No talks with those who challenge govt writ: Mir Sarfaraz

NASIRABAD: Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Khan Bugti has said that talks were not possible with those who challenged the government’s writ and took up arms, but dialogue would be held with those who lay down their arms.

Talking to a private TV channel, he said that a foreign hand was behind terrorism in Balochistan. He said that the federal government was cooperating for the establishment of peace in the province.

He said that solid steps were being taken for establishing peace in Balochistan. A foreign hand was behind terrorism in Balochistan while there were 34 terrorist camps in the neighbouring country where terrorists were being given training and sent to Balochistan.

While answering a question, Mir Sarfraz said that the length of the Afghan border with Balochistan was of several hundred kilometers. Despite this, the police, levies and other agencies were performing their services in order to control terrorism. He said that the present government had continued the search for missing persons. There would be no leniency for those who gave direct interviews to newspapers and the foreign media against the security and integrity of the country. Such people were not pardonable, he added.

How can those who can’t manage a province run the country, asks PM

 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said that this was the time to take practical steps to resolve the problems of the people and not to stage sit-ins, adding how could those who could not manage the affairs of one province, run the country.He said those who couldn’t get votes in the 2013 elections should wait for the 2018 general elections instead of hatching conspiracies.
Addressing the second computer balloting for the grant of loans under the Prime Minister’s Youth Business Loans at the Convention Centre here, the prime minister said that in the first phase 38,000 applications for loans were received under the PM Youth Business Loan Scheme including 31,000 men and 7,000 women. “Of them, 6,000 were selected for grant of loans through computer ballot in the first draw and 6,000 more are being selected through the second draw,” he added.He expressed the confidence that youth borrowing loans for businesses would prove to be a harbinger of a social and economic revolution in the country.

He said the government had launched a number of development projects and was completing them in record time. He said that $35 billion would be invested in the power, road and railway sectors during the next ten years.

He said 21,000MW of electricity would be added to the national grid in eight to 10 years.“I see great potential in the youth of Pakistan who can bring about an economic revolution and development in the country through their energy and dynamism”, he added. He said that the middle and lower-middle classes had contributed to the development of nations like Germany and Japan, and therefore, he had great expectations from the youth of these classes in Pakistan.

He further said that the Business Loan Scheme would enable thousands of Pakistani youths to gain financial independence and also prove to be a source of major economic activity. “The scheme is totally transparent and based on merit, and I’m emphasising the role of women in the development of Pakistan,” he added. He said that his government was providing equal opportunities to women in all sectors and therefore all the schemes of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program contained a 50 percent quota for females.

He directed the governor State Bank to engage other Pakistani private banks to participate in these schemes. “Previously, banks only entertained the affluent class as the poor were not even allowed to enter the banks. But our government provided opportunities to the marginalised population for gaining economic independence,” he maintained.

“The money accumulated in the treasury belongs to the people of Pakistan and they have every right to utilise it for their benefit. It is our obligation to provide services and initiate welfare projects”, he noted.

The premier also appreciated the efforts put in by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for presenting a development-oriented and pro-poor budget for 2014-15. As he elaborated the salient features of the budget, he said that they expected to control inflation, and attract significant investment and launch development projects. He said that by the grace of the Almighty and the hard work of the team, the government had been able to achieve 16.4 percent revenues against a target of 21 percent which is almost a 90 percent success.

He informed that the livestock insurance scheme had been included in the budget for 2014-15 that would provide security to small-scale and poor farmers in protection of investment.The premier emphasised that the government’s top priority was to get rid of the power loadshedding and for this purpose, 21,000MW of power projects for the next eight to 10 years had been planned.

He stated that unfortunately, previous governments did not pay attention to the energy crisis and the machinery for the Nandipur power project was abandoned, rusting at the Karachi port while people were suffering long hours of loadshedding. “Our government, in a short period of only eight months reactivated and completed this project which shows our commitment to solve the energy crisis,” he remarked.

He further said that the multi-purpose mega project of Diamer–Bhasha Dam with a cost of $12 billion and with a capacity of 4,500MW was being undertaken which would not only generate electricity but also help in managing our water resources that were being wasted.

He also referred to the $35 billion Pak-China Economic Corridor that would change the fate of the country. He further said that work on the Karachi-Lahore Motorway would be initiated soon as Rs55 billion had been allocated for land acquisition to be completed in three months.

The prime minister said that they should not indulge in the politics of leg-pulling and unnecessary criticism. The people of Pakistan have shown their confidence in us in the last elections and it was they who would again decide in the 2018 elections based on our performance.

Later, he performed the 2nd computerised balloting of the Youth Business Loan Scheme in which 5,169 loans were awarded to the applicants whose applications were approved by the National Bank. It may be noted here that a 50 percent quota was reserved for women with a quota for martyrs and special persons.

He also distributed cheques to some of the successful candidates of the first balloting. He also directed the president of the National Bank to forward all the cheques by June 15, 2014.Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar said the present government was focusing on the welfare of the downtrodden sections of society and the launch of six youth-related schemes were part of that strategy of the PML-N government.

Those protesting and holding marches should wait four years: PM Nawaz

LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the politics of the 1980’s and 90’s would no longer work.

Addressing a ceremony to mark ‘Youm-e-Takbeer,’ the prime minister said those holding protests and rallies should step out of the politics of the 80’s and 90’s and wait four years and let the people decide who they want to elect.

“The politics of delivering and fulfilling peoples’ promises will now work not that of the 80’s and 90’s,” Prime Minister Sharif said.

Prime Minister Sharif added that the government’s agenda was the development of Pakistan and asked what the agenda of those holding protests was.

According to the prime minister Pakistan should focus on economic growth.

Those who repeatedly aired objectionable show equally cognisable: SIC

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Sahibzada Hamid Raza has said causing any harm to journalists, damaging the media houses or destroying their property was not at all allowed either by the Shariah or the law.

“We have no concern with those who are spreading incendiary sentiments against the working journalists/media persons. It is Allah Almighty alone Who knows what someone has in his heart. By adopting peaceful means, we have approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It will be the Supreme Court that will decide what was behind the sordid episode, whether deliberate or unintentional. Any channel or website that has committed such disrespect is culpable,” he said while addressing a press conference at the National Press Club. He declared that to repeatedly air the controversial matter was equally cognisable.

President PFUJ Afzal Butt, president NPC Sheharyar Khan and president RIUJ Ali Raza Rizvi were also present on the occasion.Sahibzada Hamid Raza said that the role of journalists could not be ignored. “Whatever the situation, the journalists have always played their effective role in an effective manner. No journalist was involved in the disrespectful show in the morning transmission of Geo, therefore the journalists, media-workers, DSNG vehicles and offices of channel establishments should not be damaged.” He said that they had knocked on the door of the court and this matter should be resolved in the courts and not on the roads.

To a question, he said had there been no delay of 36 hours, the question of issuing a Fatwa would have had never arisen. He said any other channel airing the disrespectful show again was culpable as the first one.

He said that they had issued the ‘fatwa’ first against the suicide killings that was corroborated by the Mufti-e-Azam, Saudi Arabia. Speaking on the occasion, Afzal Butt said that they were not a party to the war between the media houses. “However, we can never tolerate disrespect to the Ahle Bait.” He said in the current crisis, more than 35 media persons had been attacked. “An attempt was made to put two houses on fire. In order to cope with such a situation, the PFUJ has initiated a dialogue with scholars of different schools of thought.”

He said that working journalists are labourers who work with their pens and they have absolutely no hand in the formulation of the policies of media houses. “Therefore, any conspiracy to target them would be condemnable.”

Those earning $2 a day should also be counted as poor: Dar

 

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday said poverty needs to be defined afresh and those earning US $2 a day should also be considered poor.
Speaking at the first business session at the 47th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors in Astana, Kazakstan, Dar said the national economy would hopefully grow by over 4 percent during the current fiscal year (2013-14).

Inflation would remain in a single digits due to growth in both the agricultural and industrial sectors, Dar said, adding that the fiscal deficit had been reduced to around 6 percent through an increase in revenues, reduction in expenditure and positive growth in exports and remittances.

Necessary domestic reforms were being undertaken as the government preferred regional integration through increased connectivity and enhanced preferential arrangements, he added. He outlined the government’s strategies for overcoming the macro-economic challenges, according to a statement issued by the Finance Ministry here.

It said during the Constituency Breakfast Meeting, Dar suggested that the ADB revise the absolute poverty line from $1.25 per day to $2 per day in conformity with the latest revision adopted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The minister stated thatpresently 2.4 billion people were living below the poverty line of $2 a day.During the Governor’s Plenary Session, the minister highlighted the government’s response to the recent natural disasters in Pakistan and future strategy of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan. He emphasised the need to reduce exposure to natural hazards and disasters.

He suggested that the development partners such as the ADB, World Bank and IMF devise different strategies and action plans for promoting disaster risk reduction programmes. He said these institutions could benefit from Pakistan’s experiences.

Dar invited Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bakhyt Sultanov and President Nursultan Nazarbayev to visit Pakistan this year. He requested Sultanov to consider measures for easing the movement of people along with enhanced cooperation in the areas of trade, investment banking and finance.

The World Bank also appreciated Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s vision, hard work, kindness and courage to tackle difficult issues the country has been facing.In a letter written to Dar with regard to Pakistan Day, WB Vice President (South Asia Region) Philippe Le Hourou said the Board was appreciative of the actions taken by Pakistan.

Le Houerou advised Pakistan to stay the course, and for the World Bank Group to stay engaged in Pakistan’s development. “I am happy to report that it really was a ‘Pakistan Day’ and Pakistan was shinning. It is very clear that we owe this success to the strong leadership of the prime minister and to the finance minister personally”, Le Houerou added.

Those nurtured under dictatorship should seek new jobs: Pervaiz

 

ISLAMABAD: The Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, on Friday said those who were nurtured under dictatorship should seek new jobs.
Talking to media persons here, he said all the state institutions, including the army, were bound to act within the ambit of the Constitution. He noted that certain elements, who thrived during the stint of dictators, were trying to spread rumours.

The minister said there had been no demand from the army for the removal of any minister, adding that there was no other thinking in the army except the defence of Pakistan.He said the entire nation was grateful to the armed forces for their sacrifices for the country and noted these would always be remembered.

About the trial of former military ruler General Musharraf, the minister said that the decision regarding Musharraf would be made by the judiciary and it would be acceptable to all.He claimed things had considerably improved during the last eight months and now every morning started with the dollar value going down and the launch of major projects.

Pervaiz said that consumers paying their bills would definitely get electricity.Online/APP add: Pervaiz Rasheed said no patriotic person could point fingers at the army. To a question, the minister said the economy had strengthened due to the positive policies of the government.

He said the government was committed to ridding the country of the energy crisis and inflation and to making the country a cradle of peace and stability.He said that “in the past we used to hear bad news like bomb blasts and terrorist attacks everyday but for the last few months good news have been coming.”

He said there were good news like stock exchange improvement, appreciation of rupee against the dollar, setting up of power generation plants and starting of construction work of new public transport system. Moreover, he said that the entire world now wanted to strengthen their relations with Pakistan and invest here, which was a big change.

He said that the Lok Virsa festival had been organised to bring cultures and civilisations of all the regions of the country under one roof. He said artists, singers and artisans participating in the Lok Mela were representing the real cultural values of the country. “They express their feelings through colours, words, music, etc,” he added.