Category: PAKISTAN

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References filed in ECP, Punjab Assembly to disqualify Imran Khan over Gulalai’s allegations

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ayesha gulalai

Lawyer Raja Basharat has filed a petition in the Election Commission of Pakistan, seeking Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman’s disqualification on the basis of “shameful” allegations of harassment levelled against him by former PTI lawmaker Ayesha Gulalai. PML-N’s Hina Pervaiz Butt, also on Wednesday, submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly for Imran Khan’s disqualification on the basis of Article 62 and 63 in light of Gulalai’s allegations. A day earlier, as she announced to part ways with the PTI, Gulalai accused Khan and his “gang” of having an “immoral character”. She…

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Abbasi likely to retain Nawaz’s ministers

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Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: The newly-elected Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is likely to retain all those ministers who had served under Nawaz Sharif, with the exception of a few. Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is unlikely to rejoin the cabinet under the leadership of the ‘interim’ prime minister. Other members of the cabinet are expected to take oath with the same portfolios they were holding till Friday when Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court as prime minister and his cabinet stood dissolved. According to sources in the PML-N, Nisar…

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Moody’s expresses fears about continuity of policies

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Moody's

ISLAMABAD: The New York-based credit rating agency Moody’s on Tuesday expressed fears that Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification as a member of parliament in the Panama Papers case could pose risks to continuity of policies in Pakistan and might impact adversely on its rating. “If heightened political uncertainty and strife among the various branches of government disrupt the administration’s economic and fiscal agenda, macroeconomic stability and the government’s access to external finance could be impaired, weighing on Pakistan’s credit profile,” the agency said. Also Read:Widow of late Edhi Ms Bilquis Edhi to visit Norway soon…

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For Pakistanis, China ‘friendship’ road runs one way

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Pakistanis

TASHKURGAN, CHINA: The China-Pakistan Friendship Highway runs over 1,300 kilometres from the far western Chinese city of Kashgar through the world’s highest mountain pass and across the border. For China, the two-lane thoroughfare symbolises a blossoming partnership, nourished with tens of billions of dollars of infrastructure investment. But for many businessmen living and working on the Chinese side of the border, the road is a one way street. Also Read:Shehbaz Sharif advised to stay put in Punjab The project is a crown jewel of China’s One Belt, One Road [OBOR] initiative,…

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Shehbaz Sharif advised to stay put in Punjab

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LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to suggest to the PML-N chief and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to reconsider his decision to get him (Shehbaz) elected as the next prime minister of Pakistan and to allow him to continue working as chief minister of Punjab. After the apex court on July 28 disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif for hiding assets in his nomination papers for 2013 polls, Nawaz had named his younger brother, Shahbaz, as his successor during the PML-N’s parliamentary party meeting. However, as Shehbaz must first…

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Shahid Khaqan Abbasi elected prime minister of Pakistan

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prime minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

PML-N’s nominee Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was elected prime minister of Pakistan after bagging 221 votes during a vote carried out to elect a short-term successor to ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Following the announcement by NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in this regard on Tuesday evening, the PML-N lawmakers resorted to sloganeering in favour of Nawaz Sharif. The NA session was called by President Mamnoon Hussain following a landmark Supreme Court ruling on the Panama Papers case in which Nawaz Sharif was disqualified as PM after being deemed unfit to hold…

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Khaqan Abbasi faces NAB inquiry over LNG contract

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prime minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Following the removal of its chief Nawaz Sharif as prime minister, an­other problem has arisen for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as the interim premier-in-waiting, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, is also facing a Rs220 billion corruption inquiry being carried out by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Mr Abbasi, the former minister for petroleum and natural resources, is a principal accused in a NAB case registered in 2015 regarding award of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract. Other suspects include former petroleum secretary Abid Saeed, Inter State Gas Systems (ISGS) managing…

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NAB orders Irfan Naeem Mangi to file references against Sharif family, Ishaq Dar

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ishaq dar

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday handed Director General (DG) NAB Balochistan, Irfan Naeem Mangi, the responsibility of implementing the Supreme Court’s July 28 order on the Panama Papers case. Mangi, who was part of the joint investigation team (JIT) that probed the Sharif family’s business dealings, will file references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif; his children Hussain, Hassan and Maryam Nawaz; son-in-law Muhammad Safdar; former finance minister and father-in-law of his youngest daughter, Ishaq Dar, and others named by the Supreme Court in its Panamagate ruling. The references…

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Time to tackle ‘clear and present dangers’

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ISLAMABAD: Last Thursday, former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan maintained that the country was facing severe external threats and for thwarting the same, there was a need for cohesion between all state institutions. He contended that only himself and three other individuals in the country — presumably the recently disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the ISI chief — were privy to these dangers confronting Pakistan. But, the senior PML-N leader did not specify those ‘clear and present dangers.’ Also Read:PML-N gears up to end…

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PML-N gears up to end PTI govt in K-P

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PESHAWAR: PML-N has finally decided on bringing an in-house change and overthrowing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government in Khyber-Pakhtunkwa. The provincial leadership said that the PML-N central leadership had turned down a number of parties’ request who wished to form a coalition government in K-P. However, the party had now decided to bring an in-house change. “We could have formed a PML-N government but respected the PTI mandate. However, PML-N provincial assembly members should gear up for an in-house change and soon there will be a change in the K-P assembly,” PML-N…

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‘Sharifs’ will keep making comebacks through ‘court of masses’: Saad Rafique

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Saad Rafique

Two days after the top court issued a verdict disqualifying Nawaz Sharif, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has said the ‘Sharifs’ will keep on making a comeback despite the ouster. “Nawaz Sharif is a statesman who embraced all the opposition against himself,” an angry Saad Rafique said. “One Sharif is gone, but the next has arrived; if he is ousted too, we will bring in a third one and then a fourth and so on.” The PML-N leader said it was not stated in the judgment that the premier had used his position unlawfully or…

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NAB arrests 4 revenue officials for embezzling Rs450m

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QUETTA: Four officers of the Balochistan Revenue Department have been arrested for embezzling Rs450 million in the garb of land acquisition.The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Balochistan on Saturday nabbed the accused, including a tehsildar of the revenue department. The arrested persons were identified as Tehsildar Quetta Revenue Office Muhammad Jan, Potwari Mohammad Alyas, Kannongo Abdul Wahid and Syed Saleem Jan. The accused would be brought to the court so as to obtain their remand for investigation. Further arrests are expected in the case. Source: Express Tribune

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Mujhtaba Shuja likely to be next CM Punjab

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mujtaba shuja

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Excise and Taxation Mujhtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman is likely to be elected as chief minister of Punjab after the incumbent CM Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, steps down to replace his toppled brother, Nawaz Sharif, as prime minister, party sources have revealed. Shehbaz is expected to quit the Punjab Assembly seat PP-159 early next week. He will contest election to the National Assembly on NA-120 seat, which has fallen vacant after Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification, According to the sources, other PML-N leaders considered for the position of CM included Punjab Law Minister…

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Nawaz added whopping $35b to Pakistan’s debt

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nawaz shareef

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s government obtained a whopping $35 billion in new loans during his four-year tenure to repay maturing debt and keep official foreign currency reserves at a level which could give a sense of economic stability to investors. About $17 billion or nearly half of the total loans obtained from July 2013 to June 2017 were utilised to repay the previous debt, shows statistics maintained by the finance ministry. The government added net $18 billion to the country’s total external debt and liabilities – the highest amount…

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Careem and Uber’s price surcharge is here to stay

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Over the past month, there has been a barrage of criticism by users of ride-hailing services like Uber and Careem. The reason behind this criticism has been the higher than usual fares due to price surcharges. So why are we seeing this peak or surge pricing model come in to play? The short answer is simple: a shortage of supply of vehicles. Expense vs convenience When Uber first began rolling out surge pricing around the world, it was vilified with social media campaigns like #neveragain, which called for a boycott…

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