Movie “Kazakh Khanate –Diamond Sword” screened at PNCA

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Wed, 31 Jan 2024, 10:47 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jan 31 (APP):The probationary officers of the 51st Common Training Programme (CTP) visited the Federal Board of Revenue headquarters on Wednesday as part of their pre-service training activities.

The batch comprised 236 officers including 92 female officers.

Upon arrival, the probationers were received warmly by officers of FBR and escorted to the auditorium for a briefing, said a press release issued here.

Member Administration Syed Nadeem Hussain Rizvi chaired the session which was also attended by Member Inland Revenue-Operations Mir Badshah Khan Wazir, Member Customs-Operations Dr. Farid Iqbal Qureshi and other senior officers of the Revenue Division.

On the occasion, the member administration briefed the visiting officers about the working, structure and functions of FBR.

He apprised them about the revenue collection system and various initiatives and interventions being undertaken to broaden the tax base to tap true tax potential for the betterment of the national economy.

He also informed about reform measures being introduced to transform FBR into a modern and dynamic organization. Rizvi also wished the probationers the best of luck in their future endeavours.

The probationary officers also visited different Wings of FBR for first-hand experience of working in the Division.

They evinced keen interest in the functioning of FBR and asked queries for the understanding of the tax administration.

Later, souvenirs were also distributed among the trainee officers.

Pakistan wants to lean from Saudi Arabia to develop Sovereign Wealth Fund: Shamshad

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Wed, 31 Jan 2024, 10:32 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jan 31 (APP): Caretaker Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Dr Shamshad Akhtar on Wednesday expressed the desire to learn from the best practices of Saudi Arabia in developing Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Fund to bring about financial boom in the country.

In a virtual meeting with the Investment Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Khalid Al- Falih, the minister praised the efforts of Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund which has brought financial boom in Saudi Arabia.

She emphasized that Pakistan wanted to learn from its best practices for developing Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Fund, which had been tasked with privatization of government assets in financial difficulty.

Dr Shamshad Akhtar, while highlighting the steps taken by caretaker government in bringing the financial stability, said that Pakistan had achieved macroeconomic stability and reversed the negativity, by building the confidence of bilateral and multilateral donors in International market.

She appreciated the efforts of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) which had played a positive role in ease of doing business and made implementation of projects a success.

She appreciated the continuous support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.

Lauding the efforts of cretaker government in bringing financial stability in Pakistan, Khalid Al-Falih stressed that existence of SIFC was critical to ensure continuity of projects during the transition of government.

He emphasized that both the countries were closely knit in religious ties and had strong cooperation which would be further enhanced in future.

He promised to create a linkage between the sovereign funds of both the countries.

Senate Committee discusses Amendment Bill 2024

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Wed, 31 Jan 2024, 10:28 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jan 31 (APP): The Senate’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Wednesday discussed the Constitution Amendment Bill 2024 (Amendment of Article 51).

The bill was introduced by senators Kauda Babar, Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, Naseebullah Bazai, Sana Jamali, and Danesh Kumar in the Senate on January 1.

Senator Danesh Kumar told the committee, which met Senator Ali Zafar in the chair, that the Constitution designated ten reserved seats for non-Muslims in the National Assembly, with the entire country as the constituency.

“This unrestricted geographical allocation allows political parties to nominate candidates freely, resulting in disproportionate representation favoring populous provinces,” he added.

The proposed amendment, he said, “seeks to rectify this by ensuring a minimum of one seat is allocated to each province, addressing the existing disparity”.

Following thorough discussions, the committee members unanimously supported the amendment, deeming it fair and equitable.

In response to legal concerns raised by Senator Kamran Murtaza on the matter, the chairman directed the Law Ministry and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to find out a way forward and also provide details of previous efforts to amend Article 51 of the Constitution.

Earlier, the members congratulated Senator Sania Nishtar for her appointment as the CEO of GAVI and Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayyed on his election as Vice President of IPU’s Human Rights Body.

The meeting was attended by senators Kamran Murtaza, Farooq Hamid Naek, Danesh Kumar and Walid Iqbal, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Law.

History of KP police full of sacrifices, gallantry: CM

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Wed, 31 Jan 2024, 10:23 PM

PESHAWAR, Jan 31 (APP): Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice (retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah said that the history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police is full of sacrifices.

“From police constables to higher officers, everyone has made sacrifices to protect the lives and properties of the general public. The entire nation is proud of the invaluable sacrifices of police,'” he said, adding that our police personnel are performing their duties with utmost dedication, bravery, courage and putting their own lives at risk.

“The way our police force is fighting against terrorism is matchless”, he remarked and added that the government and the entire nation stood by the police to eliminate this menace of terrorism.

This, he said while addressing the ceremony held here on Wednesday to pay tribute to the martyrs of the Police Lines blast. Caretaker Provincial Ministers Barrister Feroz Jamal Shah Kakakhel, Engineer Ahmed Jan, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur also addressed the ceremony.

The chief minister in his address, said that cowardly attacks of the enemy cannot demoralize the police force; morale of our police personnel is as high as ever and they are always ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the nation and country.

He maintained that law and order was the top priority of the caretaker provincial government, and it is taking all possible steps to facilitate the police force for this purpose, adding that issues being faced by the police force would be resolved and all their requirements would be fulfilled on a priority basis.

Apart from this, the provincial government will also bear the expenses incurred on the treatment of injured police personnel, he said and made it clear that directives to this effect have already been issued to relevant departments. The chief minister on this occasion, also announced to deposit of Rs 10 million for the Police Shuhada Welfare Fund.

The chief minister, during his visit to the police line, visited the Monument of police martyrs and offered Fatiha for the eternal peace of the martyrs.

Earlier, the chief minister attended and addressed the prize distribution ceremony of the Peshawar Lawyers Unity Sports Gala, which was organized by the Peshawar High Court Bar Association. The chief minister distributed medals and trophies among position-holder players in different sports competitions.

He also announced a special grant of Rs 3.00 million for Peshawar High Court Bar Association. Syed Arshad Hussain Shah further assured the provision of land, required for the construction of committee hall and hostel for lawyers in Peshawar and directed the concerned authorities to take necessary steps in this regard.

Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister termed the lawyers as an integral component and leaders of the society and said that the lawyer community is playing an important role in the dispensation of justice to the public.

The role of the lawyer community in stabilizing democracy as well as restoring the judiciary is also unforgettable, he remarked.

Over 3.6 mln Rawalpindi voters to elect representatives for 7 NA, 14 PA seats

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Wed, 31 Jan 2024, 10:09 PM

RAWALPINDI, Jan 31 (APP): Over 3.6 million registered voters in the Rawalpindi district will use their right to franchise for seven National Assembly (NA) and 14 Provincial Assembly (PA) seats in the general election on February 8.

The District Election Commission, District Returning Officer, and Returning Officers are giving the final polling scheme to the candidates.

Over 2,671 Presiding Officers and 13,872 Assistant Presiding Officers will perform their duties, while 6,936 polling officers and 2,671 officials will assist them.

All ROs will carry out inspection of polling stations and will ensure the facilities available in the polling stations as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

The polling stations have been set up in government buildings, educational institutions, municipal departments and health offices.

As many as 2,671 polling stations and 6,936 polling booths have been set up. About 989 polling stations are reserved for men, 964 for women and 718 are joint ones, with 3,463 polling booths for men and 3,473 for women.

Under the final polling scheme, as many as 2,471 polling stations across the district have been declared sensitive.

The total number of voters in the national and provincial constituencies is over 3.6 million including 1.85 million male and 1.74 million female voters.

Of 462 polling stations for the NA-51 Rawalpindi-cum-Murree constituency, 101 each are for men and women, and 260 are joint ones, with 1,431 polling booths.

There will be a total of 538 polling stations in NA-52, Gujjar Khan out of which 169 will be for men, 168 for women and 201 will be joint ones, with total number of polling booths 1,302.

The NA-53 constituency will have 319 poling stations including 81 for men, 74 for women and 164 joint polling stations. There will be a total of 844 polling booths.

Similarly, there will be a total of 344 polling stations for the NA-54 Taxila, including 138 for men, 137 for women and 69 combined. As many as 861 polling booths will be set up in the constituency.

Over 311 polling stations, including 156 for men, 148 for women and seven combined, besides 778 polling booths,will be established in NA-55, Rawalpindi Cantt seat.

There will be a total of 371 polling stations for NA-56, including 181 polling stations for men, 188 for women and two will be common, while there will be a total of 940 polling booths.

Similarly, as many as 326 polling stations, including 156 for men, 155 for women and 15 joint polling stations will be set up in the NA-57, City II seat. Over 780 polling booths will be set up in 326 polling stations.

BFC appreciable step of current govt: President FCCI

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Wed, 31 Jan 2024, 10:07 PM

FAISALABAD, Jan 31 (APP):Establishment of Business Facilitation Centres (BFC) across the province on the proposal of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) is an appreciable step of the current government which would also facilitate issuance of NOC in a hassle free and congenial environment, said Dr Khurram Tariq President FCCI.

He was talking to a delegation of investors intending to establish new industrial units in M-3 and Allama Iqbal Industrial Estates.

He said that BFC has been established in a centrally located area in Commissioner Complex where 27 district, provincial and federal departments have established their desks which are issuing NOCs within a given time frame.

He appreciated this revolutionary step and thanked caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi for accomplishing this task within a record period of few days.

He said that BFC in Faisalabad has already started issuing NOCs under the direct supervision of Divisional Commissioner Madam Silwat Saeed.

He urged upon the new investors to avail from this facility as it will help them to get NOCs without any inordinate delay.

He said that this initiative would pave the way for the establishment of new industrial units which would not only contribute to its role in exports but also create new job opportunities within the shortest possible time.

He termed BFCs as a game changer in the industrial history of Punjab and said that FCCI members would be given awareness about the operation of this facility at their doorstep.

“Similarly a delegation of FCCI would also visit this centre very soon”, he said and added that text messages would also be sent to the FCCI members about benefits of BFC.

SBP announces public holiday on Feb 5

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Wed, 31 Jan 2024, 10:06 PM

KARACHI, Jan 31 (APP):The banks will remain closed on Monday, February 5, 2024, on the occasion of Kashmir Day.

The State Bank of Pakistan will remain closed on 5th February 2024 (Monday) being a public holiday on the occasion of ‘Kashmir Day’ as declared by the Government of Pakistan, said a statement issued here on Wednesday.

RWMC ensures cleanliness of district during heavy rains

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Wed, 31 Jan 2024, 10:05 PM

RAWALPINDI, Jan 31 (APP):Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) is making all-out efforts to keep the hill station, Murree and other tehsils of the district during rains.

According to RWMC Spokesman, the sanitation staff of RWMC had removed hundreds of tonnes of snow and rubbish from the Murree areas despite heavy snowfall and rains.

He said that Managing Director RWMC Rana Sajid Safdar had deputed additional staff at all choking points to ensure smooth water drainage to provide maximum facilities to the tourists visiting the hill station.

He said that RWMC continued cleaning duties in Murree, and salt was sprinkled on the roads to ensure a smooth traffic flow.

The spokesman said that to keep the city neat and clean, the sanitary workers had carried out cleanliness work in the Rawalpindi city areas despite severe colds and rain.

He said that the drains, blocked during the rains, had been opened immediately to have no problem with drainage in the city, while complaints received on social media platforms were also being addressed instantly.

He urged the citizens to cooperate with the company in keeping the city clean.

PPP to address challenges, protect people’s rights if voted to power: Khursheed

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Wed, 31 Jan 2024, 10:03 PM