�Interest-based economic system root cause of all evils�

PESHAWAR: The Voice of Traders, a newly formed body of the businessmen, has vowed to struggle for improvement of trade and business with a new vision of introducing reforms in this vital sector of economy.

Addressing a gathering on Sunday, trader leaders said Pakistan’s economy could be put on track by introducing reforms and adopting interest-free banking.

The body’s chairman, Malik Ihsan Elahi, said the organisation formed in 2011 aimed at giving a new vision and suggestions to the chambers of commerce and industries and trade unions for bringing reforms and working for the unity and welfare of trade organisations in the country.

He said the 35-member body consisting office-bearers, the executive council and board of governors would work for uniting the trade organisations and struggling for the overall improvement of trade and business.

He said the body would be extended to other parts of the province and the country. He said there should be a portfolio of trade minister at the provincial level and the minister should be elected from the trade organisations, new laws should be framed for dealing with trade and traders and unnecessary harassment and arrest of traders be avoided. He said that drastic reforms were needed in the trade sector and traders’ access to international market should be made easy.

Ihsan Ilahi also called for reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata) to bring an end to kidnappings for ransom. He asked the chief justice to pursue the petition seeking an end to usury as the country’s economy could be put on track to progress and prosperity if interest-free banking and economic system was introduced.

“Interest-based western economic system is the root cause of all evils and it has made the country dependent on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund,” he argued. Addressing the function as chief guest, District Coordination Officer Siraj Ahmad Khan lauded the organisation’s manifesto and efforts and assured the administration’s help in solving traders’ problems.

He said the traders of the provincial metropolis faced great hardships and losses with courage and supported the government in the maintenance of law and order. However, he said Peshawar was nowadays facing two main problems i.e. price-hike and traffic jams, and asked the traders, especially of the inner city, to cooperate with the administration in the removal of encroachments.

The encroachments on footpaths have made life miserable for pedestrians as well as motorists and shopkeepers and trade leaders can play a vital role in coping with the problem, he added. The DCO said that around 180,000 vehicles were plying the Peshawar roads daily while the capacity was for around 50,000 vehicles only.

He admitted that the ongoing development work on roads had aggravated the situation, but said the work would be completed before the stipulated time and the traffic problems would be solved to a great extent. ‘Voice of Traders’ General Secretary Zafar Khattak, Abdullah Khan, Imran Aziz of the All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association, Mamoor Khan and Humayun Fazal also addressed the function.

700mmcfd more gas to be injected into system in June: Dr Asim

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain Friday announced that 700mmcfd additional gas would be injected into the system by June 2012, and a three years plan to overcome gas shortage would be unveiled soon. He was addressing a press conference after meeting with office bearers of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptama) in Islamabad.

Dr Asim said that the present unconstrained demand of natural gas stands at 6bcfd while production is 4.2bcfd; however, supply to domestic consumers would improve after the extreme cold spell is over. He emphasized that the present government has always adopted the policy of openness and provides realistic and objective presentation of facts regarding the gas crisis.

He said that he is making personal efforts to break cartels’ influence and always upholds merit in decision-making and all gas consuming sectors are provided with gas on equitable basis. The Gas Load Management Programme is always prepared after thorough consultations with all the stakeholders.

The federal minister said that measures on war footing are being taken to bring down the percentage of unaccounted-for-gas (UFG) in the SNGPL and SSGC networks. He warned that strict action would be taken against gas thieves as per the Gas Theft Act.

Dr Asim Hussain said that this is not the time to create confrontations and urged that all stakeholders should cooperate while opposition should provide workable solutions to overcome the energy crisis.

He said that the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources is mindful of its duties and is bringing in positive and investor friendly provisions in all Oil & Gas sector policies. Regarding negotiations underway with Qatar for supply of LNG, Dr Asim Hussain said that Qatar’s Term Sheet would be received next week.

The minister informed that he is proceeding to India for holding talks with the Indian Government on Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline project.

System will be derailed if judiciary not respected: SC

System will be derailed if judiciary not respected: SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court stated on Tuesday the democratic system would be derailed if the judiciary were not respected. The court said this as former law minister Dr Babar Awan finally faced the music for his contempt towards the Supreme Court, which temporarily suspended his law practising licence for contempt against the judiciary.

Flanked by Pakistan People’s Party stalwarts at a press conference, Babar had criticised the court’s verdict in the memo case, earning himself a contempt notice. Finally, he has had to reap the harvest of his maligning the court with the suspension of his practising licence, and a bar on his appearance as counsel before the apex court, at least for the time being.

Being a darling of President Asif Ali Zardari, Babar who was recently made vice president of the PPP, is being tipped as the next Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, with reports circulating that Maula Bux Chandio has resigned as Minister for Law.

An eleven-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the presidential reference for revisiting the murder case of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “We temporarily suspend his [Babar Awan] licence to appear before this court and no sooner has he engaged a counsel and filed the reply, he would make a request to the registrar for the purpose of taking up this matter,” the court said in its order.

The court observed that a good relationship between the bench and the bar depended on mutual respect. It ruled that the apex court deserved to be respected by all concerned, particularly advocates and members of the legal fraternity to whom licences were issued for appearing before the court. “If an institution like the Supreme Court is not respected and an attempt is made to lower its prestige in the eyes of the general public, then it would be very difficult to administer justice because this is the court whose working/decisions send a message down to the court of the magistrate and the civil judge that they should administer justice without fear or favour, and if this court is maligned by anyone, it would not be possible to maintain its dignity and status,” the court ruled in its order.

Referring to the ZAB reference, the court directed Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to inform the president of Pakistan that in view of the order of January 5, 2012 and January 17, 2012, the licence of Babar Awan, had been temporarily suspended; therefore, it would be appropriate if another counsel were appointed to address arguments in the reference, which indeed was one of the most important cases in the history of the Court.

The Supreme Court on January 05 had issued contempt of court notice to Awan. On Tuesday, the court adjourned the hearing to a date in office and ruled that it would be taken up as soon as the president of Pakistan nominated another counsel.

Earlier, the court also rejected the plea of the President Supreme Court Bar Association Yasim Azad for more time in the case in hand. The Chief Justice said the court’s respect would not be compromised at any cost. While addressing Awan, the CJ said, “The bench was left with no other option but to take steps against you,” adding that it should not be presumed that the court was helpless.

Babar Awan sought more time saying that he would hire the services of another lawyer to plead the case, adding that being a member of the larger political party he believed in giving due respect to the court.

The CJ observed that the system could be derailed if the judiciary was not given due respect, adding that throughout the world, respect and dignity of the judiciary was not compromised. He asked Awan whether he was also served a contempt of court notice from the Lahore High Court, at which Awan apprised the bench that upon a contempt of court notice from the LHC he had appeared before the bench of Justice Ihsan-ul-Haq.

He added that he had also appeared before a bench of former Justice Nawaz Abbasi. On this occasion, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar pointed out that he also took a contempt of court notice against Awan, which was discharged later on.