The News international, Karachi, Teesday, June 20, 2008 +

NATIONAL 3


THC disposes |
of contempt
plea against
Adiala jail
superintendent |
ISLAMABAD: The islama-

‘| bad High Court (IHC) on


Monday disposed of con-
tempt of court petitions
filed against the Adiala

4{ Jail superintendent over
the alleged non-provision
of signed vakalatnamas
(powers of attorney) to
PTI founder and his wife,


‘SARGODHA: Women on thelr way on an electric scooty at the Club Chowk, Monday.

Climate ministry
working in
constrained fiscal
space: Malik

NA panel expresses concerns over water pollution;
“environmental degradation in Islamabad

BY asim Yasin             : Work had been prepared and International standards,

was awaiting approval. They including those of the Euro-

ISLAMABAD; The Ministry  were also apprised of the pean Union. The committee
of Industries and Production Pakistan Accelerated Vehi- sought a comprehensive
and the Ministry of Climate cle Electrification (PAVE) briefing on Pakistan's pol-
Change and Environmental programme, as well as addi- icy framework relating to
Coordination jointly briefed tional schemes under consid-_genctically modified organ-
the Standing Committee of eration, including facilitation isms and biosafety. kt further
the National Assembly on for government employees directed the Ministry to fur-
Climate Change and Envi- in BPS Grades 1-16 and nish complete details of all
ronmental Coordination on skill-enhancement initiatives, Laboratories certified lo con-


Pakistan's Electric Vehicle ..

+ The Committee was also duct vehicle emissions test-

(EV) Policy, outlining incen- briefed on the Ministry's
tives for electric two- and Public Sector Development
three-wheelers, measures to. Programme for FY 2026-27.
expand charging infrastruc- The Federal Minister for
ture, and ongoing efforts to Climate Change and Envi-
encourage the localisation ronmental Coordination,

ing and to submit a detailed
report on the demarcation
and legal boundaries of the
Margalla Hills National Park,

. The members also raised
concems regarding water

of manufacturing and reduce Dr, Musadik Masood Malik,
reliance on imported compo. noted that the Ministry was tal degradation within the
nents,                    .        operating within a con- Islamabad Capital Terri-
. _ The Standing Committee strained fiscal space and tory. Particular attention
of the National Assembly on had prioritised new initia. was drawn to contaminated
Climate Change and Envi- tives relating to a botanical water sources and untreated
ronmental Coordination held garden and air quality, with wastewater entering nat-
fits meeting under the chair private-sector participation ural streams, The officials
of acting Chairperson Dr to be explored.            - informed them that action
Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro. Dr. Musadik also briefed was being taken against
The Ministry of Industries members on completed pro- illegal discharges and that
and Production, together jects, including the Pakistan a sowage treatment facility
with the Ministry of Climate Biosafety Clearing House, st Korang Nullah was under
Change and Environmental established to meet the development to reduce pol-

pollution and environmen-

Coordination, briefed the
Committee on Pakistan's
Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy.

Members sought clarifi-
cation regarding the avail-
ability of charging stations,
the affordability of electric
vehicles, battery recycling
mechanisms, incentives for
manufacturers, indigenous
production of spare parts,

country's reporting obliga- lution flowing into Rawal
tions under the Cartagena Dam. It further discussed
Protocol and to strengthen institutional coordination

the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, as well as a
water quality inidative under
which laboratories and lest-
ing facBities had been made
operational, including under
the WASH programme.

+ The federal minister also

on climate financing, green
taxonomy, international
partnerships, and the formu-

lation of new National Ambi-|

ent Alr Quality Standards,
which are expected to be
Ginalised later this year with
technical assistance from the

Bushra Bibl, declaring the
matter infructuous after
the documents were made
available...

A division bench com-
prising Chief Justice Sar-
dar Muhammad Sarfraz
Dogar and Justice Muham-
mad Asif directed the par-
ties to proceed with final
arguments in the appeals
against the convictions
in the $190 million case,
However, on the request}
of the defence, the hear-
ing was adjourned for two
weeks, .

During the proceedings,
defence counsel Barrister
Salman Safdar informed
the court that although
signed ‘Vakatatnamas’
telaling to Supreme Court
proceedings had been pro-
vided, documents required
for matters pending before
the IHC were still awaited.
He requested the court to
direct prison authorities
to facititate the remaining
documentation.

Chief Justice Dogar
observed that the con-
tempt petitions had
become ineffective after
the ‘Vakalalnamas’ were
signed and assured coun-
sel that the remaining
documents would also be
provided.        .

Advocate General
Islamabad Naveed Hayat
Malik argued that the
defence had misled the
court during the previous
hearing, maintaining that
the ‘Vakalatnamas’ had
been signed on June 16
and that prison authorities
had already contacted the
lawyers to collect them.

When Barrister Sal-
man Safdar submitted
that he had challenged
the suspension-of-sen-
tence proceedings before
the Supreme Court and
had not yet received fresh
instructions from his ¢li-
ents to argue the appeals,
the bench indicated that if
the defence was unwilling
to proceed, the National
Accountability Bureau
(NAB) would be asked to
begin its arguments.:
Later, PTI Chairman
Barrister Gohar All Khan
and senior counsel Latif,
Khosa requested two
weeks to enable the legal

AJK unveils record
Rs286bn budget

By Syed Abbas Gardezi

IRPUR (AJK): Azad Jaron
a Kashmir (AJK) on Mone
day presented a record budget
of Rs256 billion for the fiscal
year 2026-27, reportedly its
largest budget in the history,
and a reflection of the govern-
Tents commitment to public
welfare, economk develop-
Toent am social justice...
Presenting the budget in

the AJK Legislative Assem- .

bly held in the state capital
of Muzaffarabad, Finance
Minister Chaudhry Qasim
Majeed said the total outlay
for FY 2026-27 has been set at
RPS bilbon, compared tothe
revised budget of Rs262.165
bdbon for the outgoing fiscal
year, showing an increase of
RQ3.835 billion

The  budget”  includes
Rs36 billion for development
expenditures and Rs250 bil
lion for non-development
expenditures, The govem-.

ment expects to generate .

Rs762 billion in tax revenue,
while the federal variable
grant has been estimated at
Rsti6 biltion,

Following the federal
budget announcement,
the finance minister also
announced a seven percent
Increase in the salaries of gov.
emment employees, -

Highlighting the govern:
ment's priorities,  Majeed
announced 3 landmark
cation Package 2026 almed at
strengthening the education

sector across the AJK. The - ‘ The AJK minister stated vide interest-free loans to’
package includes the crea- that the Annual Development 2,267 skilled individuals under
Gon of 3,308 new teaching Programme (ADP) for FY the Prime Minister's Youth
positions, rationalisation of 2026-27 has been set at Re3G6. Loan Programme and to
1,629 posts, upgradation of billion, iycluding Rsi billion in 30,000 beneficiaries through
700 educational institutions, forcign assistance. Of the total Akhuwat Islamic Microfi-
strengthening of more than ADP, 31 percent will be spent nance. ~~

300 schools, ars! establish- on social sectors, 12 percent      ‘The finance minkster sad

ment of 109 new educations}
institutions. An actitional 726
posts have also been created
in higher education institu

on productive sectors, and the government had also intro-
57 percent on infrastructure duced Climate and Gender
development.                                Budget Tagging for the first
Major infrastructure ini- time, aligning public spending
tiatives include construction with climate resilience and

The finance minister said of 671 Kilometres of roads, gender equality objectives,
the government has allocated rehabilitation and upgrading — Concluding his speech,
substantial resources to of 3M Kilometres of roads, Majeed expressed confidence |
improve healthcare services. construction of RCC and Bai- that the budget would accel-
Several Basic Health Units ley bridges, expansion of elec-_ erate socio-economic devel-.
will be upgraded to Rural tricity transmission networks, opment, create employment
Health Centres, while Rural installation of new transform opportunities, improve public
Health Centres in selected ers, and provision of 30,000 services, and strengthen the |
areas will be elevated toTeh+ new clectricity connections.‘ foundations of a prosperous |
sil Headquarter hospitals He = The government also and self-reliant Azad Kash-
also announced the estab- announced plans to expand mir,
Eshment of a modem cardiac information technology infra-       Soon after  the  budget
hospital at Chakswari and structure, establish IT Exce}- speech, the:          ine Assome |
increased stipends for house lence Centres in all districts, bly approved the budget for
officers and postgraduate digitise land Tecords,  intro- the next fiscal year and the
medical trainees,                   duce                services and revised estimates for the cur-
In the law and order sec- expand telehealth factlitles  tent fiscal year on the motion |
tor, the government approved across the region.         of the finance minister, with-;
the establishmentofaCounter . To promote agriculture’ out any debale, by suspending
Terrorism Department (CTD) and livestock, the budget pro- the relevant Rules of Business.
within the AJK Police, with poses distribution of 100,000 of the Assembly,
473 new positions to be cre- fruit plants, establishment of —_ Earlicr, the 42nd meeting
at