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Media 92 News
LAHORE: Opposition leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Punjab Assembly opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz, were indicted on Tuesday in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

The father-son duo appeared before an accountability court in Lahore earlier today, where they were indicted in the Ramzan Sugar Mills corruption reference.

Both Shehbaz and Hamza pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The National Accountability Bureau in February had filed a reference against the two alleging that the former chief minister of Punjab misused his authority by using public funds for the construction of a bridge to facilitate the Ramzan mills, owned by his sons.

As the hearing began, Judge Najamul Hassan asked the NAB prosecutor what the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference was, to which the prosecutor replied that public funds were used to build a nullah for the mills.

Shehbaz, in his defence, responded, “In 10 years, I have saved the country billions of rupees, and God knows that. I had nothing to do with this nullah, and no money was wrongfully used.”

The Lahore High Court on February 14 had granted bail to Shehbaz in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing scheme and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases. The opposition leader was earlier indicted in the Ashiana scheme case.

Hamza Shehbaz was granted pre-arrest bail till April 17 by the LHC, which also restrained NAB from arresting him in cases pertaining to ownership of assets beyond means, until further notice.

Hamza was also directed to submit bail bonds worth Rs10 million.

NAB carried out two successive raids on Friday and Saturday at PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s Model Town residence to arrest Hamza. A NAB team seeking Hamza’s arrest had a nearly five-hour-long standoff with his private security and party supporters, with the situation resolving only after the LHC restrained the watchdog from arresting Hamza and granted him protective bail until April 8.

Media 92 News
LAHORE: A spokesperson of the Sharif family on Monday denied reports that a man offloaded from a Dubai-bound flight earlier today and handed over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was a manager of the Ramzan Sugar Mills.

Sources in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said Muhammad Mushtaq, who was set to depart for Dubai from Lahore via a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, was offloaded as his name is on the Exit Control List (ECL). His name was placed on the ECL on NAB’s request, the sources further said.

Mushtaq is accused of making a Rs70 million transaction in Salman Shehbaz’s bank account, sources added.

However, the Sharif family spokesperson said, “Muhammad Mushtaq was never a manager of any of the family’s sugar mills. Mushtaq was never even an employee of the Sharif family.”

“Sharif family’s media trial is an ill-intentioned and regrettable step. The purpose of issuing such one-sided statements without any investigation is character assassination,” the spokesperson added.

NAB has been probing Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. According to NAB, Shahbaz Sharif, being chief minister of Punjab, had issued a directive for the construction of a drain in Chiniot district primarily to benefit the sugar mills owned by his sons — Hamza and Salman.

(Lahore(Media 92 News
Early last month, in an unexpected turn of events, a lawmaker in Punjab, Abdul Aleem Khan, was arrested by the anti-graft body on alleged charges of corruption.

Khan wasn’t just any provincial minister. He was in charge of the ministry of local government and community development in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province. In January, he was given the additional charge of running the ministry of planning and development. But more importantly, he was a senior minister: the only one who held that position in the 35-member cabinet of the province.

Khan was important in the ranks of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). His closeness to Prime Minister Imran Khan kicked up rumours, soon after the PTI came to power in August, that he was in the line for the throne in Punjab. Therefore, the chief minister slot. But corruption charges, many believe, dashed his prospects.

Now the former businessman is locked up. Chances are that he may petition a court to be released on bail. Once out, he could reoccupy the positions he left and simultaneously fight the graft charges against him.

That could be a long wait. Then there are no guarantees he would secure the bail.

So, till then, others are jockeying to take his place. Those aspiring to be the next senior minister, and take over Khan’s high-profile departments are: Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal, currently the minister for industries, commerce and investment and Mian Mehmood ur Rashid, the minister for housing, urban development and public health engineering in Punjab.

Rashid, an old PTI stalwart, has the strongest lobby backing him, which include the likes of Ejaz Chaudhry, the party president in the province.

As for Iqbal, he has been toadying up to those close to the prime minister, to clinch the slot for himself, according to those privy to the developments.

For now, the ministry of local government and planning have been handed over to Muhammad Basharat Raja, the provincial minister for law and parliamentary affairs.

Last week, a meeting of the chairman of district councils was presided over by Raja at the civil secretariat. Furthermore, the taskforce formed by the prime minister, to recommend a new local government system for the province, was also chaired by him.

“The chief minister and other senior leaders in the PTI-government want Raja to continue overlooking these portfolios,” said a government official, who asked not to be named. The chief minister’s support alone should put Raja ahead of the line. Still, others are aspiring to outdo him. One reason could be that the law minister is himself reluctant to be named the senior minister in Punjab.

At a meeting, last month, when the prime minister was visiting Lahore, Raja told Imran Khan that no one should now be made the senior minister, not even him.

“There is no senior minister position in Punjab anymore,” Raja told Geo.tv, over the phone, “Earlier this position was given to Aleem Khan because he was a senior worker of the party.” He further added that he was asked by the prime minister and chief minister to become the senior minister in the cabinet, “but I refused.”

That hasn’t closed the chapter. The race, as they say, is still on. Even though, Aleem Khan is not complete out.

LAHORE: (Media 92 News) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf member Syed Sumsam Ali Bukhari was sworn in as Punjab provincial minister on Tuesday.

Bukhari was administered the oath by Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar at the Governor House. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and other provincial ministers.

Bukhari will replace Fayyazul Hassan Chohan as Punjab information minister, who tendered his resignation a day earlier from his post as provincial information and culture minister over his anti-Hindu remarks.

Punjab CM spokesperson Dr Shahbaz Gill tweeted welcoming Bukhari on-board as Punjab information minister.

Chohan tendered his resignation, after apologising for his anti-Hindu remarks as he faced severe criticism from senior members of his party’s government and social media users. A day earlier, CM Buzdar had summoned Chohan at the CM House and asked him to tender his resignation.

Chohan in his apology had said, “I was addressing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian armed forces and their media not the Hindu community in Pakistan.”

“I apologise if my remarks hurt the Hindu community in Pakistan,” Chohan continued. “My remarks were in no way directed at Pakistan’s Hindu community.”

Punjab CM accepts Fayyaz Chohan’s resignation over anti-Hindu remarks

Chohan had added, “I will respond befittingly to whoever looks at my nation with a dirty eye. Every last drop of my blood is for my nation.”

The Punjab information minister had come under severe criticism from senior members of his party’s government and social media users with #SackFayazChohan trending on Twitter for his anti-Hindu remarks while addressing a gathering on February 24.

A video had gone viral of Chohan making the remarks while responding to Indian rhetoric in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.

LAHORE:(media92news) As many as 18 departments will be housed in the planned south Punjab “mini secretariat” though the issue of selection of a city for setting it up has become more complicated for the provincial government because of the jumping in of Mr Jehangir Tareen who reportedly wants the establishment at Lodhran.

Earlier, Executive Council on Creation of South Punjab Province chairman Chaudhry Tahir Basheer Cheema wanted the mini secretariat in his hometown of Bahawalpur, and the chief minister and the bureaucracy believed it should be set up in Multan for a better liaison with the seat of the provincial government in Lahore.

Officials on Sunday said there was also the third option for establishing the secretariat at Lodhran.

Those wanting the secretariat in Multan argue that the expected opening of the Lahore-Multan motorway on February 15 would reduce the travelling time between the two cities by three hours. This would facilitate communication between Lahore and the mini-secretariat.

They say that initially the authorities had proposed the secretariat could be established in the Cotton Research Institute in Multan. But the idea was dropped and now the New Kutchery on the city periphery was being pointed out as the best possible location for it.

The buildings of the courts (kutchery) were constructed over 100 kanals in 2015-16, but the local lawyers and judges posted in Multan had found it unsuitable for the purpose and they returned to the old premises in the city. Since then, the New Kutchery had been lying vacant and could be used for setting up the mini-secretariat without any hassle, an official said.

“Selection of the city is very important but the issue has become complex because of the diverse opinion by those who matter now in Punjab. Every group has its own justifications. Let us see what happens,” a senior official said.

Meanwhile, sources said the government has started planning how to attract officials to the south Punjab mini-secretariat from Lahore where they have official residences, proper conveyance and good educational institutions for their children.

In this connection, the sources said, several incentives for officials were being planned. One of them was to give the officials secretariat allowance like being given to those working in the provincial civil secretariat, besides additional pay, proper residence and good vehicles.

The sources said nearly 150 posts of the 18 departments to be housed in the mini-secretariat had been initially created. The secretariat would function under an additional chief secretary. Each department would be represented by a special secretary, having a team of two additional secretaries, four deputy secretaries and four section officers. Every team would have supporting staff.

The departments that would function there included planning and development, health, education, irrigation, communication and works, finance, local government, housing, women development , energy and agriculture.

Sources said at present the authorities were considering the financial limit of approval of development schemes by the mini-secretariat. The P&D department was of the view that the mini-secretariat should be allowed to approve development schemes up to Rs200 million. Another view was to raise this limit to Rs500 million, authorising the P&D Board to sanction schemes over and above this ceiling through the provincial development working party in Lahore.

PESHAWAR: An accountability court on Thursday indicted Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former federal minister for communications Dr Arbab Alamgir and his wife Asma Alamgir, a former MNA.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against the couple for allegedly accumulating assets worth Rs332 million which were beyond their known sources of income.

Accountability court Judge Muhammad Ishtiaq heard the case against Dr Arbar and Asma today and indicted them after the respondents concluded their arguments. The court summoned four witnesses on January 24.

Speaking to the media after the hearing, Dr Arbab said, “Our properties belong to our ancestors and have been in the family for the past 200 years.”

“I also informed NAB about the properties that are not in my name,” he added.

Further, Asma while speaking to the media termed NAB “a joke” and said, “A reference was filed against us but not against former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervaiz Khattak.”

Demanding that Khattak’s name be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), Asma said, “The references that have been filed against us are incorrect as we pay taxes.”

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mehmood Khan has been summoned by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday in connection with a case involving misappropriation of land leased out in Malam Jabba for ski resorts.

According to NAB officials, Mehmood has been summoned for questioning in his capacity as the former provincial minister for sports, culture, tourism and museums. He will be questioned about his alleged involvement in the scam during the last Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP.

Earlier in January this year, it emerged that the KP government had illegally leased 275 acres of land in Malam Jabba, a tourist attraction in Swat district, which belonged to the provincial forest department.

The provincial government was to lease a mere 17-acre patch: five acres for construction of a hotel and 12 acres for a chairlift project, for 15 years. However, instead it allegedly gave 275-acre land to a private company on lease for 33 years, violating the rules and regulations.

The vast tract was reportedly leased despite objections by the KP Ehtesab Commission and CM’s inspection team.

NAB had launched an inquiry into the matter on the instructions of its chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal.

PESHAWAR: Today marks the fourth anniversary of the devastating terrorist attack on Army Public School Peshawar.

On December 16, 2014, terrorists stormed the army-run school and martyred around 150 people, including more than 130 young students. The incident shook the country and resulted in the formation of a National Action Plan to stem extremism and terrorism in the country, as well as the creation of military courts to try ‘hardcore’ terrorists.

A special function has been arranged at APS Peshawar today to pay homage to the martyred students and teachers. Similar functions and walks are also being held in other parts of the country in the memory of the victims.

In his message on the fourth anniversary of the tragedy, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said the sacrifices of the students of APS Peshawar would always be remembered.

He said the tragic incident showed the brutal mindset of terrorists who targeted innocent students within the educational institution, exposing their nefarious designs against humanity, education and knowledge.

Mahmood Khan said that the incident united the entire nation to eliminate terrorism from the country.

The chief minister vowed that the provincial government would always extend a helping hand to the bereaved families. A monument had been constructed in Peshawar in the memory of the martyrs, he added.

He reminded that the government and the security institutions were on the same page to launch the national action plan for total eradication of terrorists and terrorism from the country.

The minister also paid rich tributes to the parents of the martyrs for bearing the loss with patience and fortitude.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday constituted a joint investigation (JIT) team to probe the role of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the case related to the transfer of land of the Pakpattan shrine in 1985.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the suo motu case pertaining to the transfer of 14,000 kanals of land of the Pakpattan shrine to Dewan Ghulam Qutab in 1985. Nawaz was the then-chief minister of Punjab province when the land in question was transferred.
After hearing the arguments, the top court constituted a three-member JIT to probe the case. The JIT will be headed by National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Chairman Khaliq Dad Lak and comprise an official each of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
The rules and regulations of the JIT will be decided by December 27, the bench remarked. JIT members should appear before Supreme Court after submitting Terms of Reference (ToRs) by December 27, it added.

“The JIT will probe the role of then-chief minister of Punjab province Nawaz Sharif in the transfer of the land,” the SC bench further said
During the hearing, the chief justice remarked, “From the documents it is clear that Nawaz as Punjab chief minister transferred the Auqaf Department’s land to a private owner. Nawaz Sharif says he has no memory regarding this.”
Justice Nisar then asked Nawaz’s laywer, Barrister Zafarullah, who should they get the case investigated by to which he said, “You can ask anyone to probe it.
“Nawaz says he did not de-notify the land. Do you know what the consequences will be if this is proven wrong,” Justice Nisar further said.
The bench then formed a JIT to probe Nawaz’s role in the transfer of the land.
During the last hearing, the Supreme Court had summoned Nawaz and asked him to suggest how to probe the case against him. When the chief justice asked whether a JIT should probe the case, Nawaz had said some other body should probe the matter as his experience with JITs had not particularly been pleasant.

Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser on Information Murtaza Wahab. Photo: Geo News screengrab

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser on Information Murtaza Wahab on Monday refuted reports that the provincial governor had been removed from the apex committee.

The 23rd session of the apex committee was held at the Sindh CM House earlier today and was attended by the chief secretary, corps commander Karachi, DG Rangers, IG Sindh and other officials. However, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail was not in attendance.

In the past, the Sindh CM and governor used to co-chair the apex committee meetings.

Earlier reports had emerged that the Sindh governor had been removed from the apex committee. However, Ismail had said that he got no official notification in this regard. “If I have been removed from the apex committee then that is not a good thing,” he had said.

However, speaking to the media after the apex committee meeting, Wahab said, “The notion that the governor Sindh has been removed from the committee is wrong. The governor is not a member of the apex committee and used to be called as an honourary member.”