LAHORE: If it worked in Punjab, the ruling party is banking on it to work in Islamabad. After facing a barrage of complaints during a meeting with senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to liaison between his ministers and the party’s lawmakers, as well as to bridge the perceived gap between the Prime Minister House and his party’s parliamentarians, it was learnt.
The issue of the performance of federal law ministers was brought up when Nawaz presided over a PML-N parliamentary board meeting on Sunday in Lahore.
Senior leaders attending the meeting also spoke of the extreme frustration of not getting access to the prime minister on pressing matters, said sources privy to the proceedings of the meeting. Federal ministers are missing from National Assembly sessions and are then also not approachable outside parliament.
Power tariff hike bid rejected
ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) of Pakistan yesterday rejected an application seeking 45 paisa per unit increase in power tariff by distribution companies of Wapda.
It ordered recovery with interest of a surcharge paid to independent power producers (IPPs) and readjustment of the recovered amount into consumers’ bills. It called for action against senior officials of the Central Power Purchase Agency (CPPA) responsible for paying Gas Infrastructure Development Cess to the IPPs despite its suspension ordered by the Supreme Court.
The decisions were made at a public hearing held on the request of the CPP which sought to increase power tariff because of ‘higher cost of fuel’ during November.
MPs join fight against Aids
ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers across party lines are seeking fresh legislation to control the spread of the HIV/Aids disease, including mandatory pre-consummation HIV tests for couples.
The call for regulation came last week, when Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarrar revealed that the ‘number of Aids patients in Pakistan crossed the 100,000 mark this year.’ As part of a campaign, lawmakers will first undergo HIV/Aids tests themselves to set an example, independent MNA Jamshed Dasti said.
The government has established 15 HIV treatment and care centres, according to the National Aids Control Programme (NACP).
Premier okays tax amnesty
ISLAMABAD: The federal government of Pakistan yesterday approved tax an amnesty/investment scheme on the orders of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. It was stated in the tax amnesty/investment scheme that if investment had been made in a new industry, the federal government would not ask the source of wealth provided that the investment was made on January 1, 2014 or after that.
However, it was necessary that the commercial production of that industry should start from June 30, 2016 so that unemployed people get jobs, directly or indirectly.
The SROs will be sent to the Finance Ministry for vetting and could be issued on Friday.
AGENCIES
