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Express Tribune
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Ex-education CEO handed over to police
Dozens of men aged from 25 to 75 arrested in connection of pedophile activities in France. PHOTO: PEXELS Duty Judge Waqar Ahmad Sidhu on Saturday granted a two-day physical remand of former chief executive officer of the Rawalpindi District Education Authority Amanullah Cheena and clerk Arshad Mehmood in a corruption case involving Rs36.58 million. Both were presented in court following their arrest by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE). The court rejected the ACE investigation team's request for a seven-day remand and ordered the suspects to be presented again on June 25 after completion of initial interrogation. According to the FIR, the accused caused financial loss to the national exchequer through alleged corruption in procurement of furniture, stationery, and IT equipment. Orders were issued to two companiesM/s Malik Traders and M/s Kamran Enterpriseswho were paid in full, but under-supplied the contracted goods. Details in the FIR alleged that Rs2.5 million was paid for stationery, Rs2.88 million for furniture, and Rs2.68 million were paid for IT equipment. The anti-corruption prosecutor claimed Rs1.74 million worth of furniture and Rs1.91 million worth of IT items were not delivered. Defence lawyers opposed the remand, stating that the supplies were being delivered in phases and no corruption had occurred. They termed the case politically motivated, claiming that Amanullah Cheena, a Grade-19 officer, was arrested even before the FIR was registered18 hours after his detention. They argued that instead of physical remand, the accused should be sent to jail on judicial remand, asserting their full cooperation with the investigation. Meanwhile, the investigation has expanded to include eight other education officials and two presidents of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), who have been issued summons with a warning of arrest in case of non-compliance. Those summoned include Deputy Education Officers Muhammad Nabeel Naqvi, Dr Gul Ahmed, and Habibullah; Senior Headmasters Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Sajjad; Admin Officer Muhammad Irfan; Administrator of Government Hudaibiya Education Complex; Legal Officer Kamran Saeed; and APCA Presidents Raja Aftab and Irshad Ahmed. The issuance of a large number of summons has reportedly caused unrest within the education department, prompting many officials to seek political backing. According to the ACE team, all summoned officials have refused to testify against Amanullah Cheena or become approvers.
Express Tribune
10-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Govt employees, pensioners reject budget as 'cruel joke'
Sources told The Express Tribune that PM Sharif formed the committee after the planning ministry thrice rejected a proposal from the finance ministry to assume responsibility for provincial nature schemes. PHOTO: FILE Various employee and pensioner associations, including the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA), Railway Workers Union, Punjab Teachers Union, Educators Association, and Railway Pensioners Association, have outright rejected the new federal budget, labelling it a "traditional charade of words." They warn that the budget will lead to a stormy increase in inflation, pushing 50% of families below the poverty line. Leaders condemned the mere 10% increase in salaries as "insignificant and shameful," predicting a rise in suicides and starvation. They asserted that pension reforms have effectively "buried alive" pensioner families. Shehzad Manzoor Kiyani, Central Vice President of APCA, and Divisional President Chaudhry Mubashir stated that the budget is a "severe joke" on government employees. They highlighted the stark contrast with the significant salary increases for Members of Assemblies and ministers, while employees are being "buried alive." The elimination of ministries, divisions, institutions, and 40,000 posts will devastate the lower-income segments. Muhammad Shafiq Bhalwalia, Central Secretary General of the Education Pensioners Association, called the minimal salary increase for teachers, employees, and pensioners amidst soaring inflation "ridiculous." He pointed out that ministers, assembly members, senators, advisors, the Senate Chairman, and Speakers of Assemblies have seen a gradual 650% increase in their salaries before the budget. He argued that a comparison between the 2024-2025 budget records and the unchecked increase in privileges and salaries for the ruling class proves that this budget is pro-rulers but certainly not pro-employees or pensioners. He added that pension reforms are destroying the future of employees, pushing them into the abyss of poverty. Mubarak Hussain, Central Secretary General of the Railway Workers Union, stated that the budget was designed to benefit the government's cronies, with the business and trading class reaping all the advantages from tax reductions. He accused the government of favouring its political and business fraternity, calling the 10% salary increase a "scrap allowance" and the 7% pension increase a "mockery," akin to giving poison to pensioners. He claimed that the government extracts Rs600 billion in taxes from employees without providing any benefit, while those paying Rs8 billion in taxes enjoy benefits throughout the year. He demanded an abolition of salary tax for employees earning Rs600,000 to Rs1.2 million, and that the tax collection from those in grades 17 to 22 should be only 10%. He noted that no tax has been imposed on the salaries of Members of Parliament, Senators, and National Assembly members, suggesting a 25% tax should be levied on them. Rana Liaquat and Basharat Iqbal Raja, leaders of the Punjab Teachers Union and Educators Association, asserted that the government has treated state institutions like a "widow" and employees as "widowers," leading to a complete loss of trust in the current administration.
The Star
31-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Asia-Pacific scholars address AI, language, communication in Brunei
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Xinhua): The APCA-ANPOR-UBD Conference 2025 concluded in Brunei this week following two days of vibrant academic exchange on artificial intelligence (AI), language, and sustainable communication. The conference, themed "Communication and Languages in Asia-Pacific Regions: Connection, Collaboration, and Sustainability," was co-organized by the Asia-Pacific Communication Alliance (APCA), the Asian Network for Public Opinion Research (ANPOR), and Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). The opening ceremony was graced by Chinese Ambassador to Brunei Xiao Jianguo and UBD Vice-Chancellor Dr. Hazri Haji Kifle. Scholars and educators from across the Asia Pacific region explore key issues in sustainable communication, AI, communication and multilingualism. Chen Changfeng, president of APCA and professor of Tsinghua University, commended the spirit of openness, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing that characterized the conference in her opening remarks. In his remarks, Dr. Hazri Haji Kifle said, "In a world transformed by artificial intelligence, shaped by digital disruption and challenged by rising misinformation, our ability to communicate with purpose, ethics and inclusivity has never been more vital." The conference featured five keynote speakers from world-leading institutions, addressing topics such as generative AI, digital ethics, multilingualism, language policy and sustainability. Jack Qiu, professor of Nanyang Technological University, demonstrated how AI is reshaping reading, listening and writing, calling for renewed focus on human agency in education. The conference marks a key milestone for the UBD Language Center, reinforcing its role as a regional hub for intercultural dialogue and sustainable communication, according to UBD. - Xinhua
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Supreme Court will hear arguments over Pa.'s membership in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
(Getty Images) Pennsylvania's long-delayed membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that would require fossil fuel burning power plants to pay for carbon dioxide emissions will be the subject of arguments Tuesday before the state Supreme Court. The program, known as RGGI, established a carbon credit auction for electricity producers in 11 northeast states to pay for the right to emit carbon dioxide. The money received would go to each state for uses, ranging from utility assistance and energy efficiency projects to subsidies for alternative energy. Gov. Tom Wolf entered the compact in 2022 over the objections of Republican state lawmakers. They raised concerns it would increase electricity prices, hasten the closing of the commonwealth's remaining coal power plants, and not reduce carbon emissions overall, but simply force them into other states. In a legal challenge to the program's constitutionality, GOP leaders in the House and Senate contended the requirement to buy carbon credits was an impermissible tax. A Commonwealth Court panel of five judges agreed. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE In its decision, the appellate court said that Pennsylvania's participation in RGGI must be approved through the General Assembly and that the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) does not have the authority to impose a tax. Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration appealed, with the DEP, arguing that the commonwealth's membership in RGGI is authorized by the state's Air Pollution Control Act (APCA). The law empowers the state to enact rules and regulations to reduce pollution, including establishing fees used to eliminate air emissions. Several nonprofit citizens rights and environmental groups including Penn Future, the Sierra Club, the Clean Air Council and the Environmental Defense Fund moved to intervene in the appeal. They argue the Commonwealth Court wrongly decided the case because it failed to consider the DEP and Environmental Quality Board's obligations under the Environmental Rights Amendment (ERA) to the state constitution. The groups also back the DEP's argument that the agency is empowered to establish fees to enforce the APCA. Adopted in 1971, the ERA requires the commonwealth to preserve public natural resources for the benefit of all people. It's considered one of the strongest such constitutional protections in the nation, according to PennFuture. Since the Commonwealth Court's decision in 2023, Shapiro has introduced a Pennsylvania-focused alternative to RGGI called the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act (PACER) that he said would leverage the commonwealth's status as an energy exporter to fund carbon-neutral energy development. Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) who plans to introduce legislation to establish PACER, said Shapiro's alternative was developed in collaboration with Republican lawmakers and energy companies. Comitta said the Supreme Court case and RGGI would make the Supreme Court case moot, but GOP lawmakers have said the plan falls short of their goals to reduce energy costs and ensure reliable electricity supplies. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Harrisburg. An audio stream of the proceedings is available on YouTube. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Business Insider
29-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Kenya and South Africa emerge as private equity safe zones amid U.S. trade disruptions
Despite growing global uncertainty, a majority of private equity investors are doubling down on South Africa and Kenya as their top investment destinations over the next three years. Majority of private equity investors are focusing on South Africa and Kenya for the next three years. Global uncertainty and Trump's tariff policies are casting a shadow over Africa's fundraising prospects for 2025. Investment on the continent dropped by 11% since the start of 2024, driven by global economic headwinds and high interest rates. Despite growing global uncertainty, a majority of private equity investors are doubling down on South Africa and Kenya as their top investment destinations over the next three years, even as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies cast a shadow over Africa's fundraising prospects for 2025. According to the African Private Capital Association (APCA), more than 65% of general partners at private equity firms ranked South Africa and Kenya as their most attractive markets. Egypt and Nigeria followed, with around 50% of respondents highlighting them as key targets. However, optimism is tempered by concerns and over one-third of investors expressed pessimism about raising capital this year, citing pressures from currency depreciation across African economies and the ripple effects of Trump's protectionist trade stance, Bloomberg reported. Big deals dry up Investment on the continent dropped by 11% since the start of 2024, extending a downward trend that began in 2023. The slowdown has been driven by global economic headwinds, persistent inflation and high interest rates, which have made investors more risk-averse. As a result, large-scale deals have become increasingly rare, with smaller, lower-risk transactions now dominating the landscape. In the latest survey conducted by the London-based association, two key concerns still stood out. 'Exchange rate volatility on the continent' topped the list, cited by 84% of respondents. The second major concern, noted by 59% of investors, was the 'America-first investment approach,' which they fear could significantly affect foreign investment from U.S.-based firms. Venture capital funding for African startups fell by 22% to $3.6 billion last year, according to a separate report by the African Private Capital Association released earlier this month. The decline came as U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff measures rattled global markets, prompting investors to retreat from riskier assets. Earlier this month, Trump announced new tariffs of at least 10% on most imports into the U.S., targeting goods from about 60 countries, before pausing the duties for 90 days. Despite the turbulence, the survey found that over the next three years, general partners (GPs) in Africa are prioritizing investments in energy, healthcare, and consumer goods. The shift reflects a growing alignment with global trends and evolving local market needs.
