ISLAMABAD: The government is likely to allow two major oil marketing companies (OMCs) – Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Shell Pakistan – to recover two-year-old claims of Rs482 million on account of regulatory duty on petrol and high-speed diesel.

This will put an additional burden on consumers already reeling from gradually rising petroleum product prices.

According to an official, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has supported the recovery plan, but suggests that other OMCs should not be given the go-ahead if they come up with any such claim.
“The impact of these old claims from PSO and Shell will reflect in the monthly revision in petroleum product prices for the consumers, who will bear this additional burden,” the official said.

The duty claims have remained unresolved since May 2015 and now the government is planning to compensate the two OMCs.

The Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) has sought approval of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) for duty collection through adjustments in petroleum prices.

The FBR had imposed 2.5% regulatory duty on imports of high-speed diesel and 2% on petrol and crude oil on April 30, 2015. After the issuance of a notification in that regard, PSO and Shell paid the duty but they could not recover it from the consumers for May 2015.

A senior official of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) told The Express Tribune that the regulator had estimated net duty claims of Rs482 million which included Rs356 million for PSO and Rs125 million for Shell.

“PSO and Shell have shared details of the regulatory duty paid by them and request that they should be allowed to recover the arrears,” he said.

The Ministry of Finance, Planning Commission, FBR and Ogra have backed the proposal that says the two OMCs should be allowed to recover arrears of the regulatory duty from the consumers.

However, the FBR suggested that other OMCs should not be permitted to recover the duty and in case the levy is withdrawn or reduced, its benefit should be passed on to the consumers.

The regulator emphasised that notifications regarding the duty on petroleum products should be issued on time in order to avoid such complications in the future.

ISLAMABAD: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has given new timeline to both Pakistan and India for filing another round of memorials in the case of convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, sources have revealed to The Express Tribune.

Sources revealed that the ICJ has set April 17 for India to file another memorial, while Pakistan will have to submit a counter memorial by July 17.

In view of the timeline, they also informed that there is little chance that the hearing of the case will resume in 2018, adding that the two-month summer vacations of ICJ judges will start in August, and when it ended, the court will take up cases that have already been fixed before it.
Earlier, New Delhi sought time to file an additional memorial at the ICJ. Legal experts are, however, wondering why India is trying to unnecessarily drag the matter.

While submitting a 1,700-page counter memorial in the ICJ on December 13 last year, Pakistan rejected the Indian objection of not giving consular access to Jadhav, saying the provision of such access under the Vienna Convention is only for legitimate visitors, and not spies.

Pakistan said that since India did not deny that Jadhav was travelling with an assumed Muslim name, they have no case to plead.

India has repeatedly sought consular access to Jadhav, but Pakistan has turned down its requests, citing a bilateral accord that does not permit such access to spies.

However, on December 25, Islamabad allowed Jadhav’s mother and wife to meet with him on purely humanitarian grounds.

It was learnt that the government has also sought legal assistance from two top lawyers of the country. The initial memorial was drafted by Khawar Qureshi.

According to sources, Pakistan stated in the memorial that India did not explain how a serving naval commander, operating under India’s spy agency – Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) – was travelling under an assumed name. This leads to only one conclusion, that India seeks consular access to the information he [Jadhav] had gathered, it added.

It said since Jadhav was on active duty, it is obvious that he was a spy sent on a special mission.

“Only a state that adheres to legitimate actions can request the court to intervene in a matter between two states. A state which does not come with clean hands cannot get any relief,” Pakistan contended.

Pakistan further said that sending Jadhav for espionage and funding terrorist activities were some of the reasons that disentitle India from invoking jurisdiction of the ICJ.

Sources said Pakistan also highlighted constant violations of human rights by India in occupied Kashmir. It said India is a habitual violator of human rights and has not honoured the UN resolutions on Kashmir.

“Giving false identity to Kulbhushan, sending him for espionage and funding of terrorists activities are all some of the reasons which disentitle India from invoking the jurisdiction of the ICJ,” said the counter memorial according to a source. The ICJ will decide the schedule of hearing within 15 days.

On September 13 last year, India submitted a 22-page memorandum wherein it objected to Jadhav being tried by a military court in Pakistan.

The sources said India contended that Jadhav’s trial should have been conducted by a civilian court and that Pakistan was bound to give him consular access.

The federal government has already appointed former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani as an ad hoc judge for the case at The Hague.

Legal experts are urging all stakeholders to increase coordination in devising the final draft of the memorandum.

The ICJ on May 18 last year halted the execution of Jadhav, who was sentenced to death by a military court on April 10 after being convicted on charges of terrorism and espionage.

Jadhav alias Hussain Mubarak Patel was apprehended on March 3, 2016, after he illegally crossed into Pakistan via Iran border.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials stopped former Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) of Malir Cantt Rao Anwar at Benazir International Airport, Rawalpindi, from an international flight early Tuesday morning, Express News reported.

Authorities at BIA barred him from travelling to Dubai on flight EK-615, stating he cannot travel under current circumstances. Anwar is currently facing a departmental inquiry over the alleged extrajudicial killing of a 27-year-old Naseemullah alias Naqeebullah Mehsud, had gone into hiding along with his entire team.

According to airport sources, Anwar was stopped at the immigration counter at around 2am. When asked to submit a written notification, immigration officials said they are not permitted to do so under order 506.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of police officials in Karachi headed by Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional DIG Sanaullah Abbasi, who is also heading a committee formed to probe into the alleged custodial killing, Express News reported.

Muzamil Mumtaz Meo Rajput, a practicing lawyer, had approached the court seeking formation of a board to inquire into killings of more than 250 suspects in alleged encounters by the former SSP in the city since 1992.

Rajput said he heard from many people that complaints were not lodged with any authority or the SHC against the policeman due to fear.

The petitioner recalled that since 1992 till January 15, 2018 the former SSP had murdered innocent persons in fake police encounters and had also looted many persons, who were murdered.

Defying the Sindh police chief’s summons, SSP Anwar and his entire team comprising at least thirteen members did not appear on Monday morning before the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Allah Dino Khowaja and members of the National Commission for Human Rights at the Central Police Office.

A three-member inquiry committee – headed by Abbasi and comprising DIG Sultan Khawaja and DIG Azad Khan – also recommended that names of Anwar and other policemen involved in the ‘encounter’ be placed on the ECL.

KARACHI: SSP Rao Anwar had been working as SSP Malir for at least six years and is said to have killed around 300 alleged terrorists in ‘encounters’. He is also said to be a close aide of a top leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and had always preferred to remain in Karachi’s District Malir.

During his tenure, the courts have served him many contempt notices for his failure to appear before them. In fact, a few inquiries were also initiated against him, but interestingly nothing could be proved against the SSP.

This is also not the first time that SSP Anwar has been suspended.
The first time that SSP Anwar was suspended was by the Supreme Court in 2013 following the deadly blast at Abbas Town.

Later, he was suspended by former Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah following his controversial press conference against the MQM for misusing his authority.

In that presser, Anwar had demanded that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) be banned following the arrests of two MQM men linked to the India’s spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing. Interestingly, one of the accused – Tahir Lamba – was later released by the court due to lack of evidence.

In September 2016, Anwar was suspended on the Sindh chief minister’s order after he raided the house of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Khawaja Izharul Hasan. The SSP arrested the opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly for his alleged links with terrorists. An inquiry was initiated against him. But after a few months, he was reinstated.

Since his appointment in early 1980s in the Sindh police, Anwar has remained a controversial figure and is widely considered as a “PPP man”. He became most controversial when he played a vital role in the Karachi operation against the MQM in the 1990s. During the operation he had killed and arrested several of MQM men, including the notorious Farooq Dada.

The SSP disappeared for several years after the 90s operation and during the tenure of former president General (retd) Musharraf, when MQM was in power.

Many police officials and personnel who played a part in the 90s operation were allegedly killed by the MQM’s militant wing. But after SHO Sarwar commando, he is the only officer who remained alive and continues to serve in the police department.

Anwar re-joined the force in 2008 and was posted as Keamari DSP, shortly after the PPP government came to power in 2008.

After serving few months as Kemari DSP, the PPP led government promoted him to the rank of SP and appointed him as Gadap SP.

Although SSP Anwar was famous as an ‘encounter specialist’ during the 90s operation but after PPP government elected in 2008, there was a change. After being posted as Gadap SP, Anwar was not only killing MQM men in encounters he also started killing militants of the banned outfits, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

SSP Anwar has also faced and survived multiple attacks by militants, as he was one of the main officers of the Karachi police fighting with the Taliban in Karachi and so far killed about 250 militants in the city.

The deadliest attack at him was the 2012 suicide attack which occurred at Malir Halt area of Karachi and the recent ‘suicide attack’ in the Malir Cantt area on January 13.

When Anwar was appointed as SSP Malir in 2011, he had only four police stations of Malir under his command. As the SSP is considered as the most powerful police officer in the history of Sindh police the District Bin Qasim and Gadap were also merged in with District Malir. Anwar, who is also considered to be more powerful than the Sindh IG, now had a total 15 police stations under his command.

It has also been reported that no police official, including the Sindh IG, can appoint or transfer any cop without his permission in the Malir district.

Many believe that Anwar has been a close aide of PPP Co-chairman Azif Ali Zardari. Interestingly, Anwar, during Zardari’s tenure as president, was demoted to his original rank sub-inspector after a Supreme Court order. However, the former president used his executive powers and reinstated Anwar as an SSP following a suicide blast at him in 2012.

Apart from being known for his encounters, Anwar has also been accused of being involved in land grabbing in District Malir and Gadap.

Furthermore, since Allah Dino Khawaja has been appointed as Sindh IGP, multiple attempts were made to remove him from Malir. However each time, the incumbent IG failed to remove him from the post of Malir SSP.

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said on Sunday that he was against police encounters anywhere in the country, adding the trend was not a solution to anything.

“I demand [a complete] ban on such encounters in the country because terrorism can’t be curbed with such policies,” Bilawal said while addressing a news conference in connection with the launch of the party’s membership drive.

At the same time, Bilawal said that former Malir SSP Rao Anwar also has the right to a transparent investigation.

The PPP chairman also ruled out the possibility of delay in the Senate election scheduled for March. “The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will be given another jolt in the upcoming election on half-of-the-seats of the upper house.”

Bilawal urged people, especially youth and women, to fill the membership form and join the ideological force working for a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Pakistan.

Elaborating the membership drive, Bilawal said that the membership campaign will be conducted door-to-door, through camps and also by utilisating modern communication technology like the internet and cellular modes.

A website: www.pppmember.com and SMS, will also offer membership options to reach out to the masses, whose massive majority was against extremism and politics of hatred, he added.

The PPP chairman said that the membership drive has been designed to reduce the gap between him and party workers, adding that following the successful completion of the drive he would be able to communicate directly with the workers and the members through the modern communication means.

Bilawal said the PPP launched the BISP in the center and now the Sindh government has started anti-poverty programme at Union Council levels where lending of interest-free loans to the rural poor, especially the women has pulled 600,000 families out of poverty.

He said the 18th Amendment, devolution of powers and NFC Award were also enacted in a bid to discourage extremism and promote democratic and democracy values.

He said, “Under the philosophy of service-oriented politics, we have provided state-of-the-art health facilities including free heart treatment at four Satellite Hospitals of NICVD in Hyderabad, Tando Mohammad Larkan and Sehwan Sharif.”