Latest news with #WaqarAhmad
Express Tribune
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Afghan deportation policy challenged
Afghan nationals wait beside their belongings at the Torkham border's transit point as Pakistan steps up its deportation of undocumented migrants, sending over 2,239 Afghans back across the frontier. PHOTO: ONLINE The Peshawar High Court has issued notices to the federal government and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in response to a petition challenging the deportation policy for Afghan refugees and seeking the issuance of a Pakistan Origin Card (POC) to an Afghan man married to a Pakistani woman. The petition was heard by a bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Aurangzeb Khan. During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel, Ajmal Khan Mohmand, informed the court that his client, a resident of Takht Bhai in Mardan, is married to Tariq Khan, an Afghan citizen. The couple has four children, and the petitioner's husband now faces deportation under the government's ongoing refugee repatriation policy. The lawyer argued that the deportation policy targeting Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders is unconstitutional and lacks a clearly defined procedure. He emphasized that many Afghan refugees have deep-rooted connections to Pakistan, including businesses, marriages, and property ownership, none of which are adequately considered under the current policy. He further warned that the forced deportation of the petitioner's husband would deprive their children of their father's presence and care. The petition requests the court to instruct NADRA to issue a POC to the petitioner's husband and declare the current deportation policy null and void. After hearing the preliminary arguments, the court sought detailed written responses from the federal government and NADRA before the next hearing. Illegal detention case A five-member larger bench of the PHC on Monday disposed of a petition seeking the recovery of five individuals who had been taken away by police from Hayatabad, after they were safely recovered. The court, however, directed authorities to refrain from harassing any of the concerned individuals and instructed the police to submit a detailed investigation report. The bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Justice SM Attiq Shah and comprising Justice Arshad Ali, Justice Sahibzada Asadullah, Justice Muhammad Naeem Anwar, and Justice Waqar Ahmad, heard the case. During the proceedings, serious questions were raised regarding police performance, especially in relation to a foreign national who remains missing. Acting Chief Justice Shah remarked that the country must operate under the rule of law and all actions by government institutions must adhere strictly to legal procedures.
Express Tribune
09-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
CoRe urges govt to prioritise waste management
Listen to article A multi-stakeholder packaging alliance, CoRe (Collect and Recycle), has called on the government to prioritise waste management reforms in the upcoming federal budget. The alliance urged urgent fiscal and policy support for strengthening the country's waste collection, recycling infrastructure, and waste-to-fuel initiatives to build a circular economy and drive sustainable development. CoRe, comprising listed companies, NGOs, packaging manufacturers, recyclers, and multilateral organisations, submitted a comprehensive set of proposals to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination. The proposals include financing facilities from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and tax incentives from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). CoRe proposed a series of targeted fiscal measures which included the provision of green financing by the SBP to facilitate investment in waste collection and recycling initiatives. A five-year tax holiday has been recommended for both new and existing Packaging Recovery Organisations (PROs) operating across multiple cities, aimed at encouraging nationwide expansion. CoRe also suggests the introduction of tax rebates or financial incentives for companies that meet defined recycling targets or utilise recycled materials in their packaging. To further ease the cost burden on the sector, the alliance has called for the exemption of sales tax and customs duties, and the implementation of a zero-tariff regime for the import of recycling equipment. Additionally, to help formalise the informal sector, CoRe has proposed exempting General Sales Tax (GST) on services related to waste sorting, collection, and recycling. The alliance also advocates for the reduction or elimination of duties on Reverse Vending Machines, which are instrumental in collecting plastic packaging waste. Lastly, incentivising infrastructure for converting plastic waste into fuel is seen as a crucial step toward creating a more sustainable and resource-efficient economy. CoRe's recommendations are aligned with the government's broader sustainability agenda and the reform priorities of the IMF's Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), said Sheikh Waqar Ahmad, CEO and Founding Board Member of CoRe. The 2025-26 budget is a crucial opportunity to introduce transformative fiscal policies that can drive green jobs, sustainable investments, and a waste-free future. The call for reform comes amid growing concern over Pakistan's worsening waste crisis. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the country's solid waste generation is projected to reach 42 million tons annually by 2030, straining existing infrastructure and environmental systems.
Express Tribune
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PHC orders ministry to process citizenship cases
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the Interior Ministry to process applications for citizenship based on the Muhajir Card as per relevant laws, while also instructing NADRA to address complaints regarding delays in issuing Pakistan Origin Cards. A bench led by Justice Waqar Ahmad heard various petitions, including those filed by Afghan migrants who have been living in Pakistan for years and have been issued Pakistan Origin Cards (POCs) by the government. The petitioners' lawyer, Saifullah Mohib Kaka Khel, argued that under Pakistani law, individuals who have resided in the country for four years are eligible for citizenship. The court was informed that despite a clear law governing the grant of citizenship to foreigners, the authorities were not implementing it. The bench disposed of the petitions, directing the Interior Ministry to process the applications under Section 3 of the Naturalization Act 1926. In a separate petition, the court expressed concern over NADRA's failure to implement court orders. The counsel for the petitioners pointed to Nadra's alleged bias.
Express Tribune
03-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PHC annuls 'discriminatory' medicines contract
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has annulled the award of a multimillion rupee medicine supply contract, calling the process "engineered", "discriminatory," and a "quintessential case of mis-procurement". The decision may shake the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health procurement system. The K-P Health Department had awarded a contract to M/s Frontier Dextrose Ltd for supply of hospital medicines for the fiscal year 20242025. A citizen, Waqar Ahmad, filed a pro bono publico whistle-blower petition through Shumail Ahmad Butt Advocate challenging the legality of the public procurement process. A PHC division bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal set aside the bid awarded to M/s Frontier Dextrose Ltd through an order dated March 25. In its 10-page detailed order, the bench directed the K-P Health Department to cancel the existing award and reinitiate the procurement process strictly in accordance with the law. "We allow this petition and direct respondent No 3 to cancel the bid offered by respondent No 6 for the supply of medicines for the financial year 2024-25 and to reinitiate the process of procurement of the medicines strictly in accordance with the law," it said. The bench noted that the director general drugs and director general health services, who were present in court, were repeatedly asked to explain the rationale behind substituting the contents of an affidavit. The affidavit was to include an undertaking stating: "The undersigned has not manufactured/supplied any batch of Medicine(s), Drugs, Medical Device(s), Surgical Disposable, Cotton, and related goods, etc., that have been declared spurious/adulterated by the DTL (Drug Testing Laboratory) of the K-P or any other public DTL in Pakistan". The order said the said officers were unable to provide any satisfactory response, apart from contending that such an eventuality was addressed under the Act of 1976. "Notably, they neither offered an explanation nor placed any record before the court to demonstrate what necessitated the omission of this essential criterion. "Likewise, it is perplexing that when this lapse was brought to the notice of the procurement authority, it admitted that such an omission should not be repeated in the future and directed that the said clause be reinstated in Bid Form-III (Affidavit). "However, it condoned the omission in the present procurement solely on the ground that no competing bidder had raised an objection during the bidding process. "It must be emphasized that it was not the responsibility of a competing bidder to raise this concern; rather, the authority ought to have sought comments from the procuring entity regarding the justification for the deletion/omission of the said clause," it said. According to the order, upon careful consideration, it became evident that this omission was deliberately made to enable the participation of M/s Frontier Dextrose Ltd in the bidding process. "This constitutes a quintessential case of mis-procurement, rendering the impugned procurement contrary to the public interest," it said. The judgment referred to an Islamabad High Court's (IHC) decision which highlighted ethical obligations of procuring agencies while also condemning any practice that compromises the integrity of the process, including the acceptance of gifts from suppliers. "The cited case-law collectively establishes that public procurement must adhere strictly to principles of transparency, fairness, and non-discrimination, ensuring that public resources are utilized efficiently and equitably. "Thus, under no circumstances can any procurement process funded by public resources be deemed valid if it falls short of integrity, lacks fairness and transparency, is tainted with favoritism and nepotism, or is tailored to benefit a specific individual," it said. The court found that a key clause in the tender documents was deliberately omitted to facilitate the eligibility of one bidder, with no plausible justification on record. "This constitutes a quintessential case of mis-procurement, rendering the impugned procurement contrary to the public interest." Citing a series of landmark judgments from the Supreme Court and high courts across Pakistan, the bench reinforced the constitutional necessity of transparency, fairness, and competition in all public procurement. The court emphasized that public funds cannot be dispensed through tailored or manipulated tendering processes.
Express Tribune
31-03-2025
- Express Tribune
Govt to start work on Peshawar Safe City Project
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to initiate work on the Peshawar Safe City Project. According to official sources on Sunday, the project will officially commence after Eid, with 700 cameras installed at 100 key locations across the city. In the second phase, the Safe City project will expand to southern districts, including Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, where preliminary work has already been completed. The project will become operational in the coming days, enhancing security and surveillance in the region. Background In January 2023, K-P police and a private consultant firm signed a contract for the Peshawar Safe City Project which was to be completed in five months. K-P Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari, Project Director Safe City Peshawar Waqar Ahmad, project consultant team and other high-ups attended the ceremony. Project Director Waqar Ahmad and CEO Carbonate Pvt Jawad Ayub Baig signed the agreement. It may be recalled that Safe City Project Peshawar is aimed at making the urban areas of Peshawar safe and secure through technology-driven-efforts, including installation of CCTV cameras. The main purpose of the project is to combat terrorism and other crimes particularly street crimes, car lifting and motorcycles theft through the best use of latest gadgets. With the installation of high resolution CCTV cameras every point will come under the police surveillance and it will not be possible for law breakers to escape camera's eye. Around 915 points have been identified under this project. Besides optical fiber cable on 1,000 kilometre, 25 LTE towers would be installed across the city. K-P Police integrated command control and communication centre C3 would be established at police station East Cantt. Salient features of the mega project included surveillance, integrated emergency response.
