Police approach court for exhumation of Samiul Haq’s body

ISLAMABAD: Police on Saturday approached the court seeking permission for exhumation of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam’s (JUI-S) Maulana Samiul Haq’s body and post-mortem to complete legal requirements, ARY News reported.

On the other hand, heirs of Maulana Samiul Haq strictly refused to allow exhumation of his body terming it a useless exercise.

Talking to ARY news, Hamidul Haq, son of Maulana Samiul Haq, said that they did not receive any court notice yet and added that their family will not allow to exhume his body at any cost.

He further said that not a single suspect involved in assassination of any political leader has been arrested so far in the country.

Whereas police special investigation team suggested Samiul Haq’s family to allow them to complete legal requirements.

Two people came to meet Sami-ul-Haq prior to assassination: servants

It is pertinent to mention here that servants of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-S (JUI-S) Chief Samiul Haq, on November 4, had revealed that two people came to meet Maulana at his residence prior to his murder.

This was revealed by the servants who were arrested after assassination of the JUI-S chief on Friday.

“When two acquaintances had arrived to meet him, Maulana asked us to leave for they wanted to talk to him in person and when we reached back home we found him dead in a pool of blood,” they said.

On the other hand a team of forensic experts and investigation officers of police have collected evidences, including fingerprints and CCTV footages from the housing society’s record room, from the site of the murder in Rawalpindi.

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Students to get 50 percent discount on railways’ fare in winter vacations

LAHORE: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Saturday said his ministry will seek help of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the matter of occupation over its [railways] lands.

Briefing the media here in Lahore after chairing a meeting at Railways headquarters to review the progress of PR, he said his ministry is going to facilitate physically challenged people, in order to make their railway journey easier.

The minister in yet another big announcement from Pakistan Railways said” there will be 50 percent discount for the students, in the wake of winter vacations (from December 25 to January 10) aimed at to attract them to utilize railway for their trips during vacations.

Mr Rasheed said steps are being taken for the revival of the PR with the help its officers and labourers, adding recent induction of 10 new trains is the ministry’s fleet is its “proof.”

Moving one step further for the revival, Sheikh Rasheed also announced to set-up a new railway platform at Rohri railway station.

Issuing the warning to the officers of the Pakistan railways, Sheikh Rasheed said “the officers who do not go in field, will be discharged from his or her duties”.

The minister without taking anyone’s name contented “those playing in the name of “Falooda Wala” and “Welder” will go behind the bars.”

Answering to a question during the presser, Sheikh Rasheed said recent visit of Prime Minister was one of the “most successful” visit in the country’s history, adding benefits to follow soon.

Sheikh Rasheed while commenting on the disgruntled Pakistan Mulsim League leader, Chaudhry Nisar, said “neither he is going in PML-N nor joining Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).

About the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry, the railways minister said he is working in best way.

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35 Pakistani politicians own properties in UAE, FIA tells SC

ISLAMABAD: Out of 895 Pakistani nationals who own properties in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 35 are politicians, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed the Supreme Court on Saturday.

The FIA submitted a report to the apex court, stating that out of the total, 374 Pakistanis declared their UAE properties under an amnesty scheme.

Whereas, 674 Pakistanis submitted affidavits to the FIA. Seven of those who have declared their assets in Dubai are facing NAB cases, according to the report.

69 Pakistanis declared the properties they owned in Dubai in their tax returns, while 72 others refused to admit to having assets in the UAE.

The FIA stated that it was unable to ascertain the veracity of the details of those who availed the amnesty scheme, neither could the details be cross-checked with data available with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) owing to the law providing for secrecy in the matters.

It said 150 people neither benefited from the amnesty scheme, nor disclosed any details of their properties with the FBR.

According to the FIA, out of the total, 253 people who declared their assets in the UAE under the amnesty scheme were from Sindh, around 100 were from Punjab, 17 from Islamabad, and four from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while no one from Balochistan declared to have assets in the country.

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Bilawal arrives in Gilgit-Baltistan on five-day visit

GILGIT: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan on a five-day trip, where he will address a public meeting at ‘Polo ground’ tomorrow (Sunday).  ARY News reported.

According to the details, Bilawal will hold meetings with local leaders of his party and will address different corner meetings during the visit.

Talking to ARY News, Bilawal House spokesperson Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said,” PPP government gave constitutional rights to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan but later, the rights were denied.”

He said PPP stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in their struggle for rights.

Bilawal terms GB package as insulting, vows to restore legislation powers

It is pertinent to mention here that PPP Chairman Bilawal, on May 27, had said that giving powers of legislation to the bureaucracy in Islamabad and brazenly denying the people their rights was an affront to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan that would have far reaching consequences for political stability.

Referring to the 31st constitutional amendment, he had said the parliament just passed an amendment bill taking away powers of the president on tribal areas to empower its people. “Just the same time the federal government has ambushed the people of GB by taking away their powers and vesting it to the prime minister,” he had said.

“The so called reforms package is a grave provocation and warned against the consequences of bulldozing it without taking the people and the GB Assembly into confidence,” he had said.

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Asad Umar lauds National Financial Inclusion Strategy

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Asad Umar on Saturday chaired a meeting of the Economic Advisory Council’s (EAC) Sub-Groups on National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) and Fiscal Sector in Islamabad.

The meeting was attended by all major stakeholders and members of the sub-group from the Ministry of Finance, State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue and Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Tariq Bajwa presented a National Financial Inclusion Strategy to improve quality and increase access to financial services in Pakistan.

He outlined targets and necessary policy actions to be taken at various levels in the coming years to achieve these targets.

The discussion revolved around fast-tracking digitization of financial services to reach out larger number of consumers, small and medium business and newly emerging entrepreneurs throughout country.

The minister appreciated the strategy and emphasized on diligently time-lining the goals, targets and actions to be taken, and cautioned against delaying the implementation process of the strategy.

In the fiscal policy sub-group meeting, FBR representatives gave a presentation on the problems currently ailing tax administration system in Pakistan, and ad-hoc-ism of tax policy; it was noted that these issues consequently lead to low tax collection contributing to massive fiscal imbalances.

The Sub-groups also considered solutions to fix crippling tax system of Pakistan by recommending policy measures targeting two major areas, tax administration and tax policy. It was noted that information technology had a greater role in getting more and more people into tax net, and spotting tax-avoiders.

Also coherent and continuous coordination among the federal government and the provincial governments is of paramount importance in avoiding incidence of double-taxation.

Asad Umar issued directives for setting timelines of various proposed administrative and policy reforms so that the huge fiscal burden facing our economy is reduced to minimal possible level and the government gets much needed fiscal space.

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Pakistanis stranded in Kuwait to depart for Lahore tonight: FO

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday came to the rescue of the Pakistani passengers left stranded at Kuwait International Airport after Lahore-bound flights were cancelled owing to unstable weather conditions.

Spokesperson for the Foreign Office Dr Muhammad Faisal said some of the stranded Pakistanis have been issued boarding passes for a Lahore-bound flight set to depart tonight, while the rest would be accommodated tomorrow.

He tweeted: “Due to heavy rains Kuwait declared emergency for three days and its airport suspended operations for few hours on Thursday. Some Pakistani passengers transiting through Kuwait were stranded due to cancellation of Kuwait airlines flights to Lahore.”

 He said, “On receipt of information, Embassy team was sent to the Airport to get in touch with Pakistanis and provide immediate assistance. Ambassador spoke to the head of kuwait airlines Operations and pressed for accommodating women/children in today’s flight.”

“As a result some passengers were issued boarding passes for the flight leaving for Lahore tonight. Remaining would be accommodated tomorrow, inshaallah.”

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