Latest news with #Aslam
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
K-P eyes NEPRA-style power authority
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Adviser to Chief Minister on Finance, Muzammil Aslam, said during the budget session of the provincial assembly that real electricity relief for the province will only be possible if it generates its own electricity and supplies it directly to the public. He announced that the provincial government plans to establish its own regulatory authority, similar to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), to set power tariffs independently. Responding to lawmakers' queries during the ongoing budget debate, Aslam revealed several key initiatives. Among them is a Rs13 billion solar power project for the merged tribal districts. For the first time, oil and gas-producing districts will receive 15 per cent royalty. He emphasized that the budget discussion was a productive experience and appreciated the active participation of assembly members, noting that he attentively listened to all questions for three hours without interruption. Reflecting on Pakistan's economic trajectory, Aslam criticized the performance of mainstream political parties, stating, "Pakistan has been around for 75 years, with just two parties in power for 72 of those. Members have raised issues like poverty, lack of hospitals, and schools — but these same parties were responsible for governance for decades." He also claimed extensive expertise in national budgets, saying, "I've been analyzing federal budgets for 22 years. No budget in the world is based entirely on facts — they're all built on projections." He expressed concern that the federal government allocated only Rs550 million for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa out of a national development budget of Rs1 trillion. Aslam criticized the PPP for not pushing for the 8th and 9th NFC Awards after the 7th, and defended PTI leader Barrister Saif, saying, "Questions were raised in the House about Barrister Saif, but I want to clarify that he is a trusted ally of PTI." Speaking on counter-terrorism funding, he stated that the 1 per cent share from the federal government is not a favor, but a right earned through the sacrifices of the province. Aslam added that K-P receives Rs3 billion monthly from the federal government under the net hydel profit formula. Projects under the Provincial Energy Development Organization (PEDO) are expected to generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity. "The only sustainable way to provide relief in electricity costs is for the province to produce its own power and supply it directly to its people," he reiterated.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- New Indian Express
International cyber fraud racket involving Nepali, African nationals busted
NEW DELHI: A 37-year-old Nepali national and another person were arrested for providing bank accounts to African nationals involved in cyber fraud, police said on Saturday. The case came to light after a woman reported receiving a friend request on social media from someone claiming to be from the UK. They became friends, and the imposter later shifted the conversation to WhatsApp using an international number. He promised to send her expensive gifts for her birthday. Later, the imposter claimed the gifts were seized by customs and demanded Rs 1.10 lakh to release them. The woman transferred the amount to a bank account he provided. 'The account holder was tracked across Sitapuri, Dabri, Uttam Nagar, and Vasant Kunj. On June 4, Aslam (22) was arrested,' said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia. During questioning, Aslam revealed he had opened the account under instructions from Nepali national Santosh Rana, who paid him Rs 5,000. Rana, arrested from Vasant Kunj, allegedly arranged fake accounts by convincing locals with commission offers. He sold these accounts to African nationals living in areas like Mehrauli and Munirka. The accused shared ATM and bank details using online file-sharing apps or unknown agents to conceal identities.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Centre agrees to resolve 'financial matters'
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Finance Advisor Muzammil Aslam has announced that the federal government is now willing to recognize the province's rightful shares in net hydel profit, National Finance Commission Award (NFC Award), royalties, and other revenue heads. A meeting for the 11th National Finance Commission (NFC) has been scheduled for August, and the Center has also agreed to resolve outstanding financial matters concerning the merged tribal districts, which are administratively integrated but still face economic challenges. Addressing a post-budget press conference in Peshawar on Saturday, Aslam revealed that K-P has presented its largest-ever budget, amounting to Rs2,119 billion. He noted that the province is on track to generate Rs93 billion from its own resources. "Whether the federation provides funds or not, we are committed to spending on the tribal areas from our own treasury," he declared. Aslam emphasized a shift away from reliance on federal support, announcing plans to construct the Peshawar-DI Khan Motorway independently. He defended the provincial government's economic performance, recalling criticism when the current administration took office last year amid concerns of an empty treasury. "Today, we have presented a Rs157 billion surplus budget," he said, highlighting timely salary payments and increases of 10 per cent in salaries and seven per cent in pensions for government employees in the new fiscal year. The minimum wage has also been raised to Rs40,000. Aslam contrasted K-P's development budget of Rs547 billion with the federal government's Rs1 trillion-plus allocation, pointing out that despite being a smaller province, K-P has managed substantial development spending. He acknowledged that while the province remains under debt — currently at Rs680 billion — loan repayments have been made and a dedicated repayment fund established. He clarified that any current inflows under debt are part of previously agreed contracts, and there are no plans for new borrowing unless required for a major project. Criticizing the center for sidelining K-P, he stated that only Rs550 million have been allocated to the province this year. "Despite minimal federal cooperation and receiving Rs90 billion less under NFC allocations, we increased our development budget," he noted. K-P also allocated Rs20 billion from its own funds to the tribal districts, demonstrating its commitment to inclusive development.
India Gazette
6 days ago
- India Gazette
Delhi Police bust international cyber fraud racket involving Nepali and African nationals
New Delhi [India], June 14 (ANI): In a significant breakthrough, the Delhi Police have busted an international cyber fraud racket involving a Nepali citizen and African nationals who allegedly duped people through online gift scams using fake social media identities and bank accounts. The case came to light after a 48-year-old woman from Burari filed a complaint on the NCRP portal, alleging that she had been cheated out of Rs 1.10 lakh by an individual posing as a UK-based Facebook friend. The imposter, after establishing contact through Facebook and later WhatsApp, convinced her that he had sent expensive birthday gifts, which had allegedly been held by the Customs Department. He then demanded money to get the gifts released. Believing the narrative, the complainant transferred Rs 1.10 lakh to the bank account provided by the fraudster. When the promised gifts never arrived, she realised she had been duped and lodged a complaint with the Cyber Police Station of the North District. According to Delhi Police, 'A lady Complainant, a resident of Burari, Delhi, age 48 years, filed a complaint through the NCRP portal at PS Cyber, North District, wherein she alleged that she received a Facebook friend request from an unknown person who impersonated himself as a person from the United Kingdom (UK). Further, she started chatting with him and they became friends. The imposter further started a personal conversation through WhatsApp using an international number and lured the complainant into sending costly gifts on the occasion of her birthday. The impostor told her that he had sent the birthday gifts to her, but the same were seized by the Customs Department. In order to release the gifts, he demanded Rs. 1.10 Lakh. Then the complainant sent the money to the bank account provided by the imposter. When she didn't receive any gift, she felt cheated, and she made a complaint to the NCRP portal.' Accordingly, a case u/s 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Cyber Police Station, North District, and the investigation was taken up. During the investigation, bank account details and a call Detail Record of alleged mobile phone numbers were sought, money trailing was conducted, and other technical details were obtained from different sources. A preliminary investigation revealed that the victim in this case was duped professionally and systematically. Technical surveillance and manual intelligence were developed continuously. Further, the account holder's location was continuously traced at different locations in Sitapuri, Dabri, Uttam Nagar, and Vasant Kunj, Delhi. The constituted team raided the suspected places, and after efforts, the account holder, identified as Aslam, age 22, was apprehended from Sitapuri Dabri, Delhi, on 04.06.25. During interrogation, accused Aslam disclosed that he opened this account on the direction of a Nepali national and sold this bank account to him for Rs. 5,000/-, who used to provide the same accounts to some African nationals. He received the fraudulent amount in his bank account. Further, at his instance, a Nepali citizen identified as Santosh Rana, age 37 years, was also apprehended from the Vasant Kunj area on the same day. He was interrogated and confessed that he had purchased fake accounts and provided the same to different African nationals for cheating. Accused Santosh Rana (Nepali Citizen), residing as a tenant in the Uttam Nagar area, Delhi, used to search for local persons in the same vicinity for opening fake accounts in their names and lured them with a good commission on every transaction of money received. Further, he sold these accounts to different African nationals residing in Mahrauli, Munirka, Kishangarh, and Vasant Kunj in Delhi. The African nationals used to commit the crime and receive money in these fake accounts. These African nationals used to obtain the ATM and other bank details through Porter or some unknown agents to hide their identity. Both the accused persons have been arrested in this case, and 02 mobile phones and their SIM cards have also been recovered. Further investigation is in progress, and efforts are being made to nab the alleged cheats and to effect the recovery of the cheated amount. (ANI)
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
K-P finance advisor accuses federal government of neglecting province's development
Listen to article Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (K-P) Finance Advisor, Muzammil Aslam, said on Saturday that the federal government is ignoring the province due to political opposition. Addressing a post-budget press conference, Aslam stated that the federal government's economic position is no longer stable, with the growth rate dropping to 2.7%. He claimed K-P was largely ignored in the federal development budget, receiving only Rs550 million, forcing the province to increase its own development spending due to lack of federal support. Aslam said the province achieved 93% of its revenue targets through its own sources. However, K-P received Rs90 billion less than its share under the National Finance Commission (NFC). He added that the provincial government spent Rs20 billion from its own treasury for tribal areas and used Rs70 billion for the merged districts without any federal support. He clarified that the province had not taken any new loans. The loans currently being received were from agreements signed previously. Any future loans, he said, would only be taken for major development projects. Comparing the budgets, Aslam noted the Centre's budget stands at Rs1 trillion, while K-P's is Rs547 billion. He said an NFC meeting had been scheduled for August on K-P's request. The K-P chief minister, he said, raised the issue of pending dues with the Centre, which had promised payments. Despite this, he said, annual funds exceeding Rs47 billion were never released by the federal government for tribal areas. Aslam acknowledged that for the first time, the Centre had allocated Rs70.4 billion for the merged tribal districts. He clarified that Rs170 billion in loans were inherited from previous governments. A Rs1.5 billion fund had been set up to manage debt repayments. He said the province is satisfied with its NFC share and sees it as the key to resolving its fiscal challenges. Salaries and pensions, he said, have been increased by 10% and 7% respectively, in line with federal adjustments. For the new fiscal year, the K-P government has included development schemes worth Rs500 billion in its Rs195 billion development budget. This year, Rs145 billion out of the allocated Rs156 billion for settled districts had already been released. For merged tribal areas, Rs41 billion was allocated, with Rs26.9 billion disbursed. He described it as the largest development budget in K-P's history. 'When we took office, the throw-forward liabilities stretched over 10 years — they've now been reduced to 5.1 years,' he concluded.
