Saturday, 16 April, 2022 I 14 Ramzan, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 288 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
PM Shehbaz rejectS ProPoSal to hike PetroleuM PriceS
ISLAMABAD
P
staff report
rime minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected the Oil and Gas regulator y Authority ’s (OGrA) proposal to hike the prices of petroleum products in the country. The decision was announced through the economy account of the ruling party, PmLNeconomy, on Twitter on Friday. radio Pakistan also reported the premier as saying that the government would bear the burden of an increase in prices instead of shifting it onto the masses. meanwhile, a handout issued by the Finance Division also confirmed that there would be no change in the prices of petroleum products. “OGrA has proposed [a] significant increase in the prices of petroleum products. However, the prime minister of Pakistan has rejected the recommen-
dations of OGrA and directed to maintain petroleum products’ prices unchanged in order to provide relief to the common man,” the handout said. The price of petrol and high speed diesel will remain rs149.86 and rs144.15 per litre, respectively. Kerosene and light diesel oil will also continue to be sold for rs125.56 and rs118.31 per litre, respectively. earlier on Thursday, OGrA had suggested an unprecedented increase of up to rs120 per litre (over 83 per cent) in the prices of petroleum products to recover full imported cost, exchange rate loss and maximum tax rates. The regulator had presented two options to the government for price increase — the highest-ever in both cases. OGrA had said both options have been worked out under the PTi government’s August 24, 2020, policy guideline. This has required calculations on the basis of existing sales tax and petro-
coronaviruS in
PakiStan
CONFIRMED CASES:
1,526,952
LAST UPDATED AT 6:50 AM ON 15 APRIL 2022
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
0
123
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
1,487,144 30,362 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
576,469
505,528
KPK:
BALOCHISTAN:
219,308
35,481
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
43,303/11,722
135,141
leum levy rates at the time of fortnightly review as well as full tax rates permissible under the law. The regulator’s working paper had suggested that based on the existing tax rates — which are zero — the prices of all products should go up in a rs2252 per litre band to charge breakeven prices without any element of subsidy. Under this option, the ex-depot price of high speed diesel (HSD) was worked out at rs195.67 per litre against the existing rate of rs144.15, showing an increase of rs51.52, or 35.7pc. The ex-depot price for petrol would have risen by rs21.60 (14.2pc) to rs171.46 per litre from rs149.86. The same formula had suggested the kerosene price at rs161.61 per litre against rs125.56 at present, up rs36.03 or 28.7pc. The ex-depot price of light diesel oil (LDO) was calculated at rs157.20 per litre against rs118.31 at present, an increase of rs38.89, or 32.9pc. The second price scenario was based on full tax rates, including 17pc GST on all products, and rs30 per litre petroleum levy each on HSD and petrol, followed by rs12 on kerosene and rs10 on LDO — the maximum rates permissible under the Finance Bill. in this case, OGrA had worked out the ex-depot price of HSD at rs264.03 per litre against rs144.15 at present, an increase of rs119.88 or 83.2pc. Likewise, the price of petrol was calculated at rs235.16 per litre against rs149.86 at present, up by rs85.30 or 57.4pc. The ex-depot price of kerosene, with full taxes, was worked out at rs203.42 per litre against the existing rate of rs125.56, an increase of rs77.86 or 61.8pc. The LDO price was calculated at rs195.62 per litre against rs118.31 at present, an increase of rs77.31 per litre or 65.34pc. On February 28, former prime minister imran Khan had announced a reduction of rs10 per litre in petrol and diesel prices and a price freeze till the announcement of the budget for fiscal year 2022-23.
Military, not Imran, put forward 3 proposals to break political deadlock: Mazari ISLAMABAD staff report
PTi leader and former human rights minister Shireen mazari on Friday said that former prime minister imran Khan had not approached the military to help find a solution to the “political deadlock” in the country after a no-confidence motion was submitted against him. it was the military that sought the meeting through then defence minister Pervez Khattak, mazari said, adding that it was the military that put forward the three proposals – of the premier either facing the no-trust vote, resigning from his post or the opposition withdrawing the no-trust move and holding of fresh election thereafter. “Let me be clear — i am stating on record [that the] Pm did not call military for help on ‘breaking political deadlock’,” she tweeted today afternoon. “The military sought the meeting through then Defence minister Pervez Khattak and they put forward the 3 proposals of either Pm resigning or taking part in VNC or fresh elections!” mazari said. mazari’s statements contradict military spokesman maj Gen Babar iftikhar’s stance on the issue, which he put forth during a press briefing on Thursday. When asked whether the military had approached the former premier and given him three options as had
US ‘agrees’ with DG ISPR’s statement on ‘threat letter’
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more inside
Imran Khan sold Toshakhana gifts worth Rs140m in Dubai: PM Shehbaz
ISLAMABAD staff report
US State Department spokesman Ned Price has said the United States agreed with the statement given by the inter-Services Public relations (iSPr) Director General (DG) a day ago wherein he dismissed an impression of a foreign “conspiracy” to oust former prime minister imran Khan’s government. The senior US official made this statement during a press briefing in response to a question from a journalist. “Pakistan’s military spokesperson said they had no evidence to suggest that the United States had threatened or was involved in the conspiracy to seek the ouster of imran Khan’s government. What are your comments on it?” the journalist had asked. “We would agree with it,” Price said. military spokesman maj Gen Babar iftikhar had on Thursday tried to clear the air about the alleged foreign conspiracy behind imran’s ouster and specifically mentioned that the National Security Committee (NSC) – which includes the
been revealed in an interview by imran Khan, Gen iftikhar denied this, adding that it was in fact the prime minister’s office (PmO) that had approached the army chief to find a solution to the political deadlock. “it is unfortunate that our political leadership was not ready to talk to each other. So the army chief and the DG iSi went to the PmO and three scenarios were discussed,” Gen iftikhar said. These three scenarios were that the no-confidence motion should be held as it was, or that the prime minister resigned or that the no-confidence motion was retracted and then assemblies dissolved, Gen iftikhar added. “This third option was acceptable to the prime minister, and he asked us to talk to the [then] opposition on his behalf. So the army chief then went to the opposition, which at the time was PDm, and presented this request in front of them. And after discussion, the opposition said they did not want to take such a step and instead wanted to go ahead with what they had planned,” Gen iftikhar said. “No option from the establishment was given,” he clarified. However, in a series of tweets today, mazari said it “makes no sense” to assert that imran Khan had himself given the option of resigning when he had “categorically and repeatedly” said he wouldn’t resign.
STORY ON PAGE 02
7 soldiers martyred in North Waziristan attack STORY ON BACK PAGE army and iSi chiefs – did not use the word “conspiracy” in its statement on the “cablegate” unlike some political pronouncement by the PTi leaders. Gen iftikhar said the military’s stance on the cable was formulated after a thorough investigation by an intelligence agency. The NSC, however, had noted that the message conveyed by a State Department official was tantamount to “blatant interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan”. At a press briefing on Thursday, Price dismissed the accusations leveled by imran, saying “there is no truth whatsoever to the allegations that have been put forward.”
“We support the peaceful upholding of constitutional and democratic principles, including respect for human rights. We do not support, whether it’s in Pakistan or anywhere else around the world, one political party over another,” he told the briefing. The State Department official said the US supported broader principles, including the rule of law and equal justice under the law. He also underlined that the United States looked forward to working with newly elected Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and his government “to promote peace and prosperity in Pakistan and the broader region”.
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ECP to hear PTI foreign funding case on a daily basis STORY ON PAGE 03
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