KEEPING WARM
Pakistani tribesmen sell old winter clothes on a roadside in Chaman, Pakistan, yesterday. Many cities in Pakistan are experiencing unusual cold weather conditions during which regular daytime temperatures fall to subzero degree Celsius in wide parts of the country.
Pakistan likely to table new anti-terror bill
In an effort to provide legal cover to the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), Pakistani government will table a bill before parliament next week. The move is aimed at streamlining the authority’s work amidst reports of its poor performance. Nacta has so far spent over Rs524mn in counterinsurgency initiatives, but ended up producing only a brief documentary and a few research papers since its establishment. Under the National Counter Terrorism Authority Bill 2012, legal cover will be provided to the former executive body which will prepare comprehensive national counterterrorism strategies.
Border points not geared to handle trade with India
Businessmen believe that the Pakistan’s infrastructure and customs clearing facilities are not fully geared to handle trade with India, which would be unleashed when both the countries reduce their trade barriers by the end of this month. Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Farooq Iftikhar said that a policy declaration for the establishment of a business centre at Wagah at the first stage and thereafter at the other land borders was direly needed to facilitate manufacturers, traders, importers and exporters. “Wagah and other land borders of the country are not ready to cope with trade with India,” he said.
Plan panel releases $1.03bn for development
The Planning Commission of Pakistan has so far released Rs98.9bn ($1.0302bn) under its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) against total allocations of $2.427bn for the fiscal year 2012-13, according to the latest data of the commission released yesterday. Of total, Rs55.1bn has been released for 344 infrastructure development projects, while Rs40.7bn was released for 673 social sector projects, it said. Similarly, Rs1.1bn have been released for 68 other projects and Rs2bn for the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA). According to the data, these releases have been made against Rs233bn PSDP allocations.
Senior citizens’ welfare bill ready for Islamabad
A bill aimed to resolve different issues faced by senior citizens has been prepared for Pakistan’s federal capital territory of Islamabad. The Islamabad Capital Territory Senior Citizens Welfare Bill 2012 has been drafted by the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development prepared (CAD),” says a press release issued by CAD yesterday. To take input from various stakeholders and finalise the bill for rights of the senior citizens, the National Council of Social Welfare, an ancillary department of CAD, HelpAge International and the Pakistan National Centre on Ageing (PNCA) organised a consultative workshop.