Sunday, 31 July, 2022 I 1 Muharram, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 390 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
Govt not to leave flood-hit in lurch: PM g
vISITS JACOBABAD, BALOCHISTAN TO REvIEW RELIEF ACTIvITIES IN AFFECTED DISTRICTS
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ANNOUNCES RS1M FOR EACH vICTIM, RS0.5M EACH FOR TOTALLy DAMAGED HOUSES, RS0.2M FOR PARTIALLy DAMAGED JACOBABAD/ISLAMABAD
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staff report
RIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday arrived here to visit the flood-hit areas of Balochistan to review rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) officers, chief secretary Balochistan and NDMA Chairman LtGeneral Akhtar Nawaz briefed the prime minister about the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in the floodaffected areas of the province, PM Office Media Wing said. The prime minister took an aerial view of Goth Ali Mardan Shambani in district Jhal Magsi and other affected areas to assess the losses and the chief secretary Balochistan during the flight gave details about the flood situation and the relief operations. He stopped at the Shambani village and met with the people affected by the floods. The Prime Minister directed for the establishment of a medical camp and provision of medicines for the affected village. He also ordered posting of a veterinary doctor for the livestock and asked the authorities to immediately arrange two boats and ration for the villages and speed up the relief activities for the affectees.
The Chief Secretary Balochistan immediately sent additional teams for relief activities in the flood affected areas. Talking to media, the PM said he came to Balochistan to assess losses in affected areas including Quetta, Zhob, Chaman, Killa Saifullah, Loralai and Lasbella. The Prime Minister had held a meeting with the chief ministers and chief secretaries of provinces a few days ago in Islamabad and decided about the relief measures. Shehbaz Sharif said 300 people including 124 in Balochistan lost their lives in the flood affected areas, adding the government would give Rs one million each to the families of those who lost their lives. The provincial government would also give Rs one million to the families of the victims. He said the government would also give Rs500,000 each for totally damaged houses and Rs200,000 for partially damaged houses. He said he had constituted four committees which would hold consultation with the provinces to assess the losses of livestock and damage to the crops, adding in the next meeting in Islamabad on August 3, the situation after floods would be further reviewed. Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said that Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Jhal Magsi to view flood relief activities. During the visit, the Prime Minister will review the damage caused by floods and rains in Balochistan and also review rescue, relief and rehabilitation works, she said in a statement. The minister said that Sardar Khalid Magsi, Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Hydari were accompanying the Prime Minister. She said that Minister for Housing Maulana Abdul Waseh, Saudi Minister for Power Mohammad Hashim Notizai were also visiting with the Prime Minister. Special Assistant to PM Syed Fahad Hussain and Chairman NDMA Lt-Gen Akhtar Nawaz were also accompanied the Prime Minister in the visit, she said. NDMA, cS BRIEf PM ON fLOOD SITuATION IN JAcOBABAD: Earlier, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had reached Jacobabad where Chief Secretar y Balochistan, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt-Gen Akhtar Nawaz and officials briefed the Prime Minister on the flood situation in Balochistan and ongoing relief-rescue operation, she said in a tweet. After the briefing, he left for Jhal Magsi to visit the flood affected areas, she said.
NEPRA decides PTI’s Wasiq Qayyum elected PA deputy speaker unopposed amid opposition boycott on another hike in power tariff LAHORE
staff report
PTI’s Wasiq Qayyum, who was a joint candidate of his party and the PML-Q, was elected as Punjab Assembly’s deputy speaker unopposed on Saturday after the Opposition announced a boycott of the polls. The Punjab Assembly deputy speaker’s seat fell vacant after Dost Muhammad Mazari was removed through a no-confidence motion submitted by the PTI after his ties deteriorated with the party. Speaking with the media persons, the Opposition candidate Ali Haider Gilani said that the Opposition has boycotted the elections as they are not “clean and transparent”. “We had strong objections regarding the election process,” said the candidate. OPPOSITION cRIES fOuL AgAINST
WASIQ’S ELEcTION: Special Assistant to Prime Minister, Attaullah Tarar said that PML-Q and PTI had rigged election of Speaker Punjab Assembly as secrecy and sanctity of the vote was violated during the voting process. Talking to the media, he de-
manded the Lahore High Court declare the election of PA speaker void, alleging that law and the constitution was violated. Attaullah Tarar said the election of speaker had to be held through secret ballot as per the law but unfortunately, it was not followed. It
was disclosed during the voting that ballot papers were issued with same serial numbers printed on ballot papers and counterfoil to identify the voter which was violation of rules, he mentioned. He said the PML-N had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court in this regard and demanded that the court being the custodian of the constitution and human rights, should declare the election null and void. He criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership for electing Ch Pervaiz Elahi as their chief minister. He said the PML-N would remain committed for across the board accountability. On the occasion, Rana Mashhood said that rigging was committed first time in the parliamentary history by violating rules openly and demanded that entire elections process should be declared as illegal.
Imran ‘abettor, guarantor’ of Arif Naqvi in $250m money-laundering: Musadik ISLAMABAD staff report
Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik on Saturday said PTI chairman Imran Khan was ‘abettor’ in a $250 million money-laundering case and the ‘guarantor’ of Arif Naqvi, Chief Executive of Abraj Capital and Investment Company, indicted by the US courts in a range of cases and could get up to 290-year jail. “How a person [Imran Khan], who is the abettor and protector of the $250 million money-laundering [Bahria Town case]; and the guarantor of an accused [Arif Naqvi] whom the US courts hint at
awarding 290 years jail, can be the upright and truthful,” the minister questioned while addressing a news conference in response to a presser of PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain. He said $250 million money-laundering stood almost one-fourth of the PakistanIMF’s current $1.1 billion package, and how an ‘abettor and protector’ of this illegal activity could be declared “Sadiq-o-Amin.” The minister said it was strange that Imran Khan lived in the 200-300 Kanal house in Banigala and claimed of having no income source, but leading a luxurious life. He said Arif Naqvi was the person, who being chief executive of a foreign company
established a cricket club abroad and sent foreign funds to the PTI, which as per the laws of Pakistan was illegal. He said Arif Naqvi, working as the fund manager of foreign investors, was facing jail in the United Kingdom on charges of fraudulent activities and for involvement in different ‘black money schemes.’ He said the accused was also wanted by US authorities after they unearthed his illegal activities in America. As per law of the land, he said, no political party could get funds from other than Pakistani citizens and if anyone received finances from any foreign national or company it would be “black and illegal money.”
ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has issued a decision to increase the power tariff once again. As per NEPRA’s decision, power tariff was increased by 50 paise per unit. The approval was given by NEPRA for the third quarter of the financial year 2021-22. According to the decision, the increase will impose an additional burden of Rs12.76 billion on the electricity consumers, the increase will come into effect for three months from September 1. The increase will not be applicable to the lifeline and K-Electric customers. NEPRA sent the decision to the federal government for its notification. It should be noted that Nepra had approved an increase of Rs9.79 per unit of electricity. The increase in the power tariff increase was approved in terms of monthly adjustment of last financial year. In Nepra, CPPA held a hearing regarding the fuel adjustment for June, in which the increase was approved. On July 28, the authority raised the power tariff for K-Electric consumers by Rs11.37, an Rs0.01 less than demanded by the power utility. staff report
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