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Express Tribune
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Shehbaz vows relentless fight against terrorism
Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reiterated his government's resolve to continue the fight against terrorism, saying that the enemies of Pakistan were afraid of its economic successes. "Our Jihad to uproot terrorism from the country will continue. We will inflict such a crushing defeat on terrorists that they won't dare look at Pakistan with ill intent again," the prime minister said, chairing a high-level meeting on law and order here. Appreciating the efforts and decisive actions by all institutions and provinces against terrorism, he assured the federal government's full cooperation in enhancing the capacity of all provinces for the purpose. He called for setting aside all differences and working together to eliminate terrorism and lauded the security forces personnel and officers confronting terrorists and sacrificing their lives. The prime minister instructed all the institutions to intensify their efforts against smuggling and tighten the noose around the human trafficking networks to bring the traffickers to justice. He directed the early completion of Safe City projects in major cities and appreciated the joint efforts by federal and provincial governments to promote a counter-terrorism narrative. During the briefing to the prime minister, the relevant authorities stated that a national and provincial intelligence fusion and threat assessment centre has been established under NACTA. It was told that the Safe City project was operational in ten cities of Punjab. The projects are also being implemented in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah. The same has been approved for Peshawar and would be extended to Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat in the next phase. The participants of the meeting were told that Gwadar Safe City project would be completed soon and similar projects would be implemented in all major cities along National Highways N-25 and N-40. The digital enforcement stations are being established on various highways and bridges to curb smuggling. Federal and provincial governments are taking action to remove all illegal constructions around major urban centers and a crackdown is underway against begging mafias nationwide, and measures are being taken to restrict their overseas travel. It was told that a forensic science agency had been established in Islamabad, and the Punjab forensic science agency was being further upgraded. Package for wheat farmers In a separate development, the premier appreciated Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for announcing a special package, approving Rs15 billion Wheat Support Fund to benefit 550,000 wheat farmers directly. The prime minister, in a statement, said that the waiver of Abiana (water charges) and fixed taxes for wheat farmers in Punjab was a relief for the farmers. Besides, he said that the initiative to provide farmers with free wheat storage facilities for four months would help protect the commodity from seasonal impacts and farmers from market pressures. The prime minister assured the federal government's full support to the Punjab government in the export of wheat and wheat-based products. "Pakistan's prosperity is directly linked to the prosperity of its farmers. It is PML-N's manifesto that farmers receive full compensation for their hard work," the premier said, and congratulated the Punjab chief minister and her team for announcing the package. 'Becoming debt-free country' In another development the premier called upon the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officers to work with unwavering commitment and full dedication to help Pakistan becoming a debt-free country. He was speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad where he launched a new performance management system for FBR officers. "If we want to move away from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), we must work hard to increase our revenues," the prime minister said. He said the FBR revenues witnessed an increase of 27%, for which the entire FBR team deserved appreciation. However, he said this was a long journey and more work was needed to plug the loopholes in the system. The prime minister commended the efforts of the finance minister, the secretary finance, chairman FBR and the entire team for launching such an effective performance system. He also announced to replicate this system in other government institutions to promote the culture of penalty and reward aimed at improving the performance of the institutions. During his visit to the FBR, the prime minister was briefed on Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL), digital invoicing and the newly launched performance management system. He also visited the newly established delivery unit of FBR and interacted with officers. The prime minister was informed that a data-driven decision-making system was being introduced at the FBR. This includes data collection from NADRA, banking institutions and other sectors regarding payments and asset purchases. In order to align FBR with international standards and expand the tax base, the board is taking steps toward implementing a modern and automated system. In line with the prime minister's vision for reforms and digitisation of the FBR, the entire value chain is being digitised. Furthermore, preparations for launching the digital invoicing system have been completed and it will be officially rolled out soon. It was also shared during the briefing that tax return forms for the current fiscal year had been further simplified. Under the new system, more than 35 additional companies have been brought into the tax net. To improve the performance of FBR officers and promote a system of accountability and reward, the prime minister also launched a fully automated and digital system for evaluating officer performance. Through this system, officers will be eligible for financial incentives and promotions based on their performance. The prime minister also visited the newly established FBR delivery unit, where he met with officers and reviewed the system. He praised the setup saying that the officers working in the unit were a valuable national asset. He expressed hope that they will play a key role in modernising Pakistan's tax system and boosting national revenue.
Express Tribune
16-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Wheat farmers offered Rs15b aid
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved then allocation of Rs15 billion for 550,000 farmers under a Wheat Support Fund. The wheat farmers will be given direct financial support through the Kisan Card. The chief minister announced a package for the sector, including exemption from irrigation tax for the wheat farmers during current year. Under the package, free Electronic Warehouse Receipt (EWR) facility will be provided for four months for storage to protect wheat from climate change effects and farmers from market pressure. The farmers storing wheat under the system will get an electronic receipt, which can be given to a bank within 24 hours to obtain a loan of up to 70 per cent of the total cost. Markup on loans amounting to up to Rs100 billion obtained from the Bank of Punjab by flour mills and 'green licence' holders for wheat purchase will be funded. It has been decided that approval will be sought from the cabinet for immediate and mandatory purchase of wheat by flour mills and the licence holders. Wheat storage up to 25 per cent of the total capacity has been made mandatory. It has also been decided that the federal government will be contacted for the export of wheat and its products. The Bank of Punjab will provide financing to the private sector for the renovation and construction of warehouses for wheat. The Punjab government will pay the markup of Rs5 billion to provide storage facilities to the wheat farmers. The ban on transportation of wheat and flour at provincial and district borders has been lifted. The chief minister expressed her firm resolve to not let farmers suffer any loss. She said, "If any farmer has cultivated wheat, then he will get full compensation for it." Environmental squads Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also attended the first passing out parade of the Environment Protection Force. She also launched an Environmental Approval Management System and an Emission Testing System for vehicles. After going through checking under the Emission Test System, she also got affixed the first ETS sticker to her vehicle. Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said an e-bike squad of the Environment Protection Force will work as an eco-friendly unit. A 'green squad' will work for anti-plastic campaign, dust and dengue control in the urban areas. A 'blue squad' of the force will strive to protect water bodies and a 'black squad' will work for vehicle fuel testing and against toxic fumes. A 'red squad' o the force will work to prevent harmful substances in the industrial areas and hospitals. A 'Hawk Eye Squad' will conduct environmental surveillance with 360-degree live camera vehicles and 11 thermal drones that can see in the dark. A special Urban Patrolling and Vigilance Squad will work to prevent environmental hazards. The Brick Kiln Squad will monitor the kilns on eight double cabin vehicles. The Point Source Pollution Monitoring Squad will monitor environmental pollutants. A strict check will be kept on air quality in the relevant areas through a Mobile Air Quality Monitoring Station.
