ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): Minister for Petroleum and Natural resources Shahid Khaqan Abassi on Tuesday said matter of panama papers was sub-judice and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should wait for the decision of Supreme Court.
SC was a highest legal forum of the country and the case has been proceeding there so opposition should wait its verdict, he added.
Talking to a private TV channel , he said PTI hade failed to present
any evidence regarding the case before the apex court but they makes noise on media every
day.
The minister said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz sharif had presented him and his family for accountability after issued Panama Papers and he still stand on his day one stance.
The prime minister had submitted his tex returns in election commission of Pakistan (ECP) more than one time.
He said PTI not serious in accountability but they just wanted the resignation of the prime minister.
To a question, he said people of the country had rejected the politics of PTI and its all baseless allegations against the prime minister and results of all type of elections including AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan,cantonment,bye and local bodies were witnessed in this regard.
PTI should wait verdict of SC on Panama Papers case: Khaqan
Land acquisition process to upgrade existing road section from Zhob to Quetta starts
ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): National Highway Authority (NHA) has started land acquisition process for upgradation of existing road section from Zhob to Quetta into four lanes facility under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The existing road section from Zhob to Quetta is 231 km long and is in fairly good condition (two lane carriageway).
Sources at Planning and Development Division on Tuesday said 235 km road section from Yarik (D.I.Khan) to Zhob will also be dualized under CPEC which is a route to connect China with Pakistan all way to Gwadar.
The official sources said design has been completed and PC-I is being
forwarded to Planning Commission for soliciting approval. Out of this 235 km, widening of 81 km Mughal Kot to Zhob section has already started with Asian Development Bank (ADB) financial assistance.
Moreover, the sources said construction activities on Western Route of CPEC have commenced already. The total length of Western route is around 2500 km, out of which 790 km is common route from Khunjrab to Hakla. Road length from Hakla to Gwadar is 1710 km.
The design for dualization of 224 km road section from Quetta to Sorab is underway and would be finalized by April-2017, the sources said and added the Sorab-Hoshab section of N-85 is 449 km out of which 447 km has been asphalted.
The road from Hakla to Yarik (D.I.Khan) agreed in All Parties Conference (APC) on May 28, 2016 is altogether a new alignment comprising of a 285 km, 4-lane Motorway. The project is divided in five sections for early completion. The construction activities on the project have commenced since September-2016.
The sources said the last section of Western route from Hoshab to Gwadar (193 km) is already completed and inaugurated by Prime Minister in February-2016, which has made western route functional.
FBR clarifies erroneous news reports about court case
ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Tuesday clarified that the reports published in a section of press on Supreme Court proceedings with reference to CIT Sukkur versus M/s Prudential Investment Bank Limited are somewhat exaggerated and convey an erroneous impression.
“Reports published in some English and Urdu daily newspapers about proceedings on 5th December 2016 in Hon’ble Supreme Court of Pakistan in a hearing in the case titled CIT Sukkur versus M/s Prudential Investment Bank Limited with reference to proposed disciplinary action against a senior officer are somewhat exaggerated and convey an erroneous impression,” said the FBR statement issued here on Tuesday.
The aspersions cast on the prime minister’s office through the aforementioned reports for keeping the case file pending for five months are factually incorrect and misleading, it added.
The actual position is that a summary for approval of the prime minister has been sent to Establishment Division and the Summary is still to be submitted to the prime minister for taking final decision in the matter.
It further clarified that contrary to the press reports the Additional Attorney General did not submit before the Supreme Court that the officer has been charge-sheeted and the summary sent by the FBR is pending in the Prime Minister’s office for appointing an inquiry officer.
Neither the FBR nor the Additional Attorney General submitted that any summary in the matter is pending in the prime minister’s office.
Furthermore, it is stated that the media reports claiming that the Justice Amir Hani Muslim hinted at summoning the Secretary Establishment Division and Chairman, FBR for explanation over delay in initiation of disciplinary action against the officer are also misconceived.
Chief Editor ToO meets Pak envoy
ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): Chief Editor Times of Oman Scott Armstrong met Pakistan Ambassador Ali Javed and discussed matters of mutual interest.
Ambassador praised the longstanding relationship between the mission and Times of Oman.
The two sides also discussed new venues of cooperation especially focusing on mission’s public diplomacy initiatives and salient achievements of young Pakistani students as well as activities undertaken by Pakistani Social Club and community members to promote the bonds of friendship with Oman, a message received here Tuesday said.
Armstrong welcomed the contributions of Pakistani community in Oman and praised the achievements by the Pakistani youth in fields of sports, arts and academics.
He said the Times of Oman would partner with the mission to accord appropriate coverage to the substantive number of over quarter million Pakistanis, 3rd highest in the Sultanate.
The ambassador also briefed him on the strength and status of bilateral relations as well as salient prospective activities and presented a copy of inaugural edition of the Embassy’s Newsletter.
Imran twisting court’s observations : Saad Rafique
ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): Minister for Railways, Saad Rafique on Tuesday said Chairman, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Imran Khan is habitual of twisting court’s observations but he would not succeed in misleading people of Pakistan.
In his reaction on Imran Khan’s press talk here, he said the apex court should question Imran Khan for distorting its observations.
PTI Chief, while wearing black glasses, talks to media in an irrelevant and ridiculous manner, he added.
He termed Imran Khan’s talk as “trivial and shameful pack of lies,” saying that while raising fingers at others, he (Imran Khan) himself is involved in all kinds of moral crimes.
Saad Rafique said Panama Papers drama will sink politics of the PTI.
Local bodies serve as nurseries for national leadership: PM
ISLAMABAD Dec 6 ( APP): Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Tuesday
said democracy could not flourish without well functional local bodies
as they serve as nurseries for national leadership.
He was chairing a meeting of the provincial leaders of PML-N Punjab here at the PM House.
The political leaders of PML-N briefed the Prime Minister about the election of Mayors and Deputy Mayors following the local body elections in the Province.
The Prime Minister said the local bodies provide trained and well versed leadership at the provincial level and later for the national level, a statement from the PM House said.
The meeting was attended Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad
Asif, Minister for Interior Ch Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Railway Khawaja Saad Rafique.
The other participants included Senator Pervez Rashid, SAPM Dr Asif Kirmani, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif MNA, Minister for Labour Punjab
Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Minister for Law Punjab Rana Sana Ullah Khan,
Minister for P&D Punjab Malik Nadeem Kamran, Minister for Local Govt
Punjab Mansha Ullah Butt, Senator Saud Majeed, Mehar Ishtiaq Ahmed
MNA, Muhammad Pervez Malik MNA and Sami Ullah Khan.
UN Security Council fails to adopt resolution calling for ceasefire in Aleppo
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 6 (APP): Russia and China have vetoed a draft resolution at the UN Security Council that called for a seven-day ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach people trapped in Syria’s embattled city of Aleppo.
The draft in the 15-member Council received 11 in favour, to three against (China, Russia), with Angola abstaining.
Before the vote, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the text infringed the council rule allowing countries 24 hours to consider the final wording.
He said the council needs more time to take into account new circumstances in Syria and to reach consensus on a resolution that can contribute to improving humanitarian in Syria, particularly in Aleppo.
US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Michele Sison, accused Russia of using a “made-up alibi”, saying Russia wanted to preserve recent military gains by Syrian government troops in Aleppo.
The Syrian army is reported to have seized more parts of rebel-held east Aleppo.
Monday’s outcome followed the Council’s unsuccessful attempts on Oct. 8 to act on ending the bloodshed in Syria’s besieged eastern Aleppo. the Council voted on two resolutions, the one proposed by France and Spain and the other tabled by Russia.
The draft resolution tabled Monday would have had the Council “decide that all parties to the Syrian conflict shall cease, 24 hours after the adoption of this resolution, any and all attacks in the city of Aleppo, including with any weapons, including rockets, mortars, and anti-tank guided missiles, and including shelling and airstrikes, to allow urgent humanitarian needs to be addressed for a period of seven days.”
It would also have had the Council “expresses its intention to consider further extensions for seven-day periods on a recurring basis, and demands that all parties allow and facilitate immediate, safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to all of Aleppo by the United Nations and its implementing partners.”
According to Dec. 5 situation report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
Hostilities continued over the last 48 hours, but no additional displacement was reported on 3 and 4 December. An estimated 31,500 people from eastern Aleppo remained displaced within the entire city throughout the last six days.
On 5 December, three NGOs in eastern Aleppo suspended all their health and nutrition activities. This decision follows the killing of one humanitarian staff and the attack on an NGO warehouse.
In western Aleppo, poor living conditions in the cotton factory shelter have prompted the vast majority of 10,000 IDPs accommodated there to leave the shelter, and most of them now stay with family and acquaintances elsewhere in western Aleppo or in northern rural Aleppo.
With the onset of winter, insufficient and inadequate shelter space is currently the biggest issue faced by IDPs. In addition, the need for more food distribution, particularly hot meals, and ready to eat meals, proper health care, especially for children, and increased protection requirements have been noted.
With its plans to deliver assistance to besieged eastern Aleppo approved by the Government of Syria under the December convoy plan, the UN stands ready as soon as security and access guarantees can be obtained from all parties to the conflict. The UN will also provide humanitarian assistance to Kurdish-controlled Sheikh Maqsoud provided it receives authorization to do so in the light of complex security and bureaucratic procedures.
SC adjourns hearing of NAB voluntary return, plea bargain case till January
ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): The Supreme Court Tuesday adjourned hearing of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) voluntary return and plea bargain case till first week of January.
The Court also directed the Attorney General for Pakistan to submit progress report in the case.
A division bench of the court headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali heard the suo moto case.
During the course of proceedings, Prosecutor General NAB, Waqas Qadeer Dar appeared before the court and informed that the boundary of the bureau’s authority had been changing according to NAB Ordinance 1999.
He said that if a small number of eight to ten people involved in
corruption cases of Rs 500 million to Rs 1000 million amount could be acquitted.
The court directed the Attorney General and Prosecutor General NAB to complete the process of legislation to improve NAB laws.
Justice, Amir Hani Muslim remarked that NAB took action against Patwaris or civil servants involved in minor corruption.
He remarked that the question was that the issue of plea bargain should be subject to the approval of the court.
The court sought progress report in the case and adjourned hearing of
the case.
Education minister meets AFAQ delegation
ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): Minister of State for Education Engr Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman Tuesday met the delegation of Association for Academic Quality (AFAQ).
The minister discussed the agenda of collaboration between AFAQ and Academy for education planing and management (AEPAM) regarding training, a news release issued here on Tuesday said.
Representative from AFAQ showed keen interest in training of teachers, staff members of Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) and other such departments working under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.
AFAQ is an independent, non profit organization dedicated to improving education in Pakistan.
AFAQ has a vision to improve the literacy rate in Pakistan through a diverse range of services: curriculum development, textbooks and children’s publications, model school development, teacher training, youth promotion, career counseling and student assessment and evaluation.
Meeting was attended by Federal Secretary Haseeb Athar, JEA Rafiq Tahir, Dawood Shah from AEPAM, Ameer Zeb from AFAQ and other officials.
PTI lawyers repeating old pleas, narrating old stories in SC: Marriyum Aurangzeb
ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): Minister of State for Information Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb Tuesday said
that Imran Khan’s lawyers were repeating old pleas, and narrating old
stories in the Panama Papers case in the Supreme Court.
Speaking to media persons here,the minister said that Imran
Khan should once again change his lawyers who failed to produce any
evidence in the court today.
She advised Imran to reconsider Panama Papers case which was
based on baseless allegations and lies and withdraw the petition
from the Supreme Court.
The minister said that the PML-N has provided concrete proofs
and documents in the court which reflect complete truth.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “the honourable judges have time and
again asked the PTI lawyers to present the evidence on the basis of
which they were demanding resignation of the elected prime
minister, but they have failed to produce any evidence”.
She said that Imran holds press conferences in Bani Gala daily
and himself becomes the prosecution and judge and levels baseless
allegations without evidence. The minister was of the view that
tomorrow, a new lawyer will come to represent Imran Khan and relaunch the journey of lies and allegations, as their case is based only on lies and baseless allegations.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the PTI was trying to mislead the
nation by their baseless allegations.
She urged PTI chairman to pay attention to Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw
where people have been waiting for him to deliver. She disclosed that
the federal government has decided not to leave the people of KPK at
the mercy of liars and execute development projects like other
provinces.
Imran Khan says that he will deliver when he comes to power, but he should remember that he was in power in KPK province, she remarked.