DUBAI: Former military dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s body will be repatriated to Pakistan today from the United Arab Emirates, where he passed away on Sunday at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness.
The mortal remains of the former army chief will be flown to Pakistan on a special flight at 11:30am Pakistan time.
The Pakistani embassy in the UAE had issued a no objection certificate (NOC) for the repatriation of Musharraf’s body to Pakistan at the request of his family.
Former military dictator’s wife Sehba Musharraf, son Bilal and daughter Ayla will bring the deceased’s body to Pakistan.
The doctors suggested the immediate burial of Musharraf after the body reaches Pakistan.
The former president’s body has been kept in the mortuary of a local hospital as of now.
Musharraf passed away on Sunday in a hospital at the age of 79. He was undergoing treatment for amyloidosis at American Hospital Dubai.
Musharraf’s family had filed an application in the Pakistani consulate in Dubai to shift the former military leader’s body to Pakistan.
The former president will be buried in a Karachi graveyard, confirmed his family sources. The bereaved family formally approached Pakistan’s consulate in Dubai seeking permission to shift the mortal remains of Musharraf to Pakistan.
It is pertinent to mention here that the former president’s mother was buried in Dubai while his father was laid to rest in Karachi. “His [Musharraf] passport has been cancelled,” the diplomatic officials said, adding that the special plane carrying the body of the former army chief will land in Rawalpindi.
Earlier, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that they were facilitating the transportation of the mortal remains of the former army chief. “Our missions in the UAE are in contact with the family and are facilitating the transportation of the mortal remains,” she added.
As soon as Musharraf’s death was reported, politicians including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as well as chief of army staff offered their condolences over his demise.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad, and tri-services chiefs expressed heartfelt condolences on Musharraf’s death.
“CJCSC and services chiefs express heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf, former president, CJCSC and chief of army staff. May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family,” the military’s media wing said.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed solidarity with the oppressed people of the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Kashmir Solidarity Day.
Taking to Twitter, the prime minister said today the whole of Pakistan comes together to express its unflinching solidarity and support to Kashmiri brothers and sisters, who remain undeterred by the oppressive Indian occupation apparatus in the struggle for UN-sanctioned right to self-determination.
He further said the people of IIOJK are waging a relentless struggle of epic proportions to realise their dream of freedom from the Indian yoke. Through their sacrifices, they have kept the torch of freedom burning. “It is my faith that their dreams will soon see the light of day.”
ISLAMABAD: Deadlock persists between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the international money launder worked out a larger gap of approximately Rs900 billion, equivalent to 1 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). It is a major stumbling block in striking a staff-level agreement.
Pakistan have contested such a huge fiscal gap in achieving the primary deficit and asked the IMF for incorporating flow of reduction under the revised Circular Debt Management Plan (CDMP) and reduced amount of required additional subsidy of Rs 605 billion against the earlier target of Rs 687 billion. Therefore, the fiscal gap stood in the range of Rs400 to Rs450 billion.
Officials have completely ruled out any possibility of IMF condition about the signing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for reviving the Fund programme and said that no such discussions took place with the review mission.
“Differences still persist over ascertaining the exact fiscal gap between Pakistan and the visiting IMF review mission during the technical levels talks. Once it’s finalised with the IMF, then the additional taxation measures will be firmed up, which will be unveiled through the upcoming mini-budget. In view this of a lack of reconciliation over the figure of fiscal gap, the technical level talks will continue on Monday and then policy level talks are expected to commence from Tuesday,” sources confirmed while talking to a select group of reporters in the background discussions on Saturday.
They said the government agreed in principle with the IMF to abolish electricity and gas tariff subsidies for the export-oriented sector because such kind of dole out was completely unacceptable to the lender. The exporters’ scheme will be revised by bringing major changes to it, said the official. However, the IMF agreed to the Kissan Package and required a power subsidy, 60,000 tube-well subsidies for Balochistan and a subsidy meant for AJK.
The Pakistan authorities conceded that the power sector had so far proved to be a major stumbling block on the way to achieving smooth sailing. Although the circular debt for the gas sector also remained a problematic area, finally they managed to proceed on this issue. The expenditures overrun will breach the overall budget deficit target of 4.9 per cent of GDP, which is likely to touch 6.5 to 7 per cent for the current fiscal year.
When the fiscal gap will be ascertained by both sides, then the IMF will ask about additional taxation measures. The IMF is asking to jack up the GST rate by 1 per cent from 17 to 18 per cent or impose 17 per cent GST on POL products but the government was resisting it tooth and nail.
The government is ready to slap the flood levy on affluent segments as well as on imports, impose a levy at the rate of 41 per cent on windfall profits earned by the banking sector, enhance Federal Excise Duty (FED) rate on cigarettes, sugary drinks from 13 to 17 per cent, enhance withholding tax rates on a property transaction, air travel abroad and others. The IMF assessed that the FBR would face a shortfall of Rs130 billion in achieving the target of Rs7,470 billion.
The Pakistani authorities have prepared three options to convince the IMF to secure a staff-level agreement. These three options basically seek to cut down expenditure and take additional taxation measures with the objective of having less inflationary pressures.
Pakistan has sought a waiver on flood expenditures of Rs470 billion from the IMF and the latter agreed to it. Pakistan and the IMF high-ups held an informal meeting on Saturday in which the IMF shared its initial assessment of the fiscal gap of 1% of GDP, equivalent to Rs884 billion in achieving the primary deficit. It was decided to continue technical-level talks on Monday, so the power and Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan (FBR) meeting will continue to further exchange the data to reconcile divergent numbers. The IMF is expected to share nine tables of a macroeconomic and fiscal framework on Monday night or Tuesday after which both sides would hold policy-level talks.
It is expected that both sides would strike a staff-level agreement by the conclusion of the talks on February 9. Then the IMF’s Executive Board will consider approval of the next tranche probably in March 2023.
The government seems ready to fill the fiscal gap of Rs400 billion through a combination of rationalisation of expenditures, such as reducing the development budget and other stringent steps and taking additional taxation measures. They conceded that debt servicing had escalated to Rs5.2 trillion against the earlier target of Rs3.952 trillion for the current fiscal year. After taking the NFC share of the provinces, the Centre is left with no resources. The IMF also raised objections over the revenue surplus expected to be generated by the provinces but the Pakistani side assured it that the federating units would help curtail the overall deficit.
The Pakistani side explained the statement of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the visiting IMF review mission and told it that the premier’s statement was meant to make up the minds of the masses for undertaking tough measures as politicians wanted to save their political capital. The IMF team was also told the PM’s statement was not meant to blame the lender for slapping tough conditions on Pakistan.
JEDDAH: Driver Tharaa Ali takes her seat at the helm of a high-speed train ferrying pilgrims to Makkah, a beneficiary of Saudi Arabia’s bid to employ its booming female workforce.
Saudi women only gained the right to drive in 2018, and until recently 25-year-old Tharaa Ali’s transportation experience was limited to cruising around her native Jeddah in the family sedan.
But last year she joined some 28,000 applicants vying for just 32 slots for women drivers on the Haramain High Speed Railway, which plies the 450-kilometre route between the holy cities of Makkah and Madina at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.
To her astonishment, the former English teacher was among the lucky few selected, and she completed her first trip last month.
“The first day working here was like a dream for me — entering the train, entering the cabin,” she said.
“When you are in the cabin, you see things heading towards you at a very high speed. A feeling of fear and dread came over me, but thank God, with time and intensive training, I became confident in myself.”
The proportion of Saudi women in the workforce has more than doubled since 2016, from 17% to 37%.
The statistic feeds a narrative of expanding women’s rights under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, making it a reliable applause line at events like the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Yet unemployment among Saudi women is high — 20.5% last year, compared to 4.3% for Saudi men.
That figure, much like the flood of applicants for the driver positions, highlights an urgent task facing Saudi policymakers: creating jobs for all the women newly interested in participating in a changing economy.
“The challenge has shifted,” said Saudi economist Meshal Alkhowaiter, “from encouraging women to join the workforce, to creating a sufficient number of jobs to employ the thousands of Saudi women entering the workforce every quarter”.
Saudi women have traditionally thrived in select fields like education and medicine.
Yet rules introduced in recent years barring workplace gender discrimination and easing dress code restrictions have created new opportunities.
That includes positions as waiters, baristas and hotel receptionists that were previously dominated by foreigners, a boon to the government’s “Saudisation” agenda.
Social mores don’t always keep up with changing regulations, however, something the women train drivers have seen firsthand.
Raneem Azzouz, a recent recruit, said that at the end of one trip to Madina, a woman passenger explained that she didn’t believe women could do the job until she saw it with her own eyes.
RAWALPINDI: The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has sealed Lal Haveli, the residence of Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in the wee hours of Monday.
According to initial reports, the ETPB staff along with Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and police personnel reached the residence of Sheikh Rashid and sealed it.
Officials sealed seven units of Lal Haveli. ETPB Deputy Administrator Asif Khan led the operation. According to the deputy administrator, Sheikh Rashid and his brother failed to provide any documents to establish ownership.
On the other hand, Sheikh Rashid said he had yet to receive any notice from the ETPB and that he would approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan in this regard.
Meanwhile, former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman expressed deep concern over the government’s move against the residence of his ally Sheikh Rashid and termed it as an ‘act of revenge’.
During the PTI’s core committee meeting, Imran Khan took notice of ‘government’s illegal action’ against Rashid’s residence and instructed party’s General Secretary Asad Umar to raise voice in this regard.
Taking to Twitter, Asad Umar said that a plan was chalked out to vandalize Sheikh Rashid’s house with ‘government machinery’ and put pressure on the former interior minister.
The former information minister further wrote that PTI strongly condemns this ‘act of terrorism’ and his party stands by Awami Muslim League (AML) chief.
Earlier on January 26, it was reported that the Evacuee Trust Properties Board (ETPB) had prepared a strategy to vacate Lal Haveli, residence of Sheikh Rashid, within 24 hours.
In this regard, the department sought assistance from law enforcement agencies (LEAs) – Rangers, police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Lal Haveli belonged to a Hindu woman prior to partition and was converted into Sheikh Rashid’s political office in 1980 after he entered parliamentary politics.
This is not the first time Rashid receives ETPB’s notice as he had claimed to receive an eviction notice in October 2016.
ISLAMABAD: United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will reach Islamabad on a two-day official visit today (Monday).
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will receive the UAE President at the Noor Khan Airbase.
UAE President during his stay in federal capital will interact with top political leaders including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the economy, trade, and investment, besides the regional and global situation.
Meanwhile, federal government has announced holiday in the capital city on January 30 (Today) ahead of the visit of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) president Shaikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to the city.
All schools, colleges, and public offices except CDA, SNGPL, IESCO, hospitals, district administration, and metropolitan corporation will take the day off. His visit to the capital city will underscore important meetings.
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has fixed former prime minister Imran Khan’s plea against proceedings by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to remove him as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman for hearing on Jan 30.
During the previous hearing, the high court issued a stay order on Imran Khan’s removal as the PTI chairman.
In his petition filed before the high court, the former premier maintained that the electoral watchdog was exceeding its powers by trying to remove him as the PTI chairperson. It further said the ECP had issued the notice “illegally”.
The ECP initiated proceedings to strip PTI chief Imran Khan of his party’s chairmanship following his disqualification in the Toshakhana reference.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday filed an appeal in the district and sessions court of Islamabad challenging the judicial magistrate’s ruling that sent the former information minister to Adiala Jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
The development comes hours after the police moved the court challenging Judicial Magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja’s order rejecting their plea seeking an extension in the PTI leader’s physical remand.
The district and sessions court judge had already ordered the authorities to present Fawad before the court by 12:30pm, however, the police failed to produce him at the given time.
After a delay of over an hour, the police presented the PTI leader before the court. On the orders of the sessions judge, Fawad was uncuffed inside the premises of the court room
While the police requested the sessions judge to “nullify” the judicial magistrate’s decision and extend Fawad’s physical remand for further investigation, Fawad submitted a plea asking the court to discharge him from the case.
The petition submitted by Fawad’s lawyers on his behalf stated that the PTI leader should be discharged from the case instead of being sent on a judicial remand. Sessions Judge Tahir Mehmood Khan has issued notices to the prosecutor and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Fawad was arrested from his Lahore residence on Wednesday after the case was registered at the Kohsar Police Station on the complaint of ECP Secretary Omar Hameed.
He was presented before the court on Friday after the expiry of remand, however, the prosection’s request for an extension was turned down.
LAHORE: The senior vice president of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz will fly to Lahore from Dubai today.
Maryam Nawaz will land in Lahore at 3 pm today (Saturday) on PIA flight 264 from Dubai after spending three and a half months in London. Maryam Nawaz had departed from London on Thursday, spent a day in Dubai. She was bid farewell from Avenfield by her father and party Supremo Nawaz Sharif and party members.
PML-N leaders have finalised preparations for Maryam’s reception and it has been agreed that she will speak to the PML-N supporters while perched atop a container before departing for Jati Umra.
There won t be a rally today in honor of this special event, Dunya News reported.
On her way back from Dubai Maryam Nawaz would be joined by Maryam Aurangzeb. Maryam Nawaz had departed for London on October 6, 2022.
Saif-ul-Mulk Khokhar, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Lahore, said that millions of workers will attend Maryam Nawaz s welcome.
“Welcoming the party senior vice president will be a rehearsal for Nawaz Sharif s homecoming,” says Khawaja Salman Rafique.
MELBOURNE: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, who bid farewell to the sports earlier this month, was overwhelmed with emotions while giving a speech as she bowed out of her Grand Slam career.
The 36-year-old athlete, who played her first Grand Slam 18 years ago, is in Australia for her last Australian Open event of her career.
Speaking during her tear-jerking farewell speech, Sania couldn’t control her emotions and said: “I just want to start with that if I cry, these are happy tears and not sad tears so that’s just a disclaimer.”
She started off her speech by congratulating her opponents and said: “This is your moment and I really don’t want to take it away, and I really really you know from the bottom of my heart you guys played amazing you deserved to win today, so congratulations and good luck.”
Sania then said that she still going to play a couple of more tournaments.
The tennis star shed a light on her career, saying that the journey of her professional career started in Melbourne.
“It started in Melbourne in 2005 when I played Serena Williams in the third round here as an 18-year-old, and that was scarily enough 18 years ago,” she said.
“I’ve had the privilege to come back here again and again and win some tournaments here and play some great finals amongst you all and this Rod Laver Arena has really been special in my life, and I couldn’t think of a better arena to finish my career at in a Grand Slam. Thank you so much for making me feel at home here,” she expressed.
Speaking about her partner, Sania said that Rohan was her first ever mixed doubles partner when she was 14 and won the nationals.
“It wasn’t the same arena like this one, but it was a long time ago. It was 22 years ago, and I couldn’t think of a better person. He’s one of my best friends and one of my best partners to finish my career here and to play the final. Obviously, we couldn’t get over the line but there’s no better place for me and a person for me to finish my Grand Slam career. So thank you, Rohan, for playing,” she said.
Sania said that her family and team is there with her. ” I never thought that I would be able to play in front of my child in a Grand Slam finals, so it’s truly special for me to have my four-year-old here, and my parents here and Rohan’s wife here, Scotty, everyone, my trainers, my family from Australia, who made me feel like home away from home.”
The star thanked everyone for their support. “Thank you so much for all the support all week guys and all my life, really. It’s been truly, truly special and I wouldn’t have achieved anything without each and every single one of you,” said Sania.
Concluding her speech, she said: “Thank you very much for everything and thank you, Australia for making me feel at home.”
