ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday ordered Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum to pay Rs29.4 million in taxes and fines after she was named as an owner of an undeclared property in the UAE.
Following a report submitted by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), a three-judge bench, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar, added that Khanum’s failure to pay the requisite taxes and fines would result in the confiscation of her properties.
Salman Akram Raja, Khanum’s counsel told the court that his client had acquired the properties in Dubai in 2008 and that the money to purchase the said properties was sent using legal banking channels. He added that details of the bank transactions and properties have been submitted to the court.
Khanum, who was also present in the court at the time of the decision, said that she had bought the property worth $370,000 by paying 50 percent of the amount herself and the rest using a mortgage.
According to a written testimony submitted to the Federal Investigation Agency, she said she acquired the properties through earnings from her businesses abroad. “I sold my properties and the FBR was notified about this development in advance,” she said in her written testimony.
Earlier, taking suo motu notice of the matter, the apex court said that the money siphoned off abroad without payment of taxes, and through illegal channels, represented either illegally-acquired cash and assets or kickbacks from public contracts.
“Such money creates gross disproportion, inequality, and disparity in society, which warps economic activity and growth, and constitutes plunder and theft of national wealth,” the court said, before directing the FBR to submit a report of the case after a week.
SC orders PM Khan’s sister to pay Rs29.4mn for undeclared assets abroad
SC orders PM Khan’s sister to pay Rs29.4mn for undeclared assets abroad
- Revenue body identified Aleema Khanum as the owner of a property in the UAE
- Top court directs officials to submit a report of the case after a week
IMF extends review of Pakistan’s $3 billion bailout program by a day
- An IMF team arrived in Pakistan last week to carry out the second and final review of last year’s $3 billion bailout program
- Official says Pakistan currently lagging on two fronts that are digitization of taxation, bringing over 3 million retailers in tax net
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has extended by a day its review of Pakistan’s $3 billion bailout program that was due to conclude on Monday, a Pakistani finance ministry official told Arab News, amid Islamabad’s efforts to avoid a macroeconomic crisis and stabilize the fragile $350 billion economy.
An IMF team arrived in Pakistan last week to carry out the second and final review under the short-term loan program secured by Islamabad last summer. Pakistan has said it has met all the structural benchmarks and targets set by the lender, hoping that a successful completion of the evaluation will be followed by the release of a remaining tranche of around $1.1 billion.
The South Asian country has also expressed its interest in getting a new loan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program as it continues to carry out reforms to strengthen its debt-ridden economy.
However, an official of the Pakistani finance ministry, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media, said on Monday night the two sides could not complete the review agenda in the stipulated timeframe.
“The review agenda couldn’t be completed in the scheduled period, therefore the mission has extended it for a day for now,” the official said. “The letter of intent and staff-level agreement will be discussed tomorrow now.”
On Monday, Pakistani financial authorities briefed the IMF mission on the country’s annual taxation targets, ways to abolish subsidies in different sectors, digitization of the tax system and expansion in the tax net, according to the official.
“At the moment, Pakistan has been lagging on two fronts that are digitization of the taxation and bringing over 3 million retailers in the tax net,” he said. “The FBR has signed a memorandum this week for the digitization while the work on bringing the retailers into the tax net is underway.”
The global lender wants Pakistan to continue the economic stabilization and reforms agenda “till negotiation of the new loan program,” the official added.
Citing officials, Pakistani state media last week reported that Islamabad’s talks with the global lender for the second review of the ongoing program were “progressing positively.”
“Pakistan will move forward on the path of development and witness growth,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar was quoted as saying by the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster. “Decisions of this government will yield positive results.”
Pakistan secured the $3 billion IMF program in last June after it narrowly escaped a sovereign default. Its debt-ridden economy has been under extreme stress with low reserves, a balance of payment crisis, inflation at 23 percent, policy interest rates at 22 percent and record local currency depreciation.
UAE envoy meets top Pakistani political leaders, urges ‘strategic partnership’ between both nations
- Ambassador Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi held meetings with President Zardari, PM Shehbaz Sharif and FM Ishaq Dar
- The discussions revolved around investment in Pakistan, climate change, bilateral cooperation in multiple sectors
ISLAMABAD: Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Monday held meetings with Pakistan’s newly elected president, prime minister and foreign minister, wherein he urged for the transformation of bilateral ties between both countries into a “strategic partnership,” the Pakistani government said.
The UAE ambassador met President Asif Ali Zardari at the President House in Islamabad and discussed with him affairs of mutual interest, according to a statement issued by the latter’s office.
The discussions revolved around investment in Pakistani stocks and mangrove forests, agriculture and cooperation in the domain of regional food security, which has been threatened by climate change.
“The UAE is committed to the development of Pakistan and will continue to stand by Pakistan,” the Emirati ambassador was quoted as saying by Pakistan presidency.
“The existing bilateral relations between Pakistan and the UAE need to be transformed into strategic partnership.”
The UAE ambassador noted that his country pledged $100 million for the “Loss and Damage” fund at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) and Pakistan could benefit from the fund to reduce the effects of climate change, according to the statement issued from President Zardari’s office.
The Emirati envoy congratulated Zardari on becoming Pakistan’s president for the second time and expressed good wishes on behalf of the leadership and people of the United Arab Emirates.
President Zardari thanked the UAE leadership for the congratulatory messages and stressed the need to further strengthen brotherly relations between the two countries.
Later, the UAE ambassador paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and conveyed best wishes of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, hoping that strong fraternal ties between the two countries would be strengthened further in the years ahead.
“The Prime Minister thanked the U.A.E. leadership for their warm messages of greetings and conveyed his best wishes for President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” PM Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister further said that Pakistan wanted to translate the tremendous political goodwill into a stronger economic partnership. Noting the exciting transformation of the U.A.E. into a hub for commerce, tourism, and investment, the Prime Minister said Pakistan wanted to partner with the U.A.E.”
He highlighted the role of Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as an efficient mechanism to attract foreign investment into priority sectors, including agriculture, minerals and mining, information technology, renewable energy and industry, according to the statement.
The Pakistan premier congratulated the UAE for successfully hosting COP 28 conference as well as its efforts to bring peace in Gaza while serving as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. He also appreciated the UAE for hosting nearly 1.8 million Pakistanis who were a bridge between the two countries.
The UAE envoy also held a meeting with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and congratulated him on his assumption of the office, according to Dar’s ministry. The foreign minister reiterated his desire to work closely with the UAE leadership during his term in office.
During his meetings with the president and PM Sharif, the UAE ambassador invited them to visit the UAE at the earliest convenience, which the two top officials accepted. PM Sharif reiterated an invitation to the UAE president to visit Pakistan and said the people of his country were waiting to accord him a warm welcome, Sharif’s office said.
Pakistan-Afghanistan skirmishes may escalate into ‘small-scale war’ unless both act responsibly — experts
- The skirmishes come at a time when ties between Pakistan, Afghanistan have been strained over rise in militancy in Pakistan
- Experts urge for a working group, comprising officials from both countries, to address concerns regarding the Pakistani Taliban
ISLAMABAD: Recent cross-border incursions by Pakistan and Afghanistan in each other’s territory may escalate into a “small-scale war” between the two neighbors, security and foreign relations experts said on Monday, urging both countries to hold a dialogue to defuse the situation.
Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika provinces early Monday against what it said were militant targets. The Afghan Taliban said the strikes killed five women and three children, prompting them to fire heavy weapons at Pakistani forces along the border.
The skirmishes occurred at a time when ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained over an increase in militant attacks in Pakistan that Islamabad has blamed on militant groups operating from Afghanistan. Kabul denies the use of its soil against any country.
Monday’s strikes also came two days after seven Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack in the country’s northwest, with Pakistan’s army saying the recent wave of militancy had “full support and assistance” of Afghanistan. Kabul also said it had summoned the acting head of the Pakistan’s embassy and issued a protest note over the strikes.
Security and foreign relations experts have expressed concern over the skirmishes and fear that they could escalate into a small-scale war or a prolonged conflict, particularly if the Afghan side did not demonstrate responsibility.
“These isolated skirmishes could escalate into a small-scale war unless the Afghan interim government demonstrates responsible behavior,” Brig. (retired) Ahmed Saeed Minhas, a defense analyst, told Arab News.
He stressed the need to establish a working group, comprising political and military officials from both countries, to address concerns regarding the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and actions that could be taken by the Afghan Taliban to rein in militant groups.
“Pakistan thinks that failure to act could normalize such aggression, emboldening the TTP to increase terrorist activities unchecked,” Minhas said.
While economic constraints of both countries preclude a full-scale war, responding to attacks on one’s sovereignty becomes unavoidable, according to the analyst. The onus is now on Afghan authorities as Pakistan’s foreign ministry has clarified that it seeks to limit further escalation.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an official privy to the developments said Pakistan’s action was prompted by the March 16 attack in the North Waziristan district that killed seven soldiers, including two army officers.
“A decision was made to deliver a robust response, aimed at deterring elements using Afghan soil against Pakistan,” he told Arab News. “The strikes served as a message to emphasize Pakistan’s capacity to retaliate within Afghan territory, if necessary.”
The official said the skirmishes were likely to remain localized with de-escalation anticipated, but they could also escalate further if the Afghan side “continued to behave irresponsibly.”
Monday’s incursions come months after Pakistan and Iran traded airstrikes in each other’s territory against what they described as militant targets.
Asked if Pakistan could afford conflicts with three of its four neighbors, the official said Pakistan maintained positive relations with Iran and the border situation was peaceful, with no ongoing cross-border shelling or skirmishes with India.
“India is leveraging proxies in Afghanistan to utilize the TTP against Pakistan, sow discord between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, and cozy up to the interim government to regain influence in Afghanistan,” he added.
Former diplomat Rustam Shah Mohmand, who has served as Pakistan’s envoy to Afghanistan, said the alarming situation had arisen because of “misguided assumptions” that the Afghan Taliban supported and endorsed the TTP.
“According to my discussions with Afghan Taliban leaders, they have consistently expressed their desire for Afghan soil not to be used against Pakistan,” he told Arab News.
He said the escalation between the two countries would not benefit either side and lead to increased isolation in the region. “The Afghan interim government will face additional economic challenges as trade disruptions occur if the hostile situation escalates further,” he said.
The Afghans were angered by Pakistan’s forceful expulsion of their nationals last year and Islamabad’s repeated demands with regard to Kabul’s ties with India, according to Mohmand. Pakistan has also not openly supported the Afghan interim government as expected, leaving a vacuum that the TTP and India have exploited.
“Now, following Pakistani strikes, Afghans feel compelled to retaliate, and it is crucial for both countries to carefully defuse the situation to prevent further escalation and larger skirmishes on the border,” he added.
Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based security expert, said Pakistan had finally run out of patience with Kabul for its tolerance for the TTP, which continues to attack Pakistani military and civilians from Afghan territory.
Ali rejected the Afghan claims of women and children getting killed in Islamabad’s strikes, saying that Pakistan had no “incentive in targeting unarmed civilians inside Afghanistan.”
“Pakistan, through credible real-time intelligence from multiple sources, carefully identified TTP Commander and terrorist camps and after Kabul’s failure to eliminate terrorists from Afghan territory, Islamabad was forced to take out the terrorists involved in recent attacks inside Pakistan,” he told Arab News.
“To avoid further escalation, I urge the Afghan interim govt to demonstrate responsible statecraft.”
Saudi Arabia to establish ‘state-of-the-art university’ in Pakistan to meet skilled worker demand
- The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has planned to propose allocation of special quota in NEOM, other projects
- The proposal to establish skill university aligns the two nations in pursuit of economic transformation, official says
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia will establish a “state-of-the-art skill university” in Pakistan to meet its demand for skilled workforce for upcoming projects in the Kingdom, Pakistani state media reported, citing an official source.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development has recently planned to propose allocation of a special quota for Pakistani skilled and semi-skilled workers for NEOM and other upcoming projects, the state-run APP news agency reported.
The proposal for Saudi Arabia to establish a state-of-the-art skill university in Pakistan further aligns the two nations in their pursuit of economic transformation.
“The training of Pakistani workers to meet the rising needs of the Saudi labor market and enhance their skills and capabilities were also key points of discussion” the report read, citing the official.
“The Ministry has proposed collaborative efforts between the Embassy of KSA in Islamabad, the Consulate General (CG) Karachi, and Pakistani authorities to facilitate the entry of new Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs) into the Saudi sector.”
The high-level delegation visit aims to align Pakistan’s workforce with Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation program under Vision 2030, fostering a strong partnership for mutual benefit, according to the report.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is a strategic development framework intended to cut the Kingdom’s reliance on oil and develop public service sectors, such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism.
The visit also aims to enhance crucial remittances, contributing to the stability of Pakistan’s economy and well-being of families that solely rely on these financial inflows, the report added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and brotherly relations. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top destination for remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Pakistan confirms airstrikes against suspected militants inside Afghanistan, Kabul says civilian targets hit
- Afghan Taliban say Pakistani strikes in Khost, Paktika provinces on Monday killed five women, three children
- Islamabad says increase in attacks in Pakistan “with the help of the Afghan Taliban and supply of modern weapons”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday confirmed airstrikes against suspected militants in border regions inside Afghanistan, hours after the Afghan Taliban said Islamabad had struck civilian targets, killing five women and three children.
Islamabad’s airstrikes, the sharpest escalation in already deteriorating ties between the neighbors, came two days after a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden truck into a military post in northwest Pakistan, killing seven soldiers. The Pakistan army, defense minister and president vowed retaliation in separate statements.
Militant attacks have risen sharply in Pakistan in recent months, many of them claimed by the Pakistani Taliban. The Pakistan government and security officials say most assaults are launched from neighboring Afghanistan, an accusation that has damaged the relationship between Pakistan and the ruling Afghan Taliban, who deny they have allowed Afghan territory to be used by militants.
After a long day of silence following the Afghan government’s confirmation of the strikes, the Pakistan foreign ministry said suspected militant targets in “border regions inside Afghanistan” had been targeted in an operation.
“The target of today’s operation was the terrorists belonging to Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, which along with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is responsible for multiple terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, resulting in deaths of hundreds of civilians and law enforcement officials,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
“The latest attack took place on 16 March 2024 at a security post in Mir Ali in North Waziristan and claimed the lives of seven Pakistani soldiers.”
The foreign office said the Afghan interim government had been conveyed Islamabad’s concerns over the past two years regarding the presence of “terror outfits” within its territory, adding that some elements within the Afghan government were “actively patronizing the TTP and using them as a proxy against Pakistan.” The statement did not specify any particular figures in the Afghan Taliban as being responsible.
“Such an approach against a brotherly country, which stood with the people of Afghanistan through thick and thin, manifests shortsightedness. It ignores the support extended by Pakistan to the people of Afghanistan over the last several decades. We urge these elements in power to rethink the policy of siding with Khwarij terrorists shedding the blood of innocent Pakistanis and to make a clear choice,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
The statement added that Pakistan realized the challenge Afghan authorities faced in combating the threat posed by TTP and that Islamabad continue to work toward finding joint solutions in countering terrorism and preventing terror organizations from sabotaging bilateral relations with Afghanistan.
In a separate statement, the Pakistan army said the recent wave of militancy in the country had the “full support and assistance” of Afghanistan.
“It is clear to all that the recent wave of terrorism in Pakistan has the full support and assistance of Afghanistan,” the army’s media wing said in a statement shared by state-run Pakistan Television on X.
“With the help of the Afghan Taliban and the supply of modern weapons, there has been an increase in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan.”
The army accused the Afghan government of arming militants and providing safe havens as well as itself being involved in attacks in Pakistan and listed several high-profile attacks in Pakistan recently in which Afghanistan was involved, including an attack on two military check posts in Chitral last September, an attack on an air base in November and an attack on a mosque inside a police compound in Peshawar in January 2023 in which almost 100 people were killed.
Pakistan’s new government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is faced with dealing with fraying ties with three of Pakistan’s four neighbors, India, Iran and Afghanistan.
“BAD CONSEQUENCES”
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Pakistani planes had struck civilian targets in the Khost and Paktika provinces early on Monday morning.
“Last night at around 3 o’clock in the Barmal district of Paktika province and in Afghan Dubai area of Sepera district of Khost province, Pakistani planes bombed the houses of civilians,” Mujahid wrote on X.
“As a result, 6 people including 3 women and 3 children were martyred and a house destroyed in Paktika, as well as, two women were martyred due to the collapse of a house in Khost province.”
The Afghan government condemned the attacks and called them a “reckless” violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
“The people of Pakistan and the new government should stop some army generals from continuing their wrong policies … and spoiling the relationship between the two neighboring Muslim nations,” the statement added.
“Pakistan should not blame Afghanistan for the lack of control, incompetence and problems in its own territory.”
The spokesman warned that the air strikes could have “bad consequences which will be out of Pakistan’s control.”
In a separate statement on social media platform X, Afghanistan’s defense ministry said its border forces had responded to Pakistan’s airstrikes.
“In response to this aggression, the border forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan targeted Pakistan’s military centers along the fictitious line with heavy weapons,” the statement said.
“The country’s defense and security forces are ready to respond to any aggressive actions and will defend their territorial integrity in any situation.”
Saturday’s attack on the Pakistan military post was claimed by a newly formed militant group, Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad. However, Pakistani security officials believe the group mainly comprises members of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, which often targets Pakistani soldiers and police from safe havens in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani Taliban or TTP are a separate group but are allies of the Afghanistan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 as the US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout. The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has emboldened TTP, Pakistan says, whose top leaders and fighters are hiding in Afghanistan.
“Terrorism is being conducted mostly from Afghanistan against us,” Pakistani defense minister Khawaja Asif told reporters in Pakistan’s eastern city of Sialkot on Sunday, saying militants were operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
“We have also raised this issue with Afghanistan.”
In a separate statement on Monday, the Pakistan army’s media wing said security forces had conducted an intelligence-based operation in the restive North Waziristan district on Sunday night in which eight “terrorists,” including a high-value commander Sehra Janan, were killed:
“He was involved in orchestrating the terrorist attack on security forces’ post in Mir Ali on 16 March and was highly wanted by the law enforcement agencies.”