TANDO MUHAMMAD KHAN: January 18 –
Central Leader Pakistan People’s Party Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari addressing the Rally during Election Campaign
TANDO MUHAMMAD KHAN: January 18 –
Iran’s strikes in Pakistani territory seriously violates UN Charter principles: Chinese analyst
BEIJING, Jan 18 (APP):: Iran’s use of drones and missiles to strike targets of the “terrorist organization has caused casualties of Pakistani civilians, which is a clear violation of the territory and airspace of a sovereign country and seriously violates the principles of the United Nations Charter, Cheng Xizhong, Professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law said on Thursday.
“To this end, Pakistan has responded strongly and conducted precise military strikes on terrorist hideouts within Iran using drones and missiles,” he said in an article published by Asia Pacific Daily.
He opined that in fact, in recent years, Iran and Pakistan had been committed to developing cooperation in various fields, including defence and security.
“The cross-border anti-terrorism incidents implemented by the two countries will inevitably affect the development process of their cooperation. If not handled properly, it may even affect regional peace and stability,” he added.
Prof Cheng said,”Both Pakistan and Iran are Islamic powers in the region. At this time, both sides should remain calm and restrained, avoid taking further actions that may escalate tensions, and jointly maintain regional peace and stability.”
In addition, he said, “since terrorist organizations use the opposite side of the border as their hiding place, it may be beneficial for both countries to have in-depth discussions and close cooperation on joint anti-terrorism operations and cross-border counter-terrorism operations, which will be beneficial for both countries to achieve substantial results in counter-terrorism”.
SECP registered 2,095 companies in December 2023
ISLAMABAD, Jan 18 (APP): The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered some 2,095 new companies in December 2023, bringing the total number to 209,604.
“The total capitalization for the newly incorporated companies is Rs 2.6 billion,” an SECP news release said on Thursday.
“Around 57% of Pakistani companies are private limited companies, with 41% being single member companies. The remaining 2% are public unlisted companies, not for profit associations, limited liability partnerships, and foreign companies,” it added.
Three foreign companies had established businesses in Pakistan, with 99 foreign applicants registered through eServices.
The trading sector took the lead with incorporation of 288 companies, followed by information technology with 286, services with 238, real estate development and construction with 220, education with 107, tourism with 98, food and beverages with 80, ecommerce with 66, marketing and advertisement with 51, power generation with 47, textile with 44, corporate agricultural farming with 43, mining and quarrying with 41, healthcare with 40, chemical with 39, transport with 38, pharmaceutical with 37, engineering with 35, fuel and energy with 34, cosmetics and toiletries with 32, lodging with 24, communication with 19, paper and board with 14, broadcasting and telecasting with 13, and cables and electrical goods with 10.
Some 151 companies were registered in other sectors, the SECP said.
The integration of SECP with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and provincial departments led to the registration of 2,036 companies for NTN registration, 56 with EOBI, 27 with PESSI/SESSI, and 31 with excise and taxation departments.
The SECP said,”Foreign investment in 62 new companies has been reported, with investors from Afghanistan, Australia, China, Denmark, El Salvador, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Mozambique, Nigeria, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.”
The major chunk of investment was received from China, followed by Afghanistan, US, Nigeria, Denmark, Germany, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, it added.
SNGPL’s teams available 24/7 to respond promptly to emergency complaints
ISLAMABAD, Jan 18 (APP):Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) well-equipped emergency teams are available 24/7 to respond promptly to emergency complaints from valued consumers.
Senior Officer of Media Affairs Shahid Akram made this statement in response to a gas blast incident in G-6/2, Islamabad, which resulted from a leakage in a consumer’s house line and tragically claimed two lives.
Expressing heartfelt sympathies, Akram offered condolences to the affected family and clarified that no complaints from G-6/2 were received on Wednesday at any of SNGPL’s complaint centers or the Call Center (1199). As a safety measure, gas supply to the affected house has been suspended, while SNGPL’s installations at the premises, including the gas meter and service pipe, were found intact.
In consideration of public safety, Shahid Akram urged SNGPL’s valued consumers to adopt all necessary precautionary measures while using gas facilities to prevent such unfortunate incidents in the future.
CTP gear up ongoing operation against unfit commercial vehicles
RAWALPINDI, Jan 18 (APP):City Traffic Police (CTP) Rawalpindi on the directives of Additional Inspector General of Traffic (AIGT) Punjab have geared up their ongoing operation against public service vehicles plying without fitness certificates and without route permits.
According to a CTP spokesman, City Traffic Officer (CTO) Rawalpindi Taimoor Khan also visited different areas and reviewed the ongoing crackdown under the supervision of circle officers and gave strict instructions to all the officers and field staff to take strict action against unfit vehicles.
The CTO said that negligence on part of the officers concerned would not be tolerated.
The spokesman informed that CTP Rawalpindi had issued 2895 challan slips to unfit and without route permit public service vehicles during January 1 to 16, while fines amounting to Rs 2895,000 were also imposed on the rules violators.
In view of the safety of the motorcyclists, 1872 challan tickets were also issued to those not wearing safety helmets. A large number of citizens were briefed about the importance of helmets, he added.
319 smoke-emitting vehicles were also issued challan tickets during the current month and 13 vehicles were impounded in the respective police stations and their fitness certificates were also sent to the authorities concerned for suspension, he added.
Power Theft: Mepco teams continue operations in harsh weather conditions, 2 arrested, Rs 35m recovered in a day
MULTAN, Jan 18 (APP):The teams of Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) continued operations against power pilferers and defaulters across south Punjab defying extreme cold and fog yielding the arrest of two power pilferers from Dera Ghazi Khan and ensuring recovery of over Rs 35 million from defaulters in a day on Wednesday (Jan 17), said an official release issued here Thursday.
Exactly 85 more power pilferers were spotted stealing electricity in a day in south Punjab and action initiated against them including 44 cases reported to police stations concerned for registration of FIRs, over Rs 4 million imposed as fine, and two of them arrested red-handed, the spokesman said.
Exactly 10 power pilferers faced Rs 585,525 fine in Multan Circle, nine violators faced Rs 321060 fine in DG Khan Circle, five consumers in Vehari (Rs 144970), fifteen consumers in Bahawalpur Circle (Rs 690,730), fifteen consumers in Sahiwal circle (Rs 1.39 million), eleven consumers in Rahim Yar Khan (Rs 247,500), eight consumers in Muzaffargarh (Rs 202,120), five consumers in Bahawalnagar circle (Rs 245,300), and seven consumers in Khanewal circle (Rs 206990).
A sum of over Rs 35 million was recovered from existing and chronic defaulters. During operations against agriculture consumers, two transformers were removed from Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalnagar and two connections were disconnected due to default of Rs 370,000. Two other agriculture consumers paid Rs 410,000 to get their connections restored, the release concluded.
Pakistan’s total liquid foreign reserves reach $ 13.145 billion
KARACHI, Jan 18 (APP): The total liquid foreign reserves of Pakistan stood at US$ 13,145.1 million while reserves held by State Bank reached
$ 8,027.4 million in the week ended on January 12, 2023.
The State Bank of Pakistan, in a statement issued here on Thursday, informed that SBP’s reserves decreased by $127 million to $8,027.4 million due to debt repayments during the week under review.
Meanwhile, net foreign reserves held by commercial banks stood at $5,117.7 million, it added.
Total liquid foreign reserves held by the country, in the previous week ended on January 05, 2023, were $13,256.6 million. Among them foreign reserves held by the central bank were $8,154.8 million while net foreign reserves held by commercial banks were $5,101.8 million.
8 fuel agencies, LPG decanting shops sealed
MUZAFFARGARH, Jan 18 (APP):A civil defense officer, leading an official team, sealed four fuel agencies and as many Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) decanting facilities here Thursday on charge of illegalities and improper safety arrangements.
In compliance with the orders of Deputy Commissioner Mian Usman Ali, the official team checked many fuel agencies and LPG decanting shops. Four fuel agencies were sealed after these were found to be operating illegally and their owners including Muhammad Nair, Muhammad Sajjad, Muhammad Sajjad s/o Allah Ditta, and another were named in the complaints filed with police for registration of FIRs.
Four LPG shops were also sealed after officials found that fire safety equipment was either absent or not functioning where available. Complaints have been filed with Rang Pur police for the registration of cases against owners including Muhammad Sibtain, Muhammad Amjad, Muzammil, and others.
Delegates from Africa arrive for 3rd Engineering Show in Lahore
Lahore, Jan 18 (APP):Around 50 delegates from Senegal, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are arriving here for the 3rd Engineering and Healthcare Show from Jan 18-20.
Business to business sessions and industry visits have been organized for these delegates, who are interested in agri machinery, cosmetics, kitchenware, construction, home appliances, surgicals and pharmaceutical products from Pakistan. On the 3rd day of exhibition, the delegates will also visit some industries.
As evidence of West African countries’ increasing interest in Pakistani agri machinery and pharmaceuticals, delegates from the African countries have been regularly attending the Engineering and Healthcare Show in Lahore since its first edition in 2022.
Meanwhile, in line with the persistent efforts of Pakistan’s High Commission in Tanzania for promoting trade and economic activities between Pakistan and Tanzania, an eight member business delegation from Tanzania is attending the show.
The delegation is being led by Ghulam Abbas Hirani, Chairperson, Tanzania-Pakistan Business Council. Other members of the delegation include Gilead John Teri, Executive Director, Tanzania Investment Centre; Dr. Vivian Timothy Wonanji, Principal Drug Registration Officer, Tanzania Medicine and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA); Iddi Kassim Iddi, Managing Director, IDDCON Investment Limited; Amran K. Batenga, Chairman, M/S Tetra M Express; Arfaan Ahmed Alwani, Managing Director, M/S Agrovision Ltd; Hasham Alwani, Procurement Officer, M/S Shellcrafts Ltd. and Anthony Mapande, Medical Specialist, Kamanga Medics Hospital.
The conference mainly focused on exploring ways to promote Pakistan’s trade relations with other countries including Tanzania. The conference also provided a good opportunity to the foreign delegates to interact with Pakistani exhibitors under one roof.
Observers urged to follow ECP issued code of conduct
PESHAWAR, Jan 18 (APP):Joint Provincial Election Commissioner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aziz Bahadar has urged the domestic observers to follow the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) during the process of the observation of the electoral process in the country.
He was addressing an awareness session for election observers regarding the Code of Conduct for the General Elections here on Thursday.
Director (Elections), Asif Ali Yasin, Deputy Director (Media Coordination), Sohail Ahmad, Deputy Director (Monitoring & Training), Mohammad Imran, Assistant Director (Protocol), Qaiser Khan and representatives of Gender & Disability Electoral Working Group also attended the session.
Aziz Bahadur highlighted the role of observers in conducting transparent elections. He said that registered organizations can apply for Accreditation Cards as per prevailing procedure.
On this occasion, the Director Elections Asif Ali Yasin gave a meticulous presentation on the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission and the related constitutional and legal framework and comprehensive and trusted steps for elections, including the election laws regarding the minority community and marginalized classes of the society.
The participants took keen interest in the session and asked various relevant questions which were answered while several women representatives also shared their experiences and presented suggestions.