K-P cabinet briefed on law and order in Kurram
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) cabinet on Monday was briefed on the latest situation in the Kurram tribal district of the province.
The 24th meeting of the provincial cabinet was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur wherein various key matters were discussed. Cabinet members, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, additional chief secretaries, senior member Board of Revenue, administrative secretaries and the advocate general attended the meeting.
The cabinet was briefed in detail about the implementation of government decisions aimed at ensuring sustainable peace in Kurram.
It was informed that since October last year, 189 people had lost their lives in various incidents of unrest in Kurram. However, due to the continuous efforts of the provincial government, a peace agreement had been signed to restore peace and normalcy in the region.
To ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential goods to the people of the restive district, nine convoys comprising 718 vehicles have so far been sent to Kurram leaving no space for the shortage of essential commodities in the area.
It was further revealed that the provincial government had launched a helicopter service to and from Kurram on the direction of the Chief Minister. So far, 153 flights have been carried out using two helicopters that provided air transport facility to approximately 4,000 people.
Besides this, 19,000 kilograms of essential medicines have been supplied to Kurram to cater to the medical needs of the patients.
It was further revealed that, in line with the Cabinet's decision and the peace agreement, the demolition of illegal bunkers in Kurram was ongoing and 151 bunkers had been dismantled to date.
The deadline for the complete removal of all bunkers and for de-weaponisation has been set for March 23.
The cabinet also accorded approval for Rs98.3 million to procure explosives for dismantling the remaining illegal bunkers.
The meeting also approved the release of 1,645 MT of PASSCO imported wheat lying in Kurram to the general public in the area.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also directed the establishment of security posts at locations from where attacks from long distances could be effectively monitored and countered to secure the lives and properties of the people on a permanent basis.
The cabinet also reviewed plans for the restoration of the damaged infrastructure in Kurram. The briefing indicated that the rehabilitation of the destroyed Bagan Bazaar is estimated to cost Rs480 million and that work on the project would commence soon.
The cabinet also approved a one-time 5-year relaxation of age and four attempts for PMS candidates due to the fact that the competitive examination had not been conducted for the last so many years. It was also directed that, in future, such a competitive examination should be conducted on an annual basis like the CSS.
The cabinet also approved the creation of various posts for the effective utilization of the already installed tube-wells of the Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) irrigation circle.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
3 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Budget to spell doom for IT industry: P@SHA
KARACHI: Outrightly rejecting the budget 2025-26, IT industry said budget has fatally ignored Pakistan's IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) sector, terming disappointment and grave threat to the sector. In a statement, Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) said budget is decisive blow to an industry that has carried the hopes of export-led recovery; youth employment and digital transformation. It said an industry that today employs over 600,000 young Pakistanis—one of the country's largest and most vital pools of skilled talent. Yet in a stunning act of neglect, the budget fails to address two urgent and long-standing demands from the sector: first, a defined and fair taxation framework for remote workers; and second, the continuation—and expansion—of the current tax regime for formal IT exporters. What the industry has consistently asked for is not a one-time concession or patchwork relief, but a stable, 10-year tax policy framework—one that allows companies to invest, grow and compete with global peers. That has been ignored. For over a year, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has warned of a growing imbalance. High-earning remote workers employed by foreign companies; often indistinguishable from full-time employees, remain largely untaxed. Meanwhile, P@sha said, companies based in Pakistan, employing and training local talent, are taxed, audited and over-regulated. This makes local hiring more expensive; while incentivizing capital flight and informal arrangements. Talent retention is collapsing; export dollars are being parked abroad, and formal firms are bleeding value. The government's refusal to act is particularly frustrating given the simplicity of the proposed solution: P@SHA has recommended classifying any individual earning over PKR 2.5 million annually from fewer than three foreign sources as a remote worker. This affects only the top 5% of earners and avoids harming freelancers and small remitters. The State Bank already tracks the necessary data. This is a policy that could be implemented overnight—yet has been ignored for years. Worse still is the government's failure to extend the existing tax regime for exporters. This regime was the foundation for over $700 million in investment commitments secured through the Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) initiative. The country spent hundreds of millions of rupees to secure this investment. Sadly, with no continuity in tax policy and those investments are now in jeopardy. Foreign investors will not engage with a country where rules shift every year. This is not just bad policy—it is a signal to the world that Pakistan's digital economy is not ready to be taken seriously. The results will be devastating. Pakistan's IT sector—its fastest-growing, most globally competitive industry—may lose its momentum entirely. Export growth will stall; jobs will disappear and the government's dream of reaching $25 billion in IT exports will not just be delayed—it will become permanently out of reach. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
3 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Punjab to present ‘tax-free budget' on 16th: minister
LAHORE: The Punjab government will present its annual budget for the fiscal year 2025–26 on June 16, following a short delay from the initially announced date of June 13. Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman confirmed the change during the Punjab Revenue Authority performance review meeting on Wednesday. He also reiterated that the expansion of the tax net will be ensured to increase revenue in the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, according to the sources, the upcoming budget will be tax-free, and no new taxes will be introduced. Estimated at over Rs1,200 billion, the new fiscal plan is expected to feature a record-breaking development outlay emphasising health, education, infrastructure, and tourism. The new budget will include over 850 development schemes and the key projects include the expansion of Nawaz Sharif Medical City in Lahore where new hospitals will be constructed under a public-private partnership model. The government also plans to roll out extensive sanitation and clean drinking water initiatives throughout Punjab. Infrastructure development remains a central priority. Moreover, the provincial transport network will be expanded to additional cities, while road and urban infrastructure projects are planned for 66 cities across the province. These initiatives reflect the government's strategy to improve public services and promote inclusive growth without imposing new tax burdens on citizens, said sources. The sources also confirmed that proposals for new taxes, submitted by the Board of Revenue and the Punjab Revenue Authority, were rejected by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The government is instead reviewing the current tax structure to identify adjustments in existing rates where necessary. The Punjab Assembly is scheduled to convene on June 16 for the formal presentation of the budget. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
3 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Budget: JI assails govt for ‘neglecting' Karachi
KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Chief, Monem Zafar Khan has strongly criticised the budget 2025-26, claiming it demonstrated a clear neglect of Karachi — the economic hub of the country. Speaking at a press conference held at Idara Noor-e-Haq, he said that Karachi was conspicuously missing from the list of federal priorities. Flanked by several town chairmen, Monem Zafar Khan demanded an allocation of Rs 500 billion for Karachi's development, along with Rs 2 billion for each town and Rs 2.5 million for every Union Council (UC), in order to address the city's pressing issues. Highlighting the severe water crisis in Karachi, he said the K-IV water supply project — vital for the city's future — appears to have been sidelined by the federal government. Although Rs 40 billion were requested, the budget allocates just Rs 3.2 billion for the project, despite its scheduled completion by June 2026. He pointed out that while the Water Resources Division was allocated Rs 133 billion, the K-IV project's share amounts to only 2.5 percent of that total. The JI Karachi chief denounced the federal budget as a 'jigsaw puzzle of statistics' that ignores the city's core issues. He noted that the Karachi IT Park, launched in 2022 and expected to complete by 2026, received only Rs6 billion — a figure he described as 'peanuts' in relation to the scale and importance of the project. He further criticised the reduction in the Higher Education Commission's budget from Rs 65 billion to Rs 39.5 billion, and condemned the 18 percent tax imposed on the solar energy sector, calling it a severe blow to an emerging industry. Monem Zafar Khan lambasted the federal government for failing to complete several critical transport projects in the city, including the Green Line Bus, 20-bus Orange Line, and the Red Line. He stressed that Karachi has long been deprived of its fair share in resources, despite being the financial lifeline of Pakistan. Referring to historical trends, he said that while Sindh received Rs 178 billion from the federal government in 2007-08, the allocation has now increased to Rs 1,853 billion. Yet, the provincial government continues to centralise power, ignoring the urgent need for administrative and fiscal devolution. Monem Zafar Khan also turned his attention to what he described as rampant corruption and poor governance in solid waste management, particularly under the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He accused the Sindh government of outsourcing Karachi's waste management to inefficient and corrupt contractors, leading to severe issues during Eid-ul-Azha. He shared specific examples, including the case of a JI-run town that submitted its Eid waste management plan well in advance. The Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) responded only two days before Eid, disregarding all local recommendations and issuing outdated instructions. In another case, while the SWMB committed to sending 15 pickup vehicles, only 10 were dispatched on the day — raising questions about the misuse of funds allocated for vehicles, staff, and fuel. The JI leader also narrated an incident where a town chairman lodged a complaint with the mayor about waste management failures. Instead of holding the contractor accountable, the mayor suspended the town's Deputy Director of Solid Waste, he said. In a scathing indictment, Monem Zafar Khan also accused the MQM, PPP, and PML-N of complicity in a 'fake census', which, according to him, cut Karachi's population in half. This undercounting, he said, has serious consequences for resource allocation and representation. He also highlighted the disparity between the government's treatment of the poor and lawmakers. 'On one hand, 100 million Pakistanis live below the poverty line. On the other, the government has approved a six hundred percent increase in the speaker's allowances and over 140 percent salary hikes for lawmakers,' he stated. Monem Zafar Khan urged the federal government to revise its approach and recognise Karachi's pivotal role in the national economy. He called for transparent governance, fair distribution of resources, and greater autonomy for local administrations to ensure the city's problems are addressed effectively. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
