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Tag: National Assembly

  • Govt to present Finance Bill 2023 today to fulfil IMF conditions

    Govt to present Finance Bill 2023 today to fulfil IMF conditions

    The federal government has been forced to head to parliament after President Arif Alvi ‘adv­ised’ Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday to take parliament into confidence over the Rs 170 billion in new taxes that are being levied.

    As per the agenda, the National Assembly will meet at 3:30pm and Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar will present the Finance Supplementary Bill, 2023 in the lower house.

    A session of the Senate has also been summoned at 4:30pm to move the bill there as well so the document can be sent to President Dr Arif Alvi immediately for assent.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who didn’t attend the last session, will be present during today’s meeting.

    The governm­ent had initially planned to introduce “tax and non-tax mea­­sures” to generate funds to the tune of Rs 170 billion. However, in a last-minute change, it decided to drop proposals pertaining to non-tax measures, particularly the flood levy to the tune of Rs 100 billion.

    In a late-night development, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued SRO178 to enhance a federal excise duty on locally manufactured cigarettes which would generate up to Rs 60 billion in taxes on tobacco products.

    The government will generate Rs 55 billion more through a 1 per cent increase in GST – from 17pc to 18pc. The remaining Rs 55 billion will be collected through an increase in excise duty on airlines tickets, sugary drinks and an increase in withholding tax rates.

    Dar had called on President Alvi to apprise him about the talks with the IMF for the revival of the programme.

    The government decided to approach the Parliament after President Dr Arif Alvi gave the government a cold shoulder on bringing the mini-budget via an ordinance in his meeting with Dar.

    “The president advised that it would be more appropriate to take parliament into confidence on this important subject, and that a session be called immediately so that the bill is enacted without delay,” a statement issued by the President House said after the meeting.

  • Khan will not physically address election rallies

    Khan will not physically address election rallies

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has decided not to personally participate in public gatherings held during campaigns in by-elections for National Assembly (NA) seats, reports Geo News.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has scheduled the election for the NA by-polls in March.

    PTI members had resigned from their NA seats following the no-confidence move that toppled Imran Khan from the premiership last April.

    The decision of the PTI’s senior leadership that Imran will not physically appear at rallies was made keeping in mind threats to his life.

    He alleged that he would be eliminated in an explosion or blast, and later the blame would be placed on the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    “After killing me, they will say that Imran was killed in a terrorist attack,” he alleged.

    Khan was shot in the leg on December 3 in Wazirabad, while leading a protest march to Islamabad.

  • Khan will not contest in upcoming National Assembly by-polls

    Khan will not contest in upcoming National Assembly by-polls

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has decided not to contest on National Assembly (NA) vacant seats, multiple media outlets have reported.

    According to Geo News, former Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of the PTI will participate in the upcoming national assembly by-elections. Khan has reportedly directed them to submit their nomination papers and start election campaigns in their constituencies.

    A day earlier, Khan also withdrew his nomination papers from National Assembly Constituency NA-193.

    It is pertinent to mention that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that by-elections for 33 vacant seats will be held on March 16.

    PTI leaders had announced that their party chief will contest on 33 seats out of 35 seats, leaving aside the two women’s reserved seats.

    On Thursday, it was reported that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will also participate in the upcoming by-polls with the party completing the process of finalising its candidates.

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  • ECP asks finance ministry for additional Rs14 billion for elections

    ECP asks finance ministry for additional Rs14 billion for elections

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has requested the Ministry of Finance for more money for elections on vacant seats in National Assembly (NA), and by-elections in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    According to the electoral body, the expenses of general elections have increased from Rs 47 billion to Rs 61 billion, incurring the need for an additional amount of Rs 14 billion.

    ECP has also proposed April 9 to 13 for the elections in Punjab and April 15 to 17 for elections in KP and asked the Governors of both provinces to select a date within the given timeline.

    The KP Assembly was dissolved on January 18 while the Punjab Assembly was dissolved on January 14 on the directives of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan whose party was in majority in both provinces.

    In Punjab, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi was sworn in as the caretaker Chief Minister (CM) on January 22, while Mohammad Azam Khan has taken oath as the KP chief executive on January 21.

  • PTI decides to take back resignations of remaining MNAs: Asad Umar

    PTI decides to take back resignations of remaining MNAs: Asad Umar

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary-General Asad Umar has said on Monday that 44 party lawmakers have decided to withdraw their resignations from the National Assembly (NA).

    Taking to Twitter, Umar announced that the remaining 44 MNAs of the party, whose resignations are yet to be accepted, have decided to take back their decision to leave the national assembly.

    “An email has been sent to the speaker,” said the PTI leader in his tweet. He also shared the names of the MNAs who have withdrawn their resignations.

    Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said 45 lawmakers had decided to withdraw their resignations so that the party could take back the post of the leader of the Opposition and parliamentary party leader.

    He added that the aim of the move was to get rid of the “fake” NA opposition leader and prevent “turncoats” from voting for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a vote of confidence.

    Following the announcement, the PTI lawmakers staged a sit-in outside the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) headquarters after being barred from entering the speaker’s house.

    However, authorities restricted the MNAs from entering the building by placing barbed wires on the road leading to the ECP.

    The development comes about after the National Assembly Speaker Pervez Ashraf, in a surprise move accepted the resignations of 69 MNAs during the previous week.

  • PTI to appear before NA speaker next week to verify resignations

    PTI to appear before NA speaker next week to verify resignations

    Lawmakers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have decided to appear before National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for the verification of their resignations, reports Geo News.

    The lawmakers are likely to appear either on Wednesday or Thursday.

    The Speaker has yet to take action on the resignations as PTI legislators have failed to get a response after they wrote a letter to him

    On December 15, PTI leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry announced that the party would be seeking time from the National Assembly speaker for the verification of their MPs’ resignations.

    He also denied speculations that the party’s lawmakers are still receiving salaries.

    “Judges should verify the reports that show up on media. The reality is that this is another lie told by the government. The salaries of the resigned members are suspended and no member is getting any salary,” said Fawad.

    A day earlier, the PTI chief announced that both Punjab and KP assemblies will be dissolved on December 23.

  • Around Rs.100 million required to conduct general elections on one NA seat: report

    Around Rs.100 million required to conduct general elections on one NA seat: report

    Around Rs.80 to Rs.100 million would be required to conduct elections on one National Assembly (NA) seat, while the cost of polls on one provincial assembly seat would be approximately Rs.60 to Rs.70 million, reports Geo News.

    In a statement Monday, an ECP spokesperson said that the Commission is bound to hold elections in 60 days in case a seat falls vacant.

    The official said that an election on a National Assembly seat costs Rs.80 to Rs.100 million, while the estimated expenditure of an election on a provincial assembly seat is Rs.60 to 70 million.

    “In case of dissolution of an assembly, elections will be held only for the respective assembly seat,” the spokesperson said.

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Saturday that his party will quit all assemblies in its bid to pressurise the Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif-led government into early general elections.

    However, PTI — which has called off the long march to Islamabad — is yet to make a final announcement on when it is quitting the assemblies.

    Following Khan’s announcement, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that elections will be held on a total of 563 seats across Pakistan which include 123 seats in the National Assembly, 297 seats in Punjab, 115 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 26 seats each in Sindh and Balochistan.

  • COAS appointment notification to be issued by Nov 26 says Khawaja Asif

    COAS appointment notification to be issued by Nov 26 says Khawaja Asif

    Khawaja Asif, Minister for Defence, said Monday that the notification for the appointment of the next chief of army staff (COAS) would be issued by November 26 before the end of the tenure of the outgoing chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa – who retires on November 29.

    Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly (NA) on November 21, Asif said his ministry had received a letter from the Prime Minister, asking for initiation of the appointment process on Monday, which had been forwarded to General Headquarters.

    He said the summary, along with the service dossiers of the senior-most lieutenant generals proposed for elevation and appointment as chief of army staff and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, was likely to be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office within two days.

    Appearing on Geo News programme “Capital Talk” on November 21, the minister said, “The appointment process for the highest offices in the Pakistan Army has commenced today.”

    “Once the matter [the appointment issue] is settled, the political leaders should join hands, sit together, and talk so that the appointment is not politicised in the future,” he emphasised.

    When senior journalist Hamid Mir asked Khawaja Asif as to why Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), chose November 26 as the date for his long march, the minister stated that Khan might be considering that President Dr Arif Alvi would not approve PM Shehbaz’s recommendation for the COAS.

    Lashing out at Imran Khan for “causing damage” to the honour and prestige of state institutions after being ousted from office, Asif said, “Today, an institution [army] is categorically stating that it has decided to give up its political or unconstitutional role and has made the announcement that it will play its constitutional role of defending the motherland, but Imran Khan has made their neutrality a curse.”

  • ECP verdict: PTI Chairman Imran Khan disqualified

    ECP verdict: PTI Chairman Imran Khan disqualified

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in a consensus verdict, disqualified former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and ruled that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman is no more a member of the National Assembly (NA).

    Khan is disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) for misdeclaration.

    Article 63 (1) (p) of the Constitution states that an individual is, “for the time being, disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) or of a provincial assembly under any law for the time being in force”.

    What happened today?

    A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, announced the verdict at the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad.

    The decision was taken unanimously by the five-member bench. However, the member from Punjab was not present for today’s announcement.

    According to the verdict, criminal proceedings will be initiated against Imran for misdeclaration.

    The verdict was announced amid tight security in the Red Zone where at least 1,100 police officials were deployed under the command of a senior superintendent of police to control the law and order situation in the area. The officer was assisted by five superintendents and six deputy superintendents of police.

    Ahead of the verdict, PTI leaders intensified their criticism of the ECP, repeating their allegations of the electoral watchdog being partial against them.

    What is the case?

    The ECP had reserved its verdict in the Toshakhana case on September 19 after arguments were completed from both sides. A five-member bench of the ECP, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the case.

    In August 2022, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf sent a reference to the ECP under Articles 62A, 63A, and 223, seeking former prime minister Imran Khan’s disqualification in the light of the Toshakhana scam.

    The disqualification reference was filed by Ali Gohar Khan, PML-N’s Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha, and five others.

    The 28-page reference identified 52 gift items of Toshakhana received by the former prime minister Khan, violating the law and rules, taken away at nominal prices and most of the gifts were sold in the market, including some precious watches.

    The assessed value of the gifts has been put at Rs 142,042,100. The gifts were received between August 2018 and December 2021.

    What is Toshakhana?

    Established in 1974, the Tosha­khana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.

    According to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.

  • ‘Balochistan’s issues must be resolved’: NA addresses fake encounters

    Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal raised the matter of fake encounters in the National Assembly (NA) in which, he alleged, innocent people were killed and presented as terrorists.

    Three missing persons were found dead in Kharan on Monday. They were allegedly killed in fake encounters by the Balochistan Counter Terrorism Department.

    Mengal told the lower house that the people killed by the department have been identified and all of those people were “picked up”.

    “Wasim Tabish was a student who wrote a poem for missing persons. Those who speak and write are picked up,” said the BNP-M chief.

    “Do not push us to a point of no return”, warned Mengal, as he urged the end of fake encounters in Balochistan.

    Later, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the issue as “Wounds of the state that have been bleeding for years”. He called for measures to address and resolve the issues and acknowledged that the problem had existed for a long time.

    “Balochistan’s issues must be resolved”, stressed the federal minister.

    Not only Khwaja Asif, but Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, also called for constituting a “truth and reconciliation commission” to address the unrest in Balochistan.

    The federal ministers also highlighted growing concerns over the situation in Swat.

    “A terrorist is a terrorist and he remains one because he took up weapons. And when he agrees to talk to you, he has pre-conditions,” said Rehman.

    The PPP senator recalled multiple incidents of terrorism and said it was beyond her understanding how a compromise could be reached with terrorists. Moreover, she urged the house to call a joint session again.

    Khawaja Asif called for the members to sit together on the situation in Swat, among other issues of grave importance.

    He recalled that a similar situation in Swat was seen 11 to 12 years ago when concerns were raised that “those in Swat may not be too far away from Islamabad”. He warned that “Whatever is happening in Swat and elsewhere, those flames can reach us as well”.