ENGLISH – Page 31 – OVERSEAS TRIBUNE

PML-N gears up to end PTI govt in K-P

July 31, 2017 News Desk

PESHAWAR: PML-N has finally decided on bringing an in-house change and overthrowing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government in Khyber-Pakhtunkwa. The provincial leadership said that the PML-N central leadership had turned down a number of parties’ request who wished to form a coalition government in K-P. However, the party had now decided to bring an in-house change. “We could have formed a PML-N government but respected the PTI mandate. However, PML-N provincial assembly members should gear up for an in-house change and soon there will be a change in the K-P assembly,” PML-N…

‘Sharifs’ will keep making comebacks through ‘court of masses’: Saad Rafique

July 30, 2017July 30, 2017 News Desk

Two days after the top court issued a verdict disqualifying Nawaz Sharif, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has said the ‘Sharifs’ will keep on making a comeback despite the ouster. “Nawaz Sharif is a statesman who embraced all the opposition against himself,” an angry Saad Rafique said. “One Sharif is gone, but the next has arrived; if he is ousted too, we will bring in a third one and then a fourth and so on.” The PML-N leader said it was not stated in the judgment that the premier had used his position unlawfully or…

NAB arrests 4 revenue officials for embezzling Rs450m

July 30, 2017July 30, 2017 News Desk

QUETTA: Four officers of the Balochistan Revenue Department have been arrested for embezzling Rs450 million in the garb of land acquisition.The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Balochistan on Saturday nabbed the accused, including a tehsildar of the revenue department. The arrested persons were identified as Tehsildar Quetta Revenue Office Muhammad Jan, Potwari Mohammad Alyas, Kannongo Abdul Wahid and Syed Saleem Jan. The accused would be brought to the court so as to obtain their remand for investigation. Further arrests are expected in the case. Source: Express Tribune

Mujhtaba Shuja likely to be next CM Punjab

July 30, 2017 News Desk

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Excise and Taxation Mujhtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman is likely to be elected as chief minister of Punjab after the incumbent CM Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, steps down to replace his toppled brother, Nawaz Sharif, as prime minister, party sources have revealed. Shehbaz is expected to quit the Punjab Assembly seat PP-159 early next week. He will contest election to the National Assembly on NA-120 seat, which has fallen vacant after Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification, According to the sources, other PML-N leaders considered for the position of CM included Punjab Law Minister…

Nawaz added whopping $35b to Pakistan’s debt

July 30, 2017 News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s government obtained a whopping $35 billion in new loans during his four-year tenure to repay maturing debt and keep official foreign currency reserves at a level which could give a sense of economic stability to investors. About $17 billion or nearly half of the total loans obtained from July 2013 to June 2017 were utilised to repay the previous debt, shows statistics maintained by the finance ministry. The government added net $18 billion to the country’s total external debt and liabilities – the highest amount…

Careem and Uber’s price surcharge is here to stay

July 30, 2017July 31, 2017 News Desk

Over the past month, there has been a barrage of criticism by users of ride-hailing services like Uber and Careem. The reason behind this criticism has been the higher than usual fares due to price surcharges. So why are we seeing this peak or surge pricing model come in to play? The short answer is simple: a shortage of supply of vehicles. Expense vs convenience When Uber first began rolling out surge pricing around the world, it was vilified with social media campaigns like #neveragain, which called for a boycott…

PTI expels QWP from coalition in K-P

July 30, 2017 News Desk

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has thrown the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) out of the coalition government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for “not supporting its stance on the Panamagate case”. “Coalition with the QWP has ended as it did not support our stance on the Panama Papers case against the Sharif family,” said PTI’s provincial spokesperson Shah Farman while addressing a presser in Islamabad on Saturday. Flanked by K-P Minister for Revenue Ali Amin Gandapur, Farman revealed that the decision to expel the QWP from the K-P coalition government was taken by party chairman…

Hamza being considered for Punjab CM slot

July 30, 2017 News Desk

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is set to succeed his brother at the Centre in less than two months, is looking towards his son, Hamza Shahbaz, as his replacement in Punjab so as to keep the position in the family, but also because he enjoys a degree of comfort in dealing with his son, say Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) insiders. According to the party insiders, however, the final say on who gets to helm Punjab rests with ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is looking to consolidate the…

Social media erupts at Musharraf for congratulating SC bench on ‘brave’ Nawaz ouster

July 30, 2017July 30, 2017 News Desk

Retired Gen Pervez Musharraf on Friday posted a video message to the Twitter account of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), hailing the Supreme Court’s disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as a “historic decision”. “Today is a historic and important day for Pakistanis,” he said in a recorded video, in which he also briefly summarised the decision of the apex court bench. “I want to heartily congratulate the Supreme Court bench especially because it is a brave decision which is in accordance with the principles of justice and fairness.” He added that he…