The Daily PakistanPolitics Jan 16-31, 2019

• Jan31-2019--Another joke making the rounds is that the Imran Khan state of Medina(Pakistan) had no population and they only had importers/exporters and expatriates...!The pathetic social security system that is called BISP that makes small payments to the poverty stricken is also tobe closed down by the PTI as Imran Khan cannot afford it...!
  
• Jan31-2019--Officials tell senate that though CTD routinely bungles operations the child's statement that the officials were offered money is not correct...latest reports suggest that the CTD has refused to accept that they were involved and they say that two motorcyclists carried out the shooting...
  
• Jan31-2019--The jokes making the rounds are that doing bossiness is so difficult in Pakistan that Imran Khan could not do any business and had to learn how to play cricket...most businessmen are quite well off and one finds it difficult to believe that they cannot do business properly due to its difficulty...so the PTI government is bent upon easing business so that Imran Khan can do business from Banigala...!
  
• Jan30-2019--Fauji Foods private limited suffers Rs2.85 billion loss despite increased sales...Fauji foods makes cereals, jellies and chips...fauji officials went overboard in marketing and ads
  
• Jan30-2019--nine killed in Loralai police office suicide bombing attack...second terror attack in Loralai in a month
  
• Jan30-2019--The Sindh government and the PPP are making a joke out of the 18th amendment...while health is a provincial subject it does not mean that the federal government cannot invest in health and run health matters anywhere in the country in a specific case...most people donot see autonomy in the same light as the crazy PPP...The people do not want to see the federal government which is the only one elected by the entire country tobe converted into an LG of Islamabad...the SC had returned two major hospitals in karachi the NICVD and another to federal control
  
• Jan30-2019--SC rejects review petition in Asia blasphemy case...According to the SC there was no evidence and Pakistani courts have been making a joke with the people...according to many the SC even made-up a dubious sunnat to reject the conviction
  
• Jan29-2019--The PPP's Asif Bhutto Zardari tries to evade racketeering charges in the hope that a baloch CJ-SC will help him out and stop a JIT investigation of the Sindhis money laundering
  
• Jan29-2019--Khalilzad says the US and Taliban have agreed on all key issues
  
• Jan29-2019--The musharaf era CJ of the IHC says that disqualification of politicians is a political issue even though it is constitutionally defined...!
  
• Jan28-2019--racist remarks cause pakistan cricket captain Sarfraz tobe suspended for four matches and ordered tobe counselled by the PCB...Sarfaraz has been struggling as captain and wickekeeper...even the second string keeper shows he is better...many think Kamran Akmal might be better with his explosive batting
  
• Jan28-2019-pakistan shuts down its mazar i sharif consulate after a women was caught trying to smuggle in a hand grenade...
  
• Jan28-2019--Imran Khan is confused between communism in china and pakistans facile democracy...it seems that he wants to hang his ministers for corruption....In the Dharna there were reports that the PTI protestors would guillotine Nawaz Sharif in parliament...The PTI seems to have problems accepting the opposition...and some PTI supporters find even the medical aid to Nawaz Sharif a problem...
  
• Jan28-2019--The Leh Expressway might become the first infrastructure project of the PTI to takeoff...it supposedly will connect Rawalpindi and Islamabad thru a second highway built over the Leh Nullah...The Nullah stretches from the Soan River to the Kashmir Highway
  
• Jan27-2019--The government discrimination against non filers of income tax continues...apparently there are only a million people who file income tax returns. And even the Pakistani armed forces are lax in this regard...One does not understand why the government is doing so as non filers comprise 99.5% of the country
  
• Jan27-2019--The secretary foreign affairs tehmina janjua to retire on April 17...the senior most Naghmana Hashmi is not being considered and the ambassador to India sohail mahmood is leading the race...
  
• Jan27-2019--Balochistan LG's have completed their term...!
  
• Jan27-2019--LHC moved to denotify Chaudhry Nisar as an elected mpa as he has not taken oath for six months...apparently an mpa can leglly not take oath as long as he likes...
  
• Jan27-2019--Nawaz Sharif files a plea in the IHC tobe released on health grounds...the government has formed a third medical board comprising eight doctors from AFIC, PIC and RIC...the government position is that Nawaz was deliberately avoiding medications which have tobe taken for life and he was in fact in perfect health...
  
• Jan27-2019--US officials and the Taliban make headway in a draft afghan peace deal...apparently the US will withdraw its forces in 18 months while the Taliban will offer a ceasefire after which talks will begin with the afghan government on an interim government...
  
• Jan26-2019--The PTI government is ruling thru toadies says the Daily Dawn...in one TV program a fake Buzdar was saying "i love you" apparently to Imran Khan...!
  
• Jan26-2019--according to her lawyer Aleema Khanum has already paid her tax assessment partially and that her investment has nothing todo with her associated charities or her siblings...they say her money was sent abroad thru banking channels and that she availed loans against local mortgages in foreign countries...a new ITO rule has nothing todo with her...!
  
• Jan26-2019--The PTI is desperate for tourists and has allowed visa on arrival to 50 countries...with other countries getting e-visas and allowing indians expatriates to visit...tourists are literally a needle in a haystack due to the paucity of any real facilities...the government has allowed visits to cantonments, GB and AJK
• Jan25-2019--Asad Umar says they have no problems with a IMF bailout package and the IMF is only asking for them to increase revenues which they are doing but revenues are currently falling...The PTI is however currently as fast as possible from a possible IMF bailout because they literally takeover the economy...others are suggesting that they are already following IMF advice however the subsidies to the industrial sector and inflating gas bills to domestic consumers donot fall into any bracket...!
• Jan25-2019--The PTI has used a test launch of a 75 km Nasr missile in its defence suggesting that its popularity is falling...they say that they can maneouvre the 75km missile in air...!
  
• Jan24-2019--Nawaz Sharif suffering from sort of possible heart attack/complications and professors advise that he be shifted to hospital
  
• Jan24-2019--Opposition attempting to get out of opposing military trials as punjab government announces details of Sahiwal victim Zeeshans links to supposed terrorists in Gujranwala and Faisalabad..
  
• Jan24-2019--The PTI announced a new budget which would solve all the budgetary and economic problems..now non tax filers can buy a 1300 cc car...god be praised...the government should realize that non tax filers are doing so legally...most of the army is now a non tax filer...this also being done to help a flailing car industry...government allowed import of components/materials for a wide range of industries and reduced taxes on them as well on capital gains...This should increase imports while a 5/10% increase on imported car taxes should hardly dent car imports...with the increasing local production of a myriad of autos the maximum of 45% on imports should be charged...stockholders were already doing quite well...all of the measures are for the relatively billionaire types...how it will help the economy for times to come is unclear...Asad Umar probably does not know that nothing is ever static and pakistani entrepreneurs know how to destroy an economy...it is these types that keep dollars abroad..banks too also are already doing quite well...one really does not know how domestic savings will increase..given no real incentive in returns
  
• Jan23-2019--punjab government removes CTD chief and two other CTD officials from their posts and suspends two others...five who participated in firing to be tried in an ATC
  
• Jan23-2019--SC rejects BahriaTown offer of Rs385 billion for occupied land in karachi...!
  
• Jan22-2019--IHC strikes down case of Imran Khan fathering an illegitimate child Tyrian Jade White..saying it is a private matter
  
• Jan22-2019--a private firm to monitor an electricity feeder line Karkhano in KP which has 54% theft...they will use software and mobile phones to check theft and usage...government also preparing a research program with foreign aid
  
• Jan22-2019-- The PTI after withdrawing a plea from the ECP filed a disqualification reference against Asif Bhutto Zardari in the SC saying he had not reported a flat in the USA and two bullet proof cars
  
• Jan22-2019--The minister of state for interior seemingly fell into the opposition and claimed that the CTD personnel in the Sahiwal incident were in jail and would not be spared while the punjab chief minister said he would act on the JIT report expected today...government members remembered the inaction of the PMLn and PPP on various terrorism related incidents in karachi and lahore
  
• Jan21-2019--punjab opposition raises a lot of hue and cry on the CTD killings in sahiwal...!
  
• Jan21-2019--PSO a government concern is in dire straits with its receivables going above Rs 364 billion...a Finance ministry launch of a Rs200 billion Sukuk bond delay is said tobe the cause...receivables from the power sector are Rs265 billion, Rs 51 billion from SNGPL for LNG supplies, Rs48 billion payable by PIA...PSO owes Rs43 billion in letter of credits and Rs15 billion to refineries..the finance minister is quibbling and refusing to payup...many suggest that the government should withdraw its guarantee of assuring fuel supplies to power stations and allow them to arrange their own
  
• Jan20-2019--There are 18 distilleries producing ethanol a type of alcohol mostly associated with sugarmills and breweries...exports of ethnanol jumped to $426 million
  
• Jan20-2019--Three children survive as police shoot at a car and kill four of a family...punjab police's notorious CTD says it was they were linked to shootings in Gujranwala say they were shooting at terrorists...!while a PMLq type home minister says it was collatteral damage...police say the driver Zeeshan was being followed
  
• Jan20-2019--PTI seems tobe in trouble with its allies...while we donot suggest that the CM punjab should not interfere or have no role in appointments in ministries they should be able to get alongwith the PMLq which should also realize that they were elected with PTI support...a punjab PMLq minister has resigned...apparently the PMLq also wants two ministers at the center and punjab...Punjab CM unable to convince Pervaiz Elahi...PTi would be in trouble especially in punjab if the PMLq and mqm apart from the BNP-m dropped out of the coalition...
  
• Jan20-2019--Advisor Razak dawood controversially says that exports will get to
  $27 billion this year...half year exports are said tobe $11.5 billion...!while there is nothing new to export the advisor said he would do something to reduce edible oil imports...the country could grow palm oil trees as other edible oils are not enough to dent imports...one does not know if the mohmand dam contract to the chinese comes under imports...!at least $210 billion of the mohmand dam is supposedly meant for the chinese...!
  
• Jan20-2019--the majestic markhor is being killed for no reason...and that too in the government of Imran Khan...so is the Houbara bustard..the same Imran Khan praises the countries ice clad mountains and rivers as a place he would willingly be forced to live...The sharifs and zardaris obviously prefer prefer london and dubai...!while the contrasts are so severe one hopes he would one day turn to preserving the countries dwindling wild life...
  
• Jan19-2019--Imran Khan approves four SEZ's for the chinese at Rashakai, Islamabad, Faisalabad and Dhabeji...He also wants to change the focus of CPEC to agriculture and industry...while personally i consider the european model of sustainable development better for the environment...pakistan despite having a paucity of energy resources wants to continue industrialization..industry has already started to overuse gas...so one would suggest that either industries focus on using electricity and only to the extent of availaibility...industry is no longer driven on population needs and neither does it provide employment opportunities...
  
• Jan19-2019--the cabinet has granted a new NOC to Gen Raheel Sharif to takeup a foreign posting after nearly two years...The previous NOC had been technically issued by the army chief
  
• Jan19-2019--human hair is being exported to china
  
• Jan18-2019--judicial activismn might take a nosedive under new CJ-SC Asif Saeed Khosa...He also suggested that a new charter of governance is needed and requested the president to arrange/chair a meeting of all political leaders, military bosses, intelligence bosses and the judiciary...upto now the judiciary regarded itself as above everyone and showed abhorrence for consultation with the politicians, government, military and intelligence... while the military and intelligence top bosses have not been seen in court they have shown shown some appreciation for the courts at times strange tactics...he also said that the high courts could be empowered to review military courts...he also said that the government should not be destabilized and the armed forces role clearly defined...he however clearly outlined that the constitution should be followed and military isolationism should be avoided...he clearly saw a problem with institutional independence and wanted the rift tobe healed...
  
• Jan18-2019--Government lifts travel ban on Bilawal Zardari and Murad Ali Shah in money laundering of accounts
  
• Jan18-2019--PPP finds a problem with the SC ordering that hospitals setup by the center can be run by it...while health is a provincial subject it doe not mean that the center can setup hospitals and run them...The center has clear authority over all provinces in all matters
  
• Jan18-2019--SHO's tobe monitored by the IG in punjab thru camera's...!