Epaper – February 22-2022 KHI

Page 1

Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 I 20 Rajab, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 235 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

PM IMran says ‘PakIstan Is eyeIng $50bn It exPorts In next few years’

stAff REpORt

P

RIme minister Imran Khan while addressing the National e-Commerce Convention, stated that the government was planning on expanding the information technology (IT) sector in a few years, as he urged the youth to take advantage of the “technological revolution”. “We have given small incentives and in a span of a year or two, our IT exports have jumped from $2 billion to $3.75 billion. Our youth has taken much advantage of the small incentives provided by the government,” the prime minister stated. The premier stated that the government would move the hurdles in the way of the youth so they could benefit from the “technological revolution”.

CoronavIrus In

PakIstan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,501,680

LAST UPDATED AT 7:17 AM ON FEBRUARY 21, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

31

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

1,360 DEATHS:

1,403,968 30,040 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

564,522

499,063

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

214,955

35,274

42,669/11,358 133,839

The Pm further announced that the government has decided to grant a complete tax exemption to registered freelancers. “The system in the country has stopped the majority from rising in the country […] all the other countries have a structure through which people rise,” the prime minister said, adding that he had made the cricket team from scratch, but they still excelled. “Whenever our nation has been given the opportunity, they have excelled […] and this can only happen in a country where God has given natural talent to people. This can never happen anywhere else,” he said. The Pm also said that the government was also focusing on revamping the cricket structure in the country, and they had succeeded in changing it to a certain extent. “They might also become cricketing giants in the days to come, they might become

undefeatable.” He further said that the government was also focusing on revamping the cricket structure in the country, and they had succeeded in changing it to a certain extent. “They might also become cricketing giants in the days to come, they might become undefeatable.” the Pm lamented that the education system in the country was stopping the youth’s talent, while on the other hand, in the Western world, it was completely the opposite. He noted that the education sector was linked with the IT sector. “We are conducting crash courses and indulging youth in taking higher IT-related courses.” Pm Imran Khan said IT-related courses would help empower women as they could earn money while sitting at home. He said women could “work in any environment” if they have IT skills and support their families. Talking about former microsoft boss Bill Gates’ maiden one-day visit to Pakistan, the prime minister said he had invited the billionaire to seek his support in the IT sector. “So, I am not announcing it now, but I will give you good news in the coming days.” earlier, Senator Faisal Javed Khan took to Twitter and stated that Pakistan had witnessed an “exponential growth” in the e-commerce sector in the recent past, which will also help attract international payment gateways offer through services here. The senator said 45% increase in Pakistan’s e-commerce market contributed to a “worldwide growth rate of 29% in 2021”. Senator Javed said Pakistan reached its highest ever IT exports in the last six months. He said that IT exports during the fiscal year (FY) 21-22 increased by 36%. the senator had added that Pakistan would be able to cross $3.5 billion mark during the ongoing financial year.

Ex-spy chief named in Suisse accounts g

Son says information ‘ not correct ’ LAHORE: Staff CorreSpondent

A former spy chief and one of the closest aides of slain military strongman Gen. Zia ul-Haq has been named in a list of 1,400 people from Pakistan, and thousands from around the world, who trusted an iconic Switzerland bank to hold their fortunes worth millions of dollars. The data on more than 18,000 bank accounts, collectively holding more than $100 billion, operated by Credit Suisse, one of the world’s most iconic banks, ranging from the 1940s to the 2010s was leaked to Germany newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which shared it with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and 46 other news organisations, including the New York Times and the Guardian. It is understood the Credit Suisse clients in the leaked data include customers who have done nothing wrong and have an entirely reasonable expectation of privacy in their financial affairs. As the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, Gen. Akhtar Abdur Rahman helped funnel billions of dollars in cash and other aid from the United States and other countries to the fighters, called mujahedeen, in Afghanistan to support their fight against the Soviet Union, a Times report said. In 1985, the same year President Ronald Reagan called for more oversight of the aid going into Afghanistan, a joint account was opened in the name of three of Rahman’s sons — Akbar, Haroon and Ghazi Khan. By 2003, the account would grow to hold $3.7 million, the leaked records show. In 1986, another account was opened in Akbar ’s name which grew to hold $9.2 million in November 2010. Akbar and Haroon did not respond to requests for comment from the Times. In a text message, Ghazi called information about the accounts “not correct,” adding: “The content is conjectural.” Pakistan Today could not immediately verify the authenticity of the claim. Rahman never faced charges of stealing the money. He died in 1988 in a plane crash which also killed then-president Gen. Haq and the US Ambassador to Pakistan Arnold Lewis Raphel.

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