Threat letters to judges: PM vows to conduct a reliable investigation into a delicate case
In an effort to learn the truth, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledged on Thursday that the government will look into the threat letters that judges received that included questionable substance.
The prime minister said, speaking to the federal cabinet, that the delicate subject shouldn’t be politicized. He noted that the government had done its part in forming an investigation committee headed by former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani to look into the matter of the letter that the justices of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had written. He stated that the Supreme Court took suo moto notice of the matter when the former Chief Justice declined to lead the inquiry.
The Prime Minister stated that in order to stabilize the nation’s economy, the new program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was essential. “To consolidate the country’s economy, the government is planning to enter into a new program with the IMF, which is crucial and very important,” he continued. According to Shehbaz, the new IMF program would assist Pakistan advance its development and prosperity agenda and increase the confidence of foreign financial institutions in the country.
Despite the fact that the terms of the new agreement would not be simple, the prime minister stated that the government will undoubtedly transfer the weight of difficult circumstances from the underprivileged to the affluent and privileged segments of society. He told the members of the cabinet that later this month, as the leader of Pakistan’s team to the IMF spring meetings, the finance minister will be discussing specifics of the new program. The prime minister expressed optimism that Pakistan will get the final $1.1 billion installment of the current standby arrangement this month following the IMF board meeting.
According to PM Shehbaz, he recently presided over a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) meeting where information was exchanged on a number of industries, including finance, investment, exports, information technology (IT), agriculture, electricity, and petroleum. He claimed that during the discussion, a decision was made for him to personally assess the performance of each sector in order to address the issues these sectors were facing and to simplify the nation’s economy.
In reference to the PIA divestiture, he declared that Pakistan Airlines’ privatization process was proceeding according to plan and that the timeline would be strictly adhered to. A Turkish business was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on April 6th to discuss the airport outsourcing process with Pakistani officials.
The Prime Minister said that experts will be recruited by the end of this month to help with the digitalization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
He said that the government was developing an impenetrable system to ensure the safety of Chinese engineers and workers.
According to the prime minister, at the meeting, the cabinet submitted the year-end government performance monitoring report, the fiscal policy statement for the fiscal year 2022–2023 and the debt policy statement for the same fiscal year. According to the legislation, the federal cabinet approved the filing of the aforementioned declarations and report to the National Assembly, he added.
On the Foreign Affairs Division’s recommendation, the cabinet meeting approved the former chief of staff of the Saudi Arabian government, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi, to accept the “King Abdul Aziz Medal Badge of Honour of Excellent Class” and the Malaysian government’s “Darjah Kepahlawan Angkatan Tentera.”
The cabinet accepted the appointment of members of the National Commission for Status of Women based on the Human Rights Division’s proposal.
The National Commission for Child Welfare and Development, the National Child Protection Center, and the Implementation of the National Line of Action for Children—all offices under the Ministry of Human Rights—were abolished on the Ministry of Human Rights’ suggestion. The surplus pool would comprise all public servant staff working for these departments.
Meanwhile, the forensic analysis of the enigmatic white powder that was first thought to be anthrax was received by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the CTD announced on Thursday night.
According to reports, white powder containing 70 percent arsenic, which can damage nerves, was discovered combined with a little amount of 10 percent arsenic poison in white paper. This mixture is not as dangerous as the powder.
The white substance resembling anthrax was found in the enigmatic and menacing letters that were recently sent to Pakistani judges of high courts and the Supreme Court, top justices of high courts included.
The CTD filed two FIRs against unidentified individuals who were causing panic within the legal community.
On Thursday, the CTD made some progress since the investigators found out where the miscreants were hiding and where the letters were left in the mailbox. The CTD asserted that the investigators are moving in the correct way.
Prior to this, the majority of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras surrounding the post boxes were discovered to be malfunctioning, according to the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) looking into the situation.
The enigmatic letters were received by the chief justice of the IHC, one of eight justices, on March 3.
Sources claim that the registrars of the Supreme Court and IHC have received a report on the current status of the proceedings.
According to sources, a post box inspection is now taking place in Satellite Town, Rawalpindi. The Islamabad police used alternate methods to broaden the scope of their inquiry, such as interviewing people who worked in the post box-related businesses and offices. In addition, every employee at the post office in Satellite Town was involved in the inquiry.
SABAH continues: According to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar, the government’s cautious policy measures have led to the economy displaying good signs. He cautioned against politicizing the country’s economy and emphasized the need for everyone to contribute to its development.
Speaking to the media on Thursday in Islamabad with Prime Minister’s Coordinator Romina Khurshid Alam, Tarar stated that the exchange rate was now more stable and the Pakistani Rupee was strengthening. He claimed that the country was now seeing record points added to the stock exchange, which was on an upward track.
According to the minister of information, the FBR is being digitalized in order to enhance tax collection, in line with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s goal. He said that the administration was dedicated to empowering young people and that a comprehensive program in that area will be launched shortly.
According to Tarar, Bloomberg, a globally renowned financial rating organization, has projected a 15% decrease in inflation for the upcoming year. He applauded the media for covering the privatization of PIA positively, saying that the airline was losing Rs. 80 billion a year and had no other choice. He declared that the privatization of the PIA was proceeding.
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