If Imran Khan's bail is rejected, govt will be left with 'no choice but to arrest him': Interior Minister

Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said if PTI Chairman Imran Khan's request for bail is rejected by the court, the government will have "no choice but to arrest him".

"If the government decides, we will arrest Imran Khan," the minister said, and rejected the party's claims of the "devastation" that will follow.

He was speaking on a private TV programe and was referring to Khan being granted protective bail by the Islamabad High Court till Thursday in a terrorism case, after which he is expected to attempt to obtain pre-arrest bail.

The case was filed after the PTI chairman allegedly threatened a female judge — who remanded into police custody his chief of staff, Shahbaz Gill — besides speaking against senior police officials at a rally.

Referring to the statements by Gill which landed him in prison on sedition charges, the minister said that the remarks were "not the act of an individual".

“Gill’s [comments] were a part of the party’s campaign rather than an individual act," he said, adding: "Gill revealed during investigations that it was a written statement."

“PTI’s social media wing was also a part of the campaign,” he added.

Sanaullah accused the PTI of spreading "negative social media propaganda" targeting the Balochistan helicopter crash martyrs, and questioned why the party has not apologised for its alleged actions.

Speaking of the party's rule in Punjab, he said that the province is not being ruled by the PTI, “in fact, it is being ruled by PML-Q and the biggest thief”.

“The running of Punjab government affairs cannot go on this way. The stories we hear are bizarre,” he said, adding that matters aren’t being handled well between the PTI and PML-Q and they were unlikely to improve in the future.

source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/115375-if-imran-khan-s-bail-is-rejected-govt-will-be-left-with-no-choice-but-to-arrest-him-interior-minister.html

Pakistan, Qatar reaffirm resolve to further enhance bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade & investment domains

Pakistan and Qatar have reaffirmed their resolve to further enhance bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade and investment domains.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani in Doha.

During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest.

They expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in engagement between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif thanked the Qatari leadership for the care afforded to Pakistani expatriates in their country.

Highlighting Pakistan’s rich human resource potential, the Prime Minister said he looks forward to working with the Qatari leadership in exploring more opportunities for Pakistanis who can contribute to Qatar’s development through their skill and enterprises.

Reviewing the latest developments in Afghanistan, Shehbaz Sharif underscored the importance of constructive engagement and the need for international community to scale up its support for Afghan people in dealing with the humanitarian and economic crises.

He congratulated Qatar on hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, and wished the people and government of Qatar every success in convening of the world’s largest sporting events.

source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/115374-pakistan-qatar-reaffirm-resolve-to-further-enhance-bilateral-cooperation-particularly-in-trade-investment-domains.html

Local body’s polls in Karachi to be held as per schedule on Aug 28: ECP

The spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday, said that the local body’s elections in Karachi Division will be held as per the fixed schedule on Aug 28.

He further said that the decision about the election in Hyderabad Division would be taken keeping in mind the convenience of the voters.

Earlier, the Government of Sindh requested the ECP to postpone the second phase of the local body’s election in Karachi and Hyderabad Divisions as it would be difficult to hold the elections due to continuous rains, badly damaging the infrastructure, adding that another expected rain spell in Sindh was forecast by the Met Office from Tuesday.

The provincial government further said the police and other relevant departments are engaged in relief operations in interior Sindh.

It would be indispensable to provide security in matters of election in an emergency.

The Sindh government requested the ECP to consider a new date for the second phase local body’s elections.

In the first phase of local government’s elections in Sindh, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) took a lead. The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) stood second, followed by independent candidates. They were followed by PTI and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F).

The MQM-P boycotted the elections in Mirpurkhas citing low voter turnout and accusation of rigging. MQM leader Waseem Akhtar claimed that dacoits stole ballot papers and accused the ECP of mismanaging the polls.

 

source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/sindh/item/115370-local-body-s-polls-in-karachi-to-be-held-as-per-schedule-on-aug-28-ecp.html

PKR continues fall against dollar after currency shortage

The Pakistani rupee continued to lose ground against the US dollar during in the interbank market as the country faces a currency shortage.

The local unit closed at 217.66 after losing Re1 against the greenback in the interbank market following a currency crunch, which according to analysts is taking place due to the new rules imposed by the United Arab Emirates, smuggling, and the lifting of the import ban.

The UAE has made it mandatory for Pakistani travellers to declare 5,000 dirhams at the airport when landing leading to an increase in the price of the US dollar in the open market.

Apart from this, the government's decision to lift the ban on the import of non-essential and luxury goods to meet a condition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is also gradually increasing the pressure on the rupee.

The ban was scrapped ahead of the Fund's executive board meeting, scheduled to take place in Washington on August 29, where Pakistan's request for the loan programme resumption will be taken up.

The market, however, seems to have failed to respond to the development of funds from Qatar.

In a briefing, Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Murtaza Syed said that Pakistan's funding gap of $4 billion will be fulfilled through $2 billion funds from Qatar, $1 billion from Saudi Arabia, and a similar amount from the UAE.

 

source https://www.suchtv.pk/business/item/115369-pkr-continues-fall-against-dollar-after-currency-shortage.html

PM announces end to fixed tax for traders

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced fixed taxes have been abolished for retailers and more than 1.7 million people will now be exempt from fuel charges adjustment on electricity bills.

Addressing the nation on Tuesday from Qatar where he arrived today on a two-day trip the premier said that fixed taxes were imposed on the people in the federal budget for the fiscal year 2022-23, announced on June 10, against the intention of the coalition government.

The move will translate into a tax gap of Rs42 billion, but PM Shehbaz said that the coalition government "cannot add further pressure on small traders".

In a press conference last week, Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail said that the coalition government aimed to collect Rs42 billion through retail taxes, however, after the tax exemption, it would no longer be able to meet the target.

Ismail revealed that the revised target is now Rs27 billion. “To meet the gap, which will be created by the exemption of fixed taxes on small traders, the government is imposing a further tax of Rs36 billion on the tobacco industry,” he said.

Addressing the backlash received in the last two days regarding inflated electricity bills, the prime minister announced that the coalition government, after intense discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has decided to exempt 17.1 million people from paying excessive amounts charged under fuel charges adjustment for the month of July and August.

“We have been working on the fuel charges adjustment case for last five days and we have decided to exempt a major chunk of the population from these charges; however, we are yet to take a decision regarding the 13 million people falling under the category of people who consume more electricity,” he said.

 

source https://www.suchtv.pk/business/item/115368-pm-announces-end-to-fixed-tax-for-traders.html

Medicines worth over Rs15m being dispatched to flood-hit areas: Qadir Patel

Minister for National Health Services, Abdul Qadir Patel on Tuesday said that the necessary medicines valuing over Rs 15 million, and other relief items including 0.6 million medicated mosquito nets were being dispatched to flood-hit areas of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab within the next few days.

Talking to media persons, he said his ministry was making extraneous efforts to help flood hit people in distress.

Giving details of the relief work he said: “A 12-member team of doctors has already been sent to the worst hit Lasbela district. Some 30,000 vaccines, a truck carrying medicines worth Rs 100,000 has already been sent to flood hit areas.

A contingent of 200,000 vaccines was also being sent to the affected areas. The ministry has already dispatched 36,000 medicated mosquito nets. Over 1.4 million more medicated mosquito nets would soon be dispatched to flood hit areas.”

He said anti-venom serum was ready for immediate delivery to any flooded areas that might be in need. He said a donor conference had also been arranged on Wednesday for helping flood hit people as the government did not have enough resources to rehabilitate the destroyed infrastructure. He said Lasbela district was among the worst hit areas as its infrastructure had completely been destroyed.

He said the federal government would serve the flood hit people without any discrimination.

He further said Punjab had sought help for the flood hit people of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan and federal government would respond soon. He also added that he would visit Thatta this week for distributing relief items among the flood hit people.

He said the Health ministry had appointed two coordinators to have liaison and promptly convey the needs of flood hit people of Balochistan and Sindh.

source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/115367-medicines-worth-over-rs15m-being-dispatched-to-flood-hit-areas-qadir-patel.html

Govt must show their writ over 'power-hungry' Imran: Zardari

Former president Asif Ali Zardari urged on Tuesday the institutions and government to establish their writ as he took a jibe at PTI Chairman Imran Khan for criticising Pakistan's armed forces, police and judiciary.

"The institutions and government will have to establish their writ or else the law, Constitution and institutions will keep falling pray to his [Imran Khan] demands," a statement issued on Twitter stated.

As per media reports, in a meeting with Sindh ministers, Zardari was quoted as saying by the PPP said that the flood affectees in all four provinces are looking towards the government for help while the hunger for power is driving Imran Khan crazy day by day.

"This person is criticising our army every day and the same army's officers and soldiers are fighting against terrorists and laying down their lives in two provinces. He threatens the army, police and then a female magistrate and challenges them to arrest him," he said.

Zardari said that the judiciary must decide if Imran Khan is above the law, can take extra-judicial actions against "me, Mian Nawaz Sharif, my sister and Maryam Nawaz while trampling every law himself."

He also drew attention towards the flood emergency situation in all the four provinces and said that politicians should focus on the flood victims instead of engaging in politics.

source https://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/115366-govt-must-show-their-writ-over-power-hungry-imran-zardari.html