ISLAMABAD, DEC 6: The PPP on Wednesday responded to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s recent reservations about holding elections during what he described as a worsening security situation by suggesting that opposition to polls stemmed from a “fear of the public’s verdict”.

PPP Secretary Information Faisal Kareem Kundi’s statement follows the JUI-F chief’s recent statement on the feasibility of holding elections amid a “deteriorating” security situation.

This isn’t the first instance of Rehman expressing reservations about the prospect of polls. During a rally in Larkana last week, he emphasised his party’s readiness for elections but underscored the necessity of a “peaceful environment” to ensure voters’ safety while exercising their right to franchise.

In response to the JUI-F chief’s remarks, Kundi expressed surprise, stating: “Maulana has a government in the KP and we have no idea what feasible environment he is looking for.”

Kundi was referring to the KP governor, Haji Ghulam Ali, being a relative of Maulana Fazl.

He added: “People who fear the verdict from the public court do not want elections to take place.”

Kundi recalled the PPP’s opposition to election delays even after the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto in 2007. “The PPP competed against terrorists and their supporters in the 2013 and 2018 elections,” he said.

Asserting that elections are the sole remedy for the country’s current issues, he remarked that the nation “believes that the chief justice will ensure elections on time” and claimed that opponents fear the popularity of PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

‘Internal security situation cannot be an excuse’
Separately, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani issued a statement in which he asserted that general election should be held on the scheduled date. However, he did not directly refer to the remarks made by the JUI-F chief.

“The Supreme Court has ruled that it is a continuous constitutional violation, which cannot be perpetuated,” he said while referring to a delay in the polls.

“Any further delay will give rise to a new constitutional violation, as the new parliamentary year of the Senate commences on March 12, 2024, before that half of the Senate will retire,” Rabbani said.

“If the electoral college of the provincial assemblies and the National Assembly is not elected, the Senate will be dysfunctional from March 12, 2024. In such circumstances there will be no Parliament which will be in violation of the Constitution,” he said.

“An internal security situation cannot be an excuse, as elections have been held when countries are even at war,” the senator said, adding that the political instability would further undermine the economy.

He noted that the caretaker government had a mandate of 90 days, which had been “violated” and the Constitution “defaced”.

“Pakistan’s ruling elite should stop playing with the Constitution, for if its writ is systematically dismantled a stage will come when there will be the law of the jungle, which cannot hold the federation together,” he said.

Fazl says peaceful environment a must before election
During a talk with reporters on Tuesday, the JUI-F chief questioned the law and order situation countrywide and said: “Everything is okay in Lahore but not on our side.”

He was asked if the situation was conducive to holding general elections scheduled to be held on February 8. The veteran politician claimed that in many areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Tank, Lakki Marwat, and his hometown, D.I. Khan, “unidentified armed people roam in streets at night instead of cops”.

“Our workers are being killed. Can an election be held in such circumstances,” he asked.

While he questioned the deteriorating security situation, the JUI-F leader clarified that his party was ready to contest the elections and provided a safe and “peaceful environment” for the activity.

He said the JUI-F was an ally of PML-N in the last government and the alliance “will continue” in the form of seat adjustment for polls. Rehman also criticised PTI over its recent intra-party elections, saying the activity made it clear that PTI “was not even a political party”.

He said those “forcibly inducted” into the PTI in 2018 parted ways with the party with confessions that they were “compelled to join PTI five years ago”.

By Abbas Hashmi

Rawalpindi: The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has served notices to four unauthorized housing societies in the garrison city.

According to a spokesperson for the RDA, Hafiz Irfan, the four illegal housing societies include High Life City, project of SSJ Marketing and Property Adviser at Mouza Niko, Wah Hills at Mouza Ghari Afghana in Taxila and Amman Scheme at Mouza Rajar on Chakri Road.

CDA Declares One More Housing Scheme in Islamabad Illegal
Furthermore, sponsors have been strictly warned against the marketing of all unauthorized housing schemes in Rawalpindi. Notices to the aforementioned housing societies were issued on the directions of RDA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa.

The relevant department of RDA has been instructed to file the first information report (FIRs) against the owners of the illegal housing schemes. They have been directed to refrain from marketing their unapproved housing societies and approach RDA to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) or face legal action.

Senate Panel Urges to Lift Ban on Vehicle Imports For Disabled Persons
The spokesman also advised the public against investing in housing societies that don’t have approval from the authority. Moreover, the Planning Wing of RDA has requested the Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take action against misleading advertisements by illegal housing societies.

According to Hafiz Irfan, the offenses committed by the illegal housing projects’ owners are actionable under Rule 37 of the Punjab Development Authorities Private Housing Schemes Rules 2021.

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) Tuesday approved a Rs3.07 per unit increase in electricity prices, applicable to all power distribution companies.

In a notification, the regulator said: “The […] adjustment shall be shown separately in the consumers’ bills on the basis of units billed to the consumers in the month of October 2023 in the billing month of December 2023.”

Nepra has notified the increase on account of variations in fuel charges, the notification mentioned, in a move that will impact millions of the electricity distribution companies’ (Discos) inflation-weary consumers.

The increase will not be applicable to Karachi-Electric (KE) consumers. Moreover, electric vehicle charging stations (EVCs) and lifeline consumers will also not be impacted by the increase, the notification mentioned.

The power prices are persistently on the rise in Pakistan as the cash-strapped nation tries to curb its circular debt and meet the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF laid forth several conditions — including a rise in power and gas tariffs — for the South Asian nation to unlock crucial funds that allowed the government to avert a possible default on its debt payments.

The latest hike comes on the heels of startling Nepra findings, wherein it was discovered that KE and other power-providing companies were charging millions of consumers excessively.

“Legal proceedings against all Distribution Companies including KEL under NEPRA Fine Regulations, 2021 for violation of the provisions of NEPRA Act, CSM and tariff terms & conditions etc,” a statement issued by the power regulator said.

The authority took “very serious” notice of the complaints that were reported from all over Pakistan regarding excessive, inflated, and wrong bills charged by the distribution companies to the consumers during two months — July and August.

Following the complaints, the power regulator held detailed hearings during which it found that snaps of “meter readings are either invisible or deliberately not taken. Similarly, some cases were reported that monthly meter readings are being taken beyond the billing cycle of 30 days, which resulted in undue/inflated charging of upper slab bills to the less user consumer(s) hence, changing the category from protected to un-protected”.

The committee found that 5.7 million Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) consumers were charged for more than 30 days of the billing cycle in the month of July followed by Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) i.e., around 1.2 million in August.

Similarly, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) i.e., more than 800,000 in August, Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) around 700,000 in both months, and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) more than 500,000 in the month of July.

ISLAMABAD, 5 DEC /DNA/ – The 6th round of Pakistan-Mexico BPC was held in Islamabad today. The Pakistani delegation was led by AS (Americas) Ambassador Mariam Aftab while the Mexican delegation was led by Ambassador Jose Tripp DG (Africa, Central Asia & ME) of Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and regional and multilateral developments. They agreed to further deepen and broaden dialogue and cooperation in multiple domains.

SAID ALAM KHAN / DNA

PESHAWAR: At least seven people, including three school children, sustained injuries, two of them serious, in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast on Warsak Road here on Tuesday morning.

According to police, the explosive was planted alongside the road near a private bank and a school. The explosives blasted with a big bang as glasses of nearby buildings shattered by the explosion.

Rescue teams and security personnel reached the spot within minutes and moved the injured to Lady Reading Hospital. The injured children are between seven and 10 years of age, the hospital sources said adding the condition of a nine-year-old child is serious.

The injured have been identified as Ahmed Zia, Ehsanullah, Javed Khan, Zahirullah, Saad Ahmed, Shakirullah and Yusuf Khan. The staff of the nearby bank remained unhurt.

Talking to media persons, SP Arshad Khan said that the blast took place at around 9:10 am saying four-kilogram explosives were used in the blast.

According to Bilal Ahmad Faizi, the spokesman for emergency rescue services, an IED went off on Warsak Road in the morning. Police officials said that there was no indication that school children were the target of the attack.

According to the CCTV video, the explosion took place at 9:11 AM. The explosive material was installed in the divider in the middle of the road.

Traffic was as per routine at the time of the blast. The blast caused severe damage to nearby buildings. In the video, a police mobile can be seen passing by a few seconds before the explosion.

Peshawar has been witnessing such acts of terrorism since long. As many as 149 people including 132 schoolchildren were killed when terrorists attacked Army Public School on December 16, 2014 in Peshawar.