Pakistan

SHC tightens screws on ECP for holding LG polls in Karachi, Hyderabad

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

SHC voices displeasure over LB polls holdup.
Seeks reports from DG Rangers, IGP Sindh.
Asks ECP to hold polls as soon as possible.

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday censured the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for sitting on the local bodies (LB) elections in Karachi and Hyderabad, warning them against further delay.

The court voiced its displeasure over the holdup during the hearing of the petitions submitted by PTI and JI.

A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Sindh High Court Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh, took up the case.

During the hearing, Justice Yousaf Ali, questioned the ECP counsel why local government elections were being delayed repeatedly. CJ Shaikh remarked that it was ECP’s responsibility to hold local government elections.

The ECP’s counsel, in his reply, said it was a public holiday on Wednesday due to which the commission’s meeting could not be held.

“It’s ECP, not a school. So what if it was a holiday? The meeting could have been held. Enough is enough. Go hold LB elections,” the Chief Justice SHC remarked.

He asked where were the reports the court had sought from DG Rangers and IG Sindh.

Regarding the ECP’s excuse that LB polls were not being held because of a shortage of security personnel for the election, CJ SHC unleashed a flurry of questions at the defendant’s lawyer.

“Which police go to secure flood-affected areas? What are they doing with flood victims and what kind of duty are they performing there,” the CJ Sindh High Court asked.

The court sought reports from IG Police and DG Rangers Sindh on the total strength of personnel in the province and how many of them are deployed in flood-affected areas.

CJ SHC also questioned the ECP counsel with regard to police duty in flooded parts of the province.

“Name a village in Sindh where police carried out an operation for the victims of the flood. What is the total strength of the police in Sindh and where are they deployed right now?” CJ SHC asked.

Having no reply, the advocate general, prayed to the court for more time. CJ SHC said the court would not grant the government a lot of time and it would need a report as soon as possible. The court also directed the DG Rangers and IGP Sindh to furnish the court with all the details of their strength or appoint an officer for that.

SHC later adjourned the hearing will November 14.

Business

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

Published

2 days 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

2 days 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

2 days 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.