LONDON: Britain should not increase aid to Pakistan unless it tries to make its wealthy elite pay more taxes, British lawmakers said yesterday. Britain is due to double its assistance to £44m ($675m) in 2014-2015. But parliament’s International Development Committee said it was unfair to fund health and education projects unless Pakistan’s new government, due to be elected in May, tackles “rife” corruption and tax evasion. “We cannot expect the people in the UK to pay taxes to improve education and health in Pakistan if its elite is not paying income tax.”
Parties shy over Musharraf
ISLAMABAD: Although fuming and seething with anger over General Musharraf’s return and his plans to contest elections from several constituencies, PPP and PML-N appear reluctant to take the former army chief to the Supreme Court for abrogating the constitution. They said they considered Musharraf guilty of committing treason under Article 6 for abrogating the constitution, but want the judiciary to take suo motu action against him. PPP asked why PML-N, which always criticised the PPP government for allowing Musharraf to leave the country was doing anything.
Lawyers boycott Quetta court
Islamabad: Pakistani lawyers boycotted court proceedings in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, in protest against the kidnapping of Supreme Court lawyer and former advocate general Salahuddin Mengal, Geo News said. The Baluchistan Bar Association condemned the kidnapping and said the future of course of action will be decided by its general body meeting today. Mengal was kidnapped on Wednesday when he was returning home from the High Court, with his brother.
Quake hits border areas
ISLAMABAD: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook Afghanistan and Pakistan yesterday, with tremors felt in Kabul and Islamabad. The epicentre was on the Afghan-Tajikistan border at a depth of 225km. The quake was felt across northwestern Pakistan, Islamabad and parts of central Punjab. There were no reports of damage or casualties. Agencies
