Pakistan

Bilawal Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif express resolve to work together on national issues

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

Bilawal Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif meet at PML-N London office.
Both leaders discuss Pakistan’s overall political situation.
Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar accompany Bilawal.
PML-N’s Ishaq Dar, Abid Sher Ali also attend meeting.

LONDON: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif Thursday expressed the resolve to work together on issues pertaining to politics and national interest.

PPP leaders Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, and Qamar Zaman Kaira were part of the meeting, while PML-N leaders Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Ishaq Dar, and Abid Sher Ali were also present.

In a statement issued following the meeting, the PPP said the meeting took place at the Stanhope House, where Bilawal congratulated Nawaz on the ouster of the “selected government” and Hamza Shahbaz’s election for the Punjab chief minister.

لندن: پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی مسلم لیگ ن کے قائد میاں نواز شریف سے ملاقات کے لئے اسٹین ہوپ ہاؤس میں واقع دفتر آمد@BBhuttoZardari pic.twitter.com/jAineKibQN
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) April 21, 2022

Both the leaders discussed Pakistan’s overall political situation while expressing their resolve to move forward on national issues in a cordial manner, the statement said.

‘Conspiracy hatched at the Bilawal House’

Speaking to journalists in London, Bilawal said the coalition government would try to once again work towards the restoration of democracy in the country.

“There was no foreign conspiracy against Imran Khan, it was a democratic conspiracy […] It was not White House, but a conspiracy hatched at the Bilawal House,” he said.

He claimed that Nawaz’s sacrifices for democracy were evident before everyone and noted that he came to meet the PML-N supremo today as once everyone is on the same page, only then can they resolve Pakistan’s issues.

“PML-N and PPP will solve Pakistan’s issues once they are on the same page,” he said, asking all the institutions to remain within their constitutional parameters.

Confirming Bilawal’s meeting earlier, PPP Secretary-General Farhatullah Babar had told The News that the PPP chairman is meeting Nawaz to congratulate him on the coalition government.

“The main purpose of meeting Nawaz Sharif is to congratulate him on the coalition government and discuss the current political situation,” he said.

Before the meeting, despite PPP leaders saying it was being held for congratulatory remarks from Bilawal to Nawaz, the source said there were issues.

Although there was an understanding between the PPP and the PML-N that Bilawal would take over as the foreign minister, he did not take oath despite attending the cabinet oath-taking ceremony as a guest a day earlier. This meant there was some issue in the coalition government, and he wanted to resolve it first, the publication reported.

Sources said Bilawal wanted to discuss major issues with Nawaz to chalk out an amicable solution. They said Bilawal also wanted to take up the non-inclusion of the ANP, BNP-Mengal, and Moshin Dawar in the cabinet with Nawaz.

“If all goes well in talks with Nawaz Sharif, it is expected that Bilawal may take oath as foreign minister on his return from London,” they said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — who is also PML-N’s president — had earlier said that the federal cabinet was formed after consultations with Nawaz and the coalition partners.

Business

Price of LPG “slashed” by Rs. 20 per kilogram

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Sources claim that LPG rates have been lowered by Rs 20, making the cost per kilogram drop from Rs 280 to Rs 260.

It is noteworthy to remark that the costs of LPG were reduced by Rs 20 per kilogram earlier, resulting in a total reduction of Rs 40 per kilogram within a few weeks.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas for the month of May 2024 was lowered by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on April 30.

The LPG tariffs were lowered by Rs 11.88 to Rs 238.46 per kilogram in accordance with the OGRA’s notice. On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the new rates will go into effect.

In April of last year, the price per kilogram of LPG was Rs 250.34. pricing reduction of Rs 140.18 has resulted in a new pricing for home LPG cylinders set for May 2024 of Rs 2813.85.

The OGRA reported a drop in liquefied petroleum gas pricing in April. The price of LPG is now Rs 250.34 per kg instead of Rs 256.78 due to a reduction of Rs 6.44 per kg.

The price of the household cylinder was fixed at Rs 2954.03 for the month of April, down from Rs 3030.12, a decrease of Rs 76.9.

Business

ADB delegation stops by FBR headquarters

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Senior Director ADB Tariq Niazi oversaw the expedition, which also involved Sana Masood, Farzana Noshab, and Senior Public Sector Management Specialist Laisiasa Tora. The meeting included presentations from economists as well, according to an FBR press release.

The officers focused on structural and policy adjustments as they discussed the Domestic Resource Mobilization Program’s implementation at the meeting.

$300 million was given to the Pakistani government by ADB in December 2023 as a result of the hard work and dedication of FBR. Better laws, regulations, and institutional capability for the FBR were established by Sub-Program I.

With the $300 million in funding provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the Government of Pakistan in December 2023, the delegation conveyed satisfaction with the program’s effective launch.

The FBR also underlined how crucial digitization is to recording the economy and boosting productivity in a sustainable way.

In order to promote the Government of Pakistan’s Digital Tax Administration Project, both parties decided to look into measures to improve their cooperation.

Latest News

Off-duty police in Islamabad are prohibited from donning uniforms.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

The new directives, according to specifics, were sent via wireless by the federal capital police and state that no officer may wear a uniform when reporting for duty or leaving it.

According to the police official, uniforms will only be worn when on duty; otherwise, two policemen will accompany each other during duty hours and will always be required to carry guns.

A different development was the earlier release of an app by the Islamabad Police with the goal of improving crime prevention and public safety.

Launched on the orders of former Interior Minister Sarfraz Akbar Bugti, the recently released ICT-15 app aims to empower the people of the capital city by giving them the ability to actively engage in the battle against crime and protect their areas.

Residents of Islamabad can now easily download and utilize the ICT-15 app because it is easily accessible on the Google Play Store.

Citizens can report a variety of issues with this easy-to-use application, such as incidents, unlawful behavior, complaints against law enforcement, the presence of undocumented people, or any suspicious criminal activity.

The police promise quick reaction times as soon as information is reported using the app, so assistance will be provided as quickly as feasible.