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Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Jirga review progress on Kohat peace deal
A joint session of the Grand Peace Jirga and elders from the tribal districts of Kurram and Hangu was held in Kohat to review the implementation of the Kohat Peace Accord. The meeting was attended by General Officer Commanding 9th Division Kohat, Major General Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Commissioner Kohat Division Muatasim Billah Shah, Deputy Commissioner Kurram Ashfaq Khan, District Police Officer Kurram Habib Khan, and other relevant officials. The session comprehensively reviewed the law and order situation, ongoing development projects, and progress in sectors such as health, education, transportation, drinking water, voluntary disarmament, and the role of local peace committees. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to unconditionally cooperate with all state institutions to ensure lasting peace in the region and pledged not to support any anti-state elements or activities. They agreed to set aside internal differences and ensure full implementation of the Kohat Peace Accord. The Jirga also appreciated the continuous efforts and sacrifices of the provincial government, army, local administration, and police, which have played a vital role in restoring peace. On the other hand, the law and order situation in Kurram district is showing signs of improvement as the district administration and security agencies have reopened the main Tall-Parachinar highway for public travel. According to official sources, the highway, long closed due to security concerns, was reopened after a noticeable improvement in peace and stability in the area. On the very first day of resumption, more than 480 vehicles and over 2,200 passengers used the route. The administration confirmed that both Shia and Sunni community members travelled freely and safely on the restored route. For security and facilitation purposes, 79 ambulances and emergency vehicles transported 850 people, while 117 passenger vehicles carried 468 individuals to their destinations. In addition, 142 goods transport vehicles delivered food items and other essential supplies between Tall, Parachinar, and Sadda, ensuring the continuity of daily life and commerce. Movement in Upper Kurram was also fully restored, with over 1,130 people travelling in 151 vehicles. Officials stated that these steps are part of broader efforts to ensure public safety, promote sectarian harmony, and restore normalcy so that citizens can move freely and without fear in their respective areas. It may be recalled that following jirgas held with stakeholders in Kurram, May 31, 2025, was initially set as the deadline for the voluntary surrender of heavy arms. However, this deadline was extended to June 10, 2025. According to a notice issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Kurram, the public and all parties involved were urged to voluntarily deposit their heavy weapons at designated arms collection centers by the extended deadline.
Business Recorder
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
NA panel forms body to address Rs19bn default by LDI operators
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on Monday constituted a sub-committee to address the alarming default of around Rs19 billion by nine Long Distance and International (LDI) operators. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the committee that more than 100 related cases are pending in various courts, while six of the defaulters have expressed willingness to settle their dues. A structured recovery mechanism, including an instalment-based plan, is under consideration and a proposal has already been submitted to the federal cabinet for guidance. The committee, chaired by MNA Syed Aminul Haq, also decided to convene an in-camera meeting to thoroughly review the confidential Sale and Purchase Agreement between the Government of Pakistan and M/s Etisalat, after expressing strong displeasure over PTCL's refusal to share specific clauses of the deal. The Privatization Commission informed the committee that Clause 6 of the agreement restricts disclosure without mutual consent of both parties. The committee directed that representatives from the Ministry of IT, Ministry of Law and Justice, Privatization Commission, and M/s Etisalat be invited to the next meeting. Meanwhile, the Universal Service Fund (USF) briefed the committee that areas in district Tharparkar and Sargodha Division remain severely underserved in terms of internet and voice call access. Although fibre optic infrastructure exists, telecom services remain unavailable in many parts. The USF stated that specific projects for these regions have been approved and are at the final implementation stage. The committee instructed USF to submit a list of all such projects planned for execution over the next three to five years and directed PTA to ensure service delivery in those areas. On the issue of internet suspension in district Panjgur, the committee urged the Ministry of IT to coordinate with the Ministry of Interior, provincial authorities, and law enforcement agencies to devise a workable solution. The PTA was also instructed to maintain connectivity through the existing fibre optic infrastructure despite service disruptions. MNAs Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, Sadiq Ali Memon, Ahmad Saleem Siddiqui, Pullain Baloch, Sher Ali Arbab, and Umair Khan Niazi, along with senior officials from the ministry and its attached departments, attended the meeting. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
09-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Total debt rises to Rs75,000b, NA told
The volume of domestic and foreign debt of Pakistan reached Rs75,000 billion by February this year, while the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) collected a whopping Rs820 billion in the taxes from the salaried taxpayers in the last 3 years, the National Assembly was informed on Wednesday. The Finance Ministry presented the details of the country's debt and other financial data in the lower house of parliament. Accordingly, the country's domestic debt reached Rs51,000, and the external debt reached Rs24,000. According to the documents, the FBR has collected Rs820 billion in taxes from government and private sector employees during the last three years - Rs186 billion from government employees and Rs634 billion from private sector salaried individuals. In the last three years, the number of government taxpayers increased by 194,000, while the number of private sector taxpayers has increased by 550,000 people, according to the documents presented in the National Assembly. Trade policy Responding to a question during the Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary for Commerce Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti said that the government was pursuing a policy to improve the country's trade environment through fostering export sectors and contributing to overall economic development. "The current Strategic Trade Policy Framework includes steps to boost exports competitiveness through various interventions across all sectors," Bhatti said. He added that two new trade missions were being established at Darussalam, Tanzania, and Maputo, Mozambique, to boost trade with Africa. The Strategic Trade Policy Framework, Bhatti said, "focuses on securing market access through free trade agreements, preferential trade agreements and strengthening trade links with the Central Asians Republics, Turkey, Iran, Europe and Russia. Similarly, he added a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been shared with the East African nations to conclude a free trade agreement with Kenya and Rwanda. To another question, he informed the house that bilateral trade volume between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last fiscal year was $5.7 billion. The parliamentary secretary for commerce informed the house that Pakistan had successfully secured duty-free concession on more than 94% of Pakistani products in the UK after Brexit – UK's departure from the European Union (EU). Responding to a separate calling-attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Saad Waseem Sheikh told the lawmakers that the federal government had so far provided over Rs600 billion to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government for the development of the former tribal areas. 145 unaccredited education institutions The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has issued warning letters to 145 unregistered educational institutions across the country, and steps are being taken to shut down these institutions. This was revealed by the Ministry of Education during a National Assembly session on Wednesday. The ministry provided details about the unaccredited educational institutions in the assembly.
