PM Imran Khan launches Naya Pakistan Sehat Card

Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched the Naya Pakistan Sehat Card for all citizens, stating that each family would be eligible for medical treatment up to one million rupees per year under the universal health coverage programme.

The premier stated that not everyone can take such revolutionary decisions as the PTI did, citing the example of the health card as one.

"Today, every family in Punjab will be eligible for a health card," he said, adding that a welfare state is one where all citizens have equal opportunity for growth and prosperity.

He said it was in the State of Madina that for the first time in history, the state accepted responsibility for society's underprivileged segment.

The PM stated that while the welfare state model can be seen in contemporary Europe, it is not seen in Muslim countries.

In a dig at the PML-N's mantra of transforming Pakistan into an Asian Tiger, the premier stated, "Asian Tiger is nothing in comparison to the State of Madinah; we are attempting to put Pakistan on a path of prosperity."

He stated that now that the government will not spend money on building hospitals because private individuals will build them instead.

"We want to ensure that everyone in rural areas has access to health care, and by March 2022, all families in Punjab will have health cards."

During his day-long visit to the provincial capital, the prime minister will also chair different meetings on administrative and political affairs, law and order, and development projects.

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Pakistan's economic position will be 'far better' by August: Fawad

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday insisted that Pakistan was heading in the "right direction" and that the country's economy will be "far better" by August 2022.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Chaudhry said a phase was being commenced in Pakistan in which the social protection programmes will take effect, paving the way for improvement of the overall economic situation of the country.

He informed that the PTI-led government had to return $55 billion in its next two years in debt payment, adding that a sum of $32bn had already been paid under debts in the last three years.

"We are paying the price for the legacy left by Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif," the minister said, in reference to the last two governments of the PPP and PML-N.

Dispelling the impression given by the opposition about the country failing at the economic front, Chaudhry said Shehbaz Sharif and other opposition leaders should not worry about the country as "it is heading in the right direction, and people are witnessing it".

'Our politics, defence and economy are all stable'
The minister stressed that Pakistan's politics, defence and economy were all quite stable.

He said the national economy was growing at five per cent and it will further stabilise in time to come.

"Also, take an example of the coronavirus pandemic as such calamities occur once in 100 years and Pakistan's strategy to tackle it is being praised worldwide," he added.

Chaudhry, while continuing with his criticism of rival parties, said the opposition leaders were all panicked after the government expressed its intent to bring Nawaz Sharif back to Pakistan.

"We want the Lahore High Court to move on his case and Nawaz should be brought back at the earliest," he said.

He added that the government also wanted that cases involving Shehbaz Sharif should be taken up on a day-to-day basis.

The minister stonewalled a query when asked about the political implications of the "most important" appointment the prime minister was set to make in 2022 and wrapped his answer by succinctly saying "for God's sake".

The minister, while highlighting the importance of the film and drama industry, rued that the country had not been able to utilise the potential of the vital industry for its image-building.

"Our stories have to be told through films and the way we ended our film industry was really unfortunate. We will now revive the medium to tell the story of Pakistan to the world."

Chaudhry said he was pleased that the dollar depreciated against the rupee after the introduction of the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 in the National Assembly on Thursday.

"This inflation cycle will break in three to four months, while the prices of vegetables will also decline in a couple of months," he added.

The information minister said Pakistan would have gone bankrupt had Imran not been the prime minister of the country.

"If Pakistan is floating today, it's because of Imran Khan and the PTI's economic team," claimed the minister.

He said the system through which Pakistan had been governed for the past several years was no more in practice. "Now, for the first time, a people-centric government is working in Pakistan".

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Criticism regarding inflation due to additional taxes is 'baseless': Tarin

Criticism regarding the government imposing additional burden on the people and of a consequent rise in inflation is “baseless,” Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin said on Thursday.

Addressing a joint press conference, flanked by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib, Tarin said that tax revision worth Rs343 billion has been revised in the bill.

Sharing details of the supplementary finance bill, which was unveiled by the minister in the National Assembly before the press conference, he said that a Rs70 billion rebate included taxes on luxury and business items including imported fish, high-end bakery items, expensive cheese and imported bicycles.

Tax exemptions worth Rs2 billion will be removed from items of general use like personal computers, sewing machines, matchboxes, iodised salt, red chillies, and contraceptives.

“If we expect inflation to increase because of the imposition of tax on these items then they [the Opposition] are mistaken,” he said, adding that this is the “crux of the supplementary finance bill.”

“The Opposition has been spreading rumours regarding an increase in inflation because of the finance bill,” the finance minister said.

Tarin said that no sales tax will be imposed on fertiliser, imported second-hand clothes and cinema equipment.

“The agreement with the IMF is not just a matter of $1 billion,” Tarin said.

The finance minister went on to say that PTI’s manifesto says that institutions should be given autonomy, as “they cannot be strong until they are given autonomy”.

Speaking about the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2021, he said that the previous regimes kept "interfering" in the matters of the central bank.

“The Board of Governors (BoG) of SBP will be appointed on the recommendations of the government,” he said, adding that it was earlier thought the BoG will be appointed by the bank itself.

Tarin clarified, however, that it was made clear to them that this wouldn't be possible. "How can they make their own appointments?" he remarked.

“No amendment has been made in the bill regarding the appointment of SBP's board of directors,” he added.

Tarin underlined that central banks of all developed countries have autonomy.

Shedding light on the conditions of the IMF, Tarin said that the Fund wants them to impose sales tax "on all items".

He, however, reiterated the government’s revision will only mean an imposition of taxes worth Rs2 billion.

“We are increasing taxes on luxury cars," he said, adding that the Fund has not imposed any conditions regarding increasing taxes on vehicles.

Speaking about inflation, he said that the Pakistan’s inflation based on consumer price index (CPI) clocked in at 11.5% in November 2021.

“Inflation in the US and UK also surged to record highs, so if I have failed have Joe Biden and Boris Johnson also failed?” he asked.

The minister also asked that if prices of edible oil in the international market are increasing he should stop importing the essential commodity, or if the price of coal is rising the government should stop importing that as well.

Tarin assured the media that prices of medicines will go down.

Shedding light on future plans, he said that the government is working on "documents that will be historic".

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Blast at Quetta's Jinnah Road kills four, injures 14: police

Four people have died while 14 others sustained injuries after an explosion occurred at Quetta's Jinnah Road.

According to the police, the explosion took place near a vehicle near the Science College at Jinnah Road.

Witnesses told the police that glass windows of buildings situated in the vicinity of the blast were shattered.

Police said that the nature of the explosion is still being investigated, while security forces and rescue officials have reached the site of the explosion.

The injured have been shifted to the city's Civil Hospital, the police added. Three people who sustained injuries are reported to be in critical condition.

Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has condemned the incident and has instructed the inspector-general of police to submit a report related to the blast.

At the same time, the provincial adviser to the chief minister on the interior has been directed to further improve the security situation of the city.

Adviser to the Chief Minister on Interior Raza Langoo said that the blast occurred through a remote-controlled device, while a probe is being carried out.

"Terrorists aim to target civilians," he said.

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Blast at Quetta's Jinnah Road kills four, injures 14: police

Four people have died while 14 others sustained injuries after an explosion occurred at Quetta's Jinnah Road.

According to the police, the explosion took place near a vehicle near the Science College at Jinnah Road.

Witnesses told the police that glass windows of buildings situated in the vicinity of the blast were shattered.

Police said that the nature of the explosion is still being investigated, while security forces and rescue officials have reached the site of the explosion.

The injured have been shifted to the city's Civil Hospital, the police added. Three people who sustained injuries are reported to be in critical condition.

Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has condemned the incident and has instructed the inspector-general of police to submit a report related to the blast.

At the same time, the provincial adviser to the chief minister on the interior has been directed to further improve the security situation of the city.

Adviser to the Chief Minister on Interior Raza Langoo said that the blast occurred through a remote-controlled device, while a probe is being carried out.

"Terrorists aim to target civilians," he said.

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Babar Azam nominated for 2021 ICC Men's ODI Player of the Year award

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday unveiled nominations for its ODI Player of the Year award, with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam one of four contenders for the accolade.

The national skipper scored 405 runs in six matches in the outgoing year at an average of 67.50 with two centuries in the 50-over format.

Alongside Azam, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, Ireland's Paul Stirling and South Africa's Janneman Malan have been named as contenders for the award.

Last year, India's Virat Kohli had bagged the ODI Player of the Decade for his standout performances in the previous 10 years.

Describing Azam as the "top-ranked batter", the ICC said the Pakistan skipper played only six ODIs in 2021, "but he made vital contributions" in both the series his team played this year".

With the nomination, the ICC also posted a video recap of Azam's feats in 2021 and titled it "Babar Azam: pride of Pakistan"

The global cricket body said Azam was the second-highest run-scorer with 228 runs and was the player of the match in both of Pakistan's wins in the 2-1 series victory against South Africa in April 2021.

"He was the architect of Pakistan's chase of 274 in the first ODI with a century and laid the foundation with an 82-ball 94 in the final ODI where the visitors posted 320 batting first.

According to ICC, Azam's best performance in 2021 came in the third match of the three-match ODI series against England in July, with the previous two games already triumphed by the English side.

In the July 13th game, Pakistan, while batting first, had posted 331 with Azam scoring close to 50 per cent of the team's runs.

With the milestone out of the way, Azam exploded in the death overs and almost batted through the innings, getting out in the last over for 158, his highest-ever ODI score, said the ICC.

The game had ended with James Vince and Lewis Gregory stealing the show with a stunning 129-run stand for the sixth wicket as England chased down the total down with two overs to spare.

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Govt unveils supplementary finance bill in line with IMF's demands

Federal Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin presents the much-awaited supplementary finance bill — termed by the Opposition as a "mini-budget" — in the National Assembly, as a pre-requisite to resume the $6 billion External Fund Facility (EFF) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The opposition staged a vehement protest and chanted slogans to prevent Shaukat Tarin from introducing the Finance Bill 2021 and SBP Amendment Bill in the House.

According to the finance ministry's proposal, the government will impose a tax on approximately 150 goods at a rate of 17%. Therefore, goods that were currently either completely exempt from General Sales Tax (GST) or being taxed at 5% to 12% rates would now be taxed at 17%.

The income tax rate on mobile phone calls is expected to increase from 10% to 15%.

Meanwhile, the GST rate on cars above 850cc will go up to 17% and the tax on the import of electric vehicles in CBU conditions will increase from 5% to 17%. Business to business transactions will go up from 16.9% to 17%.

Zero-rating available on supplies of raw materials for imported milk would be withdrawn and be taxed at 17%.

The supplies to duty-free shops will be taxed at 17%. As they will be taxed for the first time, there are no revenue estimates.

The finance bill also proposes that bread prepared in bakeries, restaurants, food chains and shops be taxed at a 17% rate.

The bill increases the tax collection target from Rs5,829 billion to Rs6,100 billion for the remaining financial year. The government has also reduced the development programmes by Rs200 billion.

The "mini-budget" was one of the conditions of the IMF which was to be met before January 12, 2022, in order to recover more than $1 billion in instalments from the Fund.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had summoned a federal cabinet meeting to approve the Finance Bill, which was later to be presented in the National Assembly.

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