ISLAMABAD: May 07 –
APP64-070524
ISLAMABAD: May 07 –
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb held a press conference, accompanied by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazir Tarar and Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mr. Attaullah Tarar.
ISLAMABAD: May 07 –
Delegation of international investors meets Finance Minister
ISLAMABAD, May 07 (APP):A delegation of international investors led by Ahmad Bozai, MD Citibank Pakistan on Tuesday called on Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb to explore the investment prospects and economic dynamics in Pakistan.
The finance minister welcomed the delegation and assured them that the government is committed to foster an enabling business environment in Pakistan.
The minster emphasized Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic trends over the past 10 months, characterized by positive economic indicators that have bolstered investor confidence.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s progress towards economic stability, stating that it is now opportune to invest in the country, especially the IT and agriculture sectors, stressing the need for both local and international investment to invigorate the nation’s economy.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Bozai expressed Citibank Pakistan’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s economic development through strategic partnerships and initiatives that aim to unlock the country’s potential and enhance its competitiveness on the global stage.
He stressed the need for collaborative efforts between local and international stakeholders.
Reiterating the commitment to promotion of economic growth, the federal minister for finance and revenue encouraged the delegation to explore opportunities with confidence, as the government remains dedicated to facilitating their investments.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in a Meeting with International Investors organized by Citibank Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD: May 07 –
ISLAMABAD: May 07 –
Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi enquiring about the health of officials injured during the clash with the terrorists.
QUETTA: May 07 –
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presiding over a meeting of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).
ISLAMABAD: May 07 –
ISLAMABAD: May 07 –
APP60-070524
ISLAMABAD: May 07 –
Federal Govt stands with Balochistan for its development: Naqvi
QUETTA, May 07 (APP): Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday said that the role of Balochistan in the country’s journey of development and prosperity could not be ignored.
The Federal Government stood with the provincial government to achieve the goals of sustainable development in the province, he said during a meeting with Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti.
They discussed the law and order situation in Balochistan and other important issues including matters of mutual interest.
The Interior Minister said that improvement of the law and order situation was top priority of Federal Government. Assuring all-out cooperation in that regard, he said all resources would be utilized to maintain peace in Balochistan.
Chief Minister said that all available resources were being used by the provincial government to improve law and order in the province. By maintaining the state writ, the lives and properties of the people could be secured, he added.
All security agencies were proactive in tackling security challenges through coordination, he said.
Provincial Home Minister Mir Zia Longo and Interior Secretary Khurram Agha were also present in the meeting.
Asiya Gul lauds Shafaat’s services as DG LG
RAWALPINDI, May 07 (APP):A farewell ceremony of Director General Local Government Shafaat Ali was held here on Tuesday with the gratitude and recognition for his services.
According to the Focal Person Media LG&DC Punjab, Dr Abdullah Tabassum, On the occasion, the Special Secretary of Local Government, Asiya Gul, presented commemorative shields, symbolizing appreciation for Shafaat Ali’s dedication and performance during his tenure.
In her address, Asiya Gul lauded the Shafaat Ali’s contributions, underscoring his notable achievements as DG Local Government.
The ceremony was attended by the newly appointed DG Local Government, Tariq Mehmood Rahmani, alongside Additional Secretaries Maria Tariq, Tariq Niazi, Arshad Baig, and Deputy Secretary Ahmar Sohail Kaifi.
The ceremony encapsulated a spirit of gratitude and respect, highlighting the importance of recognizing and honoring public service contributions within the local government domain.
UN urges Israel to ‘stop escalation’ as tanks enter Gaza’s Rafah city
UNITED NATIONS, May 07 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for crossings into the besieged Gaza to be reopened immediately and urged Israel to “stop any escalation” after the occupying power sent tanks into Rafah where 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering.
“I am disturbed and distressed by the renewed military activity in Rafah by the Israeli defence forces,” he told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York.
“The closure of both the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings is especially damaging to an already dire humanitarian situation. They must be re-opened immediately.
“I urge the Government of Israel to stop any escalation, and engage constructively in the ongoing diplomatic talks.”
Israel overnight sent tanks into Rafah in southern Gaza, seizing control of the border crossing with Egypt, an operation the United Nations said denied it access to the key humanitarian passage.
The military’s thrust into the eastern sector of the city packed with displaced civilians came a day after Israel warned Palestinians in the area to evacuate ahead of a long-threatened ground operation.
Army footage showed tanks flying the Israeli flag taking “operational control” of the Palestinian side of the border crossing, it said, in a deployment that had a “very limited scope against very specific targets”.
UN humanitarian office spokesman Jens Laerke said Israel had denied it access to both Rafah and Kerem Shalom – the other main Gaza aid crossing, on the border with Israel – with only “one day of fuel available” inside the besieged territory.
Unless fuel was allowed in, “it would be a very effective way of putting the humanitarian operation in its grave”, he warned.
Overnight, heavy bombardments rocked Rafah, according to media reports. The Kuwaiti hospital said 23 people were killed and the Najjar hospital said another four people were killed.
Hamas said last night that it had informed Egypt and Qatar of its “approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire” in the conflict, prompting cheering crowds to take to the streets of Rafah.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the proposal was “far from Israel’s essential demands”, but the government would send negotiators for talks “to exhaust the potential for arriving at an agreement”.
In the meantime, it added, “Israel is continuing the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to advance the release of our hostages and the other objectives of the war”.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, said it was “reviewing” the Hamas response.
In his remarks, the UN chief reiterated his appeal for a ceasefire, while underscoring the need for an agreement between the Government of Israel and the leadership of Hamas to stop the “unbearable suffering” of both Palestinians in Gaza and the Israeli hostages and their families.
“It would be tragic if weeks of intense diplomatic activity for peace in Gaza, yield no ceasefire. No release of hostages. And a devastating offensive in Rafah,” he said, stressing:
“I reiterate my appeal for both parties to show the political courage and spare no effort to secure an agreement now.”
The UN chief further emphasized that a full-scale assault on Rafah would be a “human catastrophe”.
“Countless more civilian casualties. Countless more families forced to flee yet again – with nowhere safe to go. Because there is no safe place in Gaza,” Guterres said.
“Attacking Rafah will further upend our efforts to support people in dire humanitarian straits as famine looms.”
Guterres also warned that the repercussions of an attack on Rafah would be felt far beyond the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and the wider Middle East region.
“Even the best friends of Israel are clear: An assault on Rafah would be a strategic mistake, a political calamity, and a humanitarian nightmare,” he said.
“I appeal to all those with influence over Israel to do everything in their power to help avert even more tragedy.”
ECC approves to enhance wheat procurement targets
ISLAMABAD, May 07 (APP): The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Tuesday approved to increase the wheat procurement target for PASSCO from 1.40 to 1.80 million metric tons along with the required Cash Credit Limit for the purchase of additional quantity.
The ECC met here Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb in the chair.
The meeting was attended by the Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik, Minister for Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Industries Production Rana Tanveer Hussain, Chairman SECP,.
Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Federal Secretaries, and other senior government officials of the relevant ministries also attended the meeting.
Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema and MD PASSCO attended the meeting online.
The ECC reviewed and approved a number of proposals from various government ministries and divisions.
The ECC also approved the proposal for import of 200,000 MTs of Urea fertiliser to meet the requirements for Kharif 2024 as proposed by Ministry of Industries and Production.
The Ministry was also directed to continuously assess the demand & supply situation of urea and suggest appropriate measures to the ECC in a timely manner.
ECC also gave go-ahead to Ministry of Industries and Production’s request for the disbursement of salaries of PSM workers and directed the ministry to present a detailed plan for the future use of the asset according to time lines.
ECC also allowed Power Division’s request for release of budgeted expenditures to clear the arrears of tariff differential subsidy Rs. 70 billion for Karachi Electric and Rs 55 billion for AJK. This would help ease the liquidity requirements of the Power Sector.
The ECC considered a summary to authorize BISP to arrange funds from its allocated budget for financing the Special Relief Package for Daily Wage Workers on the Chaman Border, highlighting government support for the vulnerable group.
Further, the ECC considered and approved proposals for Technical Supplementary Grants, including:
Rs. 4.8 billion for Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.
Rs. 5.8 billion for the Earthquake Reconstruction & Rehabilitation Authority’s to clear matured liabilities of the contractors.
The ECC approved Rs. 3.2 billion to Finance Division as rupee cover for the WB funded Financial Inclusion and Infrastructure Project (FIIP) and Rs. 162 million to the Ministry of Housing & Works for Repair and Maintenance of Public Buildings in Islamabad.
Rs. 2.2 billion to the Ministry of Interior for the FATA TDP-ERP Project were also approved.
SRO for wheat procurement issued during PTI Govt: Kakar
QUETTA, May 07 (APP): Former caretaker prime minister and Senator Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar on Tuesday said the allegations of corruption against the caretaker government regarding wheat procurement were baseless and contrary to the facts.
“The procurement was conducted in accordance with prevailing laws and SROs (Statutory Regulatory Orders). The SRO for wheat procurement was issued during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, and no additional permits were given by the caretaker setup,” he clarified.
Senator Kakar, while talking to the media, noted that speculations in the media arose due to ignorance of national import policies and prevailing laws. Wheat procurement was conducted through a legal process where not even a single penny of corruption could be committed.
He regretted the media trial of the caretaker government on the basis of misinformation, which, he said, was due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of laws and procedures pertaining to government affairs.
Regarding the procedure for wheat procurement from abroad, the former prime minister said, ‘It is carried out under wheat import policies and national laws. The relevant authority issues notifications and holds deliberations on taxation and other matters before final approval.”
Pakistan, he said, “produces around 27 million metric tons of wheat annually, with a shortfall of three to four million metric tons, which is addressed through its procurement following a formal legal process”.
After the 18th Constitutional Amendment, he said, all the provinces sent their wheat requirement details to the Food Security and Research Department.
He said the Federal Government, based on the recommendations of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the provinces’ needs, “takes a decision regarding wheat procurement”.
In line with the recommendations of ECC during the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) government, the caretaker government, under his command, facilitated the private sector to meet the requirement of ordinary citizens and mitigate the possibility of wheat shortfall in the country, he said while clarifying the “misconception about the wheat import”.
The SRO for wheat procurement was issued during the PTI government, and the caretakers did not gave any special approvals, he reiterated.
It was a legal matter which was being presented as illegal through baseless media trial and causing confusion, the former PM deplored.
Senator Kakar criticized the media for creating stories based on speculation. “It is against the norms of journalism to report a story without any knowledge,” he lamented.
He said there was a dire need for a healthy debate in the media on the issues of national importance and their solutions.
“We have stifled healthy debates on national issues and wasted our energy on tarnishing the image of the caretaker government by distorting the facts,” he deplored.