Small farmers bear the brunt: Govt to keep wheat support price unchanged

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chairing the ECC meeting on Tuesday. PHOTO: PID

ISLAMABAD: The government decided on Tuesday to keep wheat support price unchanged at Rs1,200 per 40 kg while approving an 8-million-metric-tonne procurement target for the new crop. The move may create resentment among the farmers but policy makers consider it necessary to keep staple food prices in check.

The decision was taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet, which had a meeting with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the chair.

It was for the first time in six years that the farming community will not reap benefits of the increased support price – the minimum rate at which government agencies procure commodity from the farmers. In its five-year tenure, the PPP government had increased commodity prices manifold, almost tripling it from Rs425 per 40 kg in 2008 to Rs1,200 kg in 2012.

The last price increase was announced just months before the last year’s general elections when the PPP government raised the support price for wheat by Rs150 per 40 kg to Rs1,200 – up by 14.3%. The decision not to increase the prices was taken by the Ministry of Food in consultations with the provinces, said officials.

The ECC approved the summary of Ministry of National Food Security and Research for fixing procurement target for the wheat crop 2013-14 at 8 million metric tonnes. The federal government and the four provincial governments will require Rs240 billion financing to procure the commodity from the farmers, according to the officials.

The ECC decided that Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Supply Corporation will buy 1.6 million metric tons of wheat. The maximum procurements will be made by the Punjab government which will procure 4.5 million tons, followed by Sindh (1.3 million metric tonnes), Khyber-Pakthunkhwa (450,000 metric tonnes), and Balochistan (150,000 metric tonnes).

Province/Agency	Target (Million Tons)
Punjab	4.500
Sindh	1.300
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	0.450
Balochistan	0.150
PASSCO	1.600
Total:	8.000

Ban on gold import

For a second consecutive time, the ECC has decided to extended ban on the import of gold till the end of current month. The Finance Minister has repeated his previous directions to the Ministry of Commerce, asking it to reexamine the issue holistically for submission of the matter to the ECC in its next meeting, according to an official handout.

The ECC had temporarily imposed a ban in July last year after reports that the importers were smuggling gold to India and reaping benefits. The imports and subsequent smuggling adversely affected the foreign currency reserves of the country.

In contrast, Dar asked the Commerce Ministry to lift restrictions on the export of gem stones imposed last month.

Export of sugar

The Finance Minister had directed the officials of the Ministries of Commerce and Industries to ensure shipment of export quota of sugar up to 500,000 metric tons. He said that both the ministries and the State Bank of Pakistan should reconcile their data on sugar export.

He also directed the Commerce Ministry to submit a comprehensive policy on sugar.

During the meeting, the finance minister said that all economic indicators were on the positive trend. He said growth was moving up, inflation was going down. He further said the foreign exchange reserves were growing and value of rupee was appreciating. He added that the economic scenario of the country was moving in the right direction.

KPK initiates 4 Mega Projects for Peshawar communication

PESHAWAR – Speeding up efforts for a smooth communication system in the city,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government completes feasibility of four major projects.

The projects launching of Mono-train, rapid bus service, Peshawar Beautification and Widening of existing road network.

The projects will be give a sigh of relief to the Peshawariites irked with the congested roads and growing vehicles.

Jamrud Road, as per plan envisaged, will be widened to up to three lanes from Phase III Hayatabad Intersection to Karkhano Market.

Works on laying carpeted road for Rapid Bus Service has already been commenced from Nasirpur GT Road to Karkhano Hayatabad of the provincial capital.  It will take one year to be compeleted.

Oscar Pizza delivery man gets 1000 dollar tip for delivering !!!!

Oscars night was not only the biggest night for Hollywood this year. The pizza delivery man who fed stars at the Oscars too had his share. He was awarded the best tip for a supporting player: Ceremony hostEllen DeGeneres handed the pizza delivery guy $1,000 in cash.

Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres with pizza delivery man, Edgar Martirosyan, on stage at the Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (AFP Photo)

The tip included money collected from A-list celebrities who chowed down on the pies during the ceremony Sunday and from DeGeneres herself.

READ: TWEEPLE TO ACADEMY, PLEASE GIVE LEONARDO AN OSCAR

Edgar Martirosyan received the tip during a visit on Monday to The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

DeGeneres said she passed Pharrell Williams' oversized hat at the Oscars and collected about $600, then contributed more.

The Big Mama's & Papa's delivery guy said he had already gotten a reward: serving Julia Roberts, whom he called the woman of his dreams.

DeGeneres received her own Oscars spiff. Her talk show's producer, Telepictures Productions, said that Monday's episode was the highest-rated in the series' 11-year history

Captain America Chris Evans to take a break from acting -

Actor Chris Evans is planning to take a break from acting after he is done playing a superhero in Captain America.

The 32-year-old actor, best known for his role in the Marvel's franchise, is slated to hit the silver screens this April with the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

"I think when I'm done with this Marvel contract, I'll take a little break from acting," Evans told Glamour UK.

"With acting, you're one piece in a very big puzzle. It's like you helped buy a gift but you don't know what the gift is, so you come back and see the movie. Sometimes it's nice, sometimes it's tragic," he said.

But the superhero is keeping him busy these days. Evans reprised his role as Captain in 2012's The Avengers and also made a cameo in 2013's Thor: The Dark World. He is putting on his superhero dress again for 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, co-starring Robert Downey, Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, James Spader and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

The actor is also hoping to go behind the camera. He starred in his directorial debut 1:30 Train in December 2013.

"You're involved in every single decision. If I hadn't done it, I'd be really kicking myself. At the time, it was a daunting task or a number of reasons, but in hindsight it was the right move," he said about his debut.

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Revealed: Mourinho finalising Chelsea summer overhaul plans

The Stamford Bridge boss has targeted three areas of his squad that he wants to improve during the next transfer window, with a number of Blues stars set to exit the club

SPECIAL REPORT
By Duncan Castles

Jose Mourinho has prioritised a central defender, a left back and a centre forward ahead of completing a substantial overhaul of his Chelsea squad this summer.

After being granted the authority to sell Juan Mata and Kevin De Bruyne at a substantial profit in the January transfer window, Mourinho is now confident that Roman Abramovich will support a still more aggressive restructuring of the club's squad at the end of the season.

The Stamford Bridge outfit are currently seven points clear of the chasing pack in the Premier League title race but the Portuguese recognises that a number of areas within his squad require renovation.

	CHELSEA LATEST
5/6	Chelsea are 5/6 with William Hill to win the Premier League

Mourinho is maintaining close dialogue with key Chelsea officials ahead of what he sees as a crucial summer for the club, with discussions on both player recruitment and sales set to continue at Stamford Bridge until the transfer window reopens. 

Improving the quality of his defensive options is critical to Mourinho, who has started John Terry in 27 of Chelsea's 29 Premier League games despite the club captain's waning physical abilities. The Portuguese has also relied on the right-footed Cesar Azpilicueta at left back, with Ashley Cole having lost his place in the side.

The contracts of both Terry and Cole end with the current season and while Mourinho has told the English pair that he would like to retain them for the coming campaign, final decisions on renewals must be sanctioned by Abramovich. Unsure that the club's owner will approve new terms both have been exploring options elsewhere.

Though Chelsea have already secured the services of Saint-Etienne's teenage centre back Kurt Zouma for next season, Mourinho also wants a more experienced defender capable of starting the campaign as a first-choice in the position. The market for central defenders, however, is a particularly expensive one at present.   

Mourinho floated the idea of buying Eliaquim Mangala from Porto last year only to be told that his former club would not release the France international unless his €50 million [£41.7m] buy-out clause was activated; a price too high for Chelsea. Manchester City informally agreed personal terms with the 23-year-old in January before baulking at that fee, and they remain the more likely destination for a summer switch.

The new Chelsea manager also made an inquiry for Luke Shaw ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge before the left-back agreed substantially improved personal terms at Southampton. A Chelsea supporter since childhood, Shaw would help the club address homegrown player quotas, but competition from all of the Premier League's leading clubs has inflated the new England international's asking price to a potentially unacceptable level for the Blues.     

At centre forward, Mourinho has also planned to return for an individual he attempted to sign last summer, Diego Costa. Atletico Madrid retained the Brazil-born striker by agreeing improved financial terms, but that revised contract contained a clause allowing the 25-year-old to leave the club at the end of this season.

The Spain international offers a younger and more economical option than long-term Abramovich target Radamel Falcao, who is attempting to recover from cruciate ligament surgery in time for the World Cup.   

Mourinho is also interested in bringing Didier Drogba back to Chelsea as a back-up to his new forward under freedom of contract, and is ready to move on all three of his current senior strikers. Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba have managed just 14 Premier League goals between them, a return that the manager argues has cost the league leaders several victories.  

Though Chelsea hold an option to release or retain Eto'o in the summer and expect to be able to sell Ba, the final two years on Torres' club-record deal will not be easy to dispense with without Financial Fair Play complications.

Inter are interested in adding the Spain international to their recently agreed acquisition of Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic, but want to negotiate a deal in which Chelsea subsidise Torres' wages either through a loan to the Serie A club or a transfer complete with lucrative golden handshake

In harmony: Govt proposes code of conduct between sects

Federal Minister for Reli­gious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Sardar Mohammad Yousaf met the leaders of the Ittehad of Tanzeem-e-Madaris Pakistan on March 4, 2014. PHOTO: PID

ISLAMABAD: Despite opposition from religious parties, the government is devising a plan to introduce a common code of conduct to counter the existing differences among various religious sects in order to encourage greater religious harmony. The widely debated and proposed reforms to the educational system of madrassas in the country are also on the cards. These reforms are part of the country’s first ever National Internal Security Policy.

Federal Minister for Reli­gious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Sardar Mohammad Yousaf met the leaders of the Ittehad of Tanzeem-e-Madaris Pakistan on March 4 and discussed the registration of madrassas, reworking their syllabi and integrating them into the mainstream.

Recently, Sardar Yousaf met the ulema of all Muslim sects in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta to discuss sectarian issues and ask them to abide by a common code of conduct.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, chief of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman opposed the proposed reform of madrassas. Another member of the JUI-F said that faulty policies and not the ulema were responsible for the present state of affairs.

A written reply from the religious affairs ministry elaborated on efforts to encourage interfaith harmony, including an allocation of five per cent for religious minorities in all federal government services, in addition to open merit, with effect from May 2009. In 2009, the ministry declared August 11 ‘minorities day’; four seats in the Senate are reserved for religious minorities under the 18th Amendment as of 2010; as of September 2011, Christians will be referred to as ‘Masihi’ and not ‘Essahi’; the free and fair celebration of religious festivals of minorities at the official level has also been ensured; the National Commission for Minorities has been reconstituted as of July 2013.

Additionally, a national conference on inter-faith harmony, ‘Living Together with Diversity: Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue’, was convened in February 2013 in Islamabad and another conference is being scheduled this year. The ministry’s reply stated that those affected by the attack on Lahore’s Joseph Colony in March 2013 were financially compensated – 109 people were provided with Rs500,000 each on March 15 and April 24.

The Minorities Welfare Fund has been utilised to provide financial assistance, scholarships and funds for the execution of small development schemes for the repair and maintenance of places of worship. The rate of financial assistance for minorities was also increased from Rs5000 to Rs10,000 and a grant of Rs50,000 is provided for the marriages of orphans or children of widows in the minority community, according to the ministry’s reply.

JUI-F threatens country-wide protests

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F), an important ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), has criticised the inclusion of religious seminaries in the country’s first National Internal Security Policy (NISP). The party has announced country-wide protests beginning from March 20th and other religious groups and parties are expected to follow suit.

The security policy mentions ‘some madrassas …which impinge on the national internal security’, receive financing from unidentified sources and publish and distribute hate material. The policy aims to register the seminaries, monitor their funding and revise the curriculum within12 months. The process of integration and mapping of these seminaries will be done through the Directorate of Research and Coordination.

The policy emphasises that ‘the madrassa system cannot be excluded from the internal security parameters of the country. All madrassas derive their inspiration from some specific sect. It appears that the madrassas are in competition to proliferate for more influence and power’.

However, the JUI-F says it is not opposed to any government scrutiny of these seminaries but no madrassa could be registered between 1994 until 2004, when a madrassa was only registered if it accepted the government’s scrutiny of its funds, curriculum and management. “If criminals are taking refuge in a madrassa, they should be arrested, and no permission is required for such raids by security agencies,” Jan Achakzai, the spokesperson for Maulana Fazlur Rehman told The Express Tribune.

Achakzai said that issues related to the registration of madrassas had already been resolved by previous governments, suggesting that if there was any problem within the madrassa system, government functionaries should have contacted the bodies that represent these seminaries

PM Nawaz announces Rs1b aid package for Tharparkar

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif distributing aid among the needy in Mithi on March 10, 2014. PHOTO: PID

MITHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced an aid package worth Rs1 billion for the people of drought-hit Tharparkar.

The calamity has so far claimed lives of around 100 children. The prime minister visited the area to meet the affected people and oversee the relief work.

During a briefing on the situation in the district, Prime Minister Nawaz stressed that the Sindh government should fix responsibility and punish those found guilty of negligence.

He further asked Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to chalk out a policy to avoid such damage in the future. “We need to find the root cause of the problem and prevent it,” the prime minister said.

Comparing the living conditions of Cholistan with Tharparkar, the prime minister questioned why there was a huge difference in the quality of life in the two deserts despite having identical environment.

While speaking during the briefing, Chief Minister Shah informed the prime minister that distribution of relief goods was fair and transparent.

Shah said teams consisting of local representatives, journalists and respected residents of the area will be formed to oversee relief efforts and ensure fairness.

The chief minister said that the main health-related problem in the area was a lack of female doctors. “We have decided to pay female doctors twice as much salary as they earn in cities and provide them with transport and other facilities,” he said.

He further assured the premier that his government has formed a policy to efficiently handle this issue and prevent it in future.

According to sources, there is a possibility that Sindh Food Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar and Provincial Revenue Minister Makhdoom Jameeluz Zaman may be removed from their positions, Express News reported.

Public nuisance

Prime Minister Nawaz took notice of the strict security measures taken to protect him during his visit to Tharparkar.

The security protocol caused trouble to the people of Mithi as access to a local hospital was blocked.

Bilawal visits

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also visited the district hospital in Mithi on Monday, Express News reported.

Accompanied by Sindh Minister for Information and Local Government Sharjeel Inam Memon, Bilawal met with and spoke to patients and their families.

Imran Khan criticises

Criticising the Sindh government for neglecting Tharparkar and focusing on the Sindh Festival, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan said that the “feudal mindset operates on gimmicks”.

He was speaking to the media in Lahore.

“Who is responsible for the deaths in Tharparkar? Is anyone going to be punished for it?” he asked.

He held the government responsible for the current state of affairs in the country, particularly terrorism.

Relief work

The Pakistan Army has established four medical camps at Diplo‚ Chachro‚ Mithi and Nagarpakar to provide healthcare facilities to malnourished and sick children, Radio Pakistanreported on Monday.

Sindh Food Department has so far distributed over eight million kilograms of wheat in Mithi‚ Islamkot‚ Diplo‚ Chachhro and Nagarparkar, while the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Government has sent fifteen truck-loads of food items and medicines to Mithi.

Pakistan Islamic Medical Association has expedited its medical relief activities in Tharparkar by establishing medical camps in Mithi and several villages. The Association has started an ambulance service between Deplo‚ Islam Kot and Mithi to provide emergency services to drought-affected people.

According to Radio Pakistan, The World Food Programme has also offered life-saving medicines to famine-affected people of Tharparkar.

Government officials transferred

Several influential government officials have been able to secure transfers out of Tharparkar district to avoid responsibility of the famine situation, Express News reported Monday evening.

The Sindh government has already issued transfer notifications to this end.