Fazl to make decision over PPP's resignation from PDM: Maryam

PML-N's vice-president Maryam Nawaz said Monday it is up to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), to make a decision using his wisdom over the PPP's reaction to a show-cause notice issued by the Opposition's anti-government coalition.

Speaking to the media here in Lahore, Maryam Nawaz clarified that the decision to issue a show-cause notice to the PPP was taken unanimously by the PDM and not by any single party.

Maryam Nawaz said the parties in the PDM were united and committed to their cause. The struggle of the Opposition's anti-government coalition was to correct the direction Pakistan was moving in, she added.

The PML-N leader further underscored that while the move to send a show-cause notice to the PPP was unanimous, the decision on what to do now that the Sindh-based party had responded was left to the wisdom and leadership of Fazlur Rehman.

"We will sit in the PDM [meeting] and decide what to do" about it, she said.

Earlier today, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari held a news conference to announce that his party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) called upon its members to resign from all positions of the PDM.

Flanked by party leaders, Bilawal said the CEC concluded that resignations from the national and provincial assemblies should be "like an atom bomb".

Read more: Defiant PPP says is vacating all positions in PDM, demands apology

The PPP's stance that the Opposition should not "abandon the Parliament and the Senate battleground" had been vindicated and that if it had listened to the other political parties in boycotting the Senate elections and by-polls, it would have harmed democracy.

"The Pakistan Peoples Party rejects the so-called show-cause notice," he said. "Politics is done with equality and respect. The PPP demands an unconditional apology to the ANP and to the PPP for this obnoxious attitude," he said.

"We condemn the politics of Opposition against members of the Opposition," he said, adding that his party's doors were open for all other parties and that there should be a "working relationship" among them.

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LHC directs NAB to inform 10 days before issuing Maryam Nawaz's arrest warrants

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to notify it 10 days in advance if it issued PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz's arrest warrant.

The PML-N vice president had appeared in court to attend a hearing of the Jati Umra case. A two-member bench of Justice Sardar Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Asjad Javed Gheral heard the case.

"Have you issued arrest warrants [for Maryam Nawaz]?" asked the bench. 

To this, the NAB special prosecutor responded saying the bureau had not done so. Maryam's counsel, Advocate Azam Tarar, requested the court to restrain NAB from issuing his client's arrest warrants without informing 10 days in advance.

The NAB prosecutor responded that the anti-graft body will inform Tarar in advance before the warrants are issued.

The bench told Tarar he can approach the court if the arrest warrants are issued.

Jati Umra case

In the call-up notice issued earlier, NAB had alleged that 1,500 kanals of land were illegally transferred to Maryam in Jati Umra with the help of the bureaucracy.

According to a NAB notification, the Sharif family had acquired 3,500 kanals of land in 2013 and got the master plan of Lahore changed in 2015 in connivance with relevant officials.

The then-DCO Noorul Ameen and former DG Lahore Development Authority Ahad Cheema have also been nominated in the case.

Last month, the LHC had approved protective bail of the PML-N vice president.

The anti-corruption watchdog had later approached the Lahore High Court for the cancellation of bail given to Maryam in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, but that request was rejected by the court.

 

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Fazl to make decision over PPP's resignation from PDM: Maryam

PML-N's vice-president Maryam Nawaz said Monday it is up to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), to make a decision using his wisdom over the PPP's reaction to a show-cause notice issued by the Opposition's anti-government coalition.

Speaking to the media here in Lahore, Maryam Nawaz clarified that the decision to issue a show-cause notice to the PPP was taken unanimously by the PDM and not by any single party.

Maryam Nawaz said the parties in the PDM were united and committed to their cause. The struggle of the Opposition's anti-government coalition was to correct the direction Pakistan was moving in, she added.

The PML-N leader further underscored that while the move to send a show-cause notice to the PPP was unanimous, the decision on what to do now that the Sindh-based party had responded was left to the wisdom and leadership of Fazlur Rehman.

"We will sit in the PDM [meeting] and decide what to do" about it, she said.

Earlier today, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari held a news conference to announce that his party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) called upon its members to resign from all positions of the PDM.

Flanked by party leaders, Bilawal said the CEC concluded that resignations from the national and provincial assemblies should be "like an atom bomb".

Read more: Defiant PPP says is vacating all positions in PDM, demands apology

The PPP's stance that the Opposition should not "abandon the Parliament and the Senate battleground" had been vindicated and that if it had listened to the other political parties in boycotting the Senate elections and by-polls, it would have harmed democracy.

"The Pakistan Peoples Party rejects the so-called show-cause notice," he said. "Politics is done with equality and respect. The PPP demands an unconditional apology to the ANP and to the PPP for this obnoxious attitude," he said.

"We condemn the politics of Opposition against members of the Opposition," he said, adding that his party's doors were open for all other parties and that there should be a "working relationship" among them.

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Dubai to be second in the world to operate autonomous Cruise vehicles

General Motors’ majority owned Cruise self-driving car subsidiary said on Monday it plans to begin deploying its robotaxis in Dubai beginning in 2023, in a deal that signals the company is more confident about launching its first commercial service in San Francisco before then.

Dubai’s Road and Transit Authority and Cruise said in a joint statement that Cruise will deploy a limited number of its purpose-built Cruise Origin vehicles in the emirate in 2023, making Dubai the first city outside the United States where Cruise will operate. By 2030, Cruise and Dubai’s transit authority said they plan to have 4,000 self-driving taxis in operation. Cruise will be the exclusive robotaxi service provider in the emirate until 2029.

Cruise and GM executives have said Cruise will launch its commercial service first in the startup’s hometown of San Francisco, before expanding elsewhere. The company on Monday did not say when it plans to launch its rides for hire service in San Francisco, saying that will depend on when the company’s automated vehicles are deemed safe.

When Cruise’s autonomous vehicles are ready to start carrying people or goods for money, the company will get another $1.35 billion from minority investor Softbank, according to GM filings.

Cruise and Alphabet Inc’s Waymo are leaders among the pack of companies racing to develop driverless taxis and delivery vehicles. Difficult technology challenges, an uncertain regulatory environment and the pandemic have combined to slow progress for all players in the nascent industry.

Cruise previously had a goal of launching a commercial ride service by the end of 2019, but set that target aside saying it needed to do more testing and technology development.

Waymo has also been slow to accelerate the launch of commercial services in its main test market in Phoenix. Earlier this month said its chief executive, John Krafcik, had left the company and replaced him with two co-CEOs.

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LHC directs NAB to inform 10 days before issuing Maryam Nawaz's arrest warrants

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to notify it 10 days in advance if it issued PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz's arrest warrant.

The PML-N vice president had appeared in court to attend a hearing of the Jati Umra case. A two-member bench of Justice Sardar Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Asjad Javed Gheral heard the case.

"Have you issued arrest warrants [for Maryam Nawaz]?" asked the bench. 

To this, the NAB special prosecutor responded saying the bureau had not done so. Maryam's counsel, Advocate Azam Tarar, requested the court to restrain NAB from issuing his client's arrest warrants without informing 10 days in advance.

The NAB prosecutor responded that the anti-graft body will inform Tarar in advance before the warrants are issued.

The bench told Tarar he can approach the court if the arrest warrants are issued.

Jati Umra case

In the call-up notice issued earlier, NAB had alleged that 1,500 kanals of land were illegally transferred to Maryam in Jati Umra with the help of the bureaucracy.

According to a NAB notification, the Sharif family had acquired 3,500 kanals of land in 2013 and got the master plan of Lahore changed in 2015 in connivance with relevant officials.

The then-DCO Noorul Ameen and former DG Lahore Development Authority Ahad Cheema have also been nominated in the case.

Last month, the LHC had approved protective bail of the PML-N vice president.

The anti-corruption watchdog had later approached the Lahore High Court for the cancellation of bail given to Maryam in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, but that request was rejected by the court.

 

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Prince Harry arrives back in the UK for Prince Philip's funeral

Prince Harry, whose explosive interview alongside his wife Meghan plunged the royal family into its biggest crisis in decades, has arrived back in Britain for Prince Philip’s funeral on Saturday.

Philip, the husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth who had been at her side throughout her 69-year reign, died at Windsor Castle on Friday.

Harry, Philip’s grandson, arrived in London on Sunday from Los Angeles on a British Airways flight. Buckingham Palace said Meghan, who is pregnant, will not attend on the advice of her doctor.

Harry, sixth in line to the throne, will quarantine in accordance with coronavirus guidelines so that he can attend the ceremonial funeral at Windsor Castle.

Interviewed by Oprah Winfrey last month, Meghan said her pleas for help while she felt suicidal were ignored and that an unnamed member of the family had asked how dark their unborn child’s skin might be.

Harry also bemoaned his family’s reaction to their decision to step back from official duties and move to Los Angeles.

In response, Queen Elizabeth said the royals were saddened by the challenging experiences of her grandson and Meghan and promised to privately address revelations about a racist remark about their son.

Philip, who died aged 99, is lying at rest in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle.

'Huge void'

On Saturday, the coffin, covered by Philip’s standard, a wreath, his naval cap and his sword, will be moved to the State Entrance of Windsor Castle by a bearer party from the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

Prince Charles and other members of the royal family will take part in a procession on foot behind the coffin, which will be carried by a specially modified Land Rover that Philip helped to design. The queen, 94, will not walk in the procession.

As the coffin reaches St George’s Chapel at Windsor, Britain will observe a minute of silence. There will be no public processions, and the funeral will be held entirely within the grounds of Windsor Castle and limited to 30 mourners in accordance with Covid-19 restrictions.

A spring snow storm on Monday struck Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth pondered the loss of her husband of 73 years.

Her son Prince Andrew said on Sunday the queen was stoical in the face of a loss that she had described as “having left a huge void in her life”.

Andrew joined his siblings Charles, Anne and Edward in saying they had taken strength from a national outpouring of affection and would rally around their mother in her time of grief.

Charles on Saturday paid tribute to his “dear Papa” who had given such devoted service to Queen Elizabeth, to the royal family, to Britain and to the Commonwealth, expressing gratitude for touching praise of his father.

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FIA summons Jahangir and Ali Tareen, seeks response on eight questions

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has asked estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen and his son Ali Tareen to appear before it and respond to eight questions, with the relevant documents.

A press statement issued by the FIA said that it was investigating the PTI leader on allegations of “criminal breach of trust, financial fraud and money laundering by JDW and its related companies JKFSL & FPML, since August 8 2020”.

The FIA said that it wants to see the “complete inventory, with commercial invoices wherever applicable” of the plant, machinery and equipment, any fixed assets, stores, spares and loose tools and intangible assets owned by JKFSL as of November 20, 2013.

The agency has also sought the independent valuation report of JKFSL which was done by the audit company AF Ferguson & Co.

“Annual (audited) financial statement where a true a clear disclosure has been made by JDW (prepared by Kamran lqbal Yousafi FCA, KPMG-Taseer Hadi & Co Chartered Accountants) vis-a-vis choosing a pre-meditated 'non-arms length purchase price', reasons for not measuring the price at arm's length and the financial impact thereof (as required by Para 13 of 4th Schedule to Companies Ordinance 1984),” said the FIA.

The investigating agency also sought the “engagement letter” JDW had formed for the “valuation of JKFSL assets” by Unicorn International Survoyers.

Apart from this, the FIA wants the complete details of the 35,000 acres of farmland owned by the PTI leader. It added that the information must be “correct to acres, owned by or under lease of JDW clearly showing plot-size, location along with title and lease deeds”.

“MCIB-JDW documents (Engagement Letter, Correspondence & Bank's Reports) pertaining to engagement of JDW with MCB Investment Bank in 2012/2013) that suggested an injection of Rs2/3 Billion in FPML as disclosed by Jahangir Khan Tareen (then) CEO JDW in his statement given to FIA on April 9 2021,” said the FIA.

The agency has asked the PTI leader to share the detail of foreign assets owned by him and his son in the UK and other countries, including the “family-owned 12-acres Hyde-House in New Hampshire”.

The FIA said that the house was mentioned by then CEO of JKFSL Ali Tareen in his statement given to FIA on April 9 2021. It has asked that the Tareens mention if the “assets have been declared to FBR or not, acquired by or on behalf of the then CEOs JDW and JKFSL or their family members”.

“The details should include complete description of assets, location, mode and cost of acquisition along with money trail,” said the FIA.

The FIA reminded the Tareens that they had failed to produce the documents despite “repeated summons and requests sent to JDW, JKFSL & FPML officers”. It added that the CEO/ CFO/ Co. secretary had informed the FIA that the transactions were with the PTI leader and his son.

The FIA said that Jahangir and Ali will have to appear before it on Tuesday, April at 10:00am.

The FIA warned that “non-compliance” of the “call up notice and continued failure to produce the relevant record” will lead the FIA to believe that the omission is deliberate. It added that the investigation “will [then] proceed on the basis of documentary evidence available on records”.

An FIA Lahore investigation team registered a case of alleged fraud of Rs3.14 billion on March 22 against Jahangir and Ali.

The FIR states that Jahangir allegedly transferred illegal shares worth billions of rupees to Farooqi Pulp Mills Limited (FPML), which is owned by his son and close relatives.

It says the transfers, especially after 2011-12, were "patently fraudulent investments which ultimately translated into personal gains" for Jahangir's family. Some Rs3 billion were invested and laundered through the same factory.

The FIR outlines when and how FPML was made back in 1991.

It includes sections 406, 420 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code with Section 3/4 of Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010. Rana M Shawaz is the investigation officer.

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