FBR invites manual applications for extension in Income Tax Returns

Federal Board of Revenue has invited manual receipt of application seeking extension to file Income Tax Returns for the Tax Year 2020, in order to facilitate the taxpayers.

According to a press release issued by FBR, every Inland Revenue field formation would establish a Help Desk to receive manual requests for extension.

The FBR said option for filling of online request for extension would also be available and the extension would be granted generously up to the possible extent.

 

Source: Radio Pakistan

COVID-19 claims 41 more lives, infects 1,726 others

Karachi, December 07, 2020 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that unfortunately 41 patients of Coronavirus died overnight lifting the death toll to 3,060 and 1,726 new cases emerged when 12,442 tests were conducted raising the tally to 186,212.

Ina statement issued here on Monday, the CM said that 41 patients lost their lives lifting the death toll to3,060 that constituted 1.7 percent death rate. He added that 41 one death stemming from COVID -19 within 24 hours was the highest number ever reported in the province.

The CM said that 12,442 samples were tested which diagnosed 1,726 cases that constituted 13.9 per cent current detection rate. He added that so far 2,076,519 tests have been conducted against which 186,212 patients were diagnosed, of them 87 percent or 160,933 have recovered, including 1352 overnight.

Mr Shah said that currently 22,219 patients were under treatment, of them 21,350 in home isolation, 12 at isolation centers and 857 at different hospitals. He added that currently the condition of 76 patients was stated to be critical, including 76 shifted to ventilators.

According to Murad Ali Shah out of 1726 new cases, 1484 have been detected from Karachi, including 584 from South, 455 East, 256 Korangi, 164 Central, 80 Malir, 71 West. Hyderabad has 43 cases, Thatta 20, Jamshoro and Sanghar 16 each, Naushehroferoze 14, Umerkot and Ghotki 12 each, Tando Allahyar and Badin 10 each, Matiari and Shikarpur nine each, Sujawal eight, Larkana and Shaheed Benazirabad six each, Jacobabad five, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur three each and Tando Mohammad Khan one each.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk

PIA announces Voluntary Separation Scheme

Karachi, December 07, 2020 (PPI-OT): PIA has announced the Voluntary separation scheme for employees of the airline, the option to apply will end on 22 December. PIA spokesman said on Monday.

The VSS package has been made for employees in two categories that is over 18 years of service and below 18 years of service. The package compensation includes accumulated leaves, gratuity, Provident fund, Lump sum Medical and Pension up to the age of 65 years. Different basic pay formula has been devised as per salary break-up and service years of employees including pilots and engineers.

Interested Employees will apply for VSS by submitting the VSS application form given separately along-with signed VSS package report to the concerned VSS coordinators assigned at facilitation desks established at each station. Last date of submission of application is 22nd December, 2020.

All regular employees under the age of 58 years as on 30 November 2020 are eligible to participate in the Voluntary Separation Scheme. Non eligible employees include Non-regular and or contractual employees, employees who have already submitted resignation, employees who have already opted for early retirements and Employees under any litigation against PIACL, until they undertake and withdraw the litigation latest by 31.12.2020.

The last working day of the VSS accepted employees shall be 31 December 2020 whereas the expected date of receiving pay out cheque shall be on or before 31 January 2021. PIA spokesman concluded.

For more information, contact:
General Manager
Public Affairs
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)
PIA Head Office Airport
Karachi
Tel: +92-21-99043823
Fax: +92-21-34572225, +92-21-34570419
Cell: +92-322-7420707
Website: www.piac.com.pk

Ambassador of Japan pays tribute to polio workers during the nation-wide anti-polio drive

Islamabad, December 07, 2020 (PPI-OT): H.E. MATSUDA Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, is pleased to hear of the report that due to the successful implementation of the nation-wide polio immunization campaign last week, over 39 million have been vaccinated, which is equivalent to 98% of its target. He paid tribute to the effort of around 285,000 polio workers who were engaged in the house-to-house vaccine campaign amid the growing anxiety about the second wave of COVID-19 in Pakistan.

Since 1996, Japan has been supporting Pakistan in its effort to eradicate polio from the nation, with a cumulative amount of $229 million. Ambassador MATSUDA added, “the Government of Japan will continue to help Pakistan in cooperation with international partners to reduce the immunity gap and protect its children from the highly infectious disease.”

For more information, contact:
Embassy of Japan in Pakistan
53-70, Ramna 5/4, Diplomatic Enclave 1,
Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9072500
Fax: +92-51-9072352
Email: culture@ib.mofa.go.jp
Website: http://www.pk.emb-japan.go.jp

UNDP and Unilever Pakistan to work together to make Rahim Yar Khan a zero plastic waste city

Islamabad, December 07, 2020 (PPI-OT): UNDP Pakistan and Unilever Pakistan announced their partnership today to test solutions in an effort to minimize plastic waste in Rahim Yar Khan city. Through this partnership, Unilever and UNDP will work together to enable the plastic waste management ecosystem in Rahim Yar Khan. This initiative will test solutions to reduce plastic waste, and potentially turn waste into resource. The key goal is to create a circular economy system for plastics waste management in Pakistan— by testing new economic models, industrial, and consumer behavior, policy shift and, engaging the private sector, and other non-traditional partners. A virtual event was held today to commemorate this partnership.

Present at the event were Ms. Aliona Niculita, Resident Representative a.i., UNDP Pakistan; Mr. Amanullah Khan, Assistant Resident Representative, and Head of Environment and Climate Change Unit (ECCU), UNDP Pakistan; and Mr. Amir Paracha, CEO Unilever Pakistan Ltd, along with relevant representatives of UNDP Pakistan, Unilever Pakistan Ltd, and local government of Rahim Yar Khan City.

Rahim Yar Khan city is home to Unilever’s first and largest factory in Pakistan, and is of key strategic importance to the company’s national footprint. Unilever recently announced a multipronged ambition to reduce its plastic footprint and to play its role towards a circular economy. The company has pledged to collect more plastic than it sells as part of its environmental responsibility.

This vision is also inline of UNDP’s global commitment to work with governments worldwide on business solutions for waste management. UNDP Pakistan is part of the regional cohort of five Countries (Pakistan, Maldives, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Philippines) that are working on the challenge of plastic waste management with the Regional Innovation Center in Bangkok. UNDP is also a regional partner to Unilever, and has been actively engaging with the company on its plastics waste management agenda.

“UNDP is committed to promote public private partnership through innovative solutions to tackle complex development challenges,” stated Ms. Aliona Niculita, Resident Representative a.i. UNDP Pakistan. “UNDP’s plastic waste management portfolio is building a movement towards creating a circular economy for plastics in Pakistan.

Through our partnership with Unilever Pakistan, we are working on creating innovative business solutions to turn waste into resource.” Amir Paracha, Chairman CEO, Unilever Pakistan added “Unilever has been a part of Pakistan since 1948, and we started that journey in the city of Rahim Yar Khan seven decades ago.

This initiative is a means of giving back to our home city and to provide an economic model that can then be replicated across our country. We are confident that this partnership will identify a solution that will not only reduce plastic waste but also provide an opportunity for livelihoods to thousands of people across the country.” The results from testing these solutions will provide field-tested and holistic insights on effective solutions to develop a larger programme and policy on plastic waste and circular economy.

For more information, contact:
Communications Analyst
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan
4th Floor, Serena Office Complex,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8355650
Cell: +92300 535 8225
Fax: +92-51-2655014-15
Email: fatimah.inayet@undp.org
Website: http://www.undp.org.pk

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and UNDP start week-long public awareness on human rights ahead of International Human Rights Day 2020

Islamabad, December 07, 2020 (PPI-OT): The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa together with UNDP Pakistan celebrated International Human Rights Day in Peshawar, under the slogan “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stands for Human Rights and Inclusive Recovery”. Due to recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the event was attended by limited number of people who strictly observed all SOPs. The objective of the event was to raise public awareness on human rights principles and Pakistan’s national and international commitments of human rights, particularly the rights of marginalized communities including women, people with disabilities and transgender persons who have faced additional rights-based challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the event Mr. Masood Ahmad, Secretary for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said: “The Provincial Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is taking all possible measures to ensure human rights of its citizens are protected, especially those who are vulnerable and marginalized”.

He further said, that “although International Human Rights Day is celebrated on 10th December each year, we in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are taking the opportunity to observe and celebrate human rights progress and International Human Rights Day for the entirety of this week”. UNDP’s Representative Mr. Ejaz Mustafa congratulated the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on their ongoing commitment to the protection, promotion and enforcement of human rights, of all those living in the province, while recognizing the emerging rights-based challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He iterated that “UNDP looks forward to continued collaboration with the Department of Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, including support to strengthening human rights policy implementation at all levels of governance, coordination and collection of human rights data and implementation of the Business and Human Rights National Action Plan.”

Secretary Masood Ahmed and representatives of the Social Welfare Department jointly distributed relief packages to the transgender community whose incomes were affected by the prevailing COVID-19 crisis. In the current situation, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with facilitation from UNDP has taken several steps to ensure the protection and promotion of the rights of vulnerable populations who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic i.e. women, children, transgender persons and persons with disabilities.

For more information, contact:
Communications Analyst
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan
4th Floor, Serena Office Complex,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8355650
Cell: +92300 535 8225
Fax: +92-51-2655014-15
Email: fatimah.inayet@undp.org
Website: http://www.undp.org.pk

Govt taking steps to develop backward areas of Balochistan: Utmankhel

Islamabad, December 07, 2020 (PPI-OT): Balochistan Minister for Commerce and Industry Muhammad Khan Utmankhel has said that the provincial government is taking all possible steps to develop the backward areas of the province. In an exclusive interview with Radio Pakistan in Loralai, he said a number of development schemes ranging from education, health, water supply to black topping of farm to market roads costing Rs500.00 million have been initiated in Loralai district to mitigate public woes.

He said work on installation of street tiles in Loralai city and laying of new pipelines from Nasirabad village to the city is near completion. The Provincial Minister assured the people through this Radio channel that all their basic problems would be resolved completely within the next two and half years.

For more information, contact:
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Government of Pakistan
4th Floor, Cabinet Block, Pak. Secretariat, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9103557
Email: info@moib.gov.pk
Website: http://www.moib.gov.pk