5 Feb 2016

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Friday, February 5, 2016
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Biggest ever trade deal signed
as US seeks to counter China
AUCKLAND, Feb 4: The
biggest trade deal in history
was signed Thursday, yoking
12 Pacific rim countries in a
US-led initiative aimed at
wresting influence from
booming China.
The ambitious Trans
Pacific Partnership (TPP)
aims to slash tariffs and trade
barriers for an enormous 40
percent of the global economy
but pointedly does not
include Beijing.
"TPP allows America and
not countries like China to
write the rules of the road in
the 21st century," US
President Barack Obama said
after the pact was signed in
New Zealand.
The deal whose birth was
fraught by domestic opposition
in the US and in other
key players, such as Japan is a
key plank of Obama's socalled
"pivot" to Asia, as he
seeks to counter the rising
power of China.
Along with a rebalancing
of the US military machine
towards the western Pacific,
PML-N’s government pays Rs. 480 billion
illegally to power companies
ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The
Public Accounts Committee
(PAC) on Thursday termed
the payment of Rs. 480 billion,
circular debt, to power
generating companies as
illegal and directed the secretary
Water and Power to
conduct audit for productive
capability of private power
companies and ensure the
return of billions of rupees
in national exchequer.
The meeting of the PAC
was held on Thursday in the
committee room of the parliament
with the chair of
Syed Khursheed Ahmed
Shah, opposition leader in
the National Assembly.
The Auditor General of
ISLAMABAD, Feb 4:
Further delay in conducting
fair and transparent population
census is the violation
of constitution, State needs
to fulfill its commitment as
per need of the hour, said
Mian Raza Rabbani
Chairman Senate while
addressing 82 members delegation
of Youth
Parliamentarians along with
President of Pakistan
Institute of Legislation
Auckland : New Zealand Prime Minister John Key (C) and Ministerial Representatives from
12 countries pose for a photo after signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
the TPP is recognition of the
growing might of China,
which has come to dominate
the region, threatening
American influence.
Supporters of the deal say
harnessing the power of free
trade in such a dynamic part
of the world is vital if the US
Pakistan (AGP) informed
the meeting that payment of
Rs.980 billion for circular
debt paid by the existing
PML-N government was the
mega corruption of country’s
history.
The government should
had audited claim of power
companies before payment
of Rs. 480 billion but government
had paid Rs. 480 to
these companies while violating
the mandatory rules
and regulations.
The AGP in his report
said that payment of Rs. 342
billion to PEPCO was illegal
because the audit was necessary
prior to payment but the
government did not fulfill
Development and
Transparency (PIDAT).
According to press
release, he further said that
issues like enumeration of
Afghan refugees’ population
and apprehension regarding
conversion of Baloch
nationality into minority can
not further delay the national
population census.
He proposed that the
apprehensions of Baloch
nationals that they would be
is to fend off China's challenge
to its supremacy.
Trade ministers from 12
participating countries
Australia, Brunei, Canada,
Chile, Japan, Malaysia,
Mexico, New Zealand, Peru,
Singapore, the United States
and Vietnam signed the pact
this responsibility.
He added that to pay
company Rs.32 billion as
charges of delayed payment
was ridiculous which should
be probed.
“The government has
made transaction of Rs. 25
billion from national
exchequer as non-payment
cash and payment of this
amount was also illegal. The
government neither receives
the dues of these power
companies which were
approximately Rs. 23 billion
nor formulate any policy in
this regard”, the AGP added
and maintained that the government
paid Rs.270 million
illegally to these power
Further delay in conducting fair censes
constitutional violation: Rabbani
ISLAMABAD: Members of Youth Parliament Pakistan presenting a souvenir to Chairman
Senate, Mian Raza Rabbani at Parliament House.
demographically converted
into a minority as result of
national population census
should be looked after
through possible legislation
to limit the right of vote of
in-migrants to the place of
origin instead of Gwadar.
In reply to a question, he
said that Pakistan had been
as hospitable as could be
possible but now we need to
watch our own national
interest.
PIA signs agreements with other
airlines to ease crisis
KARACHI, Feb 4: Amid the
worst crisis, troubled Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA)
made agreement with Air
Blue and Shaheen Air to facilitate
its passengers with confirm
tickets that have been
stranded due to the strike of
the PIA employees, state
media reported on Thursday.
PIA spokesperson Daniyal
Gillani said that passengers
headed to both local and
international destinations will
be facilitated through this
agreement.
He said that passengers with
confirmed tickets can contact
Shaheen Air or Air Blue about
that will accept the PIA tickets
and facilitate them accordingly.
Gilani said PIA is in final
stages of negotiations with
Etihad Airways and Turkish
Airlines to facilitate passengers
booked to travel internationally.
The services of a private
carrier are being used to
accommodate passengers
booked on domestic flights.
in Auckland early Thursday.
Beijing was muted in its
reaction to the deal, saying its
officials were studying the
6,000-page document.
A commerce ministry
statement said China would
"actively participate in and
facilitate highly transparent,
companies as payment of
withholding tax.
The AGP informed the
PAC meeting that PML-N’s
government has paid Rs. 33
billion to these power companies,
which has give up
to generate the electricity
for the last many years and
their productive capability
is zero.
He further told that
approximately Rs. 28 billion
have been paid to these companies
illegally for the generating
of electricity through
gas. The report says that
Rs.18.50 billion have been
paid surplus to these power
companies in the head of
General Sales Tax (GST).
SC suspends EC orders
for sending fake degree
case of MPA to tribunal
ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The
Supreme Court on Thursday
suspended an order of the
election commission for
sending the fake degree case
of PTI MPA Faisal Zaman to
an election tribunal (ET).
When a two-member SC
bench headed by Justice
Mian Saqib Nisar took up the
case for hearing on Thursday,
petitioner’s counsel Waseem
Sajjad took the plea that the
election commission was not
entitled to send the matter to
the tribunal. Zaman has been
elected as member of K-P
assembly, while his rival Pir
Sabir Shah has filed a petition
in the election commission
rather than in the ET
challnaging the degree.
PESHAWAR, Feb 4:
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief
Sirajul Haq on Thursday has
said that Prime Minister
(PM) Nawaz Sharif would
not be allowed to become
‘king’ of the country and the
government does not reserve
right to rule any further.
The JI chief criticised the
government while addressing
participants of a strikecamp
held against privatization
of Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA)
by its employees in
Peshawar.
He said that the country’s
prestige was murdered by
firing bullets on PIA workers.
He vowed to raise voice
against PIA’s privatization
on every platform. It was an
incident involving blood
shedding of labourers, not
open and inclusive free trade
arrangements in the region".
Despite Obama's comments,
the US has also sought
to play down any overt anti-
China rhetoric.
US trade representative
Michael Froman, in
Auckland, said the agreement
was "never directed against"
any specific country and "it's
important to have a constructive
economic relationship"
with China.
Although the signing
marks the end of the negotiating
process, member states
still have two years to get the
deal approved at home before
it becomes legally binding.
"We will encourage all
countries to complete their
domestic ratification processes
as quickly as possible,"
New Zealand Prime Minister
John Key said.
"TPP will provide much
better access for goods and
services to more than 800
million people across the TPP
countries, which make up 36
percent of global GDP."
KP govt once again
demands federation
to send FC back
PESHAWAR, Feb 4: Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government
has demanded the federation
to send back Frontier
Corps (FC) for security, reported
on Thursday.
Parliamentary Secretary
Shaukat Yousafzai said that
terror attacks could be avoided
across the country by deploying
FC on borders of tribal
areas.
Frontier Corps was formed
in 1915 with a purpose to bar
entrance of extremists in localities
adjoining tribal areas. The
corps has been offering services
for a long time after Indo-
Pak separation in areas near
Federally Administered Tribal
Areas (FATA).
There are around 800 platoons
out of which 36 are
deployed in KPK. The rest of
the platoons have been
deployed in different areas
including Islamabad, Karachi
and Balochistan. Provincial
govt had earlier demanded the
federation of FC’s return after
APS attack in Dec 2014 and
now after Bacha Khan
University attack in
Charsadda on January 20.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The
government of Pakistan has
appointed Mohammad Imran
Mirza, presently Pakistan’s
Deputy High Commissioner
to the UK, as Ambassador of
Pakistan to the Republic of
Senegal.
Mirza will also be concurrently
accredited as
Pakistan’s Ambassador to six
other countries including
Indian High Commissionerdesignate
pays Tariq Fatemi a visit
ISLAMABAD, Feb 4:
Gautam H. Bambawale,
High Commissioner-designate
of India met with
Special Assistant to the
Prime Minister on Foreign
Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi.
A press release issued by
the Ministry of Foreign
MUMBAI, Feb 4: Sanjay
Leela Bhansali’s “Bajirao
Mastani” has landed five nominations,
including in the Best
Film category, at the 10th
Asian Film Awards, where
“The Assassin” is the frontrunner
with nine nominations.
“Bajirao Mastani” will
compete with Chinese director
Jia Zhangke’s “Mountains
May Depart”, Taiwanese
director Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s
“The Assassin”, Japanese
director Ryosuke
Hashiguchi’s “Three Stories
of Love”, Chinese film director
Guan Hu’s “Mr. Six” and
South Korean director’s Ryoo
Seung-wan “Veteran” for the
Best Film trophy.
Besides getting nominated
for the Best Film category,
“Bajirao Mastani” has also
earned nominations for Best
Costume Design, Best Visual
Effects, Best Original Music
and Best Editing.
However, “Bajirao
Mastani” isn’t the only Indian
film to be nominated at the
AFA. “Masaan”, “Talvar”,
“Bombay Velvet” and
“Baahubali: The Beginning”
also received nominations in
different categories.
“Masaan” actor Vicky
Kaushal is nominated for
Best Newcomer, Vishal
Bhardwaj for Best
Screenplay (“Talvar”), Amit
Trivedi for Best Original
Affairs read that the High
Commissioner-designate of
India, Mr. Gautam H.
Bambawale, paid a courtesy
call on Syed Tariq Fatemi,
Special Assistant to the
Prime Minister on Foreign
Affairs, today at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Music (“Bombay Velvet”)
and Srinivas Mohan
(“Baahubali: The
Beginning”) for Best Visual
Effects. For this edition, 77
nominations have been made
for 15 awards. The nominations
represent 36 films from
The SAPM welcomed
Mr. Bambawale to Pakistan
and wished him a successful
and productive tenure.
He highlighted the important
role of Mr. Bambawale
in strengthening bilateral
relations between the two
countries.
'Bajirao Mastani' gets five nominations
at 10th Asian Film Awards
ISLAMABAD, Feb 4:
Pakistan Telecommunication
Authority (PTA) has decided
to launch operation ‘clean-up’
against websites having ‘vulgar
and objectionable content’
in the country.
The move follows a
Supreme Court order this
month to ban online material
considered blasphemous or
objectionable in Pakistan.
PTA has submitted a
detailed report in the
Supreme Court of Pakistan
on Thursday, stating that ISPs
(Internet Service Providers)
have been directed to block
more than 400,000 websites
having pornographic content.
The internet companies
have already blocked 200,000
links while the PTA has
blocked 84,000 websites over
objectionable content.
The report further states
nine countries, read a statement
on the Asian Film
Awards’ official website.
Organised by the Asian Film
Awards Academy, the
awards gala will be held on
March 17 at the Venetian
Theater in Macau.
PTA intensifies crackdown on 'vulgar,
objectionable internet content'
Sierra Leone, The Gambia,
Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea,
Guinea Bissau and Cape
Verde.
It is after long that a
Deputy High Commissioner
to the UK has been appointed
directly as Pakistan’s
Ambassador. This is reflective
of the trust and confidence
reposed by the government
in Mirza who also
remained Acting High
Commissioner to the UK for
six months and performed his
representative duties and
functions with diligence and
dedication.
The highlights of his tenure
as Acting High Commissioner
include conducting Prime
that it is not possible to block
all such platforms as new
websites are created with
every day passing.
Blocking websites at
massive scale also affects
the internet speed, the PTA
stated. The apex court was
also informed that steps are
being taken along with all
stakeholders to improve the
procedure to counter these
websites.
Imran Mirza appointed Pakistan Ambassador in Senegal
PIA employees, he added.
Whoever would wish to
deprive them of their right to
protest, their hands would
reach his collar, he added.
Haq said that all political
Minister’s Muhammad
Nawaz Sharif’s first bilateral
visit to the UK. He represented
Pakistan at the NATO
Summit in 2014, revamping
counselor services and renovating
consular section of the
High Commission to improve
service delivery to the community.
His appointment is
also indicative of the importance
that the Government of
Pakistan accords to the growing
economies of West Africa
in particular Senegal.
PM Nawaz won't be allowed to become king of country: Sirajul Haq
PESHAWAR: Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Chief, Siraj-ul-Haq addresses to protesters during protest
demonstration of PIA employees against security forces torture on PIA employees and privatization
of PIA, at PIA Training Center.
parties are against the company’s
privatization but
Pakistan Muslim League-
Nawaz (PML-N).
The JI chief denounced
the fact that a case against
firing in the rally led by PIA
workers has not been registered
yet. PIA employees
staged a peaceful protest, he
added.
Haq said that the national
airlines could have been bettered
by weeding out corruption.
The JI chief also recited
Quran for the PIA workers
who lost lives in Karachi.
Two PIA workers were
killed in a protest on
February 1 as the employees
rallied towards Jinnah terminal
from the head office.
Rangers and police both
have claimed that the personnel
did not open fire.
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