KARACHI : Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday assured the provincial police’s senior leadership that the Sindh government will always stand by it and will not let it down in any case.

He was talking to senior police officers at CM House a day after the police’s top brass sought to proceed on leave en masse in protest against the “demoralising and shocking” treatment of the Sindh police chief in the events that led to the arrest of PML-N leader Captain Safdar.

Sindh IG Mushtaq Mahar and other senior officers, including AIGs and DIGs, were present during the meeting, which had been called to review the situation arising out after the arrest of the PML-N leader.

CM Murad assured the police officers of the provincial government’s complete support and said “we will not let Sindh Police get demoralised”.

“The Sindh government has always directed the police to work independently and asked officers to continue working impartially.”

Murad said they were working to further strengthen the police’s professional abilities and asked the officers to continue working in an independent and impartial manner.

He said that Sindh Police has made a lot of sacrifices to restore law and order in the province, especially in Karachi.

In response, the police thanked the Sindh chief minister for guiding and supporting the force at every stage.

ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter on Wednesday to share “great news for Pakistan”.

“We are headed in the right direction finally,” he tweeted, adding the country’s current account balance posted a surplus of $73 million during September, bringing surplus for the first quarter of the current fiscal year to $792 million as compared to $1,492 million deficit recorded during last year’s corresponding year.

The prime minister said exports also saw a 29 per cent increase besides remittances growing 9 per cent over the previous month.

Separately, Federal Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar tweeted: “Pakistan’s economy was left on the verge of default by our predecessors. The rescue of the economy, followed by drastically improved economic fundamentals (despite the covid-19 shock) was in part due to hard but correct decisions taken in a timely manner by the PTI govt.”

KARACHI, OCT 20 (DNA) – The Sindh government has started releasing the wheat quota to flour mills after setting up the government prices to Rs3,687.50 per 100 kilograms.

The provincial government issued a notification regarding the prices of wheat, however, it did not reduce the prices on which the mills are selling the flour to the consumers despite Rs100 per kilogram of flour set up by the government.

According to the government officials, those flour mills cannot get wheat stocks from the government go-downs which made a plea bargain with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The notification stated that the government started releasing 7,900 tonnes wheat to flour mills from October 16. On October 15, Sindh had notified that the wheat from government stocks will be released on a price of Rs 3687.50 per 100 kilograms.

 The wheat will be released to flour mills and Chakkis from government stocks on the same price. “No flour mill will be released more wheat than the approved quota,” the government notified.

In August, Sindh Food Minister Hari Ram Kishori Lal had announced that flour mills on the department’s roster will be provided wheat stocks on subsidized rates soon.

Hari Ram Kishori Lal had said that the department has sufficient reserves of wheat and the flour companies and millers present on the roster will get the stocks on discounted rates. He had said after dispatch of stocked wheat on subsidized rates, the consumers and the traders will face no shortage in procuring it. = DNA

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KARACHI, OCT 20 (DNA) – Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) on Tuesday submitted a resolution in Sindh Assembly against handing over of two islands of Sindh to the federal government.

GDA members of the assembly, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi, Razzaq Rahimoon, Rafique Banbhan and Arif Jatoi submitted the resolution in the assembly’s secretariat.

The GDA have reservations over the presidential ordinance for establishing the Pakistan Islands Development Authority, according to the text of the resolution.

According to the resolution, handing over islands to a federal authority was against the aspirations of the people of Sindh. “An NoC issued by the government of Sindh and approved by the provincial cabinet is a question mark over the government,” GDA resolution read.

The resolution also demanded of the federal government to take immediately back the presidential ordinance.

Earlier, Pakistan People’s Party had raised the islands ordinance issue in Senate and submitted a resolution against it in the secretariat of the upper house.

PPP Senator Sassui Palijo submitted the resolution in Senate Secretariat. “We reject the ordinance on islands,” the resolution said.

The PPP resolution was also signed by the members of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) and Balochistan National Party Mengal (BNP-M).

The Sindh government had refused to hold talks with the federal government over the matter of Islands ownership until revoking of Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ordinance 2020.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed Governor Sindh Imran Ismail to hold talks with the PPP’s Sindh government over the matter after the province’s reservations.

On August 30, the president had promulgated the ordinance for establishing the Pakistan Islands Development Authority for the “development and management of islands in internal and territorial waters of Pakistan.”

However, the Sindh government withdrew its July 6, 2020 letter in which the Land Utilization Department had consented to the federal government to take custody of both islands. = DNA

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RAWALPINDI (DNA) -236th Corps Commanders’ Conference presided by General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) held at GHQ. Geo strategic, regional & national security environment discussed.

Forum undertook comprehensive review of recent surge in terrorist incidents in the country particularly Tribal Districts & Balochistan. Paying glowing tribute to all civil and military Shuhada for their ultimate sacrifice, forum concluded that geographical / ideological frontiers of the country will be defended at all costs.

We have paid a very heavy price to achieve this peace and stability and any attempt to destabilise the country will be responded firmly, COAS concluded.

LAHORE, OCT 20 (DNA) – Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said that across the board accountability of the corrupt would continue under Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister regretted that the opposition was continuing the sole agenda of saving their looted money. Those involved in a totis viribus tirade against the institutions were an enemy of the nation and anti-state narrative was a conspicuous proof of the mental state of the so-called leaders, he said.

The CM emphasized every act and statement against the national interest was condemnable as spreading anarchy and chaos was no politics. Rather, politics meant for public service and the people cannot be fooled because they knew who was honest, he stressed.

Usman Buzdar maintained that the unnatural collusion of 11 assorted parties was worthless before an honest leader like Imran Khan. The conspiracy hatched by the opposition parties against institutions had been badly failed.

The opposition first tried to politicise corona and then launched a venomous harangue against state institutions, he regretted. The people were siding with the institutions and have rejected the nefarious narrative of the opposition, he stated.

He said the elements that wreaked havoc with the country were bent upon obstructing the development process through the anarchy. The opposition should shun negative politics as it was weakening the national unity, advised the CM. = DNA

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