PM Shehbaz, Modi likely to meet at SCO summit
ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Pr m e M i n i s t e r S h e h b a z S h a r f s e x p e c t e d t o h a v e o f f i c i a l a n d s c h e d u l e d m e e t i n g s w t h t h e h e a d s o f m a j o r c o u n t r e s n c l u d i n g h i s n d a n c o u n t e r p a r t N a r e n d r a M o d i b y t h e m d d e o f n e x t m o n t h a c c o r d n g t o d p o m a t i c s o u r c e s The meet ngs wil take p ace dur ng the Shanghai Co operat on Organ sat on (SCO) summit scheduled to be held on September 15 and 16 n Samarkand, Uzbek stan, the historica and cultural centre of Mus ims T h e o t h e r r e g i o n a e a d e r s e x p e c t e d t o m e e t P M S h e h b a z S h a r i f i n c l u d e c o u n t r y h e a d s o f C h n a, R u s s i a a n d I r a n Diplomatic sources n the federa capital confirmed that foreign Minister Bi awal Bhutto Zardari attended a meet ng of the SCO fMs on July 28, where t was reflected in the dec s ons that a l the heads of the member countries w ll partic pate in the summit meeting of the organ sat on in personal capacity There are no plans of any meetings between Indian and Pak stani prime m n sters n September ” Bilawal to d WION News, add ng that both India and Pakistan are part of the SCO and the two countr es are only engaged n the context of the broad based activ t es of the organisation The foreign m nister said: India s our ne ghbouring countr y Whi e one can dec de on a lot of things one can not choose its ne ghbours therefore we should get used to l ving w th them B lawal recal ed that after 2019 constructive dialogue w th Ind a became d fficult wh le statements based on s lamophob a by Indian off cia s are further creat ng hurdles in d alogue Fr , 2 2 3 , 4 4 5 Vo I I o 4 3 I 1 2 Pa g e s I Ka r a c h i E d i t i o n ISLAMBAD ag e n c i e S D E f E N C E M i n i s t e r K h a w a a A s i f o n Wednesday said the aw and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K P ) w a s w o r s e n i n g d u e t o e m e r gence of Tehreek e Ta iban Pak stan (TTP) nsurgents Asif expressed these views on the f oor of the National Assemb y while responding to MNA Mohs n Dawar, who had voiced concern over the ncrease in ncidences of terrorism n the province following the Tal ban takeover of Afghanistan The minister maintained that there is ten s on on both sides of the border that the gov ernment is work ng to resolve He said that Ghu am Khan n North Waz r stan was a local problem that was being looked nto as a committee comprising po itical elders has been formed to v sit the Pakistan Afghan stan entr y po nt in the area But the situation s getting worse across KP province said Asif al eging that while the PTI government had welcomed the peop e of the banned group in the province in the past “anti TTP protests are now being held ” I t i s p e r t i n e n t t o n o t e t h a t p r o t e s t s a g a i n s t t h e m i l i t a n t o u t f i t a r e b e i n g h e d i n N o r t h W a z i r i s t a n f o r t h e p a s t 2 6 d a y s w i t h t h e p e o p l e d e m a n d i n g “ p e a c e a n d p r o t e c t i o n Ear ier ta ks between Pakistan and the out lawed TTP reached a deadlock as the mil tant group refused to budge from its demand for the reversal of the merger of erstwh le fata w th KP There has also been a stalemate over the issue of TTP lay ng down their arms in case of a peace deal which would enable them to return to their homeland Despite a series of meetings between the two sides there had been no breakthrough “ There s a deadlock And the prospects of a peace deal are not bright a source con nected to the peace efforts had sa d Pakistan was hoping that a peace deal w th the TTP or its certain breakaway factions would weaken the terrorist network g S a y s government working to resolve tension on both sides of border
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K h a w a j a a s i f r a i s e s a l a r m a b o u t i n c r e a s i n g t t P t h r e at ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t C h e f o f A r m y S t a f f ( C O A S ) G e n e r a Q a m a r J a v e d B a j w a a r r i v e d i n t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m o n a n o f f i c i a l v i s i t o n e a r y T h u r s d a y m o r n n g According to the Inter Ser v ces Pub c Relations ( SPR) press release, the army chief will attend the passing out parade at the Royal Militar y Academy, Sandhurst, as the chief guest The SPR further said that the COA S wil also call on the militar y leadership of the UK dur ng the v sit Earl er General Bajwa also met Commander Iraqi Navy Lieutenant General Ahmed Jas m Maarij Abdu lah Al Zayid Dur ng the meeting the army s media w ng said, matters of mutua interest regiona security issues and measures to further enhance bilat eral defence col aborat on were dis cussed The COA S sa d that Pakistan va ues its brother y re at onship with Iraq and acknowledged sacrifices ren dered by the Iraqi nation in fight ng terrorism He a so sa d that terrorism is a global threat that has the poten t al to destabil se the region that needs a well coordinated response
COA S Gen Bajwa ar rives in UK on official visit
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The delegation of BPS Investment Group led by founder Takaji Tsuji during the meeting expressed its interest to make an investment of $ one billion in the different sectors of the Pakistani economy
PM welcomes Japanese investment of $ one billion in Pakistan
T O x I C g a M E ’ a g a I n S T I n S T I T U T I O n S : M
The prime minister appreciated decision of the Japanese investors to invest in Pakistan and directed officials of the Investment Board to take all necessary steps in this direction He welcomed the Japanese investment as it would lead to progress and prosperity in the country and would create employment He assured all possible assistance of the Pakistan government for the investors He further said Japan was a sincere friend of Pakistan and Pakistan valued its cooperation in Japan in various sectors Tourist visa holders can now per form Umrah staff rePort Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that the Kingdom will now allow visitors holding tourist visas to perform Umrah Citizens of 49 countries will be able to do so by securing their visas online on the Visit Saudi Arabia, or immediately on arrival at airports Arab News reported The decision has been taken to allow as many people as possible to perform the ritual The regulations allow visitors to obtain a tourist visa valid for 12 months to visit other cities in the Kingdom Those who have family visit visas are allowed to perform Umrah, by booking through the Eatmarna app To perform Umrah visitors are required to obtain comprehensive health insurance, which includes covering the costs of COVID 19 treatment, accidents resulting in death or disability and expenses arising from flight delays or cancellations
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Those wishing to perform Umrah from nations other than those who currently qualify should apply for visas at the Kingdom’s embassies in their countries The documents required include proof of residence and employment, return ticket bank statement proving financial stability itinerary, and complete personal information
I M R a n D I v E R T I n g P U b l I C aT T E n T I O n f R O M f O R E I g n f U n D I n g b y P l ay I n g
IsLaMaBaD S ta f f r e P o r t
A delegation of Japanese investors called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here on Thursday and discussed matters related to investment in Pakistan
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Thursday approved the proposal to issue a letter of comfort in favour of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for raising a loan facility of Rs 50 billion on urgent basis Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail presided over the ECC meeting while among others it was attended by Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan, Member National Assembly/ former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Aisha Ghous Pasha Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik, SAPM on Government Effectiveness Dr Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan, Coordinator to the PM on economy Bilal Azhar Kayani , Coordinator to PM on Commerce and Industry Rana Ihsan Afzal, Federal Secretaries and senior officers attended the meeting said a press release issued by finance ministry The Ministry of Energy (Petroleum division) presented a summary on syndicated running finance facility for PSO and informed that PSO’s liquidity issues were discussed in the meeting on 31st July,2022 in which it was also discussed to arrange a government guarantee loan to ease out liquidity issues of PSO A consortium of banks was formed including Allied Bank Limited (ABL), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB), United Bank Limited (UBL) and Habib Bank Limited (HBL) for sanctioning a loan amounting to Rs 50 billion to PSO through a government guarantee IsLaMaBaD S ta f f r e P o r t Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan on Thursday said that he will show the nation the road to real independence in their August 13 gathering in Lahore A the occasion o f Wo r l d M i n o r i t i e s D a y, P T I C h i e f Imran Khan said that a small elite has t a k e n o v e r t h e c o u n t r y O u r f i g h t i s a g a i n s t t h i s e l i t e , w h i c h t h i n k s i t i s above the law, he added T h e f o r m e r p r e m i e r s a i d t h a t r e a l justice means that the poor and the rich s h o u l d b e t r e a t e d e q u a l l y b y t h e l a w N o c o u n t r y c a n p r o g r e s s w i t h o u t j u s t i c e , i t i s w h a t s e p a r a t e s h u m a n s from other animals, he added T h e P T I c h i e f s a i d t h a t I s l a m b e l i e v e s i n e q u a l i t y f o r a l l h u m a n s , Prophet Muhammad created the state of M a d i n a a n d m a d e a l l h u m a n s e q u a l c i t i z e n s o f t h e r e g i o n , h e a d d e d T h e C a l i p h s a p p e a r e d i n c o u r t s o n m i n o r i t i e s a l l e g a t i o n s a n d d e f e n d e d themselves, he added H e a d d e d t h a t M u h a m m a d A l i Jinnah wanted the Hindus and Muslims t o f i g h t t h e B r i t i s h t o g e t h e r b u t h e p a r t e d w a y s a f t e r h e g o t t o k n o w t h e congress party s intentions He was an advocate of Muslim and Hindu rights, he added Roadmap to ‘real independence’ to be unveiled tomorrow : Imran Khan PM says govt committed to socio - economic emancipation of minorities Miftah, Dr Riina discuss expansion of ties between EU, Pakistan IsLaMaBaD S ta f f r e P o r t
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his government was taking measures to mainstream minority communities living in the country by providing them with a level playing field The idea is to enable and facilitate all segments of society particularly our non Muslim citizens to take a full part in the national life,” he said in a message on National Minority Day Sharif said the government was taking steps to provide equal opportunities to minorities such as allocation of special quota at representative fora, and also in educational institutions and other services He mentioned other measures for the uplift of poor minorities including dedicated financial support for their emancipation Sharif said mending the fault lines of socio religious exploitation besides eradicating its causes was the cornerstone of the government’s policies The prime minister mentioned that National Day of Minorities, which is celebrated on August 11 every year, serves to highlight the contributions that the non Muslim citizens made to national development This day we express our gratitude to our minority communities for their meritorious services for the uplift of the motherland,” he said “The day also reminds us of our constitutional, religious and political responsibility to protect their rights and freedoms ” He said Islam is a religion of peace, harmony, and tolerance According to the Quran, there is no compulsion in matters of religion he added He said the Quranic precept coupled with the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) provides a basis for the principle enunciated by the founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his historic address to the nation on August 11, 1948 Emphasising freedom of religion and sanctity of the lives and property of minorities, he said the right had further been statutorily formalized in the country’s constitution PM Sharif said the government stands committed to these obligations and officially celebrates August 11 to reiterate its resolve towards the achievement of the noble objective of building an inclusive society in line with the vision of Jinnah He reaffirmed the coalition government’s resolve for the betterment and welfare of minorities and their fullest inclusion in national life and development “I will also avail myself of this opportunity to call upon our brothers and sisters from all minority communities to keep playing their role for the promotion of an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual accommodation, he said He said: “This is the only course which leads to the achievement of our shared objective of promoting interfaith harmony and peace in our society Pakistan belongs to its people without any discrimination of caste, creed, and colour ” staff rePort Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Thursday that Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was trying to divert public’s attention from his foreign funding and Tosha Khana case by playing a toxic game against the state institutions which included a “despicable” social media campaign against the military martyrs “Imran Khan cannot divert the attention of the nation from foreign funding which was used to weaken the country’s defense Foreign agent Imran Khan submitted false affidavits with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for five years the minister said while addressing a press conference here Castigating Imran Khan, she said that for four years the country was ruled by an “incompetent” and “inefficient” Prime Minister, who plundered national resources ruthlessly and deprived the people of job opportunities by implementing bad and anti poor policies She said the PTI had been declared foreign aided party by the ECP for receiving funding from foreigners during a period of five years (2008 to 2013) According to the ECP’s verdict, she said the PTI received prohibited funding from 351 foreign companies and 34 foreign nationals “Imran Khan has also taken prohibited funding from companies in Pakistan which was undeclared,” she maintained She said as Imran Khan had disgraced the PTI, it was high time for the workers to ask him why he turned it into a foreign aided party She said the investigation of the funding received by the PTI from foreign nationals after 2013 was yet to be done However the FIA was investigating the source and utilization of the funding received during the said period The minister lashed out at Imran Khan for implementing a conspiracy to damage the country in exchange of the foreign funds
M I N I S T E R for Information and Broadcasting
IsLaMaBaD S ta f f r e P o r t
IsLaMaBaD a P P
LAHORE: Vendors selling various decorative items for Independence Day celebration on Aibak Road Anarkali P
ECC approves proposal to issue letter of comfor t in favour of PSO
d d r e s s i n g t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s o f a convention organized on
Fr day, 12 August, 2022 | KARACHI 02 NEWS
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday barred the FIA from grilling former speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser in PTI prohibited funding The PHC issued a short order in a petition filed the former NA speaker, challenging the FIA summon issued for a probe into prohibited funding case and put off the hearing till next hearing The FIA summoned the former National Assembly speaker for questioning him today but he refused to appear before the body as he had challenged their decision to summon him a day earlier In a short order issued after today s hearing the court prohibited the anti corruption watchdog from investigating the ex NA speaker till the next hearing The court asked the FIA what were the directions that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued to the body regarding the probe The PHC asked the FIA whether the federal government asked it to probe the PTI leaders It also asked the FIA whether the probing under the Political Parties Order 2022 comes under the ambit of the body On Wednesday last, Asad moved the Peshawar High Court against the start of an inquiry by FIA into two bank accounts of his party, Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf, allegedly managed by him from 2008 to 2013 as its then provincial president Qaiser filed a petition requesting the court to set aside a notice issued by a FIA official to appear before him in connection with the bank accounts inquiry
As regards the PTI s social media campaign against the state institutions, she said Imran Khan ran a dirty drive against the martyrs of helicopter crash through his trolls ‘ a
Peshawar S ta f f r e P o r t
The Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka called on Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail at Finance Division Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Aisha Ghous Pasha, Special Secretary Finance and senior officers attended the meeting Finance Minister Miftah Ismail welcomed the Ambassador of the EU and highlighted bilateral relations and development cooperation between the EU and Pakistan He said that Pakistan highly values its bilateral ties with the EU including trade and economic relations He stressed the need to further strengthening trade relations between Pakistan and the European Union The Finance Minister also apprised the EU ambassador on recent economic developments and policies of the present government The Finance Minister stated that enhancing revenue collection, boosting exports increasing remittances and making the energy sector sustainable are the foremost priorities of the present government The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest and cooperation including progress on GSP Plus Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka also highlighted the mutual relations between Pakistan and the EU in diversified fields and appreciated present government s ongoing economic reform agenda The Ambassador also supported Pakistan’s efforts towards making progress for GSP Plus and extended her cooperation The Finance Minister thanked the EU Ambassador for her cooperation and assured her all out support from Finance Ministry
PM to unveil re -recorded national anthem on Independence Day : Marriyum
IsLaMaBaD S ta f f r e P o r t S O C I
PTI should quit KP govt owing to deteriorating law and order: Memon staff rePort Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Thursday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would unveil the re recorded national anthem on August 14 at the national flag hoisting ceremony Delivering her speech as chief guest at the opening ceremony of Digital Photography Exhibition organised by Directorate of Electronic Media and Publications (DEMP) on the occasion of 75th Independence Day of Pakistan, she said that the event was being celebrated fervently and achievements of national heroes were being highlighted and culture and heritage being promoted She said that the entire Pakistani nation was excited and the event was being celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm and multiple events had been scheduled by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on the instructions of the prime minister The minister said that the national anthem had been re recorded and its promo would be released today The national anthem, she said, was recorded for the first time in 1954 after that it was updated regularly Marriyum said that artists from all over Pakistan had sung the national anthem together as its re recording process had started in 2017 We have been working on it for the last four months”, she said, adding the ministry was proud of this project The minister said that the coffee table book highlighted the culture of Pakistan and anyone could view the coffee table book by downloading it on their mobile The coffee table book had been linked to the QR code, which could be viewed by scanning the QR code through the mobile phone she remarked The minister advised the viewers to watch Pakistan Television these days as various series were being presented on the national channel under the name of ‘Pakistan Kahani ’ All these stories were being presented on Radio Pakistan and PTV for children and youth in which the sacrifices made for the establishment of Pakistan had been highlighted Moreover, she said that daily activities regarding Pakistan s 75th anniversary were being telecast on PTV In the seventy five years celebrations, achievements related to technology mass transit connectivity and Pakistan as a nuclear power were being highlighted, she maintained A L media activists were up in arms as a district and sessions court in Islamabad on Thursday jailed wife of driver of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill along with her minor daughter The court also granted Islamabad police’s request for physical remand of brother in law of Gill s driver s brother in law The court announced its judgment shortly after reserving it after hearing the accused s counsel s arguments “Political prisoner in Pakistan !!! What a shame this imported Government has brought To us�� wrote an activist on social media blogging site, Twitter “Shame on @ICT Police you must release wife of Izhar driver immediately their one year old daughter is without the mother What kind of messed up govt is this Harassing females in the house Torturing young infants People of pakistan must speak against the tyrants,” tweeted Hassan Nizai, a leading lawyer “I precisely remember bail being granted to Maryam N convicted for corruption money & mother of Zahir Jaffir on the pretext pf being women So now Shahbaz Gills Drivers wife with no nexus to the case & a suckling baby he s committed a bigger crime & deserves to be in jail! Shame,” wrote former state minister Maleeka Bukhari Despite @faisal fareed her lawyer pointing out to the judge precedence of Nasim Bibi Vs State case 2019 MLD 1157 LHC Lahore where bail is to be granted to mothers with suckling babies Shameful silence of self proclaimed women rights & HR defenders Selectivity/donor pressure? wrote former human rights minister Dr Shireen Mazari Following the court announcing its judgment, the counsel for the wife filed a post arrest bail petition on which the court later issued notices Judicial Magistrate Salman Badar has summoned the police and prosecutor tomorrow asking for the wife to kept in jail tonight Earlier this week, Gill was arrested on charges of sedition and inciting the public against state institutions Following Gill’s arrest, the ICT police raided his driver ’s home and maintained that the driver s family had protested in a government car During court proceedings today, the accused s counsel Faisal Chaudhry said that the incident took place at 9pm last night and claimed there was “video evidence proving that the police entered [the driver ’s house] without a warrant” The lawyer also claimed that the police had vandalized the accused s home and also beaten them “We were to file a petition for habeas corpus today but the police released the news to the media,” said the advocate as he argued that “considering the role the woman played in the case posits her to be discharged since “all but one provision in the suit are bailable offences” During the proceedings, the accused s 10 month old daughter began crying and was prevented from meeting her mother upon which Civil Judge Salman Badr ordered the girl to be brought to her in the courtroom When the judge asked the woman if she wanted to say something she stated that the police broke the door and entered [the house], we only came to know [of the incident] when the police had reached our bedroom Our privacy was not even considered” “More than 20 police officers entered the bedroom and tortured us added Nauman “The police entered without a warrant and violated the sanctity of the home argued the lawyer Advocate Chaudhry was snubbed by the judge for “mentioning Shahbaz Gill’s arrest in another case and directed to restrict the arguments to the present case” Earlier in the day, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police stated that the raid conducted on Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill’s driver ’s house was legal
The petitioner Mian Asif Mehmood Punjab president of the Amun Taraqqi Party, had requested the court to restrain the PTI chairman from contesting the by elections on all nine seats in the interest of the country EU envoy plays national anthem on trumpet to pay tribute to Pakistan on aug 14 staff rePort
UPROaR On SOCIal MEDIa aS wIfE Of gIll’S DRIvER JaIlED alOng wITH TODDlER
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03NEWS Friday, 12 August, 2022 | KARACHI KaraChI S ta f f r e P o r t Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has demanded Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf to immediately quit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government as they have completely failed to maintain writ of law in the province and left the people on mercy of outlaws Addressing an emergency press conference here on Thursday the Sindh Information minister said that Imran Khan in his recent interview stated that Taliban were rising again in KP and provincial government and PTI leadership in KP were receiving threats and extortion demands from Taliban Sharjeel said that KPK is being ruled by PTI since 14 years and law and order situation in the province has got seriously precarious to the extent that people have to suffer APS incident and Bannu prison break in which a number of terrorists escaped On one hand Imran Khan accused Taliban of deteriorating law and order in KP while spokesperson of the provincial government Barrister Saif had a different version to tell while refuting involvement of Taliban It must be inquired into to ascertain the fact that who is speaking truth and who is narrating false and fabricated statements Pakistan’s armed forces, law enforcing agencies and police have rendered exemplary sacrifices for maintaining peace and order in the country while PTI that has indulged in obnoxious and irrelevant activities was demonstrating negligence and inefficiency and had left the people particularly citizens of KP on mercy of outlaws The state of affairs in KP was so unsafe that chief minister of the province could not dare to hold a public gathering in his home district Swabi, he added Imran Khan and some of his close associates who were blaming others for conspiracy were themselves involved in a heinous conspiracy against Pakistan and the nation, Sharjeel alleged adding that Imran Khan will be made accountable for his wrongdoings and conspiracies against the homeland soon Imran Khan referred to example of Bangladesh in his recent interview while Khan and his cronies since ousted from power had adopted and continuously propagated anti state and anti state Institution approach and narrative, Sharjeel observed and vowed that Pakistani nation is aware of anti state elements and their conspiracies and every Pakistani was determined and committed to thwart nefarious designs of conspirators
Punjab desirous of maintaining best ties with US: Elahi
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has rejected a plea challenging Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s decision of contesting elections on all nine vacant seats of the National Assembly (NA) According to details Justice Shahid Jamil Khan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) heard the petition challenging former prime minister Imran Khan s decision to contest by elections on all nine vacant seats of the National Assembly (NA) During the proceedings, Justice Shahid Khan asked whether the nomination papers had been submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) office To which the counsel representing the petitioner replied in negative Terming the matter immature , the court said the petitioner should wait until the submission of the nomination papers and then file his objection with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) first and then approach the courts The petitioner ’s counsel after observing the court’s vision decided to withdraw the petition Subsequently, Justice Khan dismissed the petition after the counsel withdrew it
PTI workers apologise for posting anti-army statements aPP A number of workers of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), who had earlier made anti army statements on social media, confessed to their mistake and apologised for doing that Muhammad Shabbir, a worker of the PTI, who had earlier made anti army statements while talking to media on the premises of the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry, expressed regret over his mistake He in a video message said: “My name is Muhammad Shabbir I am a resident of Baghbanpura [Lahore] I have been associated with the PTI for the last 10 years, and I like Imran Khan Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed and Mian Hamid have promised to appoint me as the additional general secretary of Shell Petrol ” He added, “A few days ago, I went to the Supreme Court s Lahore registry with my PTI friends and recited a poem on their insistence which I deeply regret Forgive me for God’s sake whoever is hurt by the poem I will not make the same mistake again ” Another PTI worker Syeda Tayyeba Bukhari of Gujranwala, the founder of Markhor Media Network page, also confessed to mistakenly share an anti army post on Twitter and distanced herself from the narrative of the party leadership She apologised for sharing anti army post on social media and said that it would not happen again Lahore S a l e e M J a d o o n Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Thursday said that Pakistan and US have been enjoying good friendly relations and the Punjab government is desirous of maintaining the best relations with the US Pakistan and US relations have witnessed various ups and downs but these relations have always emerged stronger and enhanced,” Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said while talking to US Consul General William K Makaneole who called on him at Chief Minister ’s House here on Thursday On the occasion, the US consul general congratulated Pervaiz Elahi on becoming the chief minister and expressed good wishes for him Both discussed matters of mutual interest including the expanding bilateral cooperation in different sectors The CM held that Pakistan US relations have witnessed ups and downs and added that the Punjab government is desirous of maintaining the best relations with the US Pakistan is a peaceful country and desirous of friendly relations with neighbouring countries,” CM Elahi said, adding that all the citizens, including religious minorities, enjoy equal rights under the Constitution of Pakistan while the incumbent government has been following a policy of composite development by focusing on the welfare of the people On the occasion, William K Makaneole stated that the US attaches great importance to its relations with Pakistan and cooperation in different sectors will be further expanded with the Punjab government C h i l d a b u s e r s d o n o t d e s e rv e a n y e x e m p t i o n: Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi on Thursday said that the working parameters of Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) need to be extended to all district of the province According to details, the chief minister made these remarks during a meeting with Child Protection Bureau Chairperson Sarah Ahmad During the meeting, Sarah Ahmad briefed CM Pervaiz Elahi on the performance of CPWB in the province Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister praised the bureau’s role in protection of children’s rights, saying that it was the provincial government s responsibility to improve the child protection mechanism He stressed the need to extend child protection units to all districts of the province “Elements involved in abuse of children do not deserve any concession, CM Elahi said, calling for indiscriminate legal action against such people The Punjab chief minister also praised the performance of Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, vowing to support the CPWB at any cost
lHC dismisses plea against Imran Khan for contesting on nine seats staff rePort
The EU Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka played the national anthem on trumpet as a special gesture to honor Pakistan on its 75th Independence Day This unique way to mark the 14th of August when Pakistan obtained independence in 1947 was shared through a special campaign on the social media channels of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan in Islamabad, said a press release issued here by the European Union Commission on Thursday The year 2022 also marks the 60 years of EU Pakistan relations in a long standing partnership that makes both countries stronger together In Pakistan the EU is committed to a stable, democratic, and pluralistic country that respects human rights and benefits from its full economic potential by supporting sustainable and inclusive development for all its citizens, it added The collaboration between the European Union and Pakistan is grounded in the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) signed in 2019 Areas of cooperation under the SEP include peace and security, democracy, rule of law, human rights and migration but also sectors such as energy climate change, and science and technology, it maintained It is pertinent to mention here that the EU is one of Pakistan s largest trading partners Schoolkids create human national flag today IsLaMaBaD S ta f f r e P o r t In an amazing display of unity more than 5 000 schoolkids will create a large human national flag of 10 000 square feet on Friday (today) at Fatima Jinnah Park located in F 9 sector of Islamabad The initiative will be taken on the special instruction of Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon and under the supervision of Director Sports, Culture and Tourism Aamir Shehzad, said a news release issued on Thursday The DC said: “It is aimed at enlightening the coming generation about the sacrifices rendered by our forefather for creation of Pakistan It will also help them realize that it is a ‘great blessing’ to live in a free country ”
i n n e a r a p p r o a c h e s
KP gov t considers extension of summer vacations till Aug 31
PM S A re s c u e s, t
The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has given recommendation to the Elementary and Secondary Ed ucation department for the extension of summer vaca tions till August 31 in all the government and private schools in light of prevailing intense heat waves over almost the entire province A notification issued here by Chief Minister Secretariat said that the extended summer vacation would be adjusted in such a way that the academic calendar for the current academic year would not be disturbed and, if necessary, extra classes should be taken after reopening of the schools It fur ther said that extension of the summer vacation would be applicable from class nursery to Class 10; however, the school offices would remain open to ensure the ad mission process
IHC issues order on disposal of PTI’s plea against FIA notices in prohibited funding case
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Four of same family killed in gas explosion HYDeRaBaD S ta f f R e p o R t
Staff RepoRt The PMSA base Sadaqat on August 10th received distress call through Pakistani local fishermen Soon after Pakistan Maritime Secu rity Agency (PMSA) rescued a Chinese seafarer and was transferred to PMSA headquarters for detailed medical checkup A Chinese seafarer namely Zuo Xiang Wei was visually sighted by local fishermen drowning near Phitti Creek The individual was recovered safely in coordination with local fishermen boat Al Madina registration no 21675 B
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Four members of a same family, including women, burnt alive and seven others sustained critical burns in an explosion caused by a gas leak According to police and health officials, the explosion took place in a house located in Pathan Colony area of Hyderabad According to police the incident occurred in Pathan Colony a day ago when the family had forgotten to turn off the gas hob at night following a gas outage in the area The gas accumulated in the house and explosion took place when one of the women of the house lit a match to pre pare breakfast, said police Resultantly, 11 members of the family sustained critical burns and were shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi in critical condition However, four of them breathed their last while the injured were admitted to the hospital Covid-19 daily repor t: 353 new cases, one death ISLaMaBaD S ta f f R e p o R t Pakistan recorded 353 new Covid 19 cases on Wednes day, bringing the total tally to 1,560,955, the Ministry of National Health Services said on Thursday A total of 30 509 people have died from Covid 19 across Pak istan, with one new death recorded over the last 24 hours, according to the ministry s statistics On Wednesday 11 388 tests for Covid 19 were conducted and the positivity ratio stands currently at 3 10 percent Official data showed currently there are 155 patients who are in critical condition in the country ra n s fe r s Ch n e s e s e a f a re r to PM S A H Q judo champion fights to sur vive in Pakistan
ISLaMaBaD S ta f f R e p o R t H I G H E R Education Com mission (HEC), in collab oration with the Ministry of Planning and Develop ment, is holding an inter university essay writing competition in Urdu and English languages to commemorate the 75th birth an niversary of Pakistan The competition is aimed at sen sitising the youth to analyse oppor tunities and challenges faced by the nation and identify their role in the development of Pakistan through critical thinking, creativity and pro ductive engagement The topics in both languages are: development journey of Pakistan from 1947 2022; lessons learnt viz a viz other countries; and Pakistan at 2047: national youth aspirations The first prize winners in each category will receive a cash award of Rs500,000, second position holders Rs300,000 and Rs200,000 for those standing third Those securing positions from fourth to tenth will receive Rs100,000 a head According to the agency, the candidate must be a national of Pak istan or Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a university student with an upper age limit of 25 years The submissions are required to be sent along with a registration form The students can only partici pate in either language The Word count should be between 2,500 3,000 The deadline for submissions is August 26 C E d Ay
H E C A n n o u n C E s E s s Ay C o m P Et i t i o n t o m A r K i n d E P E n d E n
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Staff RepoRt The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursd a y i s s u e d o r d e r o v e r d i s p o s i n g o f P T I ’s p l e a a g a i n s t F I A notices in prohibited funding case I n a f o u r p a g e s j u d g m e n t i s s u e d b y A c t i n g C h i e f J u s t i c e A a m e r F a r o o q t h e c o u r t s a i d t h a t t h e p e t i t i o n h a d b e c o m e i n e ff e c t i v e a f t e r t h e s t a ff o f P T I S e c r e t a r i a t h a d j o i n e d i n v e s t i g a t i o n a n d s u b m i t t e d a n s w e r t o t h e a g e n c y T h e c o u r t , h o w e v e r, i n s t r u c t e d t h e F I A t o b e c a r e f u l n e x t t i m e w h i l e i s s u i n g t h e n o t i c e s t o t h e p e o p l e I n a c c o r d a n c e o f t h e p e t i t i o n e r s ’ l a w y e r t h e n o t i c e s w e r e i s s u e d b y t h e F I A i n v i o l a t i o n o f i t s o w n c i r c u l a r a n d o r d e r s o f I H C I t f u r t h e r s a i d a s p e r t h e r e c o r d , t h e F I A c i r c u l a r w a s i s s u e d o n l y f o r t h e C y b e r C r i m e Wi n g T h e c o u r t i n s t r u c t e d t h e F I A t o a d d a p p r o p r i a t e i n f o r m a t i o n i n i t s n o t i c e s n e x t t i m e I t m a y b e m e n t i o n e d h e r e t h a t the FIA had summoned employees o f P a k i s t a n Te h r e e k e I n s a f ( P T I ) S e c r e t a r i a t i n p r o h i b i t e d f u n d i n g s c a m a n d s e r v e d n o t i c e s t o t h e m H o w e v e r, t h e P T I c h a l l e n g e d t h e n o t i c e s b e f o r e I H C a n d c l a i m e d t h a t t h e a g e n c y h a d n o t m e n t i o n e d t h e r e a s o n o r s u b j e c t i n i t s n o t i c e s t o t h e s t a ff T h e c o u r t h a d d i s p o s e d o f t h e c a s e a f t e r t h e a s s u r a n c e o f F I A f o r a d d i n g r e l e v a n t i n f o r m a t i o n a n d a m e n d i n g t h e n o t i c e s
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Coordinated efforts of Pakistani fish ing boat Al Madina and PMSA ensured safety and rescue of Chinese national which was highly appreciated by the Consulate General of China ReuteRS Afghan judo champion Tawab Alam, 28, left his home in northern Kunduz province on August 15 2021 the day the Taliban captured the country He is now in Pakistan but cannot get a job and has run out of money This is Alam’s story as told to the Thomson Reuters Foundation I fled my country not only because my life was in danger, but also because my family was at risk due to my work At the time I was a presenter and re porter with a local radio station After the Taliban seized the country, they began de taining journalists They also detained the head of my radio station The journey to the border was one of the most difficult of my life I barely slept for three nights The Taliban know who I am and what I look like because I was in my country’s national judo team and was the national champion three times To avoid attracting the Taliban’s at tention, I changed my entire appearance and grew my beard I was very fright ened I had two reasons to fear the Taliban Apart from being a journalist, I used to work as a security officer in a private se curity company in Kabul, but the Taliban in Kunduz thought that I was working as an agent for a foreign country I travelled to Pakistan with two friends and we witnessed many scenes of brutality People we met on the journey told us the Taliban were raiding homes and taking people away I m sure I would have been killed if I hadn’t changed my appearance We had to pass through many Taliban checkpoints where they were searching vehicles and questioning and beating people I came to Pakistan to save my life and for a brighter future But this has proved to be merely a dream I’ve been jobless ever since I arrived I’ve applied for work at restaurants a department store and a hotel Some peo ple said they couldn t give me a job be cause I don’t have a work permit There have been other problems too When I first arrived, a guesthouse refused to let me stay because I didn’t have a visa I’ve also been harassed by the police who tried to demand a bribe This hap pens a lot to Afghans here And once a taxi driver chided me for leaving Afghanistan, saying I had no honour I live in a hostel in central Islamabad and pay Rs20,000 a month, including meals and laundry But now I’ve used up all my savings I have to walk everywhere because I have no money I’m now planning to move to the makeshift camps that Afghan refugees have set up in a park in the city I have no other option I had a happy life in Afghanistan My big loves were judo and kurash (a form of wrestling) My fans nicknamed me uchimata , a type of judo throw I have represented Afghanistan in many international tournaments in Kaza khstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Turkey etc In 2014 I won silver at the Judo South Asia Championship in Nepal I miss my sport it was my life I had to leave my judo uniform and my medals and trophies in Afghanistan I can’t find anywhere to practise judo near where I live and can t afford to travel After months without a job, I became depressed I’ve nothing to do except watch movies read books play snooker and sleep A few weeks ago, I couldn’t even bear to have the light on in my room, but also whenever I switched it off it felt symbolic of the way my life had also been extin guished Then some friends encouraged me to start exercising Every day I go to a gym in a park and do my exercises to help cope with the stress I don’t see any future in Pakistan now What can we expect from Pakistan when it is already facing an economic meltdown, high inflation and political in stability? I now want to move to a Euro pean country the United States or Canada that’s the only hope for me I’m appealing to these countries to help because the doors of Afghanistan have shut for me
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Initially, first aid was given to the rescued Chinese seafarer at PMSA base at Ibrahim Hydri T h e s u r v i v o r w a s t r a n s f e r r e d t o H Q P M S A f o r d e t a i l e d m e d i c a l c h e c k u p L a t e r, i t w a s c o n f i r m e d y X ( 9 3 0 7 2 ) f 0 h , t o K a a c h i h a r b o u r
Fr day 12 August 2022 | KARACHI 04 NEWS
Three killed, 10 injured in Khairpur truck-van collision
C H E A P E R , C H A N G I N G A N D C R U C I A L ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t T HE nation will celebrate 75th Inde pendence Day on August 14 (Sun day) with traditional zeal and enthusiasm and hold a number of activities to highlight the struggle of its forefathers and national heroes for ac quiring a separate homeland
The major public and private buildings in the city will also be illuminated to mark this important occasion
Special prayers will be offered in mosques at dawn for peace, solidarity and prosperity of the country Different public and private departments will hold special functions and activities in cluding seminars, discussion programmes, photographic exhibitions painting poetry national songs and debate competitions with the focus on acknowledging the contribution of leaders of the Pakistan Movement and the sacrifices of national heroes All the major roads and avenues of the capital like other cities will be decorated with flags, banners and buntings to present a festive look
The print and electronic media will high light the services of Pakistan Movement he roes’ on the day and pay tributes to their extraordinary contributions to making Pak istan a reality Islamabad police as well as provincial governments, have finalised a traffic man agement plan for the convenience and safety of the general public Literary and cultural organizations have chalked out a number of programmes to mark the day Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) will arrange various pro grammes on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) would organize seminars to commemorate Independence Day
KARACHI M o n i to R i n g R e p o R t
At least three people were killed and 10 others in jured in a collision between a truck and a van on Thursday in the Khairpur district of Sindh, media re ported According to the reports, the truck hit the van in the wee hours at the Mehran National Highway resulting in the death of three people on the spot Rescue teams reached the site and shifted the victims to hospitals The ill fated van was going from Karachi to Khairpur Road accidents frequently hap pen in Pakistan, mainly due to poorly maintained ve hicles dilapidated roads and negligence of road safety measures Cour t grants pre-arrest bail to Senator Faisal Javed StAff RePoRt Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI)’s Senator Faisal Javed Khan has been granted interim bail by a lower court on Thursday Soon after his bail was granted Javed sought record from the Islamabad police regarding reg istered FIR against him District and Session Judge Ar shad Mehmood Jasra heard the case filed by PTI s Leader Faisal Javed seeking bail in FIR registered by Banigala Police Station The petitioner adopted the stance that they had appeared before the court for the supremacy of the law, adding that he also wanted to join the police investigation After listening arguments from the lawyers, the court granted pre arrested bail to Senator Faisal Javed till August 17, against surety bonds worth Rs 10,000 Sana leaves for Umrah ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t
The day will dawn with special prayers a n d a 3 1 g u n s a l u t e i n t h e c a p i t a l a n d 2 1 gun salute at all provincial capitals There w i l l b e a d r a m a t i c p a u s e a t 8 : 5 8 a m throughout the country with the sounding o f s i r e n s t o h e r a l d t h e f l a g h o i s t i n g c e r e mony at 9:00 am
Former federal minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday dubbed the “plots and machinations” to cause a rift between PTI Chairman Imran Khan and the Army “ridiculous and absurd”, reiterating that the former PM had al ways worked for the prosperity of the country “The PTI chief has time and again categorically declared that he does not have a penny abroad and the person who has all the interests in Pakistan would al ways want the country s army to strengthen ” Fawad Ch said while ad dressing a press conference in Islamabad here The PTI stalwart pointed out that Pakistan’s progress and integrity were hinged on its army, saying that this is one point stance and agenda of the PTI chair man “The politics of Imran Khan re volves around the country and its public and army is an integral part of the peo ple ” Hence, Fawad Ch went on to say that all efforts to create a divide between Imran Khan and Army were absurd “And the way it has been executed is very disappointing,” the former minister said, adding that a new era of atrocities and barbarism had been launched in Pakistan The PTI leader ’s talks came in re sponse to the government s allegations that Imran and his party members were spreading hatred against the country’s in stitutions Earlier this week Shahbaz Gill was also arrested on charges of sedition and inciting the public against state institu tions Fawad Ch regretted that women and children are being picked up, refer ring to the arrest of the wife of Gill’s driver “We saw the director news of ARY News was picked up late at night from his house He has young children who are now in trauma,” Fawad Ch said, adding they are forcing [people] to ac cept their government “But this can’t happen because the people will only accept those who they elect not those who are imposed ” he added ‘Astroturf at Lahore’s Hockey Ground not damaged Talking about PTI’s upcoming rally at Lahore’s Hockey Ground, Fawad Ch declared that the AstroTurf there was not being scrapped Earlier in the day, reports had been circulating that the AstroTurf in the sta dium was being ripped apart for the party s gathering on August 13, with a number of people criticising the move In his media talk, the PTI leader said that the party had taken full responsibil ity” to ensure that any part of the stadium was not damaged, including the Astro Turf, adding that replacing it was already a part of the government’s plan “They had wrecked it during Nawaz Sharif s tenure and it has to be replaced anyway ” he said “So we consulted with the Punjab government and reached the conclusion that a new astroturf will be laid in the ground ” Fawad Ch went on that the PTI was incurring the expenses of the August 13 rally confident that the gathering will show the love the people of Lahore had for the party and Imran Plot to c ause rif t between Army, Imran absurd: Fawad C h
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Similarly, private and public educational institutions will also hold different activities including competitions functions and ses sions to educate the students about the his torical struggle behind the creation of Pakistan Islamabad has turned into green and white colour with a large number of Jashan i Azaadi stalls carrying dresses, flags, bunting pin badges toys and other decora tive accessories to attract youth and children Since Independence Day has assumed the shape of a festival in the country differ ent brands, online retailers, eateries, cab hailing services and even electronics compa nies are offering exciting discount offers adding more charm to the festivity
The rise of solar power ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t
NaTioN To CelebraTe 75Th iNdepeNdeNCe day wiTh greaT zeal
Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan along with members of his family on Thursday departed for Saudi Arabia on a five day visit to perform Umrah The minister departed for Jeddah from Islamabad In ternational Airport at 11:00 am, said a press state ment issued by his office Khan would perform pilgrimage and also mark attendance at Roza i Ra sool (P B U H ) in Medina Saudi Arabia gradually began receiving pilgrimage requests from abroad for vaccinated pilgrims in August last year after about a year and a half of not receiving overseas worshippers due to the Covid 19 pandemic Umrah, a pilgrimage to Islam s two holiest sites that is undertaken at any time of the year, was reopened in October 2020 for domestic worshippers after it was totally suspended after the outbreak of the pandemic months earlier in March Khan would also hold meetings with his Saudi counterpart and other officials He’d also hold talks with the host government to further strengthen bilateral relations PARIS a f p Generating power from sunlight bouncing off the ground working at night even helping to grow straw berries: solar panel technology is evolving fast as costs plummet for a key segment of the world’s energy tran sition The International Energy Agency says solar will have to scale up significantly this decade to meet the Paris climate target of limiting temperature rises to 1 5 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels The good news is that costs have fallen dramati cally In a report on solutions earlier this year the Inter governmental Panel on Climate Change said solar unit costs had dropped 85 percent between 2010 and 2019, while wind fell 55 percent “There’s some claim that it’s the cheapest way hu mans have ever been able to make electricity at scale,” said Gregory Nemet, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison and a lead author on that report Experts hope the high fossil fuel prices and fears over energy security caused by Russia s invasion of Ukraine will accelerate the uptake of renewables Momentum gathered pace on Sunday with the am bitious US climate bill, which earmarks $370 billion in efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 An analysis by experts at Princeton University esti mates the bill could see five times the rate of solar ad ditions in 2025 as there were in 2020 Nemet said solar alone could plausibly make up half of the world’s electricity system by mid century al though he cautioned against looking for “silver bullets” I think there really is big potential, he told AFP Rapid changes: The “photovoltaic effect” the process by which solar cells convert sunlight to electri cal energy was first discovered in 1839 by the French physicist Edmond Becquerel After decades of innovations, silicon based solar cells started to be developed in the United States in the 1950s, with the world’s first solar powered satellite launched in 1958 The IPCC said of all energy technologies small scale ones like solar and batteries have so far proved quicker to improve and be adopted than bulkier options like nuclear Today, almost all of the panels glimmering on rooftops and spreading across vast fields are made in China using silicon semiconductors But technology is changing quickly In a recent report, the IEA said these new solar cells have proven to be one fifth more efficient in converting light to energy than standard modules installed just four or five years ago There are also a host of new materials and hybrid cells that experts predict could supercharge efficiency These include cheap, efficient and lightweight “thin film technologies, like those using perovskites that can be printed from inks Experts say they raise the prospect of dramatically expanding where solar energy can be harvested if they can be made durable enough to withstand a couple of decades of use Recent research has raised hopes that it could be possible In one study, published in the journal Science in April, scientists added metal containing materials to perovskite cells making them more stable with effi ciency near traditional silicon models Other research mixes materials for different purposes One study in Na ture used “tandem” models with perovskite semicon ductors to absorb near infrared light on the solar spectrum, while an organic carbon based material ab sorbed ultraviolet and visible parts of the light and what happens afteR sunset? Researchers from Stanford said this year they had produced a solar cell that could harvest energy overnight, using heat leaking from Earth back into space “I think that there’s a lot of creativity in this indus try,” said Ron Schoff, who heads the Electric Power Re search Institute’s Renewable Energy and Fleet Enabling Technologies research Location, Location: Generating more energy from each panel will become increasingly crucial as solar power is rolled out at a greater scale, raising con cerns about land use and harm to ecosystems Schoff said one efficiency boosting design that is becoming more popular for large scale projects is “bi facial solar These double sided units absorb energy not just di rectly from the sun’s rays, but also from light reflected off the ground beneath Other solutions involve using the same space for multiple purposes like semi transparent solar panels used as a protective roof for strawberry plants or other crops India pioneered the use of solar panels over canals a decade ago, reducing evaporation as they generate power Scientists in California have said that if the drought prone US state shaded its canals, it could save around 63 billion gallons Construction on a pilot project is due to begin this year aLL shapes, sizes: Experts say solar will be among a mix of energy optios with different technolo gies more suitable for different places Schoff said ultimately those energy grids with more than 25 percent solar and wind need ways to store en ergy with batteries or large scale facilities using things like pumped water or compressed air Consumers can also play their part said Nemet by shifting more of their energy use to daytime periods, or even hosting their own solar networks in an Airbnb style approach He said the modular nature of solar means it can be rolled out in developing countries with sparse access to traditional grids “You could have solar on something as small as a watch and something as big as the biggest power plants in the world ” he said “I think that’s what’s making peo ple excited about it ”
Things could g et worse , as judg es and g enerals star t being examined microscopically Establishments are supposed to be benign, guardians of the existing order, providing a framework of stability for all society Imran Khan needs to understand that with Pakistan we exist, without it we are nothing. Penpoint M A N I A Z I A c h a l l e n g e d s o v e r e i g n t y Pa ki s t a n h a s b e n e f i te d f ro m i s i nte ra c t i o n s w i t h t h e U S A
I t is true that Pakistan is a sovereign country It can take its own decisions, make policies and secure its political, social and cultural interests domestically as well as internationally But it does mean that Pakistan is sovereign in every sense of this word Perhaps, no country is fully sov ereign as all countries face a certain kind of domestic as well as international pressure through various ac tors Pakistan is no exception Sovereignty is a theo retical conception of a state but in realpolitik there is always give and take based on circumstances Give and take is a way of solving problems It is the process through which states cooperate and work to wards their mutual goals Cooperation always comes at the cost of a compromised posture of a state which does not mean that the state that is compromising for coop eration is not sovereign in its will and power But given Imran Khan s depiction of Pakistan s relation with the USA it apparently feels that we have really become a slave state which is in fact a naive commentary as Pak istan s has benefited as well as suffered loses whenever it cooperated with the USA take the example of the 1980s, when Pakistan assisted the USA in the Afghan war against the USSR and gained huge military equip ment and aid though at a big cost of human lives and in frastructure Had Pakistan not cooperated with the USA, it would not have been able to nuclearize itself So, co operation between states on mutual interest comes with benefits and losses thus, simplifying Pak US relations is wrong as it lacks the depth of understanding of the self help system of international relations Some analysts even today say that Pakistan made a big mistake in jumping to the US war in Afghanistan they ignored the fact that it was not only a US war, it was equally Pakistan’s war for we did not want a communist imperial power to subse quently invade Pakistan just as it invaded Afghanistan, to get access to warm waters Given this historical perspective, it is thus wrong on the part of Khan to say that we have become a slave country and sold our sovereignty to USA this perception is also wrong historically for the fact that Pakistan did not deter from its foreign policy goals such as obtaining nuclear power despite massive pres sure and sanctions from the USA through the Pressler Amendment thereby meaning that Pakistan remained steadfast in the 1990s and achieved nuclear power the story does not end with Pakistan becoming a nuclear state with respect to India After 9/11 Pakistan was once again forced to as sist the USA to kill the cul prits behind the attack though Pakistan was not at all in favour of such an abrupt military venture by the USA; however, due to pressure, Pakistan stealthily agreed to start operation against different terror groups Having done so, once again, Pakistan got military aid as well as economic and development funds from the USA But amid this all, Pakistan didn t give in to pressure as it continued to have its strategic assets around the Pak Afghan border that’s why after 2010, the USA started to ask it to do more , meaning that Pakistan never really gave up on pursuing its own agenda in Afghanistan as it could not leave Afghanistan to India and the USA this reflects that Pakistan is sovereign and independent in its pursuance of its national interest Any claim to the contrary, es pecially by Imran Khan, is nothing more than a polit ical statement to mobilize the people of Pakistan Moreover, Khan has accused the USA of having conspired against him and subsequently dislodged his government with the assistance of conspirators of the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) In referring to his being ousted through a vote of no confidence, he implies the sovereignty of Pakistan has been chal lenged since the USA is behind his ouster It is again a bad political move by Khan for he has sacrificed the strategic relationship for mere domestic political gains In pursuance of his ignorant wishes, he is trying to exploit anti American sentiment of Pak istanis It is thus not at all an issue of sovereignty Rather, it is an issue of political expediency for Khan It is regrettable that Khan has become blind to the na tional interests of the country for his political survival Having been dismissed from power Khan has shown himself as a reckless megalomaniac who does not care about the national interest of Pakistan for he is pandering to his absolutely not narra tive which is again based on a fabricated story of air bases that the US had asked for counterterrorism surveillance in Afghanistan after its with drawal from the region Based on such lies Khan has estab lished his political mansion and lured the masses amid claiming that we are a compromised sovereign state Whether it is Khan’s “absolutely not” or “foreign conspiracy” narrative, both are based on lies, half filled truths Khan as a populist leader cannot accept his political defeat that is why he is desperate in his sloganeering so that he could lure masses with a nar rative like foreign conspiracy If not for Pakistan Khan at least should care for the country’s interna tional standing before spewing venom against its strategic relations For mere domestic gains only a mentally deranged person can go to such a lengths Before long, Khan needs to understand that with Pakistan we exist without it we are nothing Along with this, Khan has to admit that Pakistan has pursued what it felt right with regard to India and the USA in Afghanistan thereby acting as a sovereign country
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Mr Justice Qazi Faez Isa, both bulls in the china shop, had been Chief Justices of the Balochistan High Court before elevation to the Supreme Court Be cause BHC judges are elevated relatively younger, their chances of becoming Chief Justice are brighter Apart from chairing the JCP CJPs also have the power of constituting the benches that hear cases this means that the CJP needs only have two other sound judges who will follow his lead and not try and disturb the smooth flow of the establishment by introducing new fangled judicial doctrines the power of CJPs to form benches has been un changed, but it has led to the present CJP,Mr Justice Umar Ata Bandial, being severely criticized He has also found himself unable to make the JCP go along with his proposal to elevate five judges from various high courts to the Supreme Court If elevated, those judges would also have become CJPs one after another the establish ment assumed that they would be understanding in the matter of elevations and bench formations Judges already have a legitimate expectancy of be coming chief justice on the basis of seniority, and it has been assumed that they would also have a legitimate expectancy of elevation to the Supreme Court How ever, one of the flaws in the process that has come to light is the absence of criteria If transparency is intro duced for judges, it might be for COAS And there, questions will then come about elevations to lieu tenant general Already there have been discussions about the appointment of the DGISI, and of the re quirements for COAS It is perhaps unfortunate that these discussions have noth ing to do with potential to command the Army or the ISI, but with political lean ings for or against the PtI It is also unfortunate that the judiciary and the CJP are being viewed through the same lens things could get worse, as judges and generals start being examined microscopically Establishments are supposed to be benign, guardians of the existing order, providing a framework of stability for all soci ety However in Pakistan an important component of the establishment, the political class, has not been accommodated As long as these three do not find their respective places and that too under an agreed constitution, the system will fall further into chaos the Chief Election Commissioner provides an opposite example Mr Sikander Sultan Raja is not being seen as fit or otherwise because of how the ECP has conducted elections under him, but on the verdict in the foreign funding case His appointment is being called into question, yet another example of how an establishment figure’s appointment is suddenly being given the attention it never got before The writer is a member of staff
Arif
Din Ahmad Joint Editor
Yousaf Nizami to legac Hameed Nizami Nizami Azizud
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06 Fr day, 12 August 2022 COMMENT Lahore Ph: 042 36300938, 042 36375965 I K arachi Ph: 021 35381208 9 I Islamabad Ph: 051 2204545 I Web: www pakistantoday com pk I Email: editorial@pakistantoday com pk t E R R O R I S t incidents in KP have started multiplying JUI(F) chief Fazlur Rehman says that local administration and police in southern districts of the province had become powerless as armed people were ruling those areas In North Waziristan thousands of residents blocked roads and observed a shutter down strike as part of a ‘protest movement’ launched three weeks ago against targeted killings the Pakistan Afghanistan trade artery was blocked at Ghulam Khan area in North Waziristan by tribal people protesting against the spurt in militancy After the rise of attacks in south KP, things have started deteriorating in the north also where peace had been greatly restored and tourism started to flourish in recent years Early this month four persons were killed in gun attack on a PtI MPA in Lower Dir In Swat a tribal jirga had to be assembled to secure the release of a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), who was injured in a clash with militants and was being held by them this raises serious questions Are the ttP militants being allowed to return as a result of some agreement or have they penetrated the tribal areas illegally? Last month the military secured the nod of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security for peace talks with the banned ttP the lawmakers were told by the military and intelligence officials that the talks were being held for strengthening regional and internal peace It is an opportunity for bringing the conflict to an end,” the political leadership was told While allowing the talks the committee did not permit the negotiating team to commit to an agreement on its own It was clarified that the entire process would be monitored by the Oversight Committee of the Parliament this required that the committee be consulted before brokering an agreement with the ttP there is a need to clarify if the ttP was required to renounce militancy, surrender weapons and abide by the constitution and the laws of the country the incidents indicate that the ttP still remains unrepentant and is bent upon wrecking internal peace the ttP must not be allowed to initiate another spell of terror and bloodshed in the country Parliament too needs to take a firm stand on the issue It is no wisdom to compromise Pakistan’s hard won dominance and sovereignty for a short term peace The return of TTP? SCO Oppor tunit y
The writer is a freelance columnist S h A h Z A I b h A S S A N
B O t H Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand Uzbekistan though not yet confirmed, this proximity may lead to a meeting of the two on the sidelines of the Summit, which would thus become the venue for their first ever encounter It is not as if they have never met before, for when Mr Sharif s elder brother Nawaz was Prime Minister, Mr Modi dropped in on a family wedding in Lahore in 2015 Mr Sharif was then Punjab CM However, now there are several developments in the region, and in the bilateral relationship, in the half decade since, with the unilateral change in the status of Indian Occupied Kashmir perhaps the most visible the US withdrawal from Afghanistan is perhaps the next, and there are the sides that both India and Pakistan are being forced to pick as they pick their path very gingerly about where to position themselves in the new Cold War that is developing between the USA and China Considering that the interaction between the two countries has been very limited, to the extent of not existing in public at a senior political level, and even routine technical meetings proving opportunities for one side or the other to score points any SCO meeting would prove an opportunity to silence the kind of hawks on either side whose dominance had taken both countries down the path of confrontation during the Balakot face off Someone somewhere was made to realize in Delhi that a conflict between the two countries could lead to nuclear conflict, which would not only be disastrous for them, but also for the entire world therefore, the SCO summit sidelines meeting would provide an opportunity, not for peace, nor a settlement, but a beginning, a foundation which would allow the building of a durable peace
Th e h a r s h l i g h t o n j u d i c i a l a p p o i n t m e n t s w i l l s p re a d t o m i l i t a r y
y of late
A consequence of the current crisis has been the battering taken by the establishment It now finds it will not be left out of the polit ical debate, and that its dominant role in the polity is being challenged in ways that have been previously unheard of One of the perks of office for the establishment was an unquestioning respect from all sections of so ciety With that respect did not go fame the members of the establishment did their jobs in relative anonymity, even where they wielded immense power Now the pillars of the establishment have become famous, and the realization of their importance has meant that their ascent to those positions is being ex amined as well as the process It has not been enough to note with almost ghoulish national curiosity when the COAS is to retire, the pos sible replacements and who will make the appointment the nation’s politics is revolving around this, and PtI chief Imran Khan’s demand for early elections is so that he may win them in time to make the appointment that the COAS is responsible for the defence of a long border with a hostile enemy does not seem as relevant as the position he will take in national poli tics Now attention has turned to the other pillar of the establishment, the judiciary One of the functions of any establishment is self replication therefore, the judges who decide cases must be chosen carefully this might be one reason why both military and judiciary have been careful to ensure retention of control over the promotion process the reason given has been to exclude politi cians from this process, because politicians are scoundrels It is perhaps another matter that politicians have been painted as scoundrels by the establishment Perhaps the underlying reason is that the military and judiciary consisted at Partition of ‘new men’ who had successfully cooperated with the British and adopted their doctrine of modernization and Western ization Politicians were not in this mix and a lot came from the old feudal pre British elite Politicians inherited their positions, while the new men man ning the military and judiciary depended on merit Another major difference was that the ‘new men’ had a well defined recruitment mechanism they themselves controlled inherited from the Raj Politi cians, on the other hand, only had the hereditary prin ciple Fresh blood forced itself on them from such ranks as industrialists But further recruitment is again hereditary Nawaz Sharif ’s daughter is third generation rich, but is in politics the military started off with Ayub Khan but his son became National As sembly Speaker, his grandson a federal minister Bi lawal Bhutto Zardari can be taken as a representative of the old feudal elite reaching the third generation the politicians were never really accepted as part of the establishment Bureaucrats were a part initially but were eliminated under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Like China, he wanted to put his party in their place the military and the judiciary did not comply and not just the Zia years, the post 1988 era, the Musharraf years, the PtI hybrid model, all followed However certain trends have either emerged or been strengthened While the military was able to in sulate itself from the kind of micromanagement of postings and promotions that the civil bureaucracy has learnt to accept at the hands of civilian politicians, the COAS’s appointment is still to be made by the PM the judiciary has also been able to insulate itself, through the mechanism of the Judicial Commission, whose recommendations go to the President through a special parliamentary com mittee Previously, appoint ments were made by the President on the PM’s ad vice the PM was assumed to have received input from the Chief Justice of Pakistan on judicial suitability, and from the Law Ministry on personal suitability (like contacts with foreign coun tries personal foibles polit ical leanings, and so on) the Judicial Commission of Pakistan merely formalizes an existing mechanism However, different strands came together in the Chief Justice He had once been virtually all powerful in appointments, for Prime Ministers (or CMLAs) usually went by the CJP’s rec ommendations, unless the candidate had some charac ter flaw, or was reported to hold strong political opinions the agencies played a vital role and ulti mately it was through them that candidates were sought against whom such blackmailing substance was found which could lead the judge to be controlled there has been a problem with judges reaching the Supreme Court from the Balochistan High Court
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(Late) Founding Editor M A Niazi Joint Editor Umar
Executive Editor Aziz
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Fi r s t S h e h b a z M o d i m e e t i n g m ay b e i n S a m a r k a n d S u m m i t s i d e l i n e s Still unrepentant and unreformed
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t H E message from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has always been clear and consistent: if you borrow from us, we want to make sure you pay us back as per the agreed repayment schedule, and for this you need to live within your means reduce consumption cut down on wasteful expenditure and ensure all incomes are properly taxed without any exemptions What is the counter response of the Pakistani nation? the government doles out monetised favours to the rich and the powerful who in turn flaunt their wealth and power which in many cases is a vulgar display of illegally obtained wealth, and does not visibly curtail the government expenditure It does not tax a number of incomes most notably agriculture income, and is generally very laggard in identifying and getting hold of tax evaders the annual federal budget, for as long as I can remember, and I clearly recall for the last five decades has been a deficit budget In other words, the expected income has always been significantly less than the proposed expenses, with the expectations that the IMF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank or some friendly country or countries will lend us the money to bridge the gap to comply with the IMF demand, the government has put most of its focus on the tax compliant businesses and the salaried individuals the super tax, which was already in place for the banking sector for the last several years, has been reintroduced for all businesses, whose profit before tax is more than Rs300 million annually As a result of this super tax, the affected companies will not pay any dividend at all or pay very restricted dividends, which will, among others, hurt the retired pensioners who have invested most of their lifetime s worth of savings and their retirement funds in stocks, expecting to meet their household expenses from these dividends the salaried class, not for the first time has been made to suffer the most they have been hit by a double whammy On the one hand, tax slabs have been raised considerably for those earning more than Rs200,000 per month, while, on the other, the tax credits available for investment in mutual funds have been withdrawn If at all this had to be done under the IMF pressure, it should have been done in two phases A quick conservative calculation of the impact of the two whammies for the middle income salaried groups earning Rs200,000, Rs300,000, Rs500,000 and Rs1 million, indicates additional taxes on the salaried individuals concerned, of Rs135,000, Rs232,000, Rs408 000 and Rs1 000 000 respectively per annum If one takes into account the increase in petrol prices, electricity charges, food cost and a number of other inflationary increases, life for the middle level salaried class is really going to be a huge challenge for the foreseeable future the government needs to urgently revisit the plight of the middle level salaried class as well as the retired persons MOIN MOHAJIR KARACHI E d i t o r ’ s m a i l S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r Pakistan today 4 S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h L a h o re P a k i s t a n E m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan today e x c l u s i v e l y
t H E importance of adopting rooftop solar panels to cut individual’s electricity costs while supplying excess energy to the national grid However, thinking on national scale, we have to invest in larger solar power plants to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel powered plants at high speed in the country Already, we have wasted a lot of precious time by ignoring this seriously inexpensive source of abundant renewable energy, which at the moment only contributes 1 6 per cent to the total energy mix
The writer is a freelance columnist
T h e e b b i n g s t a n d a r d o f E d u c a t i o n i n P a k i s t a n we aren’t producing world beaters SooMro
Gov t vehicles and their misuse
Many other countries seized this opportunity and their solar energy penetration in the total energy mix stands between 10pc and 40pc We should do the same Why shouldn’t we? RIAZ BHUTTA ISLAMABAD
J U S t take a look at the parking area of any federal government building in any city An official vehicle stops and the driver opens the door and drops off some gentleman before going back to the latter ’s official home where the lady of the house will be waiting to go for picking up their children from educational institutions Besides, the driver takes the lady to the shopping centre beauty parlour and to her friend for lunch at a restaurant as part of daily routine there is a high tendency amongst government officials and their families to use official vehicles for their personal purposes this kind of scenes can be easily seen in front of any government office and in its parking area, where imported automatic expensive vehicles of latest models bearing official number plates can be seen parked All of them are naturally purchased by the public exchequer their drivers also keep these vehicles chilled by keeping the air conditioner on much before the gentleman returns this is a common practice by most government officials and their families who use official vehicles for their personal purposes and activities, without any sense of moral obligations and accountability the use of official vehicles can be observed in any city during working days weekends and holidays on the roads, around shopping areas, at wedding receptions and other ceremonies, and at picnic spots Sometimes during the personal use for a long journey out of the municipal limits, these official vehicles often get involved in road accidents for which the departments bear heavy expenses on repairs We are already facing an economic crisis and the country is under heavy foreign debts this has made it economically dependent on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) But despite this alarming situation, the country s bureaucracy has refused to change its lavish lifestyle Due to the current financial crisis, petrol has gone beyond the reach of the common man as well as low cadre government employees the government should introduce a car sharing scheme and pick and drop facility for government officials by utilising large buses and vans, like private sector industrial enterprises do Besides the name of the department and its logo must be put on both sides of official vehicles so that they can be identified easily there should be a ban on unnecessary use of official vehicles and in an emergency situation pool cars/staff cars should be used by the officials ISRAR AYOUBI KARACHI
To destroy a nation you need not to drop an atomic bomb, just lower its standard of education W H I L E other countries are work ing on the technology, innova tion, different modern projects, making their country progressive with modern technologies, Pak istan is still generating graduates with a low level of creativity and low chances of getting employed which neither guarantees them a job nor makes them capable of developing a project through which they can earn a living Resul tantly, they cannot become financially self suf ficient and cannot contribute to the well being of the country Besides, Pakistan s literacy rate is 62 3 per cent which means that about 60 million people in the country are illiterate An estimated 22 8 million children aged between 5 and 16 are out of school, though Article 25A of the Constitution obliges the government to provide free and compulsory edu cation to children of ages five to 16 years However the students who are getting edu cation, are not getting a standard education Consequently, we do not have any prominent lo cally graduated economist computer scientist political scientist, or scientists etc who can out smart our international counterparts With 2 83 percent of the world population we have only two Nobel laureates (Dr Abdus Salam in Physics and Malala Yousafzai in Peace), and no Nobel laureates in fields like chemistry physiology or medicine, literature and peace On the other side, Israel with 0 2 per cent population of the world has 20 percent of the Nobel laureates in different fields She has advanced in modern technology She uses modern machinery for agri culture and for executing different works Do you wonder why we cannot manage to create Nobel laureates, prominent economists, computer scientists etc who can work for the pros perity of the countr while Israel and some other countries have managed to create all of them? It is the poor quality of our education that is gener ating incapable and unskilled masses that cannot contribute to the well being of the country there are some reasons behind this poor ed ucational quality Low budget for the sector is discussed widely and it is indubitably a matter of great concern the government must pay heed to, but there are several other reasons First is an outdated syllabus We have al ways remained deprived of an up to date syl labus that could match the trend of the developing world Presently, when the world knows the significance of technology in each and every field and is chasing it, we have over looked modern technology If universities are providing degrees in technology, regretfully, the quality of education that is being provided is so low that the students cannot have innovative ideas regarding their main field If some students succeed in coming up with some innovative ideas, they lack the resources to execute them Apart from this our school and college syl labuses are outdated too, and similarly they do not match international standards so they remain far behind in the international arena of educa tional contests Most of our syllabus is based on theory Luckily, we have some practical work but about 60 to 70 percent of educational insti tutions do not have access to equipment for per forming practicals We do not prefer logical thinking critical thinking advanced mathemat ics, advanced science etc at secondary education level as Israel has preferred, and Israelis by reaching university outmatch their American counterparts because their syllabus is updated as per the need of the hour Secondly unskilled and untrained teachers who possess old and traditional teaching methods
Why
07 Friday, 12 August, 2022 COMMENT Solar energy
A teacher plays a key role in the learning process of a student But in Pakistan hardly our teachers apply modern methods for teaching Roughly 60 percent institutions have traditional teaching methods where teachers write answers of ques tions on the board and students copy they are not encouraged to search out the answers from the textbook so that they can develop their reading skills, writing skills and presentation skills Besides, teachers’ behaviour is found rude or inappropriate due to some reasons such as in competence, communication gap and incapabil ity to create learning environment Incompetent in terms of knowledge or teaching style teachers cannot assimilate the mental capacities of stu dents so become inapt to educate them Also, the communication gap between teachers and stu dents is a matter of concern Sometimes teachers cannot communicate appropriately to the stu dents and rest of the time students And, they remain unable to create a learning environment due to reasons like too much strength of students in one classroom whereas according to the America’s National Education Association the ideal classroom strength is 15 students A size of 30 40 students in a classroom is also considered a normal size But, in our schools the strength exceeds 100 or 50 at least, and it is impossible for a teacher to pay one on one attention to students Consequently, they cannot learn attentively, only students with much effort manage to learn somewhat Also, old and traditional teaching methods jade students to learn without any creative or fun based activity For these reasons, students learning capabil ities are adversely impacted they are discovered to be unmotivated to study Herbart verbalised that a student s interests influence learning outcomes In the case of an unmotivated and jaded student he cannot perform extraordinarily and will remain dull and uncreative As a consequence, he experi ences stress as well For stress a study was con ducted to gauge what kind of students can tackle this properly the study showed that students with the big five personality traits managed to control stress well and secure better grades the big five personality trait models consist of agreeableness, conscientiousness extraversion openness to ex perience, and emotional stability thirdly, poor supervision also contributes to the ebbing standard of education Supervision can be of parents, institute administration, and teach ers Institute administration and teachers are rarely held accountable for their performance at the institute, and they are sometimes unsupportive of students Aside from that, a large number of parents pay little or no attention to their children’s performance and rarely visit school to inquire about their children’s performance However, Lev Vygotsky in his theory of zone of proximal de velopment, mentions that students with support and cooperation can perform better in comparison with students who are not supported or aided Lastly, the faulty examination system con tributes to declining standards too In Pakistan, the purpose behind examinations is to assess the memory of students rather than their intelli gence So, crammers secure good marks and in telligent students cannot perform well in memorizing long answers In the end, crammers’ knowledge does not contribute to their well being even Also we have a school based exam ination system which does not pave way for better results And, a professor in South Africa had well said that Collapsing any nation does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long range missiles It only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations ” In interiors of the country, especially in Sindh and Balochistan, copying in board examination is common to counter educational issues, not only schools but also parents have to contribute to make a practical and applied syllabus the gov ernment should compare it to the international level and train teachers as per international stan dard Also, parents must train their child for the big race Government and parents can follow Jean Piaget’s stages of cognitive development to train children from their childhood the model comprises four stages: 1) Sensorimotor, which lasts from birth to two years, in this stage a child learns through seeing, touching etc 2) preopera tional, which lasts from three years to seven years, at this stage a child engages in symbols and manipulates symbols So, they should be taught through symbols at this stage 3) Concrete operational, which lasts from eight to 11 years, at this stage the child thinks logically So, the syl labus must contain some lessons in which a child can learn logically 4) Formal operational, which lasts from 12 to adulthood, at this stage a child formulates hypotheses and systematically arrives at the answer of a question thereby, the syllabus should contain some lessons accordingly However some psychologists differ in opin ion saying that each child has different mental capacity by the time, that s why the government should ascertain a middle way to make syllabus with the addition of logical and critical thinking starting in 6 or 7 grade the government should focus on modern teaching methods for teachers and should con duct workshops for teachers teachers training is equally significant for ameliorating the edu cation system Besides, as per John Dewey’s words, schools should focus on students rather than on subjects Schools should teach as per the learn ing capacity of a student, not as per the subject constraints Similarly parents should set expec tations based on the student’s ability and con tinue to encourage them so that they can find motivation to learn the government should also pay attention to the examination standards of the schools Exam papers should be free of errors and encouraging for students teachers must be taught regarding preparing question papers and additional check ing is essential by the examination head the government should take constructive measures to control copying in examinations the government should take concrete meas ures to resolve issues of a démodé syllabus, un trained teachers, poor supervision, and the poor examination system so that our students can take an active part in the international arena of edu cation and can successfully outsmart their coun terparts
Woes of Middle Class
AlI ZubAIr
By merely relying on rooftop solar panels, we cannot increase the share of renewables to 30pc by 2030, as advised by the World Bank We should have moved quickly towards solarisation on a bulk scale particularly when recently its prices have come down internationally
I L L I O N
CORRUPTION IN THE POWER SECTOR: in March 2022, the government celebrated its success in extending electricity coverage to the entire country This however, came at a high price The associated increase in electricity generation was largely due to the establishment of Quick Rental Power Plants (QRPPs) in the private sector in 2009, it was said that these units were stopgap measures until a compre hensive long term solution was found increasingly though, these units have become the mainstay of electric ity generation, and not without suspicious beneficiaries in the past decade, the power sector received huge subsidies between 2010 and 2021, the Power devel opment Board received 7 1 billion dollars, while the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation received three billion dollars between 2010 and 2015 notably, this occurred while the prices of electricity and fuel hiked for con sumers Furthermore, the capacity charge provisions in cluded in the contracts with independent Power Producers, Rental Power Plants, and QRPPs force the government to pay these companies even when they did not provide any electricity These units are owned by companies connected to the government who are milking the system to their benefit in the past decade, twelve companies received 5 5 billion dollars as capacity charges additionally, the government has signed agreements with indian energy company adani which would require Bangladesh to pay annually 423 29 million dollars and 11 01 billion dollars over its lifetime of twenty five years as capacity for its energy supply
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WHAT, THEN, PROMPTED BANGLADESH’S ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRISIS? External factors notwithstanding, four domestic areas tied to gov ernment policies can be identified as sources of the pres ent crisis: n High cost of infrastructure projects, often described as “mega projects” n Crisis in the banking sector due to widespread de fault of loans n Waste of resources in the energy sector n Capital flight UNSUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE SPEND ING: Since coming to power in 2009 the Hasina gov ernment has undertaken several large infrastructure projects funded by various countries and multilateral agencies These projects include the Padma Bridge, a nu clear power plant in Rooppur, dhaka City Metro Rail, and Karnaphuli Tunnel, to name a few Padma Bridge, one of the largest projects in the country, cost about 3 6 billion dollars, which was previously estimated to be 1 16 billion in 2007 The ambitious nuclear power plant is costing Bangladesh 12 65 billion dollars, and the actual amount to be spent will not be known until it is commis sioned The Metro Rail project ballooned to 3 3 billion dollars from its original estimate of 2 1 billion The cost of the underwater Karnaphuli Tunnel reached 1 03 billion dollars, though originally estimated at 803 million Unfortunately these are not exceptions but patterns in 2017, the World Bank noted that the cost of road con struction in Bangladesh was the highest in the world The cost overrun is largely because of overpricing of materi als, corruption, and long delays
t H E international Monetary Fund (iMF) s will ingness to support Bangladesh’s request for a 4 5 billion dollar bailout package over the next three years confirms that the country s econ omy is facing a serious crisis it is the third country in the region, after Sri Lanka and Pakistan that knocked on the door of the iMF in re cent months While the economic crises in Pakistan and Sri Lanka were widely reported in international media, Bangladesh s situation flew under the radar for quite some time thanks to the government’s repeated denial of any impending crisis Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina s government for years touted the economic success of the country and recently celebrated the opening of Bangladesh’s largest bridge as a symbol of its self reliance
m o d i ’ s d a m a g i n g d o m i n a n c e
The government claims that its request for “budget support,” an unrestricted loan with low interest which al lows it to use the money as it wishes is a preemptive measure and that the economy is not, in fact, in trouble This could not be further from the truth
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W H I L E H I S S U CC E S S I N A M A S S I N G P O L I T I C A L P O W E R I S U N Q U E S T I O N A B L E, H I S A B I L I T Y TO U S E I T F O R T H E B E N E F I T O F T H E VA S T M A J O R I T Y O F C I T I Z E N S R E M A I N S V E RY M U C H I N D O U B T Bangl
THE JOURNEY CAN TELL US WHERE THE SOLUTION LIES : dhaka would like everyone to be lieve that the economic slowdown from the COVid 19 pandemic and the global impact of the Ukraine Russia war are to be blamed for its current plight but this only tells part of the story The following statistics paint a far more worrisome picture: n Bangladesh received at least 1 7 billion dollars in loans from multilateral agencies by June 2020, and by October 2021 it had borrowed at least three bil lion dollars from development partners as budget support to combat the adverse impacts of the pan demic n it is reported that budget support received from var ious multilateral agencies between 2019 2020 and 2021 2022 amounted to 5 8 billion dollars n dhaka received 732 million dollars from the iMF as a balance of payment support and 1 4 billion dollars from the World Bank to implement the countrywide vaccination program n it obtained sixty one million doses of COVid 19 vaccines from the United States, free of cost n The government also offered various stimulus pack ages and repeatedly claimed that its economy not only turned around, but was on the road to a dra matic recovery with such optimism echoed by the World Bank This information reveals two things that the fallout from the pandemic should have been addressed in the past year with significant support from external sources, and that the government has been taking loans in recent years despite claims of robust economic growth
LOAN DEFAULTS AND BANKING MALPRACTICE: in addition, the banking sector, which has been in the news for quite some time, is crippled by large scams and non performing loans in 2019 when the Central Bank claimed that the total amount of defaulted loans was 11 11 billion dollars, the iMF disputed this, saying that the true amount is more than double The current offi cial figure has been questioned by many on several grounds, however There is an explanation for this discrepancy bad loans can be easily manipulated and hidden through write offs and changing the official definition of “bad loans to skirt regulations in simple words the Central Bank is alleged to have “cooked the books,” both in hopes of providing a rosy but inaccurate picture, as well as to benefit the incumbent and her inner circle Corrup tion watchdog Transparency international Bangladesh said that “immense political pressure and illegal inter vention by some large business groups are the causes of an unabated increase in loan defaults This is not a new phenomenon, and though experts have been warning of such a situation for years the Cen tral Bank has not taken effective steps, instead changing policies to help the loan defaulters
we get
Furthermore, considering that ongoing austerity measures including power cuts, restricted use of foreign currency, and fuel rationing are yet to make any major dent in the crisis, the government’s claim that the coun try will weather shrinking foreign exchange reserves, a growing trade deficit, record inflation, daily depreciation of the local currency, and an intense energy crisis is doubtful as the iMF and other multilateral agencies open their purses to Bangladesh, it is also imperative to understand how the country arrived here
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atlantic council A l I R I A z
A S R A M PA N T CO R R U P T I O N A L LO W E D A S M A L L G R O U P O F P E O P L E TO A M A S S L A R G E S U M S O F M O N E Y, B A N G L A D E S H W I T N E S S E D W I D E S P R E A D M O N E Y L AU N D E R I N G I N 2019, W H E N T H E C E N T R A L B A N K C L A I M E D T H AT T H E TOTA L A M O U N T O F D E FAU LT E D LOA N S WAS 11.11
HUGE FINANCIAL WOES: dhaka’s search for finan cial support is not limited to the iMF Besides requesting from the World Bank a one billion dollar loan, an estimated 2 5 three billion dollars have been solicited from several multilateral agencies and donor nations (such as the Japan international Cooperation agency, or JiCa) just this year
how
CAPITAL FLIGHT: in the past decade, as rampant cor ruption allowed a small group of people to amass large sums of money, Bangladesh witnessed widespread money laundering according to watchdog Global Finan cial integrity Between 2009 and 2018 annually 8 27 bil lion dollars was siphoned through mis invoicing of the values of import export goods The growth of deposits by Bangladeshis in Swiss banks in the past decade is in dicative of capital flight in 2021, it increased by 55 1 per cent, reaching 871 million Francs (912 million dollars) While these factors have contributed immensely to the unprecedented crisis Bangladesh is facing, i am neither suggesting that there are no other reasons, nor implying that they are mutually exclusive instead these areas are intrinsically connected to the incumbent’s development policies and ideology Therefore, Bangladesh’s pathway to the current economic crisis leading to its arrival at the doorstep of the iMF did not result solely from the pan demic and the Ukraine crisis instead, it was paved by the economic policies of the Hasina government and an un accountable system of governance of the past decade Two consecutive fraudulent national elections, held in 2014 and 2018 have created a de facto one party sys tem with no checks and balances as international lenders such as the iMF negotiate more loans for the current gov ernment donors should understand that throwing more money at dhaka will not bring an end to the crisis a bailout will only act as a bandaid it may stop the bleeding for the moment but there is no guarantee that it will magically solve the crisis without reforming an economic system tied deeply to the regime’s self inter ested political vision
Dr Ali Riaz is a non resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council s South Asia Center B D L A R S, T H E I M F D I S P U T D T S AYI AT U U O R T H A D O U B L E Pr oject Syndicate S H A S H I T H A R O O R i n d i a n Prime Minister narendra Modi recently completed eight years in office and as india ap proaches the 75th anniversary of its independence, his formidable electoral clout makes him look near invincible But his personalized style of pol icymaking remains impulsive and idiosyncratic with calamitous consequences for india’s governance in May for example Modi s government announced that india would “feed the world” by exporting more wheat as the war in Ukraine disrupted global supplies, before abruptly imposing an export ban and partly re versing it a few days later and his administration’s plan to replace guaranteed long term employment with pen sions for new military recruits with four year contracts has ignited protests by young people across the country These decisions illustrate not only Modi’s remark able dominance of india s fractious politics, but also his over centralization of power Modi runs a parliamentary system in a presidential style, giving indians the worst of both worlds: a powerful executive unfettered by an independent legislature Consider the Modi government’s most dramatic de cisions to date: the overnight demonetization in 2016 of 86% of india’s currency in circulation, the draconian total lockdown of the country in response to the incipient COVid 19 pandemic, and the surgical strikes across the Line of Control between india and Pakistan all three decisions were taken by Modi himself and a handful of unelected advisers and not as one would expect in a par liamentary system, by the cabinet The same was true of the government s imposition of three highly unpopular farm reform laws its revocation of indian Occupied Kashmir’s autonomy, and its decision to launch and then suspend a campaign to create a national Register of Citizens in each case there was no legislative input, not even from those MPs entrusted with formal min isterial authority nor was there any consultation with state governments though india has a federal system a secretive modus operandi, involving what former United nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali once called “stealth and sudden violence ” appears to be a hallmark of Modi’s leadership style Since his time as chief minister of Gujarat, when he reputedly bypassed his cabi net and worked entirely with a trusted group of unelected officials, he has shown more faith in bureaucrats than in politicians none of the usual constraints of a parliamentary system inhibit Modi He has a solid majority in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of india’s parliament, and thus does not need to waste time on legislative deal making His cab inet meetings are said to be exercises in one way commu nication and top down decisions Ministers make presentations and proposals on demand and never chal lenge the prime minister s position The few token cabinet ministers from allied parties have little authority and know that they are dispensable, since Modi does not depend on them to maintain control of parliament This might be manageable if Modi were at his desk nonstop, but he spends a large share of his time traveling as prime minister he has so far visited over 60 countries and countless destinations in india, the latter almost en tirely in campaign mode Modi has discovered that his position gives him a bully pulpit to preach to the coun try and he exercises his considerable oratorical skills more often in foreign assemblies than in the Lok Sabha in fact, Modi displays a thinly veiled contempt for the legislative fray as he demonstrated in Gujarat he values his legislative majority only insofar as it enables and legitimizes his executive power Otherwise, he has no need for the legislature except for the unavoidable task of passing budgets and approving laws The number of parliamentary meetings had declined precipitously under Modi even before the pandemic led to entire sessions being truncated When the Lok Sabha does meet, bills are frequently passed in minutes, without the scrutiny of a parliamentary committee or serious de bate Modi’s railroading of parliament makes the case for a genuine presidential system amply clear: never has a separation of powers between india’s executive and legislative branches been more necessary than it is today Parliament is not the only institution that Modi s government has undermined On taking office in 2014 Modi promised “minimum government, maximum gov ernance ” But he has delivered the opposite: a level of government control that many regard as authoritarian the centralization of decision making to a degree that disempowers ministries, and an administrative style that reflects his own outsize personality Many have accused the Modi government of subverting institutions like the Reserve Bank of india, the Election Commission, the Central Bureau of investigation and the judiciary and of trying to emasculate the media through various attacks on freedom of speech and expression Modi s formula resembles Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Besides authoritarian tendencies, it emphasizes religious identity and the marginalization of minorities, demonization of secular cosmopolitanism, and hyper nationalism all of this is enabled by the larger than life image of the man who gets things done Modi may have wished to reshape india in the way that Erdoğan has transformed Turkey But, whereas Erdoğan s initial success was based on strong economic growth Modi has mismanaged india’s economy His dis astrous demonetization has knocked over two percentage points off GdP growth, and he has presided over some of the highest levels of unemployment and the lowest labor force participation rate ever recorded in india More recently, he has been unable to control surging inflation as india turns 75 and Modi begins his ninth year as prime minister, his popularity remains high, the electoral machine at his service formidable, the opposition di vided and his zealots ready to march His success in amassing political power is unquestionable But his abil ity to use it for the benefit of the vast majority of indians remains very much in doubt
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Fr day, 12 August 2022 08 WORLD VIEW
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Shashi Tharoor, a former UN under secretary general and former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Human Resource Development, is an MP for the Indian National Congress He is the author most recently of Pride Prejudice and Punditry: The Essential Shashi Tharoor (Aleph Book Company, 2021) adesh’s economic crisis: did here?
The Pakistan Navy on Wednesday saved nine crew members of an Indian vessel after it drowned in the Arabian Sea near Gwadar, according to the Di rector General Public Relations The ship namely “Jamna Sagar” sunk with 10 crew members aboard on Tuesday (August 9), the navy spokesperson said in a statement The navy immediately responded to the distress call and the Pakistan Maritime Information Centre re quested a nearby merchant ship ‘MT KRUIBEKE to provide necessary as sistance to the stranded crew of the drowning sailing vessel,” the spokesman said “The merchant ship eventually re covered nine crew members and con tinued voyage to its next port Dubai and onward disembarked the crew Separately the statement said that one Pakistan Navy ship, along with two helicopters, reached the area and located the dead body of one crew member who had gone missing when the vessel drowned His body was recovered and handed over to Pakistan Maritime Se curity Agency (PMSA) authorities for further proceedings it added
sBP ranks Bank alfalah as No. 1 primar y dealer for f y 2021-2022
Speaking at the occasion, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary Addi tional Secretary MOFEPT said “The 04 OTT educational channels will be completely free of cost so that the educational material is ac cessible to students from all socioe conomic backgrounds without any need for a subscription This step will play a significant role in the socioeconomic development of the country Moreover, the initiative furthers MOFEPT’s continuous en deavor to foster social good for the people of Pakistan”
The sources said that the Peshawar mayor has raised an objection to keeping just Rs50 million for the Mayor while Rs1 78 billion for Director General Capital Metropolitan The mayor was of the view that only local government representatives are authorized to use the funds and civil servants has no right to utilise public funds There has been a deadlock over the allocation of funds for the past several weeks due to which the budget preparation process has been suspended The office affairs have also come to a standstill because of the non approval of the budget even after July The delay may create a number of technical issues while there is also a fear that the Capital Metropolitan would also face a severe financial crisis Islamabad P r e s s r e l e a s e Seminar on “Pakistan and the Changing Power Dynamics in the Indian Ocean” was organized by the Indian Ocean Study Centre, at National Institute of Maritime Af fairs, Islamabad in collaboration with the Institute of Regional Stud ies Eminent speakers: Dr Huma Naz Baqai, former Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi, Dr Anjum Sar fraz R/Adm (Retd) Farrokh Ahmad shared their intellectual insights V/Adm Abdul Aleem, DG NIMA welcomed all the worthy speakers & participants and high lighted the significance of the sem inar regarding the Indian Ocean and its future dynamics Dr Huma delivered an analy sis of the significance of the In dian Ocean She identified that IO is for our children and grandchil dren Former Ambassador Nagh mana stated that the Indian Ocean will be the next battleground and to combat this battle, a stronger navy should be built Dr Anjum said the acquisition of nuclear sub marines by Australia (AUKUS) will result in the proliferation of nuclear submarines, it is likely to be followed by other countries which will enhance nuclearization of the Indian Ocean President IRS Ambassador Nadeem Riaz while concluding the session stated that re conceptual ization of evolving security, eco nomic, and environmental trends is necessary to envisage the prospects of conflict and cooperation in the Indian Ocean Exper ts underscore significance of Pakistan Nav y ’s role in changing power dynamics in Indian O cean
Pakistan Nav y resc ues 9 crew members of sinking Indian vessel near Gwadar
09 Business 12 August 2022_Layout 1 8/11/2022 11:06 PM Page 1
adamjee life wins brand of year 2021 award
Adamjee Life Assurance Limited, one of the leading life insurance companies in Pakistan, is honored to win the accolade ‘Brands of The Year Awards’ in the category of Emerging Brand of The Year Award by The Brands Foundation This is a great recognition for Adamjee Life to its recently evolved company philosophy that sets a direction for being a customer centric, financially strong company that is driven by an objective to be the most trusted insurance partner This award is also a testament to Adamjee Life s proven record of creating shared value for the customers and stakeholders With their sprinted commitment towards excellence, Adamjee Life Assurance has grown to become one of the fastest growing private life insurance companies recognized for its unparalleled services that helped propel the company as an insurer of choice with a strong financial acumen and strength that is endorsed by an Insurer Financial Strength rating of AA+ (Outlook: Stable) Adamjee Life has been a key market player that is committed to building on to the brand and providing comprehensive accessible and affordable insurance plans to meet the diverse needs of individuals and corporations through different stages of their life Police to celebrate 75th Independence day celebrations across countr y l l o w i n g d i r e c t i o n s o f M i n i s t e r f o r I n t e r i o r t o c e l e b ra t e t h e e ve n t i n a b e f i t t i n g m a n n e r T h e s p e c i a l t r o o p s f r o m P u n j a b a n d K hy b e r Pa k h t u n k h wa w e r e a r r i ve d a t I s l a m a b a d t o c o n d u c t a f l a g m a r c h a t p u b l i c p l a c e s T h e b a n d s o f a l l p r o v i n c e s w i l l p l a y n a t i o n a l s o n g s d u r i n g t h e M a r c h i n m a n i f e s t a t i o n o f p r o v i n c i a l h a r m o ny a n d n a t i o n a l u n i t y P r e s s r e l e a s e housing Minister for early completion of Pha’s Kuchlak road project
The Local Government Department sources said that not only Peshawar is having difficulty in the funds allocations to the LG elected representatives but the elected representatives in the entire province is unable to make an effective funds allocations
GWadaR s ta f f r e P o r t
IWMB seeks cour t permission to withdraw statement about Naval Golf Course staff REPoRt The IWMB requested the court to grant per mission for withdrawing its statement about Naval Golf Course on Thursday The Islam abad High Court (IHC) clubbed a miscella neous petition of Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) with the main case about Naval Golf Course A two judge bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz heard the miscellaneous petition of IWLMB filed through its lawyer Danial Hassan Advocate The lawyer adopted the stance that the IWMB had submitted the statement regarding no ob jection over opening of the Naval Golf Course’ after the short order issued by the sin gle member bench He added that the court in its detailed order had granted permission for temporary opening of the golf course on the basis of the statement of IWMB The lawyer prayed the court that his client department wanted to withdraw its statement regarding no objection over opening of the golf course The court clubbed the petition with the main case and fixed its for hearing together Motor way Police enforces mandator y helmet , back view mirror for riders ISLAMABAD: Under the direction of In spector General Khalid Mahmood National Highways and Motorway Police has begun enforcement over commuters riding motor bikes without helmet and back view mirrors So far, over 25,000 motorbikes have been im pounded across all the national highways Concurrently, National Highways and Motor way Police officers have conducted safety briefings and distributed helmets on select highways to enhance road safety awareness These initiatives are a part of NHMP’s ‘#NoMore’ campaign that has seen deploy ment of technological innovations and a strict enforcement regime National Highways and Motorway Police remains committed to serv ing Pakistan through equal enforcement of the law and improving the safety of commuters on all national highways and motorways P r Islamabad a P P Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT) and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) signed an agreement for the provision of 04 educational OTT channels in order to deliver educational content to students across the country, at a ceremony in Islamabad on Thurs day The channels will boost acces sibility to quality educational content to foster learning and growth amongst students of differ ent age groups Minister of Federal Education & Professional Training Rana Tan veer Hussain was the Chief Guest at the occasion Federal Secretary MOFEPT Aamir Ashraf Khawaja and Federal Secretary IT, Mohsin Mushtaq also attended the event Contract was signed by Additional Secretary (MOFEPT), Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary and Group Chief Business Solutions Officer (PTCL & Ufone), Zarrar Hasham Khan Under the agreement, PTCL will provide 04 channels to the MOFEPT on its OTT Smart TV platform to deliver educational con tent for live viewing and download ing to students throughout the coun try The digital channels will be available free of cost nationwide The initiative will help MOFEPT in taking a stride toward digitalization of the education system for greater efficiency and improved learning During the ceremony, Rana Tanveer Hussain Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training said, “The arrangement with PTCL is an important step to ward the digitalization of Pak istan’s educational system based on the latest learning and tutoring techniques We believe the time is ripe for such interventions because there is nationwide penetration of smartphones and speedy internet even across remote regions We are glad to have found a collabo rative partner in PTCL that shares our vision for such a ground breaking initiative for the ad vancement of learning in society Digitalization is the future and we will explore the opportunities for enhancing the scope and reach of this initiative for a sustainable and deeper impact”
I S L A M A B A D : I s l a m a b a d Po l i c e h a s i nv i t e d t h e Po l i c e o f o t h e r p r o v i n c e s t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e 7 5 t h i n d e p e n d e n c e d a y c e l e b ra t i o n s t o b e c o m m e n c e d f r o m A u g u s t 1 3 A n i nv i t a t i o n l e t t e r wa s w r i t t e n i n t h a t r e g a r d f o
KaRacHI P r e s s r e l e a s e Bank Alfalah Limited is pleased to announce that it has been ranked as No 1 Primary Dealer for government securities by the State Bank of Pakistan (“SBP”) for fiscal year 2021 2022 By achieving this huge milestone, the Bank has cemented its place in the banking industry of Pakistan as the best market maker and liquidity provider, which would not have been possible without the endless support from all our valued clients and internal business partners Bank Alfalah strives to continue to offer the best of its service to customers across its wide network spread nationwide, while maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with all its stakeholders
PEsHaWaR a z i z B u n e r i T he budget for the largest Local Govern ment (LG) capital metropolitan govern ment is marred by infightings and confrontation among Elected Representa tives and LG Department officials over fund allocation The proposed budget for the Pe shawar Capital Metropolitan Government couldn’t be tabled after Rs1 78 billion was allocated to di rector general of the LG Department and only Rs50 million were set aside for the mayor According to sources in the Peshawar Capital Metropolitan Government the budget preparation process was started several weeks ago, but, there has been no consensus between the Director General and the Peshawar Mayor on funds allocations
I N f I G h T I N G s N a G f u N d a l lo C aT I o N f o r lG B u d G eT s
09NEWS Fr day 12 August 2022 | K AR ACHI CORPORATE CORNER
Educ ation Ministr y, PTCL sign contrac t for four educ ational channels on PTCL S mar t T V
QUETTA: Maulana Abdul Wassey, Federal Minister, Ministry of Housing and Works and Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works visited Quetta Kuchlak Road Project of Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF) During the visit, both dignitaries were apprised about the construction of apartments at the site Maulana Abdul Wassey, showed his keen interest in the project and directed PHA to complete the project as soon as possible Minister expressed satisfaction over the pace of the work and said that this project will benefit government employees of Baluchistan and will provide shelter to the employees who don’t possess their owan residence Housing Minister also said that more beneficial housing projects will be started in Baluchistan to facilitate government employees and general public Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works said that interest of allottees in this project is quite appreciating which also shows that provincial employees were in dire need of projects like these He assures all the allottees that their interest will be look after by the ministry and no delaying tactics will be tolerated and project will be delivered on stipulated time I N K h y B e r Pa K T u N K h W a
Former Congress Pres ident Rahul Gandhi has said that ration card holders were being forced to buy the national flag by the shopkeepers and ac cused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of selling “nationalism” and hurting the poor ’s self respect In a Facebook post in Hindi Gandhi said tricolour is our pride and it resides in every Indian’s heart “Nationalism can never be sold It is Gandhi stated Along with the tricolour the BJP government is also attacking the self respect of the poor of our country Gandhi said as he shared a video purportedly showing some ration card holders complaining about being forced to pay Rs20 to buy the flag hinduTVa goons aTTaCk muharram proCes
i v e a n d r e s p o n s i b l e m a n n e r p a r t i c i p a t e d i n i t s
Many conservative Afghan clerics particularly among the Taliban are scep tical of more modern education, apart from subjects than can be applied practically such as engineering or medicine The world is evolving, we need tech nology and development ” said Jalali who planted bombs for five years but is now among a dozen Taliban studying computers at the transport ministry ‘moTiVaTed mujahideen’
China Wednesday delayed a proposal by the United States and India seeking to sanction a top Jaish e Mohammad (JeM) commander at the UN Security Council, diplomats said India and the United States wanted Abdul Rauf Azhar to be subjected to a global travel ban and asset freeze Such a move has to be agreed by all 15 mem bers of a Security Council sanctions committee “We placed a hold because we need more time to study the case Placing holds is provided for by the Committee guidelines and there have been quite a number of similar holds by Committee members on listing requests,” a spokesperson for China s mission to the United Nations said The US Treasury designated Azhar in 2010, ac cusing him of urging Pakistanis to engage in militant activities and organise suicide attacks in India The United States respects other countries’ needs to verify that a sanctions proposal meets their domestic evidentiary threshold to justify a listing at the UN,” a spokesperson for the US mission to the United Nations said on Wednesday The United States values cooperation with our Security Council partners to effectively use this tool in an apolitical way to stop terrorists from exploiting the global order to do their misdeeds, the spokesperson said China asks media To refrain from speCulaTing on unsC 1267 CommiT Tee: A Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson on Thursday asked the relevant media to refrain from making groundless speculations about its de cision to delay a proposal by the United States and India at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1267 Committee “China has always strictly followed the rules and procedures of the committee and in construc t w o r k a n d h o p e d o t h e r m e m b e r s w i l l a l s o d o t h e s a m e C h i n e s e F o r e i g n M i n i s t r y S p o k e s p e r s o n Wang Wenbin said while defending China’s deci sion during his regular briefing He said that the committee had clear provisions about shadowing a n d r e l a t e d p r o c e d u r e s a b o u t t e r r o r i s t o rg a n i z a tions and officials R e s p o n d i n g t o a q u e s t i o n h e s a i d t h a t C h i n a h a d a v e r y c l e a r p o s i t i o n o n t h i s a n d s a i d , “ We n e e d m o r e t i m e t o a s s e s s t h e a p p l i c a t i o n t o t h i s i n d i v i d u a l The spokesperson hoped the relevant media would refrain from making groundless speculations India and the United States Want Abdul Rauf Azhar to be subjected to a global travel ban and asset freeze The move has to be agreed by all 15 members of a Security Council sanction committee Alleged British IS ‘Beatle’ arrested on return to UK: media LONDON A F P A British man accused of being part of an Islamic State (IS) kidnap and murder cell known as the Beatles was arrested on his return to the UK on Wednesday reports said Aine Davis, 38, was arrested after landing at Luton airport on a flight from Turkey, where he had been serv ing a prison sentence for terrorism offences according to BBC News and other UK outlets He was allegedly a member of the IS cell, which held dozens of foreign hostages in Syria between 2012 and 2015 and was known to their captives as the “Beatles” because of their British accents The Metropolitan Police, which leads anti terror investigations in the UK said in a statement that officers had arrested a man at Luton airport But the London force, which does not name suspects until they are charged with a crime did not name the person being held “The 38 year old man was arrested this evening after he arrived in the UK on a flight from Turkey,” the statement said The Met added he was arrested under several differ ent sections of British anti terrorism laws and taken to a south London police station “where he currently remains in police custody The interior ministry said in a state ment that a British national had been deported from Turkey to the UK “It would be inappropriate to comment further while police enquiries are ongoing it added Two convicted in US The four members of the “Beatles” are accused of abducting at least 27 journalists and relief workers from the United States Britain Europe New Zealand, Russia and Japan
broader cooperation and closer interac tions that have brought tangible benefits to people across the strait, especially in Taiwan, said the white paper For instance, the volume of cross strait trade rose to $328 34 billion in 2021 from $46 million in 1978 up by a factor of more than 7,000 The main land has been Taiwan s largest export market for the last 21 years and is also the largest destination for Taiwan’s off island investment The white paper also stated that the basic principles for resolving the Tai wan question and the best approach to realizing national reunification are peaceful reunification and “One Coun try, Two Systems The CPC has reiter ated its firm upholding of these principles despite the recent provoca tions made by Taiwan authorities as well as certain politicians in the United States, Xin Ge, an associate professor at the School of Public Economics and Administration of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, said in an opinion story on CGTN
the white paper is the third authoritative document China has issued on the Tai wan question The first two were in Au gust 1993 and February 2000, respectively The latest white paper comes amid high tensions across the Taiwan Straits in the wake of U S House Speaker Nancy Pelosi s provocative visit to the Taiwan region disregarding China’s strong opposition and serious represen tations Taiwan is parT of China: an indispuTable faCT: The five part white paper begins by reaffirming the fact that “Taiwan is part of China” as “indisputable ” The statement that Taiwan has be longed to China since ancient times has a sound basis in history and jurispru dence, said the white paper, citing a number of historical records and annals The UN General Assembly Resolu tion 2758 is a political document encap sulating the one China principle whose legal authority leaves no room for doubt and is acknowledged worldwide, the white paper explained It added that the one China princi ple represents the universal consensus of the international community and is consistent with the basic norms of inter national relations “We are one China and Taiwan is part of China,” read the white paper This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law ” It reiterated that Taiwan has never been a state, that its status as part of China is unalterable and warned that any attempt to distort these facts and dispute or deny the one China principle will end in failure reunifiCaTion: a proCess ThaT CannoT be halTed: The white paper also gave a comprehensive summary of the CPC’s resolute efforts, major achievements and precious expe rience in promoting China’s complete reunification Under the guidance of the CPC, great progress has been made in cross strait relations over the past seven decades, with increased exchanges,
KABUL A F P g UL Agha Jalali used to spend his nights planting bombs hoping to target an Afghan government soldier or, better still, a foreign serviceman These days the 23 year old Taliban member is studying English and has enrolled in a computer science course in the capital Kabul “When our country was occupied by in fidels, we needed bombs, mortars and guns, says Jalali an employee at the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Now there is a greater need for educa tion he told AFP Since the Taliban swept back to power in August last year, hundreds of fighters have returned to school either on their own or pushed by their commanders The word “Taliban” actually means “stu dents in Arabic and the hardline move ment’s name stems from the religious schools in southern Afghanistan it emerged from in the 1990s Most Taliban fighters were educated in these madrassas, where studies are largely limited to the Koran and other Islamic themes
China on Wednesday said achieving na tional reunification by peaceful means is the first choice of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government in resolving the Taiwan question in a newly issued white paper The approach “best serves the inter ests of the Chinese nation as a whole, including the compatriots in Taiwan and it works best for the long term sta bility and development of China, said the document Once peaceful reunification is achieved under One Country, Two Systems ” Taiwan will have a vast space for development and enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special admin istrative region said the white paper adding that peaceful cross strait reuni fication is also conducive to peace and development in the Asia Pacific and the wider world Titled The Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era ”
Shameful that ration card holders being forced to buy ‘Tiranga’: Rahul NEW DELHI Ag e n c e s
TA l I B A n f I g h T e R S S w A p A R m S f o R B o o KS A S h U n d R e d S R eT U R n T o S c h o o l
The de sire of fighters like Jalali to go back to school showed Afghans yearned for educa tion, government spokesman Bilal Karimi said Many motivated mujahideen who had not completed their studies reached out to educational institutions and are now study ing their favourite courses, he told AFP But education is a hugely problematic issue in the country, with secondary school girls barred from classes since the Taliban returned to power and no sign of them being allowed back despite promises from some in the leadership While the earlier curriculum largely re mains the same, studies on music and sculp ture have been scrapped at schools and universities, which are suffering a paucity of teachers and lecturers following an exodus of Afghanistan’s educated elite But some Taliban students, like Jalali, have big plans Kabul s Muslim Institute has a student body of around 3,000 half of them women and includes some 300 Taliban fighters many distinctive with their bushy beards and turbans On a recent tour, AFP saw one Taliban fighter retrieve a pistol from a locker room at the end of his lessons an incongruous sight in a pastel coloured room adorned with posters of smiling co ed students “When they arrive, they hand over their weapons They don’t use force or take ad vantage of their position said an institute official who asked not to be named desire To sTudy: Amanullah Mubariz was 18 when he joined the Taliban but never gave up his desire to study I applied to a university in India, but I failed my English test ” said Mubariz now 25, declining to reveal his current position in the Taliban That s why I enrolled here, he said referring to the Muslim Institute Mohammad Sabir, in contrast, is happy to admit he works for the Taliban s intelli gence agency despite also being a student at the private Dawat University I resumed my studies this year after the victory of the Islamic Emirate ” he says his long hair and eyes lined with traditional kohl eyeliner peeking out from beneath a white turban Like Jalali he paused his education to join the Taliban and also planted bombs and carried out ambushes with his brother in Wardak province All the Taliban students AFP spoke to said they wanted to use their education to help develop the country so how do they feel about girls being deprived of that oppor tunity? “Personally, as a young man, a stu dent and a member of the Emirate I think that they have the right to education,” said Mubariz They can serve our country the way we are doing ” “This country needs them as much as it needs us added Jalali
10 FOREIGN NEWS Friday 12 August 2022 K AR ACHI
sion: The Hindutva goons attacked and injured two Muslim youths during a Muharram procession in Indian state Karnatka The Hindutva group Ram Sene attacked and injured Tausif Hosmani (23) and Mushtaq Hosmani (24) during a Muharram procession in Gadag s Mallasamudra area of the state Tausif works in the billing section of a private industry while Mush taq is a college student Superintendent of Police (SP), Shiv prakash Devaraju said that the injuries of the two youth were deep and are currently being treated
Pe a c e f u l r e u n i f i c at i o n i s C h i n a ’s f i r s t c h o i c e i n r e s o l v i n g Ta i wa n q u e s t i o n : w h i t e p a p e r 10 Foreign 12 August 2022_Layout 1 8/11/2022 11:15 PM Page 1
China foil US, Indian bid to sanc tion JeM commander at UN
UNITED NATIONS Ag e n c i e s
BEIJING Ag e n c i e s
New Zealand relegated fly half Beauden Barrett to the bench for a Rugby Championship clash with South Africa on Saturday as they seek to end a disastrous run of results The All Blacks have lost five of their last six matches, heightening media speculation that coach Ian Foster is facing the sack if he does not quit Richie Mo unga comes in for Barrett in one of four changes to the starting line up that lost 26 10 to the Springboks last weekend for the second round match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg Mo unga was intro duced in the second half last Saturday and his pres ence led to a noticeable improvement by a team outplayed in the opening 40 minutes Barrett who in jured his neck late in the match after foul play by red carded South Africa wing Kurt Lee Arendse, has been included among the eight replacements There are three changes to the pack that began in Mbombela with props Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax promoted after making significant impacts when they came off the bench last weekend They replace loosehead George Bower, now a replacement, and tighthead Angus Ta avao who drops out of the matchday 23 for the showdown between old foes The other alteration is in the back row where Shannon Frizell, scorer of the only All Blacks try in Mbombela replaces Akira Ioane, who will start on the bench “Belief and confi dence remain high in our group, which is working in credibly hard this week said Foster who has lost nine of 25 matches in charge China cruises past Pakistan in volleyball tournament
Babar set to dethrone Root as top Test batter: Jayawardena
ISLAMABAD s tA F F R e P o R t
Fr day 12 August 2022 | KARACHI 11SPORTS
Tennis stars Aisam Ul Haq, Aqeel Khan hold ‘Tennis Talent Hunt’ trials in Peshawar
LAHORE s tA F F R e P o R t P A K I S TA N ’ S all formats skipper Babar Azam has said that his main target is not to make records but help his side strike victory in every given match Addressing a press conference here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday Babar Azam said: I am grateful to Allah Almighty for the feats I have been earning one after an other My main aim always remains to register victories for my team and this also helps in creating and break ing records Being a captain I don t have this aim to improve or make new records but to lead my side in an examplary way and contribute in such a way that may guide my team to score a victory in every game ”
ISLAMABAD W e b D e s k
NAKHON PATHOM X i n h uA China cruised past Pakistan with a 3 0 victory in the 2022 men’s Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup here on Thursday China began the contest strongly by taking a 3 0 lead in the opening set, which they went on to win 25 22 The Chinese team continued their good form in the second set, allowing head coach Wu Sheng to send in reserve players including Wang Bin, who joined the team after the FIVB Na tions League
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The youngest player on the Chinese team, Wang contributed several powerful spikes as China took the second set 25 17 Pakistan was un able to turn the tide despite China further rotating its line up, with China taking the last set 25 18 China is grouped with Bahrain, Pakistan and Iran In Thursday’s other match, Bahrain handed Iran its first loss in the tournament, winning 25 16, 25 19, 22 25, 25 18 China will face Iran on Friday
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New Zealand great Ross Taylor has revealed he was offended by race based remarks from team mates and staff in New Zealand dressing rooms during his career and said the country’s cricket board could do more to bring Polynesian talent into the sport Taylor, who has Samoan heritage on his mother ’s side, described in his book “Ross Taylor Black and White how he and other team mates endured insen sitive “banter” from white players “In many ways, dressing room banter is the barometer, wrote Taylor, who played his last inter national match in April “A team mate used to tell me, ‘You’re half a good guy, Ross, but which half is good? You don t know what I’m referring to ’ “I was pretty sure I did Other players also had to put up with comments that dwelt on their ethnicity In all probability a Pakeha (white New Zealander) listening to those sorts of comments would think, Oh, that s okay, it s just a bit of banter ’ “But he’s hearing it as white person, and it’s not directed at people like him So, there s no pushback; no one corrects them ” Taylor, New Zealand’s most prolific test batsman with 7,683 runs, said the episodes left him feeling conflicted “You wonder if you should pull them up but worry that you ll create a bigger problem or be ac cused of playing the race card by inflating harmless banter into racism,” the 38 year old said It s easier to develop a thick skin and let it slide, but is that the right thing to do?” He said former staff members had made clumsy comments that landed with a thud Let me be clear: I don t think for one minute that they were coming from a racist perspective,” he said “I think they were insensitive and lacked the imagination and empathy to put themselves in the other person’s shoes “Instead of the message being, ‘You’re one of us, mate it is in effect You re one of them More than 8% of New Zealand’s population iden tify as being of Pacific origin but Taylor is one of only a few Pasifika cricketers to reach the highest level in the country Elite rugby in New Zealand, however, is laden with talent from the Pasifika community Taylor said some Polynesian parents might be put off by the cost of cricket gear “But maybe New Zealand Cricket should be putting more resources into the Polynesian community because there must be more where I came from,” he wrote
Sri Lanka legend Mahela Jayawardena has used the latest episode of The ICC Review to declare which batter he thinks is best placed to overtake England’s Joe Root at the top of the ICC Test Batting Rankings Joe Root has been ruling the roost at the top of the Test batter rankings since June this year with the Englishman en joying a fine World Test Championship, and in a rich vein of form under new coach Brendon McCullum The former England captain has scored more runs than any other player since the turn of the decade and de servedly claimed the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year award in 2021 But Jayawardena knows how many world class batters are lining up to usurp Root at the top of proceedings and has nominated Pakistan captain Babar Azam as the player most likely to claim the top ranking in the future When host Sanjana Ganesan put Jayawardena on the spot during the latest episode of The ICC Review, the Sri Lankan great tipped Babar to dethrone Root at the top of the Test Rankings “Tough one!” Jayawardena ex claimed I would say Babar Azam has an opportunity He’s been consistent in all three formats and it shows in his rank ings He’s a naturally gifted player, plays in all conditions, he s got the game to adapt as well “It depends on the amount of cricket, who s playing when and how much but the Babar might be the guy ” Babar is the only player in the top three in the batters rankings in all three formats occupying the top spot in each of the white ball formats and currently ranked No 3 in Tests With his recent rise on the Test charts, Babar has been vocal about being the undisputed No 1 in all formats of the game and Jayawardena said the Pakistan skipper is capable of achieving the diffi cult feat “T20Is and ODIs, it is tough one to hold on to because there are a lot of good players who have to be consis tent,” Jayawardena said “As long as he can be that, because he has a very good role to play in that Pakistan setup they have batters to bat around him so he can play his own game he should be able to hold on to that and at the same time push himself to get better “He batted really well in Sri Lanka I think Prabath (Jayasuriya) was his nemesis he got him three times out of the four innings That was a very good battle to watch Babar got a really good hundred in the first Test match “He’s always going to push himself to get better Seen in a couple of his inter views recently that it is his goal as well to be No 1 across the table There s no harm in challenging yourself to get there “Being the captain as well, he has taken responsibility and performed, which is great to see (It’s) Not an easy thing to do “I would put my money on him at least for a little while to hold to all three but there are some good quality players around who will keep pushing him ” Jayawardena then went into detail when quizzed about what makes Babar such a special player, with the former Sri Lanka captain indicating he was most impressed by the amount of time the Pakistan skipper has while at the crease (I) think it is just the technique, the time that he has and the composure that he has out there in the middle,” Jayawar dena said in praise of Babar “He’s not rattled at any time whether he plays T20Is, ODIs or Tests, he adjusts quite brilliantly Joe (Root) in Test cricket is the same He knows what he needs to do, he can the tempo when he wants to, bats to what the conditions offer Babar has that same quality, so that’s why he’s been so consistent in all three formats ” The two stars will come face to face later this year when England tour Pak istan for a three match Test series in De cember
Pakistan’s tennis stars Aisam ul Haq and Aqeel Khan held two day Tennis Talent Hunt trials where youth belonging to age group of U12 to U18 took part at the Pakistan Tennis Club Peshawar on Thursday We have sweet memories of Peshawar and holding trials and witnessing stunning performances of the players from U12 to U18 were superb Aisam Ul Haq said adding, “The players including girls players exhib ited great enthusiasm and anticipation as far tennis talent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is concerned ” It was a good experience watching the talent at the grass roots level Aqeel Khan who is the most Davis Cup per and still holding the Pakistan No 1 slot from the last 22 years, said We have our trials and physical cum fitness tests were conducted earlier on the first day wherein players in the age group U16 and U18 appeared while on the second day opportunities were given to players in the age from U8 to U14,” Aqeel Khan said It is good that more than 53 play ers including two girls’ players’ 12 year old Mary ium and 16 year old Urooj Khan took part, Aqeel Khan informed Chairman of KP Tennis Association Professor Dr Muhammad Tahir, Secretary General Umar Ayaz Khalil, Trainer Shahid Afridi, coaches Zakirullah, Haroon Khan, Shaharyar Khan were also present On the second day 53 players including two girls players appeared in the tennis trials and with such exercises have been completed within our schedule of time in Peshawar, Aqeel said, adding, “The names of the selected probables would be an nounced soon after completing our trials in Lahore and Karachi Aisam Ul Haq said that qualified coaches and my own trainer would impart training and coaching with the players along with locally ap pointed trainers and coaches
Taylor rec alls racial discrimination in New Zealand cricket Mo’unga replaces Beauden Barrett as All Blacks change four JOHANNESBUR G A F P
TeAM viCTories, noT PersonAl reCords,
Regarding the selected team Pakistan captain said best possible side was selected as there is not enough time to change the team now The record breaking batsman of modern day cricket said that players should believe in their skills and tal ent and put up their best perform ance to contribute collective efforts to enhance teams performance “They (players) should do their best and play to their full potential However the results were not in their hands ” The captain was referring to his teams victory over India in the T20 World Cup, where he led by from the front as Pakistan beat their arch rivals in a mega event show down for the first time ever with a 10 wicket thrashing in a Super 12 blockbuster in October 2021 Babar said that all Pakistan vs India matches mount pressure on players as the Men in Green head to the Asia Cup where they will face their arch rivals “We always try to play it like a normal match but yes there is definitely different pressure on us,” the skipper said “There is pressure but we tried to keep our selves calm in the T20 World Cup and will definitely be aiming not to come under pressure he added Babar Azam and opening partner Mohammad Rizwan then returned to knock off the target with 13 balls to go and recorded Pakistan’s maiden win against India in a World Cup in their 13th attempt and appearance Replying to a query about pos sible changes to the squad, the skip per said that the players have been picked keeping the “best” interest of the team in mind “The selection committee has picked up the best squad and hopefully, it will be utilised in the best possible manner to produce good results Hopefully, every individual will perform and play his due role that will surely help us give the best results against the Netherlands as well as in the T20 Asia Cup To a question he said “Although veteran captains Muhammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik aren t in the side and we will miss them, but we have some good players in the ranks who will try to fill the void crested with the absence of these two experienced players There is dire need that both, our bats men and bowlers should perform in every match and also in the Asia Cup to make them (matches) remarkable through their best performances Pakistan will play a three match one day international (ODI) series in Amsterdam from August 16 21 and after that they will immediately de part for the ACC T20 Asia Cup S q u a d: Pakistan squad for ACC T20 Asia Cup: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice captain), Asif Ali Fakhar Zaman Haider Ali Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, and Usman Qadir Captain Babar Azam said that ODI matches are taking place after a long time new players will definitely be given a chance We are not taking any team lightly whatever the team is we have to play for Pakistan” Babar Azam said he is confident that everyone will perform well there is no pressure on the team, the players are working on their fitness MATTer To Me: BABAr A z AM
Finance ministr y postpones inter views for post of NBP President Islamabad S h a h z a d Pa r ac h a Ministry of Finance has postponed the inter views for the post of president/CEO of the Na tional Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Sources said that the government has grilled the high ups of the finance ministry for handpicking candidates for President NBP MoF has shortlisted some candidates who are over 62 years and as per the law, candidates upto 62 year age are eligible for the post of President NBP Sources said that the ministry of finance will reconsider the list of candidates as a pick and choose policy was adopted in selecting candidates Sources said that the finance minister should remain cau tious in matters relating to NBP as Ismail In dustries has reportedly obtained a hefty loan from the bank Earlier it emerged that finance minister Miftah Ismail selected 10 out of 40 candidates These candidates include Tahir Hassan Qureshi, Javed Kureishi, Hassan Raza, Khurshid Zafar, Tahir Yaqoob Bhatti, Farrukh Iqbal Khan Sultana Naheed Tariq Javed Ghumman, Muhammad Abdullah Ahmed and Imran Sarwar A seven member interview com mittee comprising the finance minister, State Minister for Finance and Revenue Ayesha Ghous Pasha finance secretary additional fi nance secretary Tariq Bajwa, Jehzaib Khan and Shahid Mahmood were supposed to conduct the interviews on August 13
Prayer timingS FA J R S U N R I S E Z U H R A S R M AG H R I B I S H A 4:43 6:05 12:37 5 14 7 09 8 30 Fr day, 12 August 2022 NEWS Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66 C 1st Floor 21st Commercial Street Phase II (Extension) DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn e Hassan Printing Press Hockey Stadium Karachi for PT Print (Pvt) Limited Ph: 021 35381208 9 Email: newsroom@pakistantoday com pk F I A s ummo Ns Q As I m s uRI , o T h ER P T I l EAdERs I N P Ro h I B I T Ed F uNdI Ng CAs E NEPRA approves Rs11 hike in KE’s per unite price as FCA for June 2022 KaRaCHI S ta f f r e P o r t N E P R A h a s a n n o u n c e d i t s d e c i s i o n o n K E l e c t r i c ’s ( K E ) p e t i t i o n f o r F C A f o r t h e m o n t h o f J u n e 2 0 2 2 A s p e r N E P R A’s d e c i s i o n , i t h a s a p p r o v e d a n F C A o f P K R 11 1 0 2 3 / k W h w h i c h w i l l b e s p r e a d o v e r c o n s u m e r b i l l s o f A u g u s t a n d S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2 W h i l e F C A i s n o r m a l l y a p p r o v e d f o r o n e m o n t h a n d a l s o a p p l i e d o n a s i n g l e m o n t h ’s b i l l , N E P R A h a s a l l o w e d t h e P K R 11 1 p e r u n i t c h a rg e t o b e s p l i t a c r o s s b i l l s o f 2 m o n t h s F o r u n i t s c o n s u m e d i n J u n e , c o n s u m e r s w i l l b e c h a rg e d P K R 3 0 1 p e r u n i t i n t h e m o n t h o f A u g u s t a n d P K R 8 0 9 p e r u n i t i n t h e m o n t h o f S e p t e m b e r H e s a i d u n p r e c e d e n t e d i n c r e a s e i n t h e p r i c e o f f u r n a c e o i l a n d R L N G i n t h e g l o b a l m a r k e t i s t h e p r i m a r y d r i v e r o f t h i s i n c r e a s e d F C A “ T h e p r i c e o f R L N G i n J u n e 2 0 2 2 i n c r e a s e d b y 5 0 % f r o m M a r c h 2 0 2 2 T h e p r i c e o f F u r n a c e O i l i n J u n e 2 0 2 2 i n c r e a s e d b y 4 2 % f r o m M a r c h 2 0 2 2 M e a n w h i l e , t h e p r i c e o f e l e c t r i c i t y f r o m C P PA G ( N a t i o n a l G r i d ) i n J u n e 2 0 2 2 i n c r e a s e d b y 7 4 % f r o m M a r c h 2 0 2 2 , ” h e a d d e d P e r s p o k e s p e r s o n , K E ’s M a c r o e c o n o m i c c o n d i t i o n s a r e c a u s i n g p r i c e s o f f u e l t o i n c r e a s e a s w e l l We a p p r e c i a t e N E P R A f o r t h e i r a p p r o v a l i n s p l i t t i n g t h e r e c o v e r y o f t h i s a m o u n t o v e r b i l l s o f 2 m o n t h s w h i c h e n a b l e s K E t o p a s s o n s o m e r e l i e f t o i t s c o n s u m e r s I t i s p e r t i n e n t t o m e n t i o n t h a t i f f u e l p r i c e s d e c r e a s e , a l l c o n s u m e r s a l s o r e c e i v e a b e n e f i t i n t h e i r b i l l s A m i d t h e s e u n p r e c e d e n t e d c i r c u m s t a n c e s , w e r e i t e r a t e o u r r e q u e s t t o c o n s u m e r s t o r e d u c e p e r s o n a l e n e rg y c o n s u m p t i o n b y a t l e a s t 2 0 p e r c e n t t o c o n s e r v e t h i s v a l u a b l e r e s o u r c e , ” h e c o n c l u d e d Islamabad S ta f f r e P o r t T HE Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday summoned former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri among four other PTI leaders to appear in person before the agency on Thursday in a case pertaining to the Election Com mission of Pakistan (ECP) order in prohibited funding case In a summon issued to the PTI leaders, the FIA’s Commercial Banking Circle sought the record of funds transferred to PTI Balochistan accounts between 2011 and 2013 The financial watchdog pointed out that Rs5 3 million were with drawn from the PTI accounts in the aforementioned three years out of total deposited Rs5 5m in the same period “The bank account where the money was transferred is regis tered in the name of Qasim Khan Suri and three other PTI leaders,” the agency said Responding to the FIA sum mon, PTI Balochistan spokesperson Asif Tareen quoted Suri as saying that he had received the FIA notice on Wednesday night, wherein the agency sought details of funds transferred to party’s account in Balochistan None of our leaders will ap pear before the FIA today as the Is lamabad High Court has already declared such notices unconstitu tional Suri claimed He added the money was de posited to official account of the PTI from 2011 to 2013 and the funds were used for party affairs “The funds were not sent to my personal account he clarified The FIA had on Aug 5 consti tuted a five member team to super vise inquiry teams of the agency s respective zones probing into the prohibited funding case Headed by its Director Muhammad Athar Wa heed, the monitoring team would be responsible for coordination with and guiding the respective inquiry teams in each zone The team was notified just a few days after a three member ECP bench in a unanimous verdict ruled that the PTI received prohibited funding from 351 foreign compa nies and 34 foreign nationals As per the notification, the probe is being conducted under Section 6 of the Political Parties Order 2002 In Karachi the agency had sum moned former Sindh governor Imran Ismail and MPA Dr Seema Zia Sources said the FIA has also sought details from two private banks where the party was operating four accounts which came under the radar after the ECP verdict All four accounts, they had said, were opened and operated in Karachi The prohibited funding case previously referred to as the foreign funding case was filed by PTI founding member Akbar S Babar and has been pending since Novem ber 14 2014 Babar, who is no longer associ ated with PTI, had alleged serious financial irregularities in the party s funding from Pakistan and abroad The PTI has, however, denied any wrongdoing and maintains the funding is not from prohibited sources
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In March 2018 a scrutiny com mittee was constituted to examine the PTI’s financing The committee submitted its re port on January 4, after 95 hearings and nearly four years
