Ministerial committee formed to address natural disasters

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has constituted a 24-member Disaster Management Ministerial Committee to address issues related to natural calamities, ARY News reported on Tuesday. According to details, the Punjab chief minister has constituted a 24-member ministerial committee under the chairmanship of provincial minister Raja Basharat. Chief Secretary Punjab will be the vice-chairman of the committee. The ministerial committee also includes Mohsin Khan Leghari, Ali Afzal Sahi, Hussain Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Punjab, Senior Member Board of Revenue and Additional Chief Secretary of Home Committee. The committee will suggest precautionary measures in case of any natural disasters like earthquake, flood or any other emergency. It will also review the rules and regulations for providing relief and financial assistance to the victims. In a statement, CM Pervaiz Elahi said that the provincial government has taken timely measures for the rehabilitation of the flood victims of South Punjab. “The scope of relief activities in the flood-affected areas has widened,” he added. The chief minister noted that all the flood-affected areas have been declared calamity-hit regions. “A special package of financial assistance has been given for the rehabilitation of the victims”, he concluded. It is pertinent to mention here that flood rescue operation was underway in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts of Punjab while 13,045 people were transferred to safer places. In Rajanpur and D.G. Khan 578 rescue workers and 123 boats were engaged in the flood rescue operation, according to the spokesperson.

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Punjab approves Ehsaas Ration Discount Programme, bumps up stipend by Rs500

Man counts Pakistani currency notes next to a bag of groceries kept on a cart. — AFP/File

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi on Sunday approved to initiate the Ehsaas Ration Discount Programme across the province and increased the stipend from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500.

The CM, while presiding a cabinet meeting, issued the in-principle approval to initiate the programme in Punjab. He also issued directives to integrate all the social protection programmes on a single platform.

CM Elahi directed to prepare the Ehsaas act and have all programmes approved by the Punjab Assembly.

“The public will now get flour, lentils, and ghee for cheaper rates,” said the CM.

To implement the programme, CM Elahi has also directed to form a ministerial steering committee headed by Senator Dr Sania Nishtar, who was also present during the meeting.

Dr Nishtar briefed members about the features of the ration programme including the Ehsaas Card and Ehsaas Protection Programme. She said that a working group related to the ration programme will also be formed.

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Voting on no-trust motion against Punjab Assembly’s deputy speaker begins

Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari. — Facebook/File

LAHORE: Voting on the no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari begins in Punjab Assembly on Friday.

The no-trust motion was tabled against the deputy speaker by PTI following his worsening ties with the party.

Mazari was criticised by PTI Chief Imran Khan and other party leaders for his ruling against the current Chief Minister of Punjab Pervez Elahi. The ruling rejected 10 votes cast by the PML-Q, depriving Elahi of becoming the CM and instated Hamza Shahbaz as the province’s CM.

However, the setback was momentary as the Supreme Court annulled Mazari's ruling and instated the Khan-backed candidate, Elahi, as the CM.

Prior to the voting, empty ballot boxes were displayed in the House.

Meanwhile, PTI’s Sibtain Khan was elected as Punjab Assembly’s speaker today. He was contending against PML-N’s Saif ul Malook Khokhar, nominated as the Opposition's joint candidate

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Punjab CM orders to accelerate relief activities for flood affectees

`LAHORE: Punjab chief minister (CM) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Friday has ordered to accelerate relief and rescue activities to provide relief to the flood and rain affectees in the province. 

In his statement Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi directed the administration to take every possible step to provide relief to the flood affectees and ensure provision of food and other basic facilities.

He also directed the administration to become active in the flood and rain-hit areas.

Earlier, the ISPR also said that troops were assisting the civil administration in relief efforts in Dera Ghazi Khan due to “flash flooding/ hill torrents”.

Read more: PM Shehbaz Sharif increases compensation for rain, flood affectees

Two medical camps have been established by the army to provide medical care to the locals affected by the floods, it said.

Six villagers lost their lives when violent currents of a hill torrent brea­ched a protection dyke in Dera Ghazi Khan late on Tue­sday night.

According to villagers living near the protection dyke, they were caught unawares as the administration did not issue any warning about the torrents coming from the Soori Lund hill. Floodwaters also affected wheat stocks of the food department.

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Govt tried everything to defeat us in Punjab by-polls: Imran Khan

PTI Chief Imran Khan addresses the public on Wednesday. — Screengrab/Geo News

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the government tried everything to defeat the PTI in the Punjab by-elections.

During a televised address to the public, Khan claimed that PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) worked in connivance to defeat his party in the by-polls.

“First of all, Hamza was illegally imposed on us,” he alleged, adding that despite being refrained by the SC from using state machinery and administration for personal gains, the PML-N leader used it to rig elections in the province.

He accused the ECP of collaborating with Hamza and termed his party’s victory a “miracle”.

“A new history is being written,” he said, claiming the win came after the public stepped out to cast votes for the PTI.

The former premier added that the coalition government “disrespected the public”, considering them “sheep and goats” and tried imposing “corrupt people” on them.

Recalling the announcement of the "Azadi March" by the PTI on May 25, Khan said that the coalition government created obstacles for those stepping out to support the “Haqeeqi Azaadi”.

“Today, I want to thank the Almighty that despite all the impediments, people came out to show support rather than staying at home out of fear,” he said, adding that he was happy to see Pakistanis now turning into a nation.

He added, “throughout my life, I have witnessed such enthusiasm only once before and that was during the 1965 war; at that time, everybody thought that the nation was fighting. And now, I saw the same enthusiasm among the masses during the by-polls in the 20 constituencies of Punjab.”

In his address, he also thanked the public for showing their support and taking to the streets in celebration last night following the Supreme Court's verdict in favour of the PTI.

The SC declared Pervez Elahi as the new chief minister of Punjab after removing PML-N's Hamza Shahbaz from office.

More to follow

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In late night ceremony, President Arif Alvi administers oath to Pervez Elahi as CM Punjab

President Arif Alvi administering an oath to Punjab CM-elect Pervez Elahi at Aiwan-e-Saddar. — Screengrab via Twitter/ Government of Punjab

• Elahi was declared CM-elect of Punjab after SC declared Punjab Assembly deputy speaker's ruling "illegal".
• SC had ordered Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman to administer the oath to Elahi, however, he refused to do so.
• President Alvi had sent a special aircraft to bring Elahi to Islamabad for the oath-taking ceremony.

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ISLAMABAD: PTI-backed candidate Pervez Elahi took oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab in the wee hours on Wednesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadar after the Supreme Court announced a verdict against the ruling of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammed Mazari.

The top court declared Mazari's ruling in the Punjab chief minister's election "illegal" and ruled that PTI's candidate Elahi will be the new CM of the province.

SC's three-member bench — comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Muneeb Akhtar — had initially ordered Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman to administer the oath to Elahi, however, he refused to perform his duties. Consequently, President Arif Alvi administered the oath.

Following Governor Punjab’s refusal, Elahi left for Islamabad late Tuesday night to take oath from Alvi as per the Supreme Court's order.

According to Geo News, President Alvi had sent a special aircraft to bring Elahi to Islamabad for the oath-taking ceremony. 

The Supreme Court, in an 11-page short order, said: "We find that the understanding and implementation of the said short judgment as well as the provisions of Article 63A(1)(b) of the Constitution by the Deputy Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Punjab, Lahore (Respondent No.1) was patently incorrect and erroneous and cannot be sustained."

The order then declared Elahi as the duly elected chief minister of Punjab as it ruled that he had obtained 186 votes compared to Hamza's 179.

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