has released its Quarterly Performance Review (QPR) of the banking sector for the quarter ended September 30, 2016
(Q3CY16).
The SBP said in terms of the QPR, banking sector has remained in sound and stable state during the reviewed quarter.
The solvency profile of the banking sector has strengthened as Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) has improved to 16.8 percent, while profit after tax has stood at Rs 138.9 billion for the first nine months of CY 2016.
The report highlights that the asset base of the banking sector has registered a decrease of 1.6 percent.
The reviewed quarter is marked with seasonal decline in gross advances by 2.3 percent on account of net retirement by private sector and commodity operation financing.
Textile, sugar, cement, agribusiness, and chemical and pharmaceutical
sectors have observed net retirement while production and transmission of energy sector has revealed positive financing demand. Banks’ investments have fallen by 2.5 percent during Q3CY16 .
Deposits of the banking sector, after observing some deceleration in
recent past, have inched up by 0.6 percent which is in contrast to fall of deposits usually seen in the third quarter of a calendar year.
The rise in deposits is due to lower decline in current deposits and
higher growth in saving and fixed deposits.
During the reviewed quarter, Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) have
observed marginal decline, though, NPLs to gross advances ratio has slightly increased.
The ratio has inched up by 20 bps to 11.3 percent as of September 30,
2016 but entirely on account of decline in seasonal financing activity.
The coverage ratio, provisions to NPLs, has, on the other hand, improved by 30 bps to reach 82.7 percent as of September 30, 2016.
The dip in interest margins and rising costs has narrowed the Year-to-Date profitability of the banking sector.
As a result, return on assets has declined to 2.1 percent as compared
to 2.2 percent in Q2CY16 and 2.6 percent in Q3CY15. However, strong solvency remains intact as CAR has further strengthened by 70 bps to reach 16.8 percent as of September 30, 2016.
The Quarterly Performance Review can be accessed at URL: http://www.sbp.org.pk/publications/q_reviews/2016/Jul-Sep.pdf
BEIJING, Dec 07 (APP): A women delegation from the Embassy of Pakistan, headed by Sonia Masood, wife of the Ambassador of Pakistan to China, on Wednesday visited New Day Foster Home in Beijing.
Speaking on the occasion, Sonia Masood said that we are lucky to be able to spare our efforts and time for care of those in need. She along with Embassy ladies showed keen interest in observing the facility and spent some quality time with the children.
The efforts of Pakistan Embassy College in Beijing in arranging the much needed gifts for the children were also appreciated by the Chinese institution.
Briefing about the Foster Home, Ms. Karen Brenneman, Director of the
institution stated that it was formally established in 2000 for mentally and physically handicapped who grow up without the nurturing hands of parents.
The aim of the Foster Home is thus to alleviate their sufferings by providing them with care and hope.
The director also highlighted the role of foreign volunteers and donors
in helping run the foster home.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): President Mamnoon Hussain on Wednesday said the nation’s decision, once given through vote, must be whole-heartedly accepted and respected by all segments of society.
“The administration should ensure implementation of the ‘sacred verdict’ of the people with great sincerity and remove every obstacle in the way,” the President said at a ceremony to mark National Voters Day, organized by Election Commission of Pakistan here at the Aiwan-e-Sadar.
The President said whenever an opportunity arises, the people should exercise their right of vote without any inducement, coercion or negative thought and with the intention of furthering national objectives.
“We are well aware of the losses as a result of deviating from this principle and world’s history is full of such ugly examples,” he said.
President Mamnoon welcomed holding of National Voters Day on December 7, the anniversary of Pakistan’s first general election to highlight the importance, efficacy and sanctity of vote to strengthen the country’s democratic foundations.
He said in Islamic concept, vote is considered a sacred duty because the Quran and Sunnah guide about making decisions with consultation and handing over responsibility to those capable of it.
The President said the basis of independent, impartial and transparent elections in the country lied in the maturity of peoples’ consciousness, the first step of which was registering their names in the voter list with great responsibility.
He expressed satisfaction that Election Commission of Pakistan had set up voter education committees at district level to ensure correct registration of votes and educate people about the importance of vote.
He proposed for the committees to also impart training on the correct use of vote in addition to their responsibility of ensuring accurate voters’ registration to make electoral system more effective.
He suggested Election Commission to develop a consensus code of conduct in consultation with all political parties in the country, which should enjoy the status of a national document.
President Mamnoon said an independent and self- sufficient Election Commission was important in holding free and transparent elections.
He said the priorities of the government in this regard were correct and expressed confidence that it would continue to fully cooperate with the Election Commission in future.
Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan in his speech highlighted various initiatives taken by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in order to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in future.
Justice Raza said Election Commission had established an independent Monitoring Wing for which the federal government had granted approval for creation of 141 new posts.
He said on the recommendation of Inquiry Commission, the ECP not only established a permanent Federal Election Academy but also trained its officers to perform duties in befitting manner.
He mentioned that Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms were working on the improvement of existing electoral system and remove discrepancies in electoral system.
Justice Raza said the ECP had completed the process of verification of electoral rolls in October 2016, which were complete in all aspects and would be used for general elections.
Also, a tender has been floated to purchase 400 electronic voting machines to pilot test them in the bye- elections on experimental basis, he added.
Giving statistics, Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad said 102.87 million CNICs had been issued by NADRA so far, while total registered voters were 97.01 million including 54.50 million male and 42.42 million female voters.
He said about 2.56 million people had CNICs but were not registered as voters, whereas 190,000 persons with disabilities would be made part of electoral process.
He said ECP’s five-year Strategic Plan contained 13 goals and 162 objectives, mainly aimed at providing better services to voters and encourage women to get registered as voters.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rehman Wednesday said lawyers of Sharif family had presented all documented evidences before the Supreme Court in Panama Papers case.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Naeem Bukhari was unable to present any evidence before the apex court on Panama Papers issue, she said speaking in a TV programme.
The minister said PTI had levelled baseless corruption allegations against the prime minister but it had failed to prove it before the court. There was no truth in PTI’s allegations against the prime minister, she added.
She said PTI should present evidences of its allegations against the prime minister before the court.
She expressed profound grief and sorrow over the death of well known personality, Junaid Jamshed. She said Junaid Jamshed was a great loss to the country, who had gone to Chitral for preaching Islam.
She prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude.
The minister said that she had travelled with Junaid Jamshed and observed him a humble and kind man.
She said Junaid Jamshed had recited several naats which were appreciated by his fans across the world.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): President Mamnoon Hussain has stated that Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) deserved commendation for strengthening the country’s civil aviation sector and having brought it at par with other civil aviation authorities of the world.
“I am confident PCAA will succeed in meeting future challenges and earn an eminent place in the international aviation sector,” he said in his message on the occasion of 34th anniversary of PCAA and the International Civil Aviation Day being observed on Wednesday (December 7).
The president felicitated the Director General and staff of PCAA on this auspicious occasion and hoped that this national organization will attain greater heights in the future.
“The aviation industry plays a key role in providing convenient, speedy and safe mode of transportation and holds a critical place in the economy by virtue of its valuable contribution towards generation of thousands of job opportunities and facilitating businesses,” he added.
The president further said it was heartening to know that PCAA was cognizant of both national and international obligations and was constantly striving to improve its standards.
“Pakistan happens to be an important country on the world aviation map and many international operators rely on PCAA’s expertise in the operation of their air carriers across Pakistan’s air space,” he added.
He said as Pakistan offered the best air navigation and airport facilities to both airline operators and users, he was hopeful that our knowledge and experience will further increase in the future to better serve the people and operators.
The president wished the PCAA every success in its endeavors to modernize aviation industry of Pakistan to play greater role in socio-economic betterment of the country.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): Mushaal Hussein Malick, wife of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chief Muhammad Yasin Malik, Wednesday said the Indian atrocities were increasing day by day on her husband.
Talking to APP, she denounced the continued detention of Muhammad Yasin Malik, terming the action as acceptance of political defeat by the puppet authorities.
She also condemned mistreatment of her husband by the Indian authorities.
Mushaal said Indian forces arrested Muhammad Yasin Malik to prevent him from leading a pro-freedom march in Srinagar.
She said her husband was arrested outside the shrine of Dastgeer Sahab (RA) in Sara-e-Bala locality of Srinagar after he tried to march towards Lal Chowk.
Yasin Malik who was admitted to the hospital in October after his health deteriorated in the jail was shifted back to Srinagar Central Jail few days ago and now again forces had arrested him, Mushaal added.
She said chairman JKLF was under illegal detention since July 9, a day after the extra-judicial killing of youth leader, Burhan Wani, by Indian troops.
She urged United Nations and world’s human rights bodies to take action against Indian forces.
She demanded the Indian government to allow her husband to carry his
political activities.
Yasin Malik, who was one of the resistance leaders spearheading the ongoing uprising in this Himalayan region, was shifted to hospital after his right arm swelled because of some CT scan procedural injection failure.
The injection failure had caused a severe infection and swelling in his arm, she said adding Malik suffered high fever for many days.
She said Yasin Malik still remained on high antibiotics and had kidney stone problems.
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