ISLAMABAD: Negotiations between the government and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) are likely to bear fruit in a day or two as both parties are continuously engaged with each other to reach a final consensus draft, sources privy to the development said.
The government committee, led by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, held important round of talks with the PAT delegation, led by Raheeq Abbasi on Wednesday night in Islamabad during which they came close to a consensus, according to sources. Following an agreement the PAT might wind up its sit-in in Islamabad before Eidul Azha, they added. According to details shared by sources, PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri’s two key demands have been accepted.
Now Punjab government will form a Joint Investigation Team on Model Town incident with consensus of the PAT and all cases registered against Dr Qadri or his followers will be quashed. Apart from this, around 600 of the PAT’s workers will also be released.
Donors’ meet for relief planned
ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has decided to host a donors’ conference to secure the assistance of international lending agencies for rehabilitation and reconstruction in parts of the country devastated by the recent monsoon floods.
The decision to seek help – likely as loans or grants – from the UN, the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was taken on Wednesday during the third meeting to review the damages caused by floods and subsequent rescue and relief work.
It came despite the government’s inability to fully utilise loans obtained from Asian Development Bank earlier to reconstruct roads damaged by previous floods in the country.
During the meeting, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) shared the initial estimates of losses with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, a finance ministry handout said.
The estimates were the result of a multi-sector initial rapid assessment (MIRA) carried out in five districts, namely Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Chiniot, Jhang, and Multan.
Agencies
