PAKISTAN FACING SEVERE POLITICAL CRISIS IN APRIL 2023

 By marana

Now a days the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government of around eleven political parties is in power until August 2023. Imran Khan was ousted from power in April 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote, becoming the first Pakistani Prime Minister to be elected . issued by the National Assembly. Since his ouster, he has been calling for snap polls in the country to remove what he called an "imported government" led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Meanwhile, a Pakistani court granted Imran Khan interim bail in seven cases.

The current crisis stemmed from Imran Khan's decision to dissolve the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in January 2023. PTI was in power in both provinces. According to the constitution, elections were supposed to be held in 90 days, but the federal government was reluctant to hold them. As expected, the PDM ruling coalition did not succumb to PTI pressure. Imran Khan led the rally in an unsuccessful attempt to get Sharif to agree to early elections, which are scheduled for later in 2023. Khan has been holding protest rallies across the country to demand early elections, but his successor as prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has rejected Khan's demands . Since then, Pakistan has been falling into polarization and one crisis after another. Pakistan faces constitutional crisis over Imran's desire for early elections: The blame game continues as expected.

The federal government opposes early elections. He says elections should be held on the same day the incumbent government completes its constitutional term. The ruling party says that holding elections separately would increase the political crisis. However, both sides admit that the stalemate has led to political instability and a worsening of the economic situation.

The political conflict may lead to a decisive police operation against the Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which may lead to further violence. The PDM government is somehow trying to reduce the great popularity of the PTI party. In March, the oversight committee suo motu pointed out the delay and ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections in Punjab and K-Initially, the date for the Punjab elections was set on April 30, but the ECP postponed it to October 8. However, this only deepened the crisis , because the parliament refused to bear the costs of the election.

The ruling coalition also took the position that the court's decision would not stand as four of the seven-member panel rejected the suo motu notice. Now the matter is back at the Supreme Court, where a three-judge panel has called for political dialogue to resolve the issue. The Supreme Court then again granted the PTI's plea against postponing the elections and directed the ECP, the election watchdog, to hold the elections on May 14 in any case.

The Supreme Court ruled that its judgment given in the election postponement petition has already fixed the date of Punjab Assembly elections on 14 May 2023. “This judgment stands and therefore its decision is binding on all the judiciary and executive in the country under Article 189 and Article 190 of the Constitution," the order stated. Currently, both the executive and the judiciary have reached an impasse due to the government's difficulty in implementing the Supreme Court verdict ordering the May 14 Punjab Assembly elections.

In its April 4 order, the Supreme Court directed the government to provide Rs 21 billion to the ECP to conduct elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by April 10 and directed the ECP to submit a report to the court on whether the government followed Order 11. April. However, the government referred the matter to the parliament, which defied the orders of the ÚS and refused to release the funds.

pakistan political crisis

The court then issued notices to the Finance Secretary, Governor SBP, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) and the ECP, directing them to appear before the bench on April 14. It also directed the SBP to provide a record and details of all federal government money under or under the control, management or direction of the bank. After hearings in chambers, the court issued an order directing the SBP to release Rs 21 billion from the FCF for the elections.[5]

The court also saw that the required funds could be made available to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) "immediately and within a day". It also noted that there were "absolutely no difficulties or hiccups, whether financial or procedural or in terms of the relevant authorization by and under the Constitution" in the immediate release of the funds in question.[6] Later, on 19 April 2023, while hearing a petition for holding general elections to national and provincial assemblies simultaneously across the country, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) asked political leaders to negotiate to end the impasse.

The PDM government and the extremely powerful army do not want the election on the appointed day at all. So the election deadline can be extended to make elections possible. Otherwise, it may not even be May 14. Today, the Supreme Court also summoned the leaders or representatives of all political parties. There is still room for some political compromise. Due to the immense power of the military, it must also be involved behind the scenes in a major compromise. The focus must be on peaceful, fair and just elections. Meanwhile, time is running out for Pakistan's ruling elite. Only external intervention can now solve the country's significant crisis. The court called elections in Punjab for May 14 after declaring the postponement of the vote unconstitutional and rejecting the defense ministry's request that elections be held simultaneously across the country at a later date instead, amid worsening security and economic conditions.

pakistan economic crisis 2023

Today, Pakistan is at a historic crossroads like never before in history. Pakistan is facing a serious political crisis. Only court verdicts calmed the volatile situation. Regardless of the apparent inclination of Pakistan's PDM government not to hold elections as per the Supreme Court verdict, people are demanding them in accordance with the law. Attempts to crush opposition forces no longer make sense. Is Pakistan falling into direct military rule? National institutions are fighting over the issue of regional elections and the powers of the President of the Supreme Court. The legal fraternity of Pakistan expressed its full support to the Constitution and the Supreme Court of Pakistan and demanded that the elections to the Punjab and KP Assemblies be held immediately, in accordance with the dictates of the Constitution and the orders of the Supreme Court. The Welcome development legal initiative is also supported by a number of human rights groups. However, the PDM government and the military think otherwise. High tension in Pakistan

#pakistan vs india

Twitter users who can earn money from their twitter accounts

 by marana

According to details, Elon Musk made this announcement to Twitter users in one of his tweets and said that Twitter users who earn money from their accounts, Twitter will not receive any money from those users for the first 12 months.

In a tweet last Thursday, Elon Musk added that Twitter allows its users to charge for access to its content via "long text, hour-long video".

On the other hand, Elon Musk did not mention or elaborate on the complications of making money through Twitter monetization.

  It should be noted that Twitter will not receive any money from users monetizing Twitter accounts for the first 12 months, but this could be a step towards generating more money for Twitter in the future.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the National Assembly that Saudi Arabia has provided $2 billion to Pakistan

 by masohail

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told the National Assembly of Parliament that Saudi Arabia has provided an additional $2 billion to Pakistan to boost the country's foreign exchange reserves.

"Saudi Arabia, showing great kindness, has given us another $2 billion, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also promised to give us $1 billion," Shehbaz said on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday.

The prime minister said that the country had met all the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but admitted that the situation of the country's foreign exchange reserves was critical.

Prime Minister Shahbaz also paid tribute to Mufti Abdul Shakoor, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, who died in a car accident in Islamabad on April 15.

He said the late minister was an honest and kind person. "All the credit for making the pilgrimage [to Mecca] last year went to Mufti Shakoor," he said.

Petroleum prices announced bu finance minister Ishaq Dar.

 by marana

Petroleum prices announced bu finance minister Ishaq Dar.

According to details, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said in a brief press conference that the price of diesel, light diesel will remain the same as last fortnight, while the price of petrol has been increased by Rs 10 per liter and the price of kerosene has been increased by Rs 5 and 78 paise per litre. .

According to the notification, after the increase, the price of petrol has gone up to Rs 282 per liter and kerosene to Rs 186 07 paise.

UAE confirms gift of $1 billion bilateral support to Pakistan to IMF:

 by web desk

UAE confirms gift of $1 billion bilateral support to Pakistan to IMF:

The finance minister says that Pakistan is now dealing with the necessary documentation to take over the advance from the UAE authorities Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Friday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has confirmed $1 billion in bilateral support to Pakistan to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the final condition for finalizing staff-level agreements with the IMF.

The finance czar said on his official Twitter account that the State Bank of Pakistan is now "engaged with the necessary documentation to take over the said advance from the UAE authorities".

Meeting of the IMF term and conditions

At an earlier meeting, Pakistan had strongly urged the IMF to show some flexibility and sign a staff-level agreement, but failed to agree a date despite Islamabad's growing fears of the fallout from a worsening economic crisis.

The request was made by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in a virtual meeting with Jihad Azour, director of the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia Department. However, the minister could not achieve the desired result, as the IMF again raised the issue of gasoline subsidies and possible fiscal leakages due to the implementation of the subsidy plan.

UAE confirms gift of $1 billion bilateral support to Pakistan to IMF:

The two sides shared their positions on external funding requirements of $6 billion – the amount Pakistan needed between now and June to avoid default.

The IMF was informed that Saudi Arabia had confirmed a $2 billion loan to Pakistan and Dar assured that the UAE would soon confirm its commitment to provide $1 billion.

$6 billion funding plan remains elusive

The two sides also discussed the progress made in the IMF programme, particularly the talks held with the IMF mission during its visit to Pakistan, and the implementation of previous measures, a press statement issued by the finance ministry said.

During the first eight months of this fiscal year, the current account deficit remained at $3.9 billion. Dar assured the IMF that Pakistan would secure an additional $2 billion loan from the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and commercial banks if the fund signs a staff-level agreement.

UAE confirms gift of $1 billion bilateral support to Pakistan to IMF:

Two Blast in Pakistani city of Quetta. four killed 15 injured.

by web desk 

Two Blast in Pakistani city of Quetta. four killed 15 injured.

Four people were killed and 15 wounded Monday in a bomb attack on a police vehicle in a market in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, a hospital official said.

In a subsequent attack, a Station House Officer (SHO) was targeted in a roadside blast in Quetta. Police said the SHO of Sariab Police Station, Ehsanullah Marwat, was patrolling along with his squad. Police confirmed to Reuters that the police squad was safe, while three people passing by were injured.

The separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks, which were the third attack in less than 24 hours on police in Quetta, located in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

In a statement, the group also said four people were killed, including two police officers.

"The Baloch Liberation Army accepts responsibility for this attack and we reiterate our commitment that all atrocities against the Baloch people will be held accountable," said Jeeyand Baloch, BLA spokesman.

Senior police official Shafqat Cheema told Reuters that the first attack targeted a vehicle representing a police investigator parked in Kandahari Bazar.

According to initial reports, an improvised device containing 4 to 5 kg (9 to 11 lb) of explosives was placed in a motorcycle parked behind the vehicle and detonated remotely.

Among the dead were two policemen who were sitting in the vehicle, said Zohaib Mohsin Baloch, Inspector General of Police Operations.

Wasim Baig, a hospital spokesman in Quetta, told Reuters that the number of injured had reached 15 in addition to the four dead.

Fully Funded Full Bright Scholarship for Pakistani Students, Study in USA 2024

 

by marana

Fully Funded Full Bright Scholarship for Pakistani Students, Study in USA 2024

1-Scholarship Description: Fulbright Master's and Doctoral Program

Fulbright Master's and Doctoral Program provides funding for graduate study in the United States and is sponsored by the United States Department of State. These grants cover various expenses such as tuition, textbooks, airfare, living stipend and health insurance. The program also offers assistance with the visa process.

Eligible applicants for the master's degree program must have either a four-year bachelor's degree or a combination of bachelor's and master's degree for a total of 16 years of formal education at an accredited university. Fresh graduates are encouraged to apply, with the exception of MBA and Public Policy/Administration applicants who require 2 years of experience.

For the doctoral degree program, eligible applicants must have a Master's, M.Phil or equivalent degree (minimum 18 years of formal education) from an accredited university. It is desirable that candidates have work experience in teaching, research or public sector in Pakistan.

All academic fields are eligible for both master's and doctoral programs except clinical medicine. Applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE General) with a minimum score of 145 in each section and a higher score in the section most relevant to their field of study. In addition, applicants must have a high level of fluency in spoken and written English and may be required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

All academic fields are eligible for both master's and doctoral programs except clinical medicine. Applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE General) with a minimum score of 145 in each section and a higher score in the section most relevant to their field of study. In addition, applicants must have a high level of fluency in spoken and written English and may be required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

All successful candidates are required to sign a contract with the USEFP and for PhD candidates a bond with the HEC (Higher Education Commission), which requires them to return to Pakistan immediately after completing their program in the US and serve the country for several years. years corresponding to the length of their scholarship program. This contract is payable on an annual basis with a minimum requirement of two years of service. Completing the service requirement allows the candidate to pay nothing. Overall, the program aims to support Pakistani students in their pursuit of advanced studies in the US while fostering their commitment to serve Pakistan upon their return.

2-Education level:

Full Bright Scholarship for Pakistani Students 2024, Study in USA. (Fully Funded) is available for Masters and PhD programs at US universities.

3-Available subjects:

The following subjects are available for study under this scholarship programme.

• All subjects

4-Scholarship Benefits:

Funded by the United States Department of State, these grants cover tuition, required textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance. USEFP also assists with the visa process.

5-Eligibility Criteria:

• Applications are open to Pakistani nationals with a strong academic record who reside (throughout the process) in Pakistan and are committed to return and serve Pakistan.

• All disciplines are eligible except clinical medicine. People from the fields of energy, water, agriculture, health, education, environment and climate change are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Eligible Master's degree applicants will have a four-year Bachelor's degree or a combination of Bachelor's and Master's degrees (16 years of formal education) and PhD candidates will have a Master's, M.Phil. or a comparable degree (18 years of formal education) from an accredited university.

6-The complete application package includes:

        1- Application form

        11-  Three reference letters

        111-GRE Score Report

        1V-Scanned transcripts should be uploaded, including an explanation of the degree-granting                       university's grading scale.

 Please note that documents attested by HEC are preferred with the application, but degrees and transcripts attested by the issuing authority will be acceptable at the time of application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Application with references and required supporting documents must be submitted online. 

FBR notifies taxpayers required to file income tax return 2023.

 by maosohail

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has notified a group of taxpayers who are required to file income tax returns for the tax year 2023.

The filing of the income tax return for the 2023 tax period will end in September 2023. The obligation to file a tax return will be for salaried individuals, self-employed natural persons, associations of persons and companies falling into a special year. Companies that have a fiscal year will need to file their annual return for the 2023 tax year by 31 December 2023.

The following is an extract from the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 relating to the requirement to file an income tax return under Section 114.

§ 114. Obligation to submit an income tax return. — (1) In accordance with this regulation, natural persons falling under the following categories must file an income tax return for a given tax year:–

(a) All Companies;

(ab) Any individual (other than companies) whose chargeable income for a tax year exceeds the maximum tax-free limit under this Regulation for that particular year;

(ac) any not-for-profit organization as defined in subsection (36) of section 2;

(ae) all natural persons whose income for a tax year is subject to final taxation under any provision of this Ordinance;

(b) Any person not covered by clauses (a), (ab), (ac) or (ad) who falls into any of the following categories:

(i) was liable to pay tax for any two previous tax years;

(ii) claims a loss carried forward in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance for a given tax year;

(iii) owns immovable property of 500 square yards or more or owns a flat situated within the city limits existing before the enactment of the Local Self-Government Acts in the provinces, cantonment areas or in the capital city of Islamabad;

(iv) own real property of 500 square yards or more located in the rating area;

(v) own dwelling with a floor area of ​​2,000 square feet or more located in the rating area;

(vi) Own a motor vehicle with an engine capacity greater than 1000 CC;

(vii) obtained a national tax number; or

(viii) holds a commercial or industrial electricity connection with an annual bill of more than PKR 500,000;

(ix) is a resident registered with any Chamber of Commerce and Industry, trade or business association, market committee or professional body including Pakistan Engineering Council, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, Pakistan Bar Council or any Provincial Bar Council, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan , or the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan; or

(x) Is a resident natural person required to file a statement of foreign income and assets pursuant to Section 116A.

(c) The Committee may notify specific individuals or groups of individuals if approved by the responsible Minister.

(1A) Individuals with income in the category of “Income from business” which is more than three hundred thousand rupees but less than four hundred thousand rupees in a tax period shall file a tax return for that year.

(2) Return of income –

(a) must be in the prescribed form and must be accompanied by such attachments, declarations or documents as may be prescribed:

Provided that the Board may prescribe different returns for different classes of income or persons including persons liable to final taxation;

(b) set out in full all relevant particulars or information set out in the return form, including a statement of the records kept by the taxpayer;

(c) must be signed by a person who is a natural person or, if section 172 applies, by his agent;

d) attach proof of payment of the tax due according to the income declaration;

(e) must be accompanied by a statement of assets as required by section 116; and

f) must be accompanied by a statement of foreign income and assets as required by § 116A.

(2A) If an individual files a return of income electronically by means of the internet, magnetic medium or other computer-readable medium specified by the board, it shall be deemed to be a valid return under subsection (1). The Board has the power to make rules to be published in the Official Gazette to determine the eligibility of the data in these returns, as well as the electronic intermediaries who will digitize the data and transmit it electronically to the Income Tax Department under their digital signatures. These rules will also deal with other matters related to the electronic submission of returns, statements or documents.

(3) The Commissioner is authorized to call on a person or his representative in writing to submit an income tax return within a certain period of time for a period of less than twelve months, if the following conditions are met:

a) the person died;

b) the person found himself in bankruptcy or went into liquidation;

(c) the person is about to leave Pakistan permanently;

e) the commissioner otherwise considers it appropriate to require the submission of such a return.

(4) The Commissioner may issue a written summons for any person who, in the opinion of the Commissioner, should file an income tax return for a tax period or assessment year under this section but fails to do so, to file a return within thirty days. on receipt of notification. The commissioner can specify a longer or shorter deadline for submitting the return in the call or extend the deadline. However, this provision is subject to subsection (5).

(5) The Commissioner is authorized to issue a notice under subsection (4) for one or more of the last five completed tax periods or assessment years. However, if the person has not filed a tax return for any of the last five completed tax periods, the notification may relate to one or more of the last ten completed tax periods. This deadline does not apply if the commissioner is satisfied, based on recorded reasons, that the person did not file a return because of foreign income or ownership of foreign property.

(6) An individual who has filed a return and subsequently discovers any omission or misstatement in the return may file a corrected return subject to the following conditions and subsection (6A):

a) Corrected accounts or possibly revised audited accounts must be attached to the revised return. However, the Commissioner may waive this condition if he is satisfied that the submission of revised accounts or audited accounts is not necessary;

b) The taxpayer must provide in writing the reasons for revising the return, which should be duly signed and submitted together with the revised return;

(ba) The revised return must be accompanied by the commissioner's written approval of the revision of the return; and

(c) The taxable income recognized shall not be less than, and the loss recognized shall not exceed, the income or loss, as the case may be, determined by an order made under section 121, 122, 122A, 129, 132, 133 or 221.

If any of the above conditions are not met, the return delivered will be considered invalid and will be treated as if it had not been submitted. However, the condition referred to in paragraph (ba) shall not be applicable if the amended return is filed within sixty days of the first filing.

In addition, if the Commissioner has not given written consent to the revision of the return within sixty days of the application, the consent required by clause (ba) shall be deemed to have been given by the Commissioner and the condition referred to in clause (ba) shall not apply.

If any of the following circumstances occur, the condition referred to in clause (ba) shall not apply and the consent required shall be deemed to have been granted by the Commissioner:

a) if the commissioner has not given written consent to the revision of the tax return within sixty days from the date of the revision request

b) or if the declared taxable income exceeds the income determined pursuant to Section 120 or the declared loss is lower than the loss determined pursuant to Section 120:

In addition, the commissioner is required to grant approval in the event of an actual omission or misrepresentation

(6A) If the taxpayer, upon discovering a failure to pay tax or attempted tax evasion, voluntarily submits a corrective return and pays the necessary amount of tax and late fee before receiving a notice pursuant to § 177 or paragraph 9 122, they are not subject to any penalty.

If the taxpayer deposits the amount of tax fixed by the Commissioner during the inspection or before receiving a notice under sub-section (9) of section 122, he shall deposit the amount of tax by which he is to be abated, the default surcharge and twenty-five per cent of the penalty imposed under the Ordinance along with the revised return.

In addition, if a taxpayer revises a return after receiving a show cause notice under sub-section (9) of section 122, he shall pay the amount of tax to be deducted, late payment surcharge and fifty percent of the fines leviable under the Ordinance. along with the revised return. After this action, the case notification will be invalid.

(7) Unless the contrary is proved, any return which appears to have been made or signed by or on behalf of a person shall be deemed to have been duly made by or with the authority of that person.