KARACHI: Pakistan?s consumer price index (CPI), the key indicator of inflation, is likely to rise by 13.45 per cent year-on-year in May because of an

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KARACHI: Sindh government is likely to present a deficit budget of over Rs 422 billion for the fiscal year 2010-11, Geo News reported on Thursday. According to reliable sources, which is expected to be presented by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who himself holds the portfolio of Finance, in Sindh Assembly on June 11, would mark a deficit of around Rs 25 billion.

The allocation for the Annual Development Programme (ADP) would also be enhanced to Rs 135 billion.

Out of the total ADP funds, the sources said, Rs 115 billion would be utilised by the provincial government, while Rs 18 billion by all the 23 district governments on various ongoing and new development schemes in the province.

Sindh is likely to receive at least Rs 14.4 billion as the federal PSDP grants for ongoing and new schemes.

More than 25 billion may be allocated for making 50 percent increase in salaries of the government employees on the pattern of centre’’s announcement, they said.

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ISLAMABAD: In a major development, the United States has initiated a process to revise the model of bilateral investment treaty (BIT) with Pakistan af

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’’s trade deficit widened to $1.60 billion in May, compared with $1.09 billion in May last year, the Statistic Bureau said on Friday.

Exports stood at $1.75 billion in May this year, as against $1.46 billion in the same period last year. Imports were worth $3.36 billion compared with $2.56 billion last year.

Pakistan total trade deficit from July-May 2009/10 stood at $13.88 billion as compared to $15.31 billion in the corresponding period of last year.

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LAHORE: The budget session of the Punjab Assembly will start on Monday afternoon in which Provincial Finance Minister Tanvir Ashraf Kaira present a budget for year 2010-11.

Completion of ongoing development schemes, energy projects, Sasti Roti scheme and increase in salaries of government employees will be among main allocations for the budget. Besides, the allocations will also be made for law and order, health and education.

A tax-free, pro-poor and pro-industry budget has been prepared as the provincial government used its best minds to make the budget document welfare-oriented in real terms, said a senior official of the government dealing with the budget.

The government will also announce austerity measures in the budget to reduce non-development expenditure, enhance the tax base, curtail corruption and enforce good governance plans.

Creation of job opportunities by imparting training to youths, supply of clean drinking water and improvement in the drainage system and development of the agriculture sector will also be part of the budget.

The budget will also propose steps for using additional resources, which Punjab gets through the NFC Award.

The amount will be utilized mainly for infrastructure programmes and public welfare policies.

Members of the Punjab cabinet may also announce a reduction in their own salaries in the budget by following a good precedent set by the federal cabinet.

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Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD: Members of the various political parties urged the government to increase minimum wage to Rs 10000 and take effective measures to overcome energy crisis.

They while taking part in the National Assembly’’s debate on the budget 2010-2011 today also expressed concerns over the withdrawal of subsidies on various food items.

Taking part in the debate Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan urged the government to take effective measures on priority basis to overcome energy crisis.

He also stressed the need for paying more attention on the development of agriculture sector, which would not only help increase in yield but also improve economic conditions of the farmers.

Akram Maseh Gill expressed concern over ignoring Christian community and called upon the government to pay attention on the resolution of socio-economic problems being faced by them.

He urged the government to also provide special funds to the deserving Christians from Pakistan Baitul Maal besides enhancing allocations for them.

Dr. Azra Fazal Pechoho termed the budget as people-friendly saying that efforts have been made to ensure sustainable economic growth init. She urged the government to mobilize all resources for improvement of socio-economic conditions of poor masses.

Khushbakht Shujaat emphasized the need for diverting economic resources to the federating units so that effective measures could be taken for the improvement of neglected segments of the society.

She said there is dire need of taking more measures to overcome price hike, unemployment, illiteracy and reduce poverty.

Tanweer Hussain expressed concern over withdrawal of subsidies on food commodities and said this will result in harming the poor farmers.

He emphasized for substantial increase in the salaries of low-paid employees particularly the contractual people.

Prince Mohyuddin appreciated the government for its efforts against terrorist elements and said that more resources should be allocated for defence sector to root out this menace.

He called upon the government to expedite work on Lowari Top Tunnel to link Chitral with the rest of the country.

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KARACHI: Situation in Ancholi area of Karachi remained tense Friday after armed clashes erupted between two rival groups late night.

A man identified as Ali Raza was killed while three others were injured during armed clashes in Ancholi area Thursday.

The clashes allegedly began when a religious group was rallying near Water Pump and chanted slogans against their rival group.

Police resorted to aerial firing to disperse the activists and arrested three criminals.

Situation was still tense in the area as funeral of the deceased man Ali Raza will be held today after Friday prayers.

Security arrangements have been tightened in the area to avoid any untoward incident. Rangers and police have been deployed to bring the situation under control.

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ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee for Financial Affairs has been told that immediate action on the recommendations of Pay Pension Commission (PPC) is not possible and that their implementation can be undertaken in a phased manner.

A meeting of the senate committee was chaired by Senator Ahmed Ali here Friday.

The committee was told that an amount of Rs470 billion is required to implement the recommendations of the PPC but the money is not readily available. Therefore, it said that implementation on the recommendations will be made in phases.

It was also brought into the knowledge of the committee that line losses suffered by Karachi and Hyderabad are more than double compared to those of Islamabad, Lahore, and Multan.

The details of line losses are as follows: Karachi 40 percent; Abotabad and Huderabad 36 percent and; Quetta 24.7 percent while the line losses of Multan, Lahore and Islamabad are 16.9 percent, 12 percent and 9 percent respectively.

During meeting Pakistan Muslime League-N leader Ishaq Dar with regard to clearance of a cheque for Karachi Port Trust (KPT) said it is the State Bank of Pakistan that has to ensure its clearance even if the action requires an overdraft.

Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) told the committee that an additional amount of Rs83 billion will be collected as a result of the adoption of new measures for revenue collection.

Committee member Tahir Mushhadi said the minimum wages for a worker should be Rs9,000 per month.

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LAHORE

PUNJAB Minister for Population Welfare Neelam Jabbar Chaudhry has said that, in order to provide better reproductive health services to

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Pakistan News

LONDON: Andy Murray started his bid to retain the title at Queen’’s Club with a 7-6 (10/8), 6-3 victory over Spain’’s Ivan Navarro in the second round on Tuesday.

Fourth seed Andy Roddick, another top player who struggled on the clay at Roland Garros before being knocked out in the third round by Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili, also enjoyed being back on the grass.

The American is a four-time winner at Queen’’s and the world number seven looked eager to reclaim the title he last won in 2007 as he dismissed Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-1 in just 50 minutes.

Germany’’s Rainer Schuttler knocked out Gael Monfils in the second round with a surprise 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 win over the French sixth seed.

Gonfils’’s compatriot Richard Gasquet fared better as the 11th seed defeated America’’s Rajeev Ram 6-3, 7-5 to set up a third-round meeting with Schuttler.

In the remaining first-round matches, Grigor Dimitrov beat British wildcard Alex Bogdanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a rain-interrupted clash. Colombian 13th seed Giraldo defeated Evgeny Korolev 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-3, while Belgium’’s Xavier Malisse beat Russia’’s Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 7-6 (7/3).

France’’s Nicolas Mahut, a runner-up at Queen’’s in 2007, cruised past Lu Yen-Hsun of Taipei 7-6 (7/2), 6-4. America’’s Fish was too strong for Somdev Devvarman of India, winning 6-1, 6-4.

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