Interview

Khawaja Saad Rafiq | Minister of Railways 

This interview was published in Weekly Nidai Millat dated October 23, 2014.

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PILDAT SURVEY | Governance in Punjab is better than KP

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Pakistan Railways: China to inject $3.5b into infrastructure development

Pakistan Railways: China to inject $3.5b into infrastructure development

 

Lahore : A 23-member delegation of Chinese technical experts, led by Meng Wenli, Chief Engineer Alignment, will come on a trip to Pakistan at the weekend to pick the areas for an investment of $3.5 billion and complete the rehabilitation and replacement of tracks from Karachi to Peshawar.

The delegation, comprising representatives of China Railway Eeyuan Engineering Group Company, would arrive on October 25 and undertake a comprehensive study of a 1,400-km rail track with the technical support of the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (Nespak) and the Pakistan Railways Consultancy and Advisory Service, said an official.

The survey will also cover 2,340 bridges and 11 tunnels from Karachi to Peshawar via Hyderabad, Bahawalpur, Multan, Sahiwal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Attock.

Initially, the visit was scheduled for May this year, but was delayed and rescheduled for the last week of October. The team will prepare a report and submit it in February next year to the governments of China and Pakistan for further deliberation and reaching agreements.

China has expressed interest in pouring about $3.5 billion into infrastructure development for the railways. The areas where the money will be injected include replacement of rail tracks over 375 km, deep screening of ballast over 1,260 km, conversion of un-manned level-crossing into underpasses at 50 places, conversion of manned level-crossing into flyovers at 250 places, realignment of 40 big curves, strengthening of 500 bridges and doubling a 438km track at various places between Shahdara and Peshawar.

“This investment is, in fact, a loan being given by China at a concessionary interest rate of 1.5% under the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor,” the official said. “It will be released by the Export-Import Bank of China after receiving sovereign guarantees from the Pakistan government.”

The average speed passenger trains could run on this rail track is in the range of 85 to 105 km per hour, but they do not accelerate above 95 km per hour.

“After the replacement of tracks, the trains will run at the maximum speed of 120 km per hour for the next 15 to 20 years,” the official said.

According to the official, the Pakistan Railways complies with the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules, but in this particular case it will not be necessary to follow the rules as an agreement is being signed between the governments of Pakistan and China.

Only Chinese companies would participate in the bidding for contracts for all civil and engineering work. They would earn a profit of up to 20% to 25% on their investments and the Pakistan government would return the loan with interest payments to the financing bank, the official added.

“The management of Pakistan Railways was also asking China to undertake a project of electric traction over 1,400 km between Karachi and Lahore, but it refused,” said another official.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2014.

 

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Video |

Hajj arrangements by PMLN government

Alhamdullilah nation is free of hajj scandals and those who looted the money of hujaj karam. PMLN minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has worked day and night for the betterment of hajj procedure.

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Column | Daily Express

Zahida Hina | Mian Nawaz Sharif will continue to surprise

This column was published in Daily Express dated June 21, 2009 

 

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Column | The story of a Judge of Multan

Column | Rauf Klasra 

 Rauf Klasra is a known hardliner opponent of PMLN government. This column form the past reveals that even the staunch opponents of PMLN admit the struggle by the real heroes of democracy.  The column published in Daily Jang dated June 22, 2008 is presented for our readers.

 

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Interview

Zafar Iqbal Chaudhary | Vice President PMLN Mandi Bahauddin 

This interview was published in weekly Zindagi dated September 1, 2013. 

 

 

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New discoveries | PPL on the roll

 New findings: PPL on a roll, makes fourth discovery

The expected output from the (Kinza X-1) well will translate into approximately 2,100 barrels per day in oil equivalent and foreign exchange savings of $200,000 per day. PHOTO: KASHIF HUSSAIN/EXPRESS

KARACHI: 

Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has announced that it hit another petroleum reserve in the Gambat South Block, its fourth discovery in the particular lease, which is located in Sanghar district, Sindh.

The exploration well, Kinza X-1 was spud on July 28 this year and reached the final depth of 3,695 metres on September 13.

“Initial testing flowed 12 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas along with condensate, thereby confirming presence of commercial quantities,” the company said in a statement.

PPL is the operator of Gambat South block with 65% working interest along with its joint venture partners Government Holdings and Asia Resources Oil Limited, which holds 25% and 10% interest, respectively.

In the same block, it has already found three producing wells – Wafiq, Shahdad and Sharf.

“Based on wire line logs, potential hydrocarbon bearing zones were identified in the Massive Sand of Lower Goru Formation, which are under testing,” PPL said.

The expected output from the (Kinza X-1) well will translate into approximately 2,100 barrels per day in oil equivalent and foreign exchange savings of $200,000 per day, it said.

The well is being flowed at different choke sizes to measure gas flow rates and the actual flow potential will be determined after the completion of the test.

In August, the company announced discovering 42 mmcfd of gas in Gambat South, its third and biggest discovery in the block. At the time, PPL said it was expecting the production to go up to 60 mmcfd.

It made the first two discoveries in Gambat last year.

Last month, another producing well was discovered in the Hala block, located in Sanghar and Matiari districts, Sindh.

The company said the well could produce 18.6 mmcfd of gas and 31 bpd of condensate from exploratory well Adam West X-1.

Hala is a joint venture between PPL and Mari Petroleum Company Limited, with 65% and 35% working interest, respectively. It covers as area of about 395 square kilometres.

PPL currently produces 10 mmcfd of gas and 150 bpd of condensate from another well in the Hala block.

PPL, which has a portfolio of 47 exploration blocks, has been aggressively searching for new hydrocarbon finds since last year to compensate for the decrease in production from its established fields like Sui.

State-run PPL had earmarked Rs10 billion to be spent on exploration activities during the last fiscal year with most of the focus on Gambat South.

The company accounts for 22% of the country’s gas production. In the fiscal year 2013-14, PPL posted a profit of Rs51.41 billion, up 23% over the previous year.

It has been trying to cut the depletion rate of its fields by installing compressor plants and drilling more wells.

PPL’s six producing fields include Sui, Kandhkot, Adhi, Mazrani, Chachar and Hala, while it has working interest in eight partner-operated fields.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2014.

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Civil disobedience failed | Remittances hit $ 4.69 B

 Remittances grow 19.5%, hit $4.69b

Pakistanis based in foreign countries sent home $1.71 billion in September, which translates into an increase of 33.7% on a yearly basis. STOCK IMAGE

KARACHI: Paying little heed to passionate appeals by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, overseas Pakistanis seem to be in no mood to observe civil disobedience for now.

Despite Khan’s call to abandon formal banking channels for transferring money to their home country, overseas Pakistanis sent remittances amounting to $4.69 billion in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. This reflects growth of 19.52% as the remittances totalled $3.92 billion during the same three-month period of the previous fiscal year.

As part of his ongoing protest in Islamabad that began in the first half of August, Khan had urged overseas Pakistanis to send money home via hundi, which is the illegal way of transferring currency across international borders.

But the year-on-year comparison of data shows the public has turned a deaf ear to Khan’s appeal to dodge official money transfer channels.

According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday, Pakistanis based in foreign countries sent home $1.71 billion in September, which translates into an increase of 33.7% on a yearly basis.

Inflows from Saudi Arabia have been the largest source of remittances so far in 2014-15. They amounted to $1.34 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year. They are up 21.77% from the corresponding period of 2013-14.

Remittances received during the last three months from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) increased 31.54% to $1.03 billion on a year-on-year basis. Inflows from the UAE registered the largest increase from any country during the last three months.

Remittances from the United States and the United Kingdom were $235.99 million and $218.38 million, respectively. The year-on-year increase in remittances from the US and the UK has been 10.77% and 4.67%, respectively.

Remittances from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, excluding Saudi Arabia and the UAE, clocked up at $545.04 million from July to September, which is 21.89% higher than the remittances received in the same period of the preceding fiscal year.

Remittances from Kuwait reached $200.6 million while those from Oman, Bahrain and Qatar amounted to $165.61 million, $90.5 million and $88.33 million, respectively.

Remittances received from Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan and other countries during the last month amounted to $125.33 million, up 47.8% from $84.75 million in the same month of the preceding fiscal year.

In the last fiscal year, overseas Pakistanis sent home $15.8 billion, which was 13.7% higher than the remittances of $13.9 billion received in 2012-13.

People associated with money-remitting businesses had predicted that a majority of overseas Pakistanis would refrain from remitting money illegally in response to Khan’s appeal to boycott legal banking channels. Their expectation was because of the convenience and cost-effectiveness that legal money transfer channels offer to overseas Pakistanis.

The SBP offers banks a rebate facility through the Pakistan Remittance Initiative (PRI). Under the rebate scheme, neither the remitter nor the beneficiary is supposed to pay any remittance fee to the money transfer company.

The SBP reimburses the Pakistan rupee equivalent of 25 Saudi riyals to banks upon each remittance of $100 or more, provided that senders and receivers of remittances do not have to pay any fee. The bank, in turn, shares the rebate with its respective money transfer company as per their mutual understanding.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2014.

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Interview |

Muhammad Sarwar | Governor Punjab

This interview was published in weekly Zindagi, dated October 27, 2013.

 

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Interview |

Majid Zahoor | MPA Punjab 

 This interview was published in daily Zindagi dated July 28, 2013.

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#RoshanPakistan | 46 solar power projects planned in the Punjab

Let there be light: 46 solar power projects planned in the Punjab

By Our Correspondent

Published: October 13, 2014

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Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. PHOTO: APP

LAHORE: 

The government has selected 46 sites in the province where small-scale solar power projects will be set up to reduce the power shortage, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Sunday. He said there was vast scope for generating electricity from solar energy in the Punjab.

He was presiding over a high-level meeting to review prospects of setting up solar energy projects in the province.

Dr Gerwin Greesman, a German expert on solar energy, and Energy Additional Chief Secretary Jehanzeb Khan gave a briefing on small-scale solar power projects. The chief minister said it was essential to resolve the energy crisis to eliminate poverty and unemployment and boost trade and economic activities.

He said the government was taking all possible measures to deal with the energy crisis. He said ill-timed protests and sit-ins had wasted precious time. There was no room for further delay. “We must work together to banish darkness from the country… relevant departments and institutions will have to perform their duties with a renewed spirit.”

Sharif said the energy crisis had badly affected education, health and agriculture. It was absolutely necessary to solve the crisis in order for the government to promote industries. The chief minister said the prime minister was making sincere efforts to deal with the energy crisis.

He said there was vast potential to generate electricity through solar panels. Erecting 150MW solar power projects in the province would go a long way in decreasing the shortage of electricity. He said relevant departments will have to work on the projects on war footing.

Sharif said a team will be formed soon to ensure speedy and transparent execution of these projects. He said the provincial government would initially set up a 100MW solar project in the Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park in Bahawalpur using its own resources. He said the park will start producing electricity by the end of the current year.

The chief minister said that the provincial government was also working on coal, hydel, biogas and biomass.

He said there was vast scope for producing electricity using biomass. He said the government was working round-the-clock to solve the energy problem.

“It should not be long before we put the country on the road to progress and prosperity.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2014.

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Interview |

Muhammad Sarwar | Governor Punjab

This interview was published in weekly Zindagi, datedMay 18, 2014.

 

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Re: The Untold Wealth of Ishaq Dar

 Truth and Facts in response to the Article titled: “The Untold Wealth of Ishaq Dar”

By: Ali Dar – CEO HDS Group

On 20th September, 2014, an Article was published in an online News Website namely Al Rasub written by a Ms. Sabena Siddiqi. This Article is nothing but a cheap attempt to malign my father Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, my brother Hasnain Dar and me and is replete with distortions and falsehood and is purposefully aimed at discrediting the Dar family. The Author has maliciously attempted to create doubts in the minds of the readers about our lawful business in UAE in which our father has no share or interest as he made us independent more than a decade ago when I completed my professional education in United Kingdom.

It is important to note that both Hasnain and I spent a considerable time of our lives abroad. After finishing our higher education, we got engaged in business activities in UAE and have never been involved in any business or professional activities in Pakistan, under direction of our father who wanted to ensure no conflict of interest in his official public positions and in order for us to avoid the common allegation against families of Politicians on account of having undue favors or business expansions due to their elders in Politics and/or holding Public Offices. When I moved to UAE in 2003 after completing my education, my father, Senator Dar was professionally engaged as Financial Advisor/President of a Fund/Company of Royal Family of UAE and retained this position from February 2002 to March 2008. Senator Dar, after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in England, has experience of working for more than 40 Years in profession, industry and public/private sectors in UK, North Africa, Middle East and Pakistan. Out of his declared lawful professional earnings, Senator Dar had gifted part of these to me and also gave some Qarz-e-Hasna (Interest-free Islamic Loan) for my business career. Importantly, my father has made full declaration of all these transactions in his annual Tax Returns as well as Election Commission Returns (as a Parliamentarian) that are gazetted in Pakistan. On taking oath as Federal Finance Minister in June 2013, he submitted his Statement of Assets, which again reflected the latest status of these transactions which are also correspondingly fully documented in Audited Books of our business in UAE. The Qarz-e-Hasna has since been fully repaid and remitted to him to Pakistan through the official banking channels out of which my father Senator Dar has been financing for last few years an orphanage in Lahore, Pakistan in which around 100 children aged 5-16 years reside and their boarding, lodging, health and education is being fully looked after. He also quietly runs another charitable institution, Hajveri Foundation, which helps the poor for medical, education, mass marriages and other needs of life. Besides, he has been a regular contributor towards other charities and social welfare programs. He topped the list of political donors at the time of the 2010 floods, made the largest individual donation for rehabilitation of the IDPs of Swat and Malakand Division and again gave a personal donation for recent floods; thereby taking total donated amount to Rs. 70 Million for the said three calamities.

My brother and I have been involved in business in UAE under the name of “HDS Group” in which there is no participation or involvement of anyone whosoever. Our business is subject to yearly independent audits as per International Auditing Standards and UAE Laws, Rules and Regulations. One of the World’s top-most Auditors (known as Big 4) happen to be HDS' auditors and, as part of their “Know-Your-Client” procedures and practices, they don’t even sign-up a client until and unless they are 100% satisfied about the source of funds and legitimacy of the business. UAE applies strict legal regime with respect to funding sources for businesses and HDS Group is in full compliance with the UAE laws and regulations and, in particular, abide by the laws pertaining to Government/Banking/Corporate Regulatory Authorities and Master Developers.

HDS Group has mainly been engaged in real estate development business in the UAE for over a decade. The contents of Ms. Siddiqi’s Article are part of a propaganda that is published from time to time to scandalize and defame the Dar family. The assertions in the said Article are untrue, misleading and contrary to the conduct of real estate business of UAE. It is a known fact worldwide that a builder/developer/co-developer is not the owner of a building. The developer only uses funds from its customers/booking-holders/buyers and, after the completion of project, the building stands transferred in the names of such customers/booking-holders/buyers. The strict application of the UAE real estate laws may be evident from the fact that the investors’/owners’ funds are deposited into escrow bank accounts and releases are made to the developers/contractors through regulated process monitored by the Authorities of the Government of UAE. Instructively, the Real Estate Development business is strictly regulated in the UAE by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (“RERA”) that has a complete diligence and oversight of all the Developers. All transactions are undertaken as per the law without any race, cast or creed prejudices.

HDS Group has lawfully acted till date as Developers or Co-Developers in Joint Ventures with other partners in the UAE for development of the following towers mentioned in the Article: -

1. HDS Tower: The whole tower (G+39) was sold out (except for a few units that have been retained by HDS Group for office purpose). There are approximately 300 customers/buyers (which include individuals, corporations, companies and institutions etc) of HDS Tower who are the owners according to the strata laws of Dubai and whose particulars are available with the UAE Real Estate Authorities, Government of Dubai.Therefore, the allegation of the Tower being owned by HDS Group is concocted and a big lie.

2. HDS Business Centre: The whole tower (G+39) was again sold out (except for a few units that remain unsold due to the slow business environment in Dubai since the economic downturn of 2008). There are approximately 250 customers/buyers (which include individuals, corporations, companies and institutions etc) of HDS Business Centre who are the owners according to the strata laws of Dubai and whose particulars are available with the UAE Real Estate Authorities, Government of Dubai. Therefore, the allegation of the Tower being owned by HDS Group is concocted and a big lie.

3. HDS Sunstar 1 and 2: One of these two low rise buildings (G+10) is 100% sold out and the other has some unsold units due to economic downturn of 2008, which have been rented out. The two buildings jointly have 260 individual Unit Occupants, the details of whom are again available with the UAE Real Estate Authorities, Government of Dubai.Therefore, the allegation of the Towers being owned by HDS Group is concocted and a big lie.

4. Sobha Ivory 1 and 2: HDS Group has never had any involvement whatsoever in Sobha Ivory 2 Project. With regards to Sobha Ivory 1, HDS Group did co-develop this Project but all units have long been sold and there are approximately 110 customers/buyers (which include individuals, corporations, companies and institutions etc) of Soba Ivory 1 building who are the owners according to the strata laws of Dubai and whose particulars are available with the UAE Real Estate Authorities, Government of Dubai. Therefore, the allegation of the Tower being owned by HDS Group is concocted and a big lie.

With regards to non-property businesses mentioned in the Article, the item-wise facts are as under: -

5. Take a Break: These are two Coffee Shops in a small area of around 500/950 sq.ft, aimed at catering to part of the food and beverage requirements of the Office Owners and their employees. Coffee shops only employ three individuals, which indicate their negligible size and value.

6. HDS Mini Golf: HDS Mini Golf is a community service for the residents of the community in which this small facility is located. The approximately 500 sq.mt land for the facility was given by the Master Developer of the Community (under control of the Government of Dubai). The facility can hardly recover the rent for the land and it is managed by merely 1 part-time employee, which reflects its negligible size and value.

7. HDS Owners Association Management Company: It is again a service company which only coordinates between the Board Members of the Owners Associations of HDS Tower/HDS Business Center and hundreds of Owners of the said Towers and charges a nominal fee for the said administrative services provided.

8. HDS Rent A Car: The story about car rental business has equally been distorted and is far from reality. It is a usual business in the UAE that owners do place their luxury cars with Rental Companies for renting out because of a considerable demand for such vehicles. Any person may rent out luxury cars through car rental companies, who charge part of the rental as their fee. In addition to that, the Roads and Transport Authority of UAE (“RTA”), Government of Dubai, allows for temporary transfer of Vehicles between Rent-a-Car companies which allows companies like HDS Rent A Car to offer to their clients cars owned not just by them but also by hundreds of other Car Rental companies in Dubai. The car rental business too is well-recorded, properly audited and is carried out according to the laws of UAE. The assertions and inferences made in this case too in the aforesaid Article are outrageously incorrect.

It is worth mentioning that all the above-said activities have already been made public electronically by HDS Group through postings on their websites etc but the writer Ms. Sabena Siddiqi, while copying, only selected part-information and unethically added lies to distort facts in a manner to give the readers a completely false and inaccurate picture, which is most regretful and against the very basic ethics of journalism. It is therefore evident that the sole reason for the said Article is political malice, jealousy and to lower our personal as well as commercial reputation in UAE and Pakistan. The online publishing of this Article and subsequent email and wide social media circulation of the false assertions and baseless assumptions is a defamatory, unlawful and damaging act. Such an act is evidently against the honorable and decent norms of a civilized society and liable to be condemned altogether. In actuality, we worked very hard for years and the present business position is the fruit of only hard work and God’s benevolence and no other source has ever been relied upon. We reserve the right to take legal recourse against the propagandists of such defamatory content.

As a Muslim, we must be wary of what has been ordained in the holy Quran in Surah Hujurat, Verse 6: “O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.”

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Sharifs acuited from money laundring case

Pakistan court acquits Nawaz Sharif, brother Shahbaz Sharif in money laundering case

 

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were on Friday acquitted of all charges in a 14-year-old money laundering case, in a ruling that comes as a major relief to the embattled brothers.

The Sharif brothers were accused of misusing their authority and accumulating wealth beyond their means. Former military dictator Pervez Musharaf, who deposed Sharif in 1999, had instituted the cases in 2000, alleging that the brother-duo used a paper mill as a cover for money laundering during the late 1990s.

The National Accountability Bureau court, however, said the Sharif brothers, along with Nawaz's wife Kulsoom Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz and nephew Hamza Shahbaz, were absolved of all corruption charges, including possession of illegal assets.

Justice Anwar Ahmed termed the charges "politically motivated" and quashed the case, Dawn reported. He said the case was pending for 14 years and not a single witness had appeared in court.

It is a major victory for the embattled prime minister, facing a barrage of corruption andvote rigging charges by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and a populist cleric named Tahirul Qadri.

Khan wants Sharif's ouster over alleged rigging in last year's poll which his party lost, while Qadri wants to bring a revolution in the country. They are agitating since August 14.

Meanwhile, another case accusing the Sharif family of defaulting over a bank loan in relation to their Ittefaq Foundries was adjourned by the court to October 2.

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Column |

ISB-RWP Metro Bus Project | Athar Ali Khan

 This column was published in Daily Express dated March 26, 2014

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Column |

میاں صاحبان کا نیا دور | عبدالقادر حسن

This column was published in daily Express dated 25th March, 2014.

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Column | The revolution of progress

The revolution of progress | Ahsan Iqbal

This column was published in Daily Jang dated 06 July, 2014.

 

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$65m ADB funding likely for power project

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank has agreed to finance a $65 million private sector power project being set up on Poonch river, upstream Mangla Dam.

According to official sources, the project envisages construction and operation of a 102MW run-of-the river hydroelectric generation facility for which the ADB is expected to provide $65m.

The project will be developed in accordance with the Power Policy 2002 under which the ADB has financed several projects and will be undertaken on a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis in 30 years since the beginning of the project’s commercial operation.

It will ensure low-cost generation and provide additional electricity supply to the national grid.

According to the project document, the tariff for electricity supplied by the project will be lower than that for plants that use imported fuel and other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

It will also avoid greenhouse gas emissions of almost 240,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Published in Dawn, September 28th , 2014

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