Tag: Govt

KARACHI - The government is expected to collect Rs 60-63 billion by the end of June 2011 against a target of Rs 110 billion in FY11, if it maintains Petroleum Levy (PL) at current levels. This time, the government has not only passed on the impact of higher oil prices in the month of February, but has also reverted PL by Rs 3.0 to Rs 5.0 per liter on major oil products.
PL on Petrol and Diesel, which cumulatively contributes 82 percent of the total regulated oil products sales,

ISLAMABAD - The government announced a 9.9 percent increase in prices of petroleum products across the board on Monday to lower its fiscal deficit and said it would still have to absorb a differential of Rs 5 billion in March alone because it was not passing on the full impact of the price increase to consumers.
Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Senior Executive Director of Finance Syed Jawad Naseem said that the price of petrol had been increased by Rs 7.23 per litre from Rs

LAHORE - Punjab Governor Latif Khosa on Monday signed the summary sent by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the ouster of PPP ministers from the Punjab cabinet. With signatures on the advice, the role of the PPP ministers and 13 parliamentary secretaries in the Punjab government has ended, and the new cabinet is all set to have fresh faces.
Sources in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) claimed that the announcement regarding the new cabinet would be made on Thursday.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Law Minister Babar Awan on Monday said the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) would not let the provincial government fall and derailment of democracy in the Punjab, if Nawaz Sharif realised the mistake of indulging in horse-trading and get rid of his advisors promoting floor-crossing in the province. "People make mistakes and if they realise their mistakes, they should be forgiven.
If Nawaz Sharif realising the mistake gets rid of his advisors involved in

ISLAMABAD - Around 17 federal government officers of BPS-18 and above hold dual nationality, Establishment Division's minister in-charge told the National Assembly (NA) on Monday.
The officers include Australian national Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) Chairman Dr Yaseen, British national Wasim Tauqeer, British national Talat Abbasi, British national National Language Authority Chairman Iftikhar Arif, Canadian national Deputy Census Commissioner Ismail Leghari,

LAHORE - The Punjab government repatriated 18 non-All Pakistan Unified Grades (APUG) officers to the federal government and a notification in this regard was issued on Monday. According to details, Ayesha Zareen Siddique (OMG/BS-19-on acting charge basis), general manager, tourism development corporation (TDCP), was repatriated to the Establishment Division with immediate effect. She was also relieved of her duties in the Punjab government, forthwith.
The services of Shazia

LAHORE - Senior Pakistan People's Party leader Naheed Khan and her husband Senator Safdar Abbasi has criticised the government for not investigating Benazir Bhutto murder case properly and said if things were not handled correctly, the 'tsunami' of jiyalas (the diehard PPP workers) would wipe everything out.
They were addressing a meeting on 'Future of Pakistani Politics' in the metropolis on Sunday. They said the government had failed to fulfil the desires of PPP workers and

SIALKOT/GUJRANWALA - Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday said that the government would complete its constitutional term and overcome all challenges with the public support. Those criticising the Pakistan People's Party and propagating as if the party would seize to exist in Punjab, would soon realise the warmth shown by the people, she said.
Addressing a public gathering organised at the China Chowk on Kashmir Road in Sialkot, the

ISLAMABAD - The seriousness of the PPP-led coalition government in handling the country's foreign affairs could be gauged from the fact that 15 out of the total 32 ambassadors appointed in 2009-10 were non-career or handpicked people.
The foreign ministry documents available to Pakistan Today revealed that during 2009-10, 32 career/non-career ambassadors and high commissioners were appointed at the Pakistan missions abroad.
"The appointment of handpicked contract

ISLAMABAD - The government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are set to hold talks on March 1 for the revival of the suspended $11.3 billion standby arrangement facility. An official source at the Ministry of Finance said the IMF team would be briefed on the current economic situation, progress on the talks with the political parties and steps taken to control the fiscal deficit.
He said the IMF team would remain in the country for the next week and would be reviewing

KARACHI - Even though Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has approved the summary for regularising Education Department employees, the employees of grades BPS-1 to BPS-4 have announced that they would continue protesting until a notification of regularisation is issued. The sacked contractual employees of lower grades continued protesting on Saturday outside the Karachi Press Club.
The demonstrators demanded that the government should release their arrested colleagues, including

KARACHI - Concerned over the half-hearted efforts of government for bringing back stranded Pakistani fisherfolk in Yemen, the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday directed the government to take necessary action in this regard.
Human Rights activist Nisar A Mujahid in his petition had prayed the court to issue directions to the federal government to take necessary steps for the release of Pakistani fisherfolk imprisoned in Yemen. Citing the Interior secretary and the foreign affairs

LAHORE - The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will not join the federal cabinet until its demands are met, MQM Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Haider Abbas Rizvi said on Friday.
He was talking to journalists after visiting the residence of US national Raymond Davis' victim. Rizvi said that the MQM's stance was based on principals and the party would stand by its philosophy.

LAHORE - The Livestock and Dairy Development Department Punjab is organising a 'Consultative Workshop of Provincial Livestock Forum' on February 28 at University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore.
The main objective of the event is to present and discuss the Punjab Economic Opportunities Programme (PEOP) strategy to achieve common understanding of the stakeholders. The PEOP was actually launched by Government of Punjab and DFID jointly to increase productivity of

LAHORE - The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has urged the government to immediately announce the rehabilitation plan for the victimised traders of Shah Alam market inferno. These views were expressed by the PIAF Chairman Sohail Lashari, while talking to a delegation of Shah Alam market businessmen here on Thursday.
He grieved that the government had not taken any steps for the rehabilitation of the sufferers of Shah Alam market fire. In addition, no

Lahore - The federal and Punjab governments will provide funds to universities for research and development projects, Punjab Governor Latif Khosa said on Thursday.
He was speaking at the launching ceremony of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences' (UVAS) website at the conference hall. Khosa acknowledged and appreciated the performance of UVAS Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Nawaz. The governor said, "Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif is an energetic and visionary person who is taking

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik said that Rahat
Fateh Ali Khan was originally fined Rs 20 million but the amount was reduced to Rs 1.5 million on the request of Pakistan's government. He was talking to the media outside the Parliament House on Wednesday.
"Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is our star and we had to help him. The Indian government reduced the fine amount from Rs 20 million to Rs 1.5 million on the request of Pakistan government," Malik said. He,