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| Cabinet approves energy conservation bill |
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Clocks to be reversed on Nov 1; Fata ministers stay away from meeting in protest
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Monday approved, in principle, the draft Energy Conservation Bill 2009 in order to offset the growth in energy supply and reduce energy consumption and energy demand per capita.
The cabinet met with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in the chair here at the PM Secretariat.Meanwhile, briefing newsmen on the cabinet decision, Minister of State for Information Samsam Bukhari said the meeting also ratified the ECC decision regarding introduction of ethanol-blended fuel - E10 or gasohol - in the country. “As per revisited decision, petroleum levy will be applicable at the reduced rate of Rs 8.5 per litre on the ethanol component of E10 and the Petroleum Development Levy will be imposed on the rate of per litre,” he added.
He said the cabinet also approved an amendment to the Ogra Ordinance enabling the authority to regulate marketing and pricing of ethanol as petroleum product. About the strings attached to the Kerry-Lugar Bill, the minister of state said that there was nothing in the bill that was not in the interest of Pakistan.
Replying to a question regarding the discussion in the cabinet on increasing the tariff on electricity, Samsam said the cabinet did not discuss this issue as this decision comes under the purview of Nepra, not the cabinet.
Answering a question about the sugar crisis in the country, he said there was no sugar crisis as it was being projected. Regarding reversal of clocks by one hour, he said the clocks would be reversed from November 1.
Though the issue of increase in the support price of wheat crop was also on the agenda of the meeting but it was deferred till the next cabinet meeting. The minister said the issue was not discussed as there was an ample time for sowing the crop.
He said despite financial constraints, the government was providing subsidy to the agriculture sector. Answering another question regarding American threats of drone attacks on Quetta, Samsam rejected the reports and said Pakistan was fighting its own war against terrorism and it would continue till the elimination of terrorism from the country.
The prime minister constituted a three-member committee, headed by the federal education minister, to look into the issues regarding the establishment of the National University of Law and Social Sciences in Islamabad and it will have its campuses in all the four provinces. The committee would put up its findings in the next meeting of the cabinet.
The cabinet approved the signing of a loan framework agreement with China for PAKSAT-IR system project. The cabinet also approved the National Drinking Water Policy envisaging provision of adequate quantity of safe drinking water to the entire population at an affordable cost.
It also approved draft “Pakistan Marine Insurance Bill” aimed at providing adequate protection to marine insurance companies, their claimants or principal debtors in a marine insurance claim.
Online adds: The federal ministers and secretaries from Fata boycotted the cabinet meeting and handed over their resignations to their parliamentary leader Munir Khan Orakzai over the attitude of the NWFP governor and negligence of the federal government for not fulfilling its promises.
Sources said Prime Minister Gilani has taken notice of the absence of three Fata ministers. Minister for Environment Hamid Ullah Jan Afridi, Minister for Zakat and Usher Noorul Haq Qadri, State Minister for the Northern Areas Senator Abdul Razaq, parliamentary secretaries Jawad Hussain and Shaukatullah took the stance that they would not attend the meeting of the federal cabinet unless their demands were not met.
When Online contacted Munir Khan Orakzai, he said three federal ministers and two parliamentary secretaries from Fata have decided to tender their resignations following the killing of innocent persons, worsening law and order situation and negligence of the government for not fulfilling its promises and, what he called, misconduct of NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani.
Munir further said the Centre has never taken the issues and affairs of Fata seriously for the past 18 months, and summoned any meeting to review law and order situation in connection with Fata.
He said Fata has also been ignored in budget and the promises made by the government are yet to be fulfilled. He said Pakistan was receiving aid worth billions of US dollars but the federal government had not spent a single penny on Fata.
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CJ says good governance being compromised
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that good governance is being compromised as it is believed that the administration of justice is the sole duty of courts or the legal fratern more |
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Hakimullah dies of wounds in Multan?
By Mushtaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Reports about the death of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud once again started circulating on Tuesday and this time it was being reported that the militant commander had succumb more |
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MNAs seek solution to Sindh-Punjab water rift
ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly on Tuesday urged for the resolution of the water crisis between Punjab and Sindh, failing which would lead to serious repercussions for the country.
Yousuf Tal more |
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Good governance hinges on change in national behaviour: PM
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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that change in the collective behaviour of the nation is necessary for the promotion of good governance. He said that his government believed in streng more |
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NIC made mandatory to get sugar from USC outlets
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The ECC met here unde more |
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Three provinces to hold LG polls in four months
By Hanif Khalid & Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: A high level meeting here on Tuesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadr decided that the chief ministers of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan would hold local government elections in four months.
President Asif Al more |
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Senators condemn attack on Sh Rashid
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Senators on Tuesday strongly condemned the murder attempt on Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members advised Sheikh Rashid to stop more |
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PIA obliges religiously; latest being religious minister
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), facing a mind-boggling loss of about Rs70billion, has quietly upgraded two seats of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi and his wife fr more |
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A brigadier without brigade has a history of thrashing
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: The basher-brigadier of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), who assaulted his professor colleague late Thursday, has a long list of such incidents on his credit as his resume is sprin more |
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PAC settles drought money misuse
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: A special committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) probing misuse of drought funds worth million of rupees on Tuesday conveniently settled majority of charges against deputy auditor general o more |
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NA-55 by-polls
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has urged all the political parties, including the PML-N, to withdraw from the NA-55 by-polls in favour of Sheikh Rashid.
“ more |
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Point scoring be avoided in Rashid attack case: Shahbaz
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the Rawalpindi incident on Monday had grieved every Pakistani.
He said a joint investigation team comprising federal and provincial agencies including I more |
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SC moved against delay in judges’ appointment
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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was moved on Tuesday against the government’s delay in the appointment of judges in the apex court and was prayed for directing the government to perform its constitutional duty by more |
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‘74 killed in Bajaur operation’
By Hasbanullah Khan
KHAR: Security forces claimed to have killed 74 militants and injured 54 others and wrested the strategically important hilltops and areas from the insurgents during the weeklong military operation in the Mamon more |
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Afghan unrest kills US, French soldiers
KABUL: A US and French soldiers were killed in attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the alliance said.
The US service member was killed in an improvised bomb blast in southern Afghanis more |
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Army called in for today’s Lakki by-election
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The government has requisitioned the services of the Pakistan Army to augment the police and civil security forces for conducting the NWFP Assembly by-election on PF-75 Lakki Marwat for which polling more |
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Meeting discusses political issues
ISLAMABAD: A meeting held here at the presidency on Tuesday and presided over jointly by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani discussed political and development issues in the N more |
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Rashid accuses PML-N of promoting criminal culture
ISLAMABAD: Head of Awami Muslim League, Sheikh Rashid, on Tuesday criticised the PML-N-led Punjab government for promoting criminal culture in Rawalpindi and the province.
Talking to a private TV channel more |
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Briefs...
Over 64 dead in Afghan avalanches
KABUL: At least 24 bodies have been recovered and 40 other people are feared dead after avalanches swept vehicles into a ravine and trapped cars in a mountain pass overn more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
