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April 9, 2019: National Current Affairs
1. Four-year economic plan launched
• The government has launched a medium term plan for economic stability and growth envisaging an ambitious target of taking the country’s GDP growth to 15 years highest level and increase exports to $40 billion by 2022-23.
• “The crisis stage of the economy has passed and now we have entered into economic stabilisation phase,” Finance Minister Asad Umar said on April 8, 2019 at launching ceremony of ‘Roadmap for Stability Growth and Productive Employment’.
• The minister said that incumbent government had inherited a very sick patient that had been taken to the ICU [Intensive Care Unit]. The government therefore had to take emergency measures.
• Govt aims high GDP, $40b exports by 2022-23
2. Khasadar, Levies forces merged into KP police
• In a landmark development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on April 8, 2019 announced an immediate merger of erstwhile Fata Levies and Khasadar forces into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police.
• A total of 28,000 personnel of both the forces will benefit from this decision. Lauding the matchless sacrifices of Levies and Khasadar force in a war against terror, CM said that the force would be equipped on modern lines.
• After the formal merger of Fata into the KP, the continuation of these forces was pointless and following which the government decided to merge these forces into the provincial police force.
3. Trade deficit dips 14pc to $23.4bn in nine months
• The government`s battle against bloated trade deficit is finally bearing fruit as it shrank by 14 per cent to $23.45 billion in the first nine months of the current fiscal year from $27.29bn in the corresponding period last year.
• The decline in deficit down $3.84bn in the July-March period is estimated to be in the range of $5-6bn at the end of ongoing fiscal year. This contraction is mainly attributable to a steep fall in overall import bill even though export proceeds posted a mixed trend during the period under review.
• On a month-on-month basis, the trade deficit fell by 37.74pc to $1.93bn in March from $3.1bn over the corresponding month last year.
4. Indian suggestion for Kartarpur talks accepted
• A day after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said India is planning aggression against Pakistan again, the Foreign Office on April 8, 2019 accepted Indian suggestion of holding technical talks on Kartarpur Corridor on April 16.
• `Continuing with Pakistan`s spirit of constructive engagement, we have agreed to the Indian proposal for a technical meeting on 16 April. We expect positivity from India so that the corridor becomes reality for 550th celebrations, FO spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal tweeted.
• The discussions on the agreement, which would govern Kartarpur Corridor operations, suffered a setback last week when India pulled out of the planned second round of talks at Wagah that had been scheduled for April 2.
• India had postponed the meeting on the allegations that Pakistan had appointed controversial pro-Khalistani figures in the Kartarpur committee.
5. Reforms have increased Pakistan`s tax collection, bribe rates: IMF
• Performance based salaries of tax officials in Pakistan have significantly increased tax collection but the government move has also enhanced bribe rates, says a recent study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• The study `Tackling Corruption in Government` analyses more than 180 countries and finds that more corrupt countries collect fewer taxes, as people pay bribes to avoid them, including through tax loopholes designed in exchange for kickbacks.
• The study also determined that when taxpayers believe their governments are corrupt, they are more likely to evade paying taxes.
• The IMF also studied recent performance-related incentives that Pakistan offered to its tax officials, which had both desirable and undesirable consequences.
6. Chakwal`s first Jeep Rally highlights district`s potential for tourism
• The district`s first ever Jeep Rally that culminated April 7, 2019 night drew a huge crowd and aimed at setting Chakwal up as a new tourist destination.
• Provincial Minister for Higher Education Department and Tourism Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz was invited as the chief guest at Sunday`s closing ceremony, while earlier that day Minister for National Health Services Aamer Kiani flagged of the racers.
• A total of 43 people participated in the race, which took place on a challenging 22 kilometre track. They were cheered on by spectators who occupied mounds so they could watch the thrilling event.
April 9, 2019: International Current Affairs
7. European Union extends restrictive measures against Iran
• The Council of the European Union on April 8, 2019 extended by one year sanctions in response to “serious human rights violations in Iran”. The sanctions were extended until 13 April 2020, according to a press release issued by the Council.
• The sanctions include “a travel ban and an asset freeze against 82 people and one entity”, and “a ban on exports to Iran of equipment which might be used for internal repression and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications”.
• These measures were first put in place in 2011 and have been extended ever since on an annual basis. On Jan 16, 2016, the Council had lifted all nuclear-related economic and financial EU sanctions against Iran
8. Trump removes Secret Service and Homeland Security heads
• President Donald Trump removed the director of the US Secret Service, the agency that provides protection for him and other top officials, on April 8, 2019, a day after the ouster of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
• The dismissal of Secret Service Director Randolph Alles comes amid major leadership changes at the sprawling Department of Homeland Security. The Secret Service director reports to the Homeland Security secretary.
• The first sign of the overhaul came late on Thursday, when Trump abruptly pulled his nomination of Ron Vitiello as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of DHS. Trump described that move as part of a policy change `going in a tougher direction`. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said James Murray, a career Secret Service agent, will take over the Secret Service next month
9. US designates Iran`s Guards as terrorist organisation
• The United States on April 8, 2019 designated Iran`s elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a terrorist organisation, ramping up already far-reaching attempts to undermine the Iranian government.
• President Donald Trump said in a statement that the `unprecedented` move `recognises the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft`.
• `The IRGC is the Iranian government`s primary means of directing and implementing its global terrorist campaign,` Trump said.
• It is the first time the United States has designated part of a foreign government a terrorist organisation, rather than guerilla groups or other more informal entities.
10. Erdogan, Putin talk priority issues in Moscow
• Russian President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed priority issues in Russian-Turkish relations on April 8, 2019.
• Opening the second part of talks in Moscow, with the participation of bilateral delegations, Putin said the two leaders agreed to further strengthen cooperation “in the spirit of advanced, multifaceted partnership.”
