TOBA TEK SINGH: Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) officials arrested a passenger, Waris Ali, on Thursday after two kilo ice heroin was recovered from his luggage at Faisalabad airport.

An ANF official stated that Waris was intending to smuggle heroin to Bahrain on flight number PA 079.

A case was registered against him under the Anti-Narcotics Act.

FESCO: Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) CEO Engr Muhammad Amir addressing an e-Kutchery on Facebook on Thursday, reassured consumers from Faisalabad, Jhang, Chiniot, Sargodha, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Toba Tek Singh, and Khushab districts that there was no shortage of electricity meters in the region.

He said all pending electricity connections would be installed by the end of January.

During the session, consumers shared their electricity-related problems, and the CEO issued orders for the replacement of old and defective transformers, replacement and repair of electric wires, and the resolution of voltage dropping complaints.

RESCUED: Muhammad Shahbaz, assistant director of the District Labour Welfare Department, raided on Thursday the Rajana area, rescuing two children being used as labourers.

A press release stated that a restaurant near the toll plaza on Toba-Rajana Road was raided, resulting in the recovery of 13-year-old Saad Imtiaz, who was serving as an employee.

The restaurant owner, Muhammad Tariq, was handed over to the police, and a case was registered against him under the Child Labour Act.

Another raid on an electric store in Rajana on Samundri Road led to the recovery of 12-year-old Syed Dawar Hussain, employed as a salesman. The store owner, Muhammad Mudassar, was also handed over to the police.

CONCERN: Syed Muhammad Asim, chairman of the All Pakistan Bedsheets and Upholstery Manufacturers Association (APBUMA), expressed concern over the proposed phasing out of the Export Finance Scheme (EFS) under the IMF standing arrangements.

In a statement on Thursday, he highlighted the crucial role of the SME sector, especially in the textile sector, in generating employment and contributing significantly to earning precious foreign exchange.

He said exporters were facing alarming economic challenges, including soaring interest rates, uncompetitive energy tariffs, and a liquidity crunch caused by delayed sales tax refunds. He warned that the withdrawal of the EFS poses an imminent threat to the survival of SMEs and called for continued support from the IMF, especially for SMEs engaged in export-oriented businesses.

He expressed concern over the contradiction between the State Bank of Pakistan’s efforts to increase the SME sector’s share in public credit and the simultaneous agreement with the IMF to withdraw the financial cushion currently available to the export-oriented industry.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2023