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01-13-2017, 06:07 AM
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Senate chairman seeks report from govt on missing activists
Rabbani says resolution against ban on student unions to be tabled in Upper House; govt comes under fire over external, internal debts ISLAMABAD: Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani took **tice of the abduction of ‘the fifth social media activist’ and sought a report from the government on the issue of missing activists. “There are reports in newspapers that a**ther person has been picked from Islamabad: this brings to five the number of those gone missing in the last 12 days. If any group is behind this trend, it is even more alarming,” he said. Rabbani sought a report about the previous abductions from Lahore and Islamabad besides the latest one from the federal capital. “If the media reports are correct, this is a very dangerous trend of abductions within a short period of 12 days,” Rabbani cautioned. Citing a statement by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the Senate, who had categorically stated that it was **t the state’s policy to kidnap persons, Rabbani questioned if this was so, it was a matter of more concern if a group was behind all these abductions. Meanwhile, the Senate Committee of the Whole (House) decided to bring in the House a resolution for the revival of student unions. The committee met here at the Parliament House under Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani, who asserted that a judgement by the Supreme Court could **t bar parliament from legislation. He recalled that the ban on student unions was imposed in the wake of an apex court decision in 1993. He lamented that the governments had been dilly-dallying on steps to revive the unions and had been hiding behind the Supreme Court's decision. The committee decided that the resolution would be prepared within two weeks and members of the Senate would be free to give their opinion in this connection within 10 days. PML-Q Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that male and female students had played a very active role during the Pakistan Movement and strongly advocated the revival of student unions. Senator Farhatullah Babar of PPP contended that all aspects of the matter would have to be taken into account in this context as to how the unions be restored. He called for legislation and said that it might be limited to Islamabad only but this would send a very clear message to the provinces on student unions. Senator Babar Awan of the PPP pointed out that ban on student unions was imposed so that capitalists could be brought into politics. He proposed tabling of a resolution for restoration of student unions. Senator Hasil Khan Bizenjo of the National Party said that it was wrong to level the allegation of violence on student unions. Nihal Hashmi of the PML-N said it was imperative to revive the student unions, as these were necessary for the promotion of democracy. He added democracy was incomplete without student unions. Senators Abdul Qayyum, Taj Haider, Ayesah Raza Farooq, Ch Tanvir Khan and Javed Abbasi also spoke on the occasion. Meanwhile, the government came under scathing criticism from the opposition in the Senate for ‘piling up external and domestic loans’ with warning that the continued borrowing could lead to a situation where servicing the loans might become impossible. Speaking on his calling attention **tice, PTI Senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Syed Shibli Faraz came hard on the government for what he alleged its insatiable appetite for loans and continued violations of fiscal responsibility and debt limitation law. Referring to media reports, the senator claimed that the government was planning to borrow a**ther Rs1.6 trillion in the current quarter. “If this borrowing spree continues, we will **t be able to service the loans," he feared. Senator Shibli also criticised the government for its failure to levy direct taxes saying it neither had the writ **r the will to do so. He regretted that majority of the budget was eaten away by debt servicing, while expenditures were increasing alarmingly. He pointed out that it was also extremely worrying that ** foreign direct investment was coming to Pakistan. The PTI senator also questioned transparency with regard to the China-Pakistan Eco**mic Corridor (CPEC) project and said that the terms and conditions on which loans were being obtained, must **t be kept as a guarded secret as it would create doubts. He called for sharing details with the nation. Replying to his **tice on the behalf of Finance Minister, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said Pakistan’s net public debt to GDP ratio increased marginally by 1.1 percent during the last three years of the PML-N government as compared to the increase of 6.7 percent witnessed during the previous government’s tenure and 6.8 percent increase in the global debt to GDP ratio in the last three years. The minister claimed that major debt sustainability indicators had improved in the last three years and added refinancing risk of the domestic debt portfolio was reduced through lengthening of the maturity profile at the end of June 2016. “Likewise, percentage of domestic debt maturing in one year was reduced to 51.9 percent compared with 64.2 percent at the end of June 2013,” the minister maintained. Zahid Hamid went on to claim that exposure to interest rate risk was also reduced as the percentage of debt re-fixing in one year decreased to 44.4 percent at the end of June 2016 compared to 52.4 percent at the end of June 2013. The minister explained that the share of external loans maturing within one year was equal to around 31.9 percent of official liquid reserves at the end of June 2016 as against around 68.5 percent at the end of June 2013, indicating an improvement in foreign exchange stability and repayment capacity. He said the government had repaid around $12 billion of external debt till end of June 2016, which was mainly related with the borrowings of the previous government. Despite these heavy repayments, he pointed out, the foreign exchange reserves stood at $24 billion, up from $11 billion at the end of June 2013. The statistics, the minister shared with the House showed the net domestic debt increased from Rs9.49 trillion in 2013 to Rs13.17 trillion at the end of fiscal year ending June 2016, while external debt increased from $48.1 billion (Rs4.8 trillion) to $57.7 billion (Rs6.05 trillion). Hence, the total gross public debt rose to Rs19.68 trillion at the end of fiscal year 2016 from Rs14.3 trillion in 2013. Therefore, the gross public debt that stood at 64 percent of GDP in 2013 went up to 66.5 percent. About the amnesty scheme, the minister said that ** final decision had yet been taken on launching an amnesty scheme for those holding wealth abroad for bringing it back to Pakistan without the fear of penalty on payment of **minal tax on the declared asset. Opposing an adjournment motion on the issue moved by MQM’s Senator Attique Ahmad Sheikh, the minister said some trade bodies had asked for it and the government had assured them that it would be considered. However, Rabbani said he recalled a statement by the finance minister in which he had said the government was mulling over a proposal to launch an amnesty scheme. He held the motion in order and fixed the matter for two hours discussion on Tuesday. Speaking on the motion, the MQM senator said that the people who had transferred their wealth abroad would get a legal way to bring it back to Pakistan under the scheme. To a**ther calling attention **tice moved by Chaudhry Tanvir Khan of the PML-N about open sale of petroleum products without licence especially of petrol, which was **t only a violation of rules but also a severe threat to the lives and properties of people, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that selling petroleum products without licence from Ogra was an illegal activity and punishable under the law. The minister said, “If such an activity is carried out anywhere, Ogra takes **tice of it and the provinces have also been directed to nab those involved in the activity.” About the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline (IPI), he said that unless the international sanctions against Iran were completely lifted, the IPI project could **t be carried forward. He **ted that there would be ** dollar trade with Iran unless the sanctions were lifted. أكثر... ??????? ??????: Senate chairman seeks report from govt on missing activists || ??????: ahlam1399 || ??????: اسم منتداك
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