The Police Forces commander about March 1st / sniper shooting / riots

Context: 10 people were killed on March 1st, 2008. That morning, the police illegally dispersed the sleeping crowd near the Opera building and pushed them towards Mashtots St, where the now-agitated crowd burned down vehicles, made barricades, and clashed with the police. The Police Forces violated the weapon safety protocols and shot a special type of flash grenades directly at protesters, killing several. Others were shot with rifles. 8 protesters, 1 policeman, 1 soldier died during the clashes. The rioters were throwing objects at the forces.
 
There have been multiple witness testimonies about the army's involvement in the events. Besides the army, there were also civilian Police Forces in the area.
Bagrat Khachatryan is the commander of Unit 1001 of Police Forces, and a participant of March 1st events. He is also named as a potential suspect in the criminal cover-up, so take his testimony with a grain of salt.
This is his version of events on how things unfolded that day (comments by me):
Since Feb-20-2008 we were on high alert. The third of our crew had the boots on at all times. We received shotguns and flash-grenades.
At 6:30 AM on March 1st we got an alarm. The deputy-chief Gegham Petrosyan (recently charged with the murder of a protester, first-ever direct charge for a murder) told us to put on the gear. We took those weapons and arrived near the Opera building. Other units also arrived.
At 8:30 we stationed near the Tumanyan statue, Opera building. At the time there were no protesters already (dispersed early in the morning).
At 10:00 AM the Police Forces chief Grigor Grigoryan told us to join deputy-chief Gegham's unit.
Deputy-chief Gegham then instructed us to join Unit 1033 and deploy near the French Embassy (on Grigor Lusavorich Street). We stood between Myasnikyan St, Grigor Lusavorich St, and the embassy.
The protesters at the time had already shut down the Grigor Lusavorich St. A bus and cars were used to barricade the road. Some of them had sticks and shields. I was told that they had earlier attacked policemen, but I wasn't there when that happened.
Protesters were throwing rocks towards us. The police began negotiating with protest leaders. They agreed that the protesters would move near Matenadaran building.
Note: protesters' chief negotiator was David Shashnazaryan. At the time he was part of Levon Ter-Petorsyan's team and a Roboserj opponent. In 2019 Shashnazaryan joined Roboserj.
Continuing:
At 17:00 the deputy-chief Gegham sent us to Mashtots St. Our unit arrived and joined other units near the Mashtots market, above the underground passage area.
The other units closed this area so the protesters wouldn't advance towards the rest of Mashtots St.
Deputy-chief Gegham told 20 of my men to arm with empty bullets and flash bullets. Experienced (Russian) sniper Evgeniy Kachak was given a Dragunov SVD sniper rifle. Garik Vardanyan, Arthur Sargsyan and Dimitriy Yatsenko were given empty bullets (u pinky-swear?).
The group of 20 men then went and joined Unit 1032, while I went to the area above the underground passage on Mashtots St. That's where the higher-ups gathered.
 
The riots were escalating at the time. Protesters were throwing rocks and metals. We were told that some of them had weapons, bombs, and Molotov cocktails. Rumors circulated that the protesters wanted to march towards President Kocharyan's building.
I ordered our group to receive Makarov handguns in addition to the flash-bullets. Overall, 19 rifles were brought from the station, out of which 3 could shoot empty-bullets. 1 sniper rifle, 8 Makarov pistols.
At 19:00 deputy-chief Gegham told us to move left. If you face the protesters, we were on the furthest left corner. Next to us were Units 1032 and 1033.
The group of my 20 men, armed with this special gear, was placed behind us, while those with live ammunition, including sniper Evgeniy Kachak, were placed at the back to avoid direct clashes. The chief told us that only himself or deputy-chief Gegham can instruct us to shoot from rifles and that only in the air.
At 19:30 the protesters had 2 buses as barricades. Protesters would come behind them and throw rocks.
We got an order to move forward. The crowds became more aggressive and threw more items. Several officers were injured. Protesters were throwing explosives. Some protesters began to shoot at us, we could hear bullets above our heads. Sometimes they would use flash-bullets.
That's when deputy-chief Gegham told us to use force.( ու էտ վախտ ես հելա ու ասի, "հլա մի րոպեեե".)
My group began to shoot from shotguns and Cheremukha 4 & 7 flash-bang grenades. The forces were being ferociously attacked. The chief told us to shoot in the air with rifles to scare the crowd. We did. This scared the protesters and they ran towards Zakian St. Some protesters shot at us with fully automatic weapons.
We were told to retreat. Instead of being scared of our shots, the crowd got more aggressive. We tried to use barbwire to close Mashtots St. The crowd prevented the barbwire vehicle from doing its work. We retreated towards the upper part of where the underground passage is on Mashtots. We unsuccessfully tried to install barbwires again, before retreating to Paronyan St. We were attacked with Molotovs. The crowd advanced on us. We couldn't let them go any further towards Proshyan St. because that's where the President's building is.
We ordered more shots fired into the air. A protester drove cars towards us and stopped when we shot bang grenades.
At 23:00 we received an order to station the soldiers on Leo St. We stood in front of them. Someone threw a grenade behind us. One officer was injured.
I left to receive medical aid for my aching feet (non-riot related), and while I was away, I heard a shot and panic in the ranks. One soldier received a wound to his neck and later died.
The chief told the armed officers and sniper Evgeniy Kachak to move to the front line and observe and incapacitate any shooters they see.
Sometime later, sniper Kachak fired a shot and told me that he noticed a man pointing a gun at forces. He claimed he shot the protester in the foot.
The next day we did an audit and found that the live bullets in 19 rifles weren't used.
End of his testimony.
 
By the way, the Russian sniper Evganiy Kachak was later murdered under suspicious circumstances with "professional blows" to his head while visiting a graveyard. So there's that... www.pastinfo.am/hy/news/2017/05/17/Ո՞վ-է-սպանել-6-րդ-վարչության-նախկին-աշխատակցին/546099
 
What you read were the accounts of a suspect. Last year the SIS mentioned the author Lt. Col. Bagrat Khachatryan as one of the participants of the scheme who collected the live bullet shells fired by the soldiers to cover up their participation in the crime, then replaced the shells with bullet shells fired at a gun range by Police Forces. Read my Sep/25/2019 report for details.
 
Relevant: Last year, media outlet ArmTimes published an unconfirmed story in which they claimed to have received a report about the existence of a foreign-language document showing that a foreign group of experts was sent to aid the Kocharyan regime in late-February 2008 by "advising him", and that the group stayed in the govt building.
https://www.1in.am/2706403.html
http://www.ccc.am/hy/1428493746/3/6098
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/163850
Tags: #March1st #March1 #MartiMek

March 1st protester cleared

Another early-morning March 1st protester, Hovhannes Ghazaryan, will have his "assaulting policeman" conviction dropped after the prosecutors challenged a 2008 court verdict in the Appeals Court just recently.
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181366

deputy-police chief's trial resumes / QP MP in court

During the 2018 revolution, the police shot bang grenades at protesters, injuring dozens. The deputy police chief Yeranosyan is a suspect. He is accused of improperly using the weapon without a permit (while being drunk, according to some accounts). QP MP deputy-speaker Alen Simonyan testified as a victim.
The trial resumed and both sides said they're OK with only Alen Simonyan being present out of all the victims who sustained injuries.
The court reviewed an Apr-16-2018 video showing explosions, and an Apr-22-2018 video during which Pashinyan and others were arrested.
The defendant argued the force was justified. The prosecutors argued otherwise.
https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181320
https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181323

security council

Security Councils of Armenia and Artsakh, joined by PM Pashinyan and President Bako, met to discuss the Munich results, foreign policy, army. https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181224

border shooting

Azeri army shot at the Armenian borders in the North-Eastern Tavush region, wounding 1 soldier lightly. Armenian side returned a suppressive fire. 1 Azeri soldier was killed.
Koti mayor says the shootout lasted 20 minutes. "Every now and then they forget whom they're dealing with," said the mayor.
Defense Ministry denied Azeri govt's fake news claiming it was an Armenian diversionary attack.
https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181300 --- https://razm.info/140474

Confirmed: Artsakh has a new Defense Minister

Update: Jalal Harutyunyan will replace Karen Abrahamyan as the new Artsakh Defense Minister. Several high ranking officials were recently fired for unsatisfactory work and suicide/murder of 5 soldiers since Jan-2020.
https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181325

elder soldiers will get higher pensions

For several years, formerly hired soldiers complained that their experience in the army didn't qualify them for a military pension because they were above the age of 45 at the time of service.
The Human Rights Ombudsman contacted the Defense Minister. The latter decided to begin to count >45 age as qualifiable for a pension.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1005983.html

Barekendan festivities

Armenia celebrated the Barekendan festival on Sunday. It's an old traditional celebration of having fun and eating as much as possible before the fasting period begins.
https://youtu.be/aFm1BTv8olg
PICS: https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181286

Russian TV & upcoming airways changes

Update: Earlier the TV regulator agency's chief and Russian ambassador exchanged verbal shots after the regulator complained about foreign-language programming in Armenian airways, not enough Armenian-language programs, poor standards for things broadcasted through public airways, etc. (see Jan/31/2020 post).
 
The "Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression" commented saying the following:
Without commenting on the political part of the argument between the regulator and the Russian embassy, we'd like to mention that Russian PTP-Planeta TV is the most anti-European network. It's worse than all other networks combined.
This TV spreads hatred and manipulation. One may ask, why does the Armenian viewer need this? For example, during the show "Evenings with Vladimir Solovyov" the guests exceed the ethical norms and present fascism as part of European values. Instead of restraining the guests, the host (Solovyov) himself manipulates the viewer, by blaming fascism on Europe as a whole.
The host presents the Western European people as weak and incapable of defending themselves, while praising those under Soviet control. This is done to defame European people. Solovyov's favorite guest is a man who claims "Mein Kempf" is what European values are about. There are many such examples on PTP TV.
If this was all meant for the Russian audience, we wouldn't have a problem with that, but PTP is broadcasted in Armenia under the only "public multiplex" airways to all residents. These Russian TVs don't have to abide by Armenian laws and regulations. Understandably, Russia has its rhetoric against the West, but why should the Armenian viewer be subject to this brainwashing? You could say "if Armenians don't like it they can choose not to watch it", but it still affects the public. This should be solved through political dialogue.
End of Committee's post.
https://factor.am/223775.html
Tag: #PublicTV #RussianTV

Yerevan's water canals

Yerevan's garbage problem was solved with the introduction of city-run agency and more trash bins, but what about the rainwater drain canals?
They are usually clogged with trash. To make things worse, street sweepers sometimes dump the trash into the canals.
This results in the city being covered in floods after heavy rains every Spring. Cars get stuck in water pools and people have to walk in the water.
City's trash-agency says their staff doesn't dump trash into the canals. "Right now it's manageable but we'll see how it goes when heavy rains begin. We treated the streets with salt and sand. Time will tell how it affected the canals," said the agency rep. (doesn't sound reassuring, does it?)
Veolia Water firm is tasked with managing the water removal system. Veolia says that in the past, when Yerevan's trash was being collected by Sanitek (RIP), Sanitek was the one to clean up the canals from trash, but it wasn't being done efficiently. As a result, Veolia Water began to remove canals' trash themselves. "We'll probably do the same this year, but the main responsibility is on the trash-collecting agency's shoulders," said Veolia.
Veolia says:
Unfortunately, in many locations, water canals connect to sewers. This results in sewers becoming clogged from the debris brought by canals. The two systems are separate in developed countries.
Yerevan's 320km water canals are cleaned every Spring and Autumn. In some parts of the city, there are no canals (Qanaqer, Norq-Marash), while in others its too small.
We're located on a lowland. The rain pours from Norq/Qanaqer, where there are no canals, down to Center district. The accumulated water in large quantities makes Center's canal insufficient. Large investments are needed to build new canals across the city to slow the flow.
We negotiated with Yerevan recently and improved the canals near 9 streets.
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/179191

largest blackout since LTP

Yerevan municipality posted a compilation video of multiple thieves casually walking in and stealing light bulbs from the underground passage.
https://www.facebook.com/Yerevanofficial/videos/733280393866061/

market watch

Market Inspection Committee issued a penalty to ABC Pharmacia makeup company for selling unknown products without tags. https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181230

former officials and state property embezzlement

The State Property Management Agency has been on the anti-corruption news a lot. Since the revolution, there were 32 felony cases against various officials for abusing a state-owned property pricing/distribution process.
Scheme: officials hire a friendly assessment firm that gives a fake lower pricing. The expensive building is then sold to the official's allies for the low price. Later, the new owner sells it in the private market for the much higher "real" value
One questionable transaction was about former Transport Ministery HHK Gagik Beglaryan's family. His brother gave a state property to his wife's firm for a 25-year lease.
 
Q: Mr. chief of State Property Management Agency, what revelations have been made since your appointment in office?
A: We have 32 cases. A big chunk of it is about a specific private company that was hired by the Agency to assess property values. The Agency claimed that the govt-run assessment institute was overloaded, so they needed a private assessment company's help. This private assessor undervalued prices by billions of Drams.
Sports Teams Center was managed by former Minister Beglaryan's brother. The assessor helped to gave its assets to Beglaryan's wife's firm for 25 years. In another instance, DzoraHek hydro plant was given away for a very cheap price. Felony cases are launched.
Q: How many properties have you been able to recover and return under state-ownership?
The main goal is not to return property under state control. The problem is that some of the transfers have been done with violations. Big violations were made in the 90s, 2000s but there isn't much paperwork left. These are long and hard processes to investigate. In some instances, the paperwork is "fixed" to look legal. The most important thing is to act legally from now on.
Q: Has Manvel Tushonka Grigoryan transferred the 5-billion-Dram-worth "Aknalich Beaver Breeding Company" to state yet? (great choice of business m8)
A: Not yet. We'd rather take the firm's property than the firm itself, to save time on legal paperwork. There are 25 land property ownership documents in that case.
Q: Are there many govt institutes that have a shortage of state-owned properties and find themselves leasing from private firms?
A: There are many, unfortunately. Many buildings under our possession are in poor shape and we can't offer them to govt agencies. Today we have a policy of de-centralizing govt by moving govt agencies to suburbs and freeing up their expensive estate in Center.
Q: Pashinyan recently spoke about "illegal mansions" built by former admins in Monument Park. What can your Agency do about it?
A: We can act when the govt passes the law about asset forfeiture. In the case of Monument specifically, the land the mansions were built on is community-owned, therefore it's out of our federal Agency's jurisdiction.
https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181189

disability-aid embezzlement busted

Labor Ministry contacted the prosecutors to audit the aid distributed to disabled people. The report says:
Labor Ministry hired 2 firms to distribute equipment to disabled people, teach them how to use it, at no cost to the disabled.
One of the firms took the money from govt but didn't buy aid for recipients, while in other instances they provided cheaper crap to save money on it, in 2019.
The second firm also purchased cheap crap in Mar-2019 and forged docs before sending the "job completion" report to Ministry.
A felony case is launched. https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181302

school director busted

Uyts, Syunik school director is accused of registering non-existent employees and embezzling their salaries. A felony case is launched. https://factor.am/223890.html

education reforms / exams / subsidy

One of the upcoming Education Ministry reforms will require unified Armenian Langauge exams for all university applicants.
The system that provides student pensions to a limited number of high-performers will also be revamped. Instead of giving X slots to each university, the X will be provided to each "academic field". The student picks their university/major and gets a subsidized education.
Universities' management boards will shrink and be consist of 1 student, 5 university officials, and 6 people from business sector, civil society, education field experts. The members cannot be part of a political party.
"For decades, we had a corroding education system. These reforms touch all areas. We have all the reasons to make these changes. These won't be cosmetic changes," said Education Minister Arayik Harutyunyan during a Parliament session today.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1006002.html

southern border closed for coronavirus

43 Iranians have been diagnosed with coronavirus. 8 deaths. Al Arabiya outlet cites its (unconfirmed) sources claiming there are 18 deaths as of Feb-23.
Armenian Healthcare Ministry dispatched a medical crew to the southern Meghri border entry point to screen arrivals.
The Foreign Ministry advised against traveling to Iran, and for Armenian nationals in Iran to stay in touch with AM embassy. The embassy's consulate suspended its operations and won't accept new visitors, for now, to prepare "some things". The embassy as a whole still function.
 
Pashinyan and "coronavirus prevention taskforce" gathered a meeting. They decided to partially close the air with Iran, fully close the land border for travelers, and allow cargo truck drivers upon stricter inspection. The ban will last for 2 weeks. Armenians in Iran, and Iranians in Armenia, will be able to freely return to their countries.
Turkey, Georgia, and Afghanistan also closed their borders with Iran. Turkey also closed the border with Nakhijevan.
Healthcare Ministry denied rumors of coronavirus patients in Kapan hospital. 83 people were tested and it came negative.
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181256 --- https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181259 --- https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181265 --- https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181283 --- https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181284 --- https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1005929.html --- https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1005938.html --- https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181290 --- https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181303 --- https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1006073.html --- https://razm.info/140491 --- https://nypost.com/2020/02/23/coronavirus-death-toll-in-iran-is-the-largest-outside-china/

earthquake in Iran, Turkey, and Armenia

6M quake shook the Iran-Turkey border near Van. It was felt ~3M in Yerevan and provinces at 9:53 AM.
9 died and 50 injured in Turkey. 104 injured in Iran.
Armenian MFA sent condolences to the victims' families.
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181258 --- https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1005928.html --- https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1005939.html --- https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181297

Baku and Sumgait pogroms

The Armenian community in Vienna organized a protest march to commemorate the upcoming 30th and 32nd anniversary of Baku and Sumgait massacres of the Armenian population. Leaflets were distributed to locals to raise awareness.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1005941.html

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

He is back and kicking butt. Heno passed a ball that led to a goal in 12th minute. On 37th minute he scored the second goal for Roma, against Lecce. 4:0.
Heno said: I feel good about my game, but I could have done better. I like playing in Roma.
Roma coach: we want to keep Heno. He proved he's high-class.
VIDEO: https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1005953.html --- https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181299 --- https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181327

athlete's new citizenship

Allison Halverson is an Armenian-American athlete who just got Armenian citizenship and wants to participate in Tokio-2020.
Her family is a 1915 Genocide escapee. "I'm proud of my new citizenship. My grandpa barely escaped the genocide by dressing in female clothes and taking a ferry to Elis Island. I'm excited for the new journey in Armenia," said the dual-citizen Allison.
https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181319

domestic violence in 2019

468 felony domestic abuse cases were launched in 2019. In 326 cases the charges were dropped: 129 for court acquittal and 197 for lack of evidence. http://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/278217/

no new water-thirsty fish farm licenses

No additional fish farm licenses have been issued in the past 1.5 years. Pashinyan has long complained that they drain Ararat Valley's freshwaters.
Nature Minister Eric:
For too long, profit was placed above the well being of the Ararat waters. Since 1984 there was a standard that water drainage shouldn't exceed 34 m^3/second. Fish farms exceeded that. This resulted in a reduction of Ararat water reserves.
This is an example of why ignoring nature problems end up resulting in economic and social issues later. For every license given to a fish farm, we have a problem with agricultural irrigation, land quality, urban development, etc. No new licenses have been issued in the past 1.5 years except for one experimental firm that uses new technologies. The saved waters will be used on irrigation.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1006123.html

Did a leopard really attack a villager?

Update: A few months ago a Yenoqavan man claimed he was ambushed by a rare mountain leopard while managing his cattle in a forest.
Nature experts examined the paw traces, collected hair samples and sent them to Germany, used hidden cameras, and concluded that the attacker was a lynx and not a leopard. (either way a very bad boy)
"This was a good opportunity for us to examine this area. We didn't know much about nature in here," said an expert.
https://armtimes.com/hy/article/181340

the "other" bad boys

Dogs.
6,000 stray ones live in Yerevan. 3,000 were sterilized. Right now they're a bit more aggressive because of the 2-week mating season (while yours is only 10 seconds).
"The new sterilization approach is a long-term solution and doesn't show results immediately. For 20 years, the dogs were exterminated, which brought no results," said the founder of Dingo Team NGO who is also a member of the Yerevan Municipality Council.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1006032.html

monthly nominal wages in 2019

The average monthly nominal wages were 182.7k ($383) in 2019, says the State Committee.
1) Syunik Province: 267k
2) Yerevan: 201k
3) Ararat Province: 168k
Lowest) Shirak Province: 111k
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181349

new heart surgery

Normally, Armenian doctors do an open surgery to repair the heart's aortic valve. When the patient is elderly and there are risks with open surgery, a closed surgery is necessary.
Armenian doctors didn't know how to do a closed one, until recently. A team of Russian-Armenian experts helped train the Armenian doctors, and over the weekend, they did the second such surgery on an elderly patient in Norq Marash hospital. The patient is recovering.
https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1005894.html

high-tech conference in UAE

High-Tech Minister Arshakyan went to UMEX/SimTEX 2020 expo show in UAE, gave a speech, discussed the ongoing high-tech development in Armenia, tax waivers, TUMO, Armenian scientists' past inventions, called for guests to invest in Armenia. Arshakyan received a "prize".
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181252

Swiss farming experience in Armenia

Education Ministry met reps from the Swiss Cooperation Office. The Office said: we've established 200 farming production chains in 6 provinces of Armenia in the past 10 years. We decided to expand this by providing relevant education to locals.
Education Ministry hopes this will help train experts in the butchering industry (the new tighter safety regulations kick in this year). More experts will be needed in other areas that recently became high-tech, such as shooting cloud-dispersers into the skies, installing hail-resistant nets, smart barns.
https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/181236

DISCLAIMER

The accused are innocent until proven guilty in the court of law, even if they sound guilty. Currency in Armenian ֏ unless specified otherwise. Archived posts by Idontknowmuch : PART 1 ; PART 2 ; PART 3 ; PART 4 ; PART 5.

Apologies, I had some personal issues.
-Netflix Confirms Partnership With Telenor Pakistan – Discount Bundles Expected
Telenor Pakistan has unveiled its partnership with Netflix Pakistan, the global leading internet video streaming service. As a part of Partnership, Telenor’s corporate and postpaid users in Pakistan will have the accessibility to add Netflix subscription fee to their monthly bill, eliminating the need of having Debit or Credit card to their Netflix accounts. New and existing Netflix users having Telenor sims will be able to select Telenor Pay options in their checkout box, so they can pay it via mobile.
-Pakistan Hindu Council dedicates upcoming Holi to Pakistan Day
Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) Sunday unanimously decided dedicating upcoming Holi festival, being celebrated on March 20, to Pakistan. Pakistan Hindu Council, in connection with Holi festival and Pakistan Day, will hold a colorful mega event on Wednesday, March 20, at the Shri Panchumukhi Hanuman Temple, Soldier Bazar, Karachi.
A large number of Pakistani Hindu families, holding national flags, will be present to demonstrate their love for beloved Pakistan. Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who is also patron-in-chief of Pakistan Hindu Council said that patriotic Pakistani Hindu community has decided to celebrate the Holi in a very unique way.
-SBP Plans Low-Cost Housing Scheme for Disabled, Widows & Transgender
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is planning to launch a low-cost housing scheme for widows, children of martyrs, special persons, transgender citizens and people severely affected by terrorism. In this regard, the beneficiaries of the scheme will get a financing facility of up to Rs. 2.7 million from Islamic banks and Islamic banking divisions for housing units with a maximum limit of Rs. 3 million.
The beneficiary will be required to buy a plot and construct a house on it but they should be first time owners and should never have availed any financing facility from any bank and financial institution. The beneficiaries will repay the amount of financing in the next 12 and a half years including a maximum grace period of six months. The repayment of the amount will be made with a 5 percent additional amount.
-First plea filed in tribal court as judicial system becomes functional in erstwhile FATA
First plea has been filed in a tribal court on Monday after establishment of the judicial system in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa (KP), ARY News reported. The newly established judicial system has started working in the tribal districts in which a student hailing from Khyber Agency has filed plea for not registering him in the college.
-Turkish firms to modernise Pakistani submarines.
Turkey's Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. (STM) will add some state-of-the-art features to Pakistan's Agosta 90B submarines as part of a modernization program. Pakistan's Ministry of Defense in 2016 chose STM over the submarines' French manufacturer for the modernization. The company has since paved the way for Turkish engineering exports, in an area that requires expertise in advanced technology.
The tender initially included an Agosta 90B submarine half-life modernization and was later expanded with the addition of modernization works for a second submarine. As part of the program, STM will enhance the capabilities of Pakistani submarines with the addition of Torpedo Countermeasure Systems and acoustic measurement sensors. To that end, an amendment to the initial contract was recently signed by STM General Manager Murat İkinci.
-Canadian investors urged to benefit from Pakistan’s liberal market economy
High Commissioner of Pakistan in Canada Raza Bashir Tarar urged the Canadian investors to avail the opportunity of investment in Pakistan as the country had a liberal market economy with no restraint on repatriation of dividends for the foreign investors. The high commissioner said this in a meeting with Canada Pakistan Affiliated Chamber of Trade (CPACT) to discuss strategy to facilitate trade contacts between business platforms of Pakistan and Canada, according to a press release on Sunday.
He informed the businessmen associated with the chamber that improved security situation and restored macroeconomic stability in Pakistan had created a favourable environment for economic growth. The envoy emphasised on developing synergy between the chambers and trade bodies of the two countries to exploit full potential of the economic opportunities. He added that the high commission would work with the Canadian chambers and trade bodies to develop partnership with their Pakistani counterparts to explore avenues available to enhance trade relations.
-$4.1bn inflow in next two weeks, says Asad Umar
Finance Minister Asad Umar said on Saturday that there will be an inflow of around $4.1 billion in the next two weeks after which the State Bank of Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves will swell to over $12bn. Addressing a seminar on “Financing to Support Make in Pakistan”, organised by Pakistan Business Council (PBC), the minister said that an agreement has been reached with Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) for a loan of $2bn and the amount is expected to be remitted next week. He said that China is also expected to provide $2.1bn in the week thereafter.
Responding to a question, the minister said that loan from ADFD is being sought at a fixed interest rate of three per cent whereas the loan from China is being charged at 2.5pc. He explained that State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reserves, which stand at $8.116bn, will climb to over $12bn after these inflows. He said that the country’s bank deposits as a percentage of GDP stand very low as 85pc of the population believes that conventional banking is not Shariah-compliant, therefore Islamic banks will have to play their role in ensuring availability of funds in the banking system.
-Transport group imports decline 28.87pc
The imports of transport group decreased by 28.87 per cent during the first seven months of the current fiscal year compared to the same duration last year. The transport group imports during July-January (2018-19) were recorded at $1,826.127 million against the imports of $2,567.322 million during July-January (2017-18), according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Among the transport group, the imports of Completely Built Units (CBU) buses, trucks and other heavy vehicles decreased by 40.05 per cent – from $147.743 million last year to $88.574 million, whereas the imports of CBU motor cars decreased by 36.08 per cent – from $302.616 million to $193.430. The imports of CBU motorcycles also witnessed a negative growth of 41.19 per cent by falling from $3.982 million to $2.342 million.
-Promotion of fintech imperative for economic growth: Asad Umar
Pakistan Business Council on Saturday organised an event titled “Financing to Support: Make in Pakistan” at a local hotel in Karachi. The event was attended by important stakeholders ranging from startups, SMEs, agribusinesses to regulators, bankers and government officials.
In his opening speech, PBC CEO Ehsan Malik said, “The theme of the event, ‘Make in Pakistan’, reflects the council’s efforts in promoting the industrial sector of the country. Pakistan is deindustrializing at an alarming rate, from a high of 17.5pc of the GDP, the share of manufacturing dropped down to 12.1pc in 2018. This drop in the share of manufacturing has led to a reduction in the share of manufactured goods in Pakistan’s exports, besides a reduction in Pakistan’s share in the global exports.” Although the speakers were only given a time slot of 20 to 25 minutes to submit their presentations, they were still able to touch upon a variety of financing issues plaguing their respective sectors and present alternate models that could work as solutions.
-Around 835 people will be given jobs in Qatar, KP CM vows
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan announced on Saturday that around 835 skilled workers from Miramshah will be given jobs in Qatar.
After Prime Minister Imran Khan’s meeting with his Qatari counterpart Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani in Doha on January 21, a foreign office official had said that Pakistan would also discuss the issue of exporting Pakistani manpower to Qatar under which the people of Miramshah will be provided employment. During his speech, CM Khan said that the students who score well in their exams will be granted Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 as a prize.
“An interest-free loan will also be provided to the youth of Miramshah to set up businesses,” the CM stated. “Tourism will be promoted in Miramshah and all the problems regarding the IDPs of Waziristan will be resolved at the earliest.”
-Govt to Privatize TIP, PTCL and 47 Other Organizations
The federal government has decided to privatize Telephone Industries of Pakistan (TIP) and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd. (PTCL). This was revealed before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Privatization which met with Syed Mustafa Mahmood in the chair. The committee was informed that the government has decided to privatize 49 organizations within the next five years, comprising of two phases.
-Set up of the first information security conference in Pakistan
-Pakistan Foreign Exchange Reserves register significant increase
The total liquid foreign reserves held by the country stood at US$14,956.2 million on March 01, 2019, said weekly report issued by the State Bank here on Thursday.
-Popular Youtube Tourist Drew Binsky annoucnes Pakistan tour.
-Pakistan's first Dalit woman senator to champion girls' education
As the first woman senator from Pakistan’s lowest Dalit caste, Krishna Kumari Kohli has an ambitious to-do list, from tackling honor killings to kidnappings and child marriage. But for the former child bride from a poor Hindu family, the need to improve women and girls’ health and education in the conservative Muslim-majority nation is closest to her heart.
“Never in my wildest of dreams did I think I’d ever become a senator,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Kohli’s election on Saturday marks a milestone in Pakistan both as a woman - who hold about one in five parliamentary seats - and as a member of the Dalit caste - a term she rejects as derogatory.
-PM Imran approves first-ever tariff policy
Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved first-ever tariff policy recommended by the Ministry of Commerce devised after detailed consultation, ARY News reported on Wednesday.
The new policy formulated on basis of transparency is being termed as an effective tool to simplify existing tariff structure. PM Imran Khan was briefed on the new tariff policy by the commerce secretary which will be presented before the federal cabinet after its formal approval. The premier was apprised that the policy was focused on gaining access to raw material and generation of employment.
-SECP: Company registration up by 26 percent
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 1,290 new companies in February. As compared to the corresponding month of last financial year, it represents a growth of 26 percent raising the number of registered companies to 96,510.
The massive increase is the result of the SECP’s various reforms measures, i.e. introduction of simplified combined process for name reservation and incorporation, one window facility for company incorporation and NTN generation, reduction of fee, assistance of incorporation by facilitation wings of CROs etc. Around 75 percent companies were registered as private limited companies, while around 22 percent were registered as single member companies. Three percent were registered as public unlisted companies and limited liability partnerships (LLP).
Foreign investment has been reported in 39 new companies. These companies have foreign investors from Argentina, China, Denmark, Germany, Jordan, Kenya, Korea South, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Sweden and the US. The highest numbers of companies, i.e. 468 were registered in Islamabad, followed by 322 and 240 companies registered in Lahore and Karachi respectively.
-Govt in talks with potential buyers for Pakistan Steel privatization: official
The government has been in talks with five to six parties for privatization of Pakistan Steel, Secretary Privatization on Wednesday told the National Assembly’s standing committee on privatization.
Federal Secretary on Privatization, Rizwan Malik, in a testimony on privatization programme before the National Assembly’s standing committee here said that from Year 1991 to 2018, the governments privatized 172 state-owned entities. The buyers interested in Pakistan Steel intend to enhance the production capacity of the mill to 3.5 million tonnes, the secretary said.
-Pakistan makes offer to Iranian government over various new Railways Routes
Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad has emphasized the need to strengthen the two-way cooperation between Pakistan and Iran in rail sector.
He was talking to Islamic Republic News Agency during his visit to Iran. The Minister said Pakistan can send its products to Central Asian and European states using the Iranian rail network. Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said Iran and Pakistan should cooperate in building railway links between Taftan and Quetta and Chahbahar and Gwadar.
-Pakistan foreign remittances register significant growth
The workers remitted US $14350.53 million in the first eight months (July to February) of FY19, showing a growth of 11.82 % compared with US $12833.64 million received during the same period in the preceding year. During February 2019, the inflow of worker’s remittances amounted to US $1576.51 million, which is 9.56% lower than January 2019 and 8.71% higher than February 2018.
-Pensioner's benefits to increase
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari has said the government is committed to raise Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution pension amount up to minimum fifteen thousand rupees by 2023. Talking to APP, he said it is imperative to utilize EOBI funds rationally to handle the expenses to be incurred in five years.
-Pakistan Arms imports reduce significantly, Weapons imports from US drastically cut by 81%: Report
Pakistan's arms imports have reduced significantly during the last five years. Pakistan Arms imports decreased by 40 per cent between 2009-13 and 2014-18. US arms exports to Pakistan fell by 81 per cent between 2009-13 and 2014-18, it said. Pakistan has instead turned to other suppliers. For example, in 2018 it ordered 4 frigates and 30 combat helicopters from Turkey.
-PM Khan issues orders issuing of directive banning ministers from using more than one car
Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken notice of ministers using more than one official car and has directed the Chief Minister of Punjab, Usman Buzdar, to issue a notification banning all provincial ministers from using more than one car.
In this regard, CM Usman Buzdar has issued a notification and has directed Additional Chief Secretary Punjab and the Department of Administration and General Services to ensure that the policy is implemented with full effect; they have been further directed to enforce this policy forthwith.
-Pakistan Turkey FTA to take bilateral trade near $4 billion
President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Engr. Daroo Khan Achakzai has appreciated the efforts of Governments of Pakistan and Turkey to enter Strategic Economic Framework (SEF) for enhancement of bilateral relations in various sectors including trade, tourism, healthcare, hospitality, industry, education, housing, agriculture, aviation and banking. He stated the main purpose of SEF was to enhance bilateral trade by five times from current volume of $ 800 million (approximately). For achieving this goal, it was expected that both the governments might sign Free Trade Agreement during the current year. Pakistan and Turkey both were the members of ECO, D-8, CACCI and OIC and the existing trade volume does not reflect the strong friendly relations, said a FPCCI release here on Monday. FPCCI president urged the government of Pakistan to resolve/negotiate on all anti-dumping barriers imposed by Turkey on Pakistani textile and other items before the signing of the FTA .
-Pakistan inks CPEC Phase II with China
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday said Pakistan had made an agreement for phase two of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement with China
-KP launches afforestation plan
The Khyber Pakthunkhwa Government has started work on a gigantic afforestation plan to increase forest areas up to 30 percent in next five years to mitigate growing effects of global warming and climate change in the country.
Under the plan, Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP) has been extended to merged tribal districts of erstwhile FATA to use its vast land for plantation and efforts would be made to enhance forest cover to 30 percent from existing 26.3pc by 2023 in Khyber Pakthunkhwa, a senior official of Forest Department KP told APP on Sunday.
-Pakistan to receive $2 billion cash from friendly country
Abu Dhabi has agreed to deposit US$2 billion to the State Bank of Pakistan as part of its agreement to loan $3 billion to Islamabad. A deposit agreement was made between the State Bank of Pakistan and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development on Saturday. The funds are expected to be received shortly. In January, the State Bank of Pakistan received $1 billion of the $3 billion loan promised to the country by the UAE . The rate of return for the loan is 3%.
-Pakistan National Savings register unprecedented rise of 126%
The Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) has achieved the net target of Rs217 billion during first eight months (Jul-Feb) of the financial year 2018-19, as compared to the collection of Rs96 billion during the same period last year, showing a surge of 126pc. The total savings held by the CDNS stood at Rs1,376 billion as of February 28 while the directorate had Rs726 billion by the same date a year ago, a senior official of CDNS said.
-26 LPG Plants worth Rs 48 billions to be installed in Balochistan
Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar on Friday said that Rs48 billions has been released for establishment of 26 LPG air-mix plants in Balochistan to meet the gas demand there.
-Exxon Mobil report on Pakistani oil and gas discoveries to be released on March 15th
Drilling was stopped due to the srill strking ample rock, causing damage. The drilling will be resumed again in next two to three days after replacement of necessary parts in the equipment. Mehmood Molvi said offshore drilling report was due to be submitted on March 7, but it will now be released after March 15.
-PM Imran Khan launches medical package for the people of Tharparkar
Prime Minister Imran Khan said it was his first public meeting after the general election 2018, and he opted to visit Tharparkar as it was one of the most backward districts of Sindh, where 75% people were living below poverty line and some 1300 children had died due to malnutrition over the last three to four years. Imran Khan said his main objective behind the political struggle and reaching the power corridors was to pull the people of Pakistan out of poverty. He said today 112,000 families of Chachro were getting Sehat Insaf Cards, which would provide them Rs 720,000 per annum facility for free of charge treatment of various diseases at public and private hospitals. “We will provide this facility to every family throughout the district”, he added. The Prime Minister also announced two mobile hospitals equipped with medical and surgical facilities as well as four ambulances to cater to the medical needs of people in far flung areas of District Tharparkar. In order to address the water problem faced by the people of Tharparkar, he also announced the sanction of 100 reverse osmosis (RO) plants, to be installed in the area. The Prime Minister said the federal government would also provide electricity to the far flung areas of Tharparkar through solar system, which would also help run the RO plants in the area. He said the federal government would do whatever it could to help lift up the people of Tharparkar, who had left behind other areas of the country. The Prime Minister announced the launching of a political campaign in Sindh and invited the political workers and leaders to join Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf in serving the people of the province.
-Chinese company expresses interest in investing billions of dollars in PM's housing plan
HSS Group Wednesday expressed its commitment to allocate US$2 billion in partnership with Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co Ltd (XCMG) of China for building the five million homes project of the prime minister. This commitment was expressed by a delegation headed by XCMG General Manager Dr Hanson Liu and HSS Facility Management Chairman Syed Saman Hashemi, which called on Prime Minister Imran Khan here. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood and Special Assistant to PM Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari were also present during the meeting. HSS Group is a global partner of XCMG and other major Chinese companies. XCMG is China’s nimber one leading total solution provider for global construction industry equipment and machinery. XCMG also expressed its willingness to set up a heavy equipment manufacturing plant/assembly-line in Pakistan. The prime minister was apprised that XCMG with its expertise of constructing high-rise buildings and housing units wanted to partner in prime minister’s five million housing program.
-NFIS targets three million new jobs, $5.5bn additional exports by 2023
The government has set a target of creating at least three million new jobs and additional exports of $5.5 billion by 2023. National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS), according to the Ministry of Finance, will enhance the usage of digital payments to 65 million active digital transaction accounts, increase deposit-to-GDP ratio to 55pc, promote financing to 700,000 small and medium enterprises, increase agricultural finance disbursements to Rs.1.8 trillion, serve six million farmers through digitalised solutions and enhance the share of Islamic banking to 25pc in the banking industry.
Chairing a meeting of the NFIS Council on Tuesday, Finance Minister Asad Umar said that his government was fully committed to improving the livelihoods of Pakistanis through job creation, promotion of entrepreneurship and enhancement in the access to formal financial services. During the 6th meeting of NFIS Council, Asad Umar said that the government prioritized NFIS as part of its agenda to achieve inclusive economic growth through digitalization of government payments, enhanced access to finance and deposit base, promotion of SMEs, easy and affordable access to finance to farmers, facilitation in low-cost housing finance and provision of Shariah-compliant banking solutions.
-Opportunity for Pakistan as US withdraws duty-free benefits from India
Pakistan is ready to avail the opportunity that emerged after the announcement made by the US that it was withdrawing special duty benefits on Indian exports under the Generalized System of Preference (GSP). “On March 5, the United States decided to withdraw import duty benefits which were in the range of 1-6pc, under its GSP programme,” a senior official of the Ministry of Commerce and Textiles told APP on Thursday.
He said that the US gave the status of GSP to 121 developing countries, including India, Afghanistan and Botswana, in order to get non-reciprocal, duty-free imports of certain products. “Around 2,000 Indian products were enjoying the duty-free status before the announcement.” The senior official said that the United States and Pakistan would discuss the matter in the coming meeting of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which would be held this month. The meeting would also deliberate upon resolving different trade issues between the two countries, he added.
-South Asia’s first ever remote-controlled cranes arrive in Pakistan
Hutchison Ports Pakistan received three new remote-controlled quay cranes to mark the beginning of the terminal’s second phase in Karachi. The development will make Pakistan the first country in the South Asia region to install semi-automated, cabin-less cranes.
Hutchison Ports Pakistan, the country’s first and only deep-water container port, received the first installment of these high-tech cranes as part of its agreement signed with Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co Ltd (ZPMC) for the purchase of eight new cabin-less remote-controlled quay cranes and 24 remote-controlled rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGCs). This incoming equipment will be the first of its kind in the country. Hutchison Ports Pakistan is the first container terminal in Pakistan that has adopted remote-controlled, semi-automatic and driver-less cab technology for its quay cranes. The new remote-controlled quay cranes will be able to lift a container weighing up to 65 tonnes under the spreader, ensuring safe and smooth operations.
-Rs 530 million illegally sent abroad have been recovered through its Assets Recovery Unit (ARU).
Rs 530 million illegally sent abroad have been recovered through its Assets Recovery Unit (ARU). “The amount has been recovered after tracing offshore properties and bank accounts”, sources said.
-Delegation of Mitsubishi Corporation encouraged by the business friendly policies
Kimihide Ando said that the company is encouraged by the business friendly policies of the present government and intends to further strengthen its footprint especially in meeting energy requirements of the country.
He also conveyed to the Prime Minister that the Government of Japan has decided to increase its engagement with Pakistan and support Japanese companies in increasing investment in Pakistan. The Prime Minister welcomed the decision of Japanese Government and the interest of Mitsubishi Corporation regarding exploration of greater business opportunities in Pakistan.
-Benami law implemented
PTI government has finally implemented the Benami Act in a bid to document the economy. It has given a go-ahead to the tax officials to seize properties, vehicles, and bank accounts registered with fictitious individuals. From now onwards, all moveable and immovable assets registered with fictional entities to avoid taxes will be confiscated.
The law will finally take effect today following a delay of more than two years. Notably, the term ‘Benami’ means holding assets or properties in the name of a person other than the benefiter of that account.
-Pakistan and Turkmenistan sign final version of TAPI Gas Pipeline network
Pakistan and Turkmenistan signed the final version of the Host Government Agreement on TAPI Gas Pipeline network in Islamabad today. The agreement was signed by the Secretary Petroleum Mian Asad Hayauddin and Chief Executive of TPCL Amanov.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan reiterated Pakistan's commitment for an early and successful implementation of the TAPI project. He hoped the ground breaking of the project will be held in Pakistan this year.
-230 Pakistanis released from Saudi Arabia jail reach home
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development Zulfikar Bukhari on Tuesday said 230 Pakistanis released from Saudi Arabia’s jail had reached the country, ARY News reported.
“The previous governments did not do anything for overseas Pakistanis. The ministry of overseas Pakistanis was known for corruption in Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) and Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI),” Zulfikar Bukhari said in a statement.
Every department of the ministry was ruined and the incumbent government would require some time to fix them, he said adding that he was not eager to announce new housing scheme for the OPF. “I want to first deliver to those from whom the ministry got money in the past.”
-Pakistan successfully test fires extended range missile from JF-17 Thunder
Pakistan Air Force successfully test fired indigenously developed extended range smart weapon from JF-17 multi-role fighter aircraft, today.
It is indeed a great milestone as the weapon has been developed, integrated and qualified solely through indigenous efforts of Pakistani scientists and engineers. The successful trial has provided JF-17 Thunder a very potent and assured day and night capability to engage variety of targets with pinpoint accuracy.
-Barca legend Puyol to visit Pakistan for WSS promotion
Barcelona legend Carles Puyol will land in Karachi on March 16 to officially kick-off the ticket sales for the 2019 World Soccer Stars event. Teams led by football greats Luis Figo and Ricardo Kaka will play two matches in Lahore and Karachi respectively between April 26 and 29. Earlier, french great Nicolas Anelka visited Islamabad for the promotion of the event, after Figo and Kaka visited Pakistan too.
-Choppers to take tourists to northern areas
In line with directives of the prime minister, the government has decided for the first time to issue licenses to private airlines to commence helicopter services in the northern areas. The separate category of license will be issued in order to promote licenses and will be known as Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration (TPRI). The firms desiring to offer helicopter services at the tourist spots will have licenses issued on their requests in two months and they will be valid for five years.
-Punjab aims to achieve 7% economic growth by 2023
After seven months in power, the provincial government of Punjab has revealed its growth strategy for 2018-23, reflecting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long-term plan. The five-year plan is aimed at developing a people-centric growth strategy and addressing fundamental and structural imbalances in Punjab. Economic managers of the province want to move towards sustainable and regionally equitable economic growth.
The provincial government aims to achieve annual growth of 7% by 2023 through these strategies. The government also plans to reduce the ratio of idle youth in Punjab from 10.3% in 2017-18 to 8.8%. The success of the policy is conditional as the provincial government needs to launch vigorous efforts to raise its own resources.
-Govt approves machine tool factory’s revival plan
The government has approved the handing over of Pakistan Machine Tools Factory (PMTF) to the Strategic Plans Division in an effort to turn around the ailing state-owned tools manufacturing unit. The Ministry of Industries and Production informed the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet, in a meeting held last month, that PMTF’s assets as on June 30, 2018 were worth Rs6.92 billion and its liabilities stood at Rs5.59 billion. The liabilities included overdraft of Rs1.108 billion, accrued mark-up of Rs700 million and outstanding arrears of Rs865 million in salary and retirement benefits.
The ministry proposed three options for PMTF’s revival which included injection of Rs3.94 billion by the government comprising a soft loan of Rs2.105 billion and grant of Rs1.84 billion. The company management has projected a pre-tax profit of Rs195 million by financial year 2022-23.
-Govt approves Rs2bn worth Ramazan relief package
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, while deliberating upon a summary proposed by the Ministry of Industries and Production on Tuesday, approved Rs2 billion worth Ramazan relief package for the year 2019. According to sources, the Ministry of Industries and Production recommended the ECC to add 19 essential commodities, including ghee, sugar, flour, oil, pulses (channa, moong, mash, masoor), white gram, baisen, dates, rice (basmati, sella, broken), squashes & syrups (1,500ml and 800ml bottles), black tea, spices and milk, in the relief package for Ramazan.
“The main objective of the subsidy is to ensure the availability of essential commodities at reasonable prices for low-income families,” sources said, adding that the ministry also proposed the ECC to bring the Ramazan relief package to effect from May 1, 2019, as the holy month would commence from the second week of May. Sources said that the cabinet in its sitting this Thursday would most likely endorse the ECC’s decision with regard to the Ramazan package.
-Pakistan to offer gas fields to foreign explorers, investors
Pakistan plans to offer dozens of gas field concessions in the coming year to fill in a fuel shortage, a senior official said, with Islamabad hoping a sharp drop in militant violence and changes to exploration policy will attract foreign investors. Much of the mineral-rich South Asian nation remains unexplored despite gas discoveries dating back to the 1950s. Conventional gas reserves are estimated at 20 trillion cubic feet (tcf), or 560 billion cubic meters, and shale gas reserves, which are untouched, at more than 100 tcf.
Italy’s ENI and US oil major Exxon Mobil are jointly drilling for gas offshore in Pakistan’s Arabian Sea, but many other Western companies have not returned after leaving more than a decade ago because of Islamist militant violence. Nadeem Babar, head of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Task Force on Energy Reforms, said that the government was amending its natural gas regulation and drawing up its first-ever shale gas policy, with licensing rounds to follow later this year.