Thursday, September 30, 2021

Pakistan reports 56 corona deaths in 24 hours

Pakistan reports 56 corona deaths in 24 hours
Pakistan has reported 56 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 1,246,538. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 27,785 on Friday.According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 1,411 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Province-wise Details:

Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Till now 12,595 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab 7,379 in Sindh 5,525 in KP, 922 in Islamabad, 737 in Azad Kashmir, 348 in Balochistan, and 184 in GB.

Furthermore, 457,928 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 431,666 in Punjab 174,017 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 105,516 in Islamabad, 34,157 in Azad Kashmir, 32,926 in Balochistan and 10,328 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

 

Tests and Recoveries

Pakistan has so far conducted 19,435,155 coronavirus tests and 49,049 in the last 24 hours. 1,167,189 patients have recovered in the country whereas 3,948 patients are in critical condition.

Positivity Ratio

The COVID-19 positivity ratio was recorded at 2.87 percent.

Vaccine Statistics

So far, 58,963,116 people have received their first dose of coronavirus vaccine including 557,239 in last 24 hours. 28,407,862 citizens have been fully vaccinated while 600,798 received their second dose in last 24 hours.

The number of total administered doses has reached to 81,634,971 with 1,126,402 in the last 24 hours.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108439-pakistan-reports-56-corona-deaths-in-24-hours.html

Petrol price in Pakistan moves up by Rs4 from October 1

Petrol price in Pakistan moves up by Rs4 from October 1
The government on Thursday announced it has raised the price of petrol by Rs4 from October 1 "due to an increase in petroleum prices in the international market", according to a notification from the Finance Division.

"OGRA has worked out the higher petroleum prices but prime minister has decided against the recommendation and passed on the minimum increase in prices to the consumers," the notification said.

The government has absorbed the higher international pressure of prices through a reduction in petroleum levy and the sales tax, it added.

"It is pertinent to mention that petroleum prices in Pakistan are the cheapest in the region," the notification claimed.

Earlier, the OGRA spokesperson said that the price of petroleum products will be announced tomorrow by the government.

Petrol, with the Rs4 increase, costs Rs127.30 per litre, whereas high-speed diesel, with an increase of Rs2, costs Rs122.04 per litre.

Meanwhile, kerosene oil costs Rs7.05 more and is priced at Rs99.31 per litre, while light diesel oil became Rs8.82 dearer to cost Rs99.51 per litre.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/business/item/108436-petrol-price-in-pakistan-moves-up-by-rs4-from-october-1.html

FBR extends tax return filing date till Oct 15

income tax returns
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday extended the date for filing income tax returns for individuals and companies to October 15, 2021.

Earlier, the FBR had said it would not extend the deadline for people seeking to file their income tax returns.

However, keeping in view the demand of the business community and the technical issues faced by tax filers due to server errors, the board has extended the last date of filing income tax returns.

Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin decided to extend the date considering the constant demands from the business community. The tax-collection body had received several applications for the extension of the deadline of filing income tax returns.

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) confirmed that the finance minister has given a 15-day extension to the people and businessmen to file tax returns.

The business delegation highlighted the issues faced by the tax filers and also shared their concerns regarding other taxes as well.

The KCCI members called for amendments in the ineffective tax policies and raised concerns over implementation of Tax Laws (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2021.

They lamented that all such laws that impose fines always start from Karachi.

The delegation suggested that the term "under-filers" should be replaced with "non-filers" in the Ordinance.

Earlier, FBR officials had directed concerned commissioners to cooperate with filers seeking an extension, sources said.

"People who want a 15-day relief will have to either file an application or apply online, " the FBR had said.

Sources added that aside from those facing hardships, people experiencing technical issues will also be granted an extension in the deadline.

 



source https://www.suchtv.pk/business/item/108435-fbr-extends-tax-return-filing-date-till-oct-15.html

Pakistan Army captain martyred, TTP commander killed in Tank IBO: ISPR

Captain Sikander
A Pakistan Army captain was martyred during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Tank, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.

In a statement, the military's media affairs wing said that security forces conducted an operation after receiving information about the presence of terrorists in the area.

During the exchange of fire, Captain Sikander — who was 27-years-old and hailed from Pakpattan — was martyred, the statement said.

"TTP terrorist commander Khawaza din alias Sher Khan was killed. Weapons and ammunition [were] recovered from the hideout," the statement added.

On Tuesday, security forces killed 10 terrorists in a similar operation in the South Waziristan tribal district.

The ISPR said security forces conducted the operation after receiving information that terrorists were present at a hideout in the area.

During intense exchange of fire, 10 terrorists, including four commanders, were killed, it said, adding that weapons and a large quantity of ammunition were also recovered.

"All the killed terrorists remained actively involved in planting IEDs (improvised explosive devices), conducting fire raids, and target killing of innocent civilians. These terrorists were planning to conduct more acts of terrorism inside the South Waziristan district," the statement had said.

In a separate incident that occurred the same day, a Frontier Corps (FC) soldier was martyred and another injured after terrorists targeted a check post from across the Iran border.

In a statement, the ISPR had said that terrorists had targeted the FC check post in the Chukab area of Balochistan from across the Pakistan-Iran border using small arms. As a result, Sepoy Maqbool Shah was martyred while another soldier was injured, it added.

The statement further said that Iranian authorities had been informed of the incident.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/kp-fata/item/108429-pakistan-army-captain-martyred-ttp-commander-killed-in-tank-ibo-ispr.html

Unstoppable Babar Azam smashes another record with 6th T20 century

Babar Azam
Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam added another feather to his cap when he became the top T20 centurion from Pakistan by scoring his 6th T20 hundred during Central Punjab’s National T20 Cup match against Northern on Thursday.

Babar smashed three 6s and stroked 11 shots to the fence to score an unbeaten 105 off 63 to help his team post 200/2 in 20 overs. This was Babar’s sixth T20 century — the most by a Pakistani batsman in the format.

He is followed by Ahmed Shahzad and Kamran Akmal, both have 5 centuries against their names, apiece. Khurram Manzoor has scored 4 while Sharjeel Khan and Mukhtar Ahmed have scored 3 centuries, each.

Babar is also the 9th batsman in the world to score at least six T20 centuries. The most numbers of centuries, 22, are scored by West Indian Chris Gayle.

The Pakistani batsman reached this milestone in the 185th inning of his career.

In these 185 innings, Babar has a total of 64 scores of 50 or more (that also include 6 hundreds) putting him fifty/inning ratio to 2.89 – the best among all the leading batsmen.

Babar is now eyeing to break Chris Gayle’s record of quickest to 7,000 runs. He needs 16 runs in 6 innings to break the record set by Gayle by reaching 7000 runs in 192 innings. Babar currently has 6984 in 185 innings.

One expects him to reach that milestone in the next game.

In the year 2021, Babar has amassed 1292 T20 runs, and only behind Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan in the list of most T20 runs this year.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/sports/item/108428-unstoppable-babar-azam-smashes-another-record-with-6th-t20-century.html

Unvaccinated people to face several restrictions from October 1: NCOC

Unvaccinated people to face several restrictions from October 1
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday announced that fresh restrictions will be applicable from October 1 (tomorrow) for non-vaccinated individuals.

According to sources, people won't be allowed to use railway and airline services without showing their vaccination cards.

In addition, people who do not get vaccinated will not be able to enter wedding halls, shopping malls, hotels and guest houses from tomorrow.

The NCOC further announced that vaccination certificates will be made "mandatory for domestic travellers from October 1."

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesperson said: "From October 1, only vaccinated passengers will be able to travel on all domestic and international flights of PIA."

"Vaccination certificates will be checked at the airport upon receipt of the boarding card," he said.

The spokesperson added that the administration of the national carrier has issued instructions to all concerned departments to implement these policies.

On the other hand, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said that pregnant women should also get vaccinated.

He reiterated that children's vaccination is also necessary to continue educational activities.

CAA allows airlines to serve food on domestic flights

Keeping in view the declining number of COVID-19 cases, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Thursday allowed the serving of in-flight meals and beverages onboard domestic flights operating within Pakistan.

According to a statement issued by the CAA, the new directions will be implemented from October 1, 2021.

The authority had barred airlines from serving food on domestic flights in August, keeping in view the double-digit positivity ratio of coronavirus cases at that time.

The authority has also directed all airline operators to continue to “ensure the wearing of face masks by passengers onboard all domestic flights within Pakistan except for when meals are being served.”

“Other applicable COVID-19 related standard operating procedures [and] directives issued by Pakistan CAA will continue to take effect,” it read.

 



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108427-unvaccinated-people-to-face-several-restrictions-from-october-1-ncoc.html

PM Imran assures of expeditious progress on CPEC projects

PM Imran
Prime Minister Imran Khan assured on Thursday of expeditious progress on projects falling under the umbrella of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), despite some relevant departments having faced difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the past.

The prime minister, who was addressing a ceremony held in Islamabad to mark the inauguration of a 600 kilovolt (kV) transmission line running between Matiari and Lahore, pointed out that the pandemic had stalled communications in many areas, led to travel bans and affected supply chains across the world.

Consequently, difficulties were also faced in the execution of CPEC projects, PM Imran explained, adding that the setback, however, was "temporary".

He expressed the hope that with vaccinations against the coronavirus picking up pace across the world, the coming waves of the pandemic would not be as intense as earlier ones and in turn, the work on CPEC projects would not be affected but expedited instead.

Earlier this month, a Senate panel had expressed concern over the slow pace of development on the CPEC and dissatisfaction being expressed by Chinese companies over the negligible progress in the last three years.

Presiding over a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development, its chairperson, Saleem Mandviwalla, had said that the Chinese were not satisfied with the pace of work on the CPEC and no progress on the portfolio had been seen during the last three years.

“They (the Chinese) are crying," Mandviwalla had said, adding the “Chinese ambassador has complained to me that you have destroyed CPEC and no work was done in the past three years."

However, Federal Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar had dismissed the reports a day after the Senate body's meeting.

He had rejected a perception that CPEC had been slowed down over the past three years and claimed that major work on the corridor projects had been completed during the tenure of the current PTI government.

Politicians ought to be careful while commenting on CPEC, Umar had said, adding that there was no bar on criticism and recommendations but CPEC should not be described like it had been “closed down, finished or destroyed”.

Without naming Mandviwala, the minister had said he was a seasoned person and could not be expected of speaking irresponsibly but perhaps he had been misled.

'State-of-the-art transmission line'

The Matiari-Lahore transmission line is one of the projects completed under the CPEC, dubbed "state-of-the-art" by PM Imran in his address on Thursday.

He said the project was officially commenced in 2013, but work on it had not been started until 2018.

"On this occasion, I congratulate all those involved in the speedy completion of this project over a course of three years," he added.

The prime minister said the project would help minimise line losses.

"One per cent line loss costs us billions of rupees ... and it is one of the reasons we are unable to meet electricity demand and end the problem of load shedding," he said, adding that this 886-kilometre-long transmission line would help address these issues.

In this connection, he further said that the scope of initiatives taken under the CPEC had now been expanded to cover electricity transmission.

"We started with [building] roads and power generation [schemes], and now have expanded the CPEC to further cover electricity transmission," he said. "In the next phase, we will move towards industrialisation, which will help with wealth creation and eventually, the repayment of debt."

According to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong also spoke on the occasion.

He said the transmission line would "realise the safety and reliability of the grid system, optimise energy distribution of the entire country and lower the electricity cost", Radio Pakistan reported.

The Chinese ambassador added that the CPEC had made a significant contribution to the socioeconomic development of Pakistan.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108426-pm-imran-assures-of-expeditious-progress-on-cpec-projects.html

Torrential rains, squally winds predicted along Sindh-Makran coast as PMD issues cyclone alert

Torrential rains
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday issued an alert for a tropical cyclone, predicting torrential rain and squally winds along the Sindh-Makran coast.

The PMD, also known as the Met Office, stated that a previously "well-marked low pressure" over Indian Gujarat had intensified into a depression after moving over the northeast Arabian Sea and now stood at a distance of about 340km from Karachi.

"The system is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and move northwestwards," the alert said.

Under the influence of the system, widespread rain, wind thunderstorms with scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall and squally winds were likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Thaparker, Umerkot, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Nausheroferoz, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, Dadu, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Ghotki districts from Thursday afternoon till late evening on Oct 2 (Saturday), it added.

Widespread rain, wind thunderstorms with scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall is also likely in Gwadar, Lasbela, Awaran, Kech, Khuzdar, Kalat and Panjgur districts of Balochistan from Thursday to Sunday, the department said.

The department predicted that sea conditions would remain rough till Sunday and advised fishermen to refrain from venturing into the water until then.

"Torrential rains may generate urban flooding in Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Hyderabad, Dadu, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Lasbela, Somiani, Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar, Turbat and Jiwani," the Met department said.

It further warned that the windstorm may also damage vulnerable structures.

It said that the PMD Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre, Karachi was closely monitoring the system and told authorities concerned to remain on high alert during this period.

In a video update, weatherman Sardar Sarfaraz reiterated that the weather system was likely to cause heavy rainfall and gusty winds, and would make for treacherous conditions at sea.

He said that there was a threat of urban flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Nawabshah, Dadu, Ormara, Pasni and Jiwani, adding that low-lying areas and islands could also go underwater.

He compared the oncoming cyclone to another one from 2007, calling them "similar". He said back then the low pressure system had become a cyclone after reaching the Arabian Sea, similar to what was happening now.

He said the cyclone in 2007 had hit the area between Ormara and Pasni, and caused substantial damage in various districts of Balochistan.

Need to activate civic bodies

On Wednesday, Dr Noman Ahmed — a seasoned architect and urban planner — called for preparedness in view of urban flooding threat and inundation of coastal areas.

“There is an immediate need to activate civic bodies for rescue operations and disaster management. Once this impending situation is over, the government should put its act together to find a long-term solution to urban flooding that the city frequently faces,” he said.

According to Dr Ahmed, Karachi’s flooding is mainly connected to encroachment of its stormwater drains. “We have also seen that rainwater’s drainage has completely been ignored in development works as well as in roads’ carpeting and up-gradation that have been carried out in the city in recent years.”

On the government side, director general Syed Salman Shah of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) explained that vulnerable populations and areas had been identified and a plan of action was ready.

“We are constantly in contact with the Met department and will take action in view of Thursday’s situation. Each district has been provided with two additional suction pumps while big drains in the city have been cleared,” he said.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/sindh/item/108425-torrential-rains-squally-winds-predicted-along-sindh-makran-coast-as-pmd-issues-cyclone-alert.html

Muhammad Zubair had been receiving threats for a while: Maryam Nawaz

Muhammad Zubair had been receiving threats for a while: Maryam Nawaz
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday said that senior PML-N leader and former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair had been "receiving threats for a while". Maryam, in an informal conversation with the media, referred to an objectionable video that allegedly featured Zubair, saying that “the matter is between Zubair and the Almighty and only they know what the reality is”.

Despite all the controversies, “Zubair will remain my spokesperson”, Maryam added.

She did not elaborate any further as to the nature of the threats received by Zubair.

Commenting on former accountability judge Arshad Malik’s video and audio clip that the PML-N vice president had released in 2019 — alleging that Malik was confessing that he convicted Nawaz Sharif of corruption charges under "duress" — she said that she “doesn’t have anyone’s private video”.

“The video of Judge Arshad Malik made by Nasir Butt was a national level matter,” said Maryam.

Moreover, while speaking about the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib’s comments on the extension of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman’s tenure, Maryam said that “the constitution doesn’t say anything” about the matter.

“The party would be better positioned to comment on the matter of NAB chairman’s extension,” said Maryam.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108424-muhammad-zubair-had-been-receiving-threats-for-a-while-maryam-nawaz.html

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

We lost in Afghanistan, admits top US general

We lost in Afghanistan, admits top US general
In a stark admission during a hearing, the top US military official admitted that America "lost" the 20-year in Afghanistan and the "corrupt" Ashraf Ghani regime had lost people's trust and collapsed sooner than expected. "It is clear, it is obvious to all of us, that the war in Afghanistan did not end on the terms we wanted, with the Taliban in power in Kabul," General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee.

"The war was a strategic failure," Milley told a committee hearing about the US troop pullout from Afghanistan and the chaotic evacuation from the capital Kabul.

"It wasn’t lost in the last 20 days or even 20 months," Milley said.

"There’s a cumulative effect to a series of strategic decisions that go way back," said the general, the top military advisor to President Joe Biden, who ordered an end to the 20-year US troop presence in Afghanistan.

"Whenever you get some phenomenon like a war that is lost -- and it has been, in the sense of we accomplished our strategic task of protecting America against Al-Qaeda, but certainly the end state is a whole lot different than what we wanted," Milley said.

"So whenever a phenomenon like that happens, there’s an awful lot of causal factors," he said. "And we’re going to have to figure that out. A lot of lessons learned here."

The top military official also admitted that the Ashraf Ghani government was involved in corruption and the people had no trust in it.

Milley listed a number of factors responsible for the US defeat going back to a missed opportunity to capture or kill Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora soon after the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan.

He also cited the 2003 decision to invade Iraq, which shifted US troops away from Afghanistan, "not effectively dealing with Pakistan as a (Taliban) sanctuary," and pulling advisers out of Afghanistan a few years ago.

Biden, in April, ordered a complete pullout of US forces from Afghanistan by August 31, following through on an agreement reached with the Taliban by former president Donald Trump.

Milley and General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of US Central Command, told a Senate committee on Tuesday that they had personally recommended that some 2,500 troops remain on the ground in Afghanistan.

McKenzie told the committee that he had warned that a complete withdrawal would lead to the collapse of the Afghan military and the Afghan government.

"That is in fact what happened," McKenzie said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden had received "split" advice about what to do in Afghanistan, which the United States invaded following the September 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington.

"Ultimately, it’s up to the commander-in-chief to make a decision," Psaki said. "He made a decision that it was time to end a 20-year war."

 



source https://www.suchtv.pk/world/item/108416-we-lost-in-afghanistan-admits-top-us-general.html

Karachi Tax Bar Association seeks extension in income tax returns deadline till Dec 31

 income tax returns
The Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) on Tuesday appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan for an extension in the last date for filing of income tax returns for a period of three months, that is, until Dec 31.

Meanwhile, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is optimistic that it will receive more than two million returns by the deadline of September 30, which could become a ‘historic moment’ for the tax machinery in case it’s achieved. The FBR had received approximately 1.4m tax returns till Sept 28.

The KTBA pointed out that fulfillment of 90 days’ time was provided under the law to file the return of income under section 118 of the Ordinance. It further highlighted unavailability of FBR Portal for 15 days. “90 days’ time should only start when a flawless and error-free return of income in line with the provisions of the ordinance is uploaded on Iris portal, which per se is yet to be notified,” the association said.

FBR hopeful about two million returns by Sept 30

The KTBA further said the FBR Portal, both e-FBR and Iris “remained hacked and disabled from August 14, 2021” and it was intermittently not working properly till the end of August 2021 which again denied taxpayers 90 days’ seamless time prescribed under the law to file the return of income.

On Tuesday, the FBR issued a circular to facilitate taxpayers in filing their tax returns in the last two days with extended hours for filing of returns as well as payment of taxes. This is in addition to the extensive nationwide awareness campaign engaging national heroes, urging people to file their returns to improve tax compliance in the country.

This year, the FBR notified the tax returns from July 2021 to meet the 90-day (three-month) requirement under the tax law. Until now, the FBR has clarified that the last date will not be extended. The FBR has also engaged cellular companies to send SMS to taxpayers to remind them about filing of their tax returns.

Last year, the government had not extended the last date for filing of tax returns beyond Dec 8, 2020. It is worth mentioning that people can file their tax returns beyond the last date, but will have to pay fine which in the current year will be Rs1,000 per day.

Without fine, a commissioner can also grant 15 days’ extension on specific request by the individual taxpayer.

The KTBA in a letter, a copy of which was shared with media through WhatsApp, mentioned that letters were earlier sent to chairman of FBR for seeking extension in the return on the plea to correct the flaws in the notified return.

It further said that the KTBA feels its responsibility that the taxpayers are not at all in a position to meet the deadline of filing the Return of Income by September 30, till such time all the flaws and formulae errors are removed and the return of Income is flawless and error-free.

“As such we are hopeful that you will kindly instruct the chairman FBR to extend the date of filing of Return of Income at least up to Dec 31, 2021 and oblige,” President KTBA Muhammad Zeeshan Merchant said.

He said the FBR is completely ignoring the part of the tax advisors and tax consultants who are in fact the partners of the FBR in helping to achieve their targets. “We at the KTBA feel that if the date is not extended, the target in the mind of FBR cannot be achieved,” Mr Zeeshan said.

It further said it is habitual at the FBR to amend and modify the return of income till last moment without notifying the same to the stakeholders which creates bad impression on the part of the FBR.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/business/item/108415-karachi-tax-bar-association-seeks-extension-in-income-tax-returns-deadline-till-dec-31.html

Shahbaz Sharif reacts to NCA probe, says govt failed to prove corruption allegations

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif
Reacting to the UK court’s verdict about the unfreezing of his and his family's bank accounts, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) could not prove corruption of even a single penny against him and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Shehbaz Sharif said that the ruling PTI’s ministers have been levelling allegations of corruption worth billions of rupees but could not prove any wrongdoing against him and his family.

The PML-N president said that he was sent to jail twice during the last three years. He said that when the government failed to prove corruption against him and his children they approached the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).

The NCA had conducted a probe in which it examined his financial transactions over the past 20 years and found no evidence of money laundering or criminal activities against him, the PML-N leader said, adding that finally the UK agency has asked the court that they wanted to end investigations against him and the UK court approved the request.

“Will UK court let us go unpunished if we had committed corruption?” he asked.

Criticising the prime minister, the PML-N leader said, “NAB-Niazi nexus is a fixed match and FIA is working on the government’s directions.”

Shehbaz said that he lodged a defamation case against the Daily Mail and asked it provide evidence against him. But the Daily Mail is yet to submit evidence in the case. In order to fabricate a fake story, meetings of the reporter, David Rose, had been arranged with imprisoned people.

Those who are pretending themselves to be sadiq and ameen spent millions of rupees to defame him.

“Sideling the Sharif’s family is the only agenda of the PTI-led government,” the PML-N president said, adding that the rulers had only wasted the nation’s time.

PM Imran Khan and his supporters have been levelling fake allegations against him and his family for last over three years. He asked, “Has there been any doubt after the verdict of the UK court?

UK court unfreezes bank accounts of Shahbaz, his family

Earlier, on September 27, a UK court had ordered the unfreezing of PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and his family's bank accounts for lack of evidence of corruption and money laundering.

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) had unfroze the bank accounts of former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and those of his son, Suleman Sharif, on Monday.

The NCA had conducted a 17-month long probe in which it examined Shahbaz Sharif's financial transactions over the past 20 years. In it, no evidence of money laundering or criminal activities against the PML-N president or his family were found.

The NCA had submitted the investigation report of the bank accounts at the Westminster court in which it said that Shahbaz and his son were not involved in money laundering practices in Pakistan, Dubai and the UK.

The NCA had requested the UK court for an extension when it first began probing the case, stating that it needed more time to complete the probe against Shahbaz in multiple countries.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108414-shahbaz-sharif-reacts-to-nca-probe-says-govt-failed-to-prove-corruption-allegations.html

China’s power cuts may foreshadow shortages of global goods

China’s power cuts may foreshadow shortages of global goods
Global shoppers face possible shortages of smartphones and other goods ahead of Christmas after power cuts to meet official energy use targets forced Chinese factories to shut down and left some households in the dark.

In the northeastern city of Liaoyang, 23 people were hospitalised with gas poisoning after ventilation in a metal casting factory was shut off following a power outage, according to state broadcaster CCTV. No deaths were reported.

Factories were idled to avoid exceeding limits on energy use imposed by Beijing to promote efficiency. Economists and an environmental group say manufacturers used up this year’s quota faster than planned as export demand rebounded from the coronavirus pandemic.

A components supplier for Apple Inc.’s iPhones said it suspended production at a factory west of Shanghai under orders from local authorities.

The disruption to China’s vast manufacturing industries during one of their busiest seasons reflects the ruling Communist Party’s struggle to balance economic growth with efforts to rein in pollution and emissions of climate-changing gases.

Beijing’s unprecedented resolve in enforcing energy consumption limits could result in long-term benefits, but the short-term economic costs are substantial, Nomura economists Ting Lu, Lisheng Wang and Jing Wang said in a report on Monday.

They said the impact might be so severe that they cut their economic growth forecast for China to 4.7pc from 5.1pc over a year earlier in the current quarter. They cut their outlook for annual growth to 7.7pc from 8.2pc.

Global financial markets already were on edge about the possible collapse of one of Chinas biggest real estate developers, Evergrande Group, which is struggling to avoid a default on billions of dollars of debt.

Manufacturers already face shortages of processor chips, disruptions in shipping and other lingering effects of the global shutdown of travel and trade to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Residents of China’s northeast, where autumn temperatures are falling, report power cuts and appealed on social media for the government to restore supplies.

The crunch comes as global leaders prepare to attend a UN environmental conference by video link on Oct 12-13 in the southwestern city of Kunming. That increases pressure on President Xi Jinping’s government, as the meeting’s host, to show it is sticking to emissions and energy efficiency targets.

China is one of the world’s biggest emitters of climate-changing industrial gases and consumes more energy per unit of economic output than developed countries.

The ruling party also is preparing for the Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital, Beijing, and the nearby city of Shijiazhuang in February, a period when it will want clear blue skies.

Scores of companies have announced power rationing could force them to delay filling orders and might hurt them financially.

Apple components supplier Eson Precision Engineering Co. Ltd. said Sunday it would halt production at its factory in Kunshan, west of Shanghai, through Thursday in line with the local governments power restriction policy.

Eson said the suspension shouldnt have a significant impact on operations.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a question about the possible impact on iPhone supplies.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/world/item/108413-china-s-power-cuts-may-foreshadow-shortages-of-global-goods.html

Selectors in limbo as players of World Cup squad fail to spark in National T20 Cup

 National T20 Cup
The national selectors are faced with a conundrum. Some players picked for the Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Cup next month are not finding form at the National T20 Cup. But those who are being tipped to replace them in the UAE-bound squad haven’t been performing either.

The National T20 Cup, underway in Rawalpindi, had assumed greater importance in terms of Pakistan’s preparations for the World Cup, which begins from Oct 17, after New Zealand abandoned their tour earlier this month due to security concerns and England followed by calling off their tour next month.

But below-par performances from the likes of batters Azam Khan and Sohaib Maqsood, pacer Mohammad Hasnain and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz have given rise to rumours that the quartet could be replaced by Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Shah­­nawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.

Opener Fakhar Zaman, who was named as a travelling reserve, is also being tipped to make the first-team squad.

And a Pakistan Cricket Board official did not attempt to play down the rumours.“Two changes can still be made to the World Cup squad.

The official reasoned that performances had to do with the pitches at the Pindi Stadium.

“The pitches were made for the One-day International matches against New Zealand and not for the T20 format,” the official said, with the National T20 having been shifted from Multan to Rawalpindi after New Zealand’s government had asked the team to leave Pakistan less than an hour before the start of the first of three ODI matches.

New Zealand were to play five Twenty20 Internationals at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium following the ODIs and the official was hopeful performances will pick up once the National T20 moves to Lahore from Oct 7.

“The pitches in Lahore will provide much more entertaining cricket,” said the official.

From Pakistan’s World Cup squad, only captain Babar Azam, wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi have shown good form in Rawalpindi.

With 135 runs in three matches Khyber Pakhtunkhwa skipper Rizwan is the leading scorer ahead of Babar (110) who is leading the Central Punjab team, while Rizwan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team-mate Shaheen is the leading wicket-taker with eight in three.

Sindh’s Hasnain, who has given away 80 runs while picking up four wickets in two matches, isn’t the only bowler in the World Cup squad who has been struggling.

Mohammad Wasim of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also picked up only four wickets from three matches while giving away 88 runs but his form with the bat is impressive as he is averaging 45.

Hasan Ali has picked up three wickets in three matches while Imad Wasim and Nawaz have two from two. Leg-spinner Shadab Khan, the captain of the Northern team, is yet to pick up a wicket after two matches.

Haris Rauf, though, has shown a bit of good form, picking four wickets for 46 runs in two matches.

As far as the batters are concerned, Azam has just 35 runs from three matches while Southern Punjab captain Sohaib, who was the player of the tournament at the last Pakistan Super League, has just 42 runs from three matches.

The two players whose inclusion in the World Cup squad saw chief selector Mohammad Wasim come under fire, Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah, have also had poor returns. Khushdil has 51 runs from three outings while Asif has 53 from two.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/sports/item/108412-selectors-in-limbo-as-players-of-world-cup-squad-fail-to-spark-in-national-t20-cup.html

FIA asked to investigate who made money from construction of roads: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had been tasked with investigating which individuals had siphoned funds from road construction projects in the country.

Addressing a groundbreaking ceremony in Islamabad for the rehabilitation and upgradation of Balochistan's Jhaljao-Bela Road, the prime minister said the per kilometre cost for the project was cheaper than the cost in the PML-N's tenure despite inflation since then.

"I am thinking if we had made roads at the same rate as today, how much money we would have saved for more roads. This is the loss to the nation that when corrupt people come [in power], they actually steal the nation's wealth.

"I have tasked my team to fully investigate money stolen on [construction of] roads [...] I have also given the FIA the mandate to investigate and bring before the nation who is responsible and who made so much money," the prime minister said.

He added that people should know how much they lose out on due to corruption.

Regarding the project itself, the premier said it was very necessary for Balochistan. He said due to the vastness of Balochistan was, development could not be pursued there without first connecting the region.

He attributed a major reason for the lack of Balochistan's development to the approach of past governments.

"The government which [only] thinks of its five-year election will never develop Balochistan because in that [same] amount of money, it could spend on many places in central Punjab which have a high population and it thinks it is better for it to win the election."

The premier said if Balochistan was to be developed, it would have to be seen as an overall part of Pakistan and all areas of the country would have to be raised up similarly. "We can raise [them] when development is funnelled to those areas which have been left behind," he added.

He explained that raising neglected and backward areas up would not only benefit them but the entire country as well. "This thinking will only come when there is long-term planning in Pakistan [...] if you're just thinking about the election, then the country will never move forward," the prime minister said.

The premier also held the province's politicians responsible for the situation, saying they too thought about promoting development in their constituencies for the sake of electoral success instead of thinking about Balochistan.

Outlining his government's ideology, the prime minister said: "A country cannot become strong and move forward until there is equitable development which raises all [areas] of the country up. My government has tried since coming into power to help all those areas that have been left behind."

Scorecard

At the end of his tenure, the premier said he hoped to show a "scorecard", which would reflect that the federal and provincial governments had together achieved the kind of development in five years hitherto never done before in Balochistan's history.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Jhaljao-Bela Road project will "facilitate the movement of the people of Balochistan to other areas and increase their economic, social, industrial, commercial, agricultural, tourism and cultural activities."

It will also create around 3,000 job opportunities for locals, the statement added.

"Jhaljao-Bela Road is also of special importance for the development of trade relations with Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asian states," the PMO said.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108411-fia-asked-to-investigate-who-made-money-from-construction-of-roads-pm-imran.html

Corona SOPs relaxed in eight cities of Pakistan: Umar

National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar
The government has announced a new strategy via which cities with low vaccination rates will have to undergo "higher restrictions", said National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar.

Flanked by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Asad Umar said that the government had decided to vaccinate cities and areas where coronavirus positivity ratios were higher.

"Vaccination is the only way forward, as the world knows very well, to battle the coronavirus," he said. "Getting the most people vaccinated is the fastest way to get rid of the problems of coronavirus otherwise, we will have to depend on closures," he added.

He said lockdowns and closures usually meant economic losses and business setbacks. Umar clarified that increased vaccination rates will not, however, mean that coronavirus will be totally eliminated across Pakistan.

"However, it ensure that people are able to spend their lives normally," he said.

"Hence, keeping all this in mind, our NCOC meeting this morning decided that from October 1, our decision to impose more relaxation or restrictions in SOPs for cities and districts will be made on the basis of their respective vaccination rates," he said.

SOPs relaxed in eight cities of Pakistan

Umar said that the NCOC had set a target to vaccinate 40% of the 15 and above age group in Pakistan's 24 or 25 large cities. He said the cities who had achieved the targeted vaccination rate are Gilgit, Skardu, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Quetta and Peshawar.

"We are about to relax restrictions in these eight cities from October 1," he announced. "The rest of the cities and districts will have to implement on the same restrictions that are currently in place, till October 15," he added.

Umar spoke about the relaxations that will be allowed to the above-mentioned eight cities, adding that indoor gatherings of up to 300 persons and outdoor gatherings of up to 1,000 persons will be allowed.

The NCOC chief said that persons who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, in these eight cities, will also be able to watch movies in cinema houses from October 1.

Fully vaccinated persons can also visit shrines in the eight cities, Umar said, adding that however, the provincial government and district administration will keep a check on how the arrangements are made for people to visit these shrines and check whether they have been vaccinated or not.

"Restaurants can remain open throughout the week for these eight cities," he said. "The same goes for wedding halls. They can remain open seven days a week.

Umar announced another relaxation for vaccinated individuals from October 1, not necessarily from these eight cities, adding that food during flights will be served to them.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108410-corona-sops-relaxed-in-eight-cities-of-pakistan-umar.html

PCB CEO Wasim Khan resigns

PCB CEO Wasim Khan resigns
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Wasim Khan has resigned from the post after his powers were curtailed, Wasim Khan tendered his resignation in a meeting with PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja a day prior.

Wasim Khan was taken on board by former chairman Ehsan Mani in 2019 to run the affairs of the board on modern lines, on a three-year contract which was set to expire in 2022.

"We have started the process of revamping the PCB and under Wasim, we now have an experienced leader of the management team who will oversee the implementation of the Board decisions. His first task would be to oversee the reforms of domestic cricket structure," Mani had said when he had announced Wasim Khan's appointment.

In his first press conference as PCB chief last month, Ramiz Raja had also hinted that a complete overhaul of the system was needed in the cricket board.

"First of all, this is an internal matter of the organisation hence I will not share anything with you," Ramiz Raja had responded when asked about the future of Wasim Khan under his leadership. "If I were to talk about scrolls, then 90% of the PCB should be sacked," he had said.

Ramiz then said that he was not fixating on tenures, adding that he wanted "people for the execution" of his plans.

"I was having a discussion with the Board of Governors (BoG) to whom I said that I have 10,000 ideas and wishes. To accomplish them, I need a team," he had said. "So we discussed how we will go about these executions."

Rumours of change within the PCB management had started circulating since Ramiz Raja's nomination as the new cricket board chief.

Pakistan's coaches Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis were the first to go when they stepped down from their roles after the team was announced for the T20 World Cup.

"I always thought that if I got the chance [to serve] at this position then I would reset the vision a bit. I think cricket's compass and direction need to be reset. There are some long term and some short term goals," he had said.

 



source https://www.suchtv.pk/sports/item/108406-pcb-ceo-resigns.html

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

American senators demanding a deeper into the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan

American senators demanding a deeper into the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan
American senators have tabled a bill in the US Senate, demanding a deeper investigation into the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan and sanctions on the group as well as those who assisted them in driving out the Ashraf Ghani-led regime.

The 'Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act' seeks to establish a task force that will focus on continued evacuation of American citizens, legal permanent residents and Special Immigrant Visa holders from Afghanistan.

Introduced by 22 American Republican senators, the bill seeks to tackle issues related to the Afghan withdrawal, such as counterterrorism strategies and sanctioning the Taliban for alleged human rights abuses in the country.

"Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on entities providing support to the Taliban," the bill read.

It added that further assessment of "support by state and non-state actors, including the Government of Pakistan, for the Taliban between 2001 and 2020, provision of sanctuary space, financial support, intelligence support, logistics and medical support, training, equipping, and tactical, operational, or strategic direction" should be held.

The bill seeks a probe into the "support by state and non-state actors, including the Government of Pakistan" for the 2021 Taliban offensive that helped topple the Afghan government led by Ashraf Ghani, adding that the areas to be probed are provision of sanctuary of space, intelligence support, financial support, logistics, training and medical support for the group.

The bill further seeks a probe into support for the Taliban allegedly by non-state actors and the government of Pakistan into the Panjshir Valley operation by the group and against their military offensives targeting the Afghan resistance.

"A detailed description of United States diplomatic and military activities undertaken to curtail support for the 2021 offensive of the Taliban that toppled the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," it added. Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch, said that American citizens and Afghans were stranded in Afghanistan, adding that "we face a renewed terror threat against the United States".

He said it was wrong of the Taliban to seek recognition and acceptance at the UN "even as they suppress the rights of Afghan women and girls."

The bill says that as per the agreement between the US and the Taliban -signed in February 2020 - the two sides had committed to a reduction in violence in Afghanistan, engaging in talks with the Afghan government and providing counterterrorism guarantees.

"The Taliban failed to meet their commitments," the bill says.

The bill further states that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan may cause the country to descend into further chaos and become a safe haven for militants and terrorists such as Al-Qaeda or the Afghanistan chapter of Daesh.

The bill requires the State Department to provide a quarterly briefing and submit an annual report detailing lessons learned from the task force, including lessons related to the evacuation of American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and applicants for the special immigrant visa program, from Afghanistan.
The bill has called upon the US government to not recognise any diplomatic credentials of a person who is a member of the Taliban, which also includes the ambassador of Afghanistan to the US.

It directs that the US should use its influence at the United Nations to object to the issuance of credentials to any member of the delegation of Afghanistan to the United Nations General Assembly who is a member of the Taliban; to ensure that no member of the Taliban may serve in a leadership position in any United Nations body, fund, program, or specialised agency.

The bill also wants the US government to back a resolution on human rights abuses committed by the Taliban at the United Nations Human Rights Council and call for the immediate deployment of human rights monitors to Afghanistan under the special procedures of the Council.
Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari lashed out at the American legislators for tabling the bill, saying that once again, Islamabad was being punished for being America's ally in the War on Terror.

She said despite being in Afghanistan for 20 years, the US government has left behind "no stable governance structures".

"Pakistan now being scapegoated for this failure.This was never our war; we suffered 80,000 casualties, a dessimated economy, over 450 drone attacks by our US "ally"," she tweeted.

She asked the US to introspect, wondering whether the massive $2 trillion invested by the US had been spent.
"US Senate shd do serious introspection: Where did $ 2 trillion disappear? Why did the heavily-invested-in ANA simply dissolve? Who asked Pak to free TTA leadrship? Who signed Doha agreement with TTA & hosted them in DC?"

She then urged Western countries to look to their own failures rather than blame Pakistan for them.

"Enough is enough. It is time for those powers who were present in Afghanistan to look to their own failures instead of targeting Pakistan which paid a heavy price in lives lost, social & economic costs, refugees - all for being an ally & suffering constant abuse, in a war that wasn't ours," she tweeted.

 



source https://www.suchtv.pk/world/item/108404-american-senate.html

PAKISTAN RECORDS 51 MORE CORONA DEATHS WITHIN A DAY

PAKISTAN RECORDS 51 MORE CORONA DEATHS WITHIN A DAY
Pakistan reported less than 2,000 coronavirus cases in a single day for the fourth consecutive day Wednesday morning.A day earlier, the data from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed that the daily COVID-19 case count went below 1,500 for the first time in more than two months after the country reported 1,400 fresh cases Tuesday morning.

The country last reported less than 1,500 cases on July 23 at 1,425 cases.

The country also reported 52 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the national death tally to 27,690. With 2,970 recoveries in the same period, the tally for recoveries now stands at 1,167,189, NCOC's data showed.

The daily positivity rate stands at 3.19%. It has been less than 3% for the last four days.

The number of active cases went to the lowest level since the last two months at 48,506 cases. The active cases, along with the positivity rate, have been consistently falling since the last month with new recoveries surpassing fresh cases reported almost daily. Among the active cases, 3,948 patients are under critical care.

COVID-19 infections are decreasing in Pakistan, with 1,988 new infections reported on average each day. That’s 34% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on June 17.

Pakistan has administered at least 79,533,208 doses of COVID vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs 2 doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 18.4% of the country’s population.

During the last week reported, Pakistan averaged about 711,775 doses administered each day. At that rate, it will take a further 61 days to administer enough doses for another 10% of the population.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108395-pakistan-records-51-more-corona-deaths-within-a-day.html

French president egged by protester shouting 'long live revolution'

French president egged by protester shouting 'long live revolution'
A man hit French President Emmanuel Macron with an egg while he was visiting Lyon on Monday to promote French gastronomy.

Footage from Lyon Mag showed the egg bouncing off the president's shoulder area, without breaking, as he walked through a crowd while a protester shouted "Vive la revolution" (long live the revolution).

A man was arrested after the incident at the international catering, hotel and food trade fair in the city, French media said.

A spokeswoman for Macron's office did not answer a request for comment.

In June, a man slapped Macron in the face during a walkabout in southern France. The man was ordered to serve four months in jail.

Eggs from irate protesters are a common occupational hazard for French politicians, and Macron is no exception.

When he was still a candidate for the presidency in 2017, an egg exploded against his head during a crowd visit at the national agriculture fair in Paris.

Macron’s security detail is expected to be on high alert in coming months as the centrist leader multiplies his public appearances ahead of a widely expected re-election campaign.

So far he has not officially declared his candidacy for another five-year term in voting set for next April.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/world/item/108392-french-president-egged-by-protester-shouting-long-live-revolution.html

IMF assured of Pakistan’s commitment to programme

IMF assured of Pakistan’s commitment to programme
Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Monday assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of Pakistan’s commitment to its ongoing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme and hoped to successfully complete the upcoming review as well as Article IV consultations.

During a meeting with the outgoing and nominated resident representatives of the IMF, the finance minister said the government would formally launch the ‘track and trace’ system for tobacco products on Oct 1 this year. “This is also one of the requirements under the EFF programme,” an official statement quoted Mr Tarin as saying.

The minister told the IMF team that reforms were being carried out in the power sector to address the issue of circular debt.

Negotiations with the IMF for sixth review of the EFF currently under recess along with Article IV consultations will begin on Oct 4. These will be followed by Mr Tarin’s scheduled visit to Washington to hold meetings with the IMF management and attend annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF from Oct 11 to 17.

Esther Perez Ruiz, the nominated IMF resident representative, was on a courtesy call and accompanied by outgoing representative Teresa Sanchez Daban.

Ms Ruiz is currently visiting Pakistan on a pre-assignment mission.

The finance minister felicitated Ms Ruiz and expressed his best wishes for her upcoming assignment beginning in November.

Extending a warm welcome, Mr Tarin told the IMF official that Pakistan was firmly committed to pursuing an all-inclusive and sustainable economic growth with focus on “bottom-up” approach to uplift the marginalised segments of society.

To this end, the government intends to engage development partners to broaden economic development through fiscal consolidation and prudent economic measures amid the pandemic and post-Covid scenario.

The finance minister commended the IMF for extending timely assistance during testing times. He briefed the IMF representative on key initiatives to provide maximum relief to the masses and said the government was taking a range of administrative, policy and relief measures to absorb the upward pressure on prices of basic food commodities due to the pandemic.

The government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to enhance revenue collection and broaden the existing tax base. He also highlighted the robust performance of the Federal Board of Revenue in surpassing revenue collection targets in recent months despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The broadening of tax base is one of the key priorities of the government, he added.

The new IMF representative appreciated Pakistan for its efforts to manage the spread of the virus through a series of smart and targeted lockdowns to strike a balance between lives and livelihoods. She hoped to work closely with the government of Pakistan during her tenure.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/business/item/108391-imf-assured-of-pakistan-s-commitment-to-programme.html

Sachin Tendulkar wishes speedy recovery to 'fighter' Inzamamul Haq

Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and former Pakistan batting great Inzamamul Haq
Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar prayed for the speedy recovery of former Pakistan batting great Inzamamul Haq, who has had a heart attack.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Tendulkar wrote: "You've always been calm yet competitive, and a fighter on the field."

"I hope and pray that you'll come out stronger from this situation as well. Get well soon," the former skipper added.

 Inzamam has now been discharged from the hospital after a successful angioplasty, his manager confirmed.

The manager said a stent had been successfully placed in Inzamam's heart.

The former batsman had been complaining about chest pain over the last three days, a cricket-based website had reported. After tests, it was revealed he had suffered a heart attack and needed immediate surgery.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/sports/item/108390-sachin-tendulkar-wishes-speedy-recovery-to-fighter-inzamamul-haq.html

Govt welcomes discussion with Opposition on electoral reforms: Fawad

 Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry
The PTI-led government on Tuesday welcomed the Opposition's readiness to discuss electoral reforms with the Centre, days after a committee from both houses was formed to address the matter.

Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry, addressing a post-cabinet press conference in Islamabad, said the committee should move in the right direction to resolve the matter and not waste time.

The information minister said the electronic voting machine (EVM) and i-voting were a crucial part of the reforms. "If we exclude overseas Pakistanis from the voting process [...] it will be an injustice with them."

Chaudhry said Prime Minister Imran Khan, during the cabinet meeting, directed Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, Advisor to PM on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, and others who oversee parliamentary matters that these two elements — EVMs and i-voting — be discussed as a necessity with the Opposition.

The information minister said a majority of the conflicts arise as the vote count comes in and that the government had shared a study of the Philippines with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), where 300 officials had died during conflicts when the final count came in. "This happened when the Philippines did not use EVMs."

The federal minister said the government had imported 20 machines and hoped that they could be used in upcoming elections.

"No sitting government in Pakistan has ever focused on electoral reforms, it is the PTI-led government that aims to introduce them," the minister said, highlighting that the incumbent regime had also run campaigns in this regard.

The federal minister said the government would bring its agenda to a joint session of the parliament and stressed once more that the government is willing to talk to the Opposition on electoral reforms.

Expansion of online visa system

The federal cabinet has expanded the Pakistan Online Visa System (POVS), through which the country issues e-visas, Chaudhry said, pointing out that from 50, it is now available to 191 countries.

"The aim behind this is to promote tourism and business — and through this, nationals from 191 countries will be able to get Pakistan's visas, while at home," the information minister said.

Private moon sighting

Moreover, new legislation on moon sightings has been done, and as a result, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has banned private moon sightings, Chaudhry said. "Only announcements from the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee or the government will be considered final and binding."

Besides the federal government, provincial and district committees for moon sighting will also be formed, the information minister said, noting that officials from SUPARCO, Pakistan Meteorological Department, Ministry of Religious Affairs, and Ministry of Science and Technology have also been included in the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.

Aid for Indonesia

Chaudhry said the federal cabinet, as a goodwill gesture, has approved humanitarian aid for Indonesia — a country that he said has stood firmly by Pakistan. "This is a gesture of goodwill as they battle coronavirus."

Economic indicators

The economic indicators presented before the cabinet showed that foreign remittances have gone up by $5.4 billion, revenue collection during the first two months of the fiscal year has increased by Rs858 billion, agriculture, manufacturing, and the services sector have also witnessed an upward trend, and foreign exchange reserves are at a record level, $27.2 billion, while exports went up by $4.6 billion, Chaudhry said.

He noted that inflation had increased, but that agricultural income has also gone up alongside.

Shahbaz's case in the UK

Responding to a question, the information minister said if the case of PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif is heard on a daily basis and on merit, he would "soon be in jail".

The information minister hoped that the case of Shahbaz is wrapped up at the earliest so that the people of Pakistan could "finally get rid of" the Sharif family.

Chaudhry's remarks come a day after a British court ordered the unfreezing of the Opposition leader's bank accounts and those belonging to his son, Suleman Sharif.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108389-govt-welcomes-discussion-with-opposition-on-electoral-reforms-fawad.html

Shahbaz Sharif NCA probe: Govt embarrassing itself, says Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal and Rans Sana ullah
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday lashed out at the government, saying that it had embarrassed itself in front of the world with the British National Crime Agency (NCA)'s probe against PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif.

In a hard-hitting press conference, flanked by Rana Sanaullah and Ahsan Iqbal, Abbasi said the government's claims that it was not involved or pursuing money laundering cases against Shahbaz had been exposed.

He said that the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) and, as per the PML-N's sources, even Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials, used to go to London to meet NCA officials.

"The standard set by this government, when it comes to lying, is totally unique," he said. "The prime minister of this country, in his own office, creates an Asset Recovery Unit that has no legal basis. And what has that ARU done?" he questioned.

He referred to the papers in his hand, saying that they were official documents submitted by the NCA at the UK court.

Referring to the NCA probe against the PML-N president and his son Suleman, Abbasi said that normally in money laundering cases, financial transactions only six years back were traced.

"In this case, however, the probe stretched to cover financial transactions covering a period of over 20 years," he noted. "This inquiry was also not limited to just one country; it took place in Pakistan, the UK and the UAE."

The former prime minister said that money sent by Shahbaz from Pakistan to his UK bank account was legal money.

He said Shahbaz and Suleman had both given their consent to the NCA to probe their accounts. "Time and again, the NCA told the court that it has the complete support and cooperation of the Pakistani government and its agencies," he said.

Abbasi alleged that DG NAB Lahore, the ARU, FIA and other agencies were involved in framing allegations against the PML-N president. "And now, the prime minister of this country says his government had nothing to do with the probe," he said.

PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that the government could not, till this day, find evidence of former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's involvement in corruption.

"Each case has slammed shut on their faces," he said, referring to the government. "You could not even prove corruption worth Rs32 in a Rs3,200bn project," he added.

Iqbal said that the government is failing the masses as it is busy registering fake cases against the Opposition. "However, your failure is becoming a matter of life and death for the public," he said.

Iqbal said the government itself was inviting trouble from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as the prime minister was repeatedly saying at international forums that political leaders in the country are involved in money laundering.

"This he does only to promote his politics of hatred and revenge," he said.

Shahbaz, Suleman's accounts ordered unfrozen

After 21 months of investigation and review of 20 years of financial affairs, a British court has ordered the unfreezing of the Opposition leader's bank accounts and those belonging to his son, Suleman Sharif.

The decision was taken by the court after UK's top anti-corruption body NCA concluded there was no evidence of money laundering, fraud and criminal conduct against the two, according to evidence seen by The News exclusively.

The Westminster Magistrates Court’s Judge Nicholas Rimmer set aside the two accounts freezing orders (AFO) against Shahbaz Sharif and his son related to a December 2019 case filed by the NCA at the Pakistani government's request.

The bank accounts of Shahbaz Sharif and Suleiman Shahbaz were freezed in December 2019 on court's order. The National Accountability Bureau East Recovery Unit shared the evidence with the British agency.

During the investigation, the accounts of the Shahbaz Sharif and Sharif family in the UK and UAE were investigated.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108388-shahbaz-sharif-nca-probe-govt-embarrassing-itself-says-shahid-khaqan-abbasi.html

Veteran comedian Omer Sharif sets off to the US for medical treatment

Veteran comedian Omer Sharif
Veteran entertainer Omer Sharif has boarded an air ambulance and is finally on his way to the US for medical treatment.

The air ambulance will take him to Washington DC via Germany. He is accompanied by his wife Zareen Omer and a six-member medical team.

Earlier in the day, Sindh Government Spokesperson Murtaza Wahab had announced that Sharif was on his way to the airport.

Doctors in Karachi declared him fit to travel despite initial concerns on Monday that he was too unwell. According to his wife, his blood pressure had dropped and the air ambulance had threatened to leave.

The ambulance landed in Karachi Monday morning but Sharif was unable to board immediately as his doctors had advised against air travel. He underwent a series of tests before getting the green light from his medical team.

The veteran's medical condition became a subject of national concern after he made a video appeal to Prime Minister Imran Khan to help him secure a visa to travel abroad for medical treatment. The federal government assured him that it would help and the Sindh government also stepped in, sanctioning Rs40 million for his treatment.

Actor Reema Khan had also announced that her husband, cardiologist Dr Tariq Shahab, had agreed to perform the surgery on Sharif. Several other celebrities had called for prayers for Sharif.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/entertainment/item/108387-veteran-comedian-omer-sharif-sets-off-to-the-us-for-medical-treatment.html

NCOC decides to start vaccinating children aged 12 and above

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar announced on Tuesday that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had decided to start inoculating children who are 12 years and older.

"A special drive will be run for vaccination at schools to make it easier for children to be vaccinated," he said.

According to NCOC statistics, the country administered 961,340 Covid-19 doses on September 27. So far, Pakistan has administered 79,531,641 doses.

"Non-vaccinated people will be facing various restrictions from October 1! Get yourself completely vaccinated immediately!" the NCOC warned earlier today.

The government had allowed citizens above the age of 17 to get vaccinated from Sept 1. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, during a press conference, had announced that these adolescents would have to be fully vaccinated by Oct 15 in order to enter educational institutions.

Shortly after, the government had decided to start vaccinating adolescents in the age group of 15 to 17 years.

Earlier this month, the NCOC had revised its Covid-19 vaccination guidelines for citizens below the age of 18 and said that they will be administered the Pfizer vaccine.

People below the age of 18 will have to provide their B-form number for registration in the National Immunisation Management System, the NCOC statement had said.

Earlier today, Pakistan reported 1,400 coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours — the lowest since July 5, when 830 infections were detected in the country.

The highest number of new cases were reported from Punjab at 574, followed by 535 in Sindh and 143 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The total number of cases is 1,241,825, and the positivity rate is 3.1 per cent. Meanwhile, 41 more coronavirus-related fatalities have taken the death toll to 27,638.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108386-ncoc-decides-to-start-vaccinating-children-aged-12-and-above.html

British court issues orders to unfreeze Shahbaz Sharif, son's bank accounts

British court issues orders to unfreeze Shahbaz Sharif, son's bank accounts
In a major relief for PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, a British court has ordered the unfreezing of the Opposition leader's bank accounts and those belonging to his son, Suleman Sharif Monday.

The decision was taken by the court after the UK's top anti-corruption body, the National Crime Agency (NCA) concluded there was no evidence of money laundering, fraud and criminal conduct against the two, according to evidence seen by The News exclusively.

The Westminster Magistrates Court’s Judge Nicholas Rimmer set aside the two accounts freezing orders (AFO) against Shahbaz Sharif and his son related to a December 2019 case filed by the NCA at the Pakistani government's request.

The UK's top anti-corruption agency filed a unilateral application before Judge Rimmer to declare that its two-year high-profile investigation in the jurisdictions of Pakistan, UK and Dubai found no evidence of money laundering and criminal conduct on part of the two Sharifs who were investigated.

Documents obtained by The News reveal that the bank accounts of Suleman Sharif were frozen and Shahbaz Sharif’s accounts were probed through a December 17, 2019 court order and both were subjected to high-profile criminal forensic investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA), conducted by the NCA’s Investigations Command at the International Corruption Unit.

Their accounts were frozen after the Pakistan government asked the UK to “assist in the recovery of criminal assets to the state of Pakistan”, triggering a wide-ranging investigation.

NCA probes Shahbaz. Suleman's accounts
After the Westminster Magistrates Court allowed the accounts to be freezed and issued a probe consent to the NCA on December 19, 2019, Suleman Sharif’s declared Barclays account, Shahbaz Sharif’s HBL UK and Barclays account were immediately probed, seized and monies frozen.

This correspondent has seen court evidence which shows that the NCA’s investigators sought consent from Shahbaz Sharif to have access to his closed Barclays account as well or else the account will be accessed through a production order. Shahbaz Sharif agreed to the consent on the advice of his lawyers.

Usually, anti-money laundering investigations go back only six years, but in this case, the NCA used its excessive powers and investigated Shahbaz Sharif and his son's transactions dating back to around 20 years. NCA's investigators started the probe from the first flat that Shahbaz Sharif bought in 2004 on Edgware Road when he was in exile and asked him to produce evidence of the clean origin of the money, including mortgage payments, sources of proceeds in his accounts, salaries and dividends, and full proceeds of the property purchase in the UK, bought during exile.

The NCA investigated Suleman Sharif’s Barclays account declared in Pakistan with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and looked into all transfers which were made from Pakistan after the State Bank of Pakistan’s approval. The NCA went through each receipt of transfers from the official money exchangers.

The court documents obtained by this correspondent from credible sources show that the NCA received a letter from the ARU on December 11, 2019, in which it levelled allegations of criminal conduct against Shahbaz Sharif and Suleman Sharif.

The government of Pakistan had requested the UK government to seize all assets and funds of Shahbaz Sharif and his family, and asked them to return the same to Pakistan and extradite Suleman Shehbaz with his family.

The Home Office was in the loop and a separate letter was sent to the Home Office requesting Suleman's extradition, as well as asking Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) ministry to probe Suleman.

Court papers show that two AFOs were issued by the Westminster Magistrates Court on December 17 for 12 months in case numbers 011902628734 and 011902628947.

A year later, on December 8, 2020, the NCA went to the court again, applying to extend both AFOs for six months, arguing that investigations were continuing in the UK, Dubai and Pakistan. According to court papers, Suleman Shehbaz agreed to the extension of the AFOs by the court on three applications filed by the NCA.

No evidence of money laundering or fraud
On September 10, 2021, the NCA submitted a unilateral application to the court informing that its investigations had been completed and the NCA crime investigators had found no evidence of money-laundering, fraud or wrongdoings in any of the transactions made either from Pakistan to the UK or from the UK to Pakistan in Suleman and Shahbaz Sharif's accounts.

District Judge Nicholas Rimmer signed the final order setting aside the AFOs, releasing and returning the accounts and monies to Suleman Shehbaz and his father.

According to a chronological order of the sensitive investigation - kept under tight wraps by the Sharifs, the NCA and the Pakistan government - a senior director of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit met Shehzad Saleem, Director General of NAB Lahore, in London on December 9, 2019 to discuss the formal investigation against Shahbaz and Suleman Sharif.

According to court papers, Shehzad Saleem explained to the NCA that Shehbaz Sharif’s wealth began to accumulate when he and his brother Nawaz Sharif gained prominence in the 1980s. The implication being that they were receiving bribes and other kickbacks because of their influential position.

The NAB Lahore official told the NCA official during their Central London meeting that Sharifs’ used the hawala system to transfer monies to make them clean and to legalise such transactions. He told the NCA that NAB’s investigation had identified a large number of remittances to bank accounts of the family, allegedly from Pakistanis living abroad.

It is therefore the NAB’s case, he told the NCA, and that the remittances are the laundering of illicit funds by, or on behalf of, Shahbaz Sharif and family, according to court papers.

The ARU's letter
This correspondent has reviewed the letter of December 11, 2019 from the ARU to the NCA explaining why Shahbaz and Suleman Sharif should be investigated and what action should be taken. The ARU told the NCA that Shehbaz was wanted in Pakistan, under investigation, on bail, and a person of interest for misuse of authority during his tenure as chief minister Punjab, namely in his involvement in the Ashiana Housing scheme case and Hamza Sugar Mills case.

The Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) said in the same letter that Suleman was the “principal accused and beneficiary of the fake international remittances and money laundering through front and paper companies”. The Pakistani government's letter to the UK’s anti-corruption agency alleged that its investigation revealed that Shahbaz Sharif and Suleman “patronised a local network of front companies in the name of their low paid employees to launder their proceeds of corruption to show as legitimate money” and that both had “used informal money transfers (hawala) to shift and conceal their money abroad”.

The Pakistan government further told the NCA that the Panamagate investigations had “already culminated in sentences to Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz Sharif and others from the accountability court and these cases are presently pending with the Islamabad High Court in the appellate's jurisdiction.

It mentioned that investigations by NAB are presently underway for “corruption and organised money laundering” in relation to various members of the Sharif family, including Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Nusrat Shahbaz, Suleman Sharif and mainly family members of Shahbaz Sharif for “money laundering “through companies owned by Shahbaz’s family members.

This correspondent has seen the full file which the NCA placed before the Westminster Magistrates Court in order to get the freezing orders (AFOs) issued against Shahbaz Sharif and Suleman. The NCA bundle went into detail to describe Shahbaz and his son as being allegedly involved in criminal conduct through misuse of authority and associated money laundering.

t relied on several newspaper clippings which carried allegations of money laundering, quoting Pakistan government ministers and their press conferences.

Attached in the bundle was also an article by David Rose for the Daily Mail which had been published on July 13, 2019 in which the paper alleged that Shahbaz had stolen the UK government funds.

The article carried the same allegations of money laundering that the ARU later on submitted before the NCA, asking the UK to rely on the article for its investigations.

The NCA gained AFOs and probe consent order for violations contrary to sections 327, 328 and 329 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, involving criminal offending contrary to conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to cheat the public revenue; concealing criminal property; acquisition of criminal property; use and possessions of criminal property; and fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position.

No case for 'recoverable property', says NCA
The NCA lawyers, requesting freezing orders for 12 months, added: "This will ultimately allow us to prove or disprove if these funds in whole or part, constitute recoverable property in that they are derived from criminal conduct or intended for use in unlawful conduct."

The NCA application, quoting the allegations made by the ARU, said that it needed 12 months because it will conduct enquiries internationally.

Credible legal sources here shared that the grounds of suspicion on which the NCA filed its application in the Westminster Magistrates Court to secure freezing orders were not proven as the investigations in multiple jurisdictions couldn’t establish evidence to prove money-laundering and criminal conduct.

That is the sole reason, according to sources, why the NCA gave it in writing to the Westminster Magistrates Court that its investigations had established that there was no case for the “recoverable property”, hence the unfreezing of assets and closure of the case file.

Reports of Shahbaz being acquirred incorrect, says Shahzad Akbar
Meanwhile, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar said that reports of Shahbaz Sharif being acquitted by the British court were incorrect, clarifying that neither had the ARU nor NAB requested the UK government to initiate a probe against the PML-N leader.

He said the inquiry had been initiated over a "suspicious transaction" that a bank had reported to the NCA, adding that these consisted of certain funds transferred by Suleman Shahbaz from Pakistan to the UK in 2019.

"[These transactions] were declared as a suspicious transaction by the UK authorities and the NCA secured an asset freezing order(AFO) from the court against these funds," he tweeted. "However, recently the NCA decided to stop investigating these funds and therefore agreed for the release of these funds through the court.

"It is clarified that such a release order is not an acknowledgement that funds are from a legitimate source," he added. The prime minister'a aide said that Shahbaz and Suleman have not been acquitted since they had not been tried to begin with.

"The funds were frozen by the NCA and the NCA has decided to not investigate these funds anymore," he added. "Suleman Shahbaz remains a fugitive in a money laundering case against him and his father before the AC Lahore," he added.

PMLN Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said the UK court decision has unequivocally exonerated Shehbaz Sharif and his family of all malicious and vexatious claims of corruption and money laundering.

Responding to Shahzad Akbar’s tweet, she said the NCA UK conducted a 21-month global investigation spanning 20 years whilst overcoming unprecedented jurisdictional challenges. 

She said never in the history of Pakistan has a public office holder ever been subjected to global scrutiny and multi-jurisdictional probing as Shahbaz Sharif had been. 

Marriyum said the government's false corruption narrative was exposed, adding that it was telling a hundred more lies to cover up thousands that it had already told. 

She said the government will fall on the weight of its own deceit and lies.



source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/108384-british-court-issues-orders-to-unfreeze-shahbaz-sharif-son-s-bank-accounts.html