ISLAMABAD, Aug 28 :Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin Saturday said the Kamyab Pakistan Program (KPP) was a revolutionary initiative of Prime Minister Imran Khan to empower youth.

Talking to Pakistan Television (PTV), the minister said the Kamyab Pakistan Program was the first flagship programme in the country’s history that would help citizens in finding employment, buying housing and machinery at cheap prices.

He further said the government had improved and strengthened the national economy due to prudent economic policies while the previous government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had left fragile economy by taking huge foreign loans.

The minister underlined the need to make functional the special economic zones to yield desirous benefits and results, adding the provinces had collected more tax as compared to past.

Replying to a question, he said it was a foremost responsibility of the provincial governments to control edibles and commodities prices.

KARACHI, Aug 29:A police officer deputed in Manghopir Investigation branch was shot dead in Orangi Town area by unidentified assailants on Saturday night.

The assailants opened fire at the 45-year old Assistant Sub-Inspector Akram Khan son of Sarwar Khan at a hotel and fled the scene, according to a spokesperson for Karachi Police.

Deceased was having dinner when some armed gunmen opened fire at him. ASI Akram Khan was shifted to nearest hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Police was collecting evidence and recording statements of eyewitnesses. Further investigations were underway.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 28: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday assailed the PPP for attempting to “stab the opposition movement in its back”, and gave a strong indication that the alliance had moved on from seeking any future reunions with the party.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi alongside PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif after a PDM meeting, Rehman said that the movement has only one target — which is to rid the country of the current ruling government.

“As far as the PPP is concerned, they tried with all seriousness to stab PDM in its back but we are not going on the offensive against them,” he said.

“We don’t want to fight two wars,” the PDM chief said, adding that the PPP issue had become a thing of the past and called on reporters to refrain from bringing up the matter.

Commenting on the PDM’s Karachi rally scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday), Rehman said that the alliance would also raise the issues being faced by the people of Sindh.

He also dispelled reports that women had been barred from attending. “Women will participate in the rally and be given protection,” he said.

During the press conference, the PDM chief said the leaders of all the political parties that were a part of the movement had expressed concerns over the “instability” in the country.

He said that the PDM will “lay down a web of rallies” in the country and also launch a road caravan so that citizens can protest for their rights.

He said that the PDM would meet in the first week of September to decide the order of the rallies and the schedule for the road caravan.

“The PDM has also decided that it will issue a white paper on the government’s three-year performance. Work has begun [in this regard] and we will lay bare their performance in front of the people,” he said.

Rehman rejects ‘one-sided’ elections reforms

Commenting on electoral reforms, Rehman said that the government will not be allowed to carry out one-sided reforms. “This is illegal and unconstitutional, we reject such reforms.”

He said that the government was claiming to conduct transparent elections with the use of electronic voting machines when they had been rejected by the entire world. The Election Commission of Pakistan has also expressed its reservations, he said.

“This is a conspiracy against democracy, and like the Result Transmission System, an attempt to steal the elections.”

He said that the meeting also took note of the historic inflation in the country, which had become an unbearable burden for the common man, and lashed out at the government’s “anti-poor” policies.

Rehman said that the PDM also rejected the government’s proposed media regulatory authority and stood in solidarity with the journalist community.

Rawalpindi, AUG 28 /DNA/ – Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Raja Basharat has said that the business community has suffered a lot due to COVID-19. The economic policies of Prime Minister Imran Khan helped the government to come out of a difficult time. All business sectors have started to stand on their feet. Talking to the business community at Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), the minister said that the Punjab government is trying to lift up the small traders. The strategy of the Punjab and KP government is better than that of Sindh and Balochistan governments with regard to Corona. The issue of closing the bazaar for two days a week will be taken up in a meeting with the Chief Minister on Monday and added that he will share traders’ concerns. He said that the Prime Minister’s vision is to give more concessions to housing. The beautification of Murree road is on the cards as it’s the lifeline of Rawalpindi.

He said that Ring Road is like a backbone for the city of Rawalpindi. Ring Road will be launched in this financial year, he added.

Development authorities across Punjab will also adopt LD A laws. He said that a commission has been set up to bring all illegal societies under the purview of law. Societal regulatory charges have been reduced to 5%. He said that work on Safe City project in Rawalpindi is in full swing.

Earlier, Chamber President Nasir Mirza said that the business community of Rawalpindi was very grateful for your time and we had the opportunity to express our concerns and suggestions on the decision to close business two days a week. He suggested that the bazaar should be closed on Friday and Saturday instead of Saturday and Sunday and the same should be applied to Islamabad.

Group leader Sohail Altaf said the government should show compassion to the business community. The ring road project should continue and the provincial minister should take personal interest. He said Government must fulfill its commitment for establishing the Industrial Estates along Ring Road.

We are in favor of point of sale installation at business centers but we have noticed that harassment via notices and penalties being made from the tax authorities. An interactive session was also held where representatives from trade associations shared their problems and concerns with the minister.

Senior Vice President Osman Ashraf, Vice President Shahraiz Malik, former presidents, members of the executive committee and a large number of traders attended the meeting.  

ISLAMABAD, AUG 28 /DNA/ – Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Friday said that the all-out preparations have been made to establish country’s first-ever Asian Leopard reserve soon in the Margalla Hills National Park, according to a press release issued here from the climate change ministry.
Spanning over 17,386 hectares and ranked as the third-largest national park in the worldthe scenic national park is a national park situated in Islamabad Capital Territory that includes the Margalla Hills, which form’s the foothills of the Himalayas, along with Shakarparian Park and Rawal Lake.
The park is home to rich biodiversity comprising around 600 plant species, 402 bird varieties, 38 mammals and 27 species of reptiles.
Speaking to the participants of monsoon tree plantation event held here at a picturesque Pak Farid Park on Saturday, the PM’s aide said the Margalla Hills National Park is a protected area and has now become a permanent new habitat of the wild cats that previously would move to the park area and roam around its lower reaches during winter months and retire to a higher altitude during summer months.
“Efforts are being made to hammer out a viable action plan for controlled, well-monitored and safe mobility into the Leopard Reserve inside the park area through information guides and staff to stave off any human-wildlife encounter,” Amin explained.
Earlier, the PM’s aide Malik Amin Aslam also inaugurated the tree plantation event by planting a sapling of pine tree at the the Park amid presence of the Pak Steel officials and members of civil society organisation and general public.
During the event, around 300 saplings were planted by the participants of the event during the day-long plantation activity.
Aslam lauded the Pak Farid Park for its role in promoting afforestation activities, saying the corporate entity is the only public-private partnership initiative being implemented to fight environmental degradation through public participation.
It was the only Park that remained open and accessible to the public for recreational activities, jogging and physical exercises throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, he highlighted.
Malik Amin highlighted that the private sector is a key stakeholder of the government, as it has corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and capacity to timely implement projects with the positive outcomes.
He also spoke on the climate risks as pointed out in the recently-launched UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report 2021, saying that around 14,000 scientists worked on that report and warned of the rapidly unfolding climate change-induced disasters if forests are not protected and brought new areas under trees.

“Today, the world has recognised in the scientific findings that forests are the greatest, cheapest and the most effective way to fight deleterious fallouts of social, economic, environmental and health impacts,” Malik Amin Aslam stated.
“However, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s world-acclaimed Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme of the has been launched as a viable and affordable way forward for Pakistan as the most effective mechanism to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change on the country’s very important sector of agriculture, water, energy, health and education,” he elaborated.
During his address at the event, Italian Ambassador Andreas Ferraris also appreciated the PM’s aide Malik Amin for successfully executing the Prime Minister’s remarkable Clean Green Pakistan and Ten Billion Tree Tsunami programmes.
“I am a staunch supporter of public-private affinity for achieving environmental sustainability and friendly relationship between Italy and Pakistan.” The Italy’s ambassador remarked, adding, “He is also working to boost collaboration between public and private sectors of both countries, where the latter’s response has been very encouraging inspiring.
Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director Pak Steel Mian Aslam Farid said that the Park was a great philanthropic endeavour launched by his corporation as a gift to the metropolis. “It’s our encouragement that the SAPM participated in our plantation activity and lauded our efforts. We will further expand this endeavor across the Capital to make it greener and scenic for its dwellers,” he added.
CEO Pak Steel Hassan Farid praised the Clean Green Pakistan initiative of the government and said the corporate sector should pay back to the country under its CSR. “The Park has been established at the CDA land which was procured by Pak Steel and 1.25 kilometers jogging track has also been created in the Park which was earlier an abandoned place full of wild growth and plants,” he said.