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Who misled PM Kakar on free electricity issue?

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  • Utility bills of SC, high courts judges paid by the government.
  • NAB chairman also enjoys the facilities include free electricity.
  • PM Kakar’s statement on free power units is not based on facts.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s statement that only Wapda’s employees, including retired ones, get free electricity and there is no such facility available for anyone else including judges, is not based on facts.

The prime minister appears to have been misinformed as not only the utility bills (including electricity bills) of the serving judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are paid by the government but the retired ones also get free electricity up to 2000 units a month in case of an ex-SC judge and 800 units a month in case of a former high court judge.

Not only this, the serving president and prime minister enjoy free utilities including free electricity without any limits but in the case of the ex-president, he is provided 2000 units a month of electricity at the cost of taxpayers’ money.

NAB chairman also enjoys the facilities like that of a Supreme Court judge, which include free electricity. There is no confirmation of what the prime minister has claimed about services’ chiefs.

President’s Salary, Allowance and Privileges Act, 1975 as amended in 2018 says in Section 7 that the actual charges for electricity and gas consumption shall be paid in each year to the president.

The President’s Pension Act envisages the provision of electricity to the extent of monthly consumption of 2000 units, gas to the extent of monthly consumption of 10 HM3 and water.

In October 2020, Justice Faez Isa and his wife released income tax and asset details in which it was clearly written that post retirement benefits of a Supreme Court judge include 2000 units of electricity, 25 HM of gas, water and 300 litres of petrol per month.

High Court Judges (Leave, pension, privileges) order 1997 not only talks about the payment by government for provision of electricity gas and water but also says in Section 28 that a judge on retirement and after his death, the spouse shall be entitled to certain benefits including 800 units of electricity per month as well as 25 HM3 of gas per month.

All those quasi judicial public offices including the offices of NAB chairman, federal ombudsman etc where retired judges, or retired civil servants are appointed, the residence utility bills are also paid from the public kitty.

According to a NAB document, “i) Chairman NAB shall be entitled without payment of rent to the use of a residence provided by the Government throughout his term of office maintained at Government expenses with all utilities to be paid on actual basis by the Government. ii) In case of non-availability of Government accommodation or the Chairman chooses to reside in a private residence, the expenses on maintenance and all utilities as per actual, will be paid by the Government, in addition to house rent allowance.”

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The PPP and PML-N will confer on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab today.

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The coordination committees of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are scheduled to convene today at the Governor’s House in Lahore to deliberate on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab.

The PPP delegation would comprise Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Hassan Murtaza, and Ali Haider Gilani.

Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazir Tarar, Rana Sanaullah, Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, and Maryam Aurangzeb will represent the PML-N.

The conference will discuss local issues in Punjab and offer a forum for the PPP to express its concerns over its collaboration with PML-N in the province.

Both parties seek to fortify their partnership and optimize governance techniques in Punjab.

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Sheikh Rasheed says PTI and government negotiations won’t provide any results.

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Sheikh Rasheed voiced his worries about the nation’s ongoing political dilemma while speaking outside the Anti-Terrorism Court.

According to Sheikh Rasheed, a committee was established to negotiate, but the process has not produced any tangible results. In order to emphasize the seriousness of the situation, he said, “Political conditions are extremely bad.”

He made the joke, “Even after war, if negotiations fail, then it will all come down to judo karate,” in reference to the next steps.

“Everyone there prays for Pakistan’s betterment,” Sheikh Rasheed, who had returned from Saudi Arabia, said. He emphasized the necessity for the nation’s circumstances to improve and stabilize.

Assad Qaiser, a former speaker and PTI leader, had earlier called on Speaker Ayaz Sadiq of the National Assembly to discuss the official start of talks with the government.

The two leaders shared their opinions on bringing parties together on matters of national importance and reducing political tensions and conflict.

“I will persuade my people, you persuade the hardliners in your party,” Ayaz Sadiq said to Assad Qaiser.

The party’s founder is in jail, and the PTI leadership has asked to meet with him. “We will continue to confer with him,” Assad Qaiser declared.

Earlier, PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai stated that if the discussions don’t begin, a campaign of civil disobedience will begin on December 14.

Speaking to the media Regarding the meetings, Yousafzai claimed that the government ministers were making insincere remarks.

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Bushra Bibi maintains bail as the IHC concludes the FIA’s petition.

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) conducted a hearing about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea for the revocation of Bushra Bibi’s bail.

The court, led by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, rejected the FIA’s petition during the hearing.

Judicial Proceedings

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb sought information regarding Bushra Bibi’s location, to which her attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, affirmed her attendance in court.

The judge urged the counsel to regard the matters with gravity, underscoring the necessity of adherence to trial protocols.

The court sought details about instances where Bushra Bibi had been exempted from attending trial hearings and clarified that if the High Court grants bail and the accused fails to appear, the trial court holds the authority to cancel the bail.

Justice Aurangzeb assured that such actions would not amount to contempt of the High Court’s order.

Based on these considerations, the court closed the proceedings and dismissed the FIA’s plea.

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