Epaper_22-10-16 KHI

Pakistan hands Us envoy strong demarche over Biden’s ‘Uncalled-for’ remarks

g Pm Shehbaz SayS uS PreSident’S remarkS

incorrect, miSleading’

ISLAMABAD staff report

PakiStanon Saturday lodged a strong protest to the uS as the ministry of foreign affairs (mofa) handed a “strong” demarche to uS ambassador to Pakistan donald blome while Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said President biden’s remarks “factually incorrect and misleading”.

acting foreign Secretary Jauhar Saleem called in the uS ambassador to deliver the demarche, the ministry said, adding that Pakistan’s disappointment and concern were conveyed to the uS envoy over the unwarranted remarks.

the remarks, a statement from the ministry mentioned, were not based on ground reality or facts. the secretary made it clear that Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state and its impeccable stewardship of the nuclear program and adherence to global standards and international best practices was well acknowledged, including by the international atomic energy agency (iaea).

“it was essential to maintain the positive trajectory of Pakistan-uS relations and the close cooperation between the two sides to build regional and global peace,” the ministry added. the development comes after foreign minister bilawal bhutto-zardari and Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly protested against biden’s controver-

sial remarks.

g SayS PakiStan demonStrateS reSPonSible StewardShiP of itS nukeS

‘FActuAlly INcORREct ANd mISlEAdINg’: the prime minister, in a statement earlier today, said: “Pakistan rejects the remarks reportedly made by the uS President, which are factually incorrect and misleading.”

Pm Shehbaz said over the past decades, Pakistan has proven to be the most responsible nuclear state, wherein its nuclear programme is managed through a technically sound and foolproof command and control system.

he added that Pakistan has also consistently demonstrated responsible stewardship of its nuclear-weapons capability, marked by a very strong commitment to global standards, including those of the iaea on non-proliferation, safety, and security.

the prime minister said that the real threat to international peace and security is posed by ultranationalism, violation of human rights in regions that are struggling against illegal occupation, violation of global norms by some states, and repeated nuclear security incidents.

arms race among leading nuclear weapon states and the introduction of new security constructs that disturb the regional balance also pose a threat to peace, he said.

Pm Shehbaz said that Pakistan and the uS have a long history of a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship and it was imperative that the ties remain unhindered.

PM holds PTI resPonsIble for econoMIc dIffIculTIes of PeoPle

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

PRIMeMinister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday held the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) responsible for the economic difficulties of the common man and expressed the determination to take Pakistan out of economic hardship.

Addressing Mufti Mehmood Conference here on Saturday, the prime minister said the previous government violated the agreement with International Monetary Fund (IMF) to create difficult economic situation for the succeeding coalition government.

Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-

F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman organized the conference here in memory of his father and former chief minister of North West Frontier Province Mufti Mehmood.

Shehbaz Sharif said when his coalition partners gave him responsibility to lead the country as prime minister, Pakistan’s economy was in dire straits and the country was on the verge of default.

Referring to Imran Khan, he said a person wanted Pakistan to default and become another Sri Lanka.

He said under the guidance of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the coalition government went through a difficult time, however, it succeeded in taking steps for the progress of Pakistan.

“If our intentions are good, [and] we

fear Allah, then Allah removes all difficulties and opens new paths.”

He said he never wanted to put burden of inflation on the people.

After the arrival of new Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the government managed to reduce the petrol prices, he observed.

He said the government, with support of the coalition partners, would consider further reduction in petrol prices.

“Pakistan did not become independent to remain poor but to become prosperous and emerge as a dignified country,” he remarked.

He paid tribute to Mufti Mehmood, saying he was an eminent religious scholar, researcher and political leader. “I have great admiration for religious

Petroleum products prices to remain unchanged: Dar

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday announcedthat petroleum products’ prices would remain unchanged for the next fortnight. In a video message from Washington, where he is participating in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings, Dar said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s fuel price summary was received

scholars.”

Mufti Mehmood was a teacher and taught thousands of students at his madressah in Multan and rendered great services for the cause of Islam, he reminisced.

He said Mufti Mehmood led a simple life and when he became chief minister of a coalition government of the present Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province he continued to engage his political contemporaries as he believed in dialogue. Mufti Mehmood was in politics during the eras of Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and never closed the door to talks with his political peers and promoted dialogue.

Mufti Mehmood had a guiding principle that despite all differences, dialogue was essential part of politics, he reminded. Throughout his life, the PM said Mufti Mehmood was embodiment of simplicity, sincerity and honesty.

He urged people to follow the teachings of Mufti Mehmood so that Pakistan could make progress and move ahead.

by the finance ministry, adding that it had an “insignificant” price decrease recommendation for petrol and price increase recommendation for kerosene, light diesel oil and high-speed diesel.

“I discussed with the prime minister and it was decided that we will not do any change in the prices of all four products and they will remain the same till October 31,” he said, adding that there would be no increase or decrease.

Prohibited funding case: Ihc grants Akbar s babar’s appeal to become party

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Islamabad High Court approved on Saturday Akbar S. Babar’s request to become party to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) appeal against the verdict of the election Commission of Pakistan in prohibited funding case. early in the August, a threemember bench of the eCP declared that the PTI ‘knowingly and willfully’ received funding from prohibited sources, including foreign nationals.The eCP bench in its ruling said that funding from Wootton Cricket, owned by Abraaj Group founder Arif Naqvi, was from a prohibited source. It declared that funding received from over 350 foreign companies and 34 foreign nationals — many of them of Indian origin — was also from prohibited sources. The funds were raised in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The commission declared the funding received from Romitta Shetty from Singapore also comes under funding from prohibited sources.

All eyes on by - election to 11 nA, PA seAts todAy

ISLAMABAD app

tHEElection Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalised arrangements to hold by-elections in 11 constituencies — eight of the National Assembly and three of the Punjab Assembly — on Sunday.

The by-polls are being held in three provinces — on three seats of National and as many of the provincial assembly in Punjab, three National Assembly seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and two National Assembly seats of Sindh.

The National Assembly constituencies are in Mardan, Charsadda, Peshawar, Faisal-

abad, Nankana Sahib, Malir, Korangi, Karachi, and Multan cities, whereas, the provincial constituencies are in Sheikhupura, Bahawalnagar, and Khanewal.

A total of 101 candidates — 52 in Punjab, 33 in Sindh and 16 in KP — from various political parties and independents are taking part in the vote. For this purpose, 1,434 polling stations are established in Punjab, 979 in KP, and 340 in Karachi.

Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), is trying his luck on seven out of eight National Assembly seats up for grabs. The staff, polling material, ballot papers, and polling bags are being delivered to their respective polling stations on Saturday with complete security, the ECP

said. All presiding officers (POs) will arrive at their polling stations and set up polling booths by Saturday evening, it added.

Concerned officials in Karachi, Lahore, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad are monitoring the process of delivery of polling materials from a dedicated control room.

Separate control rooms have been established at central and provincial levels to promptly resolve election-related complaints and impediments in the conduct of elections.

Meanwhile, the chief election commissioner (CEC) has written to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh chief secretaries, and inspector generals of police to provide comprehensive security to polling staff, candidates, and political parties.

Govt reduces electricity price by Rs 4.25: Marriyum

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said electricity price had been reduced by Rs 4.25 in October on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “The prices have been reduced in terms of fuel charges adjustment,” she said in a news statement. The minister said it was a “big relief” for the public from PM Shehbaz Sharif. She said it had been decided to continue the same quarterly adjustment which was charged in the electricity bills for September. The initiative was taken keeping in view the burden of rising prices of electricity on public, she added. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority announced the decision regarding fourth quarterly adjustment for the fiscal year 2021-22 on October 14, 2022.

Finance minister sees gradual recovery from floods

WASHINGTON the aSSociated pReSS

The finance minister estimated that it could take “close to three years” for the country to recover from devastating floods that killed more than 1,700 people and displaced another 7.9 million. Ishaq Dar, who last month took the finance post for the fourth time in his career, told The Associated Press Friday that losses from the floods were estimated to surpass $32 billion and that the cost of rebuilding damaged infrastructure will exceed $16 billion. Monsoon rains, likely made worse by climate change, hammered Pakistan for months starting in mid-June, damaging or washing away two million homes. Rebuilding, Dar said, “can’t be done overnight″ and will take “ maybe close to three years” though he acknowledged that he was “not an engineer.″ The World Bank last month pledged $2 billion in flood aid. Dar is returning to the finance ministry at a difficult time for Pakistan. Moody’s Investors Service, citing Pakistan’s decreased foreign currency reserves, this month downgraded the government debt. With inflation running at more than 20 percent year-over-year, the rupee has fallen 19 percent against the US dollar this year. But Dar, who earned a reputation for supporting a strong rupee, often by pumping dollars, during his earlier tenure as finance minister, noted that the currency rallied upon his return to the job; it’s up nearly 10 percent against the dollar since late September. Dar was in Washington this week for the fall meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The visit got off to a rocky start. He was heckled and called “a thief” by an unidentified individual upon arrival Thursday at Dulles International Airport. On Friday, he shrugged off the incident, which was captured on video and shared online, as the act of a political opponent of the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. “Obviously, this is domestic politics which has gone cross border,” Dar, who is facing a plethora of corruption cases back home, said. “That shouldn’t be.’’

Shehbaz condemns killing of former BHC CJ

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The prime minister has “strongly condemned” the assassination of Noor Muhammad Meskanzai, former chief justice of Balochistan High Court (BHC), who was gunned down in Kharan town, some 220 kilometres from Khuzdar district of the province, on Friday evening.

Meskanzai, 66, was attacked while offering prayer

at a mosque near his residence. His brother-in-law, Mumtaz Ahmed, was also critically wounded when gunmen targeted them from outside the building.

Late at night, proscribed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Shehbaz Sharif expressed sympathy and condoled with the family and heirs of the late judge.

He said the aim of the attack was to spread chaos

and frighten the people. He vowed that the people and institutions of Pakistan would eradicate the menace of terrorism.

Sharif also paid tribute to the late judge for his services in the field of law and justice.

He also served as the 17th chief justice of the Federal Shariat Court from May 2019 to May 2022 and authored the landmark judgement that declared the Riba-based banking system against the religion of Islam.

Pakistan, Turkish relief agencies share burden of flood victims

KARACHI anadolu agency

Nestled on the northern outskirt of Dadu district in Pakistan, a housing facility set up by Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has been a temporary home for more than one month for Naik Mohammad.

Mohammad is one of the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by heavy floods in September.

A resident of Mehar in Dadu, one of the badly hit districts in Sindh, Mohammad, along with his family, took refuge at the local railway station when his small village was inundated by unprecedented rains and floods. The floundered family lived there until the district administration moved them to the sprawling housing facility.

“We went through fear, and hunger until we reached here,” said the 56-year-old farmer.

Outside of a huge tent, which serves as a mosque, Mohammad told Anadolu Agency that he feels “safe and secure” after the week-long trauma, particularly the treacherous journey he had to endure to save his and his family’s lives.

“It’s of course not an alternative to your own home. But at least you get shelter and food here,” he said.

Rajab Ali, a resident of the nearby Khairpur Nathan Shah, another hard-hit locality by the floods, did not sit idly in contrast to other families.

Ali’s wife Meeran Bibi, with the help of her daughters, makes embroidered handkerchiefs that Rajab sells in Dadu, where he works as a labourer.

“We are thankful to our Turkish brothers for helping us at this trying time. But, we must not be a permanent burden on them,” Ali, who owned a small piece of cropland in the suburbs of Khairpur Nathan Shah before the floods struck, told Anadolu Agency.

‘ThAnkfuL To ErDogAn’: Dadu’s “tent city” was the first temporary housing facility established last month for flood victims in Pakistan by AFAD in collaboration with the local charity organisation Baitussalam Welfare Trust (BWT).

Another tent city, named after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was established earlier this month in collaboration with the Pakistan Air Force and BWT in Bholari, a remote village 98 kilometres (61 miles) from Karachi.

It is currently accommodating 1,000 displaced persons, according to Mohammad Said, a BWT official who supervises the facility.

The displaced families are provided with two meals a day, in addition to medical services.

Apart from 300 tents, the facility also has a “tent school,” a makeshift clinic, and a mosque, housing supervisor Mohammad Asif told Anadolu Agency.

AFAD has already provided more than 30,000 tents in 19 regions, providing temporary housing to 200,000 displaced people.

So far, Ankara has sent 15 planes and 13 “goodness trains” loaded with relief goods, including tents, food, medicine, kitchen items, vaccine, and other supplies to flood-hit regions. The Turkish charity is also going to set up a third tent city in the Thatta district in Sindh.

“We owe a big thank you to Erdogan. We remember the generosity he had offered during the 2010 floods,” said Sohrab Ali Khan, a tribal elder, referring to Ankara’s assistance during massive floods that submerged one-fifth of the country.

PM extends condolences to Turkey over deaths in coal mine blast

by rescuers had suffered various injuries in one of Turkey’s deadliest industrial accidents in years.

Shehbaz Sharif Saturday said his thoughts went out to Turkey where an explosion in a coal mine in northern Bartin province on Friday killed 28 people.

Rescuers had pulled out 14 bodies by Friday night and searched for signs of life among dozens of coal miners still trapped under hundreds of metres underground after an apparent methane blast tore through a pit on the country’s Black Sea coast.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said 28 people who either managed to crawl out on their own or were saved

“In all, 110 of our brothers were working (underground). Some of them came out on their own, and some of them were rescued.”

Reacting to the news, the prime minister expressed profound grief at the loss of lives in the incident and said: “Our thoughts [and] prayers are with the bereaved families [and] the Turkish people. May those still trapped are rescued at the earliest.”

In 2014, 301 workers were killed in Turkey’s worst-ever mining disaster in the western town of Soma, 350 kilometres (217 miles) south of Istanbul.

“But, this time, the catastrophe is too huge and so is Türkiye’s help,” he told Anadolu Agency.

frEE BoAT SErvIcE: A temporary housing facility on Dadu’s bypass, set up by the relief and rescue agency Al-Khidmat Foundation, is also hosting more than 1,000 victims.

The foundation has established temporary housing for flood victims in more than 50 districts, mainly in Sindh and southwestern Balochistan provinces.

A few hundred meters from the site on Dadu’s bypass, a “mobile clinic” is operating, where according to the foundation’s district head Mohammad Musa Babbar, nearly 300 patients are treated daily.

“We have hired local doctors, both male and female, who are working at the clinic at nominal salaries. Some have been working voluntarily,” said Babbar.

The Al-Khidmat Foundation is operating a free boat service for thousands of marooned residents, for whom, a boat is the only way to travel or transfer patients to hospitals in Dadu and adjoining towns as villages are still under three to six feet of water.

PIA slashes fare for passengers of China-bound flights

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has further cut down its fare to facilitate students and other passengers travelling from Pakistan to China with immediate effect. “Now, ex-Pakistan fare for students with taxes will be around Rs248,000 while ex-Pakistan fare for other passengers will be around RMB 10,000,” said official sources here on Saturday. Last month, the national flag carrier had offered a discount from 10 percent to 15 percent and an additional seven percent discount on surcharge for students wishing to travel between Pakistan and China. Currently, PIA is operating two weekly flights on IslamabadChengdu-Islamabad and Islamabad-Xian-Beijing-Islamabad routes. Pakistani students who wish to join their studies at Chinese educational institutes and other passengers planning to travel to China can benefit from the new discount. A large number of Pakistani students enrolled in Chinese universities could not return to China following Covid-19 travel restrictions.

ISLAMABAD

PakISTan PoSSeSSeS IMPregnaBle nUclear coMMand, conTrol SySTeMS: IMran

ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

PAKISTANTehreek-e-Insaf chief and former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday strongly reacted to a statement made by US President Joe Biden and put facts straight on security and safety of Pakistan’s nuclear programme.

His remarks came after the US president on Thursday said that Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”.

According to the ousted premier, who has long alleged a US conspiracy behind his government’s removal, the ex-premier questioned what information led Biden to reach “this unwarranted conclusion”, adding that as prime min-

IMF sympathizes with Pakistan on flood damages, assures support

ISLAMABAD Agencies

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sympathized with Pakistan for the losses caused by the recent floods across the country and assured of fund’s support.

The assurance was made by IMF’s Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department Jihad Azour in his meeting with Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Mohammad Ishaq Dar. They also discussed the implementation of the IMF programme, according to press statement received here on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the finance minister also met with United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Ms. Vicky Ford and thanked her government for financial support and assistance to meet the challenges posed by floods.

He also appreciated the trade concessions afforded to Pakistan and other developing countries under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

Minister Vicky Ford assured of the United Kingdom’s continued support for Pakistan during this difficult period. The two sides discussed ways to further deepen bilateral development cooperation.

Dar led Pakistan’s delegation to the high level round table on Pakistan’s floods – impact and response, cochaired by Vice President World Bank, Martin Raiser and UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Nigel Casey.

The Finance Minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to implement the ongoing IMF program along with highlighting the economic priorities of the government in his interviews to Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, AP and AFP and in a subsequent evening engagement at the Pakistan house with senior representatives of various think thanks and US media. The round table was attended by all major bilateral and multilateral development partners and donors. Initial findings of Pakistan’s post-disaster need assessment jointly prepared by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP, European Union and the Government of Pakistan were presented in the round table.

In his concluding remarks, Finance Minister emphasized the need for providing adequate support to Pakistan to meet the challenges of recovery and rehabilitation. The Finance Minister along with Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also attended the 2022 Annual Plenary of the IMF / World Bank. The delegation members met senior representative of UNCTAD and participated in several events being held on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings including meeting the leadership of the US Pakistan Business Council and representatives of major US multi-national companies operating in Pakistan.

Pakistan hands US envoy strong demarche over Biden’s ‘uncalled-for’ remarks

been involved in wars across the world”.

He asserted that Biden’s statement also showed the “failure” of the incumbent government’s claims of a “reset” in relations with the US.

“Is this the “reset”? This government has broken all records for incompetence,” Imran argued.

He maintained that his “greatest worry” – apart from the government leading the country to economic ruin and giving a license to white-collar criminals to plunder the country – was that they would also completely comprise Pakistan’s national security.

PTI Secretary General Asad Umar questioned if Biden was talking about the US when he spoke of a nuclear country without cohesion.

“After all his party is going after Donald Trump for trying to subvert the constitution and steal the last presidential election,” he added.

Court extends Swati’s remand for a day in anti-army chief tweet case

ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Saturday extended for one day the physical remand of Azam Swati, a senator of the Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) party, in a case involving a tweet critical of the powerful army chief.

Swati, a former minister in the cabinet of then-prime minister Imran Khan, has been in detention since early Thursday, a period during which he was stripped and tortured, apparently by the army-controlled agencies, for tweeting about Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa.

In his tweet, he taunted the general after a court acquitted Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his son in a money laundering case on Wednesday, saying Gen. Bajwa had made the acquittal possible.

“Mr Bajwa congratulations to you and few

with you. Your plan is really working and all criminals are getting free at cost of this country,” Swati tweeted. “With these thugs getting free, you have legitimized corruption. How [do] you predict now the future of this country.”

The FIA, headed by an aide of Sharif, accused Swati of a “mischievous act of subversion” to create a rift in the military and to “harm the state of Pakistan,” according to the First Information Report (FIR). Later on Thursday, a court gave the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) two days to question Swati over what it called in charging documents, his “obnoxious and intimidating” message against the general, state institutions and other government officials.

Prior to the proceedings on Saturday, Swati was taken to the Pakistan Institute Of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a medical examination after which he was presented before the court amid tight security.

Stalemate over ‘deal’ drawing MQM-P to quit ruling coalition

KArAcHI stAff RepoRt

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has once again started consideration for quitting the ruling coalition following no progress on “agreement” with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and on amendments to the local body’s bill, sources said on Saturday.

According to details, MQM-P has expressed concern over “zero progress” on the implementation of an agreement with the PPP and amendments to the Sindh local body’s bill.

Sources informed that MQM-P and PPP leadership had agreed on amendments to the local body’s bill during a meeting held two days earlier. Later, a review was held Friday

but no further progress was made, they added.

While expressing concerns over the delay in the implementation of the agreement, MQM-P has started mulling to quit ruling coalition including other options.

In this regard, Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has directed all senators, ministers and members of the National Assembly (MNAs) to reach Karachi on an urgent basis.

Earlier in July, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) conveyed reservations to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over lack of implementation of an agreement by PPP which was agreed with the party before joining the federal government.

According to sources privy to the matter, the MQM-P leaders held two meetings with

PM Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad few days back and complained to him that the PPP was not implementing an agreement signed with the party and asked him to play his role as a guarantor.

It is pertinent to mention here that a 18-point agreement was reached between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) before the quit the Imran Khanled coalition government and it was named as the “Charter of Rights”.

The agreement was signed by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, while Shehbaz Sharif, Fazlur Rehman, Akhtar Mengal and Khalid Magsi have signed the agreement as guarantor.

“At a time, when the world is confronted by huge global challenges, it is critically important that genuine and durable efforts are made to recognize the real potential of the Pakistan-US relationship while avoiding unnecessary comments,” he said.

The prime minister said that it was Pakistan’s sincere desire to cooperate with the US to promote regional peace and security.

‘Fully capable oF saFeguarding nuclear weapons’: Hours before the prime minister’s statement,

FM Bilawal had confirmed during a press conference in Karachi that Pakistan would summon the US ambassador to the Foreign Office and give him a demarche.

“We are fully capable of safeguarding our nuclear weapons, and they meet every international standard in accordance with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as far as security and safety is concerned,” Bilawal said.

“Pakistan is adamant about ensuring its integrity and safety. Security questions, if any, should be raised on the nuclear weapons of India that recently fired a missile into Pakistani territory by accident.”

FM Bilawal said he had discussed President Biden’s statement with PM Shehbaz in detail and hoped this incident would not affect Pakistan-US relations negatively.

“This is not only irresponsible and unsafe but raises serious concerns about the safety of nuclear-capable countries. Biden’s remarks came as a surprise. I believe such misunderstandings are a result of a lack of engagement,” the foreign minister said.

On the sensitivity of Biden’s remarks, Bilawal, however, added it was not an official function and it wasn’t an address to the parliament or an interview.

“It was a fundraiser. It was an informal conversation in which this sentence was used so it should be [looked at] in this manner, I think we will look at this statement in this way,” he said.

‘nuclear weapons without any cohesion’: Biden had earlier today said Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”. The US president made the comments while addressing a Democratic congressional campaign committee reception on Thursday.

“And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” Biden was quoted as saying in a transcript of the address, published on the White House’s website.

Biden’s remarks were made with regard to the changing geopolitical situation globally, as he highlighted that the world was changing rapidly, and countries were rethinking their alliances.

“And the truth of the matter is — I genuinely believe this — that the world is looking to us. Not a joke. Even our enemies are looking to us to figure out how we figure this out, what we do,” he added.

Two more deaths reported as dengue cases keep rising

ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

Pakistan has continued to witness an increase in dengue fever cases and two more related deaths were most recently reported in the country.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh each reported one new death, the provincial health authorities said.

In KP, 382 more people were diagnosed with the mosquitoborne disease, the provincial health department said. The number of active cases in the province currently stood at 2,326, while the total number of cases this year reached 13,603. Sindh reported 376 new infections. The worst-hit area was Karachi which reported 242 new cases. With the newly-reported dengue cases, the October figure to date for the province has risen to 4,593, bringing the total local tally to 14,747 this year.

Punjab reported 302 new cases, the provincial health authorities said on Friday. Lahore reported 150 new cases, followed by Rawalpindi with 61 cases. The total number of dengue cases in Punjab this year has now gone up to 10,427. Islamabad reported 106 new dengue cases, the health authorities said on Friday night. The city’s total tally has risen to 3,621 this year.

In severe cases, dengue can cause joint pain, nausea, vomiting, rashes, breathing problems, haemorrhaging and organ failure.

Dar says Pakistan seeks rescheduling of $27b bilateral debt

WASHIngton ReuteRs

The finance minister has said he will seek rescheduling of some $27 billion worth of non-Paris Club debt largely owed to China, but will not pursue haircuts as part of any restructuring.

In an interview with Reuters, Ishaq Dar ruled out the possibility of a default on Pakistan’s debt, an extension of the maturity date on bonds due in December or a renegotiation of the current International Monetary Fund

(IMF) programme.

The minister said multilateral development banks and international donors have been “quite flexible” with ways to meet Pakistan’s external financing needs estimated at about $32 billion after devastating floods. Some of this may come from reallocating funds from previously approved, slower-disbursing development loans, he added.

Dar, who is participating in the IMF and World Bank annual meetings just over two weeks after taking office, said that Pakistan will seek restructuring on equal terms for all

bilateral creditors.

He declined to comment when asked whether he thought it would be difficult to persuade China, creditor for about $23 billion of the debt, to participate.

But asked whether Pakistan would seek to reduce debt principal, he said “rescheduling is fine, but we are not seeking a haircut. That’s not fair.”

rupee deFender: Dar, who served as Pakistan’s finance minister three previous times — most recently from 2013 to 2017 — is known as a staunch defender of the rupee.

He said Pakistan has not engaged in physical intervention in the currency, which has been battered this year by a strong US dollar, but which has rallied some 10 percent since his appointment. Dar said that he views the “true value” of the rupee at a level under 200 to the dollar. It last traded at 219.

“I am for a stable currency, I am for a realistic rate. I am for market-based, but not subject to a currency being taken hostage” and making speculators billions of dollars.

borrowing options: Asked whether he discussed with IMF officials the

possibility of borrowing from the Fund’s new Resilience and Sustainability Trust for middle-income countries, Dar said “We have discussed all options.”

The Pakistan finance minister added that the IMF’s new emergency “food shock” borrowing window may also be a good fit for the country, which has lost crops due to devastating floods and may need to import up to half a million tons of wheat in the next year.

“In this scenario, we have the possibility of approaching and accessing this facility,” he said.

ister, he knew that Pakistan had “one of the most secure nuclear command and control systems” in the world.

He also asked “when has Pakistan shown aggression, especially post-nuclearisation” unlike the “US which has

Joe forgets where he is

USTas the government’s foreign affairs apparatus was basking in the glory of a rare, open statement by the Germans on Kashmir, US President Joe Biden set it reeling in discomfort by giving a rather unhinged statement about Pakistan’s nuclear assets. At a Democratic congressional campaign committee reception on Thursday, Biden said Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”.

The government, understandably, has gone in damage control mode, though it is rather difficult to play these particular cards. For instance, foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto has said that this wasn’t a policy statement, but merely an utterance at a political event. That doesn’t quite mute the effect of the statement and the foreign minister is wise enough to know that.

The Prime Minister has issued a statement that plays it safe. We are a safe and responsible nuclear nation, he has asserted, leaving the defence minister to go into not-vanilla territory, with a tweet alluding to the last time the U.S. was wrong about the nuclear assets of another country: Iraq.

The PTI, unsurprisingly, is pulling no punches on this issue. That much was expected. Our government was accused to messing up foreign relations, one PTI leader after the other is saying, but never were we accused of being an unstable nuclear nation by none other than the American president himself. This has led to counterattacks by the PDM supporters: didn’t Imran Khan very publicly express concerns about Pakistan’s nuclear assets after he lost the noconfidence-vote?

Perhaps the State Department in the US also needs to do some image management of its own. yes, such statements are the President’s prerogative but surely Secretary of State Blinken could ask his boss to clear them with him before uttering them. These aren’t hollow statements; their consequences are far reaching and not necessarily good even for US policy.

Lastly, of course, there is nothing wrong with some introspection of our own. Are we a nuclear state? yes. Do we appear to have issues with national cohesion? yes. Do we have a militancy problem, one that often spills outside our borders as well? yes. Is our democratic process constantly being interrupted by non-representative, non-democratic forces? yes. And, owing to a scuttled process, even our political class - or at least elements within it - also goes with a scorched earth policy when they are out of power rather than not crossing certain red lines. The US, a nuclear power whose lack of national cohesion was seen in the attack on the Capitol in D.C., can be accused of chutzpah, but could other members of the comity of nations be blamed for having similar apprehensions?

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Reforming syllabus of civil services

Reform must begin with recruitment

when he is required to implement law and governance modules? How can a civil servant be recruited without knowledge of coded law and administrative skills?

The existing recruitment mechanism does not reflect the dexterous capacity of the civil service. even the much-hyped central superior service (CSS) or Provincial Management Service (PMS) examinations do not relate to the exigencies of civil services. Consequently, the recruited civil servants find it a daunting task to grasp the administrative acquaintance of governance and administration.

They represent class patronage of fashionable english-speaking cult. It is structural discrimination that Urdu is not allowed as a medium of examination. Candidates should be allowed to appear both in english and Urdu. Let english paraphrasers not dictate the terms of the competitive examinations!

Civil services are directly linked to the people and the best mode of communication is either local languages or Urdu. Civil service is all about communicating with people to settle their issues in the domain of implementation. Practice of english is only limited to summaries, presentations or official communication, hence, the usage is limited to the administrative demands of civil services in Pakistan.

ACivil Service is a permanent part of the executive in a sovereign state. It is the permanent professional branch of a state's administration, excluding military and judicial branches and elected politicians. Civil servants or administrators are the implementers of the policies of a government. Hence, the civil service is the implementing machine of a government. Consequently, specialized and skilled civil services are vital to the cause of good governance and service delivery.

recruitment of competent, enterprising and professional civil servants is central to the functional recruitment apparatus. Quality of recruitment is directly proportionate to the standards of the recruitment process. Consequently, It is essential to dissect the prerequisite demands of civil services before recruiting civil servants.

Civil services require administrative, executive and managerial skills; therefore, the mode of examination should necessarily translate these critical skills. Then, civil servants are administrators, duly required to implement the governmental policies according to administrative structures, hence require an apposite mode of recruitment.

To begin with, Pakistan is a coded society. Coded law, either substantive or procedural, is applied to the administrative regimes of the governance system. It is imperative for a civil servant to develop professional skills on coded law such as articulating legislation and law, applying rules and policy and implementing the coded law regimes across administrative structures. In the backdrop of this discerning administrative capacity, the existing mode of recruitment is general, not specialized. The syllabus is directly in conflict with the demands of the civil service. It is inapt to recruit civil servants on the competency of essay, general knowledge and writing skills. How can english grammarians be recruited as compact civil servants?

Competitive civil service examinations require immediate revamping and restructuring of the syllabus. There is a dire need to assimilate the civil service coded attributes into the syllabus and mode of recruitment processes. redundant compulsory and optional subjects should be replaced with focused and specialized subjects of governance and service delivery. Arguably, following compulsory subject modules may be incorporated into the syllabus of competitive examinations in place of existing generalist subjects. Analytical analysis of the constitution of Pakistan may be introduced as a primary compulsory subject for competitive examinations. Subjects relating to legislation, law and policy making, alongside deriving delegated legislation, may be incorporated in the syllabus. Then, subjects like those of administrative law, financial law, implementation law, contract law, civil and criminal law, administrative procedural law are also instrumental for the syllabus. Competitive examination must incorporate the coded law of the governance system. A civil servant shall remain incompetent without skills in application of coded law.

Civil services epitomize stronger conduct, attitude and posture. Comprehensive psychological analysis of the civil servants is critical to the recruitment process. The current mode of crossing emotional intelligence of the candidates is neither instinctive nor substantive. The psychological analysis of the candidates have been surreptitious because candidates securing better written marks are winning the competitive processes. Administrative and emotional inclinations are not translated for the choice of relevant civil services. Psychosocial analysis should lead to the choice of allocating various service groups. Is it not bizarre that only securing more marks results in allocation of a group of choice despite having different emotional or administrative inclinations?

The primary reason behind the low quality of civil servants is the existing general mode of examination. Civil service is a specialized faculty and it is a prerequisite to revamp the civil service examinations according to civil service obligations involving written examination, psychological analysis and interview

M. A. Niazi

Editor Umar Aziz

In

Civil services examinations are in a denial mode to the ever-changing dimensions of the civil services. How can an essayist, and that too in the english language, make a better civil servant? How can a crammer of facts make a better civil servant? How can narrative expression be more vital for a civil servant

Starving World

of safe and proper food and die from hunger and starvation. Though the primary focus of World Food Day celebration is to tackle global hunger and to strive to eradicate hunger across the world, when we look at world hunger facts, we get confronted with very disappointing figures.

Besides, public financial management, project management and planning management are required to be incorporated as fundamental subjects of competitive examination. A dynamic civil servant always develops the innovative skills for administrative structures essential for good governance and service delivery. Public administration, Human resource Management, infotech management may be a compulsory part of the syllabus of competitive examinations. Subjects like those of local government, devolution, federalism and political management should be incorporated in the syllabus of competitive examinations. Incorporation of these civil service subjects shall make the examinations focused.

Unfortunately, existing competitive examinations are euphemistic expressions of the english language.

Civil service is less about writing skills and more about communicating skills. Barely, communication skills are translated into the recruitment process. A casual sitting of half an hour shall not demonstrate the communicational skills of a candidate. An efficient recruitment entails demonstrative interviews rather than descriptive or narrative interviews. A civil servant, accomplished in communication, is an effective civil servant. Henceforth, there is a dire need to reconcile the civil service necessities with that of recruitment processes and mode of examinations.

The primary reason behind the low quality of civil servants is the existing general mode of examination.

Civil service is a specialized faculty and it is a prerequisite to revamp the civil service examinations according to civil service obligations involving written examination, psychological analysis and interview.

The writer is a civil servant and leading a research society on administrative federalism, governance and civil service reforms. He tweets at @PMScivilservant

Everyyear 16th October is celebrated as World Food Day across the globe in remembrance of the day when the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations was founded in 1945. Officially, World Food Day was established by FAO’s Member Countries at the Organization’s 20th General Conference in November 1979.

This day is celebrated to promote global awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger, and to highlight the need to ensure healthy diets for all. The basic purpose of celebrating this day is to raise awareness for the people who don’t have the privilege

There are about 821 million people chronically undernourished, more than 785 million recorded in 2015 and nearly 99 percent of these undernourished people live in developing nations. About 60 percent of the hungry people in the world are women. About 50 percent of all deaths in children are under five years old due to under-nutrition. It has been observed that from 2019 to 2022, the number of undernourished people grew by as many as 150 million, a crisis driven largely by conflicts, climate change, and the covid-19 pandemic. As per the reports of Action Against Hunger, an international NGO, as many as 829 million people worldwide go to bed hungry each night. According to the reports of various leading world NGOs, in every four seconds, a person dies due to hunger across the globe. These are some (among a large number) of the alarming facts regarding world hunger and food security.

As food is one of the basic needs for the survival of human beings, its availability has remained one of the prime concerns in all times for them. even in modern times, its scarcity is one of the major issues in many parts of the world and many social thinkers and economists are trying to solve this problem.

Many ideologies like capitalism, socialism, communism were formulated to solve the issue but still people are dying out of hunger and starvation in many parts of the world. In the current civilized and progressive times, ordinary calculators have no ranges to calculate the wealth of rich nations, but unfortunately people in the deserts of Africa and underdeveloped regions of Asia are dying due to scarcity of food. Poverty has crossed the upper limits and people have turned to skeletons due to unavailability of food in these regions. Though their adversities are frequently brought into forefront through print and electronic media, it hardly awakens the conscience of heedless civilised and progressive nations and they are carelessly enjoying their luxurious life.

It has been wisely said that the world’s hunger is getting ridiculous; there is more fruit in a rich man’s shampoo than in a poor man’s plate. Collectively, there is more than enough food produced in the world to feed everyone on the planet; but due to injustice, inequality and disparity in the distribution of food on earth, some people face starvation while more than enough food gets wasted at some other places. Small farmers, herders, and fishermen produce about 70 percent of the global food supply, yet they are especially vulnerable to food insecurity. Poverty and hunger are most acute among rural populations while large quantities of food get wasted in urban areas where people are usually rich and have the least concern with food wastage.

Scarcity of food has resulted in malnutrition and other deadly diseases in underdeveloped regions of the world which

ultimately increases the mortality rate in such regions while as its easy availability and abundance has resulted in obesity, cardiac problems, hepatitis, high blood pressure and other chronic diseases in rich and developed countries of the world where concerned authorities have to spend a huge amount to treat these diseases.

We have to accept adamantly that new world economic systems and modern ideologies have drastically failed to tackle the problem of food crises in different parts of the world. rather, the available facts depict that they have entangled and wangled the predicament. These ideologies have worsened the conditions of the poor and increased their worries. rich nations have become masters of the world while as the poor nations have become slaves as they are heavily indebted to huge loans of world Bank and IMF. Surplus food countries need to donate and furnish their extra production to these poor nations to end their food deficiency and to ameliorate the living standard of people living in these underdeveloped regions. They should furnish their new trends and new food producing technologies to these poor nations to rescue them from starvation. The World Bank and IMF should financially support and assist these regions to reduce their poverty and help them in sustainable economic development so that they can suffice in food production. FAO and WFP should launch innovative techniques and offer technical and development assistance to eradicate food crises in these regions of the world. The food producers in these regions should be provided with medical and other services for the development of the agriculture sector in these regions.

As the people in the conflict regions of the world are most vulnerable to starvation and food crises, these regions need extra attention of these agencies. Climatic change is

one of the major agents responsible for food crises in many parts of the world, so technical experts having expertise in food security and climatic change should be deployed to these regions to train people in new food producing techniques vis-à-vis climatic changes.

As the world population is going to cross the eight billion mark, all the nations of the world have to invent new techniques and adopt new strategies to enhance their food production to feed their population. everyone among us is well aware about the fact that we are witnessing drastic climatic change, environmental pollution is on rise, global warming is increasing and arable land is decreasing due to desertification and urbanization which is adversely affecting food production of the world; so in these critical conditions all the nations must cooperate to face the challenge and save world from food crises, hunger and starvation.

Different nations should end their conflicts and try to live in peace and harmony. World countries need to spend more on new food producing technologies than on arms and ammunition to enhance their food production and to raise the living standard of their people. Different world agencies should try to adopt and develop new strategies to eradicate the food disparity in different regions of the world.

Last but not least, everyone among us should behave as a responsible citizen and we should prevent waste of food by making a habit of distributing and donating our surplus food to the needy as it can be a great step towards eradication of hunger and starvation. Let me end up with the sagacious saying of Wasif Ali Wasif,

‘ If poor are dying out of starvation, rich will surely die because of indigestion’

The author can be reached at rather1294@gmail.com

tariq MehMood awan

Editor’s mail

KU Poor Maintenance

THeUniversity of Karachi is considered one of the prestigious universities in the country. However, its infrastructure is in a dilapidated condition for long. Due to poor maintenance, the roof of the Sociology Department recently collapsed. The buildings of several other departments are in an equally dangerous state. The matter has raised safety concerns among the students and the faculty alike. The university administration needs to ensure proper maintenance of its infrastructure.

Ali JAwEd KArAchi

Complacent forums

Over the years, I have lodged a number of complaints with various ombudsmen and information commissions about my own issues and to protect the rights of others. Unfortunately, I have found these forums lethargic and unprofessional having a casual approach towards their duties and responsibilities.

A number of my applications, complaints and appeals have been pending with them for the last several years awaiting an effective response. The offices of the insurance ombudsman, the banking ombudsman, the Pakistan Information Commission and the Punjab Information Commission are the worst when it comes to the official pace of work. They seem toothless, ineffective and biased. They are not dispensing justice due to their go-slow approach. They are just facilitators of respondents. The manner in which they process complaints is ultimately protecting the respondents.

I have reached the conclusion that these offices, as they stand today, are nothing but a burden on the national exchequer. They should be trained immediately. There should be standard operating procedures (SOPs) for them in terms of a turnaround time to put matters to close. These ombudsmen and commissions should be held accountable. Their salaries should be governed by target-based and performance-based parameters.

Polarity at its extreme limits

Media adds fuel to the fire

ALMOSTeveryday, the Twitter forums or channel tickers are overflowing with some “breaking development” in the political landscape of Pakistan. From the looming danger of anyone arrested to the one where someone might have been acquitted of all wrongdoing in the eyes of the court of law. Are these symptoms of a stable polity or society? Certainly not, or to borrow a phrase from a political movement in Pakistan; ‘absolutely not”!

In that situation; whether it is the plight of the people stranded and devastated by the floods in all the four provinces of the country after almost two months, economy showing no signs of any recovery, gradual breakdown of the law and order in major urban centres and the creeping influence of religious militancy in the settled and nonsettled areas; is not the concern of the state or that of the most organized unit of the state; the government.

In any sane civil society, the media outlets are generally regarded as the guiding light for the common man, the government and the powers-that-be to steer the country out of the quagmire. That is not the case unfortunately. Media, being regarded as an integral part of the deep state concept of the “fifth generation” warfare, is deeply divided; one faction blindly following the deep state and the preferred “bride”, the political party, the other faction supporting the opponents of the order is fanatically against any position or stance taken by the sitting establishment and the government.

The result of that state of affairs is the developing deadlock which is looming over the economy, polity and society. Despite the fact that political discourse in the developing economies never reaches the point where the things are interpreted as starkly as the colors; black and white; today Pakistani media is the best portrayal of this position.

We might be wondering as to how these things developed overnight to the point of no return. The political discourse of the 1990s was much more decent in its colourings as compared to what Pakistan experienced after the exit of Musharraf from Pakistani politics. At that point of time; the media was still holding back its cards of impartiality and fairplay, as much as it could. No journalist, except for the few top guns, could be labeled as aligned to a particular faction.

That situation began to move the other way in the post-2008 times in a manner that intelligence agencies did not hide their preferences and accordingly the division among the journalistic fraternity was encouraged to the point of written brickbatting; an art now perfected by all the concerned factions. All the high grossing anchors at precisely 2200

Hours could be seen speaking their hearts out via teleprompter in 90 seconds, which would be the base of their frivolous argument for the next 55 minutes.

The first blatant show of force of how the deep state through the spy agencies made its division of the fourth pillar of the state known was the 2014 PTI dharna.

While the majority of the journalistic audience preferred to stick to the norm of impartiality or at least not to resort to “embedded reporting”, there were many embedded journalists who did not hide their preference for the leader of the opposition and thought that supporting him and his party was something like a “national duty” to be performed at all costs.

The 2018 elections were the last moment; when the rTS fiasco during the night of the results was the last thing impartially reported by the media. The formation of the government at the centre by the PTI and other provinces set into motion the final division of the battlelines within the journalistic fraternity which hold true to this day.

The deep state, suspected to be behind the results of general elections in 2018, was taken in highest regard by the succeeding political structures in place.

impunity during the period between 2018 to date. In 2019, the political government at the centre was almost equated to national security and anyone opposing the same was little more than a traitor. The traitors as projected and defined by the government were not sitting idle either. They were cultivating their own cadres to counter the onslaught from the dominant political order and the deep state. As the result; each one negated the other as a religious duty; secure in their own right waging a “jihad” against the other evil political entity.

The result of that division in the journalistic fraternity is that every politically polarized faction knows, whose youTube channel, whose vblog, he or she should listen to. It is not following an objective political education, rather all are in the search of favourable political analysis; which is “music to the ears”. All these divisions have ended up in the deep political polarization which afflicts the country in a most embarrassing manner.

The difference now is, not much is left to be preserved. It is for the politicians, the people with authority and people who create opinion; to see how much they contributed to the inferno.

Conclusively, there are few avenues available for the people to return back to sanity. Failing which, the country is in for a deep political crisis culminating in an endless civil war

The intimate complaint by the secretary general of PTI Asad Omar over the intelligence agencies raids on PTI BOTS during the height of PTI opposition to the established order in July 2022 was in effect the indicator of the fact that many a fifth-generation combatans raised by the deep state was nothing but a PTI stalwart; in the journalistic community as well as amongst the political cadres.

If the political activists could be pardoned the blatant taking sides in any issue; it was an unpardonable sin for any journalist to sit as an embedded entity in any political camp. Here the journalistic community did not mind that to be part of political trends prevalent in the country. In the journalistic standards; the best reporter covering a political beat is the one, who knows more than an emotional political supporter. However, there is a basic assumption that he does not compromise his journalistic credentials for the sake of news; or does not act as an advocate of that political trend.

That basic gospel was done away with

Whether it is the presidential address, which is infact a democratic ritual adopted by the democracies the world over, the divergent views on next year’s election year, what should be the composition of the caretaker government, and so on. In not a single issue, we can see any semblance of a result-oriented discussion. All Pakistanis with concern see on the Tv channels are deadlocks on almost all the pressing issues.

Going forward, the situation seems bleak as stances on Twitter or on the newspaper columns show scant possibility of any rapprochement between the warring factions. Pakistan had a misfortune of being divided in a societal sense, whenever attempts were made to regiment it; in 1958, in 1977, in 1999 and in the quasi-arrangement in 2018. After each storm; it has emerged more divided than ever.

The difference now is, not much is left to be preserved. It is for the politicians, the people with authority and people who create opinion; to see how much they contributed to the inferno. Conclusively, there are few avenues available for the people to return back to sanity. Failing which, the country is in for a deep political crisis culminating in an endless civil war.

The writer is a freelance columnist

At the moment, I am exhausted and disappointed with these forums at the federal and provincial levels. I am wasting my precious resources like money and time to deal with these public servants who are working without any turnaround time. The relevant authorities need to wake up and make these entities accountable, people-friendly and fully professional.

MUhAMMAd wASEEM ElAhi GUJrANwAlA

Rights and wrongs

IT is strange that the opposition leaders in their statements and during their appearance on television talk shows avoid catching the bull by the horn. In contrast, politicians are ridiculed every day, several times a day.

It is funny to watch that instead of answering a question put to them, they involve themselves emotionally to talk about past accusations and present them as if they are universal truths. One fails to understand as to how one can take refuge or hide behind the cover of the so-called corruption or wrongs of others. It is a globally accepted norm of justice that one is innocent unless proven otherwise. The above modus operandi of self-defence is beyond comprehension. How can a thief tell and argue before a judge that he cannot punish him till all the thieves are apprehended and punished? This argument is, in fact, the acceptance of guilt, and should be processed as per the law of the land, so that law could take its own course without fear or favour. The other argument of the supporters of the opposition party is that a popular leader can never be punished. Is a popular leader a holy cow, or does not fall into the ambit of the law of the land? This is highly unfair from those whose party stands for justice.

Notwithstanding the above, it is difficult to understand the logic behind hurling threats to the state by some opposition leaders about the consequences of arresting their chief or disqualifying him. They are at full liberty to defend their leader as much as they can or want. But antagonising the state and challenging the state authority is actually a disservice to the party and its leadership which could land both the party and the leadership in serious trouble. This I say because in our history we see adverse effects of such adventurism. There is another point to ponder. Is it being done out of enthusiasm and loyalty towards the party and its leadership, or is it a calculated move to create a vacuum that may provide someone an opportunity to fill it?

lT-cOl (rETd) SYEd iFTiKhAr AhMEd KArAchi

Useless extravaganza

We are a nation that takes pride in wasteful extravaganza, no matter how needlessly it drains our coffers both individually and collectively. If we develop a habit of cutting down on such wasteful expenditure, we can be better off as an individual, a family and a nation.

The country’s faltering economic situation does not simply allow wastage of precious money. Whenever a disaster strikes Pakistan, our leaders start visiting devastated areas, perhaps out of compulsion that not doing so would dent their political weight, and not out of any affection for the crisis-stricken people.

These visits are arranged at the expense of taxpayers’ money. The money spent thus, particularly on visits carried out through helicopters, can better be spent on mitigating the misery of the affected people.

The recent floods have amply demonstrated this, where our rulers have gone on conducting visits to the affected areas mostly on helicopters. Several individuals at the helm of national affairs have conducted numerous helicopter sorties, and the fuel costs and other logistics were worth tens of millions. If they are really pained by the agony of the floodhit people, they can best demonstrate this through ensuring provision of adequate and speedy relief to the affected people.

On the one hand, people hit by deluge are starving for food and craving for water, but, on the other, huge money is drained on arranging visits to the flooded areas. We launch flash appeals for arranging the much-needed funds to provide relief and rehabilitate the affected people, but indulge in wasteful practices at home just for the sake of gaining political mileage. So, can we afford to indulge in such wasteful expenditure when Pakistan is mired in multiple crises? Absolutely not. Our leaders must avoid wasting taxpayers’ money, and ensure routing such funds for alleviating the sufferings of the flood-hit people. The nation deserves better.

Are SAudi ArAbiA And uAe teSting the limitS oF A new world order?

THE TWO GULF COUNTRIES AND THE BROADER WEST ASIAN PEERS ARE INCREASINGLY HEDGING AND FINDING THEIR WAY IN A NO LONGER UNIPOLAR WORLD

Middle eaST eye

on5 october, opec+ members announced a plan to cut oil production targets by 2 million barrels, starting in november, the first major cut since 2020. with an effective cut of less than half of this, the oil markets have mostly shrugged it off, strengthening only modestly. The actual market impact of the cut will be less than the announced headline cut.

As many members of the group are already under-producing their targets, the net production cut is likely to be between 600,000 and 900,000 barrels a day, non-negligible given the recent trends, but not as extensive as the headline.

However, the impacts of the cut on energy politics and US-gCC and west-gCC relations are much greater. This decision adds to the distrust between these major economies over energy policy and reduces resilience to the looming issue of Russian fuel supplies and longer-term issues about energy transition and investment.

Beyond the cut itself is the political and geopolitical posturing surrounding the announcement, which highlights increased fragility and volatility of the market ahead of a planned EU embargo and g7 price cap on Russian oil.

SLUGGISH DEMAND

Despite their attempts to focus on the "technical" nature of the decision, both opec+ ministers and the US did little to deescalate - meaning that the partly economic

and commercial reasons for the cut, including sluggish demand around the world, were lost amid a sea of recriminations and concerns about the future. on the demand side, opec+ cuts reflect concerns about sluggish global, and especially Chinese, demands, which remain constrained by selective Covid lockdowns, weak consumer demand and property market woes.

Signalling this cut through the end of 2023 implies a major reversal of the prior opec view that strong demand would boost the call on opec oil next year.

in large part, disappointments continue to come from China, where Zero-Covid policies continue to depress domestic demand and mobility, and property market woes restrict other parts of domestic demand.

given some demand destruction earlier this summer, some degree of cuts reflect fundamentals even if prices are far from low. oil producers put some of the blame on other parts of the energy complex including sharp rises of natural gas prices which are exacerbating weak global demand.

with central banks forced into more defensive hiking, including in developed economies, the risk is that the global slowdown will be more extensive, also hitting oil demand.

overall, they continue to prefer higher costs for lower volumes, especially as many countries lack the flexibility to scale up.

Faced with potential declines in revenue after a strong beginning to 2022, they have opted for prioritising higher costs per barrel versus market share.

KEEPING RUSSIA IN

The argument that a higher price would prompt more investment within opec+

Can India keep balancing Russia and the West?

countries seems less realistic given that the issues on scaling up supply seem far from purely economic. They include domestic issues in a number of producing nations as well as a rising domestic demand in Africa.

Some opec+ members, especially the UAE, have added to a capacity that remains well in excess of production, and some nonopec countries like the US are also adding supply as the commercial arguments dictate, but those are more compelling for natural gas.

The meeting reinforced the preference of opec leaders, especially those in the gCC, to have Russia inside the group rather than outside, potentially acting as a spoiler. This reflects lessons learnt in the Asian financial crisis and global financial crisis, preferring to keep the major producers aligned. Moreover, they are also signalling their unwillingness to make the g7 effort to squeeze out Russian oil easier. Unlike smaller countries like iran and Venezuela, there is far from enough spare capacity globally to replace meaningful volumes from Russia.

The continued sanctions on those two countries also raise concern. while additional volumes would not be welcome now, the continued western use of sanctions to restrict energy supplies remains a concern for producers.

while claims that the Saudis and Emiratis and the rest of opec+ are biased towards Russia seem overstated, it is clear that they are not shunning them.

These are one of several economies looking to maintain their ties with both Russia and the US and are willing to operate in the grey areas, engaged in trade and financial flows which don't directly violate US

sanctions but are risky and could be subject to future restrictions. This includes a decision to hold on to investments and joint ventures in Russia rather than exit, despite complicity in its war. it also includes increasing its role as a transshipment location on the part of the UAE.

For india and Turkey, trade with Russia has increased. Much of this trade is still legal but tough, and these countries will face more pressure to abide by widening g7 export controls.

RELATIONS WITH THE US

The producers' cartel has little interest in facilitating the creation of a buyer-originated tool to set prices, especially not one that could be used for other geopolitical aims. Moreover, they are also worried about the uncertainty of putting in motion a set of new compliance and due diligence which might add additional costs to the market.

The g7 approach to the cap leverages the current dominance in insurance and other services for the oil trade. new players are likely to emerge to provide at least some of these insurance services.

Despite their distrust of the price cap, opec+ members with capacity are likely to seek to take advantage of the arbitrage, buying fuel at a discount from Russia and selling other cargos on the global markets at higher prices. The potential of a formal mechanism remains a concern however.

Yet, this decision only brings to the surface some of the grievances and disputes that have been building for some time. Many opec+ members, especially in the gCC, feel vindicated that EU and US energy transition goals would lead to underinvestment in energy.

They were also concerned about the power of using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and had a greater interest in hedging and maintaining a less overt alignment to the west.

Meanwhile, the US continues to expect that security relationships mean alignment and support with foreign policy and economic policy objectives. But the relationship is likely to worsen and be perhaps more transactional on areas of actual common interest.

The noise out of washington about reshaping the relationship will only increase with discussions about weapons sales, using anti-trust tools on opec and regional policies.

Major course corrections are unlikely, however, as the US has prioritised its efforts to weaken the Russian government and its military capacity to stop its conflict in Ukraine, in addition to its focus on competition with China.

while the gCC and the broader west Asian peers are increasingly hedging and finding their way in a no longer unipolar world, they will test these limits.

non-opec energy producers like Qatar may also see their position elevated, even though they, too, are hedging and seeking the best opportunities for energy and nonenergy development. These trends are likely to add volatility not just to oil markets but also to geopolitics, increasing the risk that blunt tools like secondary sanctions will be used.

Rachel Ziemba is founder Ziemba insights and adjunct fellow at the Center for a new American Security and gulf international Forum.

The woman famous for not sleeping with a king

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN’S ESCALATIONS IN UKRAINE HAVE COMPOUNDED DIPLOMATIC CHALLENGES FOR NEW DELHI

JSTOR Emily ZarEvich

mother, Queen Henrietta Maria, and she had principles, or at least a firm understanding of the importance of discretion.

FOReign POlicy michaEl KugElman

rUSSiA’Sescalation in Ukraine in recent days—carrying out missile strikes targeting civilian areas and reiterating nuclear threats— has compounded the challenge facing india since February: balancing its longstanding ties to Moscow with its deepening relations with the west. india’s latest signaling suggests that it remains committed to that balancing act, even as it has grown increasingly impatient with a conflict that undermines its interests.

Making matters worse, india now faces a separate diplomatic challenge that it could see as related to its refusal to take a stronger stand against Russia’s war in Ukraine. After meeting with her Pakistani counterpart in Berlin last Friday, german Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on her government to help resolve the Kashmir dispute, adding that germany supports the United nations engagement on the issue.

The comments were highly unusual for a senior western official: india rejects any outside involvement in Kashmir, and the international community

tends to honor that position. Baerbock, who represents germany’s center-left coalition, may have simply conveyed her government’s concerns about human rights conditions in indian occupied Kashmir. But india could perceive the comments as part of a western effort to push it to change its position on Russia’s war in Ukraine by putting pressure on a highly sensitive issue.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome made a three-day visit last week to Azad Kashmir, which india claims as its territory. Blome’s trip, focused on business and educational cooperation with Pakistan, was likely intended to signal washington’s desire to strengthen relations with islamabad—not to put pressure on new Delhi. (As i explained in April, the United States has taken a long-term approach to persuading new Delhi that Russia is not a reliable security partner for the future.)

For india, the optics are suboptimal: two key western partners pushing back against its position on Kashmir after months of frustration with new Delhi’s position on Moscow’s war. it’s also noteworthy that Pakistan, once neutral on the conflict, is now working with nATo countries to send ammunition supplies to Ukraine. But india, which upholds a policy of strategic autonomy, would never respond to pressure on the Kashmir issue; it doesn’t let other countries’ tactics drive its foreign-policy decisions, especially not one as significant as its relations with Russia.

nonetheless, india’s recent messaging suggests it is increasingly unhappy

with Russia’s war in Ukraine. while seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a conference last month, indian Prime Minister narendra Modi issued a rare public and direct criticism of the conflict. A senior member of Modi’s party told FP this was his way of conveying to Putin that the time has come to end the war. After all, the conflict is detrimental to india’s interests with regard to its rival China: it has brought Moscow closer to Beijing and risks distracting washington. growing pressure on india doesn’t mean it will completely turn on Russia. Soon after Modi’s comment, new Delhi abstained from a United nations resolution condemning Russia’s actions, and it did the same on another one this week. But its criticism is mounting, even if it’s subtle. This week, india did vote against Russia’s attempt to sabotage a U.n. resolution rejecting its illegal annexations in Ukraine. new Delhi’s rhetoric against Moscow’s moves has also become sharper and more frequent, as indian scholar Happymon Jacob pointed out in Foreign Affairs.india has shown it is willing to keep walking a tightrope between Russia and the west for now. But it’s clearly concerned that Putin’s war in Ukraine may be escalating to a dangerous new phase that will make the balancing act even more difficult.

Michael Kugelman is the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief. He is the Asia Program deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center in Washington.

Followingthe restoration of Charles ii (1630–1685)—otherwise known as Charles Stuart “The Merry Monarch”—to the throne in 1660, England underwent a dramatic shift in societal morals. in fact, it was a full rotation of general attitudes toward sex and fun. The stifling, Puritan regime of the Commonwealth and oliver Cromwell was out. Promiscuity, theater-going, parties, and pleasure were in, and the reinstated king himself was leading the trend. when Charles ii’s suffering but reluctantly tolerant wife Catherine of Braganza (1638–1705) accepted the beautiful noblewoman Frances Stuart (1647–1702) as her lady-in-waiting in 1663, she probably knew what was coming. it was a state of affairs that had soured the couple’s arranged union. “She [Catherine] should have expected her ladiesin-waiting to be his mistresses,” suggested historian Charles l. grose in an early essay on the historiography of Charles ii’s reign. “But he was unnecessarily instantaneous in forcing them upon her immediately after the marriage.” The rest of the savvy English court suspected the inevitable as well. Frances would become Charles’s lover, one of the many he was entertaining at the time, the most notorious being Barbara Palmer (née Villiers), Countess of Castlemaine, his true consort when it came to lasciviousness. what no one expected was the chastity and the powerful resolve of young Frances to stay virtuous. She didn’t want an extramarital love affair, not even with the king. She’d come to court to obtain a respectable marriage and lead a respectable life, a code of conduct that would have made her better-suited to Cromwell’s England rather than that of her royal admirer. Her persistent refusal of the enamored Charles’s advances baffled onlookers. Acceptance could have secured her a pension, expensive gifts, titles, and influence, as it did for his other mistresses. none of this seemed to entice Frances, though. She’d been raised in the French court under the watchful guardianship of Charles’s

Frances and Charles made a poor match, but that didn’t stop him from trying. He was madly in love, to the point where it provoked Castlemaine’s fiery jealousy and caused conflict between the pair. And Charles wasn’t the only one under Frances’s spell. The writer Samuel Pepys admitted in a diary entry that he, too, admired Frances’s beauty. others were more scathing in their criticism. Philibert, Count de gramont noted that “it was hardly possible for a woman to have less wit, or more beauty.” it seemed that her reluctance to take advantage of the king’s infatuation caused many to doubt her intelligence.

According to historian linda Porter, during one of many periods of illness for Catherine of Braganza “word went around that the king was intent on marrying Frances if his wife died.” There are no records of Frances aiming for the throne, however. Charles had showered her with presents, “but she seems to have refused anything that was not appropriate to her role as the queen’s servant and she consistently refused to sleep with him.”

in March 1667, she’d finally had enough of Charles’s hot pursuit and made an incredible conquest of her own. She eloped with Charles Stuart— yes, another Charles—and secured the dual positions of Duchess of Richmond and Duchess of lennox. Unsurprisingly, Charles ii was furious, but he harbored enough affection for her to forgive her (though, as Porter notes, this forgiveness was “slow in coming,” happening only after Stuart fell seriously ill). The two formed a friendship that was admirably civil and ultimately survived the sting of rejection.

Frances’s legendary beauty was tragically marred by smallpox in 1669. luckily, her visage had been captured in a painting by Sir Peter lely in 1662. She was also the model for the allegorical figure of Britannia on a medal commissioned by Charles in 1687 to celebrate the Peace of Breda. Perhaps Charles saw, and appreciated, the iron will that lay behind the beautiful face.

rachEl ZiEmba

WHILE CLAIMS THAT THE SAUDIS AND EMIRATIS AND THE REST OF OPEC+ ARE BIASED TOWARDS RUSSIA SEEM OVERSTATED, IT IS CLEAR THAT THEY ARE NOT SHUNNING THEM

Bullseye ddBWins 2 dragons of asia 2022 awards

Bullseye DDB has won 2 Dragons of Asia 2022 awards

Specifically, these awards are a Silver Dragon for “Best Cause Marketing” Campaign for UBL Urooj (Women’s) Account and a Black Dragon for “Best Experiential Marketing ”Campaign for the Pakistan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Saad Hashmi, COO Bulls Eye DDB was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to receive these awards for the agency. Speaking on this win, Shoaib Qureshy, Managing Director Bullseye DDB said that, “this is a proud moment for Pakistan marketing and advertising industry and speaks for our countries talent and consistent work quality as year on year we are competing with the very best in the world and winning”. Pr

Bank of Future Forum 2022 brings together leaders from pakistan’s banking sector

Sindh again SeekS Lg poLLS poStponement in karachi

KARACHI sTAFF rePorT

tHESindh government has once again urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to postpone the local body elections scheduled to be held in Karachi, citing a lack of security personnel in the metropolis.

According to a letter written by the Sindh government to the ECP, the provincial government has urged to postpone the LG elections in Karachi for three months.

“Free and fair polls cannot be held without proper security, the Sindh government argued.

The letter read that Karachi is the most populous division of the country

with a population bigger than Balochistan. At least 5,000 polling stations would be established to hold the LG polls, requiring at least 39,000 security personnel to maintain law and order.

While the government only has 22,507 personnel at hand to deploy for the LG polls, it added. They are 1,305 extremely sensitive and 3,688 sensitive polling stations in the city, the letter read.

Thousands of Karachi police personnel are providing assistance in flood-relief operations in other districts of the province. Moreover, many internally displaced people have moved to Karachi, and personnel are required to provide them security too, it added.

40 killed, one still missing in Türkiye mine blast

AMASRA, TURKEY

sTAFF rePorT

Rescuers on Saturday searched for the last miner missing at a coal mine in northern Türkiye, where a methane blast the previous day killed at least 40 people in one of the country’s worst industrial accidents in years.

The blast ripped through the mine near the small coal mining town of Amasra on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast shortly before sunset on Friday. “We are approaching the end of the rescue operation,” a tearful Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said at the scene on Saturday.

Karachi: NdcTech, a leading IT & consulting firm providing transformational services for the banking sector globally, and Temenos, the world’s leading banking software company co-hosted the 11th edition of Bank of The Future Forum, one of the largest financial conferences in the world. This event brought together more than 25 Global Speakers and over 500 attendees from the banking sector, influencers, decision-makers, regulators, Fintechs, analysts and media.

The event discussed key topics in the banking industry including composable banking, mobile banking, digital banking, cloud banking etc. Exciting demos were also presented on trending topics such as buy now pay later, payments, core banking upgrades, etc. Various fintech companies such as HID Global, Huawei, Validata, Abris Consulting, & ACI Worldwide showcased their innovative products and offerings and networked with industry experts from banking and IT sector

In her welcome address, Ammara Masood-CEO, NdcTech, talked about the key milestones achieved by NdcTech over the years and how their 22 years of partnership with Temenos has strengthened by leaps and bounds. She also spoke about the way forward for NdcTech after its acquisition by Systems Limited and the company’s vision of developing scale, building offshore competencies, and transforming banks in newer markets.

Asif Peer, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Systems Limited shed light on the upcoming trends and opportunities in the global banking sector and how to leverage them. Pr

“The search continues for the sole person whose fate is unknown,” he said, adding that the fire that had broken out in the tunnels following the blast was now mostly under control.

Updating the death toll, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said: “We have counted 40 dead in total. 58 miners were able to be rescued, either by themselves or thanks to rescuers.”

He said 28 people had been injured as a result of the blast. Soylu had said earlier some 110 people had been underground at the time of the explosion. Television images late on Friday showed anxious crowds — some with tears in their eyes — congregating around a damaged white building near the entrance to the pit in search of news of their friends and loved ones. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was due to fly to the scene of the accident on Saturday, vowed on Twitter that the incident will be thoroughly investigated. Most initial information about those trapped inside was coming from workers who had managed to climb out relatively unharmed.

But Amasra mayor Recai Cakir said many of those who survived had suffered “serious injuries”. Turkey’s Maden Is mining workers’ union attributed the blast to a build-up of methane gas. But other officials said it was premature to draw definitive conclusions over the cause of the accident.

Oil rift only latest ‘crack’ in time-worn US-Saudi bond

RIYADH AFP

Saudi Arabia’s push for oil production cuts has placed a new strain on its stormy relationship with the United States, though analysts say any predictions of an all-out break are premature.

The move last week by OPEC+ — composed of the Riyadh-led OPEC cartel and an additional group of 10 exporters headed by Russia — would reduce global output by up to two million barrels per day from November.

Coming amid an energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine, and as inflation-weary American voters prepare to cast ballots in midterm elections, the planned cuts have infu-

riated Washington, with US President Joe Biden warning Tuesday of unspecified “consequences”.

Saudi officials, for their part, have defended the move as purely motivated by economics, not politics, and dismissed charges from the White House that OPEC+ was “aligning with Russia”.

The verbal sparring between the two sides continued on Thursday, with the Saudi foreign ministry expressing “total rejection” of such claims “which are not based on facts”.

The ministry said it also rejected “any dictates, actions or efforts to distort its noble objectives to protect the global economy from oil market volatility”.

First batch of Russian soldiers arrives in Belarus for joint force: ministry

MOSCOW: The first Russian soldiers to take part in a new joint force with Belarusian troops have arrived in Belarus, Minsk’s defence ministry said on Saturday. “The first convoys of Russian servicemen from the regional force group have arrived in Belarus,” the ministry said, adding that their mission was “exclusively to strengthen the protection and defence of the border”. Images from the ministry showed soldiers welcomed by women wearing traditional costumes and handing out bread and salt. Last Monday the leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko claimed Ukraine was plotting to attack his country and announced a joint force with Moscow. Minsk said on Tuesday that the contingent was “purely defensive”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of “trying to directly draw Belarus into this war” at a G7 meeting on Tuesday. He called for an international observers mission to be placed on the Ukraine-Belarus border. Agencies

Police: 15-year-old boy kills five in North Carolina capital shooting rampage

RALEIGH: A 15-year-old boy killed five people and injured two more in a shooting rampage in Raleigh, capital city of southeastern North Carolina state of the United States, police said, horrifying a community that is now mourning victims whose lives were cut short as they were going about their daily routines. Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said the teen was captured hours after the victims were gunned down Thursday evening. He was hospitalised and in critical condition following his arrest, but authorities have not said how he was injured. Patterson said Friday that police haven’t determined a motive for the attack. The victims were of different races and ranged in age from 16 to their late 50s, Patterson said. Family members and friends said some of the victims were gunned down while doing normal, everyday activities — an off-duty police officer was killed while on his way to work, one of the women who died was on her porch talking to a neighbour, another woman who died was out walking her dog and another was out exercising. Roy Cooper, governor of the state, called the shooting an “infuriating and tragic act of gun violence.”

China’s 20th CPC National Congress begins today amidst great hopes

ISLAMABAD Agencies

The world seeks out hopes from the 20th CPC National Congress because what is to be hashed out and laid down as blueprints for the future of China will leave a lasting imprint on the world’s geopolitical, geo-economic, and geostrategic landscapes.

As time draws closer to the convening of the 20th CPC National Congress on October 16, the global audience especially international influencers has been keeping a tab on phase-wise developments even before the announcement of the event.

In the face of deep-rooted challenges relating to economic recession, inflation, climate change, politicization, protectionism, global disharmony, terrorism, war, food security and prejudices of superpowers, people of the world need a beacon of light to forge ahead.

Leaving aside a few that are hell-bent to hold their hegemony with a Zero-sum narrative, the rest of the world is looking toward someone to lead. Someone that works with them as a team. Someone that believes in partnership with the philosophy of co-existence, harmony,

peace and a win-win development model for all.

The 20th CPC National Congress is occurring at a specific time when the US midterm elections are about to be held next month. What results come out will set the direction of American’s relations with China. Russia-Ukraine War is also going berserk fueled by International players, especially NATO.

Afghanistan issue is further in limbo. 10 days before the 20th CPC National Congress, the UN Human Rights Council rejected a Westernled motion to hold a debate on China’s alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang as nineteen countries voted against the motion, 17 voted in favor, and 11 abstained. It’s only the second time in the U.N. body’s 16-year history that a motion has been defeated.

Besides all it is fortunate that the world attaches hopes to China, having observed the past five years of China’s epic development implemented by the 19th CPC National Congress that has created global positive ripples in the length and breadth of the world.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period under stewardship of CPC from 2016 to 2020, China made

great strides in improving the economy, people’s livelihood and other fields. China has contributed over 30 percent to global economic growth, with GDP hitting almost 100 trillion yuan ($14.9 trillion).

Over 50 million people have been relieved from poverty, and 53.78 million new urban jobs have been created. New standard bearers in technology emerged, including high-speed trains, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and domestic passenger aircraft C919.

This rapid technological development can be attributed to investment in research and development,

which totaled 2.17 trillion yuan in 2019, accounting for 2.19 percent of GDP and up 56.3 percent from 2015. The world had to admire China for becoming the largest number of companies on the world’s top 500 companies list published by Fortune Magazine.

The 20th CPC National Congress is going to shed light on the 14th five-year plan (FYP) covering the years 2021 to 2025, officially endorsed by the National People’s Congress (NPC) on 11 March 2021. The Plan is divided into 19 sections and 65 chapters, touching on all aspects of development over the next

five years, as well as showcasing China’s 2035 vision.

Experts believe that the 20th CPC National Congress will focus on the “dual-circulation” Plan which is very significant for the world economy. It is going to put far-reaching results on the international economy. Some have interpreted this to mean that Beijing is turning its back on the outside world, but that’s not what the plan says.

It says policies should help unleash the full potential of the domestic market, facilitating firms to provide higher-quality goods and services to better stimulate domestic demand.

And at the same time, Beijing promised greater access to foreign investors and encouraged Chinese companies to trade more with the outside world. Beijing wants this round of opening-up “to be on a greater scale, across more sectors and on a deeper level.”

The second key point to be looked into during the 20th CPC National Congress is “innovation,” mentioned 47 times in the final 14th Five Year Plan. The new plan really puts innovation at the heart of China’s future plans.

Beijing says it will strive to

make major breakthroughs in core technologies in key areas and become a global leader in innovation. Many predict there will be more of a policy push for higher spending in the coming years in emerging sectors, such as biotechnology, semiconductors and new energy vehicles.

Another area of focus is green growth. There are no rigid GDP targets for the next five years and instead “green growth” has been pinpointed 19 times, a sign that Beijing continues to encourage local officials to look beyond GDP as a key performance indicator and instead focus on low-carbon and sustainable growth models.

CPC set two centenary goals: The first was to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021 when CPC celebrated its centenary. Among second centenary goals, main point is to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of the century to celebrate the centenary of the People’s Republic of China.

The 20th CPC National Congress will be a very important event taking place at a crucial moment, with China embarking on a new journey to fully build a modern socialist country, the report added.

GrANd SwAt JirGA pLedGeS

tO GuArd peACe At ALL COStS

SWAT syed shahabuddin

tHECivil Administration of Malakand Division organized a Grand Jirga of Swat, Buner, Shangla, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Malakand and Bajaur districts wherein the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary along with Inspector General Frontier Corps (North) and the KP Inspector General of Police met with the elders, parliamentarians, local government representatives, civil society, teachers, students, notables, Ulema and government officials.

The Malakand Commissioner and

RPO, DCs and DPOs of all districts also attended the grand jirga.

The Grand Jirga representing all segments of society in Wadoodia Hall, Saidu Sharif, Swat District, discussed security situation in Swat and other districts of Malakand division and the measures taken to ensure peace and stability.

The participants were informed that security and peace will be ensured at all cost. No group or individual will be allowed to disturb the peace and socioeconomic activities in the area. Security forces with the support of the brave people of Swat have come a long way in maintaining peace for which soldiers,

police officials and the people of Swat and Malakand Division have rendered invaluable sacrifices. They pledged that blood of the martyrs would not be let go waste. “Few elements who are bent upon destabilizing and creating chaos in Swat and Malakand Division for their ulterior motives and vested interests won’t be allowed to succeed. Writ of the state has been established and will be maintained at all costs”, they reiterated the resolve.

The jirga elders resolved that elements who want to disturb peace thrive on our inability to come together against them and feed on divisions amongst us. We have denied them these tactics earlier and we will deny

them once again. The Jirga resolved that people of Swat have given monumental sacrifices and fought as frontline of defence along with Law Enforcement Agencies to bring peace in the area. Rich Tribute was paid to civil administration of Malakand Division and its Police, who carried out successful counter terrorism operations along with army despite enormous challenges.

The grand Jirga while sharing their perspective reiterated their resolve to stand with LEAs and defeat the designs of pressure groups to destabilise Peace of Swat and Malakand Division and the province and country as a whole.

DISCOs seek 20 paisa /unit hike in power tariff under FCA for September

crease will put an additional burden on already burdened power consumers.

COAS lauds jawans for continued vigil at LoC

RAWALPINDI staff report

General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) visited front line troops at Nauseri Sector along Line of Control (LOC) on Saturday and appreciated them for continued vigil and operational preparedness. COAS was briefed on latest operational situation along LOC and operational readiness of the formation. While interacting with officers and men, COAS appreciated them for continued vigil and operational preparedness.

Earlier, on arrival at LOC, COAS was received by Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Commander Rawalpindi Corps. Nawaz, Zardari deliberate by-polls in telephonic talk

LONDON/KARACHI staff report

PML-N Supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif rang up PPP Co-Chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday and inquired after his health, sources informed on Saturday. Both the leaders also discussed a host of issues including the prevailing political situation in the country. Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari also deliberated the by-elections to eight National Assembly seats on Sunday. The PPP leader congratulated Nawaz Sharif on the acquittal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N VicePresident Maryam Nawaz from corruption case.

The power tariff is again likely to be increased as the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) has filed an application with NEPRA, seeking power tariff increase by Rs0.20 per unit, it was learnt on Saturday.

According to details, CPPA on behalf of power distribution companies (DISCOs) except KElectric has asked the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to approve Rs0.2o46 per kilowatt hour (kWh) under Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) of September, 2022.

NEPRA will conduct a hearing in this regard on October 26. Once approved, the in-

The CPPA, in its application, has submitted that the total electricity generated with various fuels in the month of September was recorded at 12,520.98 GWh, at a basket price of Rs10.1160 per unit. The total cost of energy was Rs126,662 million. The power generation with hydel source was 4,403.81 GWh (giga watt per hour) constituting 34.20 per cent while power production with coalfired power plants was 1,449.20 GWh which was 11.25per cent of the total generation at a price of Rs17.9796 per unit and power generation with RFO was 1,080.48GWh, which was 8.39 per cent of total generation calcu-

lated at Rs34.6142 per unit.

Similarly, the power generation from gas-based power plants was 1,205.50 GWh, 9.36 per cent of the total generation, totaling Rs10.7489 per unit and the generation from Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) was 1,821.18 GWh, which was 14.14 per cent of total generation, at Rs26.0337 per unit.

Likewise, power production from mixed sources was 15.88 GWh at a price of Rs4.6741 per unit, generation from bagasse recorded at 34.03 GWh, the price of which has been calculated at Rs5.9822 per unit. The electricity generated from wind was recorded at 46.88 GWh, 3.63 per cent of total generation and solar at81.69 GWh.

Balochistan lawyers observe strike against killing of ex-BHC CJ

QUETTA staff report

The lawyers’ community on Saturday observed strike across the province against the killing of former Balochistan High Court (BHC) chief justice (CJ) Mohammad Noor Meskanzai, in Kharan town.

According to details, the lawyers boycotted proceedings before different courts including the Balochistan High Court (BHC) and its circuit benches. Black flags were waived over the courts across the province.

In a statement, Quetta Bar Association President Ajmal Khan Kakar condemned the judge’s killing and

announced a strike along with mourning for three days.

He said every citizen was deeply saddened by the martyrdom of the exBHC CJ Mohammad Noor Meskanzai. “We strongly condemn this incident and demand that the killers must be immediately arrested and brought to book,” he added. It is pertinent to mention here that former chief justice of the Balochistan High Court Muhammad Noor Meskanzai was gunned dead in Kharan district a day earlier.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Nazeer Kurd said in a statement that the former BHC chief succumbed to injuries while being shifted to Quetta for medical assistance.

Pakistan’s nuclear programme lacks ‘cohesion’

on one of his “favourite” topics: threats to democracy and the rise of autocracies around the world.

Foreign Office hails forthcoming global response on floods

ISLAMABAD staff report

In the wake of recent devastating floods in Pakistan, the response from the international community has been very forthcoming, the Foreign Office said on Friday.

“The initial flash appeal of August 30 was for $160.3 million and within a couple of weeks, a large portion of that had been pledged,” Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said during a weekly media briefing.

Subsequently, a revised flash appeal of $816 million was launched on October 4, Ahmad said, adding that so far, pledges of over $205 million have been made, out of which $90 million have already been committed or actualised.

“It relates to urgent humanitarian needs. Now, the overall damage that has been caused by the floods is expected to run into tens of billions of dollars, and the assistance required for that will be part of a separate international conference focusing on sustainable rehabilitation and reconstruction,” the spokesperson said. The catastrophic monsoon rain and floods since mid-June have killed more than 1,700 people and affected over 33 million people across Pakistan.

Assailants fatally shoot Hindu man in occupied Kashmir

SRINAGAR the associated press

Assailants on Saturday fatally shot a Kashmiri Hindu man in violence police blamed on militants fighting against Indian rule in the disputed region. Police said armed men fired at Puran Krishan Bhat, who is from the minority community of Kashmiri Hindus, at his home in the southern Shopian district. He was taken to a hospital where he died, police said in a statement. Police and soldiers cordoned off the area and launched a search for the attackers. In August, a local Hindu man was killed and his brother injured in Shopian in a shooting that police also blamed on armed men. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. Pro-freedom fighters in the Indian-occupied portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1947. India insists the Kashmir freedom campaign is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and the people of Kashmir consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, fighters and government forces have been killed in the conflict. Kashmir has witnessed a spate of targeted killings since October last year. Several Hindus, including immigrant workers from Indian states, have been killed. Police say the killings — including that of Muslim village councilors.

Calling Pakistan a “dangerous nation”, Joe Biden has claimed that Islamabad’s nuclear weapons programme lacked “cohesion”, commentary which has opened a window into the United States president’s occasionally unflattering views on foreign nations.

Biden’s comment came as the United States is less than a month away from mid-term elections and the president is crisscrossing the country raising money in apparently unscripted appearances with Democratic donors

Midterm elections in the United States are the general elections that are held near the midpoint of a president’s four-year term of office, on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November — which is falling on the 8th this year.

A Bloomberg report noted that nations with troubled relationships with Washington are increasingly popping up as examples when Biden, in remarks at fundraisers, alights

At the Los Angeles home of an American television producer on Thursday night, his target was Pakistan. The historical ally of the United States was “maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world,” the president said, according to an official transcript of his address.

“Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” he declared, addressing a crowd that included renowned fashion designer Tom Ford.

Biden’s criticisms are usually intended to bolster the central argument of his midterm stump speech — that the stakes are high, the world is unstable, and a Republican takeover of the United States Congress would, in his estimation, contribute to the global erosion of democratic ideals.

But his remarks were made in the context of the changing geopolitical situation globally.

The president said the world was changing rapidly and countries were rethinking

their alliances. “And the truth of the matter is — I genuinely believe this — that the world is looking to us. Not a joke. Even our enemies are looking to us to figure out how we figure this out, what we do.”

There was a lot at stake, Biden said, emphasising that the US had the capacity to lead the world to a place it had never been before.

“Did any of you ever think you’d have a Russian leader, since the Cuban Missile Crisis, threatening the use of tactical nuclear weapons that would — could only kill three, four thousand people and be limited to make a point?

“Did anybody think we’d be in a situation where China is trying to figure out its role relative to Russia and relative to India and relative to Pakistan?”

‘COMPROMISED’ NATIONAL SECURITY: The risk for the White House is that Biden’s moments of fundraiser candour could create geopolitical headaches down the road — as they did in this instance.

ISLAMABAD ahmad ahmadani

CABInet lIKely tO APPROve ex - PMl - n MPS, wORKeRS nOMInAtIOn tO BODS OF DISCOS

ISLAMABAD Shahzad paRacha

tHEFederal cabinet is likely to approve nomination of ruling PML-N ex-Parliamentarians’ as well as party workers to board of directors of power distribution companies (DISCOs).

Sources said that the Prime Minister in principle has approved to reconstitute BoD of IESCO, FESCO and LESCO and now the matter will be presented in the cabinet meeting schedule on Tuesday for final approval.

Sources said that the re-constitution of

BoD of DISCOs is based on political affiliations rather than technical competencies and therefore these DISCOs are acting as white-elephant in national economy and public is bearing high tariff due to departmental in-efficiencies and high distribution losses. Sources said that the ministry had proposed Engr Qamarul Islam Raja as Chairman/Independent Director of IESCO BoD.

He was PML-N Punjab Assembly member during 2013-2018 from Constituency PP-5 (Rawalpindi-V) and was the main accused in Saaf Pani Scandal but later on, NAB Court had acquitted him.

Similarly, it has also proposed Chaud-

Report of probe into power breakdown likely to be made public on Monday: Dastgir

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir has said that report of the inquiry being carried out into power breakdown in southern part of country will likely to be released on Monday (tomorrow). In a statement on Saturday, the Energy Minister said that the power has been fully restored, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally monitoring all matters. “A third-party audit of the inquiry report will be conducted,” the minister said. “Electricity feeders that were affected during floods have been restored,” he said. The power minister said that the fuel price adjustment has been reduced by Rs9.70 per unit in comparison to the month of June. “The power supply system has been restored in the entire country,” he further said. The federal minister pointed out the government’s intention to generate electricity from cheaper coal from Thar Coalfield. “We won’t have to pay in dollars for Thar Coal, it has been 10 times cheaper than the imported coal,” Dastgir said. “The price of electricity will go down with power generation from Thar’s coal. In a press conference he earlier said that Thar-coal-based electricity generation to jump to 1,320 MW in December this year with addition of 330 MW to the grid. The minister said that another 1,320 MW Thar Coal power project under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would start generation before the next summer which would help double electricity generation from indigenous coal to 2640 megawatt. Khurram Dastgir said the coal price at the global market has surged to $ 400 per ton, while Thar coal would be available at only $ 40 per ton. Thar coal-based power plants would also help reduce the cost of electricity, he added.

Punjab CM reconstitutes committee on IIOJK LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has reconstituted a special committee on Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Punjab Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basharat Raja has been appointed as convener of the committee, while MPAs – Abdullah Warraich, Nadeem Qureshi, Mahendr Pal Singh, Neelam Hayat Malik and the chief secretary will be its members, said a notification issued here on Saturday. One member from PML-Q and two opposition members will also be nominated as members of the committee. As per the notification, the Punjab Information Secretary has been appointed as the secretary and member of the committee. The committee would monitor human rights violations being perpetrated by Indian troops in IIOJK. The notification says that the efforts of the government of Pakistan to achieve the right of self-determination of Kashmiris will be strengthened and supported.

hary Khalid Munir, Mujahid Pervazi Chatta, Nasir Mahmood Shiekh, Raja Talib Mehdi khan, Fahad Malik, Maj (r) Tahir Iqbal as Independent directors.

Major Rtd Tahir Iqbal was MNA from Chakwal and most of the above -mentioned members are prominent workers of PML-N.

In addition, Malik Ghulam Mustafa Kandwal, Naeem Iqbal and Adnan Envar Baig are consumer representatives as well as independent directors and four members of Ministry of power and IESCO as ex-officio members.

Furthermore, the ministry of power had also proposed Main Waqar Aziz as chair-

man/independent directors of the LESCO board. The other directors included Hafiz Muhammad Nouman, Ghais uddin ahmed, Muhammad Ali Sadiq, Jahanzaib Badar, Mujahid Islam billah, M. A Goraya, Ahmad Baksh Tarar.

It is pertinent to note that Muhammad Ali Sadiq is Son of Federal Minister Ayaz sadiq whereas, his another son was also part of LESCO and IESCO BoDs in previous PMLN tenures.

While Arshad Iqbal, Saad Rao and Faisal Khokhar are the consumer representatives in LESCO board.

It is pertinent to note that Hafiz Muham-

Elahi launches Go Punjab App

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi launched the ‘Go Punjab’ App at the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), here on Saturday.

Provincial Minister for Information Technology Dr Arsalan Khalid, Adviser to CM on Home Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, secretaries of concerned departments and the senior officials of PITB were also present.

Addressing the launching ceremony, the CM said that the PITB had served different departments in a short span of time and achieved a milestone by making the app.

He apprised that a 600-bedded hospital and an emergency on the adjacent land of Information Technology Tower would be made adding that a plan had been chalked out to make a helipad to shift the injured in case of any accident at the Motorway or the Ring Road.

The CM said that the common man would be greatly benefitted with the facility of Go Punjab App and will eliminate bribery with the provision of online services. The women at homes can also benefit from the app.

Employment opportunities would also be generated with the inclusion of the services of a private sector in the Go Punjab App. The app was a magnificent step of the Punjab government to

provide facilities to the people, he added.

The CM said copy of (first information report) FIR, lost report and the payment of E-Challan can also be made through this app. The payment of traffic challans, payment of rent and registration of domestic servants can also be done through the app.

Death, birth, marriage and divorce certificates can also be obtained through the app along with the payment of professional, token, property tax, e-auction, transfer of vehicles and their registration.

E-stamp paper, Fard Malkiyet, and the payment of mutation fee can also be done through it, he said adding

Nawaz says Pakistan is perfectly a capable nuclear state

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

PML-N Quaid and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has declared that Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state and is perfectly capable of safeguarding its national interests.

He said this in reaction to the remarks of US President Joe Biden that Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”.

In a couple of tweets uploaded on Saturday, Nawaz Sharif said “Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state that is perfectly capable of safeguarding its national interest whilst respecting international law and practices. Our nuclear program is in no way a threat to any country.”

Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state that is perfectly capable of safeguarding its national interest whilst respecting international law and practices. Our nuclear program is in no way a threat to any country. Like all independent states,

The former prime minister said “Like all independent states, Pakistan reserves the right to protect its autonomy, sovereign statehood and territorial integrity.” Pakistan to issue demarche: Addressing a press

conference today, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Pakistan has summoned the Ambassador of the United States to Pakistan Donald Blome for an official demarche following US President Joe Biden’s remarks about the country’s nuclear assets.

While addressing a press conference in Karachi, the foreign minister said, “I have discussed it with the prime minister and we have summoned the Ambassador of the United States to Pakistan Donald Blome to the Foreign Office of Pakistan for an official demarche.”

“As far as the safety and security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets are concerned we meet all, each

and every international standard in accordance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” he added.

“I am surprised by the remarks of President Biden I believe this is exactly the sort of misunderstanding that is created when there is a lack of engagement. Luckily, we have embarked on a journey of engagement. We have just marked the 75th anniversary of our bilateral relations in a very engaging manner at the State Department, and the level of secretary of state and the foreign minister of Pakistan. If this was such a concern, I imagine that it would have been raised in that meeting with me,” he added.

mad Nouman was MPA in 2008 to 2013 and Faisal Khokhar are also prominent worker of PMLN in PP-161.

Sources said that the ministry of power had also proposed Tehseen Alvi as chairman/independent director of the FESCO board. The other independent directors included Babar Ikram, Raja Ameer Hamza, Iftikhar ahmad ansari, Numan Khalid, Muhammad Momin Javaid, Rab Nawaz as independent directors whereas the ministry has also proposed Muhammad Humair Hayat, Ali Ranjha and Main Farraukh iqbal as consumer representative.

It is prominent to mention that Humair Hayat was ex-MNA from Mainwali and Muhammad Momin Javaid is also son of Muhammad Junaid Anwar Ch from NA-112 Toba Tek Singh-II. The ministry stated that the present BoD of IESCO, FESCO and LESCO were constituted in December, 2020 for a period of three years and Consumer representatives on these BoDs were nominated in May, 2021.

farmers can pay the fee E-abiyana and the industrialists can pay the business registration fee. The information relating to the booking of Punjab Tourism Corporation Rest Houses and other details can also be obtained while route permit fee and fitness certificate of vehicles can also be obtained.

Go Punjab App can also be used for the registration of private schools. Under the Punjab Ehsas Rashan Programme, registration can also be made through this app. Go Punjab App not only of Punjab, but of Pakistan was the first public sector app of its own distinctive feature. This app would save time and money of the citizens, CM added.

Joint efforts of Pak Army, FC continue in flood-hit area of Balochistan: ISPR

QUETTA Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps Balochistan continued relief and rehabilitation operations in the flood-affected areas of Balochistan, said a handout on Saturday. Inter Services Public Relations Balochistan chapter said that “Pak Army along with the civil administration is carrying out relief activities in the calamity-stricken areas of the province. While giving details of the ongoing relief operation, it said that three relief camps are working in the flood affected areas of Jhal Magsi and Sohbatpur districts, where 12,453 flood-hit people were provided with cooked food along with other facilities. During the last 24 hours, as many as 4,296 ration packets, 2,966 tents, blankets and mosquito nets were distributed. Under the supervision of Pakistan Army and FC Balochistan, several collection points were also established in Quetta for the relief of flood victims so that timely assistance can be provided to the deserving people. “A total of 33 free medical camps were organized by Pakistan Army, FC Balochistan, PDMA and welfare organizations during the last 24 hours to control epidemics and other diseases in the flood-affected districts, in which 2,833 patients were treated. “All the highways of Balochistan have been fully opened for traffic,” ISPR handout further said adding the National Highway Authority, Pakistan Army, FC Balochistan, Pakistan Coast Guard and Civil Administration are busy to maintain the flow of traffic on national highways. About the survey in progress, it said that as many as 35 survey teams are working to assess the damages caused due to flooding in the flood affected areas. During the last 24 hours, 6774 houses have been surveyed. 98% of the flood damage in the affected areas has been assessed. Balochistan Government, Pakistan Army, FC Balochistan and civil administration are providing all possible assistance to the flood victims by utilizing all their resources.

Pakistan’s food imports go up 15pc in three months of FY 2022-23

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan’s food imports, despite being an agricultural country, have gone up by 15% in the first three months of the fiscal year 2022-23.

According to details, Pakistan’s food imports went up to $2.79 billion in July-September 2022. In the corresponding period last year, the imports were at Rs2.11 billion.

Wheat imports in July-September shot up by 311% and cost $407 million. Last year, $99 million in wheat was imported in the same time period.

Cooking oil imports went up by 34% and cost $1.24 billion. Tobacco imports increased by 26%, and Vegetables and fruits imports by 8%.

However, sugar imports dropped by 98%, and Tea and coffee imports by 9%.

Earlier in September, the PBS statistics showed that the country’s annual edible imports spiked by 64.54%.

Pakistan’s food imports, including wheat, palm oil, and soybean oil, went up by 64.45% in July and August, data issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported.

According to PBS statistics, Pakistan has imported

food items worth Rs392.83 billion in the first two months of the fiscal year 2022-23. Last year, the country’s food import bill for the same months was Rs238.88, PBS stated.

The biggest spike was noticed in the wheat import which went up by a staggering 2435% in the first two months of the fiscal year. Pakistan has imported wheat worth Rs68.49 billion this year, while the wheat import bill for July and August 2021 was only Rs2.70 billion.

Additionally, Pakistan imported palm oil worth Rs157.79 billion (68.67% higher than last year), and soybean oil worth Rs9.48 billion (255.36% higher than last year), the PBS data stated.

Sunridge foodS vowS to alwayS leave no one behind

akistanhas an estimated population of 230 million people. a country that has struggled to develop, most of the population is endangered from basic necessities such as food, water, shelter and health facilities. in such unprecedented conditions, the nation has witnessed dark times in the past few months, with rising inflation and urban flooding taking a toll on millions of lives.

Rural areas in Pakistan are starved of such basic necessities, and with the current tremors still affecting the areas, people are deprived of food and water. in a land where such necessities are scarce, the idea of no facilities is traumatizing and detrimental for the entire nation. Despite such tough times, Unity Foods has always stayed committed to ensure the wellbeing of each and every citizen by its constant initiatives that ensures the people who deserve it are always well-fed.

Malnutrition is a dilemma that has haunted Pakistan since several years. it is estimated that about 428 out of every 100,000 deaths in Pakistan of children aged 5 years is due to malnutrition. Malnourished children may be short for their age, thin or bloated, listless and have weakened immune systems. nutritional disorders can affect any system in the

body and the senses of sight, taste and smell. they may also produce anxiety, changes in mood and other psychiatric symptoms. this alarming statistic has raised concerns, and caused many families to mourn. Unfortunately, due to the lack of facilities, and raising prices of wheat, flour, sugar, rice and other such commodities leave consumers with no choice but to sacrifice. However, sunridge Foods, a brand that has been acquired by Unity Foods has pledged and ensured to stabilize, if not eradicate malnutrition.

through an insightful angle that touched the hearts of many, sunridge empowered the able people of the nation to play an equal part in the hopes to eradicate malnutrition. through a powerful DVC, the brand highlighted and portrayed the impact and effect of malnutrition, and how little efforts can go a long way. Children are the strength and the future of every nation, and based on this thought, the hashtag #sunridgetaqatwarPakistan was brought to life. the digital activity to engage the audience was simple, yet impactful. People had to buy any sunridge Fortified atta, take a picture and share it on their using the hashtag #sunridgetaqatwarPakistan, and sunridge ensured that with every pack shared,

a 1 kG pack of sunridge Fortified atta would be donated to eradicate malnutrition. this activity, along with the powerful DVC was not only acclaimed in Pakistan, but it was widely appreciated globally.

this was only one particular angle that sunridge Foods catered to. through each communication, sunridge has always encouraged to look beyond the horizon, and think on a larger-than-life angle for the entire community. this Ramazan, in collaboration with the Rizq Foundation, sunridge Foods also came up with taqatwar Pakistan 2.0, where we continued our mission from last year and donated over 27,000 kilos of atta – one for every hashtag that we collected. along with this, we also conducted iftar Drives in slums and poverty-stricken areas, feeding hundreds of people throughout the month.

the narrative of sunridge Foods trickles straight down from the core essence and values that Unity Foods believes in; empathy, encouragement, and enlightenment. these are tough times for the entire nation, where the purchasing power of millions is below par. People are starving of hunger. Diseases such as Dengue, Jaundice, Malaria and so forth are constantly on the rise. these are tough and difficult conditions for anyone

to survive in. However, Unity Foods, through sunridge Foods continues to make strides and ensures that millions can get the basic meals which keeps them nourished and alive. at a time when more than 3.4 million children are facing chronic hunger, and food shortage remains at a rise, sunridge continues to make strides to rectify that.

as we reach World Food Day, we realize the impact of hunger that has shaken the entire nation. Pakistan is at its lowest, especially due to the urban floods that has wreaked havoc and sent tremors across the citizens of this nation. at a time like this, when the nation was slowly but steadily rising from the challenges of the pandemic, the economic crisis, and other unforeseen situations, a natural disaster has served as the final nail in the coffin. the nation is deprived of food. this year’s theme for World Food Day focuses on pledging that “no One Gets Left Behind.” However, in Pakistan, there are a lot of people who are left behind, due to hunger and starvation.

this may seem as the end of the road, but a brand like sunridge is a reminder that there is always hope, even when you least expect it. the brand has never compromised on the welfare of any citizen of this nation,

and initiatives like this serve as a ray of sunshine, that no matter how the dark the circumstances might be, people will always find help in some way or the other. By tackling the issues of malnourishment and starvation, sunridge Foods has shown that the World Food Day is meant to highlight the essence of hope. through these initiatives, sunridge Foods has made the people believe that there is something on someone’s plate, thanks to a combined effort between the consumer and the brand.

this World Food Day, sunridge Foods continues to pledge that it will always offer help and focus towards nourishing the nation. Unity Foods has built an empire that sparks encouragement and hope in every corner for the people of Pakistan. Come what may, sunridge Foods will never shy away from providing the basic nourishment that every child, man and woman deserve to survive and live a healthy life. it is the people that run a nation. if the people are starving, the nation becomes malnourished. But through brands like sunridge Foods, that put others ahead of themselves, the belief runs stronger amongst the people that no matter what the situation might be, help will always come their way.