Veteran comedian Umer Sharif passes away

Pakistani comedian Umer Sharif has passed away, confirms wife Zareen Umer's sister. Three days after his stay in Germany, Pakistan’s legendary comedian was expected to resume his travel to the United States (US) for medical treatment, but the departure postponed due to critical condition

Umer Sharif had been admitted to a hospital in Germany’s Nuremberg on Wednesday after his health condition deteriorated during his flight to the United States. The comedian was diagnosed with multiple ailments including coronary conditions.

He was shifted to the hospital after the air ambulance carrying Umer Sharif made a scheduled landing in Germany.

Senator Faisal Javed, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani extended condolences for Umer Sharif's wife and family.

PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed his grief at the demise of Umer Sharif, recounting his contributions to the nation. Bilawal also went on to thank the deceased for re-defining comedy in Pakistan.
Celebrities, including those across the borders too, poured in their condolences for the comedian.

Co-actor Salomi talked about the legendary actor's character.

"I have beautiful memories associated with Umer Sharif," said a teary-eyed Salomi. " He was a wonderful human being, always helped those in need," she revealed.
Comedian Shakeel Siddiqui dubbed Umer his elder brother. "We are deprived of a legendary comedian today," he said.

Scriptwriter and director Khalil-Ur-Rehman Qamar expressed his grief in a heart-felt Twitter post on Saturday.

"Comedy King Omar Sharif dies in German hospital May Allah count him among his closest people.May Allah."

"Legendary Umar Sharif sahab passed away. I have no words to express my sorrow & sadness. He has spread so much happiness & laughter in his lifetime to be remembered forever," wrote former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar on Saturday.

Indian comedian Kapil Sharma also bid a final goodbye to the legendary comedian.

"Alvida may your soul Rest In Peace Folded #UmerShareef," wrote Kapil.

Umer Sharif was born on April 19, 1955, in an Urdu speaking family in Liaquatabad, Karachi. The star was well-acclaimed as one of the biggest comedians in Asia.

Some of his applauded stage dramas include Bakra Qiston Pay Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (1989), Dulhan Main Lekar Jaonga, Salam Karachi, Meri Bhi To Eid Karade, Nayee Aami Purana Abba, Yeh Hay Naya Tamasha and Yeh Hay Naya Zamana.

 

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Comedy King Omar Sharif has passed away

The health condition of Pakistan’s legendary comedian Umer Sharif has deteriorated further, Geo News reported Saturday.

Umer Sharif had been admitted to a hospital in Germany’s Nuremberg on Wednesday after his health condition deteriorated during his flight to the United States. He was shifted to the hospital after the air ambulance carrying Umer Sharif made a scheduled landing in Germany.
Dr Tariq Shahab, who has been looking after the ailing comedian’s medical arrangements, said that Umer Sharif was undergoing a dialysis process at the hospital. Doctors might allow the legendary artist to fly if his condition remained stable during the dialysis, he added.

Umer Sharif is being given the best medical treatment at the state-of-the-art hospital in Germany, he said, adding that he was in contact with the doctors and held teleconferences on daily basis.

Earlier on September 30, Pakistani comedian Umer Sharif had contracted pneumonia during his travel to the US, according to the team of doctors looking after him.

Dr Tariq Shahab revealed that the actor had been diagnosed with the disease. He had hinted that doctors had advised Sharif to be provided medical care for at least two days before he resumes travel to the US.

“Umer Sharif will undertake the rest of the journey only after the doctors in Nuremberg allow it,” Dr Shahab had said.

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Came to Pakistan with a commitment to improve the global image of the PCB and the country, Wasim khan

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Wasim Khan has written a note after stepping down from his post, saying he came to the country with a commitment to improve the global image of Pakistan and worked hard to bring international cricket.

Wasim Khan resigned from the PCB last month after developing differences with PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja. He joined the board in 2019 and his contract was set to expire in 2022.

In a post on LinkedIn, Wasim Khan said, “Unfortunately my time at the Pakistan Cricket Board has come to an end.”

“As a British Pakistani and a former professional cricketer, I committed to moving to Pakistan just under 3 years ago, so that I could contribute to improving the global image of the PCB and the country. My aim was to contribute to the betterment of the game under the spotlight of a cricket crazed nation of 220 million people,” he wrote.

Highlighting the challenges he faced during his tenure at the PCB, Wasim Khan said: “Bringing International cricket back, mixed in with sleepless nights dealing with crisis management, or averting a potential crisis, and navigating through highly politically charged situations were just part and parcel of the exhilaration that came with the role.

The former PCB boss said he made real-time judgement calls and got some decisions wrong but being at peace with himself during intense media scrutiny following decisions allowed him to deal with what he didn’t get right in an honest way.

“I am grateful that my experiences taught me the art of peripheral vision and helped me to develop political intelligence,” he said.

Pakistan cricket, Wasim Khan said, stirred his soul like nothing else and he feels privileged to have played a small part in its history.

“In a couple of weeks’ time when I fly out of Lahore, heading back to England, I know that I will feel nothing but gratitude and love for the fans of Pakistan who embraced and supported me throughout my time.

“To a beautiful country full of generous and loving people, thank you for the memories. It has been an honour to have served you.”

 

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The US will have to recognize the Taliban government, Imran Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the US will have to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan sooner or later. In an interview with TRT World, the prime minister said that it won’t make any impact if Pakistan unilaterally recognises the Taliban, adding that the US, Europe, China and Russia should recognise them on priority.

“Pakistan is in talks with neighbouring countries on the matter and a decision will be taken after consultation.”

When asked about the Taliban taking over Kabul, PM Iman Khan said we were scared about the bloodshed during the Kabul takeover and the peaceful transition of power was unexpected.

He again urged the international community to provide assistance to the Afghan government which he said was mostly dependent on foreign aid.

“If the international community does not come forward to help the Afghan people, a humanitarian crisis would emerge.”

The prime minister said that the US administration is confused after the Taliban takeover and now they are looking for a scapegoat. “It is painful to see they are scapegoating to divert attention.”

Prime Minister Khan, to another question, said that during 2017, he met the US leadership and explained them the situation in Afghanistan, but they were clueless. The US had no idea of situation in Afghanistan, he said.

There was no military solution to the Afghan issue as Afghan people did not accept foreigners and under their traditions, they sought revenge if someone was killed at their homes, he added.

He explained that the people inhibiting Pakistani tribal areas started attacking Pakistan, led by groups like Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP), when the government had decided to side with the US.

If you did not agree with the US policy or its military operations, he said, you were branded as pro-Taliban.

He said that he was even against the Iraq war as the use of military force is no solution to a conflict.

The prime minister said that in the 9/11 attacks, no Pakistani was involved, but the country had to suffer colossal damage in the US led war.

About 80,000 lives were lost, a huge chunk of the tribal population had been displaced with hundreds of billions of losses to Pakistan's fragile economy, while border areas were devastated, he said, adding that Pakistan had made these sacrifices for the US as mere a scapegoat.

He said a well-trained 3,00,000 Afghan army which was fully equipped with weapons could not resist the Taliban force, and the former president along with his government functionaries fled the country.

The prime minister expressed his optimism that when this angle and rationality appeared, the US would realise how could Pakistan be held responsible for its policies over Afghanistan.

He also strongly rejected the allegations that Pakistan had been assisting Taliban in capturing Afghanistan. The Taliban were seen in Kabul while riding on motorcycles without shoes, he added.

The prime minister said that the Afghan people had always resisted foreign forces, and had been very independent minded people. ”You cannot control them from [the] outside like [the] US tried to,” he added.

To another query, he said that from Pakistan’s point of view, an "inclusive government means a stable Afghanistan after four decades of war".

“As well wishers of [the] Afghan people, we want them to be stable. The idea that they could be controlled from outside is a fantasy. Pakistan only suggested there should be an inclusive government," he said, adding that the Taliban also understood it.

Prime Minister Khan said Afghanistan was home to multi ethnic groups, where Pashtuns were in the majority, while the Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras were minorities.

Defending the US president, he said it is unfair to criticise Joe Biden.

“It is strange that if you criticise US policy you are labelled anti-American,” he noted. The PM said that he had objected to Pakistan’s policy of siding with the US war on terror which caused the country a loss of US$150 billion.

When asked why the US president had not called him, PM Imran Khan said Biden is under pressure right now. “I have sympathy for Biden. He is facing criticism at home [over the Afghanistan policy]. Talks between heads of states are just a formality.”

The intelligence officials of Pakistan and US are in contact, he said, adding that the foreign minsters of both countries are holding discussions as well.

The prime minster said that Pakistan launched a major military operation against the Taliban militants in 2014 and flushed them out.

“India’s RAW and Afghanistan NDS were supporting TTP for activities in Pakistan.”

He, however, added that the TTP attacks have increased in the last 40 days, but the situation is not as grave as it was.

"I think some of the Pakistani Taliban groups actually want to talk to our government. You know, for some peace, for some reconciliation."

When asked to confirm whether Pakistan is actually in talks with the TTP, the premier clarified to say that talks are ongoing "with some of them".

He said that the Afghan Taliban are "helping" in the sense that the talks are taking place in Afghanistan.

The premier said that these talks, for disarmament, if successful, will lead to the government "forgiving" them, "and then they [will] become regular citizens".

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PMD alert on cyclone Shaheen: Heavy rains expected in Balochistan coastal areas

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued the seventh alert on the severe cyclonic storm 'Shaheen' in the northwest Arabian Sea. The alert forecast heavy rains and strong winds along the Makran coast and moderate rain in Karachi.

According to the Met department's latest update, the severe cyclone has moved west-northwestward during the last 12 hours with a speed of 10km/hour. It now lies centred near latitude 24.0N and longitude 62.5E, at a distance of about 125km south of Gwadar, 250km southwest of Ormara and 470km west of Karachi.

It estimated maximum sustained surface wind is 110-120km/hr, with the sea condition very rough/high around the system centre.
"The system is likely to keep moving west-northwestwards till today evening and then recurve southwestward towards Oman northern coast," PMD's alert read.

According to the Met dept, due to the effects of cyclone Shaheen, it is likely to be partly cloudy in Karachi even today, with moderate rain expected.

The current temperature in Quaid's city has been recorded at 27°C, while the maximum temperature is likely to remain at 31°C. Winds are blowing at a speed of 10km per hour in Karachi with a humidity of 85%.

The Karachi commissioner has banned swimming in the sea under section 144 due to the storm. Despite the ban, however, a large number of citizens are present on Seaview beach.

Cyclone Shaheen has caused intermittent rains with strong winds in the coastal areas of Balochistan, Geo News reported.

It has been raining intermittently in Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar and their surrounding areas.

According to the Meteorological department, the storm has moved towards the coast of Muscat.

Rain-wind-thunderstorms with few heavy (isolated very heavy) falls are likely in Gwadar, Lasbella, Awaran, Kech and Panjgur districts of Balochistan till tomorrow, October 3 (Sunday).

All private schools in Gwadar will remain closed today due to rains.

According to the PMD, heavy rains lashed Gwadar, Ormara and Pasni last night, while strong winds are blowing and intermittent rains are prevailing. Heavy rains are also continuing in and around Turbat.

Sea conditions will remain rough/very rough with a high surge at times along the Makran west coast till Sunday, the PMD alert stated, advising fishermen not to venture in open sea till tomorrow.

Heavy rains may cause urban flooding in Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar, Jiwani and Turbat cities, while a windstorm may cause damages to vulnerable structures along the Makran coast.

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Talks with TTP factions: Case of those involved in APS carnage is ‘different’, says Sheikh Rasheed

Reacting to reports about disarmament talks with some factions of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed Saturday clarified that the case of those involved in the massacre of the Army Public School is “different”.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Imran khan, speaking to TRT World’s Ali Mustafa in Islamabad, had revealed that Pakistan was in disarmament talks with some factions of the banned TTP, adding that the government wanted stability in the country in the backdrop of a fast evolving situation in Afghanistan.

Talking to journalists, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said, “We know who is good and who is bad.” He maintained that it is not appropriate to fight with those who surrendered to adopt peaceful lives.

Sheikh Rasheed said that the government is making a strategy for the next 20 years, adding that the world scenario is expected to change soon.

The interior minister emphasised that Pakistan wants good relations with the US and China.

Talking about the Afghanistan crisis, the minister gave an assurance of Pakistan’s every possible support in tackling the crisis. “[The] US signed the deal relating to [the] withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan but not us,” he added.

PPP’s leadership is intelligent as it has boarded the “Samjhauta Express” he revealed, adding that the PML-N will also board the train, but after being thrashed.

“There is no need to hold talks with the opposition leaders as they are facing corruption cases,” said Sheikh Rasheed.

Terming inflation a top priority of the government, the minister vowed to overcome the issue soon. He said that the FIA has been directed to crackdown on hoarders of dollars.

Speaking on the occasion, the interior minister said that they would fight with the enemies of the country and vowed to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country at all costs.

On petrol prices, the minister said that in Pakistan, the prices of petroleum products are much less as compared to India and Bangladesh. The petrol prices will fall if they reach a deal with Saudi Arabia, he added.

Provision of food items and medicines at affordable rates to the masses is a top priority and the government’s “national duty”, the minister said.

Sheikh Rasheed was of the view that there is no need to take the leader of the opposition into confidence over the appointment of the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as he was also facing the corruption cases.

On October 1, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said Pakistan was in disarmament talks with some factions of the banned TTP as the government seeks stability in the country in the backdrop of a fast evolving situation in Afghanistan.

PM Imran Khan, speaking to TRT World’s Ali Mustafa in Islamabad, had said: "I think some of the Pakistani Taliban groups actually want to talk to our government. You know, for some peace, for some reconciliation."

When asked to confirm whether Pakistan was actually in talks with the TTP, the premier had clarified to say that talks are ongoing "with some of them".

He had said that the Afghan Taliban are "helping", in the sense that the talks are taking place in Afghanistan.

The premier had said that these talks, for disarmament, if successful, will lead to the government "forgiving" them, "and then they [will] become normal citizens".

The premier had noted he always believed that a non-military solution was the only way forward for Afghanistan — and he has reiterated it time and again on national, international forums.

 

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COVID-19 in Pakistan kills 46 people in last 24 hours

COVID-19 killed another 46 people in Pakistan in the last 24 hours, pushing the national death tally to 27,831, official data from the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) showed Saturday morning.

The country recorded 1,664 fresh coronavirus cases after 51,796 tests were taken over a period of 24 hours, making it the seventh consecutive day the country has reported a daily case count of less than 2,000.

The positivity rate, meanwhile, stands at 3.21%. Since September 25, Pakistan has reported a positivity rate below 4% on six out of seven days.

With 2,847 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the tally for recoveries now stands at 1,173,437, NCOC's data showed. The number of active cases went to the lowest level since the last two months to 46,934.

The active cases, along with the positivity rate, have been consistently falling since more than a month with new recoveries surpassing fresh cases almost daily. Among the active cases, 3,511 patients are under critical care.

COVID-19 infections are decreasing in Pakistan, with 1,672 new infections reported on average each day. That’s 29% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on June 17.

Pakistan has administered at least 82,830,350 doses of COVID vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs 2 doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 19.1% of the country’s population.

During the last week reported, Pakistan averaged about 725,632 doses administered each day. At that rate, it will take a further 60 days to administer enough doses for another 10% of the population.

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Shehbaz Sharif's wife Nusrat indicted in money laundering case

An accountability court in Lahore on Friday indicted Nusrat Shehbaz, the wife of Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, in a money laundering reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

In December last year, Nusrat was declared absconder by the accountability court for her persistent non-appearance in the money laundering reference.

During Friday's hearing in the court of accountability judge Naseem Virk, Nusrat was indicted through a pleader as she is currently in London. NAB prosecutor Usman Rashid Cheema was also present on the occasion.

The court also accepted Shehbaz's plea for exemption from appearance in the case. His lawyer, Chaudhry Nawaz, informed the court that his client was unable to appear in person due to ill health. The court subsequently approved his request.

Shehbaz suspended all political activities a day ago as he was advised "complete rest" by doctors after he had slipped on a staircase on Wednesday.

Money laundering case

In August 2020, the NAB had filed before an accountability court a Rs8 billion reference of money laundering against Shehbaz, his wife, his two sons and other family members.

The reference accused Shehbaz of being a beneficiary of assets held in the name of his family members and "benamidars" (ostensible owner), who had no sources to acquire such assets.

It said the family members and "benamidars" of the Shehbaz family received fake foreign remittances of billions in their personal bank accounts. In addition to these remittances, the bureau said billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders which were deposited in the personal bank accounts of Hamza and Suleman.

The reference further said that Shehbaz's family had failed to justify the sources of funds used for the acquisition of assets.

It said the suspects committed offences of corruption and corrupt practices as envisaged under the provisions of National Accountability Ordinance 1999 and money laundering as delineated in the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010. It asked the accountability court to try the suspects and punish them under the law.

With the continuation of case proceedings, the accountability court had in December also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Nusrat before declaring her absconder for not appearing before the court. In reply, the respondent had challenged the warrants through PML-N deputy secretary-general Attaullah Tarar as a special attorney on Jan 19, 2021 in the Lahore High Court.

The petitioner had pleaded that she was an old and infirm woman of over 66 years of age and was a known chronic patient of a number of serious ailments, including cardiac issues. She had to go abroad in early 2019 for health reasons and since then she was stuck there for medical treatment.

A day later, the LHC had restrained the NAB from taking coercive measures against Nusrat.

In March, the LHC bench headed by Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar had set aside an order of the accountability court wherein Nusrat had been declared an absconder.

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Sirbaz Khan becomes first Pakistani to scale 9 of world's 14 highest peaks

Mountaineer Sirbaz Khan became the first Pakistani on Friday to climb nine of the world's highest 14 peaks — each of which has a height of more than 8,000 metres — after he scaled the 8,167-metre-high Dhaulagiri mountain in Nepal, said Alpine Club of Pakistan Secretary Karrar Haidri.

Sirbaz was part of the 19-member 'SST-Dhaulagiri I Expd. 2021 Autumn' expedition organised by trekking company Seven Summits Trek.

According to Seven Summit Trek officials, the climbers summited the world's seventh highest peak on Friday morning, with Sirbaz raising Pakistan's national flag upon reaching the mountain's top.

In his recent communication with Dawn from Dhaulagiri on Thursday, Sirbaz had said he was determined to summit the peak on Friday morning.

Dhaulagiri, which forms part of the Himalayas mountain range, is widely known as one of the hardest peaks to climb due to its steep sides and bitterly cold climate.

As Sirbaz achieved the feat, congratulations poured in for him.

Sajid Ali Sadpara, the son of legendary mountaineer late Mohammad Ali Sadpara and a climber himself, tweeted: "Lots of congratulations to Sirbaz Khan to climb Dhaulagiri . After climbing Daulaghiri he is first Pakistani to summit nine 8000 mountains."

Sirbaz, 32, hails from the Aliabad area of Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan and began his climbing career in 2016.

In 2019, he became the first Pakistani to summit Mount Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain at 8,516m in Nepal, without the use of supplementary oxygen.

Moreover, he summited the 8,125-metre-high Nanga Parbat in 2017, 8,611-metre-high K-2 in 2018 and Broad Peak, which has a height of 8,163 metres in 2019. Earlier this year, he climbed the 8,091-metre-high Anapurna mountain, 8,848-metre-high Everest and 8,035-metre-high Gasherbrum II.

On four of these expeditions, he had been accompanied by late Muhammad Ali Sadpara.

Sirbaz is aiming to become the first Pakistani to climb all 14 of the world's highest peaks.

Before setting on the mission to summit Dhaulagiri earlier this month, he had said: "I am looking forward to his expedition and reaching closer to the dream of my mentor Ali Sadpara, who had the similar dream of scaling the 14 highest peaks, but tragically lost his life earlier this year during a winter expedition on K-2.”

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Govt in talks with TTP groups for reconciliation process: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the government is in talks with some groups of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), seeking a reconciliation.

"There are different groups which form the TTP and some of them want to talk to our government for peace. So, we are in talks with them. It’s a reconciliation process," he said during an interview with the TRT World.

When asked if the government was asking them to lay down arms, the PM responded: "Yes, we forgive them and they become normal citizens".

The interviewer then asked why the TTP was conducting attacks on Pakistan's security forces when they were in talks with the government. To this, the premier said it was just a "spate of attacks".

"We might not reach some sort of conclusion or settlement in the end but we are talking," he added.

Responding to another query on whether the Afghan Taliban were acting as mediators between the TTP and Pakistan, the premier said: "Since the talks were taking place in Afghanistan, so in that sense, yes."

PM Imran reiterated he didn’t believe in military solutions. “I am anti-military solution, and as a politician, I believe political dialogue is the way ahead.”

He said dialogue was the only way out in the case of Afghanistan also.

Earlier in September, President Arif Alvi had suggested that the Pakistani government could consider giving an amnesty to those members of the TTP who had not remained involved in "criminal activities" and who laid down their weapons and agreed to adhere to the Pakistani Constitution.

Such an amnesty could be one of the ways to "establish peace", the president had said.

His remarks were followed by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressing similar sentiments in an interview on Sept 15. He said the government would be "open to giving" a pardon to members of the TTP if they promised not to get involved in terrorist activities and submit to the Pakistani Constitution.

"But as long as they do not come and start undertaking terrorist activities [in Pakistan]. That is our concern," the minister had emphasised.

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Price of LPG cylinders increased by Rs343.4 per 11.8kg cylinder

The price of an LPG cylinder for domestic use has increased by a whopping Rs343, Geo News reported Friday. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) issued a notification in which the price of an 11.8kg LPG cylinder for domestic use has been set at Rs2,403.55.

The new prices came into effect today, October 1. The notification disclosed that the price of an LPG cylinder has increased by Rs29.11 per kg, which means that the new price of an LPG cylinder for domestic use is Rs203.69.

Since LPG is considered the “poor man’s fuel” and is also used in majority of the areas where gas is not available, it might hit the household budgets of a large part of the population. The price of LPG has been on the rise for the last several months.

Propane and butane are two major components of LPG, which Middle Eastern oil producers sell to Asian countries.

The price of a commercial cylinder weighing 45.4kg also increased by Rs1,321/cylinder and will be sold for Rs9,247. According to a notification, the LPG price has increased by Rs29.1/kg to Rs203.7/kg from the September price of Rs174.6/kg

Ogra also announced an increase in the prices of petroleum products, which also came into effect today.

The petrol price has been jacked up "due to increase in the petroleum prices in the international market", said a Finance division notification.

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

The government has absorbed the higher international pressure of prices through a reduction in the petroleum levy and sales tax, it added. "Petroleum prices in Pakistan are the cheapest in the region," the notification claimed.

Meanwhile, kerosene costs Rs7.05 more and is priced at Rs99.31 per liter, while light diesel oil became Rs8.82 dearer to cost Rs99.51 per liter. The price of LPG has been increased by a whopping 16.67% to Rs2,403.5 per cylinder for October.

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FM Qureshi blames 'lobbies, Pakistan's neighbours' for US bill seeking sanctions

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Friday lashed out at "Pakistan's neighbours, lobbies" for having a hand in the US bill tabled by Republican senators that seeks sanctions against Pakistan for its alleged role in aiding the Taliban.

The foreign minister was holding a joint press conference with his Danish counterpart, Jeppe Kofod, after the two held delegation-level talks earlier.

FM Qureshi thanked Kofod for Denmark's support for Pakistan's GSP Plus status. He said the two spoke at length about the Afghanistan issue, adding that both sides had mutual interests in Afghanistan.

"Pakistan has been affected by militancy in Afghanistan," he noted. "We don't want terrorists to regroup in the country."

He spoke about the US bill that seeks sanctions against Pakistan, saying that Pakistan seeks to defend itself and believes in cooperation.

"The US Congress must understand Pakistan's role [in Afghanistan crisis]," he stressed. "Lobbies and Pakistan's neighbours are behind the bill [that has been tabled]."

FM Qureshi said Pakistan should not be scapegoated for the Afghan crisis, saying that Islamabad had played a leading role to restore peace in the country.

The Danish foreign minister said his country did not recognise the Afghanistan government led by the Taliban. He said Denmark had reservations over the Taliban's treatment of women.

The foreign minister said Pakistan enjoys strong ties with Denmark but admitted that a lot needs to be done to further enhance bilateral cooperation.

He said the two sides discussed ways to put in extra efforts to increase bilateral trade and attract more investments into Pakistan. The foreign minister said cooperation in renewable energy and advantages of enhanced parliamentary interaction were discussed.

Kofod said both countries were interested in promoting bilateral ties, especially in the sectors of trade and energy. He recognised Pakistan's role in the Afghan crisis, noting that Pakistan played a crucial role in evacuating Afghan citizens and others from the war-ravaged country.

A couple of days ago, Republican senators 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 the 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.

The bill said that 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.

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Price of LPG cylinders increased by Rs343.4 per 11.8kg cylinder

The price of an LPG cylinder for domestic use has increased by a whopping Rs343, Geo News reported Friday. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) issued a notification in which the price of an 11.8kg LPG cylinder for domestic use has been set at Rs2,403.55.

The new prices came into effect today, October 1. The notification disclosed that the price of an LPG cylinder has increased by Rs29.11 per kg, which means that the new price of an LPG cylinder for domestic use is Rs203.69.

Since LPG is considered the “poor man’s fuel” and is also used in majority of the areas where gas is not available, it might hit the household budgets of a large part of the population. The price of LPG has been on the rise for the last several months.

Propane and butane are two major components of LPG, which Middle Eastern oil producers sell to Asian countries.

The price of a commercial cylinder weighing 45.4kg also increased by Rs1,321/cylinder and will be sold for Rs9,247. According to a notification, the LPG price has increased by Rs29.1/kg to Rs203.7/kg from the September price of Rs174.6/kg

Ogra also announced an increase in the prices of petroleum products, which also came into effect today.

The petrol price has been jacked up "due to increase in the petroleum prices in the international market", said a Finance division notification.

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

The government has absorbed the higher international pressure of prices through a reduction in the petroleum levy and sales tax, it added. "Petroleum prices in Pakistan are the cheapest in the region," the notification claimed.

Meanwhile, kerosene costs Rs7.05 more and is priced at Rs99.31 per liter, while light diesel oil became Rs8.82 dearer to cost Rs99.51 per liter. The price of LPG has been increased by a whopping 16.67% to Rs2,403.5 per cylinder for October.

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FBR surpassed collection target in Q1 by 38%: PM Imran Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan has congratulated the nation on the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) achievement of surpassing the collection target set for the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year.

“I congratulate the nation on FBR’s achievement of collecting Rs.1,395 billion in Q1 of FA 2021-22 against the target of Rs.1,211 billion,” PM Imran Khan said on Friday.

“This represents a growth of 38% in revenues over the same period last year,” he added.

The FBR collected Rs1,395 billion in the first quarter (July-Sept) of the current fiscal year against the set target of Rs1,211 billion, exceeding by Rs184 billion, according to a report published in The News.

The net collection for September 2021 realised Rs535 billion representing an increase of 31.2 % over Rs408 billion collected in September 2020. These figures would further improve before the close of the day and after book adjustments have been taken into account.

On the other hand, gross collections increased from Rs1,059 billion during July-September, 2020 to Rs1,454 billion in the current financial year, showing an increase of 37.3%.

The number of refunds disbursed was Rs59 billion during July-September, 2021 compared to Rs49 billion paid last year, reflecting an increase of 20.2%.

After collecting over Rs4.7 trillion and exceeding its assigned revenue targets set for the tax year 2020-21, the FBR has successfully maintained the momentum set in July 2021.

Its tax collection posted historic high growth in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. During the first quarter, the FBR has far surpassed its revenue target by Rs186 billion.

According to a statement, the FBR is well on its way to achieving the assigned target of Rs5,829 billion for the year despite the daunting challenges, compelling constraints posed by the corona pandemic, and sporadic tax cuts announced by the government as relief and price stabilization measures

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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.

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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.

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FBR extends tax return filing date till Oct 15

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.

 

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

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.

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Unstoppable Babar Azam smashes another record with 6th T20 century

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.

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Unvaccinated people to face several restrictions from October 1: NCOC

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.

 

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PM Imran assures of expeditious progress on CPEC projects

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.

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

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.

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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.

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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."

 

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

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.

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

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.

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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.

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

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

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.

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Corona SOPs relaxed in eight cities of Pakistan: 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.

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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.

 

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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.

 

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