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September 19, 2020: National / International Current Affairs
1. Reko Dig stay comes with bank guarantee condition
• The stay granted by the World Bank`s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) on enforcement of the award against Pakistan in the Reko Dig dispute carries certain conditions.
• One of the conditions set by the World Bank-funded tribunal for international disputes was that Pakistan furnish an irrevocable bank guarantee amounting to 25 per cent of the penalty, which the tribunal had awarded, from a reputable international bank based outside the country.
• All such awards granted by the ICSID always carried certain conditions.
2. PM`s tax payment surged 172pc in 2018
• The tax payment by Prime Minister Imran Khan surged by 172 per cent to Rs282,449 in tax year ending on June 30, 2018 from Rs103,763 a year ago, while that of former prime minister Shahid Khagan Abbasi saw a robust increase, making him the highest taxpaying parliamentarian in the country.
• According to the sixth tax directory of parliamentarians released by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Hafeez Shaikh on Friday, Mr Abbasi paid the highest tax of Rs241.32 million in 2018 as against Rs3.08m in 2017 when he was prime minister.
• The lowest taxpayers among the parliamentarians include Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind (Rs400), Zulfiqar Bachani (Rs388) and Kanwal Shozab (Rs165)
3. Imran Khan paid Rs282,449 tax, Shehbaz Rs9.73 million in 2018
• The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on September 18, 2020 has published the tax directory of Parliamentarians that showed Prime Minister Imran Khan has paid Rs 282, 449 tax and Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif has paid tax worth of Rs 9.73 million in the tax year 2018.
• Following the past practices, the FBR has published the tax directory of the Parliamentarians for the tax year 2018. The directory contains tax details of Members of the Senate of Pakistan and Members of the National as well as Provincial Assemblies. Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh was the chief guest of ceremony to release tax directory and hold balloting for audit of the taxpayers.
• Tax directory showed that Prime Minister Imran Khan has paid Rs 282, 449 tax in 2018.
4. China, Pakistan agree to boost cooperation in transport sector
• China’s Minister for Transport, Li Xiaopeng had a meeting with Pakistani Ambassador to China, Moin-ul-Haque
and both sides agreed to boost cooperation in transport sector.
• Li Xiaopeng welcomed the newly appointed Ambassador of Pakistan, and expressed satisfaction at the state of bilateral cooperation in the transport domain, and reiterated China’s complete support for joint efforts to forge even stronger multi-modal linkages, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on September 18, 2020.
• Li Xiaopeng expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Moin-ul-Haque for his continuous support for China-Pakistan’s traditional friendship, China-Pakistan transportation cooperation, and the completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor various projects.
5. Punjab launches online portal for construction permits
• On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, an online service has been launched for the promotion of the construction sector following the success of modern one-window system for obtaining construction-related NOCs and permits.
• Under the new arrangements, permits for the builders, developers, architects and domestic as well as commercial construction will now be available with a single click.
• The online portal www.construct.fc.punjab.gov.pk/login has been launched with the collaboration of Punjab Information & Technology Board. Now, people can get construction-related services through an online portal while sitting at homes. Already, the Punjab government had introduced Approval Regime Punjab on an emergent basis and the concerned department and agencies have been made bound that NOCs and permission should be issued to the complete applications within a stipulated time
6. Raza Rabbani`s The Smile Snatchers launched
• A new novella, The Smile Snatchers, written by former Senate Chairman and PPP leader Raza Rabbani was launched at a local hotel on September 18, 2020.
• Intellectuals, writers and politicians termed it a good effort to highlight plights and suffering of society and democracy.
• Eminent writer, linguist and historian Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik presided over the ceremony.
7. Indian army takes action against soldiers over killing of three Kashmiris
• The Indian army launched disciplinary proceedings against an unspecified number of soldiers following an inquiry into the killing of three suspected militants in held Kashmir, the army said on September 18, 2020.
• A defence spokesman said evidence showed soldiers had exceeded their powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which grants the army broad authority including shoot-to kill powers.
• In July the army said it had killed the three men in an operation against militants in the Shopian district of held Kashmir.
8. US aircraft carrier enters Gulf amid sanctions threat against Iran
• A US aircraft carrier passed the Strait of Hormuz to enter the Gulf on September 18, 2020 amid Washington threats to enforce `UN` sanctions without the backing of Security Council partners, the Navy announced.
• A strike group led by the USS Nimitz and including two guided missile cruisers and a guided-missile destroyer sailed into the Gulf to operate and train with US partners and support the coalition fighting the militant Islamic State group, the US 5th Fleet said in a statement. `The Nimitz Strike Group has been operating in the 5th Fleet area of operations since July, and is at the peak of readiness,` said strike group commander Rear Admiral Jim Kirk.
• The move came just days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed to enforce an arms embargo and other international sanctions against Iran which the US says will resume on Saturday
9. US orders ban on TikTok, blocks use of WeChat
• The United States on September 18, 2020 ordered a ban on downloads of popular video app TikTok and effectively block the use of the Chinese superapp WeChat on US national security grounds, escalating a fight with Beijing over digital technology.
• The measures effectively disable the Tencent-owned WeChat app in the United States from Sunday, but are expected to allow TikTok users who have already downloaded the app to keep accessing the service through Nov 12.
• That timeframe potentially allows for a tie-up between TikTok, owned by China`s Byte Dance, and a US company ordered by the Trump administration to safeguard data for the popular entertainment app
10. Somalia names new PM, announces plan for national elections
• Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has appointed a new prime minister hours after brokering an agreement with regional leaders for elections next year that abandons a promised one-person, one-vote model.
• Mohamed’s office announced late September 17, 2020 the appointment of Mohamed Hussein Roble, a Swedish-trained civil engineer and political neophyte, and “wished him to take duties and tasks ahead with diligence”.
• He fills a vacancy left when former premier Hassan Ali Khaire was removed by parliament in July for failing to pave the way for fully democratic elections due before February 2021. The foreign-backed government in Mogadishu has been in drawn-out negotiations with Somalia’s federal states over how to proceed with parliamentary and presidential elections
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