Federal government employees have warned to hold another sit-in in the federal capital if their demands for salary increments and promotions are not met by May 23.
They voiced the statement during a rally in front of Parliament House organised by the All-Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA), where a significant number of teachers showed up, responding to the Federal Government College Teachers Association’s call (FGCTA).
Dr Nazir Ahmed Bhutta, the FGCTA’s General Secretary, urged the government to fulfill its promise made last year in February.
As per the agreement, all perks or allowances should be combined with basic salaries, employees should be given timely promotion and raise, including pay and pension adjustments should be implemented to minimise wage discrepancy.
Professor Tahir Bhatti, president of the FGCTA (local unit of H-9 College), demanded the return of the Saturday weekly off for government employees who, he claimed, couldn’t afford to work six days a week due to a large increase in fuel prices in recent months.
To preserve electricity, he believes the government should proclaim Saturday as a holiday.
Professor Farhan Azam, senior vice-president of the FGCTA, noted that the remuneration of employees in different departments differed significantly, causing resentment among lesser-paid staff of the same grade. He proposed that professionals of the same status should have the same pay and privileges.
Rehman Bajwa, AGEGA’s chief coordinator, cautioned that if the employees’ demands were not met by May 23, they would take to the streets after speaking with their management.
Official documents revealed that several members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-federal Insaf’s cabinet enjoyed gains in their fortunes during their term in parliament and as ministers, despite being elected on pledges of fighting corruption.
According toSAMAA TV, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Omar Ayub Khan, Azam Khan Swati, Khusro Bakhtiar, Faisal Vawda, Shafqat Mehmood, Fehmida Mirza, Zubaida Jalal, Mahboob Sultan, and Tariq Cheema are among the listed former ministers.
Since select ministers received notices to explain their excessive wealth, the majority blamed weak wealth and asset declaration regulations, which did not contribute to increases in the valuation of assets overtime or the amalgamation of entities.
An inquiry into assets spontaneously declared before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Pakistan’s tax authorities — primarily the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) — by cabinet members who worked under former Prime Minister Imran Khan disclosed that plenty of of them saw a tremendous upsurge in their riches, with growth proportions primarily in the triple digits.
As per the official record, the ECP sent notices to at least six former ministers while they were still in government in 2019 and 2020, requesting them to clarify their wealth-related issues.
From 2014 to 2019, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who has been a staple of the parliament for more than a decade and served twice in the federal cabinet in two different governments, had a 241 per cent growth in his wealth.
He and his wife held assets worth only Rs72.5 million in 2014, according to asset declarations he submitted to the ECP and the FBR. In the following three years, his assets nearly quadrupled, reaching Rs278.3 million, a 283.86 per cent increase over his wealth in 2014. Qureshi’s fortune dropped dramatically to Rs184.2 million in 2018, the year he returned to the Treasury benches, albeit with a new party, the PTI. However, while in power, it soon increased to Rs247.1 million in 2019, a rise of 240.82 per cent since 2014.
When questioned, Qureshi recounted how the worth of his assets had evolved over the years.
“The reason for the increase in assets was that during 2015-16, my wife received her share from the sale of property situated in Lahore, which had been gifted by her mother, and shares from sale proceeds of inherited property worth Rs169.6 million and Rs22.6 million,” he claimed. In October 2017, duplicates of sale deeds were handed to the ECP, according to the former minister.
“The ECP raised this observation too,” he said regarding the increase in his wealth, adding, “I and my dependent family members are all filers with the FBR”.
Sheikh Rashid, the former interior minister, watched his fortune increase by nearly 278.68 per cent between 2014 and 2019.
The financial disclosures for 2014 revealed that he only had Rs39.4 million in assets. Earnings climbed by Rs0.4 million to Rs39.8 million. His holdings steadily expanded over the next two years, reaching Rs44.7 million in 2016 and Rs46.7 million in 2017.
Conversely, in 2018, the time he was elected to power, his assets boosted by Rs100 million to Rs149.2 million. In 2019, there was no movement in reported assets. After inquired why his assets had suddenly changed, Rashid said that the discrepancy was due to an advance payment he had obtained for reselling a portion of land in 2018.
“I received Rs100 million as advance after making a deal of land to be sold last year, [2021],” he said, adding, “There is no such increase in my assets”. The former interior minister stated that the rise in his declarations submitted with the FBR and the ECP had been properly disclosed.
Between 2014 and 2019, the fortune of former federal minister of water Omar Ayub and his wife jumped by 203 per cent.
As per Ayub’s filings to the ECP and FBR in 2014, he and his wife held assets worth Rs461.8 million. This comprised Rs132 million in assets held by his wife and Rs329 million in assets owned by the minister. This value had risen to Rs1.4 billion by 2019. Surprisingly, while his wife’s holdings increased slightly to Rs201 million, Ayub’s assets increased to Rs1.2 billion. Each has debts worth only Rs26.3 million, according to the disclosures.
As a result, the ECP expressed concerns about Ayub’s and his family’s unexpected surge in wealth.
“It was explained to the ECP in 2019 that it [increase in wealth] is because of group formation having no cash involvement,” Ayub said, confirming that the top poll body had issued him a notice on this subject. Ayub claimed that he owned shares in Nova Synpac Ltd. and NovaGene Pharmaceuticals Ltd., which increased in value by approximately Rs1.071 billion.
“My assets have decreased (excluding this group formation) since I took an oath as a minister because I resigned from my group,” he claimed, adding that the increase was due to the consolidation of all of his businesses under the group.
“This cannot be reflected in a declaration, which is always a reflection of statements submitted to the FBR and there cannot be any difference [between them] otherwise it would have been challenged there,” he explained.
Azam Swati, the former federal railways minister, saw his fortune grow by 202 per cent from Rs823.2 million in 2015 to about Rs2.04 billion in 2019. He reported that his liabilities increased from Rs417 million in 2015 to Rs811 million in 2019.
“[Your] figures are wrong due to incomplete information being furnished before ECP by members and cabinet members owing to faulty legal requirements mentioned in ECP Act 2017,” he explained.
He further said that his situation was slightly unusual. “In Pakistan, I have no income and no business.” I am confident that our FBR wealth statement [filed] will be compared to ECP in 2019 [asset declarations],” he remarked, worried that the statistics may contain a few errors.
“ECP has no efficiency and capability to audit assets and liabilities,” he disclosed, adding, “We were making mistakes filing combined [wife and husband together]”.
“Now we have corrected the mistake and filed separately because the wife is not dependent,” Swati told SAMAA TV.
Khusro Bakhtiar, the former federal commerce minister, saw his fortune rise by 127.8% from Rs109.3 million in 2013 to Rs249 million in 2019. In 2014, he had assets of Rs130 million, which more than doubled to Rs278 million in 2015, shrank to just Rs196 million in 2016, and then surged again in the next three years.
“Increase in assets were mainly comprised of [various] sources during the year 2014 to 2019,” he told SAMAA TV, detailing that these sources included savings from agricultural income, proceeds from the sale of land worth Rs40 million, other sources which contributed Rs20 million.
Bakhtiar also claimed that he actually paid Rs27.5 million in agricultural taxes from 2017 to 2020, and that he owed Rs60 million in 2016.
Former federal minister for education Shafqat Mahmood and his family had a 308 per cent growth in asset valuation between 2013 and 2019, making them one of the most successful federal ministers in terms of percentage increases. According to Mehmood’s filings, his and his family’s assets were valued at just Rs37 million in 2013, but had grown to Rs151 million by 2019.
“My assets have not changed since 2013 onwards,” Mehmood asserted, explaining “The change that you see is the cost re-evaluation from purchase price to market price”. The ex-minister further said that he has 360 kanals of hereditary land, a few more plots, and automobiles that he never assessed.
“There will, of course, be some variation regarding bank accounts. There will also be a slight difference in detail offered to FBR and ECP with regards to bank accounts,” he maintained. He went on to say that in his previous disclosure, he had combined the amounts in all of his bank accounts to present a single total.
“My wife is a distinct taxpayer because she works, but I have included her assets as well”, he explained.
Fehmida Mirza, the former federal minister for interprovincial coordination, had a similar scenario, with her net worth rising from Rs65 million in 2013 to Rs164 million in 2019.
“I did not see any rise in my assets and wealth at all,” she told SAMAA TV. She did, although, reveal that she had sold some property in Pakistan in order to purchase a home in the United Kingdom.
“This new increase in my assets has already been declared with the FBR and the ECP,” she stated.
Contrary to the PTI’s cabinet’s millionaire members, one of the “weakest” members of the federal cabinet, former federal minister Zubaida Jalal and her husband, had a 1,189 per cent growth in their fortune in a short period of time. Their riches increased from Rs9 million to Rs116 million in 2019.
Jalal, on the other hand, described the quick spike in wealth as the outcome of changes in declaration requirements.
“There is no big difference in my assets’ declaration” she asserted while speaking to SAMAA TV. The value of immovable assets was not mentioned in data provided in past elections, she said, noting that the ECP declaration requirements changed over time.
“[We are] required to mention values of assets in the asset declaration for this time,” she stated. She explained that the variations in asset values were attributable to market forces working on enterprises.
“Ups and downs will keep happening [in mining operations and business],” she said, as she reminded that her husband owns the National Coal Mining Company since the 1960s.
Former state minister Mahboob Sultan was one among the ministers who saw only double-digit asset growth. Only 81 per cent of his assets increased from Rs126 million in 2018 to Rs227.2 million in 2019. It’s worth noting, however, that his growth of nearly Rs100 million occurred while he was in the cabinet of ministers.
Tariq Cheema, the former federal minister for housing and infrastructure, showed the smallest growth in his wealth, going from Rs73 million in 2014 to Rs112 million in 2019. He did not, however, assess the value of his inherited assets and report them to the electoral or tax authorities.
Former federal minister Faisal Vawda and his family witnessed their fortune increase by 25 per cent from Rs507 million in 2017 to Rs630 million in 2019. He was among the most controversial cabinet ministers who were eventually dismissed by the ECP.
Despite multiple requests from SAMAA TV, neither Sultan, Cheema, Vawda, nor an ECP official have commented on inquiries regarding their wealth.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has hinted at providing $2.5 billion in additional loans to Pakistan. However, the government must obtain a good economic health certificate from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to receive the loan. Following a meeting between Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Aisha Ghous Pasha and ADB Country Director Yong Ye, a statement was released.
“The ADB indicated the additional support of $2.5 billion for the next fiscal year, from which $1.5 billion to $2 billion can be available in the ongoing calendar year,” said the Ministry of Finance in a statement.
The ADB has suggested that it could lend $1.5 billion under the Counter Cyclical Finance Facility and another $400 million via energy sector policy loans, according to sources in the finance ministry.
On May 3, the ADB board of directors authorised the Counter Cyclical Finance Facility with Pakistan receiving a combination of concessional and commercial financing. However, the ADB board’s approval of the $1.5 billion loan will be conditional on Pakistan’s debt burden being manageable and the country’s fiscal policies not being reckless – two factors that will necessitate frantic efforts to meet.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said that the Peshawar Corps was an “illustrious formation” of the army and was spearheading the national war against terrorism for over two decades.
“One of the most competent and professional officers is entrusted with the responsibility to lead this prestigious formation. Imprudent comments made by important senior politicians recently about [the] Peshawar Corps commander are very inappropriate,” the ISPR said.
“It is expected that the senior political leadership of [the] country refrains from passing objectionable remarks against the institution, whose brave officers and men are constantly putting their lives on the line to guard the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan,” read the statement.
ISPR Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar reiterated that “many statements” were made in the last few days by the country’s politicians and termed them “highly inappropriate”.
“It must be clarified that there is no problem with fair criticism,” the military spokesperson said, lamenting that social media was being used to create propaganda instead of mere criticism.
“We, as an institution, have nothing to do with the political situation of the country,” he said, adding that the institution was showing “tolerance and restraint and requesting that the army is not dragged into politics”.
The appointment of the next army chief should not be made “controversial” by turning it into a topic of debate. He said the procedure for the appointment of the army chief had been outlined in the Constitution, adding that it would take place in accordance with the law.
On Wednesday, Pakistan People’s Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari had been asked about Lt Gen Hameed at a press conference in Karachi and had replied with: “The helpless Faiz Hameed has been sidelined.”
Maryam made these remarks in a press conference outside the Islamabad High Court on Thursday while answering a question about Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s comments, wherein he had said that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed’s name could be considered for the new army chief.
She said that the Pakistan Army is a respected institution and added that “the whole nation looks at the armed forces for the stability and security of the country”.
The PML-N leader reiterated that the army chief should be a person who has a “flawless reputation” and who is good for the people, country, and the institution.
A total of 49 buses procured for the Orange Line BRT project and the Intra-District Peoples Bus Service reached Karachi port on May 11.
In June 2016, Syed Qaim Ali Shah laid the foundation stone for the Orange Line, predicting that the project will be finished in a year.
After six years, the project is still unfinished. The Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) and contractors had originally been granted until November 2021 to complete the building of the Orange Line BRT track, however, they had missed the deadline.
The provincial minister has directed the SMTA to finish the civil and electrical work for the Orange Line BRT by the end of this month. The Orange Line BRT is named after Abdul Sattar Edhi.
As the 49 buses landed at the port, Sindh Transport and Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon tweeted that the remaining buses were on their way and will come in phases over the coming months.
The newly-appointed Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who is currently in London, hinted at early elections by saying, “It is possible that we [government] hold elections before the [new] Chief of Army Staff (COAS)’s appointment [which is in November]”
In an interview with BBC Urdu, the federal minister added, “It is also possible that the [current] caretaker government is gone by then and the new government is in power before November.”
About the extension of the current COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Asif stated Bajwa had already clarified that he does not want his tenure to be extended. He said the government welcomed his announcement.
It is pertinent to mention that Bajwa’s three-year tenure will come to an end on November 29 this year. He was given an extension by the former government in 2019.
‘If Lt Gen Faiz Hameed’s name is on seniority list, can consider him for the post’: Khawaja Asif
Upon asking whether Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) considers Lt Gen Faiz Hameed’s name for the post of COAS, Asif disclosed if his [Faiz] name is on the seniority list, it will definitely be considered.
“If the defence minister brings the names of five officers to the prime minister, and the army recommends Lt Gen Faiz Hameed’s name as well, then I don’t think the defence ministry or the Prime Minister (PM) have the space left to say anything”, he said while adding that “all names on the list will be considered.”
When asked about previous PML-N’s claims that Hameed, was behind former PM Nawaz Sharif’s ouster, Asif said it was unfortunate that the party’s politics were “dragged into this or red lines were mixed in our past experiences”.
The army should not become a topic of discussion in the public domain, he said, adding that “they say names should not be taken at the party level.”
Asif said he believed the process for appointing COAS should be “institutionalised” similar to the judiciary.
“This process should 100 per cent be based on merit. This is a big and very important issue”, he was quoted saying by BBC.
There are several reports that suggest that former PM Imran Khan wanted Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to take over the post of COAS.
‘Imran Khan wanted to bring an army chief of his choice’: Khawaja Asif
During the interview, the minister claimed that former PM Imran Khan wanted to bring an army chief of his choice from the list of names recommended to him by the army.
About Imran Khan’s anti-establishment statements, he termed them “shameful”, called Khan “paranoid” and said: “He wants to stay in power and for institutions to provide him with crutches.”
Moreover, Asif alleged that the establishment had brought Imran as an alternative to traditional politicians. “The establishment thought he [Imran Khan] is new to politics and will bring “freshness” to the politics of Pakistan,” he said.
‘Imran Khan didn’t interfere in army’s internal matter’: Fawad Chaudhry
While reacting to Asif’s recent interview, former Information Minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry clarified that from day one former PM Imran Khan didn’t interfere in the army’s matters.
“We have also hoped that the sector [army] remains strong”, he said while adding that Khan and Bajwa always shared a respectful relationship and both of them agreed to each other’s suggestions.
About Khan’s preference for COAS, Chaudhry said, “If Asif thinks that way, it is his personal opinion.”
Moreover, the PTI leader hailed the revelations made by Asif. Chaudhry said that there are some people in PML-N who wants early elections and understand this government can’t continue like this.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has raised the sales tax rate on compressed natural gas (CNG) supplies to customers.
On Tuesday, the FBR published S.R.O. 587(I)/2022 to replace S.R.O. 39(I)/2022, which was issued on January 8, 2022. It has amended the value of compressed natural gas (CNG) supply to consumers in order to charge sales tax from CNG stations.
It has set the value of supply to CNG customers in order for gas generation and distribution businesses to charge sales tax from CNG stations.
CNG rates
The price of CNG in Region-I, which includes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Potohar, has been raised from Rs134.57 per kg to Rs140 per kg (Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Gujar Khan).
Moreover, the cost of CNG has been raised from Rs128.11 per kg to Rs135 per kg in Region-II, which covers Sindh and Punjab except for the Potohar region.
After a fourth consecutive session of losses on May 10, Pakistan’s currency hit an all-time low in the interbank market due to a lack of clarity on foreign cash inflow and a stronger US dollar.
The rupee ended the day at Rs188.66, down Rs1.13, or 0.60 per cent, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). After a 0.48 per cent decline on Monday, the rupee finished at Rs187.53. Prior to Tuesday, the PKR’s lowest closing was Rs188.18 on April 7, 2022.
Oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, dipped in tumultuous trade on Tuesday as the market weighed the impact of expected European Union penalties on Russian oil against demand concerns stemming from China’s coronavirus lockdowns, a strong dollar, and rising recession threats.
Despite the decline, the price of oil remains far above $100 per barrel, a high level for oil-importing nations like Pakistan, which is already grappling with a growing current account deficit and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday called an emergency meeting of the party and summoned the central leadership including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to London, reportsGeo News.
As per media reports, Nawaz Sharif declined the proposal of a video link meeting and directed the central leadership of the party to reach London. PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is already in London while PM Shehbaz Sharif, Ahsan Iqbal, and Mariyyum Aurangzeb are likely to leave for London in a day or two.
Nawaz Sharif has reservations on some issues and the PML-N leadership has gone to discuss them with him, reports the news outlet. After being summoned by Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will leave for London tonight.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the immediate restoration of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) after Pakistan reports its first case of the Covid Omicron sub-variant. The NCOC was disbanded in March after covid cases were on the decline.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s House, the premier took notice of the new variant of Omicron and its growing cases. “He has also sought a report from the National Institute of Health (NIH) over the current Covid-19 situation,” it said.
Pakistan detected its first case of Omicron sub-variant on Tuesday.
“NIH has detected the first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. This new sub-variant is causing an increasing number of cases in different countries.” NIC also advised citizens to take preventive measures.
NCOC, which was tackling Covid-19 in Pakistan, was shut down on March 31.
On March 16, NCOC decided to lift all the Covid-19 related restrictions amid the decline in cases.
