ISLAMABAD: The economic managers are working on a plan-B to shore up declining foreign exchange reserves and stabilise exchange rate in case conditions for a new bailout package from the International Monetary Fund become too harsh to be acceptable. A senior government official told Dawn on Wednesday that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had categorically told his economic aides that if the IMF came up with tough conditions the government would not agree to them and would work immediately on plan-B to avoid becoming hostage to external dictates. “We will accept the IMF programme on our terms and conditions and home-grown policies to repay outstanding loan or go for an alternative plan,” he quoted the minister as saying.
Salman Khan could face culpable homicide charges for 2002 hit-and-run
MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Salman Khan faces the possibility of being tried for culpable homicide in a decade-old hit-and-run, a legal source with direct knowledge of the case said on Monday. A local Mumbai court ruled on Monday that the hit-and-run case would be tried in the sessions court and not the magistrate court where it was being heard earlier.The prosecution had asked for the case to be transferred to the sessions court as the magistrate court does not have the jurisdiction to try cases of culpable homicide.
Govt planning to bring NAB under PM Office
ISLAMABAD: The PML-N government is considering bringing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) under the Prime Minister’s Office from the law ministry, inside sources told DNA on Tuesday. A special cell has been formed in the PM Office headed by Joint Secretary Saleh Farooqui, who has recently been transferred from Punjab to the centre.
MPAs call for transparency in funds’ use
QUETTA: Lawmakers taking part in debate on the Balochistan budget on Tuesday called for transparency in the utilisation of development funds and proposed that in order to ensure clarity funds should be spent through departments concerned. From treasury benches, Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal, Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, Nawab Mohammad Khan Shahwani, Syed Liaquat Agha, Syed Reza Agha, Santosh Kumar, Obaidullah Babat, Haji Islam Baloch, Sarfaraz Bugti and Sardar Reza Mohammad Barach spoke during the session presided over by Speaker Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali.
Five killed; several injured in Burns Road blast
KARACHI: At least five people were killed and several others injured when an explosion occurred near Karachi’s Burns Road area in the early hours of Wednesday, DNA reported. According to initial reports, a remote-controlled bomb blast took place near Burns road, targeting a convoy of Sindh High Court’s senior judge Justice Maqbool Baqar, who was injured as a result of the explosion.
Call for steps to counter US surveillance
ISLAMABAD: Latest disclosures about surveillance of electronic communications worldwide by the US secret agencies demand that Pakistan should take counter measures to check the online espionage, said Mushahid Hussain Syed, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence. Talking to Dawn after his meeting with a delegation of the Pakistan Information Security Association (Pisa) headed by Ammar Jafri on Tuesday, Mr Syed said he was preparing the draft of a private member’s bill to be presented in parliament after consultation with all stakeholders suggesting measures to check online espionage.
KESC got undue benefit of over Rs140 billion, Senate panel told
ISLAMABAD: A Senate sub-committee was informed on Tuesday that agreements with the Karachi Electric Supply Company were amended in violation of rules and as a result the company got undue benefit of over Rs140 billion.A meeting of the sub-committee on water and power, presided over by Shahi Syed of the ANP, was told by officials of the ministries of privatisation, water and power and inter-provincial coordination and cabinet division and the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) that the KESC was violating even the amended agreements by not utilising its full generation capacity and not paying dues to fuel suppliers.
Stocks plummet as Nawaz vows to put Musharraf on trial
KARACHI: Pakistani stocks dipped sharply on Monday as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told parliament of his cabinet’s plans to initiate a high treason case against former military dictator Pervez Musharraf. “Musharraf will have to answer for his guilt before the court,” Sharif told the National Assembly. News of the prospective trial jittered nervous investors concerned about short-term political stability, and sent the Karachi Stock Exchange’s benchmark share index plunging 3 per cent.
FBI working with Pakistan to investigate foreign tourists killing: US
WASHINGTON: Condemning the brutal killing of foreign tourists/mountaineers, the United States of America Monday said that FBI was working with Pakistani officials to investigate the cowardly attack. “The FBI is working with Pakistani authorities to gather more information regarding this incident,” State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said during a media briefing.
Pervez Musharraf declared accused in Benazir murder case
ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has submitted a challan in the anti-terrorism court (ATC) Tuesday, formally declaring former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf as accused in Benazir Bhutto murder case, DNA reported. The anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi headed by Judge Habibur Rehman heard the Benazir Bhutto murder case today during which the FIA submitted the case challan.
