He emphasised that accountability must be applied universally questioning why only the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) is held in high regard I was dragged by the Rangers yet there seems to be no respect for Pakistan s most popular figure, both nationally and internationally Don’t I deserve an apology as well?” he remarked referring to his own treatment during the protests
The PTI founder said that they were subjected to injustice with 10 000 of their people imprisoned, not allowed to contest elections, and their party banned
“They are victims of the May 9 incident and are seeking justice,” said the former PM Imran Khan mentioned that they also approached the chief justice highlighting
human rights violations and noted that their petition was not being heard PTI will not negotiate with the government that emerged from Form 47,” he reiterated his stance emphasising that apologies should come from those who made mistakes
The PTI founder also demanded putting his name along with those of Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, and Shehbaz Sharif on the Exit
favored PTI allowing the party to gain reserved seats without meeting the necessary con-
stitutional requirements The petition highlights errors in the court’s judgment claiming that the ruling discriminates against other political parties and fails to uphold constitutional principles The controversial verdict has already prompted the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to file appeals The federal government and allied parties have also expressed their intentions to contest the court s decision, citing concerns over its impact on Pakistan s political landscape In response, the Supreme Court’s Practice and Procedure Committee has decided to schedule the review petitions after the September recess indicating that the legal battle over reserved seats is far from over
per media reports, the petition emphasized the need to implement the 2020 Report which identified over Rs100 billion in excess payments to IPPs and recommended steps such as conducting a forensic audit and recovering excess payments To date, these recommendations have not been fully implemented The Government of Pakistan is projected to make capacity payments totaling nearly Rs2 1 trillion this financial year while the energy sector ’s circular debt has reached Rs5
The FPCCI and Asif Inam s petition highlighted that electricity purchases without competitive bidding violate the Constitution They questioned
KAPCO REFUTES CLAIMS OF PAYMENTS WITHOUT POWER GENERATION
Pakistan in China (2015-2020)
Ambassador to the European Union Belgium and Luxembourg Before joining as Pakistan s Ambassador to EU Belgium & Luxembourg, Amna Baloch was serving as High Commissioner of Pakistan in Malaysia She has served on various important assignments at the
Headquarters and missions abroad during her career including Consul General of Pakistan at Chengdu, China; Minister Counsellor at Colombo, Sri Lanka; Joint Secretary at the Prime Minister ’s Office and Additional Secretary in the Foreign Minister ’s office Ambassador Baloch belongs to Sindh She received a master s degree in history and joined the Pakistan Foreign Service in 1991 Ambassador Baloch is married and has two daughters
Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch is currently serving as Spokesperson and Additional Foreign Secretary (Strategic Communications Division & Public Diplomacy), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Prior to her current position she served as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Republic of Korea (2020-2021) and as Minister/Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of
She has also worked as Counselor for Political Affairs at the Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC (2006-2011) and as Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations Geneva (1999-2002)
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Islamabad she served as Additional Foreign Secretary (Asia & Pacific), Director (America), Director (Security Council and Human Rights) and Director (Strategic Planning) During 2014-2015 Baloch served as Director (Academic Programme) and later as Acting Director General of the Foreign Service Academy Islamabad Mumtaz Zahra Baloch holds Masters degree in Physics from the Punjab University, Lahore, a Masters in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy USA and a degree in European Studies and Public Administration from the Ecole Nationale d Administration, France
PTI moves S upreme Cour t against ‘Elec tion Amendment Ac t ’
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Actions taken by the people and their chosen representatives in the exercise of their constitutional rights cannot be undone by parliament through legislation Such legislation suffers from malice in law
The petition was filed under Article 184(3) (original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court) of the Constitution Article 184(3) of the Constitution sets out the SC’s original jurisdiction and enables it to assume jurisdiction in matters involving a question of public importance with reference to the enforcement of any of the fundamental rights of Pakistan s citizens
The federal government and the Election Commission of Pakistan have
been made respondents in the case The petition asked the apex court to restrain the ECP from allocating reserved seats for women and minorities that were proportionate to the entitlement of the PTI” as per the SC’s July 12 order to other political parties It further requested the court to issue directives allocating those reserved seats to the PTI as per the list of candidates it had submitted to the ECP A bill, titled Elections (Second Amendment) Act, 2024 proposes changes to the Elections Act 2017 and is apparently aimed at circumventing the Supreme Court’s July 12 ruling which granted the PTI reserved seats and set it to re-emerge as the single largest party in the National Assembly (NA)
PML-N lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kayani had introduced the bill in the NA a week ago after which it had been rushed through the lower house s Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs by 8-4 votes
The move comes just a day after both houses of the Parliament the NA and the Senate passed the legislation amid strong opposition from the PTI The Parliament saw hasty proceedings as both houses passed the bill after the suspension of the rules, without any debate on the issue While the bill had been considered by the NA committee it was passed by the Senate without being referred to the relevant committee as required under the rules and the parliamentary traditions
Forum and announced support for the BF in the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2024-26 A delegation of commercial exporters and importers spearheaded by Dr Khushhal Mohmand a former executive member of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a senior leader of the Businessman Forum visited the chamber Wednesday
t
A meeting held here in Industries Department with Special Assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Industries Commerce and Technical Education Abdul Karim Tordher in the chair here on Wednesday and reviewed progress made on the establishment of Namak Mandi Gems Processing & Export Centre and targets assigned to concerned departments so far Besides, Special Secretary Industries Mohammad Anwar Khan, Additional Secretaries Industries Shama Niamat & Shahana Senior Planning Officer Basit Khalil and Deputy Post Master General (DPMG) Zarghaam Abbas the representatives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KP-EZDMC) Board of Investment & Trade (KP-BoIT), Sartaj Ahmad Khan, a representative of All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association (APCEA) also attended the meeting The participants of the meeting were briefed on efforts and progress made in the implementation of this important
project so far It was told that the stakeholders of the project have been agreed to the proposal of the establishment of the centre in a building of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project at Chamkani and a formal application has also been submitted with the concerned department in this regard Furthermore, the consultant was also assigned the task of the provision of all world class facilities in the building while the participants were also informed about progress made by the concerned departments in achievement of assigned targets regarding the speedy completion of the project
Bridging the trust deficit
The government must be ver y c autious about flood aid
FI N A N C E Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has ascribed a trust deficit as the reason for the reluctance of donors to release the funding promised for helping the country recover from the 2022 bloods Of pledges of $11 billion which had been made at a donors conference, only $2 6 billion had actually been disbursed Senator Aurangzeb may be putting too favourable an interpretation on the reluctance, as it smacks of something of an excuse It is true that the pledged aid consists of taxpayers’ money, which foreign governments have a responsibility to see spent on the purposes but at the same time it should be remembered that not disbursing the funds has the same result as if the funds are misused: those in need of help are left without help One reason why foreign donors are hesitant is how aid has been used in the past as a means of elite capture through allowing even encouraging, embezzlement
However, it should be noted that this aid is not for development At best, it is meant to replace destroyed development Because of this it would help the government greatly if it got rid of the thought that the aid would help the country out in its foreign exchange difficulties It may sound callous, but it is actually fortunate that flood aid can be tied down specifically to particular projects which means that the element of government corruption can be removed It should also be remembered that this aid is no favour or humanitarian sentiment, but a matter of justice Pakistan is facing ever more extreme weather because of emissions of greenhouse gases made by First World countries so aid is not charity but simply a form of climate justice
The excuse of corruption is meant to absolve the donors, though their contractors and private companies are as inclined to turn a dishonest dollar as anyone in the Third World Though COP28 created a Loss and Damage Fund the First World having ruined the whole world for everyone, and which is busy continuing the same bad behaviour and profligate habits that have caused the climate crisis in the first place is once again putting money ahead of justice on the excuse that the Third World is corrupt Third World corruption and First World pollution are too different issues, but unfortunately, Pakistan is being made to suffer the consequences of both
M A Niazi Editor
Tabuse unconstitutional arrests or even death at the hands of the state s oppressive arms
They should bear in mind that if their demands are just their narratives powerful and their commitment unwavering, they can compel the government, the parliament and the judiciary to accede to their demands and force even the most powerful and entrenched rulers to step down or flee the country in total disgrace In Bangladesh the history of the student agitation against nepotism is very long and tortuous Initially 50 percent of the job quota was reserved for the privileged groups and marginalized communities, such as the descendants of freedom fighters from the 1971 Independence War along with quotas for women ethnic minorities and disabled individuals The breakup was 30 percent of the jobs reserved for the descendants of freedom fighters who participated in the 1971 Liberation War, 10 percent for women, 10 percent for disadvantaged districts, 5 percent for ethnic minorities and 1 percent for individuals with disabilities
The first mass scale agitation was started in 2018 by the students Their narrative was simple; that the system was outdated and favored certain groups disproportionately, often those with connections to the ruling party; therefore, they demanded the quota system to be abolished altogether The government of Hussina Wajid succumbed to the pressure and announced abolition of the quota Later the government turned away from its commitment and caved in to the pressure of the vested interests and did not translate its promises into reality The matter was later taken to the Supreme Court which also succumbed to the pressures and
Te x t a n d c o n t e x t
The Quran has it all
HU M A N beings have this weakness of viewing themselves in any story as the good guys, and those whom they do not care for in real life as the bad guys Unless caution is exercised therefore, every story has a way of leaving them even more convinced of their undeniable virtues and of the wickedness of others What an individual takes home from a play short story novel or film therefore depends a great deal on his mental discipline or lack thereof This is not confined to works of fiction alone; it applies equally to news and real-life incidents as well; and even to the Quran In fact, the last-mentioned explicitly warns its reader that he will find in it exactly what he is interested in; that is it will guide him or lead him farther astray depending on how he approaches it If it happens to be the latter it can have some very serious implications considering the fundamental nature of the issues that make up the subject matter of the Quran Unfortunately, none of us is immune from this sort of error Striving to face reality as it is as opposed to what is convenient or comfortable is therefore a life-long battle Those who hope to find material that confirms their biases and opinions tend to find in the Quran plenty that appears to them to answer to that description Those, on the other hand, who are genuinely interested in finding out the Quran’s verdict on any given issue are apt to find all the guidance they require It is a pity that very few bother to read the Quran with a view to learn what it has to say But even those who do, often end up extracting from it what they have always believed to be true anyway The key, then, is to read the Quran with a mind that is not already made up That is easier said than done though because human beings from very early on rarely have the luxury to suspend judgement Instead they operate and survive by taking positions based on whatever data they happen to possess at any given time Therefore, by the time anybody is old enough to pick up any text, along with the sound stuff there is a great deal of mental junk that has also inevitably been accumulated along the way This cannot be helped; what must be done however is to continuously strive to separate the wheat from the
chaff Which requires enough flexibility to be able to consider the possibility of being wrong and a willingness to revise prior beliefs in light of any evidence that warrants the revision The possible sources of the religious worldview imprinted on an individual s mind at any given time are many: certain prophetic narrations; a particular set of jurisprudential opinions; influence of parents, teachers and friends; books and magazines; the individual s own notions of how things ought to be; or any combination of these When (if) one sits down to read the Quran all this typically provides the context for whatever verse or passage it happens to be on that occasion Any wonder then if one gets confirmation from the Quran of what one already believes? Another person with a different context is apt to get something completely different from
i s m e a n t t o b e t h e l a s t wo rd – t h e f i n a l a u t h o r i t y – o n a l l m a t t e rs o f
r e l i g i o u s b e l i e f A l l t h e c o n t ex t n e e d e d fo r a ny p a r t o f t h e Q u r a n i s
r i g h t t h e r e i n t h e t ex t i t s e l f T h e Q u r a n d o e s n o t n e e d a ny t h i n g f ro m
o u t s i d e i n o rd e r fo r a ny b o dy t o u n d e rs t a n d i t s m e s s ag e
L e s s o n l e a r n e d f r o m B a n g l a d e s h
S t u d e n t p o we r p ro ve d u n s t o p p a b l e
recruitment The protests started at Dhaka University and quickly spread to other educational institutions across the country gaining momentum through social media By midJune tens of thousands of students were participating in demonstrations, blocking major roads and intersections, and disrupting daily life nationwide The government’s response was harsh deploying police and security forces to disperse the demonstrators using tear gas rubber bullets and batons A nationwide curfew and internet shutdown were imposed to stifle the protests This violent crackdown resulted in over 114 deaths, thousands of injuries and eleven among the protesters with numerous arrests and reports of mistreatment The death of Abu Sayed a prominent protester symbolized the brutality faced by the movement This unrest prompted the Supreme Court to expedite the hearing originally scheduled for August and, on July 21, reduced the quota of freedom fighters from 30 percent to 5 percent and maintained 2 percent for other disadvantaged groups Even this move of the Supreme Court was rejected by the students and they further intensified their protests and demanded complete abolition of the quota system terming it against the meritocracy In addition they demanded broader reforms unconditional release of arrested students accountability of the government and accountability of the state apparatus responsible for the violence against the students
The Supreme Court learned a bitter lesson about the importance of balancing public sentiment with judicial decisions, particularly regarding affirmative action and meritocracy The court realized that it is not merely a tool in the hands of those in power but has a greater responsibility to serve the public good It understood that its duty is to protect the interests of the entire population, not just the vested interests of a few The power of public wrath was also evident; when the public is determined to achieve genuine objectives even the court must
yield to their demands The Supreme Court acknowledged that it exists because of the general masses not because of a select few The government of Bangladesh learned several critical lessons It realized that forgetting those who brought it to power was a grave mistake The government came to understand that the very people who mandated it to power also had the capability to bring it down if their genuine demands were not met The use of the kinetic arms of the government against its people would inevitably result in facing the people s wrath The energy and determination of the populace could overpower even the most powerful arms of the government, leading to the administration stepping down in total disgrace In Bangladesh the institution that played an exemplary role was the Army It promptly recognized the popular sentiments of the people and timely realized that the government of Sheikh Hasina had lost the mandate of the people and no longer represented them The Army understood that once the populace which had brought the government to power withdrew its support the government lost its mandate legitimacy and credibility to remain in power The Army aptly recognized that the entire state s power, including all its pillars and institutions, whether civilian or military, is subservient to the masses If any pillar loses the people’s support it is doomed to fail and collapse
What the government and the judiciary did not realize the Army realized: that once the government no longer had the people s support it was not obliged to defend it anymore It became imperative for the Army to preserve its dignity and honour by facilitating a transition of power to a government chosen by the people and the sooner this transition happened the better
The writer retired as Press Secretary the President and is former Press Minister at Embassy of Pakistan to France and former MD, Shalimar Recording & Broadcasting Company Limited
What the government and the judiciary did not realize, the Army realized: that once the government no longer had the peopleÊs support, it was not obliged to defend it anymore It became imperative for the Army to preserve its dignity and honour by facilitating a transition of power to a government chosen by the people, and the sooner this transition happened, the better.
Energy swindle crisis
Pesticide
Pakistan on the Frontline
TH E rising temperatures all around the world and the global transition of ‘global warming’ to ‘global boiling’ marks a critical juncture for humanity The term “global boiling was coined by António Guterres the present head of the United Nations during a news briefing on 27 July 2023 As our planet heats up, increased water vapour also a potent greenhouse gas turbocharges extreme weather events, leading to this new era of “global boiling” showing the increasing severity and intensity of climate change impacts particularly those related to rising temperatures Global boiling compresses the urgent and alarming nature of the current climate situation, highlighting the dire need for immediate and comprehensive action In such a case Pakistan like numerous other nations is highly vulnerable to the impacts of global boiling Despite being a fractional emitter (less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions), Pakistan ranks as the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index The effects of climate change in Pakistan such as rising temperatures extreme weather events water scarcity food insecurity glacier melt flooding and coastal vulnerability, have economic as well as social implications for the country Therefore, Pakistan needs to review its policies pertaining to climate change to apply preventive measures for upcoming implications of climate changes and manage the climate crisis at the present stage Agriculture is the backbone of Pak-
Why
istan s economy, employing nearly 40 percent of the workforce which contributes about 19 percent to the national GDP However rising temperatures are severely disrupting this sector According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department temperatures in Pakistan have risen by approximately 0 6°C over the past century, and projections suggest a further increase of 1 4-3 7°C by the end of this century According to the agronomists a 1°C temperature increase can lead to a decline of approximately 194 740 tons in rice production Similarly wheat production faces a reduction of about 351 234 tons due to rising temperatures Maize production is impacted, with an estimated decrease of 387,812 tons Moreover, rising temperatures affect sugarcane production resulting in a decline of around 349 128 tons and cotton production is also compromised with an approximate reduction of 5 519 tons
All of the mentioned crops are the top export or consumption crops of Pakistan, impact on its yield will directly affect the GDP of the country If floods are bringing up fertile soil which can be beneficial for quality crops higher temperatures may lead to increased evapo-transpiration which reduces soil moisture and impacts crop yields Staple crops like wheat, rice, and maize are particularly vulnerable The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) projects that wheat yields could decline by up to eight percent by 2050 due to climate change This decline in productivity threatens food security and increases the risk of hunger and malnutrition in Pakistan Flooding is another major concern In 2010 and then again in 2022, Pakistan experienced one of the worst floods in its history, affecting over 20 million people and causing economic losses which include damage to structures exceeding $4 billion and wheat crop damages were estimated at over $500 million The total economic impact may have been as much as $43 billion
Moreover, Pakistan has witnessed an alarming increase in extreme heatwaves
The heatwave that struck Karachi in 2015 claiming over approximately 2000 lives serves as a grim reminder of the deadly effects of rising temperatures This year, from June 20 to 26, a total of 568 deaths were reported due to extreme temperatures On June 25 alone, 141 people lost their lives According to the reports the Edhi ambu-
lance service transported approximately 3040 individuals daily to the Karachi morgue during this period Such extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense posing significant health risks Rising temperatures have direct and indirect effects on public health, posing a severe threat, particularly to vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and outdoor workers Additionally, higher temperatures exacerbate air pollution leading to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases
According to the World Health Organization air pollution has caused around 60,000 deaths annually in Pakistan Moreover, vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever are also influenced by rising temperatures In 2022 Pakistan faced a surge in dengue cases due to historic flooding resulting in 52 894 cases and 224 deaths As of September 2023 Pakistan reported 25,932 confirmed dengue cases and 62 deaths, with 74 percent of these cases occurring in September alone The National Institute of Health (NIH) in Pakistan also confirmed reports of a growing number of dengue fever cases in recent years correlating with rising temperatures Pakistan is already a water-stressed country, and rising temperatures are exacerbating this issue The Indus River, which provides water for 90 percent of Pakistan’s irrigated land is highly dependent on glacial melt As global temperatures rise the glaciers in the Himalayas Karakoram and Hindu Kush Mountain ranges are melting at an accelerated rate For instance, glaciers in Pakistan s Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions are melting rapidly,
Also,
aren’t far-right riots in the UK being labelled acts of terror?
criminal justice system showed that bet ween 2019/20 and 2021/22, a conclusive 68 percent of ‘principal suspec ts convic ted of homicide were from the white ethnic group’
TOf
The boy charged with the attack is Welsh, 17, and not a Muslim not that it would matter if he was The accused’s family are in fact Christian The attack was horrific and shocked the nation but the information shared on social media was simply wrong and risked prejudicing a future trial I t i
Rudakubana, has been arrested and charged with three counts of murder and 10 of attempted murder He is already going through the judicial process and nothing more can be done before the case goes to court In the immediate aftermath of the killings at the Taylor Swift dance party, Southport residents gathered to hold a peaceful vigil out of respect for the victims and their families
But this show of community unity was hijacked and violence broke out
as extreme right-wing thugs took to the streets after misinformation about the alleged killer ’s identity and religion were shared The residents came out the next day and helped clean up the debris left behind from the previous night s violence
In interviews all those asked said this was not in their name the attacks on people buildings and vehicles were not supported by the residents who wanted to mourn in peace But since July 29, illegal organized gatherings of right-wing extremists have descended into scenes of extreme violence across the country with shop fronts smashed vehicles set ablaze and police hurt In Sunderland north England hotels housing migrants were targeted at the weekend in the latest pitched battles to hit the UK’s streets In Britain, children under 18 who are accused of a crime remain anonymous under the country s child protection laws but after misinformation wrongly identified the accused the courts ruled his right to anonymity be waived and the defendant was identified as Rudakubana
It is not the first time that ill-informed thugs have rampaged through the UK s streets In 2000 the former British national Sunday newspaper News of the World launched a name and shame campaign in which it printed the photos and details of people it said were known sex offenders However on several occasions it gave the wrong details and identified innocent people
As a trainee reporter on a British local weekly newspaper, the South London Press, I was contacted by one such person whose photo was published against the details of someone else
Despite the details being false he was still targeted in malicious attacks Hate-fueled messages were posted through his door, and even his elderly mother was targeted
The violence was also directed against other innocent people including a Bristol-based pediatrician whose practice was targeted with graffiti daubed on the door and walls outside Demonstrators believed the doctor was a pedophile as opposed to a doctor who specializes in the treatment of children, which this person was The current unrest comes amid a rise in the far right s standing in the political spectrum across the Western world: Marine Le Pen in France and the Reform Party in the UK Austria is seeing it, too In the UK, they are all pointing the finger at migrants and making what appears to be unsubstantiated claims
creating over 3 000 lakes with around 33 at risk of sudden bursting, endangering seven million people Although the initial increase in water flow from melting glaciers might seem beneficial to the average person the long-term consequences will be faced by future generations Glaciers which act as natural water reserves are melting leaving no preserved water for the future While the lakes formed from this melt might appear advantageous, extreme heat will eventually cause them to evaporate leading to their drying up Although the government has done a little to prevent floods in those regions unfortunately it has done nothing to preserve these lakes or the water from the melted glaciers This lack of action will ultimately result in reduced river flows, causing severe water shortages throughout the country According to the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) Pakistan is expected to face absolute water scarcity
that these people are behind an increase in crime in the country Their claims were echoed by former Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman who cited unnamed, supposedly high-ranked police, as saying studies showed an increase in crime and criminal activity associated with the country’s migrant population
However the Oxford Migration Observatory the academic institute that gathers data on the movement of people, was reported in the UK national daily The Guardian in February to have said that it was “not aware of any recent academic or official statistics examining criminality among refugees who had recently arrived in the UK
A spokesperson was quoted as saying: There is little evidence that migrants are any more or less likely to commit crimes than any other members of the population ”
The Guardian article concluded by quoting senior British police as saying migrants were in fact more likely to fall victim to crime, either through exploitation or incidents directed at them
Meanwhile the UK government’s own statistics on ethnicity and the criminal justice system showed that between 2019/20 and 2021/22 a conclusive 68 percent of principal suspects convicted of homicide were from the white ethnic group,” while members of the black ethnic group accounted for 14 percent and 15 percent were from other ethnic groups
There simply is no evidence to support the claim that migrants bring with them a wave of crime to the UK
Of course, the irony is that in British cities that have been the scene of the latest riots the figures will show an increase in violent crimes committed by white males Will they be out on the streets condemning their own behavior when the numbers are released? Probably not
But, as history has shown, the violence will probably stop when the hot summer days come to an end and it inevitably rains which was the case in the Brixton riots of the 1980s and the widespread unrest in London in 2011
As one interviewee told Sky News, any police officer in the UK will say the most effective way of preventing such violence is “PC Rain ” But on the point of whether they are committing acts of terror that seems unlikely given they are white and Western
Peter Harrison is a senior editor at Arab News in the Dubai office He has covered the Middle East for more than a decade
Wat Israel, the Americans are poised to help defend our skies The question nevertheless remains whether the United States will stand squarely behind Israel even if it decides to strike preemptively In view of the fundamental changes in the Biden Administration s policy toward the Middle East crisis over the past ten months, can Israel rely on a firm and consistent American stand? With our security so acutely endangered, can Israel depend on a stalwart United States?
The indications are by no means encouraging US policy today is almost unrecognizable from what it was on October 7 In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered Israel immediate and unlimited support to fulfill its twin goals of rescuing the hostages and destroying Hamas Although both stressed the need for the IDF to act in accordance with international law and minimize civilian casualties neither Biden nor Blinken suggested that US backing for Israel would be conditioned on the humanitarian situation in Gaza or the number of Palestinians killed Biden in fact dismissed Hamas’s casualty figures as exaggerated and stressed the difficulties Israel faced in fighting an enemy hiding behind its own civilians
Two months later much of the initial American position had changed Though the administration continued to veto anti-Israel resolutions in the Security Council, it began claiming that too many Palestinians had been killed, that Israel was bombing indiscriminately in Gaza, and that its reaction to the Hamas attacks was “over the top ” President Biden went from impugning Hamas statistics to citing them repeatedly Soon the supply of American munitions to the IDF formerly expedited, was delayed Secretary Blinken declared that the goal of the war was not to destroy Hamas but to ensure that “October 7 can never happen again ”
The evolution in the administration’s position was certainly influenced by the media which went from initially focusing on Israeli suffering to 24/7 coverage of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza The war suddenly became a contentious issue in the presidential elections But the White House had also concluded that Israel s objective of destroying Hamas was unrealistic Increasingly vilified by progressives for enabling the alleged massacre of Palestinians the president was paying what many in his administration believed was a prohibitive political price for an unwinnable war Reports began circulating that in the absence of an Israeli day after plan, the US
would seek a post-war administration for Gaza that included technocratic elements of Hamas Recent weeks have seen yet another major shift in American
suMMra HaMid
The impac t of global boiling
ARAB NEWS
S E L E C T I O N S : K A M A L A H A R R I S A H E A D
eign trade expansion also outpaced the 6 1-percent rise recorded in the first six months
“Since the beginning of the year, China’s economy has generally maintained a stable performance with steady progress and foreign trade has continued to show a steady improvement the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said in a statement seen on its website In July, foreign trade in goods soared
of the world s largest manufacturing powerhouse, analysts said, while pointing to China s unfazed pivotal role as a stabilizer and locomotive of global supply chain In the first seven months this year China s exports jumped by 6 7 percent while imports gained 5 4 percent according to customs data The 6 2-percent for-
S
6 5 percent in year-on-year terms, with exports gaining 6 5 percent and imports expanding by 6 6 percent
The year-on-year growth rate of imports and exports has been higher than 5 percent for four consecutive months, according to GAC
“A reading of 6 5-percent in July is a relatively high growth rate, so it is palpa-
ble that trade in July sustained the robust expansion streak from the previous month As July marks the beginning of the second half, the positive data bodes well for the second-half trade development ” Tian Yun a veteran economist based in Beijing told the Global Times on Wednesday China s GDP expanded by 4 7 percent year-on-year in the second quarte The freshly-released July trade data has led economists to project that China’s third-quarter GDP is likely to grow by around 5 percent or at least gain pace from the second-quarter
According to Tian the positive trade momentum in July is bolstered by a range of factors, including growing overseas demand amid looming global interest rate cut cycle The 2024 Paris Olympic
Games also partly helped to drive the demands for Made in China commodities, ranging from sports equipment, souvenirs and other goods In early August, the Bank of England announced an interest rate cut, the first such move in four years Observers pointed out that as more major economies will follow suit to cut rates in the second half overseas demand is set to continue flying high, which will further add to the upside of China s foreign trade In terms of individual economies, ASEAN remained China’s largest trading partner during the first seven months with bilateral trade increasing
and
and its
regime is probably fearful that control and surveillance alone will not stem the tide of people yearning for freedom, and it has given North Koreans hope that with determination and courage they can find freedom The defection of former counsellor Il-kyu Ri may be a sign that the collapse
03 a month ” This is a typical monthly salary for a North Korean government employee and less than the cost of a kilo of rice The days of living paycheck to paycheck are long gone in North Korea As a result, corruption has become so pervasive in North Korean society that it has become an incurable disease Before when I heard that the former counsellor said that when he returned from a business trip the deputy director tried to recall him when he refused to comply with a bribe demand The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the face of North Korea in the international community and is also a symbol of North Korea But if the officials working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are Kotjebi there is nothing more to say about the lives of ordinary residents North Koreans live from one day to the next, with no dreams or hopes for the future as
they struggle to survive Since people s heart is the
IMF ‘FULLY COMMITTED’ TO BANGL ADESH
Pakistan is poised to unlock its economic potential through accelerated digital transformation, according to a new report, “Realising Pakistan
towards
significantly
economy by reducing the informal sector improving tax compliance and fostering financial inclusion These insights were shared by Ali Irfan Chief Experience Officer at JazzCash, at GSMA s Digital Nations Summit in Islamabad The panel discussion also featured Shoukat Bizinjo, Additional Director of Digital Financial Services at the State Bank of Pakistan; Maleeha Bangash Consultant of Digital Banking at IFC; and Clive Chai Head of Partnerships for South Asia at Meta and moderated by Sabahat Bokhari
The panel discussed the need for policy interventions to support a cashless future, including incentivising digital payments through reduced taxes on digital transactions, expanding the merchant base, and enabling RAAST QR payment acceptance points for merchants
Our shift from conventional banking to digital banking has been a two-decade journey that started in 2008 with the introduction of State Bank s Branchless
KARACHI
The Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi Professor Zhang Xiaoping who is on a short trip to Karachi visited the campus on Tuesday He met the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, registrar, deans, chairpersons, directors and faculty of various departments and institutes, and students at the Multipurpose Hall of the KU’s HEJ
While addressing the audience Professor Zhang Xiaoping mentioned that the CIUK has long been a beacon of cultural exchange and academic collaboration fostering a deeper understanding between our two nations This success would not have been possible without the unwavering support of both the University of Karachi and Sichuan Normal University
Banking regulations said Shoukat Bizinjo We now host 37 million RAAST accounts, which has been a key enabler in the instant payments ecosystem When commenting on the way forward for the digital financial services industry, Shoukat Bizinjo said, “Collaboration should be the name of the game All industry players must work together to grow the digital economy The real challenge is navigating a hybrid country that is neither non-digital nor completely digital We need the right infrastructure, a collaborative model, and an interoperability of systems to prosper,” said Maleeha Mimi Bangash Consultant of Digital Banking at International Finance Corporation
Federal govt appoints Rashid M ahmood
chairman
ISLAMABAD n e w S D e S k
Rashid Mahmood Langrial of the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) has been appointed as the head the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) by the federal government
The grade-21 officer “is transferred and posted as Chairman Federal Board of Revenue under Section 10 of the Civil Servants Act 1973 with immediate effect ” the notification issued today by the Establishment Division from the Cabinet Secretariat read
Earlier today, sources reported that the PAS officer s name had been proposed to the prime minister for the top slot of the government body
Rashid Mehmood Langrial, an alumnus of Government College Lahore and Harvard Kennedy School from where he did his Master s in Public Administration (International Development) (MPA-ID) has au-
ing on the 30th case hearing with no development in the case He raised the question of accountability, saying who would respond to him
thored a book: Story of the Fair Sex: Socioeconomic Conditions of Women Through Time”
As per the sources had disclosed that the senior officers of the tax collecting body did not cooperate with Tiwana who is considered close to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar
The ex-FBR head who was appointed during the caretaker government, had to face criticism on the issue of digitisation and bifurcation between IRS and Customs groups, said the sources
The sources close to the FBR chairman say that the tax machinery fetched Rs9 311 billion revenue during the last fiscal year by achieving 30% growth in revenues despite a difficult economic environment
Having joined the civil service of Pakistan in 1995 the officer served in different government positions in various sectors He served as Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan (Mar 2022 – Apr 2022), Commissioner Lahore Division (Oct 2013 – Jan 2015) under the Punjab
on who made cases against him and why made it, however, everyone was accusing others of cases against me He stated that cases were being made on political grounds by NAB and alleged that NAB officers were making billions Khaqan reiterated that NAB would be politicized against anyone and this institution would halt the running of state affairs Talking about the issues of independent power producers (IPPs), he stated that investment and fuel in power plants was made in dollars and government policies on IPPs were inconsistent He also shared the grievances of the public faced by overinflated electricity bills due to agreements with IPPs
government, Secretary Agriculture Punjab (Jan 2015 –Sep 2015), Chief Executive Officer of National Power Parks Management Company (NPPMCL) (Pvt) (2015 – 2018) under the federal government Chairperson Lahore Ring Road Authority (Jul 2011 – Oct 2013) under the Punjab government as well as Secretary Tourism Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (2019 – 2020) The development
He demanded transparency and accountability from the government on IPPs to expose agreements, who were the owners of power plants, and which rates were decided However he asserted that commission formation on the issues of IPPs wouldn t be sufficient as there was no transparency instead it would exacerbate inflation He also gave the reference to K-Electric which was privatised and ran its affairs independently, however KElectric created problems itself Citing the situation of Bangladesh the ex-PM also warned about the public outrage and advised to learn a lesson from it, saying, the constitution was vio-
lated and public opinion was disregarded in Bangladesh, and the political situation in Pakistan was moving towards that direction Shahid Khaqan also suggested PTI to follow the constitution it would be better for them and the country He also highlighted the judicial system stating people would take over streets if they wouldn t get justice from courts Earlier, ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PSO former MD Sheikh Imranul Haq and others appeared before the court pertaining to illegal recruitment of PSO MD reference against Shahid Khaqan However the court has adjourned the case hearing without any proceeding until August 9
