Pakistan forms task force on rising power tariffs as religio-political party continues protests
Pakistan forms task force on rising power tariffs as religio-political party continues protests/node/2564726/pakistan
Pakistan forms task force on rising power tariffs as religio-political party continues protests
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party chief, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman (left), is addressing party activists and supporters in a demonstration against the country's rising inflation in Rawalpindi on August 7, 2024. (@JIPOfficial/X)
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday announced a positive round of talks with the leadership of a religio-political party protesting against inflation and high electricity prices in Pakistan, saying the government had constituted a task force to deal with the issues.
Thousands of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party have set up a protest camp in Rawalpindi since July 26, highlighting the rising tax burden on the people of Pakistan and demonstrating against the escalating electricity tariffs due to the capacity charges of independent power producers (IPPs) in the country.
These charges refer to the payments made by the government to the IPPs for maintaining the availability of electricity, regardless of how much of it is ultimately consumed.
The capacity charges have become a significant point of contention as they contribute to the circular debt in the energy sector and lead to high electricity tariffs.
“Jamaat-e-Islami’s demand is on our agenda to reduce electricity prices,” Tarar was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency. “Our negotiations have been adjourned until tomorrow. Even today, there has been a lot of progress in the negotiations.”
“A task force has been set up to look into the issues of IPPs,” he added.
Tarar said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken measures to reduce power tariffs in the country, including a subsidy of Rs50 billion to electricity consumers using up to 200 units in the months of June, July, and August.
The JI chief, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, told journalists his party would continue its sit-in and take its protest to Lahore, Peshawar, and Multan.
The JI has already started staging a sit-in in Karachi in front of the Sindh Governor House.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be holding a three-Test series between Pakistan and England in Pakistan, an international cricket website reported on Sunday, citing a spokesperson of PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
England last week sought clarity from the PCB over their upcoming Test tour of Pakistan following reports that matches could be moved to another country.
The development came amid ongoing construction work as Pakistan prepares to bring its stadiums at par with international standards before Champions Trophy next year.
“The ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board] has given the go-ahead to hold the series in Multan and Rawalpindi,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Naqvi’s spokesperson Mohammad Rafiullah as saying.
The ECB is satisfied with the venues, Rafiullah added.
England are scheduled to play the first Test in Multan from October 7, followed by matches in Karachi and Rawalpindi, but renovations ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy appear to be causing issues at the latter two venues.
However, there has been no official comment from the PCB and the board has yet to officially finalize venues for each of the three Test matches for the series, according to the report.
England coach Brendon McCullum addressed the issue on Thursday while speaking to reporters at The Oval ahead of the third Test against Sri Lanka.
“We don’t really know (what is happening in Pakistan) but we can’t pick a team until we know where we’re going to play,” he said. “It would be nice if, over the next couple of days, we found out.”
England are scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on October 2, with the first Test starting on October 7.
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party on Sunday held a large public rally in Islamabad and called for his release from prison within two weeks, as authorities said “several” policemen were injured after Khan supporters pelted them with stones.
Khan, who has been in jail since August last year, faces a slew of charges and was convicted in four cases since he was first taken into custody, all of which have been either suspended or overturned by the courts. Khan remains in jail, however, on new charges brought by Pakistan’s national accountability watchdog regarding the illegal sale of gifts from a state repository while he was prime minister from 2018 till 2022.
The rally by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) comes after it was postponed twice before. The gathering was previously planned for July and then August but was called off both times after permission was revoked over what officials described as security threats and concerns about unrest.
“If Imran Khan is not released within two weeks, then we ourselves will have him released,” close Khan ally, Ali Amin Gandapur, chief minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told a charged crowd in Islamabad’s Sangjani area. “Are you ready to get your [right]? I will lead you. Do not fall back.”
Gandapur announced the party would hold its next rally in Pakistan’s political heart of Lahore, saying authorities would “forget about Bangladesh,” referring to recent protests in the South Asian nation that saw autocrat Sheikh Hasina ousted from power after 15 years.
This was the first rally held by the PTI since the Feb. 8 national elections and was met by authorities in Islamabad blocking dozens of main roads and key intersections to “ensure public safety” during the gathering.
Khan supporters and the police clashed at at least one location in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, where police and the interior ministry said several cops were injured after they were pelted with stones “without provocation” by Khan supporters. Khan’s party in turn alleged law enforcers were “shelling and attacking attendees for no reason.”
The PTI says the main aim of the rally was to mobilize supporters for the release of Khan who has waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against Pakistan’s powerful military and blamed the then army leadership of orchestrating his ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April 2022. The army says it does not interfere in political affairs.
Khan also faces the prospect of a military trial for treason and attempting to incite a mutiny in the army following the recent unprecedented arrest of former Pakistani spy chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed.
Khan’s key ally Gandapur told participants of the Islamabad rally that nobody would be able to hold a military trial of the jailed premier, distancing his party from Gen Hameed who is accused of violating the Pakistan Army Act.
“Fix your institution, fix your generals, fix yourself,” Gandapur said, in a direct reference to the army.
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said the PTI had failed to gather a large number of people and was sharing “fake” visuals to demonstrate its strength among the public.
“The millions of people who had to come out [for the PTI rally] in the form of an ocean are not to be seen. Yes, a rally was held as per usual like other rallies, as should happen, it’s a democratic right, and should be held in the time allotted by district administration,” he told the media in a video statement.
“But I fail to understand that to hide the failure of their rally they are tweeting [fake] visuals. Footage from other countries are being run.”
Independent analysts said the PTI had managed to put on a decent show.
“Strong turnout for PTI rally despite the state’s tactics to limit numbers through roadblocks and containers, and despite the risk of violent crackdowns and arrests,” tweeted Michael Kugelman, South Asia Institute Director at the Wilson Center in Washington.
“Its size and popularity ensure its mobilization capabilities remain intact despite relentless attempts to curb it.”
The PTI says it has faced a months-long crackdown since protesters linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after Khan’s brief arrest that day in a land graft case. Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
The party says it was not allowed to campaign freely ahead of the Feb. 9 general election, a vote marred by a mobile Internet shutdown on election day and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations that it was rigged and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments.
The PTI says it won the most seats but its mandate was “stolen” by PM Sharif’s coalition government which formed the government with the backing of the all-powerful military. Both deny the claim.
PESHAWAR: Health authorities on Sunday declared Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province mpox-free, saying all four patients infected with the virus had recovered from it.
Health officials had confirmed four cases of the viral infection last month, all of whom had a travel history, according to Atta Ullah Khan, a spokesperson of the provincial health department.
All of the infected individuals were screened at the Peshawar airport. Three of them were shifted to the isolation ward of Police Services Hospital in Peshawar, while one was quarantined at his home in the Mardan district.
“PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests of the patients were sent to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad and the results of all the individuals came negative,” Khan told Arab News, adding the result of the PCR test of the last patient quarantined at his Mardan home came negative on Sunday.
“Currently, there are no active mpox cases in the province.”
Patients who contract mpox get flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Mpox is usually mild but can kill, and children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications from the infection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries around the world to take precautionary measures after declaring the disease a public health emergency on August 14, as a new offshoot of the virus first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo began spreading to other neighboring states.
Khan said provincial health authorities had managed to limit the spread of mpox in a short period of time.
“But screening at entry points, including Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar and the Torkham border crossing, still continues,” he added.
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police and the federal ministry of interior said on Sunday evening “several” policemen had been injured as participants of a rally led by the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan pelted stones at officers “without provocation,” while the party alleged law enforcers were “shelling and attacking attendees for no reason.”
The Islamabad district administration had told rally-goers to disperse “immediately” or face “legal action” after the time allowed for the rally expired at 7pm. Soon after, local media widely showed footage of clashes between protesters and police, while Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leaders appealed to demonstrators to remain peaceful amid what they said was shelling by police.
“SSP Safe City and several policemen injured in stone pelting,” Islamabad Police said on X. “The protesters continue to throw stones at the police.”
روٹ کی خلاف ورزی کرکے آنے والے شرکاء کا پولیس پر شدید پتھراؤ۔
پتھراؤ سے ایس ایس پی سیف سٹی اور متعدد پولیس اہلکار زخمی۔ مظاہرین کی جانب سے پولیس پر شدید پتھراؤ کا سلسلہ جاری ہے۔#ICTP
The interior ministry sought a situation report from IG Police Islamabad and ordered “best treatment facilities” for the injured officers.
جلسے کے شرکاء کا اسلام آباد پولیس پر بلا اشتعال پتھراؤ
وزیرداخلہ محسن نقوی کا فوری نوٹس۔ آئی جی اسلام آباد پولیس سے رپورٹ طلب،وزیرداخلہ کا زخمی ایس ایس پی شعیب خان سے ٹیلی فونک رابطہ۔ خیریت دریافت کی
زخمی پولیس اہلکاروں کو علاج معالجے کی بہترین سہولتیں فراہم کی جائیں۔محسن نقوی
Local media widely reported soon after that the situation was under control at the rally venue, where the event continued despite the expiry of the deadline.
The PTI, on the other hand, alleged “brutal acts of violence against families and those attending the peaceful political event of the PTI in Islamabad.”
“Police have started shelling and attacking attendees for no reason whatsoever, cowardly and disgraceful by any standards,” PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari said on X.
We all must strongly condemn the brutal act of violence against families and those attending the peaceful political event of PTI in Islamabad. Police have started shelling and attacking attendees for no reason whatsoever. Cowardly and disgraceful by any standards.… pic.twitter.com/C9rmCun1yh
Pakistan’s capital was tense throughout the day on Sunday, with heavy police deployment and many roads and “sensitive” areas of the city and entry and exit points sealed off with shipping containers ahead of the planned PTI to press for Khan’s release, who has been in jail for 13 months.
The district administration had allowed the PTI to hold the public gathering in the Sangjani locality on the outskirts of Islamabad between 4-7pm. The rally was previously planned for July and then August but was postponed both times after permission was revoked over what officials described as security threats and concerns about unrest.
At around 6pm on Sunday, the Islamabad administration said it had informed the rally’s organizers that the time limit for the gathering was approaching its end.
Because of the roadblocks, thousands of PTI supporters and leaders traveling to Islamabad complained they had been unable to reach on time.
“The developing situation at the site of Jalsa has given rise to a serious law and order situation,” the Islamabad district magistrate said in a notification to PTI Islamabad President Amir Masood Mughal.
“I hereby direct you and the management/administration of Jalsa at Sangjani, Islamabad to disperse immediately. The District Administration and ICT Police, Islamabad are hereby directed to proceed and take strict action against the violators and members of unlawful assembly in accordance with law.”
Tanzeela Jahan Khan, a PTI supporter who had arrived in Islamabad with a caravan from Gujranwala city on Sunday afternoon, said more people were trying to make their way to the capital but were facing difficulty due to read closures.
“More of our people are coming, they are on their way, all roads are blocked,” she told Arab News at the venue of the rally.
“They do not have any way to come, they are stuck for the last 4 hours. All roads are blocked.”
“RELEASE OF KHAN”
The main aim of the rally — the PTI’s first within Islamabad’s jurisdiction since the Feb. 8 general elections — is to mobilize supporters for the release of Khan, who has been in jail since August last year. He was convicted in four cases since he was first taken into custody, all of which have been either suspended or overturned by the courts. Khan remains in jail, however, on new charges brought by the national accountability watchdog regarding the illegal sale of gifts from a state repository while he was prime minister from 2018-22.
“The basic purpose of this rally is to secure the release of Imran Khan from jail, restore the rule of law and initiate a genuine democratic process in this country,” PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen told Arab News on Sunday morning.
“Islamabad’s district administration has closed all entry and exit routes to the federal capital to prevent our supporters from reaching the venue,” Shaheen said, adding that despite the hurdles, hundreds of PTI caravans were en route to the designated venue for the rally from across Pakistan.
All metro bus services were suspended for Sunday, while the Islamabad Expressway was closed at Khanna Bridge on both sides to Lehtrar Road, and only one lane was open at the key Faizabad Interchange. The Bharakahu entry and exits were closed at Satra Meel point, while GT Road was closed for traffic on both sides at Sangjani. Rawat T Cross was also closed, according to Islamabad traffic police.
Only Margalla Road could be used to access the Red Zone, which houses sensitive government and diplomatic buildings, while Srinagar Highway was open for traffic on both sides and could be used to reach the Islamabad airport and the Rawalpindi railway station as well as the M1 and M2 motorways.
The Islamabad police said the district administration had designated routes for the rally and prohibited travel to the venue through any other routes.
“Strict legal action will be taken over violation of the designated routes and the violators will be arrested immediately,” they said on X.
A police spokesman said on Sunday morning authorities had recovered a “suspicious bag” from near the rally venue in Sangjani containing hand grenades, detonators, electric wires and other explosive material. A bomb disposal squad had “neutralized” the materials and an investigation was underway.
“Further search operations are being conducted in view of the threat of terrorism at the gathering,” the police spokesman said. “Checking has been increased at the entrances and exits of the city. Citizens are requested to cooperate with the police during checking.”
To bolster security, a heavy contingent of law-enforcement personnel, including police, Rangers, and other paramilitary forces, were stationed at the rally venue and across the capital.
“They [PTI] are holding a rally for what, Imran Khan’s release?” ruling party minister Azma Bukhari told reporters in Lahore. “Have you ever seen them talk about the problems of the common person?”
She added that the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had “no objections” to PTI holding the rally.
“We are not afraid of political rallies,” Bukhari said. “We are only concerned about their actions and background. They have been planted to create chaos in Pakistan … We will not allow them to create instability. No mischief, chaos or disorder will be permitted.”
“GRAND POWER SHOW”
Videos shared by the PTI on social media showed party caravans moving toward the federal capital while some supporters also posted images of cargo containers that had been used to seal off the city.
The rally is being held days after a bill was passed by both houses of parliament to “regulate” public rallies in Islamabad, empowering the district magistrate to ban such gatherings if required.
But the PTI said it would hold a “grand power show” despite the hurdles.
“This jalsa [public gathering] marks the beginning of our wider and coordinated campaign against this incompetent government,” PTI’s Shaheen said in the morning.
“Our workers have begun reaching the venue, and we will hold the rally no matter what,” he added, warning authorities to avoid disrupting the “peaceful” gathering, which he described as the party’s democratic and constitutional right.
The PTI says it has faced a months-long crackdown since protesters linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after Khan’s brief arrest that day in a land graft case. Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
The party says it was not allowed to campaign freely ahead of the Feb. 9 general election, a vote marred by a mobile Internet shutdown on election day and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations that it was rigged and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments.
The PTI says it won the most seats but its mandate was “stolen” by PM Sharif’s coalition government which formed the government with the backing of the all-powerful military. Both deny the claim.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated the Pakistani nation on 50th anniversary of the passage of a historic parliamentary resolution that affirmed the finality of Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
Pakistan’s parliament passed the unanimous resolution on September 7, 1974 in a bid to safeguard the belief.
In a statement, PM Sharif praised the parliamentarians and religious scholars who had contributed toward the adoption of the resolution, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The prime minister underscored that finality of prophethood is a core principle of Islam and is also very important to every Muslim,” the report read.
He lauded the Pakistan parliament for playing a “crucial role” by adopting the resolution.
Finality of Prophethood is a sensitive topic in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where those who do not believe in it are considered heretics by many.
The South Asian country often witnesses huge demonstrations in favor of the belief.
