KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) has received over 400 money laundering cases from the country, a report of the agency revealed showing an increase in the number of such cases during 2020.

“The country reported 409 cases of money laundering during the outgoing year 2020,” a report of the FIA said adding that for the first time, even police authorities also referred the money laundering cases to the agency.

It said that the FIA received 289 cases of money laundering, referred by the police department. A meeting of the FIA was held in Karachi, where it was decided to register 105 cases against the referred cases.

The meeting also decided that a joint interrogation team (JIT) will probe the cases relating to money laundering. It further emerged that over Rs 30 billion was laundered abroad during the ongoing year.

“The FIA has registered 13 cases of illegal money transfer during 2020, which involves an amount of Rs 5 billion sent illegally from the country,” it said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the FIA is actively engaged in cracking down on the elements involved in money laundering activities.

On September 25, the FIA busted a money laundering network in Karachi during a raid conducted in a residential building situated on Shaheed-e-Millat road.

The FIA Sindh Director Munir Ahmed Shaikh told media that the intelligence agency bust a major money laundering network in Karachi. He said that a raid was carried out on a residential building over being spotted by an accused man, Abdul Jabbar Memon

The raiding team recovered a huge quantity of gold, foreign currency, documents of houses and vehicles. Shaikh detailed that the seized gold and foreign currencies including British Pound, Saudi Riyal, Qatari Dirham, US Dollar worth more than Rs150 million.

Moreover, the officials also confiscated other assets including a computer, registration book of vehicles and property records, he added.

KARACHI, Dec 19 (DNA): Another doctor of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Saturday lost his battle against COVID-19, Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) said.

According to the association, Dr. Mohsin, who was performing his duties

at City Hospital at Kohat Road in Peshawar, succumbed to the infection

today.

He was undergoing treatment at the Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar,

said the Provincial Doctors Association of the KP. “The number of

doctors who have died owing to COVID-19 province has now reached 38

since the pandemic hit the country,” it said.

It is pertinent to mention here that reports of medics, who have been at

the frontline to fight the pandemic, suffering from COVID-19 have

appeared frequently during the past few days in the province.

According to a report on December 06, a doctors’ body has said that 1240

medics have been infected by COVID-19 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province so

far.

Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) highlighting infections in the

provincial healthcare sector stated that 398 nurses contracted novel

coronavirus while working on the front line.

Moreover, 1132 other provincial health workers were infected by the

disease, the PDA said in a statement.

During the pandemic 43 health workers, including four nurses, have been

martyred by novel coronavirus infection. “Eight paramedics and six other

healthcare workers also martyred by the COVID-19 in KP,” it said.

The association complained that the families of the martyred health

workers were yet to be given the martyrs package.

The medics and other health workers have also been deprived of the

corona risk allowance, announced by the government. DNA

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ISLAMABAD, DEC 19 (DNA) – Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi concluded his two day official visit to the UAE on 18 December 2020.

During the visit, the Foreign Minister called on His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai and met His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the UAE.

Foreign Minister Qureshi paid homage at the tomb of founder of the UAE His Highness (late) Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and offered prayers at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.   During his stay, the Foreign Minister also visited Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai and interacted with local and international media.

The long-standing fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE are marked by frequent high-level visits from both sides, which serve to provide impetus to their close bilateral cooperation. Over the years, the two countries have signed a number of agreements in diverse fields which provide a strong framework for enhancing their mutually beneficial partnership.

The two countries also collaborate closely in the multilateral organizations, in particular the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

The Foreign Minister’s visit provided another opportunity to Pakistan and the UAE to reaffirm their commitment towards strengthening their ties, in particular in the areas of trade and investment, share views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, as well as to deepen their cooperation in the multilateral arena.

Pakistani expatriates and workers have contributed immensely to the progress and development of both countries. During the visit of the Foreign Minister, the two sides acknowledged Pakistani community’s positive contribution to the UAE’s success story.

A large Pakistani Diaspora in the UAE forms a strong people to people bridge between the two countries. Accordingly, they agreed to consider taking appropriate steps to encourage people to people contacts between them.

The Foreign Minister’s visit was a reflection of close and cordial relationship, which Pakistan and the UAE have enjoyed for decades. = DNA

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The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has rejected the inquiry commission report on the petrol crisis and are preparing a response. It has been accused of turning a blind eye to the petrol crisis in June, and not properly fining oil companies for breaking the rules.

In a meeting chaired by acting chairperson Noorul Haque, officials called the allegations made by the commission untrue. They said that the oil companies were fined as much as the law allowed them.

“Ogra cannot remain silent to these accusations,” said an Ogra official. “We will respond to the inquiry report.”

What does the Petrol Inquiry Commission report say?   

A 15-member Inquiry Commission submitted a 163-page report on the petrol crisis that took place in June. The commission noted that the industry broke many rules and regulations which went unchecked by Ogra.

Therefore, the commission has recommended departmental proceedings against OGRA officials and asked for the regulatory body to be dissolved within six months.

The commission noted that the petroleum division banned oil imports in March, when international prices were declining. Pakistani consumers were denied any benefit from cheaper petrol.

The commission largely held Ogra accountable for the crisis. It said that Ogra symbolically fined oil marketing companies for not lifting stocks from refineries according to the rules. The OMCs dried up their stocks as the people struggled to buy fuel. Crowded petrol pumps were seen where petrol was available amid the first Covid-19 wave.

The commission also took the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) to task. It accused it of “apathy, incompetence flavoured with malpractices, and disregard to laws/rules.”

The report has also criticized the role of OMCs, especially Byco.