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Governor SBP resigns, Yaseen Anwar to be acting governor

Deputy Governor of State bank of Pakistan has take the acting governor till a new candidate is chosen for new job. .

Earlier Governor State Bank Shahid Kardar resigned amid reports suggesting he had developed serious differences with top state functionaries, .

The government has accepted his resignation.

Kardar remained governor of the central bank for the shortest period.He was the 16^th governor of state bank, and the sixth to resign from this post.

Kardar’s predecessor Saleem Raza had also resigned after staying in office for 16 months.

Earlier sources had said that Yaseen Anwar will be acting governor of SBP.

Updated from print edition (below)

Leaving office: Central bank governor on his way out?

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Shahid Hafiz Kardar may be on his way out amid reports suggesting he has developed serious differences with top state functionaries.

His resignation would make him the second governor in two years to have left the prestigious office before completion of the three-year statutory term. His predecessor Syed Salim Raza, a banker, stayed in office for 16 months.

Sources claim he has tendered his resignation but the development was neither confirmed nor denied by the presidency, the finance minister or the SBP.

They added that Kardar had developed serious differences with authorities on certain monetary affairs.

Sustainable economic team

Kardar’s resignation would add to the woes of the PPP-led government which has struggled to bring together a sustainable economic team.

The government has changed four finance ministers, five finance secretaries, four deputy chairmen Planning Commission and now possibly three central bank governors.

Kardar, a chartered accountant by profession, was appointed the 16th governor of SBP, and the third governor during the incumbent Pakistan Peoples Party-led government’s tenure, on September 9, 2010.

His resignation is bound to send negative signals to the reeling market, experts say.

If Kardar resigns, the government will have to appoint his successor within three months, as required under the law. Deputy Governor SBP Dr Yaseen Anwar, sources say, is tipped to be Kardar’s successor for an interim period.

Governor’s shortcomings

Kardar, known as ‘comrade’ in official circles, is reputed to give a tough time to the government during the cabinet and economic coordination committee’s meetings.

His critics, however, say he had started compromising on certain issues.

They add that he has been unable to exert SBP’s independence and made the central bank just another wing of the finance ministry. As evidence, the critics quote his inability to have the SBP amendment act passed in its original shape.

The government subsequently approved a ‘toothless’ act, maintaining the finance ministry’s hold over the SBP.

Chairman Senate standing committee on finance and revenue Senator Ahmad Ali also gave a dissenting note on granting unchecked authority to the finance ministry for borrowing from the central bank at will. Critics add that he has been unable control inflation and stimulate growth – the economy grew by 2.4 per cent and inflation stood at 13.2 per cent during the last financial year.

Kardar has previously served as minister for finance, planning and development, excise and taxation and industries and mineral development under government of Punjab between November 1999 and January 2001.

Despite repeated attempts, neither the president’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar nor Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh responded to reports of Kardar’s resignation

Power shortfall reduces to 2850 MW

Supply of oil and gas to power houses still remains suspended and despite improvement in weather and reduction in demand for electricity the announced and unannounced loadshedding continues across the country, Geo News reported. According to PEPCO sources, the total power shortfall has declined to 2850 MW while the demand for electricity stands at 16370 MW and supply at 13520 MW. Power outages of up to 8-10 hour are being faced by cities while in villages the people are experiencing up to 14-hour loadshedding, sources said. PEPCO sources said that supply of 710 MW electricity to Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) was being ensured.

Doctor Arrested in Kidney Trade Case

Three of the four doctors suspected of running an illegal kidney transplant operation. They were all in government services, including the surgeon who did the transplant.

Dr Sanaullah, who was not among the eight people arrested by Cantonment police on Friday and is still at large, worked at Lahore General Hospital for eight years doing legal kidney transplants, according to colleagues and the police.

Dr Sanaullah did his MBBS degree from Quaid-i-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, and is a Fellow of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Police believe he led a team of three other doctors and at least five assistants during the illegal transplants.

Dr Sanaullah recently Transfer to Ganga Ram Hospital from Lahore General Hospital (LGS). A senior doctor at the LGH urology department said that Dr Sanaullah had worked at the department for eight years. He had been trying to get himself posted back to LGH

Dr Sanaullah’s LGH colleague said that a transplant was conducted in two stages: first, remove the kidney from the donor; and second, transplant it into the patient. “Neither is a complicated procedure. A single surgeon can do it with the help of assistants if the right equipment is available,” he said.

Of the seven people arrested on Friday, three were doctors. An official at Services Hospital confirmed that Dr Mubashir had been training at the hospital to become an anesthetists.

Dr Ali Imran, who is believed to be part of the team that conducted the illegal transplants and is also at large, had been at Mayo Hospital’s anaesthesia ward for two years, said an official there.

Dr Anees, the fourth doctor on the team and who is under arrest, ran a private clinic.

Cantonment Division Superintendent of Police Amin Bokhari confirmed to The Express Tribune that Dr Sanullah, Dr Imran and Dr Mubasher had worked at public hospitals. He said that police were searching for the two missing doctors and Muhammad Khurshid, the owner of the house near the airport where the operations were conducted.

During their raid on the house in Al Faisal Town on Friday, Cantonment police also arrested an Indonesian man named Abdullah who was the presumed recipient of a kidney.

Shamsi air base: ‘Drones parked at, but don’t fly from the base’

According to US and Pakistani Officials said that the CIA suspended its long-standing use of the air base as a launch site for armed drones three months ago, according to US and Pakistani officials.

American personnel and Predator drones, meanwhile, remain at the facility in Balochistan, with security provided by the Pakistani military, the report revealed.

All drone strikes in the past three months have been lunched from Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Officials said.

Pakistan defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said that Islamabad had been pressing US to leave the base even before the May 2 incursion in Abbottabad.

After the raid, Mukhtar told reporters on Wednesday, “We told them again.”

The Washington Post, quoting a senior Pakistani defence official, reported that in the weeks after Pakistan’s release of the CIA contractor Raymond Davis, top Pakistani military and intelligence officials made “a formal, personal request … a demand … more than once” to their US counterparts to end the flights and leave Pakistan.

In response, the US official said that “there has been some thinning out at the base, and the drone missions suspended.” An American official said the CIA’s decision to suspend the launches was part of a US effort to “pay attention to the sensitivities” of the Pakistanis.

Firdous Ashiq Aawan te Information Minister said on Friday, however, dismissed Mukhtar’s statement that the US had been asked to vacate the airbase in Balochistan.

“It’s just a statement for the media,” Awan told a media gathering in Lahore. “I am also a member of the defence committee and the matter was not discussed there.”

Meanwhile, American officials had also rebuffed Mukhtar’s statements saying there was no plan to evacuate the base.

“That base is neither vacated nor being vacated,” a US official familiar with the matter was reported as saying.

Corruption deeply embedded in state institutions: Shahbaz Sharif

Corruption was deeply embedded in state institutions and that the judiciary, military and bureaucracy were responsible for damaging the country’s image, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday.

The Punjab Chief Minister said there was no doubt some politicians were corrupt but institutions should also accept their responsibility for the sorry state of affairs in the country. Addressing a ceremony at Alhamra in Lahore

He said every corrupt person owes an apology to the nation.

Speaking on the issue of the Shamsi air base, he said refusal of Vacate the air base was a source of great humiliation for the government.

He also criticized the acceptance of foreign aid by the government, saying self-dependence was not possible until foreign aid is rejected.

Zardari calls for greater intelligence sharing with the UK

London: President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari meet with Brithish Home Secretary Theresa. He said Pakistan needs to further enhance intelligence sharing mechanism with the UK to combat militancy and terrorism.

Matters pertaining to Pakistan-UK bilateral relations, the role of Pak-origin British citizens in Pakistan and their positive contributions and operations against terrorism were discussed during the meeting. Chairman, Pakistan People’s Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was also present during the meeting.

Briefing the media, Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said while discussing Pak-UK bilateral relations, the President had highlighted the historical equation between the two countries and underscored the need to enhance multifaceted strategic partnership between the two countries.

President Zardari said that in the ongoing war on extremism, Pakistan was moving forward despite heavy toll of human lives and material losses.

The President called for greater international support in assisting Pakistan in capacity building and overcoming the effects of war on the economy.

The President said that Pakistan wanted peace in the region and has always supported every effort in this regard. He said that drug trafficking was one of the major issue in the region for its role in funding militants.

Babar said that President Zardari reiterated that Pakistan has always called upon the international community for concerted efforts to end the drug trafficking. He said that this was critical for durable peace, stability and socio-economic development of the region.

The President reiterated his call for an integrated approach including promotion of alternative livelihood, agricultural development, reducing and eradicating drugs consumption to check the menace.

Babar said that the President mentioned that Pakistan economy had suffered heavily due to operation against terror and devastating floods of last year.

“Shrinking economic opportunities made the youth vulnerable to fall into the traps of militants,” he said and called for creating economic opportunities for the youth.

The UK Home Secretary appreciated the efforts of Pakistan Government in operations against terror. She assured British Government’s continued support to efforts of democratic dispensation in Pakistan to meet the challenge of militancy and overcoming economic difficulties.

British Home Secretary Theresa May was accompanied by Charles Farr, DG Security and Counter Terrorism, and senior Home Office officials Fiona Cunningham and Faye Johnson while from Pakistan’s side Secretary General Salman Farouqi, High Commissioner Wajid Shamusul Hasan, Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar and other senior officials were also present during the meeting.