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Saturday, 30 July, 2022 I 30 Zil hajj, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I vol XII No 389 I 12 Pages I Islamabad edition

Foreign Funding: How a cricket matcH in uk was used to Help imran kHan’s party ISLAMABAD

staff report

HE controversy about the prohibited Foreign Funding case against Imran Khan’s PTI pending with the the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took a new twist on Friday as a report by Financial Times has blown the lid off Pakistani tycoon Arif Naqvi’s involvement in the party’s finances and how a significant portion of its funding in 2013 was of foreign origin. According to the report, “Naqvi transferred three instalments directly to the PTI in 2013 adding up to a total of $2.12m”. At the centre of the saga is Wootton Cricket Ltd, a Cayman Islands-incorporated company owned by Naqvi, and the money from charity fundraisers, such as the “Wootton T20 Cup”, to bankroll PTI. Naqvi, the founder of the Dubaibased Abraaj Group, one of the largest private equity firms operating in emerging markets back when the PTI was campaigning for the 2013 elections, hosted the cricket tournament at his country estate in the Oxfordshire village of Wootton from 2010 to 2012, FT said. The guests were asked to pay between £2,000 and £2,500 each to attend, according to the UK publication. Quoting, Naqvi, it added that that the money went to unspecified “philanthropic causes”. “Funds poured into Wootton Cricket from companies and individuals, includ-

ing at least £2m from a United Arab Emirates government minister who is also a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family,” read the FT report. Political parties in Pakistan are not permitted to receive funding from foreign nationals and companies, but Wootton Cricket account details and emails seen by FT for the period between February 28 and May 30, 2013, reveal that both companies and foreign nationals, as well as Pakistanis, sent millions of dollars to Wootton Cricket after which funds were transferred to the PTI in Pakistan. The ECP had been probing the party’s funding since 2014, when party founder Akbar S Babar alleged major irregularities in the party’s finances, in-

shows it received $1.3m on March 14 2013 from Abraaj Investment Management Ltd, the fund management unit of Naqvi’s private equity firm, boosting the account’s previous balance of $5,431. Later the same day, $1.3m was transferred from the account directly to a PTI bank account in Pakistan. Abraaj expensed the cost to a holding company through which it controlled K-Electric, the power provider to Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city,” the FT report said. An additional $2m flowed into the Wootton Cricket account in April 2013 from a member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family, according to the bank statement and a copy of the Swift transfer details seen by FT. “Naqvi then exchanged emails with a colleague about transfer-

cluding in funding from outside Pakistan. ECP has now concluded the case after seven years of trial. The date the verdict will be announced is yet to be revealed. In January, the ECP’s scrutiny committee issued a damning report in which it said the PTI received funding from foreign nationals and companies. The report said the PTI under-reported funds and hid dozens of bank accounts. Wootton Cricket was named in the report, but Naqvi had not been identified as its owner. Also, while it was previously reported that Naqvi funded Khan’s party, the ultimate source of the money was never before disclosed. “Wootton Cricket’s bank statement

COAS seeks US help for early release of IMF tranche ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

With the economic situation getting worse, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has reached out to the US administration with a request to assistance in securing an early dispersal of a tranche of bailout package from the International Monetary Fund in an effort to stabilise the dwindling economy of Pakistan. While Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been mostly fighting on the political front for survival of his fragile government, the COAS has taken up the job to help stop the fast depleting foreign exchange reserves. According to security sources, the army chief spoke by phone with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman earlier this week. The

sources said that during his contact with the US administration, Gen Bajwa made an appeal to the White House and the Treasury Department to push the IMF to imme-

diately supply nearly $1.2 billion that Pakistan is due to receive under a resumed loan programme. The IMF has already granted Pakistan “staff-level approval” for

the loan in question on July 13. But the transaction — part of the IMF’s $6 billion Extended Fund Facility for Pakistan — will only be processed after the multilateral lender’s executive board grants a final nod. The IMF is going into recess for the next three weeks and its board will not convene until late August. No firm date has been set for announcing the loan approval for Pakistan, according to an IMF official. For Islamabad, time is of the essence as the rupee has been plummeting against the dollar, and the country has less than $9 billion in foreign reserves left, covering under two months of import bills. According to the IMF official, there is a major difference between staff-level approval and board approval.

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ring $1.2m more to the PTI. Six days after the $2m arrived in the Wootton Cricket bank account, Naqvi transferred $1.2m from it to Pakistan in two instalments,” according to FT. The report said that Rafique Lakhani, the senior Abraaj executive responsible for managing cash flow, “wrote in an email to Naqvi that the transfers were intended for the PTI”. Naqvi and his lawyer did not respond to FT’s requests for comment on the story. WhAT DOeS KhAN hAve TO SAy AbOUT All ThIS? Imran Khan visited Wootton Place in 2012. To questions by FT, the former cricketer wrote back saying he had gone to “a fundraising event which was attended by many PTI supporters”. The FT report described the time as “critical” for Khan to collect funds ahead of the 2013 general elections due in May. According to the publication, Naqvi worked closely with other Pakistani businessmen to raise money for his campaign. Lakhani, the Abraaj executive responsible for cash flow, told Naqvi in an email that the money from UAE had arrived, to which Naqvi replied by saying that he should send “1.2 million to PTI”. After the sheikh’s money was put into the Wootton Cricket account Naqvi wrote in another email: “do not tell anyone where funds are coming from, ie who is contributing”.

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Nawaz tells Miftah off for dollar hike in PDM meeting ISLAMABAD staff report

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chief Nawaz Sharif lambasted Finance Minister Miftah Ismail in the PDM meeting due to the ongoing economic turmoil in the country, sources said. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) meeting was held on Thursday. According to sources, the PMLN leader Nawaz Sharif took to Miftah Ismail over the Dollar hike since the PML-N-led government took charge. Miftah had claimed that the Dollar would rise only Rs23, but apparently, Rs23 and Rs55 are the same to him, Nawaz Sharif said. Sources say that Nawaz Sharif asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to summon a meeting of all ally parties on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Finance Minister should take all allies into confidence regarding the deteriorating economic conditions, he added. The PML-N leader said that if they have to govern then they will have to be brave.

PTI’s Sibtain Khan elected Punjab Assembly speaker LAHORE staff report

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Sardar Sibtain Khan has been elected the Punjab Assembly speaker after the election for the coveted post securing ten votes more than his opponent Saiful Malook Khokhar of the PML-N. The coveted post fell vacant following the election of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the chief minister of the province. Panel of Chairman Wasim Badozai, who presided over the provincial assembly session, announced that Khan has defeated PML-N’s Saiful Malook Khokhar by bagging 185 votes. Khokhar, who was the joint candidate of PML-N

and PPP, secured 175 votes. “Congratulations Janaab-e-Speaker Sibtain Khan,” PTI leader Raja Basharat said, adding, “Now they will proceed with the no-confidence motion against the deputy speaker. Earlier, the polling process was stopped after PML-N lawmakers raised objections on the counterfoil of the ballots and threw them towards the opposition benches. The four ballot papers have also reportedly gone missing with the Panel of Chairman Wasim Badozai summoned security personnel inside the house. The PML-N members have also surrounded the Punjab Assembly secretary and other staff conducting the election. On Thursday, the treasury lawmakers

in the provincial assembly unanimously passed a resolution proposing a contest for the vacant seat of the Punjab Assembly speaker as well as presented a no-trust motion against Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari today. The PTI has claimed that it has 186 votes in favour of its nominee Sibtain Khan, whereas the PML-N was hopeful for victory despite having 178 confirmed votes for its candidate Saiful Malook Khokhar. After the Supreme Court struck down Deputy Speaker Mazari’s contentious ruling on Punjab chief minister’s election, the PTI decided to immediately bring a no-confidence motion against the deputy speaker and remove him.

photo: zubair mahfooz

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NEWS

ATTrAcTing US inveSTMenT A ToP PrioriTy: MiFTAH ISLAMABAD

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EDERAL Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail said here on Friday that attracting the United States foreign investment in different sectors of economy was the government’s top priority. The minister was talking to Ambassador of the United Stated of America to Pakistan,

Donald Blome who called on him here, according to press statement issued by the finance ministry. Economic Counselor, Aaron Fishman and Treasury Attaché of US Embassy, Larita Bolden accompanied the Ambassador while Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr.Aisha Ghous Pasha, Special Secretary Finance and senior officers also attended the meeting, the statement added. Miftah said the incumbent government

was focusing on creating a business friendly environment for foreign investors. Miftah Ismail extended warm welcome to the Ambassador and congratulated him on assuming the office. He stated that Pakistan and the US enjoy long-term, broad-based and multi-dimensional relationship. He highlighted the economic agenda and policies of the government with aim to bring about economic and fiscal stability. The minister reiterated the desire of the

present government to further deepen bilateral economic, trade and investment ties with the USA. On the occasion, the Ambassador underscored that both countries enjoy good relations and expressed confidence on the policies and programmes of the government. He extended his support to further promote bilateral economic, investment and trade relations between both the countries.

Toyota to temporarily shut down production plant LAHORE: Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC) on Friday announced a temporary plant shutdown from August 1 to August 13, conveying this to the Pakistan Stock Exchange in a disclosure of material information. IMC cited the unforeseen devaluation of rupee coupled with the government’s restrictions, including letter of credit (LC) approval constraints and general economic instability as reasons behind the decision. The company said that all of the aforementioned reasons have led to insufficient inventory which in turn has rendered continued production impractical. The development comes days after IMC announced a new policy for its existing orders. This is also days after Profit reported that Honda and Suzuki were optimistic that they would be able to avert a situation such as this with manufacturers suffering due to the current economic environment and that some of them may be forced to take drastic decisions. “The industry was already suffering because of higher costs of importing integrated circuit (IC) chips due to a global chip shortage when import restrictions were imposed. Everyone has to pay demurrage on our cargo stuck at the ports, which is made worse due to higher container detention charges because of a container shortage. Manufacturers have utilized their ckd reserves to meet orders, however, if the conditions persist then I am unsure how everyone in the industry will survive,” Vice President and Company Secretary at Honda Cars Pakistan Limited said Maqsood Ur Rehman Rehmani told Profit when asked earlier this week about the current state of the industry. Daniyal ahMaD

Muharram moon not sighted, Ashura to fall on August 9 ISLAMABAD: The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee on Friday announced that the Muharram moon has not been sighted in the country, hence the first of Muharram will fall on July 31 (Sunday). According to a statement issued by the committee, the Ashura — Muharram 10 — will be observed on August 9. The meeting for the sighting was presided over by committee chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad. While making the announcement, Maulana Azad said that meetings of zonal crescent sighting committees were held in all the provinces, but no evidence was received from any part of the country. Staff RepoRt

Six terrorists killed by security forces near Hoshab, Kech District RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt

LAHORE: Worst traffic jam on Ravi Road in front of Data Darbar due to traders protest against fixed tax. photo by zubaiR Mehfooz

Honda to release HR-V CKD in market LAHORE Daniyal ahMaD

Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited (HACPL) has announced that it will be releasing the HR-V in the Pakistan market very soon. “The HR-V will come in a hybrid and non-hybrid variant. It will attract customers with its latest design and fuel average” General Manager of Sales and Marketing at HACPL Amir Nazir told Profit. The HR-V already has a history in Pakistan. Its Japanese iteration, the Honda Vezel has long been imported in Pakistan by private dealerships as a CBU. However, this is the first time HACPL will be introducing the automobile themselves as a CBU. This will also be HACPLs first foray in the crossover-SUV segment. A wrapped CBU variant of the HR-V was spotted earlier this year shortly after Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC) announced that it is planning to introduce the Corolla Cross in the Pakistani market and

had invested $100 million for the endeavor. HACPL has not given a timeline as to when exactly the HR-V will be announced nor a price that the automobile will retail for. “We can’t comment on the price of the car due to the volatility in the exchange rate. However, it will be priced very competitively to its competitors.” Nazir said when asked by Profit. Competition in the CUV market will intensify in the months to come particularly with the introduction of hybrid vehicles to the segment. It should be noted that Haval is also expected to release a hybrid offering in the crossover SUV market, and the company expects to beat HACPL and IMC to it. “Haval will be the first to release a ckd hybrid in Pakistan.” said Ammar Hameed, Operations Manager at Sazgar Engineering, to Profit. How the announcement of HR-V will impact the Corolla Cross, the hybrid ckd Haval, and the rest of the industry remains to be seen. However, the crossover-suv market is now perhaps the market that all automotive manufacturers, old and new, are gunning for.

ECP should decide on funding of all parties simultaneously: Fawad ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should decide on the matter of funding of all parties simultaneously. In a statement on Twitter, the PTI leader said that the funding laws are intended to ensure that the voters are aware that who is funding a political party. The PTI has given details of more than 40,000 donors to the Election Commission, he claimed. He said that overseas Pakistanis are funding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, adding that they also support PTI, the same way they support the country. Fawad Chaudhry

further said that Pakistanis have the right to know where PML-N and PPP are receiving funds from and questioned that why it is being kept from people.

Security forces killed six terrorists during an Intelligence-Based Operation near Hoshab, Kech District. “On 29 July 2022, on information regarding movement of a Terrorist group on Motorcycles towards Panjgur from Kech, an operation has been conducted by Security forces in general area Hoshab, District Kech,” says a handout issued here by the ISPR. “Security forces immediately cordoned the area and started search operation to apprehend the Terrorists. Once surrounded, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on security forces. Heavy exchange of fire took place between terrorists and security forces. Resultantly, 6 Terrorists have been killed and large cache of arms and ammunition have been recovered. During engagement, Havaldar Hidayat Ullah (belongs to Lakki Marwat) embraced shahadat while Naik Mir Muhammad (belongs to Waziristan) got injured,” the statement added.

Foreign reserves fall by $827m: SBP ISLAMABAD inp

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday shared that liquid foreign reserves in Pakistan declined by over $826.9 million during the week ending on July 22. According to details shared by the SBP, the total liquid foreign reserves in the SBP stood at $8.57 billion on July 22. Sharing a break-up of the foreign reserves position, the central bank said that the reserves held by the bank stand at US$8.57 billion while commercial banks have reserves of US$5.83 billion after a decrease of $730.1 million. According to the data provided by SBP, the total foreign reserves of the country declined by $826.9 million in the week ending on July 22. The reserves currently settle at $14.414 billion. Earlier on July 14, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement for the release of US$1.17 billion under the combined 7th and 8th reviews of Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF). A statement issued by the Fund said that the agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board. “Additionally, in order to support program implementation and meet the higher financing needs in FY23, as well as catalyze additional financing, the IMF Board will consider an extension of the EFF until endJune 2023 and an augmentation of access by SDR 720 million that will bring the total access under the EFF to about US$7 billion.”

SC asks PTI to explain which amend to NAB law violative of constitution ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Supreme Court has asked the PTI lawyer to be more specific regarding which amendments to the NAB law are in contravention of constitution and basic human rights. A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan on Friday was hearing a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan challenging the amendments to the NAB law. The additional attorney general told the court that the government had decided to appoint a senior lawyer to contest the case. During the hearing, Justice

Mansoor remarked that it was not the job of the court to direct the lawyer to make his petition stronger. He asked the PTI lawyer what would be the grounds of his petition if the government abolished the NAB law. The CJP asked the lawyer to explain Namidar issue too. On which Kh Haris advocate said that freedom of judiciary and accountability of public representatives were an integral part of the constitution. He said both Islam and constitution put emphasis on accountability. While agreeing with the lawyer, the CJP remarked that accountability was necessary for good governance. He remarked that if somebody did something illegal to give benefit to others, then it’s corruption. Corruption is basically abuse of authority and an action that

incurs loss to national exchequer, the CJP said adding that if authorities were constructing a dam somewhere and some lobby started opposing it, then it’s equivalent to opposing the national asset. Justice Mansoor asked the PTI lawyer to explain which amendments were in conflict with constitution and basic rights. Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked the lawyer to be more specific regarding which amendments were made to give benefits to the particular accused. He asked the lawyer whether he wanted the court to ask the parliament to improve the law. Kh Haris contended that he wanted those amendments to the NAB law to be declared null and void which were in conflict with the constitution. Justice Mansoor wondered

whether the court could restore an abolished NAB law! He said the petitioner had written that several amendments were against the basic structure of constitution. The judge asked the lawyer to inform the court which amendments were in fact against the spirit of constitution. Chief Justice Bandial also inquired which amendments

were affecting the NAB law and NAB cases. He remarked that Article 4 was very important but it had never been debated. Justice Mansoor said that the amended National Accountability Ordinance was already sub judice in the Islamabad High Court suggesting that it’s better if the high court decided the case first.

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Saturday, 30 July, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

PAKiSTAn To PArTner Sco AgenDA For region’S coLLecTive gooD: BiLAwAL ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

oreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said Pakistan would always be a strong partner in all endeavours of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) aimed at promoting collective good of the region. Addressing the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting, he said SCO’s contributions to regional security and stability as well as to the shaping of economic and information environment would continue to grow. Vladimir Norov, Acting Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, the foreign ministers of SCO member states, the Secretary General of SCO and Director

SCO-RATS. Bilawal reaffirmed Pakistan’s unflinching commitment to the goals and principles of the SCO Charter and the “Shanghai Spirit.” He mentioned that SCO was a formidable transregional, multilateral Organization – representing 41 percent of global population, 22 percent of world’s landmass, and 23 percent of global GDP. He said the world was facing planet, today, is facing an existential threat in the shape of climate change. The foreign minister said the overall economic, social and psychological impact of Covid19 pandemic was yet to be fully grasped, let alone mitigated. He mentioned the re-emergence of military conflict in different parts of the world and unprecedented hike of fuel and food prices as

Suzuki unveils new sample models at Pakistan Auto Show 2022

challenges taking a heavy toll on nations and citizens across the globe. He said Pakistan believed that the best course in these turbulent times was to renew faith in the timehonoured principles of inter-state relations and to reinforce the resilience of institutions. “The centrality of the principles of non-use or threat of use of force, respect for sovereignty and territory integrity, pacific settlement of disputes, and equal security for all, cannot be stressed enough,” he said. He said it was the considered view that peaceful coexistence and cooperation – and not confrontation – must be the key drivers of global politics. On Afghanistan, he said after 40 years of conflict and instability, there was finally a prospect of forging sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan.

KP govt allocates Rs19b for local bodies in Peshawar district

LAHORE

PESHAWAR

Daniyal ahMaD

aziz buneRi

Managing Director Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) Masafumi Harano San speaking at the Pakistan Auto Show here on Friday announced multiple sample offerings from PSMC across the SUV, MPV, compact and hatchback categories. “In terms of our customers, our focus is on moving them towards a premium offering and upgrading their lifestyle through our products.” said San. He highlighted the importance of ‘consumer-as-boss’ operating philosophy at Suzuki going forward and that he believed this philosophy would be shared by other players in the industry. The prospective cars are as follows: Suzuki Hustler (660 cc Mild Hybrid) Suzuki WangonR Stingray (660cc Mild Hybrid) Suzuki Xbee (1000 cc turbo Mild Hybrid) Suzuki WagonR (660cc Mild Hybrid) Suzuki Every (660 cc) Suzuki Ertiga (1500cc) 7-seater XL7 – (1500 cc) 7-seater Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales) PSMC Aamir Shaffi also regurgitated Harano San’s sentiments by highlighting the success of the Suzuki Swift which he termed a runaway success story. “After successfully entering into the premium hatchback category, it’s time for us to change the automobile landscape by stepping up into different categories by introducing revolutionary cars” said Shaffi. PSMC has recorded phenomenal success in FY22. Whether these potential models will allow PSMC to weather the storm coming in the automotive industry next year remains to be seen. However, Suzuki has clearly made a statement on both, strengthening its core portfolio and playing on the front foot to tackle competitors with this prospective lineup.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has allocated Rs19 billion for the local governments in provincial capital, Peshawar. The KP government has released details of funds which also include Rs3.47 billion for development fund. The details show that Rs12.81 billion will be allotted for salaries of employees of subordinate departments and Rs724 million for ongoing local government expenses in Peshawar district. Similarly, Rs68 million will be released to Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) while Rs274 million to village and neighborhood councils. Rs316 million will be released to Peshawar City, Rs80 million to TMA Pashtakhara, Rs72 million to TMA Shah Alam, Rs83 million to TMA Chamkani, Rs71 million to Badhaber, and Rs72 million to TMA Mathra. In terms of development funds, Rs918m were

LHc nullifies collection of fixed monthly tax from lawyers RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt

The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Friday nullified collection of Rs6,000 as fixed monthly GST in the electricity bills from the lawyers. The LHC Rawalpindi bench heard the matter on the petition filed by Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bar Association. The bench in its verdict said the collection of GST in the electricity bills is nullified and the amount should be returned to the lawyers if anyone of them has paid the bill with the GST. Lawyers are not the retailers or shopkeepers on which fixed GST can be applied, the court in its verdict said. It may be noted that the incumbent federal government through Finance Bill 202223 imposed fixed regime tax on the shopkeepers through electricity bills.

LPg price hiked again by rs10 per kg ISLAMABAD inp

The price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was hiked again by Rs10 per kg on Friday within 24 hours of a previous hike, both without the notification of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). After the fresh increase, the price of LPG will be Rs240 per kg across Punjab including Lahore. Moreover, the price of domestic LPG cylinder has been increased by Rs120 and that of commercial LPG cylinder by Rs455. Domestic LPG cylinders will be sold at Rs2,835 and commercial LPG cylinders at Rs10,900. LPG Distributors Association Chairman Irfan Khokhar said that due to the closure of JJVL plant, the government was losing Rs60 billion annually and the black marketing had also reached its peak. It is to be noted here that the LPG price has witnessed a Rs10 increase twice within 24 hours.

allocated to Peshawar City and Rs612m to village and neighborhood councils of the city, Rs234mn to Tehsil Peshtakhra and Rs156mn to its village and neighborhood councils, Rs222m to Tehsil Shah Alam and Rs148mn rupees to its village and neighborhood councils. Similarly, Rs206mn has been allocated for Tehsil Mathra while Rs137mn to its village and neighborhood councils. Rs262mn to Tehsil Chamkani while Rs210 million and its village and neighborhood councils. Rs210mn has been allocated to Tehsil Badhaber while Rs140m to village and neighborhood councils. The details provide that Rs893mn will be released to Tehsil Hassan Khel of Peshawar for the salaries of government employees while Rs41 million for ongoing expenses. Rs5mn will be issued as local council grant and Rs5mn as TMA grant for same tehsil. Tehsil Hasan Khel will also get Rs31mn as development funds and Rs20mn for its village councils.

Setting aside WM’s order, President directs PR to appoint complainant ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday directed Pakistan Railways to consider the appointment of a complainant against the deceased employees’ children quota after the death of his father who died in service. The president set aside Wafaqi Mohtasib’s (WM) order by observing that the directions issued by the Ministry of Railways (MoR) to Pakistan Railways (PR) were not entertained while passing the impugned order by Mohtasib. He directed PR to appoint the complainant Saqib Razzaq and report the compliance to Wafaqi Mohtasib’s Secretariat within the stipulated time period. While dilating, the president observed that the Ministry of Railways had directed Pakistan Railways to consider appointing the complainant on contract under Assistance Package on the post

of BS-10 or below in commensuration with his qualification on the basis of Establishment Division’s relevant office memorandum which was overlooked by WM while passing the judgement. As per details, the complainant had sought appointment in PR against the deceased employees’ children quota after his father’s demise during service on April 5, 2022 which was denied to him by PR on the plea that his father had died on April 5, 2002 while the PM assistance package was introduced on July 1, 2005. Feeling aggrieved, he filed a representation before Wafaqi Mohtasib which was rejected in favour of PR. Later, he sought justice from the President of Pakistan and filed a representation. The president accepted the complainant’s plea and directed PR to consider his appointment in the light of directions issued to PR by MoR and the Establishment Division’s relevant office memorandum.

Azadi March: PTI wants withdrawal of cases, action against cops LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has demanded the Punjab government to withdraw all cases filed against party leaders during Azadi March towards Islamabad on May 25 and take action against policemen involved in torture on the marchers. A meeting of the anti-victimization committee formed on the order of Imran Khan held under the chairmanship of Shafqat Mahmood and attended by Dr Yasmin Rashid, Raja Basharat and others. The meeting reviewed the cases formed with regard to incidents on May 25 and decided to collect data of policemen and officials who were posted on the day. It was decided to take action against cops who acted beyond their duty. It also asked the Punjab government to withdraw cases lodged to victimize party leaders besides also withdrawing orders to arrest the PTI

leaders. Later speaking to media, Shafqat Mahmood said that the PTI activists want immediate action against cops who acted beyond their duty. “We have all records and footages and a meeting will be held on Tuesday to further review the matter,” he said. He further said that the government employee should not act illegally and those who threw PTI activist Faisal from the bridge committed a blatant illegal act and will be punished. CONSULTATION FOR PUNJAB CABINET BEGINS: The consultation for the induction of ministers in the Punjab Assembly has begun. Sources privy to the development said the names of former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry are being considered for the post of Punjab home minister. Raja Basharat is likely to get the law ministry while the name of Ch Zaheeruddin is likely to be made Punjab’s prosecution minister.

NEWS

Utilize all-out resources for Muharram security, igP tells rPos, DPos LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Punjab Inspector General of Police Faisal Shahkar on Friday directed that a comprehensive strategy should be devised for utilizing all available resources to ensure foolproof security during the holy month of Muharramul Haram. The IGP said that the security of Majalis and mourning processions during Ashura Muharram should the top most priority, saying indiscriminative action will be taken against those try to spread religious hatred & sectarianism. IG Police Faisal Shahkar issued the instructions to RPOs, DPOs of the province while presiding over RPOs Conference held at Central Police Office to review Muharram security arrangements. Faisal Shahkar directed to ensure four-layer security for all sensitive and Acategory mourning processions and Majalis across the province. The IG Police directed to take strict action against violation of Loudspeaker Act and broadcast and promotion of malicious content. He said that religious unity and harmony should be promoted with the cooperation of scholars and ulema from of all schools of thought, community leaders, businessmen and civil society. He stressed upon field officers to ensure the active role of peace committee members in collaboration with the district administration. Faisal Shahkar directed to carve out special security arrangements for Imambargahs, Ashura processions and Majalis in all sensitive cities including Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Gujranwala. The IG Police said that cameras should be installed on main procession routes of 9th Muharram and Ashura Day and drone cameras should also be arranged for aerial monitoring. He directed that special attention should be paid to monitoring through Safe City cameras in Lahore. The IGP emphasized upon supervisory officers to review security arrangements of Muharram by personally visiting field areas. He also directed for increasing patrolling hours during night. The IGP said that lady constables along with lady volunteers should be deployed for the security of women majlis and processions. During the conference, IGP Faisal Shahkar was told that 9,292 processions and 37,223 Majalis will be held in all the districts of the province during the month of Muharram, according to which 176,477 officers, personnel and volunteers for security of mourning processions whereas 194,086 officers, personnel and police volunteers will perform security duty of Majalis. On this occasion, DPO Pakpattan gave a briefing on the foolproof security arrangements for 5-day Urs celebrations of Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Ganj Shukar. The IGP said that the activities of banned organizations and persons included in the Fourth Schedule should be closely monitored during Muharram. He also directed to implement an effective traffic plan keeping in view timings of Majlis and mourning processions so that flow of traffic could not disrupted, especially on important highways. He said that for the security of the mourners, walk-through gates, metal detectors and CCTV monitoring and video recording should also be arranged. He instructed the officers to ensure implementation of restrictions on fixed hours of processions and Majalis at any cost. Additional IGs, DIGs, Special Branch, CTD and officers of Safe City Authority were present in the video link conference while all RPOs, CPOs and DPOs including Additional IG South Punjab participated through video link.

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04 NEWS

Flood, hill torrents wreak havoc in rajanpur, rojhan, taunsa QADIRABAD

staff RepoRt

LASH floods triggered by heavy rainfall and hill torrents devastated various areas in Rajanpur, Rojhan and Taunsa on Friday. According to district administration and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), flood water wrecked rural areas in the three tehsils including Rajanpur, Ro-

jhan and Taunsa. They said that a large number of people have started moving to safe places on their own. Furthermore, standing crops over 27,860 acres of land have also been affected due to heavy rains. It has been recommended to declare flood affected areas of Rajanpur as calamity. On the other hand, hundreds of houses have been destroyed and the bodies of seven more people have been recovered within 24 hours in Lasbela.

The National Highway has also been cut off from Uthal Khanta River and Landa River, while the relief operation of Pakistan Army is underway. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Friday instructed to speed up relief activities for the people affected by flood in River Chenab. Pervaiz Elahi while directing to accelerate relief activities in Rajanpur, Rojhan and Taunsa said that providing relief

to the affected people should be done on priority. “We will not leave victims alone in such difficult hours,” said the CM. PDMA ISSUES ALERT OF HIgH FLOOD In CHEnAB: The Flood Forecasting Division has issued warning that water flow in River Chenab at Akhnor has reached 273,950 cusec and is rising continuously. The spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority

has issued alert of high level flood in Chenab River. The PDMA said that high level flood is expected in River Chenab at Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad during the next 24 to 48 hours. All relevant departments have been directed to remain alert and complete their preparations. The PDMA also advised all the authorities concerned to take all-out measures for evacuation of people from affected areas.

Pakistan registers slight decline Birthday of Thai king: Bell of Peace installed at Swat Museum in COVID-19 positivity ratio SWAT

syeD shahabuDDiN

ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Pakistan reported a slight decline in its coronavirus positivity ratio while another person succumbed to the virus, National Institute of Health, Islamabad’s (NIH) data showed Friday morning. As per the latest stats, the COVID-19 positivity rate in Pakistan declined from 3.65% Thursday to 3.35% today (Friday). On Thursday, the country had reported nine deaths in a single day which was the highest in 20 days. As many as 693 new COVID-19 infections were detected after testing on 20,678 samples in the last 24

hours, taking Pakistan’s total cases to 1,553,325. Meanwhile, 177 people suffering from the virus are being treated in critical care units. BA5, part of the Omicron family, is the latest coronavirus variant to cause widespread waves of infection globally. According to the World Health Organisation’s most recent report, it was behind 52% of cases sequenced in late June, up from 37% in one week. In the United States, it is estimated to be causing around 65% of infections. BA5 is not new. First identified in January, it has been tracked by the WHO since April.

Punjab ombudsman provides Rs25.25m relief to complainants LAHORE staff RepoRt

The Office of the Punjab Ombudsman has interacted to provide a cumulative financial relief worth Rs25.25 million to 15 complainants of different districts who approached the agency for the solution of their issues pertaining to provincial government departments. In a statement on Friday, a spokesman of the agency explained the involvement of the ombudsman office on complaints of non-payment of pensions and employment dues has resulted in the payment of Rs0.9 million by the Higher Education

Department to one Manzoor Ahmed of Lahore and Rs1.9 million to Muhammad Hameed of Bahawalpur. Similarly, Rs1.2 million are paid to Rawalpindi’s Muhammad Bashir by the executive engineer buildings division, Rs1.6 million to Shafqat Irshad of Rahim Yar Khan by the district education authority and Rs2 million to Muhammad Ashraf by the district health authority Muzaffargarh, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, an amount of Rs2.3 million is given to Zaib Mai along with the creation of an OSD post and employment dues worth Rs1.5 million of a deceased government employee are also paid.

The Inauguration of Bell of Peace on the birth anniversary of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand was held here at Swat Museum. A colourful ceremony was organized to install the Bell of Peace in the name of Prince Miangul Adnan Aurangzeb (late) at Swat Museum. On the occasion, the most venerable and chief monk of Thailand Mr Arayawangso started the Bell of Peace ceremony by ringing the bell. Speaking to the audience, Mr Arayawangso said that Swat valley had been revered land for the Buddhists in the past and where they dwelt in peace, which was why the bell of peace was installed here to give a message of peace from this valley to the

world. On this occasion, the birthday anniversary of King Rama X of the Kingdom of Thailand was also celebrated. The ceremony was also attended by Colonel Adisak Showichen, Military and Defense Attaché, the Royal Thai Embassy, Islamabad, elders of the district, and former Swat state royal family members. “The revival of civilization for peace and welfare can really happen when the moral spirit of mankind returns to this sacred land once again. Now, all of us who wish for a peaceful survival make a mindful intent and send it through the sound of the bell of peace to everyone everywhere in the world,” Mr Arayawangso stressed. He said that the late prince Miangul Adnan Aurangzeb had invited him to visit Swat valley to install the bell of peace. “Unfortu-

nately today, he is not among us but we came and installed the bell of peace here in the Swat Museum,” he said and prayed for eternal peace and rest of the departed soul. Colonel Adisak Showichen, the military and defense attaché, of the Royal Thai Embassy read a message of blessings in wake of the celebration of birth day of King Rama. He said that he was beyond doubt that the ring of the bell would send a peace message all over the world. At the end of the ceremony, Imran Shaukat, the organizer, and host of the Buddhist monks’ trip thanked the embassy of Thailand and the Buddhist monks for visiting and installing the bell of peace in Pakistan. National anthems of Pakistan and Thailand were also played on the occasion. Meanwhile, followers of Bud-

Cop impersonator kidnaps, rapes teen girl MURIDKE staff RepoRt

A man, masquerading as police official, raped a teenage girl at gunpoint in Muridke, the family said. The Muridke City Police on Friday registered a case against the fake police official and sent him to the lock-up in his counterfeit police uniform. According to police, a young man named Hussain had been roaming in the city for the last three years wearing police uniform and carrying a pistol in his holster. He could be seen with different policemen of the city police station and everyone in the town would think that he was a police official too. But the crook fake cop kidnapped a labourer Allah Ditta’s daughter Sadaf, aged

14, and raped her at gunpoint. The victim girl started raising alarm and hearing to her screams, the local residents gathered at the place and rescued her from the hands of the fake inspector. The locals then beat him up and got him arrested who was still wearing the police uniform. The citizens protested against the rape of the girl demanding justice. Talking to media, the girl’s father alleged that the accused was hurling life threats to him. He said that police were trying to give protection to the rapist by not registering a case. On the other hand, when the city police station was contacted with regard to case registration, the police said they had registered a case against the fake cop and also recovered a motorcycle from his possession.

Modi regime’s policy of attaching Kashmiris’ properties sheer political vendetta’ ISLAMABAD News Desk

Copying Israeli tactic, Modi’s Hindutva regime has started attaching properties of the Kashmiris in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to put pressure on them to give up their legitimate struggle for internationally recognized right to self-determination. In its latest drive to render the Kashmiris homeless in their own homeland, the Modi-led fascist Indian government has attached five more Kashmiris’ houses under draconian law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in Srinagar, said a report released by the KMS, today. The report pointed out that Modi is following in the footsteps of Israel that has been, for

decades, demolishing the houses Palestinian people and snatching their ancestral lands to make way for Jewish settlements in the occupied territory. It said attaching properties of Kashmiris is sheer political vendetta on part of the Indian regime and is meant to bully them into withdrawing their support to the freedom movement. The report said that besides attaching Kashmiris properties on one pretext or another, Indian troops are regularly destroying Kashmiris’ houses during violent military operations. It maintained that destroying Kashmiris’ houses or attaching their properties by the Indian authorities was aimed at breaking their resolve to continue their struggle for Kashmir freedom movement.

SHC restores bank accounts of Dua Zahra’s husband, family KARACHI staff RepoRt

Reversing its previous decision, the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday ordered the restoration of all bank accounts of the family members of Zaheer, husband of Dua Zahra, a teenage girl who travelled from Karachi to Punjab to marry him. Zaheer had moved the SHC for the restoration of his and his family members’ bank accounts as well as computerized national identity cards (CNICs) last Friday (July 22, 2022). The court, which admitted the petition for an immediate hearing, also constituted a twomember bench, presided over by Justice Iqbal Kalhoro, for the purpose. In his appeal, the accused sought orders from the Sindh home department, Sindh inspector general of the police and other authorities to provide him and members of his family security. Dua’s, which has been trying to get her separated from Zaheer, alleges that the latter had abducted their child because she was a “minor”.

dhism also visited historic sites: But Kara, Saidu Stupa, Amluk Dara Stupa, Apsidal Temple and Jehanabad Buddha, where they performed their religious rituals. YOUTH KILLS FATHER, BROTHER OVER PROPERTY: A youth shot dead his father and younger brother over a land dispute in Malooka village of Kabal Tehsil here on Friday. According to Kanju Police SHO Mohmmad Ayaz Khan, the accused identified as 43-year-old Amir Badshah allegedly shot and killed his father, 75-year-old Mohim Badshah and younger brother 33-year-old Iqbal Badshah. The accused managed to escape after the incident. The dead bodies were shifted to THQ Hospital Kabal. The police said that an FIR was registered against the accused and further investigation was underway.

Saturday, 30 July, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Sh RASheed SAYS MAtteRS AbOUt geneRAl eleCtIOnS Settled

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Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Shazia Marri and Managing Director Pakistan Baitul Mal, Amir Fida Paracha meeting in PBM Head Office. pr

Staff report

WAMI Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rasheed said on Friday that PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has agreed to hold general elections in October.

The AML tweeted on Friday saying that rather than by-elections the date for general elections has been decided. Elections would be held in October under a new election commission, while an interim government would be set up soon, he claimed. Hinting at Asif Ali Zardari, he added that people in ‘quarantine’ have

also agreed to hold general elections, only Fazlur Reham is yet to be engaged. He added that the dollar surge to Rs 250 and Rs 10 increase in LPG prices will cause market closure. The ally parties have lost all credibility, they can’t go out in public nor can run away, he added. The former Interior Minister said that the people will make the deci-

Relief to flood-aﬀectees people should be priority: Punjab CM LaHore Staff report

The Islamic Banking Windows of NBP Aitemaad at Hayatabad Township Branch and Air Headquarter (AHQ) Branch, Peshawar were inaugurated by Mr. Fouad Farrukh, SEVP/Group Chief, NBP Aitemaad Islamic Banking Group. Present at the inaugurations were Mr. Masood Yasin, GM KPK, Mr. Fakhar Zaman Khan, Regional Head, Peshawar, Mr. Zia Ahmed, Regional Head, AIBR KPK, Mr. Tariq Mehmood, RM HR KPK and Branch Manager Hayatabad Township Branch and Branch Manager AHQ. The launching ceremony was also attended by other executives from NBP Aitemaad Islamic Banking Group, Regional Team of Peshawar Region and other executives of the Bank. The launch of Islamic Banking windows will allow NBP to serve its customers with tailor made financial solutions while growing its overall position as the leading Islamic Banking player in the industry. pr

IIUI extends last date of admission till August 05

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Friday directed all the departments concerned to speed up relief activities in areas affected by flood in River Chenab. Pervaiz Elahi directed the officers to accelerate relief activities in Rajanpur, Rojhan and Taunsa, saying provision of relief to the affected people should be the frist and foremost priority.

“We will not leave victims alone in such difficult hours,” said the CM. According to DC, more than eight relief camps are functional in flood-affected areas of Rajanpur and three meals a day are being provided to 11,000 victims. According to PDMA, 1,076 houses were affected by the flood in rivers and deluge from Koh-iSuleman. Meanwhile, the Met Office on Friday forecast more rain with wind and thundershower in Is-

lamabad, upper and central Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, north and eastern Balochistan, GilgitBaltistan and Kashmir during the next 24 hours. However, isolated heavy falls are likely in Islamabad, upper Punjab, upper KhyberPakhtunkhwa, north-eastern Balochistan and Kashmir. Furthermore, heavy and light rain continues intermittently in Azad Kashmir. Therefore, the water level in rivers and streams in the area is also rising.

Fazl demands immediate decision in PTI’s prohibited foreign funding case peSHaWar aziz Buneri

International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) has extended the last date for submission of online application forms for admission (Fall 2022 semester) till August 05, 2022. The decision has been taken to facilitate more candidates who intend to apply for admission. IIU has offered admission to BS/MS/PhD programs in 10 faculties including Social Sciences, Basic and Applied Sciences, Management Sciences, International institute for Islamic Economics, Arabic, Usuluddin, Languages and Literature, Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Technology and Shariah and Law. Applicants may apply online by visiting the IIU website or this link http://admission.iiu.edu.pk. Male applicants may call at 051-9019749 and female applicants may call at 051-9019327 for guidance and details. pr

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday demanded an immediate decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in prohibited foreign funding case of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI). Addressing a press conference, PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also the central leader of Jamiat Ulema Islam-F, said that PTI’s foreign funding was pending for several years and urged ECP to decide it immediate. He said that people of Pakistan knew that which party had received foreign funding from rival countries and this party might be banned immediately if

it would found guilty. He said PTI lawmakers of Punjab Assembly were de-seated on the letter of PTI Chairman while almost a similar letter of PMLQ President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was ignored in a same case. He said decision in the case of Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly’s ruling might be different if a full court bench of Supreme Court had been formed. He said double standard in the dispensation of justice could weak democracy and confidence of people, he added. He said that we highly respect state institutions including judiciary and demanded that all decisions should be taken on merit. Fazl said that institutions should not be used for political gains or promoting an individual.

Foreign Funding: How a cricket match in UK was used to help Imran Khan’s party continued from page 01 “Sure sir,” Lakhani responded. According to the report, Lakhani “wrote that he would transfer $1.2m from Wootton Cricket to the PTI’s account in Pakistan”. “Then after considering sending the funds to the PTI via Naqvi’s personal account, Lakhani proposed sending the money in two instalments to a personal account for businessman Tariq Shafi in Karachi and an account for an entity called the Insaf Trust in Lahore. “Although the ownership of the Insaf Trust is unclear, the emails state that the final destination was the PTI,” read the report. The FT report goes on to state that “on May 6 2013, Wootton Cricket transferred a total of $1.2m to Shafi and the Insaf Trust”. According to FT, Khan confirmed that Shafi donated to the PTI. “It is for Tariq Shafi to answer as to from where he received this money,” Khan said. Shafi did not respond to FT’s requests for comment. Khan said that neither he nor his party was aware of Abraaj providing $1.3m through Wootton Cricket. He also said he was “not aware” of the PTI receiving any funds that originated from UAE. “Arif Naqvi has given a statement which was filed before the Election Commission also, not denied by anyone, that the money came from donations during a cricket match and the money as collected by him was sent through his company Wootton Cricket,” Khan wrote. Khan said he was waiting for the ECP’s verdict and that it will be inappropriate to “prejudge PTI”. In its January report, the ECP said Wootton Cricket had transferred $2.12m to the PTI but at the time did not reveal the original source of the money. NAqvI DeNIeS wroNgDoINg: Naqvi has acknowledged his ownership of Wootton Cricket and denied

any wrongdoing. He told the ECP: “I have not collected any fund from any person of non-Pakistani origin, company [public or private] or any other prohibited source.” But the Wootton Cricket bank statement shows otherwise. It shows that Naqvi transferred three instalments directly to the PTI in 2013 adding up to a total of $2.12m. The largest was the $1.3mn from Abraaj which company documents show was transferred to Wootton Cricket but charged to its holding company for K-Electric. IMrAN KhAN, hIS foreIgN fuNDINg ‘BIggeSt threAt’ to couNtry: MArrIyuM: Reacting to the FT story, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Cheif Imran Khan and the foreign funding received by his party were the “biggest threat” to the country. “Currently, the country is facing a major security threat from Imran Khan,” she said in a news release while reacting to the PTI chief’s statement. She said the person (Imran), who had received funding from the United States, had no right to talk on the national security. Instead of discussing the economy, Imran Khan should answer as to why he used the donations for running his party’s affairs, she added. The minister asked Imran Khan to “shut his mouth” as he had already weakened the national economy and security. Imran Khan, while being in power, appeased his “foreign funders” by destabilising the country and selling the Kashmir cause, she alleged. She claimed that the PTI chairman had been fulfilling demands of his foreign funders since 2011. He also met the “demands of his foreign funders by weakening the country and economy, starving the people and gagging the media”, she added. Imran Khan traded off the Kashmir for foreign funding, the minister claimed. She said it did not suit to Imran Khan to lecture the current government as it was

he who did not get response from the foreign leaders despite several attempts. PtI AccePtS receIvINg fuNDS froM NAqvI: The PTI Friday accepted that it had received funds from Pakistani businessman Arif Naqvi’s Wootton Cricket Ltd — a Cayman Islands-incorporated company — after a foreign publication reported that its donations were of foreign origin. “All the records [related to those transactions] are available,” PTI Central Deputy Secretary Information Farrukh Habib told a press conference after a Financial Times report revealed that Naqvi “transferred three instalments directly to the PTI in 2013 adding up to a total of $2.12m” — which were of foreign origin. The PTI leader said that there was no case against Naqvi or his Abraaj Group in 2012 and that the businessman had given £20 million to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in “bribes”. In his press conference Friday, Farrukh Habib said that a “media trial” is conducted against the party every now and then related to foreign funding. “The case against PTI is not related to foreign funding, rather it is of prohibited funding […] foreign funds are used for working against an incumbent government; that’s not the case here,” he said. He said that his party laid the foundation of funding in Pakistan. He added that overseas Pakistanis send $32 billion annually to the country and they also donate them to PTI. He reiterated that the verdicts of PTI, PPP, and PML-N’s foreign funding cases be issued on the same date as he demanded that the ECP demonstrate responsible behaviour. The PTI leader claimed that the PML-N hid 112 accounts from the election commission, PPP hid 11 and did not give records of Rs3.6 million to the ECP.

sion now, democracy has become a joke, assembly a circus, he added. The global crisis has engulfed Sri Lanka, Lebanon, and Iraq and now it is headed toward Pakistan. Four governments have been toppled in Europe in recent times, he added. He said that general elections would be held in October, he predicted.

COAS seeks US help for early release of IMF tranche continued from page 01 “Our stakeholders, the countries that take the vote as to whether they are supporting this or not, make the final decision. This is a difference. So the legally binding step is a board approval, not the staff level agreement,” said the official. The US is the largest shareholder in the fund, founded in 1945 while China is the second biggest economy of the world. The army chief’s appeal comes in the wake of separate meetings between senior civilian Pakistani and American officials in July, none of which managed to negotiate an early disbursement of funds. “Several senior Pakistani officials have met the US and other key stakeholder nations in the IMF and World Bank in the past week to register concerns about the timing of IMF Executive Board decisions, pressing to expedite review of Pakistan’s progress on prior actions,” said an official familiar with the proceedings. According to sources, the lack of progress in those meetings spurred the army chief to get Washington’s attention when other emissaries could not deliver. Since 1958, Pakistan has embarked on 22 separate IMF programmes but completed just one. However, while officials familiar with the exchange admitted that the currency and foreign reserves situations were worrisome, they also reported progress on the IMF finance facility. “If the government can get through this tough month, there are good opportunities to stabilize the economy, but August will not be easy,” the sources said. Meanwhile, State Bank Acting Governor Murtaza Syed, in a media interaction said that the fear of Pakistan’s default is overblown. He said the financing needs for the next 12 months will be met. However, Syed admitted that Pakistan would rather get the IMF funding sooner than later but also detailed that Islamabad is negotiating with Saudi Arabia and China — two countries that the army chief visited recently — to score supplemental financing.

Pak makes strong demarche to India over Yasin Malik’s rapidly deteriorating health ISLAMABAD: The Indian Charge d’Affaires (Cd’A) in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and a strong demarche was made over the rapidly deteriorating health condition of Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yasin Malik. A letter addressed to the Indian Prime Minister from Ms. Mushaal Hussein Mullick, wife of Yasin Malik, seeking her husband’s immediate release from prison in view of his precarious health condition that aggravated after his decision to go on a hunger-strike earlier this month, was also handed over to the Cd’A. The Indian diplomat was conveyed Pakistan’s deep dismay on the Indian authorities’ latest move of implicating Yasin Malik in two more bogus cases crafted around incidents that happened at least three decades ago. Staff report

06-07 Comments -30 July 2022_Layout 1 7/30/2022 12:40 AM Page 1

Saturday, 30 July, 2022

06 COMMENT

One law, two opposing verdicts

PDM and courts A fight against fixed benches

The earlier Supreme ourt ruling uner the microscope

HE names of junior High court judges proposed for elevation to the Supreme court by the Judicial commission of Pakistan (JcP) were opposed by a majority of five to four. Those who opposed the move maintained that the principle of seniority was again being ignored and an attempt was afoot to raise junior judges from High courts to the apex court without first developing criteria for their nominations. A senior judge of the Sc maintained that the move by the chief Justice of Pakistan, mr Justice Umar Atta Bandial, amounted to ‘contravening the constitution' and showing 'favouritism' and 'discrimination'. After the rebuff chief Justice Bandial did not “dictate the decisions and left the meeting quite abruptly”. The episode shows once again that there are informal groupings in the superior judiciary based on proximity of views on major issue like merit, rule of law and human rights. Among other things this explains why judges who are otherwise competent fail to reach the Sc. This requires formation of balanced benches so that ideological orientations do not influence the dispensation of justice This also explains why the the PDm continues to stick to the demand for the formation of a full court for the interpretation of Article 63-A. it was maintained at the PDm meeting that the three-member bench comprised judges who were already prejudiced against it and wanted to facilitate imran Khan. it was claimed that the bench had exceeded its constitutional limit while interpreting Article 63- A. it had thus created confusion and unrest and given birth to crisis. The PDm maintains that a verdict by the full court alone can bring the country out of the prevailing constitutional and political crisis. The alliance has announced that it would otherwise observe a black day and launch a public campaign against the bench’s decision. The country is passing through one of the worst economic crises of its history. The government needs to fully concentrate on dealing with it. The PDm cannot afford to initiate any agitation. There is a need on the part of the judiciary also to pay heed to the demand for a full court, which enjoys the support of the lawyers organisations also.

Dr Qaisar rashiD

n July 25, the ruling coalition, the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDm), addressed a press conference in islamabad and announced to boycott proceedings of the Supreme court, which was hearing a case on the election for the seat of the chief minister Punjab. The PDm wanted a full court to hear the case and not the three-member bench of the Sc. The objection was that the bench comprising chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice munib Akhtar and Justice ijaz ul Ahsan was prejudiced. nevertheless, the boycott continued the next day when the bench not only turned down the written request of the PDm to constitute a full court but it also issued a verdict against the PDm’s case. it was the verdict of the Sc issued on may 17 that made July 25 visit the country. on may 17, while hearing a petition filed by the chairman Pakistan Tehreke insaf (PTi), a five-member bench (including the aforementioned three judges) of the Sc issued a verdict, which addressed the relationship between a triad: a party head, a parliamentary party and a parliamentary member who may defect from the party. Para 1 of the verdict says: “The first question re-

The PML(Q) heads towards dissolution

ferred by the President [of Pakistan] relates to the proper approach to be taken to the interpretation and application of Article 63A of the constitution. in our view, this provision cannot be read and applied in isolation and in a manner as though it is aloof from, or indifferent to, whatever else is provided in the constitution. nor can Article 63A be understood and applied from the vantage point of the member who has earned opprobrium and faces legal censure as a defector by reason of his having acted or voted (or abstained from voting) in a manner contrary to what is required of him under clause (1) thereof.” That is, this para sets the intent and direction of the verdict. Para 2 of the verdict says: “it follows that Article 63A must be interpreted in a purposive and robust manner, which accords with its spirit and intent… The pith and substance of Article 63A is to enforce the fundamental right of political parties under Article 17 that, in particular in the legislative arena, their cohesion be respected, and protected from unconstitutional and unlawful assaults, encroachments and erosions. it must therefore be interpreted and applied in a broad manner, consistent with fundamental rights. it also follows that if at all there is any conflict between the fundamental rights of the collectivity (i.e., the political party) and an individual member thereof it is the former that must prevail. The first question is answered accordingly.” That is, in this para, the defection of a member of a parliamentary party in a House is seen in the context of a (parent) political party and not in the context of a parliamentary party. Para 3 of the verdict says: “Turning to the second question and keeping in mind the answer to the first, it is our view that the vote of any member (including a deemed member) of a Parliamentary Party in a House that is cast contrary to any direction issued by the latter in terms of para (b) of clause (1) of Article 63A cannot be counted and must be disregarded, and this is so regardless of whether the Party Head, subsequent to such vote, proceeds to take, or refrains from taking, action that would result in a declaration of defection”. That is, in this para, again the context is the relationship between a party head and a wouldbe defecting member. Further, the para also means that a parliamentary party acts in accordance with the directions of the party head. in other words, the head

of the parliamentary party is unimportant and irrelevant to be mentioned even. interestingly, in the may 17 verdict, the word “head” has been used twice and that in conjunction with the “party” as the “party head” and not as the “head of the parliamentary party.” nowhere in the verdict has the term, the “head of the parliamentary party” been used. The question is this: why has the may 17 verdict not used words “head of the parliamentary party” even once despite the fact that these words have been used in Article 63A? How come is it possible that the judges of the Sc may avoid using the words, the parliamentary party’s head, who affords a central connection between a party head and a parliamentary party (and its members)? What kind of interpretation of Article 63A the verdict has done, devoid of the words “head of the parliamentary party”? it is apparent that, in the said verdict, a deliberate effort was made to exclude the words “head of the parliamentary party”. in the verdict, if the words “head of the parliamentary party” were used, a fourth player would enter the discussion. nevertheless, it also means that the verdict assumes that the head of the parliamentary party would be insignificant and that only a parliamentary member may be focused on as a prospective defector. on the other hand, in the July 26 verdict on the election for the chief minister of Punjab, the words the “head of the parliamentary party” have sprung into action. now, the new verdict refers to Article 63A essentially in context of the “head of the parliamentary party” and this time the words the “party head” have gone into the background. Further, this time, the words the “head of the parliamentary party” have become potent to sway the verdict. it is apparent that the may 17 verdict deliberately omitted (or evaded) the words the “head of the parliamentary party” to establish a direct relationship between a party head and a member in a House to benefit the PTi, whereas the July 26 verdict brought to life the omitted words to establish an indirect relationship between a party head and a member in a House through the “head of the parliamentary party” to the detriment of the PDm. not legal nuance, this is sheer dishonesty. The writer can qaisarrashid@yahoo.com

reached

It’s all over bar the shouting

Need for the Revival of Exports

HE PmL(Q)’s break-up seems inevitable, now that the party’s central Working committee, called by Punjab general secretary Senator Kamil Ali Agha, has stripped party President ch Shujaat Hussain and central secretary general Tariq Bashir cheema of their posts. There had clearly been a rift after ch Shujaat wrote a letter to the party’s 10 mPAs to vote against Punjab President ch Pervez Elahi in the runoff election for cm. Those mPAs voted for ch Pervez, but that letter made the Deputy Speaker rule that the votes not be counted. The Supreme court then ruled that the votes be counted, with ch Pervez being elected. The move came the day before the Speaker’s election, vacated after Pervez’s becoming cm. clearly, the immediate motive was to nullify the effect of cH Shujaat instructing the mPAs to vote for someone. The cWc meeting also passed a resolution instructing the mPAs to vote for the PTi candidate. The PmL(Q) is itself a remnant, having started out as the party into which those who left the PmL(n) under musharraf. it was then joined by the PPP Patriots, who had won on the PPP ticket in 2003, but joined the government. Post-musharraf, the PmL(Q) saw itself shrink, but the chaudhrys of Gujrat tried to remain politically relevant, once even aligning with the PPP with ch Pervez becoming Deputy Pm. on Sunday, the victory of the PTi-PmL(Q) candidate, and the votes he received, reflecte vthat ch Pervez had prevailed in the parliamentary party. Though there may well be a family dynamic involved, with Shujaat’ son Salik Hussain not getting along with Pervez’s son moonis Elahi the way their fathers workedc, and it a strong possibility that supporting the PTii or not is merely an excuse. Be that as it may, it shows that the Supreme court did not address the question of what happens to a parliamentary party when the party itself splits. The response of hujaat’s supporters is awaited, but the likelihood of counter-suspensions, amid claims that the cWc meeting was unconstitutional. Apart from the Punjab Assembly party, there is the national Assembly party where matters are not yet clear. What happens to mnAs following ch Sghu7jaat, against whom a letter lands asking for their defeating? The Supreme court may find it has many more questions to answer about Article 63A.

An economic analysis of Pakistan Khushal Khan

conomic challenges to Pakistan are continually rising and their severity is increasing with the recent rupee depreciation despite the fact that the country has the potential to become one of the world’s fastest developing and richest nations due to its abundance of untapped natural resources and human resources. macroeconomic instability and low productivity could call into question the economic stability of any state. The ongoing crisis is perceived to be challenging to the gamechanger china Pakistan Economic corridor (cPEc) as well. The most prominent of all these challenges faced by Pakistan is the inefficient and dysfunctional infrastructure of civil institutions and their outdated policies for trade, which need to be revised. Pakistan is on the verge of economic collapse and the country’s progress is stagnant in the global supply chain. Pakistan’s exports are falling at the cost of higher profit in domestic production because of higher protection (subsidies), which iscausing low productivity in the economy. Trade deficit and inefficient distribution of resources are leading to macroeconomic instability. Pakistan's policies are dominated by the elite; they subsidize sectors that work in their favor but not the economy. That is why global market trends are changing rapidly from the last two decades and Pakistan is somehow lagging behind and not chasing properly at most turns. investment and trade are closely linked, and every plan for the proposed growth should be operated by investments in production for the global market, in place of mainly fulfilling domiciliary demand, as is the case with Pakistan. This has hindered transformation and productivity enhancement for Pakistani manufacturers, making them noncompetitive in the international market and for that reason they are impotent to enlarge and generate job opportunities. Unfortunately, Pakistan has not kept pace with globalization, where the share of total foreign direct investment (FDi) flowing into emerging Asia has skyrocketed over the past two decades from 10.5 percent in 2000 ($142 billion) to about 39.5 percent in 2018 ($512 billion). over the past half-decade, South Asia's total exports have increased by 50 percent, FDi to Vietnam has quadrupled and to Bangladesh has gone from $20 billion to $40 billion, while Pakistan's exports have remained at $20 to $25 billion.

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Pakistan’s major export is textiles, and it is the do we really think these motorways and infrastructure only consistent industry supported by the government will change the game? no, for cPEc Pakistan must the last 70 years. Yet, no significant improvement is increase its trade dramatically otherwise these roads visible. Pakistan’s export is about $12 billion and and infrastructure will be liabilities on Pakistan, and globally he industry is $600 billion. Apparel exports Pakistan will be paying the debts and interest to in Bangladesh were $8.8 billion in 2006 and $24.6 china. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) will only billion in 2017 and in Pakistan it was $3.8 billion and work if Pakistan encouraged domestic and internanow it is $6 billion. Despite its huge population and tional investors to locate manufacturing in Pakistan potential-possessing youth, major global brands have and re-export them from Pakistan. Pakistan must be bypassed Pakistan as a manufacturing base for very clear in their vision and SEZs should not belabour-intensive items such as textiles, agro-food come another rent-seeking activity. We witnessed how subproducts, and footwear, all sidizing production has of which produce massive failed, as was proved in the quantities of exports from case of the textile industry. host countries. We witnessed how subsidizing Pakistan must focus on effiThe reason major global ciency and competence in brands are bypassing Pakproduction has failed, as was proved the international market. it istan is that there is no suitin the case of the textile industry. needs to give protection to able structure available to Pakistan must focus on efficiency product not production, the investors. According to which means Pakistan will statistics, investors can easand competence in the international have to spend on the product ily guess where the margin market. It needs to give protection to marketing and quality. Pakwill be. Pakistan's electricity product not production, which means istan is providing subsidies bill is 31.100 rupees/kWh Pakistan will have to spend on the on electricity rates, lower inand Bangladesh's electricity terest rates and direct subsibill is 19.954 rupees/kWh. it product marketing and quality. dies for production. on the can be seen that Bangladesh Pakistan is providing subsidies on other hand, it is recomsupplies producers/investors electricity rates, lower interest rates mended that Pakistan should with cheap electricity of spend on marketing to in11.146 rupee/kWh. and direct subsidies for production. crease its market share and infrastructure bottleOn the other hand, it is recommended move up on the global supneck: At Karachi Port, it that Pakistan should spend on ply chain. takes seven days to handle Four major recommenand unload containers, but at marketing to increase its market dations from this policy are Singapore Port, all this is share and move up on the (A) Tariff rationalization: completed in one day. There global supply chain Pakistan has to reduce the is much to mention about the tariff rates in order to welflaws of Pakistan’s policy come the FDi. (B) Pakistan structure, such as taxation, should focus on the ease of licensing, bureaucracy and ease of doing business. most importantly Pakistan doing business: The consistency environs of such a needs a right tariff structure (china less than 3 percent, country further facilitates the start-up and operation of local businesses. (c) it needs to get rid of subsidies Vietnam 3.5 percent and Pakistan 8.69 percent ). Pakistan’s production and market is import-ori- and focus on efficiency-seeking investments both doented, and present tariff rates may not help Pakistan mestically and internationally: FDi enters the country to grow or move up on a global supply chain. Yes, to make the most of the factors that allow it to take there are export rebates and duty drawbacks, but part in the global market. (D) Human Resource buildthese mechanisms are not efficient enough. World ap- up: it is the need of hour to focus on human resource. This will make cPEc function at its full potential parels have handmade fibres in them. in Pakistan handmade apparels have 32 percent duties on them level, will stop currency devaluation, resolve the including sales and income tax, while in Bangladesh issue of balance of payment and will service Pakit is about 5-6 percent. We are thus simply cutting a istan’s debt. 25 percent margin. Khushal Khan is working as a Research Assistant While cPEc is in development stage which Planning commission claims is a game changer, but wait, at Balochistan Think Tank Network, Quetta.

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Re-birth of lollywood

Political Profile of Changing Pakistan Pakistan is made interesting by the unhealthy developments there

Dr rajKumar singh

LL things apart, continuous change is an essential nature of both the individual and society and when we apply this dictum in case of Pakistan, we found a lot of changes, both favourable and unfavourable, in the history of Pakistan since its making on 14 August 1947, the day indian subcontinent was divided into two countries, india and Pakistan. Although, both have registered substantial growth in their own ways, the developments and happenings of Pakistan till date, attracted more international media as an icon of being the first muslim country in many respects. At the heart of the general interest in the affairs of Pakistan was its many unhealthy developments in the years of military as well as democratic rulers of the nation who never cared for the mass of the people as they failed to visualise the generational change taking place within the country with fast speed in urban areas followed by rural people of the country. The change of time and coming of globalisation and technological developments taking place world-wide since the days of Liaquat Ali Khan to imran Khan remained throughout with the interests of common people-the undisputed theme of the contemporary global political system. The country Pakistan is currently having the most difficult time of its history and facing challenges internally as well on foreign policy counts, especially due to its debt burden and the rising scarcity of essential commodities round the year. People are upset and nervous as to how and when they will overcome the prevailing situation. in fact, the long misrule in the country has totally changed the national perception of Pakistan and left the nation open for third party use ignoring its own national interests. it remained an ardent supporter of the USA

and the superpower of the time has used it extensively in serving its purposes regionally and globally. The people of Pakistan and its rulers never cared for their strength, economically or otherwise and blindly helped the USA serve its purpose in the region since the days the USSR intervened in Afghanistan in the last week of December 1979. This event and Pakistan’s close proximity with terror groups of the world had totally changed its class character and it lost more than four decades in vain when it could have earned a good name and developed to the extent of being a strong nation in this era of globalisation where only strengths matter and nothing else. There has been democratic decadence of the country in the post-1971 phase and a chronological analysis has been presented in a book by this writer from the days of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to imran Ahmed Khan niazi, who very recently was ousted by his successor, Shehbaz Sharif, with no respite for the common people of the country till date. in contrast to the constitutions of india and Bangladesh, the Pakistani constitution reflected a heavy compromise over several issues to maintain a delicate balance of power among the country’s institutions. The constitution defined the role of islam. Pakistan was to be a federation of four provinces and known as the islamic Republic of Pakistan, introduced checks and balances, separation of powers, and provided the federal system under which the government should governed. The constitution established a bicameral parliament as a legislative authority that consists of the Senate as the Upper House and the national Assembly as the Lower House. Another major innovative introduction in the constitution is the establishment of the national Finance commission (nFc) consisting of the Provincial and Federal Finance ministers and other members to advise on the distribution of revenues between the federation and the provinces. The constitution’s first parts introduce the islamic way of life, promotion of local government, full participation of women in national life, protection of minorities, promotion of social and economic well-being of the people, and strengthening the bonds with the muslim world and commit to work for international peace. Unlike the previous docu-

ments the constitution cannot be changed, instead constitutional amendments are passed; altering its effects. Amendments to the constitution are made through the Parliament, where a two-thirds majority and voting is required in both houses for a constitutional amendment to take effect, in accordance with the constitution. in addition to this, certain amendments which pertain to the federal nature of the constitution must be ratified by a majority in the state legislatures. As of 2015, 21 amendments have been introduced to the constitution. Among the most important of these are the Eighth (1985) and Seventeenth (2004) which changed the government from a parliamentary system to a semi-presidential system. However, in 2010 the Eighteenth Amendment reversed these expansions of presidential powers, returning the government to a parliamentary republic and also defined any attempt to subvert, abrogate, or suspend the constitution as an act of high treason. From the start of the framing of constitution in Pakistan, the most contentious issue has been and continues to be the relationship between the centre and the provincial units. no state can truly be a federation if it is centralized to the extent that Pakistan is. A case in point is the delay in the national Finance commission (nFc) award that has caused unnecessary harm to the provincial governments. Secondly, there needs to be explicit mention of the items in the provincial listwhich also needs expansion-and these items should be under the sole jurisdiction of the province. in other words the current list needs to be replaced by a provincial list. The centre should retain authority on matters of Foreign Relations, money, Defence and communication but Education needs to be dealt with by provinces. Provisions can be taken by the government to ensure quality education by taking nation-wide tests for higher education and the provinces need to work together so that an individual getting a degree in one province is eligible for a post in another province as well.

From the start of the framing of constitution in Pakistan, the most contentious issue has been and continues to be the relationship between the centre and the provincial units. No state can truly be a federation if it is centralized to the extent that Pakistan is

The writer is presently Professor and Head, Department of Political Science and Dean of Social Sciences at B.N. Mandal University, Madhepura (Bihar), India. His 21 books published in addition to 900 articles in national and international journals and daily newspapers from 25 foreign countries.

oUR film industry was deservingly waiting for the renaissance after its collapse at the beginning of the new millennium. Due to the ubiquitous presence and readily availability of Hollywood and Bollywood movies on digital platforms, Lollywood movies face existential threats. The second decade of this century has witnessed a number of Lollywood blockbusters which are quite at par with their counterparts across the border. The need is to lend time and space, and a little willing suspension of disbelief, to let them thrive in the entertainment world. it is incumbent upon us to quote a few instances to prove the worth and rebirth of our movies in present times. The Donkey King, Teefa in Trouble, Load Wedding, Punjab nahi Jaungi, Actor in Law, na maloom Afraad are just a few examples that would never let down their viewers, and that would irresistibly change their opinion regarding Lollywood movies. These movies by any yardstick can befittingly be placed on an equal pedestal to the world’s top movies. Artistic diligence and creative input are easily visible in our cinematic outpourings. Perfectionism is being targeted now. We shouldn’t let ourselves down by disoriented comparison between our movies and those of the world as the former is gearing up for its promising start while the latter has culminated to its highest attitude. The Donkey King, the movie being an animation, is outwardly meant for children, the maturity of the script, witty dialogues, sharp quips and puns along with political and satirical innuendos amply make it a worthy watch for the elders as well. its music and lyrics of songs are the icings on the cake. The taste of the pudding is in the eating! The canvas is expanding, and the subject is branching out. Teefa in Trouble is a real entertainment piece. Load Wedding and Actor in Law are thesis movies on social evils. Punjab nahi Jaungi is a cultural flix. However, the only area which hasn’t been tapped into yet, is our education system. it must be made the focus of our film productions. The Bollywood flicks like Taaray Zameen Pr, Three idiots and Hichki, caused a stir in the education sector, and wrought a paradigm shift in policy making and pedagogy. All these movies and others of their ilk herald the renaissance of Pakistani cinema. They also falsify the retrogressive views of some nihilistic art critics who toll the bell for artistic productions here in our part of the world. They live in a fool’s paradise when they crow that art has already scaled its apogee, and classics be born no more. current silver screen creative renderings can successfully make them disillusioned. Respected editor, these views are not of a movie critic, nor taken vicariously, but rather of a layman who was once quite vociferous exponent of world movies and is now an avid viewer of Pakistani movies, and who has judged Lollywood movies objectively. What is aimed, is our movies of present times be given a chance once! it can be claimed positively that our indigenous silver screen productions can certainly glue the attention of the viewers, and have the potential to bring about a volte-face in their bigoted critics. NADEEM NADIR, KASuR

Poor governance in Pakistan THE laws of a country define socially acceptable behaviours that everyone is expected to follow in letter and spirit. ideally, the government administration and its resources are dedicated to ensuring that citizens adhere to defined laws whose failure to obey holds them accountable. it is not enough to make laws, but their indiscriminate implementation makes the rules meaningful and builds the confidence of ordinary citizens in state institutions. Sadly, the situation in Pakistan is depressing due to a fragile law enforcement mechanism. This has partly turned the country governed by the ‘Law of Jungle’ where the enacted laws are selectively invoked, mainly with poor people at the receiving end. This selective application leads influential people to take rules into their hands at the cost of the children of the lesser god. The citizens are entitled to equal treatment of laws according to fundamental rights outlined in the constitution. The current taxation system enforced in the country discriminates against the poor by squeezing money out of their pockets, while a tiny elite primarily enjoys privileges with impunity. A cursory look at the revenue collection targets for the current fiscal year reveals that a significant onus is placed on the shoulders of the salaried class, while the affluent class largely remains untaxed. Second, the state is under the constitutional obligation to provide free and compulsory education to all children aged five to sixteen. Due to gross failure to commit to its fundamental commitment, the state has been pushing thousands of children to the illiterate lot every year, while the privileged get their kids educated in expensive schools. The statistics show that Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children. This has resulted in the widening social division between the rich and the poor, as the affluent class grab significant opportunities for upward mobility while the poverty-ridden segment remains stagnant at lower rungs of social status. implementing laws to their essence makes a country civilized, and citizens remain loyal to the state and its policies. The current lawlessness in society is mainly attributed to the weak and unequal enforcement of laws, and the state’s failure to live up to its responsibilities has turned citizens apathetic to the entire state functionaries and their utility. ASAD AZIZ, KhuShAb

Woes of farmers in Sindh FARmERS in Sindh have been hit hard by the lack of water for cultivation of seasonal crops. Water is not only important for the lives of people and cattle, but also for agriculture. Poor farmers are already facing inflation in the shape of costly fertiliser and pesticides, and higher rates of ploughing the land owing to petrol price hike. Besides, the unavailability of quality seeds and other difficulties continue to be part of their lives. The dearth of water is the ultimate misery for the farmers. in many areas of Sindh, including Kashmore, most people have agriculture as the main source of earning. This season, the cultivation of rice was delayed by a month which will affect yields severely, resulting in losses for farmers who are already living in abject poverty. The government ought to address this issue and save the poor farmers from losses, despair and distress. This can be achieved by adopting and promoting new ways of agriculture as well as taking proper measures, such as constructing dams to store water during rains that may be used during droughts. This will make it easier for the farmers to cultivate crops that require less consumption of water. Besides, the farmers should also be encouraged to learn modern agricultural techniques, such as drip irrigation, to ensure economical and efficient use of water to avoid further problems in this state of economic crisis in the country. AlI ShER Golo KAShMoRE

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08 WORLD VIEW

Sri Lanka debt criSiS iS a LeSSOn fOr aLL cOuntrieS POLICYMAKERS IN OTHER ECONOMICALLY STRUGGLING COUNTRIES SHOULD TAKE HEED OF SRI LANKA'S TALE. THE LESSONS CAN BE PAIRED WITH THOSE FROM BRAZIL, WHICH, FOLLOWING ITS 2002 DEBT CRISIS, QUICKLY ADOPTED THE NECESSARY POLICY REFORMS AND WENT ON TO ENJOY YEARS OF SUSTAINED GROWTH

Project Syndicate

annE o KrUEgEr

tragedy is unfolding in Sri Lanka. the economy is paralysed, and because the country's debts are unsustainable, it cannot borrow. the country is suffering the world's worst economic crisis since World War II. the situation is so dire that millions of people have taken to the streets. the president has fled the country, and now parliament has elected a new, but unpopular, replacement. If all goes smoothly, the International Monetary Fund can come to Sri Lanka's aid with a rescue loan package and a programme to achieve sustainable fiscal, monetary and exchange-rate policies.

Sri Lanka's plight serves as a lesson to other governments. When a country's economic problems are obviously becoming insurmountable, postponing a reckoning through various piecemeal measures will only make matters worse in the end. For years, Sri Lanka was a "donor darling", owing to its relatively high standard of living, good social services and robust economic growth. In the first half of the last decade, it boasted a 6.5% average annual growth rate -- one of the world's highest -and very low population growth. though economic growth slowed after 2015, it still averaged well over 3% through 2019. But at the end of that year, a new government came to power and immediately announced a large tax cut. In both 2020 and 2021, the government ran a fiscal deficit of more than 10% of GDP. the annual inflation rate rose from an average of under 5% in previous years to 39.1% in May, and then to 54.6% in June. Worse, with inflation already accelerating, the government announced in the spring of 2021 that it was banning all chemical-fer-

tiliser imports. Predictably, rice production fell by 20%, tea exports fell to their lowest level in more than two decades, and more than a third of the country's farmland was left fallow. the Covid-19 pandemic came on top of these self-inflicted wounds, causing a sharp decline in tourist revenues, which then deepened Sri Lanka's foreign-exchange shortage and further curtailed its ability to purchase imports. By late 2021, the situation was spinning out of control; in May, the government defaulted on its foreign debt. Now, Sri Lanka cannot obtain essential inputs to restart the economy until it has restructured its debt and installed a working government. restructuring the country's debt will be unusually complicated because a significant portion is owed to China, which does not participate in the multilateral Western-led restructuring exercises for overly indebted sovereign borrowers. Again, the lesson for other debt-distressed countries is clear. While a country's economic authorities can delay some of the consequences of illadvised policies for a while through import

rationing and prohibitions, price controls, fiscal deficits, foreign borrowing and printing money, the music eventually will stop. had Sri Lanka approached the IMF late in 2021 (or even earlier) and implemented the painful reforms needed to rein in inflation and reduce its current-account and fiscal deficits, at least six months of suffering could have been avoided. More to the point, the country's descent into complete political chaos might have been avoided altogether. Since the start of the pandemic, the international community has appropriately been directing more attention to the plight of heavily indebted developing countries, with the G20 rolling out a Debt Service Suspension Initiative that extended some US$13 billion (478 billion baht) of relief to 48 countries in 2020-21, but that was a drop in the bucket relative to needs. Worse, there has been very little differentiation between countries whose underlying economic policies were sustainable and those whose policies would have become unsustainable without reform, even in the absence of Covid-19. Lending to a country

Personal liberty is dying in India IF ANYONE IN POWER WANTS TO FIX YOU, THEY CAN, THEY WILL

Vir SanghVi

Ne major difference between an authoritarian state and a liberal democracy is the freedom an individual enjoys. In today’s India, that freedom is in danger. It isn’t just free speech — though, that, of course, is also a problem. It is the very right to liberty. In our country, virtually anyone in a position of authority — a minister, a bureaucrat, a policeman, a revenue service official or even somebody who has friends in power — can have any of us arrested and sent to jail. In most circumstances, even if there is no case at all, the person concerned will spend at least a month in jail. Why does this happen in India and not in other countries that we regard as liberal democracies? two reasons. One: in most modern democracies, those in power are made to follow the spirit of the law and to respect personal liberty. this is not to say that there are no abuses. But there are strong checks and balances. Officials who order arrests without good reason are usually sanctioned and in many Western democracies, you can sue the authorities for wrongful arrest. two: all laws only work if there is somebody in authority who respects justice. that task falls to the judiciary. When the police arrest someone without good reason or when they demand jail custody, it is up to judges to decide whether the arrest is justified and whether it makes sense to keep a person in jail before they are convicted. In India, both those safeguards are failing. People in positions of power can arrest anyone they want and they often do. they need not even bother to make out a case that will stand up in court. they believe judges will just go along with them. together, these two factors could spell the end of personal liberty. If anyone in power wants to fix you, they can and they will. Don’t take my word for it. Just read the Supreme Court order in the case of factchecker and Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair who was thrice denied bail by lower

courts. “Individuals must not be punished solely on the basis of allegations, and without a fair trial. When the power to arrest is exercised without application of mind and without due regard to the law, it amounts to an abuse of power,” the Court said. It then granted bail to Zubair who had clearly been targeted by the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police and disbanded the SIt that had been set up by the UP government to investigate his so-called offences. earlier, the Court had used the phrase ‘police state’ to describe where we may be heading. Of the two great threats to personal liberty, the misuse of power has now got to the stage where it is almost impossible to fight. even Aryan Khan, against whom the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) now concedes there is no case, had to spend almost a month in jail despite all of Shah rukh Khan’s resources because of a single publicity-hungry officer. But that officer was emboldened to misuse his position because in some previous cases, he had actually been encouraged by politicians. MISUSE OF AGENCIES AND MISSING COURT: the truth is that politicians at the Centre and the states routinely use the police forces (and revenue authorities) to settle personal scores, and to target critics. Over the last few years, the misuse of agencies has reached new heights. When politicians have no respect for personal liberty and order arrests indiscriminately, it is silly to expect policemen and bureaucrats to not follow their example. Once a policeman knows that his bosses are asking him to victimise innocent people, why should he hesitate to settle a few scores of his own? Or to line his pockets? the onus of protecting personal liberty, therefore, falls on the judiciary. And that is where the greatest cause for concern lies. For some years now, many of us have been repeating, like stuck records, that judges seem to have forgotten the old dictum that ‘bail is the rule and jail is the exception’. Nobody has paid the slightest attention to our entreaties. You can blame Sameer Wankhede for Aryan Khan’s arrest. But let’s not forget that many judges agreed with Wankhede. Looking at the same evidence that the high court later said was not enough to justify keeping Khan in custody, the lower courts decided that he had to remain in jail. Likewise with Mohammed Zubair, Munawar Faruqui and countless others. So, if judges will not protect personal liberty, then who will? the Supreme Court has now felt obliged to remind those manning the justice system of what every first year law student knows. every arrested person has a right to bail unless there is a need to keep them in jail to prevent them from “tampering with or destroying evidence, to prevent them from influencing or intimidating potential witnesses or when it is not possible to ensure their presence in

court.” the Zubair order comes on the heels of another order by the Supreme Court restating the right to bail. Chief Justice N.V. ramana has spoken in a similar vein at a public function. Clearly, much of the Court has finally got worried by the tendency of judges to believe whatever the police say and to send people to jail automatically. And well it might. According to one estimate, there are about two lakh bail applications pending in various courts all over India. Of these, 18,000 or so have been pending for more than five years. I can see why the judiciary has a problem clearing the backlog (not enough judges, not enough courts, etc.), but should it needlessly add to the burden by unnecessarily sending people who have been convicted of no crime to our overcrowded jails? SC NEEDS TO SPEAK IN ONE VOICE: Assuming that the Supreme Court is now concerned about the threat to personal liberty posed by the actions of the executive and the inaction of the judiciary, what happens now? One reason why judges don’t give bail to individuals, it is said, is because they know that the judicial process is so slow in India that guilty people will never go to jail. At least this way, the guilty pay some price. this may be intuitively appealing but it is hardly what jurisprudence should be about. And even if you accept this argument, it may apply at best to major crooks or dangerous criminals. here it is applied to people who tweet or are caught smoking hash. It has been suggested (by the Supreme Court itself) that new legislation should be passed on the right to bail. Lawyers are not even sure that this is necessary. the Chief Justice can simply take steps on his own. he has enough power to ensure that the court’s guidelines are accepted. In any case, the whole purpose of the Collegium system of appointments was to make the Court independent. But you could also argue that even within the Supreme Court, there is no unanimity on the issue. On Wednesday, the Court upheld the most stringent and controversial parts of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 including a provision which made it difficult for accused persons to get bail. this was not necessarily a ringing endorsement of the right to liberty. So could it be that even within the Court there are different views? It is hard for us, on the outside, to be sure. But one thing is clear: now that much of the Supreme Court has begun to re-assert the principle of the right to liberty, it cannot stop now. And the Court must speak in one voice on the subject. the very character of our democracy is at stake. The author is a print and television journalist, and talk show host. He tweets at @virsanghvi.

in the latter category without ensuring that it has or will implement sustainable economic policies is not doing it any favours. On the contrary, such "support" merely postpones the day of reckoning and leaves it with an even higher debt-service burden when the time comes. Policymakers in other economically struggling countries should take heed of Sri Lanka's tale. the lessons can be paired with those from Brazil, which, following its 2002 debt crisis, quickly adopted the necessary policy reforms and went on to enjoy years of sustained growth. Brazil, too, had a choice between swift painful action to create the conditions for recovery, and denial and delay to put off the inevitable. Its leaders proved wiser than those who have since high-tailed it out of Sri Lanka. Anne O Krueger, a former World Bank chief economist and former first deputy managing director of the IMF, is Senior Research Professor of International Economics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

US, world face economic turmoil IT'S NOT CLEAR IF THE FED CAN ACHIEVE A "SOFT LANDING" WITHOUT FURTHER SLOWING GROWTH Star tribune

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hether America is in a recession or not has yet to be officially determined. But unofficially, U.S. consumers may already believe that a downturn has begun and may be accelerating after a week of consequential economic news and months of rising prices. thursday's announcement from the Commerce Department that the U.S. economy contracted 0.9% in the second quarter of 2022 — following a 1.6% decline in the first quarter — meets a standard definition of a recession: two consecutive quarters of negative growth. A National Bureau of economic research panel will eventually decide. Although that official declaration will be meaningful, what matters most is how consumers feel and behave in the face of higher prices on many goods and services. the rate at which inflation is increasing is at four-decade high following years of stable prices. Most paychecks have not kept up with the increased cost of living, leaving many consumers — especially those with low incomes — feeling worse off. On Wednesday, as was expected, the Federal reserve again raised a key interest rate — this time at three-quarters of a point — to curb inflation. the painfully necessary increase is meant to decrease economic demand and thus prices. "We need growth to slow," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said. "We don't want this to be bigger than it needs to be, but ultimately, if you think about the medium- to longer-term, price stability is what makes the whole economy work." So do jobs, and in this aspect the U.S. and Minnesota, in particular, are in a better position than in previous downturns. the overall U.S. unemployment rate is a relatively low 3.6%, and Minnesota just announced its lowest unemployment rate ever, at 1.8%. Yet if the economy cools further, so could job growth. the Fed's previous positions of years of relatively low interest rates may have contributed to the need to raise them so quickly. But it's important to remember that the central bank, like federal, state and local governments, was trying to respond to an anemic pandemic economy. It's also critical to note that the policy responses have an international context. the economy is interconnected and in fact genuinely global, and the unrelenting COVID crisis and war in Ukraine, which both exacerbated the worldwide supply-chain problem, have had a hand in rising prices, too. higher rates of inflation, slowing growth and rising interest rates are being seen in other developed economies in europe and elsewhere, and the developing world faces a potentially more acute, even existential, food crisis due to the disruption from russia's invasion. the globalization of economic headwinds led the International Monetary Fund to warn on tuesday of a global recession. In a blog post timed with the release of the IMF's report, titled "Gloomy and More Uncertain," the IMF's chief economist wrote, "the world may soon be teetering on the edge of a global recession, only two years after the last one." Whatever one calls it — and predictably, the Biden administration doesn't want to use the term "recession," while republicans do — economic conditions have worsened. Whether the Fed can produce a "soft landing" of lower inflation without more serious damage to the economy remains to be seen. But overall, the U.S. is in a better position than most major economies, timothy Kehoe, a University of Minnesota professor of economics and adviser to the Federal reserve Bank of Minneapolis, told an editorial writer. "the world is in a time of unprecedented amounts of economic uncertainty with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, not as brutally here as in some other countries, and the war in Ukraine," Kehoe said. "the United States is doing the best of any major country in the world right now." that's a credit to U.S. citizens and policymakers, but no one can say with certainty if that relative strength will continue.

Saturday, 30 July, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

corporate corner SNGPL’S shareholders approve 70pc cash dividend for FY 2020-21 LAHORE: The 57th Annual General Meeting of shareholders of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) was held on Friday, July 29 2022 at Pearl Continental Hotel, Lahore. The shareholders of the Company Approved the Annual Accounts for the FY 2020-21 with profit after tax of Rs. 10.99 billion translating into EPS of Rs. 17.32. The shareholders also approved Final Cash Dividend @50% i.e. Rs. 5.00 per share on the recommendations of the Board of Directors of SNGPL in addition to 20% i.e. Rs. 2.00 per share interim cash dividend already paid for the period ended December 31, 2020. Moreover, the Shareholders of the Company re- appointed M/s. Yousaf Adil, Chartered Accountants as Auditors for FY 2021-22. The Chairperson, Ms. Roohi Raees Khan informed the shareholders that, SNGPL remained focused and robust despite existing market challenges including economic & financial and delivered positive and growth oriented results. This has been achieved mutually with the able guidance of the Board of directors and the Management alike. She further elaborated the support of the Ministry of Petroleum and other key government stake holders have contributed to this achievement. She expressed pleasure in announcing that the Company declared the dividend for the fourth consecutive year. pr

K-Electric Holds Election of Board of Directors KARAcHI: K-Electric Limited organized the Extra-Ordinary General Meeting (EOGM) on Friday, 29 July, at a local hotel. The purpose of the Meeting, which was attended by Shareholders in person and via a video link, was to elect the Directors in place of the retiring Directors. The following persons have been elected/appointed as Directors of KElectric Limited for a term of three years commencing from 29 July 2022: 1. Adeeb Ahmad 2. Arshad Majeed Mohmand 3. Boudewijn Clemens Wentink 4. Ch. Khaqan Saadullah Khan 5. Dr. Imran Ullah Khan 6. Mark Gerard Skelton 7. Mubasher H. Sheikh 8. Muhammad Kamran Kamal 9. Muhammad Zubair Motiwala 10. Saad Amanullah Khan 11. Sadia Khuram 12. Shan A. Ashary 13. Syed Moonis Abdullah Alvi. pr

Bank Alfalah releases financial results for FY 2022 KARAcHI: The Board of Directors of Bank Alfalah Limited (BAFL), in its meeting held on July 28, 2022, approved the bank’s financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2022. The bank announced profit after tax of PKR 8.703 billion, up by 25.5%. EPS stood at Rs. 4.90 (Jun 21: Rs. 3.90). The Board has approved an interim cash dividend of Rs. 2.5 (last year: Rs. 2.0) per share. The Bank’s deposit base stood at Rs. 1.318 trillion at the end of Q2’22, with YoY growth of 28.6%. The Bank continues to outpace the industry in deposit growth driven by a strong momentum in its current deposits which showed market leading growth of 25.7% YoY. Moreover, BAFL’s CA mix at 45.5%, remains one of the strongest in the industry which has been a result of the bank’s continued focus on market penetration serving more and more customer segments and effective branch expansion strategy. pr

WFME recognition process initiated by PMC ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical Commission has formally initiated the application process for recognition by World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). The entire process of assessment including physical visit by the WFME and inspection is expected to take 12 to 15 months, which is well within the time frame of 2024 when WFME recognition will be mandatory to enable Pakistani doctors and students to study or work abroad and specifically in compliance to the requirements of the authorities in the United States. The WFME recognition is essential for Pakistan to ensure that doctors from Pakistan are able to go and train and work internationally. The PMC will be closely liaising with WFME and other international organizations to ensure that all requirements for recognition are fully met prior to the actual assessment and inspection process of WFME. In addition, PMC as part of the process planned for extensive workshops and seminars for all medical colleges in Pakistan over the next four months to assist in capacity building and enable and prepare all medical colleges for the WFME visit and inspections. The WFME recognition process initiated runs its full course divided over phases with extensive data and information submissions made and evaluated as per the steps of the WFME process culminating in the final physical visit and assessment of the PMC and selected medical colleges. It has taken the Commission extensive efforts and continued work for almost 18 months to prepare for the WFME process, which is now complete. The formal application to WFME to initiate the process required the prior approval of the new 2022 National Standards for Recognition of Medical and Dental Colleges and Teaching Hospitals as well as the 2022 National Medical and Dental Curricula, which have recently been approved and notified after the invaluable and immense effort including hundreds of hours of work put in by the National Medical & Dental Academic Board over the last 15 months to formulate and structure these standards and the curriculum. pr

PAAPAM oPENS PAKiStAN’S LArGESt AutoMotivE ExPo 2022 laHORE

AKHDooM Syed Murtaza Mehmood Federal Minister of Industries & Production inaugurated the Pakistan Auto Show 2022 alongwith Guest of honor Chairman EDB, Mr. Almas Haider, President LCCI, Mr. Nauman Kabir and Former President FPCCI and LCCI, Mr. Anjum Nisar at the Expo Centre in Lahore. The event has been organized by the Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) and will run from July 29th - 31st 2022. Event features more than 153+ exhibitors comprising of local and international auto-manufacturers and related enterprises. PAAPAM represents over 3000 large, medium and small industries all over Pakistan. This year’s show is themed of “MADE IN PAKISTAN”. Renowned companies exhibited their latest parts and technologies, including 150 auto parts manufacturers. Visitors will be able to take test-drive tracks for the latest cars of MG, Toyota,

Suzuki and Honda. Also, Motorway Police Kiosk will be there to facilitate the visitors by engaging them on how to improve their driving and offering Learner’s Driving Licenses on the spot. While addressing the media at the inaugural ceremony, the chief guest Makhdoom Syed Murtaza Mehmood Federal Minister of Industries & Production stated “The government’s strong commitment to this industry helps to encourage large-scale investments and creates a business-friendly

environment for the automotive and engineering sectors as well. I offer my heartiest congratulations to our local industrialists and engineers who have achieved remarkable success in establishing a robust engineering sector, which is generating remarkable new opportunities for value-added exports. The automobile industry of Pakistan is a cornerstone of the national economy. It not only vitalizes the economy but plays an essential role in elevating Pakistan’s image as a progressive country

Shallwani inspects Housing Ministry projects in Karachi

KaRaCHI Staff report

Iftihkhar Ali Shallwani, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works is on visit to Karachi to inspect different projects of the Ministry. During his visit, he had a detailed meeting with Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput,

Chief Secretary Sindh, regarding encroachment of Federal government land situated in Karachi. Secretary Housing has shown concern over the encroachment issue and requested to resolve the issue swiftly yet effectively as this is a matter of grave importance. Iftihkhar Ali Shallwani also requested Chief Secretary

to take stern action against encroachments on government lands on which he assured his full cooperation to resolve the matter and said that strict actions would be taken and no negligence would be tolerated in this matter. Iftihkhar Ali Shallwani, visited Masjid Tayyaba (Bath Island) along with Chief Engineer PWD. He also visited Qasr e Naaz, Karachi and directed the concern to improve the Lodge to facilitate the touring Government officials in the best possible way. During the visit, Secretary Housing also visited the site, Carlton Hotel, which has been proposed for the construction of executive apartments.

CDA to establish Capital Mass Transit Authority Islamabad Staff report

A meeting of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board held at CDA headquarters on Friday approved a proposal to establish Capital Mass Transit Authority in Islamabad. The meeting was chaired by Chairman Capital Development Authority while attended by the board members. The board discussed different agendas presented in the meeting. In the meeting held on Friday, the board decided the feasibility study for feeder routes network in F series, G series, I series and H series sectors of Islamabad through NUST University. Under this feasibility study, data will be col-

lected through public transport survey, road inventory survey, population density, travel time and other surveys, besides evaluating the existing public transport system in Islamabad. Under this study, operational design related to the feeder routes network, stakeholders' opinions, revenue acquisition and other issues will be worked on. This feasibility study will be completed in 45 days. CDA Board approved Executive Allowance for officers working in the organization. Similarly, on the direction of the Supreme Court, two cases were also discussed during the CDA Board meeting. These recommendations will be sent to the Ministry of Interior for further action.

Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali takes over charge as Chairman PARC Islamabad pr

Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali took over the charge as Chairman of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). In his first tenure, PARC being an apex agriculture research organization played a leading role in agriculture R&D initiatives for ensuring food security. Under his leadership, PARC successfully achieved to resolve number of outstanding issues relating to finance and employees. Earlier as Chairman PARC, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali also distinguished himself as a

thorough professional, a diligent and hardworking agri. scientist, having a firm grip on Agri. Research & administrative affairs. Presently, Dr. Ali’s main responsibility lies in the interaction with policy makers, international centers and development partners for planning R&D activities in high priority areas. PARC once again anticipates that under the leadership / Chairmanship of Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, PARC will play a vital role in National Agri. Research & Development and he will lead Council’s scientists / researchers towards achieving goals & targets in Agri. Research System as per the mandate of PARC.

with a thriving industrial base." Pakistan Auto Show 2020 Chief organizer and PAAPAM former chairman Syed Nabeel Hashmi said “Pakistan Auto Show 2022 is setting new benchmarks and trends for the automotive industry. Today, this mega event attracts more than 100,000 visitors from all over Pakistan and internationally. over 200 international buyers and well over 100 international visitors will be attending the largest auto show in Pakistan.” The government needs to prepare long-term plans and support industries accordingly. The Chairman of Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) – Capt. (R) Muhammad Akram stated that: People are passionate about seeing the latest revolutionary technologies being deployed in Pakistan. Some of the participants this year include global automobile brands, along with spareparts manufacturers, component suppliers, original Equipment Manufacturers (oEM vendors), automobile traders, investors, buyers and enthusiasts, who want to expand their business networks and gain more information about the innovations and products in this sector.”

11tH open House Expo 2022 held at Bahria School of Engineering, Applied Sciences

ISLAMABAD: Bahria School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (BSEAS) conducted 11thOpen House Expo 2022 at newly built state-of-the-art Campus at H-11/4 Islamabad. Rector Bahria University Vice Admiral (R) KaleemShaukat HI(M) was the Chief Guest of the Ceremony. Open House Expo 2022 was attended by senior officials of the University besides Registrar, faculty members, reps of industry and students. Rector Bahria University visited various stands and witnessed various projects of the students besides interacting with the industry reps. In his address, the Rector BU stressed upon the need for applied research and hoped that many of the students’ projects would be transformed into startups for commercial utilization. The event provided students a good opportunity to showcase these projects and also interact with industry reps for commercialization of their projects. In Open House Expo 2022, more than 200 students of Bahria School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (BSEAS). pr

SSP directs elaborated security arrangements during Muharram

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Police has reviewed security arrangements in view of the upcoming month of Muharram ul Haram and decided to enhance vigilance and patrolling in the city for fool proof security. According to the details, on the special directions of IG Islamabad, SSP Operations Islamabad Malik Jameel Zafar meet with scouts who performing duty during Muharram, SSP Investigation Farhat Abbas Kazmi and other officers were present on the occasion. The SSP directed all the SPs to themselves supervise all the security arrangements during the Muharram-ul-Haram. He also directed all the police officials to maintain close liaison with peace committees and organizers of Majalis and processions in the month of Muharram-ul-Haram. The SSP directed for strict security arrangements and special checking of participants at the gatherings. He said arrangements been sured for checking of participants of Majalis and processions through metal detectors. Strict vigilance should be maintained to ensure that security measures are in place by the police as well as peace committees, the SSP maintained. pr

Saturday, 30 July, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Wang Yi callS foR effoRTS To deepen coopeRaTion along cpec BEIJING

agencies

HINESE State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for efforts to deepen cooperation along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Wang made the remarks during a meeting with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent on the sidelines of the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), CGTN reported on Friday. Describing the two countries as real friends and good brothers, Wang said China and Pakistan unswervingly safeguard their friendship and support each other on issues involving their respective core interests and common concerns regardless of changes in the domestic and international situation.

cooperation along the CPEC and deepen practical cooperation, he added, calling for efforts to enhance cooperation on infrastructure and industrial capacity. China supports its companies to

China will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and play a more important role in regional and international affairs, he said. The two sides should advance

Referendum for Khalistan to begin in Toronto on September 18 ISLAMABAD

invest in Pakistan and is willing to import more high-quality agricultural products from Pakistan. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan always regards the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries as the cornerstone of its foreign relations. Pakistan appreciates China’s support for its efforts to safeguard territorial integrity and promote economic and social development, he said, adding that Pakistan will continue to firmly stand on China’s side on issues involving China’s core interests and major concerns. Pakistan will accelerate the construction of the CPEC and is ready to actively discuss its extension into Afghanistan, he said. Pakistan highly appreciates China’s leading role in upholding multilateralism, maintaining world peace and tranquility, promoting global sustainable development, and addressing global challenges, he added.

US shows readiness for PIA directs flights WASHINGTON

aPP

agencies

Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) announced to begin the Canadian Phase of Khalistan Referendum on September 18 from Toronto, Ontario in which Canadian Sikhs will vote on the question “Should Indian Governed Punjab Be An Independent Country”. Khalistan Referendum Voting Centre in Toronto is named after, martyred Harjinder Singh Pahra, to honor the young pro-Khalistan Sikh who went back to India from Canada to participate in the then ongoing armed struggle for Khalistan in the wake of the Indian Army’s June 1984 attack on the Golden Temple. In a staged police encounter, Indian forces extra-judicially killed Pahra in 1988. Speaking at a press conference , the SFJ leaders released the map of the areas earmarked for secession from India through Khalistan. Declaring Shimla as the future Capital of Sikh homeland Khalistan, the SFJ’s map encompasses the areas of pre-1966 Punjab which includes Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikh majority areas of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Terming September 18 voting as “Journey From Khalistan Rocket To Referendum”, the SFJ’s General Counsel, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, stated that the “ballot is the most potent weapon of this century through which we will balkanize India and liberate Punjab”. The Sikh leaders said that the Indian government was making baseless propaganda that very few Sikhs wanted separation from India. “It is our open challenge to the Indian rulers to hold referendum in Indian Punjab and if they lost then they will take back the demand for a separate homeland.” They appealed to the Sikh community to fully participate in the referendum, adding Sikhs were being murdered under a plan. Khalistan Referendum voting will be held in phases in Canada in which polling will take place across the country including Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Surrey. The voting in the global Khalistan Referendum is being held under the supervision of the Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC), www.punjabreferendumcommission.org, a panel of world-renowned non-aligned experts on independence referendums and direct democracy.

The United States (US) has shown readiness for direct flights of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from Pakistan. The announcement was made by Head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit Salman Sufi while addressing a press conference in the US capital. Sufi said FAA representatives for airports will soon visit Pakistan to inspect the PIA aircraft that would be used for US flights. He said that the direct flights to the United States from Pakistan will also benefit to boost bilateral trade between both countries. Furthermore, the US will appoint a trade representative at the Karachi port, he added. It may be noted that the Head of Prime Minister’s Strate-

gic Reforms Unit Salman Sufi is currently in the US and holding bilateral meetings with the highranking US Officials to strengthen bilateral relations in diverse fields. During a meeting with the delegation of US Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation and Transportation Security Administration, Salman Sufi had stressed

for resumption of PIA direct flights from Pakistan to the United States. During an interaction with United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Kara McDonald, Salman Sufi highlighted government’s commitment to protect rights of women, minorities and marginalized communities.

Muslim boy beaten to death by teachers in UP LUCKNOW agencies

A 15-year-old Muslim boy from Madaiya village in Kannauj city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was locked in a room and beaten to death by three teachers at a private school. Dilshan alias Raja, a ninth grade student, was allegedly tortured over the accusation of stealing a watch, police said. The boy succumbed to injuries in a Kanpur hos-

pital. Dilshan’s father, Jahangir, in his police complaint said the boy had gone to RS Inter College on July 23 for admission. One of the teacher, Shivkumar Yadav, called Dilshan to the room and accused him of stealing a watch. Yadav with his fellow teachers, Prabhakar and Vivek Yadav, allegedly locked the student in a room and beat him mercilessly. Police said post-mortem report will explain the cause of death, and action will be taken accordingly.

china ranked among world’s top three anti monopoly jurisdictions Thanks to its significant progress in maintaining a good anti-monopoly environment, China was listed among the world’s top three anti-monopoly jurisdictions along with the U.S. and the European Union (EU), said an official with the country’s Anti-Monopoly Bureau. Speaking at a press conference held in Beijing, Gan Lin, director of the Anti-Monopoly Bureau, briefed the media on the competition laws, market competition structure, and achievements made by China over the past decade. Gan pointed out that China had scaled a new height in participating in the global competition governance in the past 10 years. She noted that China has signed cooperation documents with 35 countries and regions such as the U.S., EU, Russia, and Japan, and also set up special regulations on competition policy in 10 free trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. The country also held the 7th BRICS International Competition Conference last year. China inaugurates national Anti-Monopoly Bureau in Beijing, November 18, 2021. /CFP Fair and transparent competition rules: China had made significant progress in building fair and transparent competition rules over the past 10 years. The country completed various amendments to the Antimonopoly Law, which will come into force on August 1, 2022, along with the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, formulating seven supporting regulations and eight antimonopoly guidelines in a bid to adapt with market economy development, according to Gan. Over the past decade, authorities have investigated 794 monopoly cases, dealt with 234,000 unfair competition cases, and concluded 3,822 cases of concentration of business operators in accordance with laws. These efforts prevented and curbed violations on competition in fields of platform economy, medicine, public utilities and more, in a timely manner, and fully implemented the review system of fair competition, she noted. In order to fully implement the fair competition review system, authorities examined 4.68 million policy papers, and corrected and abolished 53,000 that excluded and restricted competition, she continued. In the meantime, the country made substantial achievements in advancing the reform of the competition supervision system and mechanism, establishing the State Administration for Market Regulation to achieve unified anti-monopoly law enforcement. Stepping up efforts to improve the working mechanism of the Anti-Monopoly Committee of the State Council, China also established an inter-ministerial joint meeting system for anti-unfair competition and review on fair competition, and strengthened coordination among the central and local governments to boost the overall efficiency of supervision, said Gan. agencies

Xi Jinping calls for a ‘comprehensive upgrade’ for China’s armed forces BEIJING agencies

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for a “comprehensive upgrade” in China’s armed forces in order to cultivate competent military personnel, a key step guided by the country’s goal of “building a strong army in the new era.” Xi’s call on Thursday came days ahead of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The changes should be advanced by improving the personnel’s capabilities, structural layout, and their training along with

management, he pointed out at a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The CPC Central Committee and the CMC has made talent cultivation a priority in China’s military building efforts since the 18th CPC National Congress – held in late 2012 – specifically in areas including political discipline, the structural layout of talent team, reform in resourcing and integration of talents from different fronts. The army has made historic achievements in pursuing talent, Xi said at the study session. ‘The guns should be carried in the hands of someone who’s loyal to the Party’ As the world has entered a new stage of turbulence and changes, the instability and uncertainty of China’s security situation has

increased, Xi pointed out, as he called for continuous efforts to strengthen military personnel training to enhance their senses of responsibility, mission and urgency. “[We] must make sure that the guns should always be carried in the hands of someone who’s loyal to the Party,” he told the study session, stressing CPC’s “absolute leadership” over the military in all respects and procedures. Xi also urged for the modernization of high-tech for all military talents, advancing their ability of recognition, innovation, and implementation. The main task for China’s military construction, as Xi noted, is to realize the goals set for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PLA.

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Saturday, 30 July, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

SPORTS 11

AndrEw oPtimistiC About EnGlAnd CriCkEt tEAm’s tour to PAkistAn IsLAMABAD

APP

RITISH Acting High Commissioner, Andrew Dalgleish was optimistic on the long-awaited tour of the England cricket team to Pakistan and hoped that English cricketers would be very excited to come here. “I hope they (England cricket team) will come and I’m confident that they will the very excited about going back to Pakistan,” he said in an exclusive talk with APP. Andrew said we have got to sortout the details about that (tour) but

I’m remaining very optimistic. “Will they (England) beat the Pakistani team yes, but I’m not prepared to comment on it,” he said. According to tentative details of the tour, it would be the first visit by England’s team here in 17 years. Both countries would likely play seven T20Is and three Test matches. The T20Is were likely to be played in two venues Karachi and Lahore. The tentative schedule for two venues T20I series has four matches slated to be played in Karachi on September 20, 22, 23 and 25, while three matches in Lahore on September 28, 30 and October 2. To a question about the Com-

monwealth Games 2022 being staged in Birmingham, he said he was delighted that England was hosting the Commonwealth Games 2022. “I think we’ve got more than hundred people coming from Pakistan around 60 athletes competing in 12 different events, so good luck to them. It is great to see the women’s cricket for the first time in the Games. “We know the Pakistan women’s team is a force to be reckoned with, so we’ll be following the event very closely,” he said. It may be mentioned that held every four years, the Games have grown from featuring 11 countries and 400 athletes, to a global spectacle

of 4,600 sports men and women from across 72 nations and territories. The Commonwealth Games 2022 to run till August 8 features thousands of world-class athletes and a global broadcast audience of over a billion. Pakistan has competed in 13 of the 21 previous Commonwealth Games, from 1954. Its most successful games have been the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, where it was 4th in the overall rankings and won 8 Gold Medals. Its most successful event has been wrestling, where it has won 42 medals, 21 of which have been Gold. It ranks 3rd overall in Wrestling at the Common-

wealth Games. However, Pakistan was competing in 12 of the 19 sports being run at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. These include Swimming, Athletics (including Para Athletics), Cricket, Boxing, Hockey, Judo, Squash, Table Tennis, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Badminton, and Gymnastics.

PJL confirms Colin Munro and Imran Tahir as latest edition to list of mentors LAHORE Web Desk

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has secured the services of South Africa’s Imran Tahir and New Zealand’s Colin Munro as team mentors for the inaugural season of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL). This latest development means that Munro and Tahir will join Darren Sammy, Shahid Afridi, and Shoaib Malik as mentors for the six-team tournament to be held later this year. The appointment of the last mentor for the PJL’s sixth team will be announced later on. Pakistan’s legendary cricketer Javed Miandad will oversee the entire tournament as PJL’s mentor. Once all six mentors will be identified, they will be assigned a team each to look after. Speaking about the latest development, Imran Tahir said: “Returning to Lahore for the Pakistan Junior League in a team mentor’s role is one of my most satisfying achievements as I still owe a lot to my country of birth. This is an exciting opportunity to work with

emerging slow bowlers and help them develop and flourish so that they have a chance to emulate the great spinners this country has produced.” “I am fully behind the philosophy of Pakistan Junior League as this creates a tough and challenging environment for the players with high expectations, and only those who will clear this scale will go leaps and bounds in their careers. With the amount of international cricket being played, this event will help Pakistan to amplify their pool of players, which, in turn, will in-

crease playing opportunities and earn the prized national cap,” he further added. Colin Munro also expressed his delight after being named as one of the mentors for the PJL. “I am excited to be part of the inaugural Pakistan Junior League, which I believe will be a game-changer for Pakistan cricket. Investing in youngsters, securing the future of the game, and ensuring the national side continues to move in an upward direction should be the objectives of all administrators and I think the PCB has taken a lead here by launching this tournament, which will expose the young talent to the rigorous and demands of top-level cricket and help Pakistan in the longer run,” he said. “Working with youngsters, sharing knowledge, and helping them grow in their careers is something that interests and excites me, and I am really looking forward to being a part of the Pakistan Junior League. Having seen firsthand experienced the tremendous talent at the Pakistan Super League, I have no doubts the Pakistan Junior league will produce future champions of world cricket,” Munro added.

Zafar Gohar picks up a 10-wicket haul in County Championship ENGLAND Agencies

Pakistan all-rounder Zafar Gohar has delivered a superb performance as he registered his debut 10-wicket haul against Northamptonshire. Featuring for Gloucestershire, Zafar claimed 5/134 in the first innings and returned to figures of 5/62 in the second innings. Despite all his efforts, Gloucestershire failed to register a victory as Northamptonshire’s Will Young and Ryan Rickelton led their team to a two-wicket victory. Zafar Gohar has put up some decent performances

Pakistan hockey team focused to deliver in Commonwealth Games, Aikman BIRMINGHAM

and has featured regularly amongst the wicket-takers; the left-arm spinner has taken 32 wickets at an average of 35.12 in 9 matches. Amongst those 32 wickets, he has three five-wicket hauls and a single 10-wicket haul which are also now his best bowling figures. This year’s County Championship has seen a number of terrific performances from Pakistani players including the likes of Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, and Mohammad Rizwan. Another forgotten bowler, Mohammad Abbas, also returned the figures of 6/62 and took his overall tally to 37 wickets in 9 matches including two five-wicket hauls.

On Wednesday, Andrew visited the Usman Wazeer Boxing Academy here, to meet athletes and coaches ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth Games. The Acting High Commissioner also received boxing tips from the pro-athletes, including Usman Wazeer, the first Pakistani to win the Asian Boxing Federation Welterweight title.

English triathlete Yee wins first gold of Commonwealth Games AGENcIEs Birmingham, United Kingdom: England’s Alex Yee won the first gold of the Commonwealth Games on Friday, hailing his victory in the men’s triathlon in Birmingham as his “greatest achievement” despite taking Olympic silver last year. The 24-year-old made up a deficit of 15 seconds following the bike section to overhaul long-time pacesetter Hayden Wilde on the run and finish the sprint-distance event in a time of 50 min 34 sec. New Zealand’s Wilde briefly regained the lead but, with a 10-second penalty hanging over him, he patted Yee on the shoulder and waved him on to take the honours on his own. “Just bizarre that it’s me doing this,” Yee told the BBC. “There were so many nations and athletes that I have not raced before. “I feel extremely grateful and proud to be a triathlete today. “This is a home Games and the first time I have been able to race in front of my parents for a long time. This is probably I’d say my greatest achievement ever.” Yee also won mixed relay gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Wilde sat out his penalty — incurred for not putting his cycling helmet away properly in the transition — but last year’s Olympic bronze medallist still took silver. “I am chuffed for the guy (Yee),” he said. “He played the perfect race. He was always in contention and I knew it was going to be a hard task (on the run).” Wilde, who timed 50:47, said having Yee as a rival was a great motivation for him. “We have had such great battles since Tokyo, with him getting the (Olympic) silver and me getting the bronze,” he said. Australia’s Matthew Hauser, who finished three seconds behind Wilde, won bronze in an event in which 2018 champion Henri Schoeman pulled out before the start. Multiple world champion Jonny Brownlee was another high-profile absentee due to a broken elbow. The women’s race featuring Bermuda’s Olympic champion Flora Duffy takes place later on Friday.

Pakistan women begin C’wealth Games cricket campaign against Barbados in Birmingham

Agencies

AGENcIEs

Head coach Siegfried Aikman is optimistic that Pakistan team will make the nation proud by displaying standout performance in the Commonwealth Games. Talking to media here on Friday, he said that Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) was trying to facilitate the players in every possible way. “The atmosphere here is quite encouraging and stimulating. It is helping our team to grow. Hopefully, the boys will deliver and make the nation proud.” According to Aikman Pakistan hockey team wanted to perform in the tournament and was determined to get highest possible results. “The team is very well focused. The players know what to do and they are really eager to perform,” he added. Pakistan are placed in group A alongside Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and South Africa. They will start their campaign on Saturday (July 30) against South Africa. They will take on New Zealand on July 31 in their second match. Then, they will face Scotland on August 3. In their last group match on August 4, they will face six-time Commonwealth Games hockey champions Australia. The top two teams will move to the semifinals, taking place on August 6. The final will be held on August 8, the last day of the multi-sports event. Hockey has been played at the Commonwealth Games since 1998 and in that first year, it was Australia who dominated, winning gold in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Malaysia men and England women took silver, while England men and New Zealand women won the bronze medals.

Despite the rain affected tri-series in Ireland, which hampered the team preparations, the Bismah Maroof-led Pakistan are confident of a good show in the Commonwealth Games cricket event in Birmingham. The green shirts, placed in Group A, open their campaign against Barbados with a daynight match at Birmingham’s famous Edgbaston Stadium on Friday. After the Barbados clash, Pakistan play arch-rivals India on Sunday, 31 July, followed by a match against T20 world champions Australia on Wednesday, 3 August. The top two sides from each of the two pools (four teams in each pool) will progress to the semi-finals that will be played on 6 August with the third position playoff and final scheduled to take place on 7 August. All 16 event matches will be staged at the Edgbaston Sta-

dium. In the Ireland tri-series, only one out of Pakistan’s four matches were completed. Nida Dar’s all-round performance which won her the player of the match award, guided the team to a 13-run win over the hosts courtesy the DLS method. The two matches against Australia had to be called-0ff midway while the other group match against Ireland was abandoned without a ball bowled. Rain interruptions also ham-

pered the pre-tour camp in Islamabad earlier this month. David Hemp, the team’s head coach though believes that Pakistan will stay competitive in the Commonwealth Games as the squad aspires to impress and show their mettle regardless of the challenge of three formidable sides in Group A. Head Coach David Hemp said on the eve of the match : “Unfortunately the matches in Ireland got curtailed due to the weather but we did manage to

complete all practice sessions. The players experiencing different conditions in the UK was a very valuable exercise. We were looked after very well in Ireland and want to thank the organisers for making the tour an enjoyable one. “Since arriving in Birmingham we have completed one practice session which was last night at Edgbaston and the players are really excited about the event. The game on Friday is what we have our eyes as we played two practice matches against MCC yesterday, the idea was to utilise all players in the squad in the two games and give them match exposure before the formal start of the event. “The match against Barbados will be a big challenge as they are a formidable unit as most of the players’ make-up the West Indies side. It is a great opportunity to play at a venue like Edgbaston and we hope the weather will be kind to us and we get to play all three pool

games in the coming week.” Squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza (wicketkeeper), Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan. Support staff: Ayesha Ashhar (Manager), David Hemp (Head coach), Saleem Jaffer (Bowling coach), Muhammad Zubair Ahmed (Analyst) and Rifat Asghar Gill (Physiotherapist). Schedule of Pakistan matches – Commonwealth Games 2022: vs Barbados – 29 July, Birmingham vs India – 31 July, Birmingham vs Australia – 3 August, Birmingham Semi-finals – 6 August, Birmingham

Third position playoff and final – 7 August, Birmingham.

Saturday, 30 July, 2022

prayer timings

NEWS

PM Shehbaz, bill GateS diScuSS health, Social Sector ProGraMMeS ISLAMABAD

staff report

RIME Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif spoke on the telephone today with Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and discussed the ongoing public health and social sector programmes supported by BMGF in Pakistan. The Prime Minister appreciated the valuable support extended by the BMGF to Pakistan in polio eradication and improving immunisation, nutrition and financial inclusion in the country. He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen the fruitful partnership with the Foundation in all the ongoing areas of cooperation. The Prime Minister expressed grave concern on the recent increase in the number of confirmed cases of poliovirus

in Pakistan in 2022 and stressed that his Government remained committed to ending all forms of polio from the country. While noting that all cases of poliovirus confirmed so far this year belonged to the southern Khyber-

Pakistan to enhance multi domain ties with uS: Gen bajwa tells uS counterpart RAWALPINDI: General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and General Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander United States (US) CENTCOM had a telephonic conversation on Friday. During the call, matters of mutual interests, regional stability as well as defence and security cooperation were discussed in detail. COAS said that Pakistan values its relations with US and we earnestly look forward to enhance mutually beneficial multi-domain relations based on common interests. Both reiterated the desire to further enhance bilateral relations in all fields. The commander US CENTCOM acknowledged the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces. He appreciated Pakistan’s role in regional stability and pledged to play his role for further improvement in cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.

Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Prime Minister highlighted that his Government was actively implementing the special emergency response plan for south KP to scale up and improve the quality of the polio eradication programme.

The Prime Minister conveyed to Mr. Gates that his Government was also focused on strengthening operations at all levels of the program and empowering districts to make decisions based on the specific needs of their areas. He also mentioned that providing safety and security to all members of the polio programme, especially the frontline workers, would be his Government’s high priority. Mr. Gates shared the concern and reiterated the Foundation’s continued support to Pakistan for ensuring that no child is at risk of paralysis due to poliovirus. The Prime Minister and Mr. Gates also exchanged views on BMGF’s support for various other government-led programmes aimed at addressing malnutrition and stunting, essential immunisation services, micropayment gateway RAAST, and digitization of the National Savings Programme.

Fuel prices set to rise after hike in levy, dealers’ margin ISLAMABAD ahmad ahmadani

The government is likely to increase the prices of diesel and petrol with the start of the next month, Profit learnt on Friday. Sources in the oil sector said that the government is expected to jack up the price of petrol by Rs16 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs13 per litre for the first 15 days of August. “Let’s see what decision Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif takes regarding the hike,” said sources, adding that the final decision in this regard is likely to be announced by the government on July 31. According to sources, the economic coordination committee (ECC) decided to increase dealer’s

margin on petrol and diesel but the Cabinet is yet to ratify this decision after which the government will issue a notification to this effect. They said the expected increase in PL and dealer’s margin in the prices of petroleum products will be added by the finance division in the oil prices to be proposed by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) in its working paper on future oil prices. At present, the price of petrol stands at Rs230.24/litre, HSD at Rs 236/litre, kerosene oil at Rs196.45/litre and Light Diesel Oil (LDO) at Rs191.44/litre across the country. It is pertinent to mention that the International Monetary Funds (IMF) had earlier asked the government to increase the petroleum levy on petroleum products from August.

FAJR SUNRISE

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Pak army, Navy continue relief operation in flood-hit areas: iSPr RAWALPINDI staff report

Pakistan Army troops, being assisted by Navy, Frontier Corps (FC) and Rangers personnel, continued relief operations in flood-devastated areas of various districts across the country. The troops have been assisting the civil administration and local communities with relief efforts. According to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release issued here on Friday, in Balochistan, some 2,300 individuals of four villages were evacuated to safer places from Othal. The Army troops provided shelter and cooked meals to the affected population. The ISPR released informed that N-25 Highway, connecting Quetta-Karachi, was restored for traffic which was blocked at four different places due to collapse of bridges. Telecommunication was also restored in most of Balochistan particularly in Lasbela District in coordination with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The release said the country had received 467% additional unprecedented rains from July 1 till date during the current monsoon season. Some 29 Districts of Balochistan were adversely affected by rains and subsequent flash floods particularly Lasbela, Kech, Quetta, Sibbi, Khuzdar and Kohlu. The ISPR release said that during above normal monsoon rains, 3,953 houses got damaged across the province. It said five medical camps have been established in flood-hit areas of Balochistan including Hub, Gaddani, Bela and Duddar and Jhal Magsi. In Gwadar, Army dewatering teams had cleared Gawadar area whereas coastal highway blocked at Aghore was opened for traffic. In Jhal Magsi, four sorties of Army aviation helicopters operated delivering 1.3 tons of relief items including rations and medicines. Water level considerably receded after no rain was reported in the area. The connectivity of Gandhawa was restored with Jhal Magsi, and efforts were underway to resume connectivity on other two roads whereas 200 individuals were evacuated. In Khuzdar, water level was still high in Mula River whereas work on connectivity of M-8 would be resumed by NHA after water recedes. The General Officer Commanding at Khuzdar also visited Bela and surroundings to oversee relief efforts. In Chaman, Babe Dosti was opened by dewatering teams as it remained closed due to inundation. In Lasbela, telecommunication was also restored whereas relief operation by Army, FC and Pakistan Coast Guards was underway.

S&P downgrades Pakistan’s outlook to negative S&P Global Ratings cut Pakistan’s credit outlook to negative from neutral as the nation’s external position weakens with higher commodity prices, the rupee’s depreciation and tighter global financial conditions. The nation could be downgraded if support from bilateral and multilateral lenders quickly erodes or if usable foreign-exchange reserves fall further, S&P said in a statement Thursday. The company also affirmed the nation’s rating at B-, on par with Ecuador and Angola. The rating agency said that it revised the outlook to negative to reflect Pakistan’s weakening external metrics against a backdrop of higher commodity prices, tighter global financial conditions, and a

weakening rupee. The Pakistani rupee has lost more than 30% of its value versus the dollar this year and the country’s dollar debt has reached record lows as it stares down to a $1 billion bond payment in December. The nation is striving to stave off fears it will follow Sri Lanka into a default this year with the government working to secure billions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund and countries like China and Saudi Arabia. Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings already have a negative outlook on the country. The three companies rate Pakistan deep into junk. BloomBerg

‘Regime change’ conspiracy to be reversed after fair elections: Imran ISLAMABAD staff report

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan said Friday that the regime change will be reversed after the organisation of free and fair elections in the country. Imran Khan in an interview to a private TV channel said everything has been disturbed in the country due to political instability. He said that the PTI government had been toppled by an alleged conspiracy at the time of the global crisis which created political instability which later caused economic instability. He criticised that the country was witnessing economic growth and every sector was entering the stability phase when the PTI government was removed. “Rulers are afraid of fresh elections. When a conspiracy was hatched and the notrust motion was brought then I had announced fresh elections to let the people of Pakistan decide who should rule the country,” he added. “We could have saved ourselves from disasters if fresh elections were held at that time. The current rulers came into power without a roadmap to end the crisis. If you see the statements of [finance minister] Miftah Ismail, they did not give any policy.” “This solution of the national issues is not

only the organisation of just elections but free and fair elections. No one has confidence in the incumbent government including the International Monetary Fund (IMF).” “We have witnessed in the Punjab bypolls that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was used and nobody was expecting the defeat of the ruling class and they were defeated despite vote-rigging.” “Pakistani nation has rejected the regime change. The regime change will be reversed after the organisation of fair elections in Pakistan.” He said that the current rulers were afraid of the Pakistani nation that has changed, therefore, they were skipping the option of fresh polls. He added that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz had also asked to hold new elections instead of keeping the helpless government. Khan said that he was not expecting the change in the Pakistani nation within just 3.5 months after the ouster of the PTI government as they bravely resisted the current rulers who came into power through a ‘conspiracy’. He praised the Pakistani nation and said that they have come out of their homes for getting their rights. The former prime minister said that the decisions behind closed doors were taken without any consultation but to achieve an

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

agenda. He questioned the names of responsible persons who brought the economic disaster to the country. He warned of another wave of inflation as the nation will face more effects of the policies adopted by the incumbent government. The PTI chief said that he opposed the United States (US) for two reasons; the USled war is not in the interests of Pakistan and there was no military solution of Afghanistan. He clarified that Pakistan should maintain friendly ties with all countries but it should not be part of anyone’s war. He called for the supremacy of justice and law in the country. Khan said that the country will not make progress until the weak segment gets legal protection. “I have no personal enmity with the two ruling families of Pakistan. I have good ties with Benazir Bhutto late and Nawaz Sharif but these two families joined the politics and started making money illegally.” “The country will be destroyed if influential people get NRO.” The PTI chairman said that he has always wanted to see a powerful military for the defence of Pakistan. “I am telling this from the first day that we have to make armed forces a strong institution.” “I have struggled to eliminate corruption and those who earned money from politics. The powerful people have the responsibility to stop the conspiracy against the country.”