From Our Correspondent

 PESHAWAR, AUG 23 /DNA/ – Former Federal Minister , Nawabzada Khawaja Muhammad Khan Hoti, Hoti filed a constitutional petition in Peshawar High Court seeking Court’s direction for probe into the KP wheat scam. The Petition filed through Saleem Shah Hoti advocate has expressed no trust over the three-member Anti-Corruption Committee and dubbed it as an attempt to protect the responsible persons.

The Petitioner has arraigned  as respondents Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Minister KP, Zahir Shah Toru, Provincial Minister for Food Peshawar, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through Chief Secretary Civil Secretary Peshawar, Secretary Food, Brig (Retd) Musadiq Abbasi, Advisor to Chief Minister KP on Anti-Corruption, Qazi Muhammad Anwar, Senior Advocate Peshawar , Member Anti-Corruption Committee, Shah Farman, Former Governor KP and Member Anti-Corruption Committee , Shakeel Ahmad MPA , Muhammad Atif Khan PTI MNA, Junaid Akber PTI MNA, Director Food, Director General, Anti-Corruption Establishment KP, Chairman, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) , Islamabad and Director General, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), KP. 

The Petitioner said that the total population of KP has been estimated as 40.8 million and the total wheat requirement is 124 Kg/ per head per annum which comes to 5.059 million metric tons.  As per the Agriculture Department the expected local production of wheat was estimated as 1.500 million metric ton (30 %). Hence the shortfall was estimated as 3.559 million Metric tons. In order to overcome the shortfall, the KP government decided to purchase 3.5 million metric tons of wheat from open markets of Punjab and KP after the approval of Chief Minister KP, he added.

Khwaja Hoti said that in view of above the Food Department had established 21 wheat procurement centres at Peshawar, Nowshera, Swabi, Charsadda, Mardan, Malakand, Buner, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Swat, Haripur, Abbottabad, Battagram, Kohistan, Mansehra, Kohat, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and D.I. Khan. In order to oversee, he continued,  the procurement process, ‘Monitoring Committees’ comprising the respective Deputy Commissioners and District Food Controllers had been established. He contended that the officers of NAB and Anti-Corruption Establishment were also included; however they reportedly distanced themselves from these Committees after alleged allegations of corrupt practices and irregularities.

“ The KP government had set the price of 40 Kg of wheat at Rs 3900/- and had capped the purchase limit from each dealer and farmer at 500 tons on the pretext of transparency” he further said. Hoti said that government had to purchase 0.6 million metric tons of wheat for the years 2024-25. As such 0.3, he maintained,  million metric tons of wheat  from open markets in Punjab and KP and another 0.3 million metric tons wheat from Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation ( PASSCO).  He alleged that market price of 100 kg wheat in Punjab was Rs 8000/- but the same quantity had been procured at Rs 9750 or more excessive prices. The brokers exploited this discrepancy in process and they with collaboration with Respondents No 1, 2 , Chief Minister and Food Minister and Food Department while buying the wheat cheaply from Punjab’s farmers sold out the same quantity at exorbitant and inflated prices to the KP Government, Which caused losses to tunes of billion rupees to the government exchequer.

He contended that in the wake of the alleged wheat scandal unearthed the four officers of Food Department have been suspended and one DFC in Kohat was removed as per reports.

Hoti accused Chief Minister and Food Minister and host of others are allegedly involved in this mega corruption scandal and the former were hell-bent to protect themselves and others from legal action through self-proclaimed Anti-Corruption Committee .He alleged KP Chief Minister for hushing up the matter through the establishment of  a three-member Anti-Corruption Committee, including Brig (Retd) Musadique Abbasi, Qazi Muhammad Anwar and Shah Farman.

The Anti-Corruption Committee members are the hard-core members of ruling PTI and handpicked persons of the Chief Minister. The Committee has recently inquired the corruption charges leveled against the a Provincial Minister Shakeel Ahmad and on the recommendations of this Committee, the Chief Minister  has de-notified the provincial Minister, Shakeel Ahmad. The Committee has recently started inquiry in ‘wheat Scandal’ and the provincial Food Minister  has been summoned to appear before it.

 He flayed that this Committee has no legal and constitutional status and it has been toeing the lines of the Chief Minister and Food Minister which is aimed at protecting the big players in the wheat scandal and as such this committee has no legal sanctity and public trust. Therefore this politicized and handpicked committee has lost its worth to inquire the matter.

The petitioner asked the Court to halt the proceedings of the anti-corruption committee  and direct the NAB to make transparent inquiry/investigation into the mega Wheat Scam.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 23: /DNA/ – “Pakistan is against a regional situation similar to witnessed during Cold war years  and disagrees with joining camps to counter any country, especially against its trusted friend China”. This was stated by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed as a keynote speaker at an event titled, “US’ Asia-Pacific Strategy: Implications for Pakistan-India Relations”, organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS). 

Another keynote speaker, Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi stressed that the change of nomenclature Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific for a containment strategy by the US had placed India in a central role fancying targeting China. But China was unlike the former Soviet Union, and could not be challenged and defeated, by no means through empowering India. He stressed that to avoid a dangerous global conflict, Pakistan must stay clear of any part in such hostile endeavours. He also emphasized that China had never projected itself as a super power but only emerging global power. 

Earlier, In his opening remarks, President IRS, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, brought out how  the emerging ‘Cold War’ was fraught with grave risks for global peace and stability. He also underlined that India was misusing the western support being extended to build it as a counterweight to China to instead pursue its hegemonic policies in South Asia, and undermine Pakistan. The West was mistaken in seeing India  as a reliable partner, since India was adept at playing all sides in the name of  so called strategic autonomy. 

Ambassador Zameer Akram, adviser SPD, pointed out that under the so called Indo- Pacific strategy, many analysts believed that the US intended to act as a full-spectrum dominant power, with evident control of sea lanes to counter China’s rise. For this objective, the US had even expanded the scope of NATO from Europe to Middle East and Asia, so to contain China. He also highlighted that the US backing had emboldened India which  was emerging as an aggressor in the region.

Professor Zafar Jaspal stated that India and the US already have a threshold alliance. In view of the aggressive policies of Prime Minister Modi, capacity building of India by the US as a non-NATO ally posed a serious challenge for Pakistan. However, while India was ostensibly working for American interests and receiving assistance accordingly, its regional challenges were multiplying because of its aggressiveness which was exposing its limitations and duplicity.

Prominent security expert, Syed Muhammad Ali noted that China doesn’t seek regional and global hegemon status; rather China was economically countering US influence in regions all over the world by building mutually beneficial partnerships.  It was also noted that within the region, India’s act of aggression was witnessed in case of Pulwama, Galwan, and in IIOJ&K. Exploiting US support, India had been getting away with its aggressive actions on foreign lands, including targeted terrorism.

The event was attended by a latge number of diplomats, academicians, researchers, journalists and students.

From Our Correspondent 

PESHAWAR, AUG 23 /DNA/ – Businessmen dealing in Pak-Afghan trade have demanded a two months delay in implementation of recently enforced Temporary Admission Documentation (TAD) policy to allow clearance of long queue of trucks standing on both side of the border in wait of permission for goods delivery. 

The demand was made during a meeting of Pak-Afghan Liaison Committee held at Directorate of Transit Trade Model Custom Collectorate with Additional Director Transit Trade, Dr. Tahir Iqbal Khattak. 

According to a press release issued here on Friday, the meeting was attended by Coordinator Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Former SVP SCCI, Engr Manzoor Elahi, President Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, VP Frontier Custom Agents Association, Imtiaz Ahmad Ali, All Pakistan Customs Clearing Agents Association Vice Chairman Farooq Ahmed, Commercial Attache Afghan Consulate, Waheedullah Himat, Transport Attache, Syed Muhammad Faiz, President North Waziristan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Qadirullah and others. 

Speaking at the meeting, Coordinator PAJCCI, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi said the biggest issue faced by businessmen dealing in Pak-Afghan trade is difficulties being caused by implementation of TAD policy. 

The Temporary Admission Documentation has caused sever sluggishness in the bilateral trade, creating long queues of goods laden heavy vehicles on both sides of the border, Zia added. 

Giving a reference of a letter sent by President PAJCCI, Qazi Zahid Hussain to Federal Secretary Commerce, Sarhadi said Pakistan embassy in Kabul is receiving additional fee than US dollar 100, but still issuance of TAD takes a lot of time, inflicting losses on businessmen whose consignment remained stranded at border points. 

The same practice of delay in issuance of TAD at Afghan Consulate in Kabul is also being observed, Zia continued. 

Due to negative impacts caused by delay in clearance of trucks at border points due to TAD, Pak-Afghan trade is registering reduction and even shifting to Chabahar port in Iran, warns Coordinator PAJCCI.

He also mentioned shortage of officials from relevant government departments in liaison committee, impacting its functioning and effectiveness.

During the meeting, the participants also raised the issue of checking of goods by different departments including NLC, Frontier Corps and others which also causes slow processing of the vehicle clearance. 

Replying todemands made in the meeting, Additional Director Transit Trade, Dr. Tahir Iqbal Khattak assured the participants of taking action with mutual coordination and consultation with business community for resolution of all problems.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 23 /DNA/ – The UK immigration system is going digital, meaning physical documents will be replaced with an online immigration status.

Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), vignette stickers in passports or ‘wet ink stamps’ are among some of the physical documents that will no longer be needed. If you are granted a visa to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months – for example to work or study – you will now need to create a UKVI online account to access your eVisa. The account acts as an online record of your immigration status. For those granted a visa to stay in the UK for less than 6 months, for example as a tourist, you do not need to create a UKVI account.

High Commissioner Jane Marriott CMB OBE said:

“We are constantly innovating to make it easier for Pakistanis to travel to the UK. This new use of technology will streamline a key part of the visa process, make it more secure and reduce the dependence on paper documents.”

The process is free, secure, and straightforward. You can find out more, including how to create an account, on our website: gov.uk/eVisa. You must not travel to the UK until you have received your passport and valid UK visa back from the Visa Application Centre (VAC). Updating a physical document to an eVisa does not affect your immigration status or the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.

Upon arrival in the UK you will still be required to collect a BRP. All BRP cards are valid until 31 December 2024, but the expiry of your BRP card does not affect your immigration status. You can use your BRP card to create your UKVI account and access your eVisa. You should continue to carry your BRP until it expires, and take your BRP and your passport when travelling overseas to prove your permission to return to the UK.