China ready to start five new corridors under 'CPEC-2': Pakistan

Pakistan's Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has said that China is ready to start five new corridors under CPEC-2.

 

Hasan and Hussain Nawaz Sharif are expected to arrive in Pakistan today

The portfolios were handed over to the ministers included in the federal cabinet

Hassan and Hussain Nawaz reached Lahore Airport

Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif's UK-based sons Hasan and Hussain Nawaz arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday.

Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Captain Safdar along with Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz were co-accused in the references made as a result of the Panama verdict in the Supreme Court.

The accountability court declared the two accused as criminals for non-appearance seven years ago and issued permanent arrest warrants for them on July 6, 2018.

Later, Islamabad Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana suspended the perpetual arrest warrant last week and adjourned the hearing till March 14, giving Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz an opportunity to appear before the court on March 7, 2024.

After reaching Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif's sons can appear before the court till March 14, 2024.

President Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's decision not to take salary

Pakistan's newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi have announced in their separate statements on Tuesday that they will not take the salaries of their positions.

According to a statement issued by the Presidency: 'President Asif Ali Zardari has decided not to take his salary.'

The statement added that the President took this decision in view of the economic challenges facing the country.

According to the statement of the Presidency, the purpose of this decision is to encourage prudent financial management in the country. "The President decided not to burden the national treasury and preferred not to take salary."

On the other hand, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement on X that it is an honor to serve as Interior Minister. Decided not to take his salary during this period. In this difficult time, I am determined to support and serve my nation in every possible way.'

China ready to start five new corridors under 'CPEC-2': Ahsan Iqbal

Pakistan's Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has said on Tuesday that China is ready to start five new corridors under CPEC-2.

Work is already underway on the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Ahsan Iqbal said in a conversation with media representatives on Tuesday that "Our government, which was 16 months old, had worked hard to restore China's confidence in CPEC, which was a major sign of the completion of CPEC on August 1, 2023." The Deputy Prime Minister of China participated in the 10-year celebrations.

He added that China is ready to launch five new corridors for CPEC Phase Two, including Corridor of Growth, Corridor of Job Creation and Livelihood, Corridor of Innovation, Corridor of Green Energy and Corridor of Inclusiveness. including regional development.

Ahsan Iqbal said that the current government of Pakistan will make this offer of China a reality with full determination, just like Pakistan in the first phase of CPEC between 2018 and 2013 in the first phase of about 25 billion dollars. I made a very key investment possible.'

The federal minister said that at present our entire budget is running on loans. "In the budget of the federal government, there is a total of 7000 billion rupees and 7500 billion is required to pay off the debts, which means that we have to borrow beyond our own resources to pay off the debts. is needed.'

"No economy can be sustainable with these figures, so our biggest challenge is how to increase productivity to pay off these debts," he added.

Hasan and Hussain Nawaz Sharif are expected to arrive in Pakistan today

The children of Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who are living in Britain, are expected to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday.

According to correspondent Mona Khan in Islamabad, the accountability court of Islamabad suspended the permanent arrest warrant last week and adjourned the hearing till March 14, giving Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz an opportunity to appear before the court.

Hassan and Hussain Nawaz's lawyers Qazi Misbah-ul-Hasan and Rana Irfan advocate appeared before the court, while Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar, Prosecutor Sohail Arif appeared before the court on behalf of NAB.

The lawyer of the accused, Qazi Misbah-ul-Hassan, advocate had argued in the court and said that 'all the other accused have been acquitted by the High Court in the reference, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz will come to Pakistan and appear before the court on March 12.'

NAB Prosecutor Sohail Arif told the court that two arrest warrants have already been suspended, the law says that arrest warrants are suspended only when the accused appear in court, arrest warrants cannot be suspended without appearance. The meaning of the warrant is to bring the accused to the court, so the accused can come and surrender themselves in the court, appear in the court themselves, the accused should be given an opportunity to appear in the court.'

Hussain Nawaz and Hasan Nawaz had filed applications in NAB references Avenfield, Flagship and Al-Azizia.

The accountability court had issued permanent arrest warrants on July 6, 2018, declaring the two accused as criminals for non-appearance seven years ago.

Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Captain Safdar along with Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz were co-accused in the references made as a result of the Panama verdict in the Supreme Court.

The portfolios were handed over to the ministers included in the federal cabinet

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Ministers included in the federal cabinet of Pakistan were handed over portfolios today.  

According to the announcement issued by the government, Khawaja Muhammad Asif has been appointed as Defense Minister, Muhammad Ishaq Dar as Foreign Ministry, Attullah Tarar as Information Ministry, Abdul Aleem Khan as Privatization Ministry, Muhammad Ahsan Iqbal as Planning Minister, Chaudhry Salik Hussain as Overseas Pakistanis and Mohsin Naqvi as Minister. The portfolio of the Ministry of Interior has been given.

Ministry of Commerce to Jam Kamal Khan, Industry and Production to Rana Tanveer Hussain, Petroleum to Mossadegh Malik, Law to Azam Nazir Tarar, Science and Technology to Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Qaiser Sheikh, Riaz Pirzada, Ahad Cheema, Owais Leghari to Railways and Muhammad Aurangzeb. has been appointed as the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance.

Ahad Cheema has been given the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh the Ministry of Maritime Affairs.

Federal Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif

A meeting of the newly elected federal cabinet was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's House, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the federal cabinet to immediately establish a committee to control the prices of food items and other daily items in the country.

In the first meeting of the Federal Cabinet, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Commerce, it has been approved to ban the export of nails and onions till April 15, 2024.

According to the statement, this ban has been imposed to ensure abundant availability of nails and onions in the market during the month of Ramadan.

On this occasion, Shahbaz Sharif said that 'Our first test is to control the prices of goods in the month of Ramadan.'

The Federal Cabinet has approved the request of Dutch citizen Mohammad Aurangzeb to regain Pakistani citizenship on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs.