PM Imran Khan pushes for reforms to ensure 'transparent' polls

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday told the federal cabinet that he wanted regular updates on mechanisms being developed to ensure overseas Pakistanis can vote, in addition to the use of technology such as electronic voting machines (EVM)

The premier made the comments during the beginning of a session of the federal cabinet which was telecast live by state-run broadcasters.

Live Stream: Prime Minister of Pakistan @ImranKhanPTI Addressing Federal Cabinet Meeting in Islamabad (09.03.21)#PrimeMinisterImranKhan

وزیر اعظم پاکستان عمران خان اسلام آباد میں وفاقی کابینہ کے اجلاس سے خطاب کر رہے ہیں https://t.co/il4t8y3300

— Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) March 9, 2021

 "We can't have the kind of elections which have happened in the past," the prime minister said. "We need to use EVM technology for transparent elections and I want regular updates on it," he told his cabinet.

The prime minister said that he wanted to avoid any excuses of "we're not prepared for this technology" when the time came to use EVMs.

He stated that elections in Pakistan should be similar to the US and cited the example of former US president Donald Trump who could not find any evidence of rigging "despite all his efforts".

'Frightening report'
During the address, PM Imran also mentioned a "frightening report" by the Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity (FACTI) panel.

According to the report, every year $1,000 billion are transferred from poor countries to rich countries and tax havens through money laundering. "Money belonging to poor countries, stolen through corruption, is lying in tax havens."

He said that the ruling elites and office holders of such countries have to send the ill-gotten wealth abroad otherwise it becomes noticeable. "They do this by weakening the institutions responsible for monitoring money laundering and illicit financial flows.

"They bring in [development] projects not because the country needs them but because they get a lot of kickbacks. Mega projects with mega kickbacks," said the prime minister, adding that the kickbacks were then transferred abroad.

"The nation has to pay for this by incurring debt and the price of that debt has to be paid through inflation."

He also said that in order to facilitate this transfer of money, the ruling elites made corruption acceptable in society and used their money to influence and pressurise the media and institutions. "This damages the morality of the nation".

The premier reiterated that even nations struck by great calamities could "stand back up", citing the examples of Germany and Japan in World War II. The greatest destruction is caused when morality is eliminated in a society, he said.

"We saw this in the [Senate] election. Money was openly exchanged and everyone knows the drama we witnessed.

"A person buys people through money [yet] his intelligence and political vision [are praised]," said the prime minister.

He said when a country had no moral authority, it couldn't mete out justice and would bring different laws for the rich and the poor.

"The powerful get (National Reconciliation Ordinance) NROs and deals while only the poor go to jail. A nation is destroyed when its ability to ensure justice is finished."

from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/30nt5Lq

Senator Abdul Qadir joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Newly elected Senator from Balochistan, Abdul Qadir on Tuesday joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

The announcement was made by Qadir during a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the federal capital. The Senator extended his full support to the premier. On the occasion, PM Khan welcomed the induction of Abdul Qadir in PTI.

It merits mention that Qadir won the Senate elections on March 3 as an independent candidate with the support from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

Earlier, PTI had awarded party ticket to Qadir for elections of the upper house of parliament but after strong opposition from the provincial leadership of the party, PTI took back ticket from him and nominated Zahoor Agha for the Senate election on a general seat, who lost the poll.

from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3btJ6Wm

Pakistan’s squad will be finalized today for South Africa, Zimbabwe series

The selection panel of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is meeting today to discuss and finalise the squad for the upcoming tours to South Africa and Zimbabwe

The selectors will have a virtual meeting and discuss the performance of the cricketers during the previous matches before the selection of the team for the tour.

As per the sources, the panel will announce the national squad for the tour by March 10.

Officials privy to the development had told the channel on Monday that the national selection committee will announce the white ball and red ball squads at the same time. They added that the combined squad may consist of 30 players.

The sources said that the PCB is planning to announce the squads at the same time as it wants to send the whole group together on a single chartered flight. The team is scheduled to depart from Pakistan on March 26.

Tour details

Pakistan is scheduled to play a limited over series, which includes ODIs and T20s, against South Africa in their home conditions from April 2 till April 16.

The ODI matches in the series will be part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.

As per the PCB schedule, the team will depart for Johannesburg on March 26 and will play the three Super League matches on April 2, 4 and 7.

Following the tour to South Africa, the team will head to Zimbabwe for two tests and three T20Is starting from April 17.

from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/2Od3VMY

Punjab to set up corona vaccination centres

Punjab has decided to establish corona vaccination centres across the province in the second phase of the drive

Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Punjab has issued directives for the vaccination centres.

The health department has pointed out 104 places with the cooperation of the district authorities in Punjab.

The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Sunday said that the vaccination drive for people above 60 years old will begin from Wednesday, March 10.

“Vaccinations will be done in reverse order by age. This means the oldest person who has registered will be vaccinated first,” federal minister Asad Umar said in a statement.

In this second phase of inoculation 700,000 senior citizens aged 60 and above will be inoculated.

The health authorities in the country had earlier described the pace of getting vaccinated among the focused group of people as slower.

A countrywide Covid vaccination drive was started on February 3 after 0.5 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine gifted by China arrived in the country. In the first phase, healthcare workers at the forefront of the country’s battle against the pandemic were inoculated against the virus.

Last month, the government started registering elderly citizens for the next phase of Covid-19 vaccination.

from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3v628Kr

Accountability court has summons Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah

An accountability court has summoned Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in an alleged illegal award of contracts in Nooriabad power plant and money laundering charges on March 31

According to the reference filed by the NAB, CM Murad Ali Shah is accused of misusing the power in the disbursement of funds for the Nooriabad power plant project.

Chief minister Sindh along with co-accused including Khursheed Anwar Jamali and others have been asked to appear before the NAB court on March 31.

The record comprising statements of witnesses and proofs have been submitted in the accountability court against Murad Ali Shah consisting of 66 volumes by NAB Rawalpindi.

It stated that public funds worth billions have been embezzled for Nooriabad Power Company and Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company. Sindh CM Shah and Abdul Ghani Majeed are among 17 persons who are nominated in the corruption reference by the anti-graft watchdog.

In October last year, it emerged that Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah and over 12 provincial cabinet members are on the radar of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) under corruption charges in separate cases.

from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3ruB711

PM to chair federal cabinet session

Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair the session of the federal cabinet today where the members are likely to approve the salary and allowance of the head of Broadsheet commission

The other items in the agenda include the approval of donations in the SAARC Covid Emergency Fund and approval to the new licence to Overseas Employment Promoters.

The federal cabinet will be briefed over the Islamabad Metro Bus project, whereas, the members will also approve the decision of the economic coordination and energy committees.

In the previous session, a sub-committee of the federal cabinet, probing the leaked video showing lawmakers allegedly receiving money ahead of Senate elections in 2018, had summoned Senators who were elected despite not having a due number of votes.

The notices had been served to Senator Rubina Khalid, Bahramand Tangi, Dilawar Khan and Mushtaq Ahmed Khan. The lawmakers were advised to submit their replies within seven days in writing or appear before the committee in person to explain how they were sworn in as senators despite not having a party vote.

The notices had also been served to the members’ assemblies who were seen in the video.

It is pertinent to mention here that on February 09, a video surfaced which exposed the horse-trading during Senate elections in 2018 by some party lawmakers who could be seen as counting bundles of currencies and hiding it inside the bag.

from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3t6Y2jt

Vawda’s plea to stay disqualification proceedings

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday turned down Water Resources Minister Faisal Vawda’s plea seeking to restrain the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from hearing a disqualification case against him

After a preliminary hearing, a two-judge bench of the high court issued notices to the ECP, the federal government and other respondents to furnish their comments on Vawda’s petition by March 16. The court also sought the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) verdict in the disqualification case against him.

The minister has challenged the Feb 24 decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan and argued that the ECP has rejected his plea against the facts of the matter.

“The ECP is not authorised to hear complaints against me,” Vawda argued. “My objection was turned down by the ECP,” he further said. The ECP is hearing three complaints over dual nationality of Faisal Vawda.

Barrister Jahangir Khan Jadoon, the counsel of a petitioner, alleged that Vawda lied in the June 11, 2018 affidavit he submitted to the ECP before the 2018 elections that he had given up his dual nationality.

He said the minister was an American national at that time but he fibbed in the affidavit, adding he held the US citizenship even when his nomination papers were being scrutinised.

The petitions seek Vawda’s removal from the public office under clause 62-1 (F) of the constitution.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared that it could not disqualify Vawda after his resignation from the National Assembly seat.

The court, however, directed the ECP to decide the matter of submission of an allegedly false affidavit by the minister along with his nomination papers for the July 2018 polls.

Vawda had won the 2018 general election from Karachi’s NA-249 constituency.

from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3rvxAQ2