Epaper_22-11-27 KHI

PTI MPAs To resIgn froM

All AsseMblIes: IMrAn

RAWALPINDI Mian abrar

formerprime minister and Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti) Chairman imran khan saturday said that his party would not remain part of the existing assemblies and its lawmakers would resign from all the assemblies.

“i would announce the date for resignations after consulting chief ministers and the parliamentary party leaders. we will not remain part of this corrupt political system. i have spoken to my party chief ministers and soon we will announce a [formal] decision in this regard,” former premier said while addressing a mammoth gathering of party workers and supporters here at rawalpindi jalsa on saturday. it was first public appearance of khan who had been injured in a failed assassination bid on his life during the long march a few weeks back in wazirabad, district gujranwala. khan, who flew into rawalpindi from his lahore resi-

dence, used a walker due to injured leg.

imran khan said that he had an option to march on islamabad to press the federal government to get his demands met but chose not to create chaos and anarchy in the country which is already suffering due to economic downturn.

PML-Q reassures Khan for suPPorting decision: Pml-Q leader and elder son of Punjab Chief minister Ch moonis elahi was quick to lend support to imran khan’s decision by posting a tweet on social media blogging site, twitter.

“Allah Almighty had honoured us on july 27 and Ch Parvez elahi was made chief minister. since then we are running government on bonus. we stand by our promise. the moment imran khan would order, Punjab Assembly would be dissolved forthwith in shaa Allah,” tweeted moonis.

At the outset of his address, the former prime minister urged the party workers and supporters to free themselves from the fear of death if they wanted to live freely.

referring to the incident of imam hussain’s (A.s) martyrdom, imran khan said that the people of kufa did not come to his help due to fear of reprisal from the authorities. “fear makes an entire nation into slaves”. the former prime minister said everyone had advised him when he was leaving for rawalpindi not to do so due to his injured leg as well as severe life threats.

he claimed that “three criminals” –whom he accuses of being behind the wazirabad attack – were waiting for another assassination attempt. he said he had a close encounter with death, calling on the gathered crowd to make their faith stronger. while praising the nation, imran khan said: “many prime ministers come and go but public never came out in such large number like they gathered here for me”.

“there would be no difference between animals and humans if people of the country accepted the rulers who came to power through ‘nro’,” he added.

he reiterated that overseas Pakistanis were standing with him because they are aware of the importance of the rule of law. “Pakistan is in a difficult situation today due to the absence of rule of law” he added.

Criticising the sharifs and Zardaris, he said these two families were responsible for weakening Pakistan’s institutions in a bid to protect their “looted wealth”.

he further said that prosperous societies had a rule of law while developing countries were afflicted by no regard for the law which explained their problems. ‘Pti governMent’s PerforMance’: the former premier noted that his government had successfully revived the country’s ailing economy despite all challenges including Covid-19. he recalled his government’s economic performance and initiatives such as the health card.

PM shehbaz seeks to quintuple trade with turkiye in 3 years

ISLAMABAD/ANKARA staff report

Prime minister shehbaz sharif on saturday exhorted turkiye business community to do everything it can to enhance the meager trade of $1 billion to $5 billion in three years as per an agreement signed with the turkiye government.

Addressing a meeting of the Pakistan-turkiye business Council in istanbul on saturday, Pm shehbaz said that Pakistan currently has a meagre trade volume of $1 billion. he added that they had signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance this trade volume to $5 billion in the next three years. “it is not a big task at all,” he said, adding, “let us resolve that we will do everything to achieve this target in three years, rather double it.”

he added that beautiful summaries and feasibilities made all would be of no consequence at all unless it is converted into action through hard work and untiring efforts.

earlier, he said that terrorists have no religion and belong to no one country as he condoled with turkish people over the recent terror attacks.

“turkiye has been the victim of terrorist attacks like Pakistan,”

he said, adding that Pakistan shares turkyie’s pain.

shehbaz said that he was very happy to note that the turkiye authorities were able to catch the terrorists within no time which sends a very strong message to all and sundry that turkish strength to fight this menace cannot be taken lightly.

“we share your grief and share your pain as Pakistan suffered for long years at the hands of these terrorists,” he said.

“As we all know and agree that terrorists have no religion, they are not human beings and they belong to no one’s land,” he said, adding, “they are terrorists, they are cruel and they are barbaric.”

he urged the entire peaceloving community to act together against terrorists with great strength and effort. “Pakistan paid huge sacrifices to fight this menace and to a very large extent they have been defeated,” he said, adding that for this hard fought peace, they paid huge cost in the form of sacrifices from the armed forces including officers, sepoys, law enforcers, common man, doctors, mothers, children, paid huge sacrifices to defeat them.

g Cms of kP, PunjAb, gb on boArd, vow suPPort to PArty deCision

g Alleges three shooters were tAsked to AssAssinAte him

ALTERNATIVES 02-03 NEWS 27 NOVEMBER_Layout 1 11/27/2022 2:01 AM Page 1

Fact check: GooGle is not suspendinG play store in pakistan but users won’t be able to pay For apps usinG mobile balance

profIT reporT taimooR HaSSan

mOBIlEphone users would still be able to download apps from Google Play Store but would not be able to pay for them using their mobile balance after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reportedly suspended $34 million in payments to international service providers such as Google under the Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) service by telcos.

local media outlets have been pushing headlines that Google would suspend all Play Store services on December 1, 2022 because of the SBP measure, which is not entirely true. Users would be able to download the apps but won’t be able to pay for them except through debit and credit cards.

The other alternative for such payments

is Direct Carrier Billing (DCB), which involves payment using the mobile balance. DCB exists because of lack of international digital payment methods to pay for various apps.“By linking direct carrier billing with Google Play store, freelancers are also able to pay for some tools and apps for doing their assignments,” Aslam Hayat, Senior Information and Communication Technology regulatory expert and former Chief Corporate Affairs and Strategy Officer at Telenor, told Profit.

Since these apps do not have physical presence in Pakistan, therefore, payments through any other means like vouchers or

cash are not possible. Users can either pay using a Mastercard or Visa credit/debit cards or DCB. Since not all customers of mobile phones have credit or debit cards, DCB is a useful service for such customers.

Under direct carrier billing, the mobile customer pays for the app through their balance with a respective telco and the telco then remits the aggregated amount after a certain period of days as mutually agreed either directly to the apps or through intermediaries. It is this aggregated payment from telcos to international service providers like Google that the SBP has reportedly now disallowed to remit. “Any move with regards

Imran attack JIT stops working: report

LAHore monitoRing RepoRt

The joint investigation team (JIT) probing into the attack on the PTI chairman at the party’s “Haqeeqi Azadi March” in Punjab’s Wazirabad on November 3 has stopped working following the Federal Service Tribunal (FST) reinstating the suspension order of the body’s head, lahore police chief Ghulam Mahmood Dogar. Sources said the issuance of instructions to the JIT had “temporarily” been halted, a national daily reported.

They added that in the last few days, the JIT had been unable to achieve much except the interrogation of the main suspect, Naveed Ahmad. legal experts are of the view that a suspended official cannot head a JIT.

lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Dogar was suspended by the federal government through a notification issued on November 5. He will be considered suspended from that date now.

The Punjab government had appointed Dogar as the head of the JIT investigating the Wazirabad attack. The

homework completed for toppling punjab govt: ahsna iqbal

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday claimed that the PMl-N completed homework to overthrow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led (PTI) Punjab government. “The Punjab government would be overthrown in a democratic manner and the next Punjab Chief Minister will be decided by leadership of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).” Talking to journalists in Shakargarh, Ahsan Iqbal said that the tables would turn on the PTI if the Pakistan Muslim league-Quaid (PMlQ) MPAs vote as per instructions of the party’s president. “PTI was spreading chaos in the country with the resources of the Punjab government,” he claimed. The planning minister said that constitutional experts had expressed reservations over the establishment of Punjab government as it was formed on a decision of Supreme Court. The federal minister stressed the need for avoiding chaos for economic stability, claiming that PTI created a negative impression of the national institutions through the Punjab government. He also claimed that no Chief Secretary or Inspector-General (IG) was ready to work in Punjab. “The Punjab regime was crossing its constitutional limits,” he added. Ahsan Iqbal announced that PMl-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will lead the upcoming election campaign. “PMl-N has been facing accountability for the past 10 years,” he said, adding that they failed to prove the corruption of a single penny against the party. Earlier in November, Ahsan Iqbal ruled out possibility of immediate elections in country, citing the flood situation. “Immediate elections are not possible due to the flood situation across the country,” the planning minister said while talking to journalists in Quetta. Ahsan Iqbal noted that it was not possible to hold immediate elections in the country as it would take almost six months for the water to recede from the flood-affected areas. “Moreover, the new census will also be held by March next year,” he added. lambasting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march, Ahsan Iqbal said people of Pakistan want a long march in economic development and not political.

FST has issued its detailed verdict on the government’s plea against the lahore CCPO’s reinstatement.

It upheld the federal government’s decision to suspend Dogar on the grounds that he was unable to provide adequate security to the Punjab Governor’s House during a protest held in the wake of the attack on the PTI’s rally. A day earlier, a two-member bench of the FST Islamabad, headed by the body’s acting chairman Rana Zahid Mahmood and member Mohammad Javed Ghani, suspended an earlier decision of reinstating Dogar and ordered the formation of a larger bench to hear the case.

It adjourned the case for the disposal of the review application by the larger bench on December 5. It upheld the notification of suspension of Dogar issued by the Establishment Division on November 5.

The FST suspended the operation of the order passed by the bench-III of the tribunal on November 10 on Dogar’s suspension.

“After hearing both the learned counsel for the parties, we are of the view that application for the

to the blocking of payments under DCB is not only going to impact the data usage of the telcos in case of gaming and entertainment apps but also will have a negative impact on the freelancers,” says Aslam.

According to an official at one of the leading telcos, an estimated $60 million annually in payments go from the telco industry under DCB and other digital services.

Official sources, however, also say that the telcos authorisation for direct carrier billing was never revoked and they were asked to re-categorize such payments.

“Payments for broader IT services such as for cloud services are made under certain foreign exchange rules and are done through a designated bank,” a source told Profit.

The activities for which payment could be made were identified in the foreign

exchange manual. According to the source, telcos had started making payments for apps under DCB as well as under payments for broader IT services categories. It was then that the SBP wrote to banks to stop making payments for apps under DCB and redesignate them in appropriate categories.

“Payments for broader IT services are made under different rules. Payments for entertainment and gaming apps are made under different rules. The payments were never revoked, they were just asked to be re-designated,” said the source.

It is pertinent to note, however, that the SBP has used regulatory nuances to block the outflow of dollars from the country. When a ban was imposed on luxury items, lCs for the import of raw materials for the mobile phone manufacturing industry were not blocked but the SBP had started delaying approvals for opening of lCs.

constitution of larger bench is imperative to be allowed to ensure justice on the review application as main features hinted at least from both the sides are usurpation of jurisdiction by the learned Bench-III despite statuary bar under section 4(I) (a), secondly issuance of no notice to the opposite party/petitioner/respondent/government of Pakistan, thirdly observation by the learned Bench-III itself that appeal was premature,” read the FST judgment.

It noted that if the appeal was premature as observed by the bench-III itself, how did it assume the jurisdiction and pass the order resulting in the suspension of operation of the Establishment Division’s order issued on November 5 against the respondent/appellant.

Tribunal members Asim Akram and Mushtaq Jadoon had issued a three-page written decision on the CCPO’s plea on November 10, putting off his suspension and transfer order and reinstating him as the lahore police chief. It had directed the Establishment Division to decide the lahore CCPO’s petition against his transfer order first.

Fbr widens probe into coas bajwa family’s tax record leak

LAHore inp

ISTANBUL Staff RepoRt

Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday urged big Turkish businesses to invest in Pakistan, stressing the potential between the two nations should also be reflected in bilateral trade and business ties.

Addressing a meeting of a corporate body organised by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey, or DEiK, the prime minister made a full-court press, saying his government will not tolerate any snags or impediments in the way of investment from foreign businesses.

He reassured Islamabad would provide a hassleand red tape-free environment to prospective Turkish investors. He revealed that during his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he was informed that more and more Turkish companies were eager to come to Pakistan.

Sharif “regretted” that in the past, the Turkish businesses that had invested in Pakistan were not given due payments on time. The same was the case with the Turkish airlines operating in Pakistan, he claimed.

The people of Pakistan had benefited from the Turkish investment and support, he said.

“I want to convey this message to all, through you, that we are brothers and family, and will not tolerate such snags and impediments which hurt our ties,” he said, reassuring the host nation that his government would remove all the issues and address investors’ genuine concerns.

He said to further promote their bilateral trade and business relations, work on the “Trade and Goods Agreement” between the two brotherly countries would

be expedited. He said Islamabad and Ankara signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance the bilateral trade volume by up to $5 billion in the next three years.

Turkey’s annual trade stood at $250 billion but the trade between Islamabad and Ankara was hovering at a mere $1.5 billion — peanuts considering the immense potential, he added.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb and special assistants Syed Tariq Fatemi and Syed Fahad Hussain. From the host nation, Trade Minister Mehmet Mus and DEiK President Nail Olpak, and business delegations attended the meeting.

Sharif stressed that such a scenario did not reflect their exemplary brotherly ties and stressed fully exploring the indefinite potential on both sides.

He said they should make efforts and endeavour to double this trade volume in the next three years with strong commitment and sincerity of purpose as “only hard work and untiring efforts will be keys to a wonderful success story”.

The prime minister said their friendship and brotherhood had been known to all and sundry, as the world knew them “like brothers and a family”.

“Though the people in the two nations speak different languages, they perfectly understand each other and their hearts beat together,” he said, noting that the historical relationship and fraternal ties were not adequately reflected in the volume of bilateral trade and business. The prime minister opined that in every country, trade, investment and business activities were governed by financial rules and regulations.

The Federal Board Revenue (FBR) on Saturday included three more income tax officers in the investigation of leaked tax record details of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and his family. Sources said that FBR will carry out an investigation from the chief commissioner, commissioner and additional commissioner in connection with the leaked tax record details of Gen Bajwa and his family. These three officers will also be removed from their posts as they are equally responsible for the leakage of these tax details, sources added. The leaked tax details were downloaded from the deputy commissioner lahore’s login and then pictures were captured from the deputy commissioner’s computer, sources said. Furthermore, two deputy commissioners of the land revenue department and 15 FBR officers have been investigated in the leaked in connection with the leaked tax record. The forensic report reveals that the entire plan was hatched from the laptop and mobile phones of these officers, sources added. Two deputy commissioners Atif and Zahoor Ahmed are also arrested by the FBR investigation team.

punjab police issues Vip security measures for pti leadership

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

With former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan survived an assassination attempt in Wazirabad earlier this month, and still faces severe threats to his life, the Punjab Police on Saturday issued strict security measures for him and other senior party leadership. The instructions were issued in the wake of a letter sent by Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi to the police. Issued by Rawalpindi Deputy Inspector General of Police, it said that the 28 measures listed must be followed to ensure security of party leadership. It advised that the traditional mode of announcing Imran Khan’s arrival to the venue and stage shall not be practiced. Further, it advised the march organizers to use bullet proofrostrum and stage for Imran to address the crowd. Moreover, it called for wearing a bulletproof vest.

Former spy chief Faiz Hameed takes early retirement

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, who served as chief of the InterServices Intelligence (ISI) between 2019 and 2021, has announced his plans to seek early retirement from service, according to reports citing family sources.

He is currently heading the XXXI Corps of Pakistan Army based in Bahawalpur.

“Yes, general sahib has decided to seek early retirement,” Express Tribune reported, citing a family

member. The news comes a day after lt. Gen. Azhar Abbas, among the six senior-most generals considered for the posts of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) chairman and the army chief along with Gen. Hameed, announced his intention to take early retirement.

The government, however, went with the principle of seniority and appointed Gen. Syed Asim Munir as army chief and Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza as JCSC chairman.

Widely considered close to ex-premier Imran Khan,

Gen. Hameed was appointed as the chief of the spy agency, replacing Gen. Munir after only eight months on the job.

The head of the ISI is one of the most important posts in Pakistan, at the intersection of domestic politics, the war on militancy and Pakistan’s foreign relations.

Gen. Hameed was one of the figures who brokered the Faizabad agreement in late 2017, when supporters of the far-right Tehreek-e-labbaik Pakistan (TlP) group blocked off roads into Islamabad.

turkish-made ships to boost pakistan’s deFence: naVal chieF

ISTANBUL anadolu agency

nAVAlChief Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi has said that the inclusion of Turkish-made stateof-the-art MIlGEM-class ships will be a “huge boost to our defence” and will keep the country’s enemies at bay.

“Weakness invites aggression, but strength keeps your enemy at bay. So, the inclusion of the MIlGEMclass ships will significantly strengthen the Pakistan Navy in a very big way,” the naval chief told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview in Istanbul.

Niazi was in the Turkish metropolis to attend the inauguration ceremony of the PNS Khaiber, the third of four MIlGEM corvette ships manufactured by Türkiye for the Pakistan Navy at the Istanbul Shipyard, on Friday.

The launch ceremony was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and senior military officials from both

countries.

Niazi said the MIlGEM ships are “very capable platforms, equipped with surface-to-surface and surfaceto-air weapon systems”.

These ships are outfitted with cutting-edge technology, he said, adding that “inclusion of these ships will be a big boost for the defence needs of Pakistan in general and Pakistan Navy in particular.”

In July 2018, the Pakistan Navy signed a contract with Turkey’s state-run defence firm ASFAT to acquire four MIlGEM-class ships.

According to the agreement, two corvettes will be built in Türkiye, and the other two will be built in Pakistan, which also involves technology transfer between the two countries.

MIlGEM vessels have a length of 99 meters (325 feet), a displacement capacity of 2,400 tons, and a speed of 29 nautical miles.

The naval chief described MIlGEM as a “truly collaborative military production,” saying, “These ships

will be a very good addition to our fleet, ensuring that our (territorial) waters are safe and our defence needs are met.” lauding the two countries bilateral ties, Niazi said, “Pakistan and Türkiye have long relations based on mutual trust, friendship, and principles.”

“In times of need, the two countries have stood by each other, and we have stood by each other on all international events as well as the issues that the two countries face,” he added.

“The two countries have come much closer in the defence arena in the recent past as this MIlGEM project is a testament to this fact,” he said, adding: “I have no doubt in my mind that such efforts will continue, and Pakistan and Türkiye are well on their way to becoming ‘two countries and one nation’.”

In response to a question about increased defence cooperation between the two nations, he noted: “Both militaries are continuously exchanging knowledge and expertise. Construction and upgradation projects such as 17,000 Ton Fleet Tanker, PN-MIlGEM and Agosta 90B

Nine BLA terrorists gunned down in Kohlu operation

rAWALpINDI Staff RepoRt

The security forces on Saturday conducted an Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO) against Baloch Republican Army (BlA) in Balochistan’s Kohlu, killing nine and arresting three injured terrorists, the military said.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), intelligence agencies were on the lookout for the terrorists since the September 30 blast in Kohlu Bazar that killed two people and injured 19.

It said that BlA terrorists were involved in kidnapping for ransom, extortion and attacks on security forces in the area. Moreover, the ISPR said, the terrorists were involved in targeting engineers and labourers working on development projects in the province. The terrorists were now planning attacks in Kohlu, Kahan and Mawand.

The operation started at 6am in the morning during which a fierce exchange of fire took place between the surrounded terrorists and the security forces, the military’s media wing said.

abbasi: snap elections only possible if imran returns to parliament

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Former prime

Shahid

Abbasi

Pakistan

would be eligible to demand early general elections only after returning to National Assembly, and added that pressure tactics would not be allowed to take the state hostage. The government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will complete its constitutional term and then elections will be held on time, he said, speaking to a TV station. He deplored that “a person deprived of power” was busy targeting the institutions under a well-thought-out agenda and campaign. Khan should return to the Parliament as this was the only way if he wanted early elections in the country, he said. If he continues to behave in a similar manner, the country could not move forward as a deadlock between the government and PTI would persist, Abbasi mentioned. Replying to a question, he said Khan’s “real intentions” are violent, adding that the long march was just a pretext and actually he aimed at creating divisions and destroying the country. He said that PTI was totally frustrated after the failure of its fascist politics and they were putting the people in trouble and worry as due to the closure of the roads, people were facing extreme hardship and were unable to reach their destinations.

A search operation by the security forces is also underway in the area, it added. On November 18, at least two terrorists were killed in an IBO initiated to clear a hideout of terrorists, linked with firing incidents on security forces and civilians besides planting of improvised explosive devices on M-8 in Balochistan, the ISPR said.

It said in a statement that as a result of continuous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance of the area, a location of the terrorists was identified and security forces were “heli inserted” in

general area Balor, Hoshab.

While establishment of positions by security forces was underway, two terrorists opened fire at the troops. last month, two soldiers embraced martyrdom, while four terrorists were killed during an IBO in the general area of Kaman Pass, near Shahrig in Balochistan.

The soldiers were martyred during an exchange of fire with terrorists, which occurred by establishing blocking positions by the security forces, according to the ISPR.

Rice import from Pakistan outcome of meetings with PM Shehbaz: Azerbaijan President

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has said that the decision to import rice from Pakistan with tax exemption for five years was the outcome of his meetings with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held in the past couple of months. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev was speaking at an international conference titled: “Along the Middle Corridor: Geopolitics, Security and Economy” held at ADA University, Baku, the other day. The President of Azerbaijan said, during these meetings, they discussed the agenda of their bilateral relations.

He was responding to questions raised by Executive Director of Center for Global and Strategic Studies of Pakistan Khalid Taimur Akram, as a participant.

The president said he discussed with Pakistan’s Prime Minister, the prospects of further intensifying the bilateral economic and trade cooperation and the decision over special regulations for rice from Pakistan was a reflection of that. He said they had decided to take this step in order to stimulate the growth of mutual trade between the two countries. He had discussed with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif what kind of goods they could provide to each other, he added.

“Why should we buy rice from some other place if we have high quality rice in the brotherly country. So, that decision was clearly based on our brotherly relations,” the Azeri media quoted the president as

saying. Commenting further, the Azerbaijan president said that his country enjoyed excellent relations with Pakistan. President Aliyev further said, “We are very grateful to Pakistan for continuous support which the country demonstrates with respect to AzerbaijanArmenia war. During the times of occupation, during the war, and after liberation of our territories, Pakistan was always with us. And this political and moral support is highly appreciated by the people of Azerbaijan.”

He said that he knew that the Gwadar Port of Pakistan was transforming into a big international hub. And to connect it with their infrastructure was not a difficult thing, as they had to properly address the issue of tariffs, legal framework, coordination on regulation and to have a teamwork.

Terror suspects arrested in Lahore, Rawalpindi: CTD

LAHore Staff RepoRt

The counter-terrorism department (CTD) of Punjab police have arrested nine people in lahore and Rawalpindi as part of a counter-terrorism operation.

According to a CTD spokesperson, the “preplanned” arrests were part of a wider investigation into

the recent events of terrorism led by the department.

The spokesperson identified the suspects as Azam Khan, Muhammad Nabi, Farooq Abbas, Shami Pervaiz, Muhammad Siddique, Abdul Manan, Ismail Khan, Abdur Razzaq and Muhammad Bilal.

He further said the identities of a total of 21,111 people were being verified during a string of operations.

submarines, Super Mushak trainers, UAV drones, and so on are evidence of this strong friendship and military cooperation.” He said the two sides are “extensively involved in broad-based engagements ranging from high-level visits to operational-level knowledge sharing and training collaboration.”

The Pakistan Navy’s first corvette ship, PNS Babar, was launched in Istanbul in Aug 2021, and the foundation stone for the second ship, PNS Badr, was laid in Karachi in May of this year.

Türkiye is one of 10 countries in the world capable of designing, building, and maintaining warships with domestic resources.

police advise imran to use bulletproof vest

LAHore Staff RepoRt

The Punjab Police on Saturday issued a 28-point security advisory for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march. According to sources, the police submitted the 28-point security advisory to Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Wasiq Qayum for PTI long march and also informed the party leadership in writing. Sources said that unlike other PTI rallies, this time the movement of the Party chairman should remain secret and he has also been advised to wear a bulletproof jacket. The security advisory stated that senior PTI leadership is bound to use bulletproof rostrum and stage and the list of people who will be allowed to be on the stage should be submitted to the administration. PTI supremo Imran Khan will not meet the public without permission from the security management. Earlier, the Islamabad police shared the traffic plan from its Twitter handle with a spokesman saying that a diversion had been set up at Faizabad for those travelling from Islamabad to Rawalpindi via Murree Road It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is all set to hold its power show in Rawalpindi despite the security threats issued by the intelligence agencies PTI on Friday got permission for its public gathering in the garrison city but changed the venue from Faizabad to Rehmanabad on Murree Road.

pia resumes direct flights between islamabad and Xian

KArACHI Staff RepoRt

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has received approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate weekly direct flights to the central Chinese city of Xi’an from Islamabad beginning in December, Associated Press of Pakistan reported. The first flight “PK-856 will depart for Xi’an from Islamabad airport every Tuesday and PK-857 will return to the capital the same day,” the state-owned news agency said, citing sources. Xi’an will be the third China airport PIA flies to after Beijing and Chengdu.

The national flag carrier is operating weekly flights on the latter two routes. According to the airline, CAAC accorded approval to PIA’s request to restart direct operations between Islamabad and Beijing from October 30, counting Islamabad as an “all-weather strategic-cooperative partner” of China. It is also among the few international airlines allowed to operate direct flights to and from China thrice a week. Prospective passengers have warmly welcomed the development, noting it would also facilitate Chinese personnel working on various projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Gas, electricity distribution: Sindh minister writes to centre over ‘injustice’

KArACHI Staff RepoRt

Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh on Saturday asserted that the federal government was doing justice with Sindh in the distribution of gas and electricity, asking the centre to resolve the issues.

In a letter addressed to Musadik Masood Malik, –State Minister for Petroleum, Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh expressed his concern over the ‘injustice with Sindh’ in the distribution of gas and electricity and fulfillment of its demands.

“Despite the fact that the important matters arising out of the Constitutional provisions has been taken up from time to time with the Federal Government, but no action could be taken so far,” he noted in the letter.

The provincial minister noted that there was an acute gas shortage in Sindh. “People of province are facing severe problems due to the gas loadshedding, while industries are facing closures, which is not only creating unemployment and is also a loss to National Economy,” he added.

Sindh is producing 2.111 MMcf/day of gas whereas its own requirement is 1600-1700 MMcf/day,” he pointed out, adding that only 700-800 of gas was being

provided to the province.

He demanded a fresh Gas allocation policy to be chalked out for the province, in consultation with the Sindh Government. He also demanded that the federal government give Sindh representation in the federal energy regulatory bodies and in K-Electric’s board of directors.

Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh assured that the provincial representatives would effectively play their due role in the respective boards of the companies for the development of oil and gas in the province in the greater national interest of the country.

minister

Khaqan

indicated

Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan

ChIna-PaK TraDe: rMB-ruPee

BegIns De-DOllarIzaTIOn PrOCess

MRLiao Longtai, General Manager (GM) of Hangeng Trade Company in Gwadar, has said that Pakistan and China have started the implementation of new financial currency arrangement by converting Chinese currency RMB directly into Pakistani rupee without involving the US dollar and the Chinese investors can save 0.5 million Pakistani rupees on every transaction of Rs. 10 million.

Talking to media here, Liao said that the new mechanism has boosted the confidence of Chinese investors and more investors will pour in to invest in Pakistan in general and Gwadar in particular.

“In the previous financial system, Chinese traders and investors had to first convert RMB into the US dollar and then into the Pakistani rupee. Owing to the volatile value of the US dollar, exchange rate damage had to be borne out by Chinese traders that used to keep them upset,” he added.

The new RMB-Rupee direct conversion mechanism has finally ended the loss for Chinese investors, he added.

In Pakistan, hundreds of Chinese companies are working in the sectors of energy, telecom, automobile, agriculture, medicine, transport, infrastructure, industry, and many more. Hangeng Trade Company GM Liao Longtai is among thousands of Chinese officials who have termed the development a watershed moment that is going to catalyze Pakistan-China trade.

The breakthrough has also quashed

a sense of reluctance among potential Chinese enterprises interested to pump fresh investment into CPEC projects. In the past, one of their major concerns was financial damages due to the unpredictable exchange rate in Pakistan.

According to the Memorandum of Cooperation between the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and the National Bank of Pakistan, PBOC has decided to authorize the Karachi Branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to act as the Pakistani RMB clearing bank, PBOC announced last week.

It will undertake supervisory and regulatory responsibilities. Officials from ICBC along with senior officials from the Chinese Consulate Karachi and Bank of China visited Gwadar this week to review the progress on CPEC projects.

Mr. Luo Jianxue, President of the Lahore Overseas Chinese Association said that direct exchange of Chinese and Pakistani currencies can reduce the links

CTD nails nine suspected terrorists in 25 Punjab IBOs

LAHORE staff report

The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday claimed to have arrested nine alleged terrorists during various intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted across the province.

According a CTD spokesperson, as many as 21,100 people were interrogated during 25 intelligence-based operations (IBO) conducted across the province, adding that nine suspected terrorists were arrested from different areas.

The spokesperson said the CTD also seized two IEDs, a large quantity of explosives, 13 detonators, protective fuse, weapons, bullets and cash from the suspects during seven-week-long IBOs.

The arrested suspects have been identified as Azam Khan, Mansoor, Farooq, Shami Pervez, Muhammad Siddique, Abul Manan, Ismail, Abdur Razzaque from Lahore, and Muhammad Bilal.

The CTD spokesman claimed the arrested suspects wanted to target important personalities, government buildings and sensitive installations.

and save the cost of capital exchange and will no longer be affected by the change of the US dollar exchange rate.

Chinese Consulate Lahore Commercial Counsellor Yan Yang said that on July 13, 2021, China and Pakistan renewed the bilateral currency swap agreement with a scale of 30 billion RMB (Rs. 730 billion).

It augurs well that Pakistan has entered into the RMB settlement club as China’s RMB settlements with Belt and Road countries stood at 5.42 trillion yuan (763.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021, up 19.6 percent year on year. It accounted for 14.8 percent of China’s total crossborder use of RMB in 2021, said a report released by the People’s Bank of China.

By the end of 2021, China had signed bilateral currency swap agreements with 22 countries along the Belt and Road and established RMB clearing arrangements in eight countries along the Belt and Road.

The Pakistani government had been weighing up an option for CPEC investors, especially companies in the Gwadar Free Zone, to operate in RMB to save them from financial losses being incurred by the downward spiral of Pakistani currency against the US dollar.

The matter rose to prominence when COPHCL Chairman Zhang Baozhong briefed Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during Federal Steering Committee on Gwadar initiatives a few months back about concerns that deter Chinese investment in Gwadar relating to currency devaluation.

He requested that Chinese investors be allowed to maintain accounts in RMB in Gwadar Free Zone without getting their invested money converted into Rupees.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to convene meetings with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and Bank of China for the use of RMB/PKR for bilateral trade between China and Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz gave the instructions to SBP during a meeting with the Chinese businessmen held on May 30 this year.

For the promotion of trade in the Chinese currency, a pilot project encompassing the introduction of ‘RMB pricing’ will be introduced in the first phase. In the second phase, RMB settlement and financing policies will be focused on.

The exchange rate for the currencies of both countries will be set in the China Foreign Exchange Trading System (CFETS) and in authorized banks declared as cross-border currency markets in China and Pakistan, according to the official details.

LHC to hear Murad Raas plea against FIA summon on Dec 1st

LAHORE staff report

The Lahore High Court (LHC) will take up intra-court appeal of Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas on December 1st, against FIA summon in a probe into PTI prohibited funding case.

A two-member LHC bench, headed by Justice Baqar Najafi, has summoned reply from the Federal Interior secretary in the case.

PTI leader Murad Raas, in his appeal against dismissal of his petition by a single bench of the LHC, argued that the decision of the single bench on August 24, was unlawful. The petitioner alleged that incumbent government harassing the political opponents with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). “The PTI has challenged the election commission’s

decision in Islamabad High Court,” he pleaded.

“The matter was not sent by the election commission to the FIA, but the Interior Minister has ordered the investigation agency to initiate an inquiry,” according to the petition.

Despite being in rule, PTI failed to secure KP’s rights: QWP

PESHAWAR staff report

Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) KP Provincial Chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao on Saturday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government failed to secure rights of people the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “The PTI has been ruling KP for the last nine years, but it has been unable to safeguard rights of the province,” he said while addressing a gathering at Watan Kor here.

On the occasion, workers of various political parties, including Nekzada, Shad Khan, Qareebullah, Mohammadzada, Amanat Khan, Shahabuddin, Ali Rehman, Ali Khan, Ahmad Jan, Bilal Khan and others announced joining the QWP along with their family members and supporters.

Sikandar Sherpao said the PTI government was “wasting the resources of the province on the useless long march”. He asked the PTI leadership to shun the politics of agitation and work for the development of the country instead of creating “anarchy”.

He said the PTI government failed to plead the case of the province in securing the arrears of the net hydel profit from the center. He said the PTI leadership was “misguiding the youth and inciting them to resort to violence”. “Imran Niazi failed to deliver when he was the prime minister, but he is unwilling to admit his failure,” he said, adding that he was now “using the people to create unrest”.

Committee constituted to prepare road map for interest-free banking system: Dar

ISLAMABAD staff report

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said the government has decided to implement interest-free banking system in the country.

Talking to a private news channel, he said all appeals against the Federal Shariat Court’s verdict for interest-free banking system have been withdrawn in accordance with the decision.

The Finance Minister said a high power committee has been formed, including all stakeholders that would form a road map to achieve the desired aim of an interest-free banking system.

Referring to PTI Chief Imran Khan’s remarks about the country’s economy, he said political leaderships should not compromise national interest for the sake of politics.

He said spreading lies through social media have been the doctrine of the necessity for Imran Khan’s politics to survive, urging him to avoid giving frivolous statements on the economy.

Conspiracies to topple Punjab govt, minus Imran Khan, will never succeed: Mian Aslam

LAHORE staff report

Senior Provincial Minister Mian Aslam

Iqbal said that due to awareness imparted by Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan among the nation, the people are not ready to accept the thieves and dacoits imposed on the country.

He said, “No institution of the world is willing to repose their trust in the corrupt gang sitting in the federation as everyone knows they are known money launderers. The country is drifting towards a default and a futile effort is being made to sustain the economy through an artificial support.”

Talking to media persons before the departure of Haqeeqi Azadi March caravan for Rawalpindi at his camp office New Mozang Samanabad on Saturday, Mian Aslam Iqbal said that war against the corrupt mafia has entered into its final stages and people are vigorously participating in the Azadi March across the world including Pakistan on the

call of Imran Khan.

He said that the live nations emphatically voice their tones for their rights and freedom while the dead nations get subdued no matter how much brutalities are committed on them. The Federal government committed barbarity on 25th May while the masses gave it a befitting reply on 17th July and 16th October, he added.

The provincial minister further stated that some notorious elements are planning to dwell in Punjab and are daydreaming to oust the government. They should remove such a misconception from their hearts as by merely indulging into horse-trading of Assembly Members they can overthrow the Punjab government.

He said that conspiracies are also being hatched to minus Imran Khan which will never succeed. Imran Khan is the most popular leader who has not come out just for his own self but for the future of Pakistan to redeem justice and uphold the rule of law. Imran Khan is striving to rid the country

from the thieves and dacoits adding that even his own blood is included in the Haqeeqi Azadi movement.

Responding to a question, Mian Aslam Iqbal reiterated that our politics does not stand for inflicting torture and creating mayhem but for peace, transforming deprivations of the impecunious segment into rejoice and for the progress and prosperity of the country.

To another question, he underscored that providing foolproof security to the public rally is the responsibility of the federal government and agencies. He maintained that the Federal Interior Minister instead of gossiping should nab the terrorists adding that economic stability in the country is not possible without political stability. He demanded to announce holding of elections in the country forthwith and whosoever are entrusted the right to rule by the people should govern.

Mian Aslam Iqbal reprimanded that Pakistan is the only country across the globe where rules have been amended to let the culprits go scot-free.

ISLAMABAD inp

“The FIA served a notice to Murad Raas on August 20,” petitioner said. He pleaded to the court to declare the notice to summon him, and the inquiry should be declared as void and restraining the FIA from taking any action against the petitioner.

PM ShEhbAz SAyS ElEcTiOnS TO bE hEld AfTEr AuguST ThiS yEAr

iSLAmABAd StAff report

fEDERALgovernment on Saturday rejected Imran Khan’s claim of enmass resignations from all assemblies and termed the long march as a flop show. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the next general elections in the South Asian nation “will be held on time,” that is after August 2023.

“Let me make it absolutely clear that the next elections will be held on time,” Sharif told Anadolu Agency in an interview.

He was responding to questions about his predecessor and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s demand for early elections.

“This government came into being through a constitutional process and enjoys the mandate of the people of Pakistan,” Sharif said.

“The term of the current National As-

sembly will end in August 2023 to be followed by the establishment of an interim government that will hold elections,” the Pakistani prime minister explained.

The present coalition government has “representation of all political parties of the country except the PTI and is busy dealing with the issues of great importance,” Sharif said.

Notably, Khan said on Saturday his party has decided to resign from all provincial assemblies, a move seen as a fresh bid to push the government for early elections in the country.

Sharif paid a two-day official visit to Türkiye on Friday at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On Friday, Sharif and President Erdogan jointly inaugurated the third of four MILGEM corvette ships manufactured by Türkiye for the Pakistan Navy at the Istanbul Shipyard.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said

that it was not possible for Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) to dissolve legislative assemblies including ones in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, saying no-trust motion can be moved at any time.

His statement comes in wake of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement to quit from all legislative assemblies instead of marching on Islamabad to force the government into early polls.

“Today I am deciding against marching on Islamabad because we don’t want to spread anarchy in the country. We have decided to quit all legislative assemblies,” the PTI chairman said while addressing the party’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march in Rawalpindi.

Minutes after his announcement, Sanaullah tweeted, “Not possible! A vote-of no-confidence can be moved in the provincial assemblies at any time without wasting time.”

The interior minister claimed that the opposition parties have required numbers in the Punjab Assembly to form the government in the province.

In another tweet, Sanaullah said Imran accepted his defeat and announced quitting assemblies to “clean up the mess”.

He said the PTI’s plan to blackmail and pressure the government has failed miserably as Imran could not gather a “sea of people” in Islamabad.

“Now his new plan will also fail and he will be exposed with each passing day,” he added.

Sanaullah said the masses have sidelined the long march of former premier Imran Khan.

He said the participants were not more than 16,000. According to Rana – as he claimed that if the PTI leadership opted to stage sit-in, then by Maghrib prayer, the –number – of participants would be shrink to 7,000.

Talking about the preparations of the government over the long march, Rana said that the preparations are made to bar the participants of the long march to enter Islamabad.

‘iMraN’s PlaN agaiNst coas aPPoiNtMeNt floPPed’: Meanwhile, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz has said all Imran’s plots and conspiracies including the so called “9-year plan” against his political opponents and making make new army chief appointment controversial have failed miserably.

President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday approved a summary sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the appointment of LtGen Syed Asim Munir as the next army chief and Lt-Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the new Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), ending days of speculations.

Hailing the appointments of the next army chief and chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the PTI on Thursday hoped that the new leadership of the armed forces would play its role to strengthen the constitutional rights and democracy in the country.

While referring to the approval to the top military positions by President Arif Alvi, the former ruling party in a statement said that it was ready to take measures in the “best interest of the nation’s security and stability of state institutions”.

PTI MPAs to resign from all assemblies: Imran Overseas Pakistanis real asset of country: Elahi

ContinuEd fRom PAgE 01

He noted that his party was the first to realise the dangers of climate change and work in this regard. “My government had planted trees under the Billion Tree Tsunami and Ten Billion Tree Tsunami programmes to tackle climate change,” he added.

“During the Covid-19, the opposition relentlessly criticised my government and demanded to impose a lockdown,” he said. However, he said, the then-opposition could not respond to his questions about what would happen to daily wagers and labourers.

The deposed premier earlier landed in Islamabad for the ‘climax’ of the Haqeeqi Azadi march and arrived in Rawalpindi to address his first public gathering after being injured in a gun attack earlier this month.

“When I was leaving for Rawalpindifrom Lahore, everyone advised me against travelling due to wounds in my leg,” the former PM said at the start of his address.

Secondly, Imran said his aides also warned him not to address the public rally in Rawalpindi as “three culprits holding top portfolios will attempt again to kill me”.

“Many prime ministers come and go but public never came out in such large number like they gathered here for me,” he added.

Imran said there would be no difference between animals and humans if people of the country accepted the rulers who came to power through ‘NRO’. “No society can prosper where there is no rule of law.”

Trader rejects claims about rise in Pak-Afghan trade

PESHAWAR Aziz Buneri

Provincial President of Frontier Customs Clearing Agents (FCCA), Ziaul Haq Sarhadi on Saturday rejected the customs officials claim regarding rise in Pak-Afghan trade due to the current high dollar rate and arrival of Afghanistan goods stuck due to corona pandemic in different countries, saying there has been no significant increase in bilateral trade between the two countries. Taking to Profit and Pakistan Today, Sarhadi said there was contradiction in the data released by the customs officials.”Earlier, the number of transit vehicles was 300 cleared on a daily basis, which has now reduced to mere 30 to 35 vehicles at Torkham crossing point,” Sarhadi said, and added this was despite the fact six different departments were working on the border crossing. He further said banking system in Afghanistan was disrupted since the end of Ashraf Ghani rule in August 2021 as a result traders were facing difficulties in opening LCs. Thus, there is no increase possible in trade under such circumstances. He said that before the merger of tribal districts with the province in 2018, the political administration was quick enough to clear trade vehicles as compared to the current administration as vehicles are unable to cross the border for several weeks due to legal complexities.

Imran said overseas Pakistanis are standing with him because they are aware of the importance of the rule of law.

“If Pakistan is in difficult situation today it’s not because we are short of resources but due to the absence of rule of law.”

Imran said families like Sharifs and Zardaris are responsible for weakening Pakistan’s institutions in a bid to protect their “looted wealth”.

“I felt ashamed when I had to ask for loans from other countries when I was prime minister.”

Despite all challenges including Covid-19, Imran said his government successfully revived the country’s ailing economy.

“What crime did we commit that our government was toppled through foreign conspiracy,” he asked.

However, Imran admitted that he failed to bring powerful under the law. “Because NAB was under the control of establishment and they [NAB] told me that all cases were ready but they were not receiving orders from the top”.

“Establishment told me to focus on economy and stop pursuing corruption cases… they did not consider corruption wrong. Those who had power did not consider corruption bad.

“Establishment was not part of conspiracy but they did not stop their [then opposition] conspiracy to come to power.”

‘there were three shooters’

The former premier claimed that three shooters were deployed in Wazirabad for his assassination plot.

“Mozzam was shot dead by third shooter… a third shooter was there to kill the [prime suspect] so that he does not open his mouth,” he said while likening attempt on his life to the assassination of late prime minster Liaquat Ali Khan. ‘couNtry is MiNe, arMy is MiNe’ Imran said he criticised institutions including military establishment and judiciary because “I have to live and die here”.

“My criticism of institutions is positive. I want to strengthen the defence of the country. This country is mine… army is mine.”

“I will fight for the country till the last drop of my blood. I want my country to achieve real freedom. History will bear witness that Imran Khan fought for the country till the last ball.”

He said the one who increased his assets and violated human rights will be judged by history as whether his actions benefited or caused harm to the country.

“Freedom has to be snatched. No one serves it out on plate. My movement for real freedom will continue until we free our people from [slavery].” all cMs oN board for resigNatioN decisioN: Qureshi

PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi told media following the announcement that all CMs of PTI were on board with the party decision and CM Gilgit Baltistan Khakid Khursheed Khan was also part of the consultation process.

“All party CMs would dissolve assemblies as and when the party chief takes a formal decision,” he asserted.

PM Shehbaz seeks to quintuple trade with Turkiye in 3 years

He recalled having broad talks with Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on expanding and deepening ties between the two nations. In the launch of the third MILGEM Corvette Class ship, PNS Khaibar on Friday, Shehbaz said that this was an opportunity to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries.

Later in a tweet on Saturday, the prime minister said in addition to reviewing the whole spectrum of bilateral relations, President Erdogan and he discussed ways and means to achieve the target of increasing trade volume to 5-billion dollars in 3-years.

He wrote on his tweet handle: “we vowed to ensure effective implementation of Trade in Goods Agreement in this regard.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with management of Zorlu in Istanbul on Saturday. CEO of Zorlu Holding Ömer Yüngül, CEO of Zorlu Energy, Ibrahim Sinan Ak and Director Overseas Projects, Evren Evcit participated in the meeting.

Collaboration in clean energy was discussed. The company has already invested in wind and solar energy in Pakistan.

The Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also held separate meetings with President Albayrak Group, Ahmet Albayrak and President DEIK and CEO of Pak Group, Nail Olpak in Istanbul on Saturday.

On the occasion, Istanbul based PAK YATIRIM company showed interest in solar energy investments in Pakistan.

PM welcoMes ProsPects of eco’s outreach to cars

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday welcomed the prospects of expansion

of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) outreach to the landlocked Central Asian Republics (CARs) for exploring wider economic and trade dividends of the region.

Talking to the President of ECO Trade and Development Bank during a signing ceremony of financial assistance to Pakistan, the prime minister welcomed the prospects of inclusion of CARs in the ECO.

The prime minister further suggested hosting of ECO members countries’ summit including the CARs with proper agenda after consensus which would give a push to the economic activities and regional cooperation.

The prime minister urged the ECO to further tap the potential of Central Asian countries which had a huge population and offering diverse potential of railways and land network connectivity.

He said that developing countries like Pakistan required foreign investment and the CARs could be connected via Afghanistan, and these linkages would broaden the economic relations among all the regional countries.

He opined that economic priority was on the ECO agenda and further prospects could provide further opportunities to the developing countries like Pakistan.

The prime minister termed the idea as “a game changer”, adding that the Gwadar port would serve as a hub for transporting gas to the world.

He opined that railroads and roads connectivity would shape the regional landscape, through a vision of threeway economic cooperation. The countries rich with natural resources could export their goods through these linkages, he added. He also invited the president of the Bank to visit Pakistan.

The EUR 150 million financial assistance from ECO Trade and Development Bank will also be utilized for flood relief, he concluded.

LAHoRE StAff report

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Saturday reiterated that overseas Pakistanis were real assets to the country and their role in strengthening economy can be overlooked. “Imran Khan granted the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis when he the prime minister to acknowledge their invaluable services but unfortunately the current “imported government’ in the centre deprived the overseas Pakistanis of this long-due right to vote.” Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was talking was with Co-Chairman of All-Parties Parliamentary Group of Great Britain about Pakistan and Member Parliament House Of Commons Yasmeen Qureshi who called on him CM’s House here on Saturday. On the occasion, they discussed matters of mutual interest and promotion of relations between Pakistan and Great Britain. They also discussed problems being faced by oversea Pakistani and measures for their resolution. On the occasion, MP House Of Commons Great Britain Yasmeen Qureshi acknowledged that CM Pervaiz Elahi completed innumerable public welfare projects during his previous tenure. She lauded that CM Pervaiz Elahi on account of his dynamic vision turned Punjab into an excellent province and brought about positive change in every department, adding that pro-active leadership would be always remembered. Yasmeen Qureshi appreciated that the Chief Minister believes in doing public service and even now he has done works of many years in a short span of time. She stated that the overseas Pakistanis laud the welfare projects of CM Pervaiz Elahi. Ch Pervaiz Elahi informed the visitor that the present federal government was “murderer” of the rights of overseas Pakistanis. “Now oversea Pakistanis cannot repose their trust in any political party aligned with the incumbent federal government”, he pointed out and added Pakistanis residing overseas were true ambassadors of their country. “We are introducing a comprehensive policy to resolve the problems of overseas Pakistanis.” Spouse of Yasmeen Qureshi, Nadeem Ashraf Butt, former Provincial Minister Mian Imran Masood, Chief Secretary Abdullah Khan Sumbal, former Principal Secretary to CM GM Sikandar, Secretary P&D CEO PBIT and officials concerned were also present on the occasion. aPNs delegatioN Meets ch Pervaiz elahi: Meanwhile, a delegation of All Pakistani Newspapers Society (APNS) called on Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in his office. The CM while talking with the APNS delegation stated that by the grace of Allah Almighty, the political situation was under control, adding that until Allah Almighty does not want no harm will be done to the Punjab government. Allah Almighty has bestowed an authority on him and whatever is granted by Allah Almighty no one can snatch it. CM maintained that by the grace of Allah Almighty, the Punjab government is intact and will complete its term.

The CM ordered to pay the remaining payments of the newspapers within one month, adding that regional newspapers would be allocated 25% quota along with allocation of colour advertisements. President APNS Sarmad Ali acknowledged that CM Pervaiz Elahi was a media-friendly Chief Minister who had always supported the newspapers. He lauded the CM for always showing affection in order to resolve problems of the newspapers. Khushnood Ali Khan remarked that since the Chief Minister assumed his office payments to the newspapers have been started. Matters pertaining to overall political situation and to the newspapers came under discussion during the meeting. Meanwhile, Punjab CM met with Punjab Minister Excise & Taxation & Narcotics Sardar Muhammad Asif Nakai and with MNA Talib Nakai. On the occasion, Asif Nakai apprised the CM of the performance of the department and progress on Narcotics Substances Act 2022.The Chief Minister stated that he had resolved to purge the society from the scourge of narcotics, adding that there was a dire need for undertake stringent measures to prevent the educational institutions from the scourge of narcotics, pledging that the younger generation would be protected from harmful effects of narcotics at all costs.

ContinuEd fRom PAgE 01

SBP’s rate hike

Hindu Nationalist Government

riety of vigilante groups, have been regularly employed to discipline opponents, often resulting in physical confrontations or death.

There have also been intensive efforts to redefine citizenship by restricting the right of indian citizenship for immigrants from Pakistan, afghanistan and bangladesh to non-Muslims only. a bill proposing this change failed only because the bjP was unable to secure a majority in the Upper House.

The State bank of Pakistan’s Monetary Policy Committee has taken the unexpected step of increasing its policy rate from 15 percent to 16 percent, the rate was already at s very high level, but this increase takes it to a level not seen since the 1990d. The increase was unexpected because it was thought there had been sufficient good news to allow some easing: the current deficit account was down, and inflation was showing signs of slowing.

instead, the rate was hiked, making it likely that the State bank was merely reacting to the global inflationary wave, and the hike was merely precautionary, to insulate the economy from the effects of global inflation. The hike was probably also meant to stop, or at least slow, the fall in the rupee, which meant that inflation was bound to go on affecting the price of imports, which include palm oil, fuel and, medicines.

it is not easy to discern what the government is trying to achieve politically, for the PDM government started off with measures to allow traders to stay out of the tax net. However, making credit tighter at the same time, does not really snake much sense. With the election year about to start, it is to be expected the government will do its fair share of.

One of the more interesting dimensions that needs exploring is how far the raising of interest rates does control inflation. The classical theory, that raising interest rates leads to lowering of inflation needs to be revisited. The assumption that Pakistan is suffering from cost-push inflation does not seem justified, as the factor of the floods does not seem to have been included in this approach. The government need to have its political goals met seem to be ignored by the current policy.

THeHindu nationalist project, as conceived by its founders in the 1920s, aims to create a Hindu state in which there was a congruence between the main cultural force in indian society and political power. Since the 1980s, this goal has been sublimated into policies to build a Ram temple in place of the babri Masjid in ayodhya, repealing article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to jammu and Kashmir, and creating a uniform civil code that would abrogate Muslim personal law.

While previous bjP-led NDa governments preferred to put these policies on the back burner, rather than promote cultural nationalism, with the valorization of Hindu majority religion, language and history in everyday practices, under Modi, there has been a clear shift in the valorization of Hindu majority religion, language and history in everyday practices, and a redefinition of the public sphere, squeezing the secular space between state and society, in the language of Hindu nationalism. in contrast to Nehruvian secularism, the post-independence indian ideology associated with jawaharlal Nehru, and the socialist outlook of the Congress, the icon of the contemporary bjP is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose Unity Charter was inaugurated by Modi in October 2018.

These norms have been taken further by the Modi government in trying to control dissent. feminists, radicals, writers, intellectuals, social activists and human rights defenders who have opposed government policies, all of whom have been marginalized or physically attacked. Directly or indirectly, the government has used its influence in the media, particularly the burgeoning digital media, to unleash a tidal wave of sectarian Hindu nationalism as the official state ideology in which opponents are regularly labeled as anti-national.

Sedition laws have been used against women, students, and political activists. Street activists of the Sangh Parivar, the family of Hindutva organizations that includes the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishva Hindu Parshad (VHP), bajrang Dal (bD), akhil bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (abVP) and bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (bMS), and a wide va-

State institutions have also been used to foster crude jingoism. in 2014, RSS chief Mohan bhagwat's annual speech was broadcast live on the national television network, Doordarshan; and in October 2016, the College Scholarship Committee, in an official circular, called on affiliated universities and colleges to make a security pledge on Patel's birth anniversary to commit to "preserving the unity, integrity, and security of the nation" in the presence of a freedom fighter who would speak of nationalism. This initiative came simultaneously with the government's attempt to make it compulsory to play the national anthem in all cinemas before a film screening; and although this decision was overturned by the Supreme Court, it created an atmosphere of collective vigilantism against moviegoers who did not follow up the ruling with a reported case in Tamil Nadu. in seeking to redefine the public sphere as a non-secular space of majoritarian nationalism, the bjP and its ideologues argue that they are acting within the spirit of the Constitution. So far, the initiatives taken by the government to water down article 370, and Muslim personal law, and to build a Ram temple on the site of the babri Masjid, may have been within the framework of the Constitution, but the political results are sought out in line of the Hindutva agenda. even the most key feature of the constitution, its state secularism, in the logic of Hindu nationalism, is being redefined from being "pseudo-secular" to "genuine secularism". Gradually but inevitably, a new Hindutva republic is emerging in which there are no profound constitutional changes but where the “political processes” have already “begun to change”. The main antagonistic “other” of Hindu nationalism has been the religious minorities: Christians, Muslims, buddhists, jains, Sikhs and Zoroastrians, against whom the ideology of an ethnicized nation has been built. Traditionally, by making a distinction between religious minorities for whom india is a 'holy land' and 'homeland', and others, Hindu nationalists have tried to assimilate the former within the broader pantheon of Hinduism, and politically and socially exclude the latter as alien to india. This strategy has been applied

Hijab in Iran – a tool for oppression

the statesmen against the wish of the people. Compelling people to wear hijab by force and then calling it part of iranian culture is a tool for oppression.

Mahsa ameni was a Kurdish woman living in iran. She was accused of not wearing her hijab properly by the morality police. The Morality Police has to keep a check on whether the citizens either male or female, follow the dress code properly or not. Mahsa ameni was arrested by police when she was visiting Tehran with her family. The police said they would take her with them to advise her on the dress code. Her brother was with her at the police station.

Hijabis a choice, not a compulsion and compelling people to wear it, is an act of oppression. For instance, imagine one is forced to cover her head. in case, she rejects she will be beaten or even worse, killed. The case of Mahsa ameni in iran is an instance. Not only women, but men also; started protests in Tehran after her death. This is not the first-time protesters are coming out onto the streets against the hijab law.

before the 1979 revolution, although hijab was not compulsory, women wore it by choice, not by force. but now if someone does not wear a hijab properly, she is considered an opponent of the .regime regardless of her religion or nationality. This piece argues that hijab is a means of promoting the conservative religious beliefs of

Suddenly, an ambulance came and she was sent to the hospital. it was claimed by the morality police that she had a sudden heart attack. but her family claimed that she was fit and healthy, but was detained by the morality police. after three days in a coma, she died on September 16. Her death created anger among the citizens and they started protesting. it seems that protests are now spreading all over iran, men are also protesting with women against the regime. The reason is that the Morality Police not only forced women to wear hijab properly, but also forced men to follow the dress code. They are not allowed to have western hairstyles and beard styles or wear western-styled jeans.

an uprising hardly happens immediately; as there are many factors behind it. The same is the case with iran: the people were oppressed for about 40 years by the iranian regime of the islamic clergy. in 2014 Masih alinejad, a New York-based iranian activist, started a Facebook page called “ My Stealthy Freedom”. its purpose was to challenge the hijab law in iran. in late 2017, there was an uprising against the hijab law which spread to almost 80 cities in iran. The islamic Republic's calendar designates july 12 as Hijab and Chastity Day, and official organizations and individuals are required to

vigorously in the bjP government's policies towards minorities since 2014. Funding for minority development programmes has been significantly reduced; policy initiatives undertaken by the previous United Progressive alliance (UPa) government to improve equality and equity, especially for Muslims, in service delivery have been abandoned; socioeconomically disadvantaged Christian and Muslim communities have been deliberately excluded from affirmative action, while that provision has been expanded to include the "poor" upper castes; and steps have been taken to restore legislative protections for scheduled castes and tribes against violence, in contrast to the denial of any equivalent protection to religious minorities, especially Muslims.

These policies have also been carried out in an atmosphere of hostility, often emanating from the government itself. The Minister for Minority affairs openly stated that "Muslims are not a minority and that the community's concerns about security stemmed largely from a "psychosis of fear" that had taken hold of the Muslims of india. Similarly, the bjP's Scheduled Caste Cell Secretary has urged poor Christians and Muslims to “convert back to Hinduism” if they wanted the benefits of the reserves. The campaigns orchestrated by the bjP mass organizations have had a far more debilitating impact on india's religious minorities, particularly Muslims. The idea of a Love jihad was launched in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the elections thereand captured the national imagination as a fight against sexually rapacious Muslim youth who convert Hindu women to islam through false declarations of love.

is time for the countries of the region to raise the issues arising from the Hindutva-driven policy in international and regional forums. The world community should not turn a blind eye to the continuing violations of human rights in India and Jammu and Kashmir

Orchestrated by Yogi adityanath, who later became the state's Chief Minister in 2017 in a sweeping victory in the state's elections, the campaign demonized interfaith marriages, framing them as an affront to traditional notions of patriarchy, family and community. Ghar wapsi emerged shortly after the election of the bjP government to convert Christians and Muslims to Hinduism, often with incentives such as ration cards to access state assets. it quickly turned into a debate about the need for national anti-conversion legislation to reinforce the highly restrictive freedom of religion legislation passed by many bjP state governments. Now it is time for the countries of the region to raise the issues arising from the Hindutva-driven policy in international and regional forums. The world community should not turn a blind eye to the continuing violations of human rights in india and jammu and Kashmir.

The writer has a PhD in Political Science and can be reached at akramzaheer86@yahoo.com

raise awareness about it for a complete week, but citizens have again started condemning the Hijab Law.

The death of Mahsa amini was the spark to enflame the fire. Women are cutting their hair and burning their hijabs in the streets against the government and morality police. However, the officials of the government denied that Masha amini was beaten. instead, they claim that it is Western propaganda to overthrow the iranian regime. although before the 1979 revolution hijab was not compulsory because the Shah of iran was secular. During that time many women wore hijabs as a choice, and many wore them as a symbol of solidarity and protest to oppose the secular reign of the Shah.

However, demonstrators were neither required to wear veils, nor was this a demand that led to the revolution of 1979; but under the Khomeini regime, it became mandatory to wear hijab. in 1985, it became a proper law not only for Muslim women, but also for those who belong to different religions. Numerous people dislike it due to this involuntary nsture.

The international community condemned iran for this unlawful act against its citizens. UN officials said that iran should stop detaining women who do not abide by the hijab rules and should stop the violent response by security forces to subsequent protests and demanded an independent inquiry into the death of Mahsa ameni.

No doubt hijab is a choice. The hijab is mentioned

in the Holy Qur'an. Surah 24 of the Holy Qur'an, verses 30-31, “and tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms.” in practice, the word "hijab" relates to the modesty rules mentioned in the verses which contains more than just body covering.

Now, the question is, is the hijab oppressive? if a woman is forced to wear it against her will, yes, it is. The choice of those who do not believe in almighty allah should be respected. islam has also given women a very respectful status, and it does not allow beating women or humiliating them even during wars when the situation turns lawless. So, beating them in the name of not wearing hijab is a sheer violation of islamic Shariah. if hijab is mandatory in the constitution of iran, then the morality police should have also worked under the constitution. instead of killing the girl, they should have fined the girl or advised her as written in the Hijab law, but should not have beaten or harassed her to the point that she eventually lost her life.

Therefore, it is necessary to avoid such types of uprisings by showing flexibility and bringing amendments to the iranian constitution. after all, the constitution is man-made, not divine, so changes are possible in it. as constitutions are made for the welfare of the people and not to fulfill the conservative wishes of the statesmen.

The writer is – Assistant Research Fellow Balochistan Think Tank Network, Quetta.

Raising the interest rate to 16 percent seems sign of panic

It

Therefore, it is necessary to avoid such types of uprisings by showing flexibility and bringing amendments to the Iranian constitution. After all, the constitution is man-made, not divine, so changes are possible in it. As constitutions are made for the welfare of the people and not to fulfill the conservative wishes of the statesmen

dr muhammad akram Zaheer

Yousaf Nizami Editor

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

M. A. Niazi Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor

The Modi government has pulled out all the stops

Sakina ahmed khan

Sleeping with the enemy

Civil-military relations fraught with mistrust

ASthe new army Chief and the Chairman joint Chiefs of Staff Committee nominations are shortlisted, approved and formalized by the President and Prime Minister, there is a general larger than life pretense of relief in political and media quarters; as if democracy has been saved or if a major clash has been averted. The reactions of all the stakeholders, invariably point out to the hard fact at place in the Pakistani politics that after 75 years, the civil and military elite remains strange; rather estranged, bedfellows. Surprisingly, the PTi which built its image as an anti-establishment force, did not take much time to announce a ceasefire with the establishment as well as its arch-rivals, the PML(N) and the PPP. The PTi. which boasted of an unparallelled one-page status with the military in fact was the one which was witness to the developing estrangement of the worst kind; the likesof which in the political history of the PML(N) and PPP cannot be located.

To recall, the current crisis started with the single press release for the appointment of iSi chief last autumn that tore off the one page between the civil and military and ended a “favourite” government, bringing instead the not-so-favourites. at the core, it showed the fissures, which have been the legacy of the political system ever since the inception of the country after the british left. That has become a regular feature whenever an inning of military rule ends and finally the political rule is restored, many times in name only. The democratic interlude is characterized by constant jockeying for power, which in turn creates mistrust.

Practically the external world has learnt to live with it. in Turkey, they know whom to meet. in iran, they request an audience as per the importance of the visiting leader or of the issue. in Pakistan, separate audiences with the Chief of army Staff and the Prime Minister are requested as the world at large knows, which strings need to be pulled to get the work done. actually, whenUS President Trump ordered striking the iranian General in baghdad in january 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in his tweet preferred to mention the COaS incumbent at that time of Pakistan, then the Prime Minister. in the midst of these protocols followed by the external stakeholders; it has been practically the only period; during the stint of Democrats in Washington, when under the banner of Kerry Lugar bill in 2009-2010, the Obama administration gave what was due, weightage to the civilian government. Otherwise, it has been military, with whom even the americans are comfortable to work with.

During the period under discussion, the Osama episode once again showed that the two strange bedfellows, the PPP government and the military, were not on the same page. While the army was red-faced at what it tried to market as invasion of its enclave, the President of Pakistan, the ceremonial commander in-chief of the Pak-

istani defence forces and the chairman of the political party at the centre had already sent for publication an article condoning the US strike in abbottabad. During the same period, the Memogate affair was another point of deep conflict between the PPP and the GHQ.

The PML(N), which got a bitter taste of military coup in 1999, despite being partners in pressuring the PPP in 1990 and 1994, too had to be what can be said crops up with the ever-present Khaki shadows. Pakistan was witness to the pitch-dark flypast of PaF jets on 14 august 2014 in the clumsiest manner; when the polity and society was first held hostage to the mechanics of the establishment favourites, the PTi hordes in islamabad. To make way for the 126-day dharna; the national day had to be pushed through at midnight. it was only the stand taken by the PPP and the insistence that parliamentary attendance be restored that the “revolutionary” politics of the PTi hordes was neutralized; the rest is history.

The ascension of the favourite politician to the post of prime minister was boasted as a time when the onepage doctrine was achieved and the two parties were never or were no more strange bedfellows. However, the gradual turn of events after the start of the third year of this happy marriage soon demonstrated that both the parties were actually ‘sleeping with the enemy’. again, the follow-up events are current happenings; which future historians will be in a better position to study and analyze.

administrative aspects were presumably dealt with in a superficial manner; the political aspect was completely ignored. The best example of how that proved costly was the separation of east Pakistan. The bengali population’s disillusionment with the federation had started but the government due to its pure military nature did not detect the same.

One example of that lack of empathy was the 1965 war. While 200 or so jets of all categories were in West Pakistan for the defence of the air space, east Pakistan was left at the mercy of the iaF stationed in West bengal, assam, bihar, and other indian states surrounding east Pakistan. There were only 14, F-86 jets that were supposed to patrol the eastern flank’s airspace. by the time the dust settled, the east Pakistanis’ anger had crossed the prohibitive limits. again, the government faced with protests in both the wings of the country could not understand the political demands and dealt with them with an iiron hand approach. The 1971 separation of east Pakistan was the direct result of that approach.

The way forward is correction, especially in terms of action, not press releases from the institutions which have a record of intervention. A country at the shore of economic meltdown cannot afford a narrow vision of anyone powerful. The will of unarmed masses needs to take precedence over that of the armed ones, who draw salaries from the former

The reasons for that continued mistrust between the civil and military, which has plagued the Pakistani polity and the economic and strategic planning has been the battle for control of the resources as well as the key decision making. The origins of that mindset emanate from the earlier days of the country, when the politicians from the vanguard party PML, were not in the position to run the country with consensus. That mismanagement helped create fissures within the system. The military trained in british traditions was more than ready to increase or enhance its influence in the polity. The appointment of ayub Khan, a serving military officer, as the Defence Minister in an otherwise civilian cabinet was the first misstep in this context.

The military coup in October 1958, for the time being swung the balance in military favour. However, the biggest fall-out of that arrangement was that while the military aspects and the

The ascension of bhutto, if one follows the narrative of eminent political analyst Shuja Nawaz, in 1971 was made by the army under duress; an act they would not have entertained under normal circumstances. However, bhutto could not implement his programme as fully as he wanted, to maintain a sort of trust with the army. Opposed to military pacts with the USa, he continued with the CeNTO and SeaTO arrangements during his tenure. During the arab-israeli conflict of 1973/74, PaF pilots volunteering for combat were advised to do that on their own, meaning adherence to the above-mentioned pacts. The Zia years’ treatment of junejo, the Ojrhi camp episode, the turbulent 1990s when successive PPP ad PML(N) governments were shown the door were the period when the mistrust escalated gradually. Lastly, the last six months and the turning against them of those the army had trained as its allies, evaporated any semblance of any decency.

The way forward is correction, especially in terms of action, not press releases from the institutions which have a record of intervention. a country at the shore of economic meltdown cannot afford a narrow vision of anyone powerful. The will of unarmed masses needs to take precedence over that of the armed ones, who draw salaries from the former.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Editor’s mail

Flawed and illogical

THedeplorable state of education in the country is known to one and all. However, there are some factors that do not get as much attention as they merit. a case in point is the admission process in some higher education institutions where one has to submit the admission fee and produce a voucher to that effect before the verification of relevant documents. This is clearly illogical. institutions like the allama iqbal Open University (aiOU) in islamabad and the Federal Urdu University of arts, Sciences and Technology (FUUaST) in Karachi follow such a pattern on their online portals, asking the applicants to pay the fee before having their documents scrutinised. Why cannot the universities verify the documents first and then ask for fee from the selected candidates? even if the intention is to discourage non-serious candidates, a minimal fee would do the job.

Moreover, most such institutions have a tedious process of reclaiming the fee as it takes months and a number of useless visits to the department concerned in order to have the refund process completed. Such administrative loopholes on the part of universities add to the woes of students and their parents. The Higher education Commission (HeC) and the universities concerned should look into the matter and make the admission process hassle-free.

ANWAR AHMAD KARACHI

Medical maltreatment

THecases of mismanagement and mistreatment at hospitals generally go unreported. The patients and their families are either forced to remain quiet by hospital administrations, or are unaware about how and where to have a complaint registered.

i recently witnessed a case of mismanagement in a reputable hospital of Karachi. a boy was rushed to the emergency department, complaining of extreme pain which looked like a case of appendicitis. However, before he could be checked by a doctor, he was shifted to a hospital ward where he was kept on pain-killers till the relevant could become ‘available’. The boy spent a whole night in excruciating pain because the doctor became ‘available’ only the next morning. and, yes, it was a case of appendicitis for which he was operated upon subsequently.

just imagine, the boy could have died overnight. and, indeed, many do in different hospitals owing to negligence and delayed treatment. The authorities concerned should keep a check on hospitals and make the administrations establish a public-access desk where complaints of negligence, mismanagement and mistreatment may be registered.

AREEBA MUNAWER KARACHI

Free treatment

THesituation prevailing in government hospitals is rather bleak. These hospitals are bound to provide standard healthcare to patients free of cost, but that is not what happens in reality. The best one can hope to get in state-run health facilities is a prescription, and, if needed and available, a hospital bed. The rest, including the medicines and surgical supplies, have to be arranged by the family.

This is strange because we keep hearing of millions of rupees going to state-run hospitals in every budget? Does the administrative cost consume all those millions? if so, the budget has to specify the various heads under which the money should be spent. Or, is there some element of corruption that siphons money out of the system? if that is the case, the government should sort the matter out. Why should the common man suffer?

as things stand today, most patients requiring medical attention either go to private hospitals, or free facilities run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and non-profit entities, like the indus Hospital so they may get the care they need without any financial burden involved. This puts extra strain on these facilities, which should not happen.

Provision of healthcare is the responsibility of the government, and not of the charitable organisations. Unfortunately, nothing is being done to improve the status of healthcare in government hospitals. The authorities concerned need to take action and address the huge problem.

SHAHEER UR REHMAN KARACHI

Whirlpool of addiction

THerising trend of drug abuse in the country is a worrying sign for all concerned; from parents to healthcare providers, and from politicians to civil society activists, especially sociologists. The addicts do not mess up with just their own health, careers and lives, but also take society down with them as they get sucked down the whirlpool.

Drug abuse refers to the use of certain substances that stimulate chemicals producing pleasurable effects on the brain. it could be misuse of prescription medicines, like antidepressants, or LSD, etc. Over 350,000 people lose their lives from drug overdose each year. One of the most common substances is marijuana — also called cannabis or hash with slight variants — with nearly 30 million people reportedly consuming it.

Drug abuse is most common these days in teenagers because of many reasons; peer pressure being the most common reason cited by those who are brought to rehabilitation centres by worried parents. it mostly starts as a ‘recreational’ activity. Childhood trauma, broken family and academic problems contribute to drug abuse, but in most cases it is someone in the peer group who makes this stupid suggestion, and, indeed, makes the hazardous stuff available.

Regardless of the reason behind the consumption, however, chemicals cause long-term damage to the human body and mind. The addictive drugs stimulate brain’s ‘reward system’ by elevating dopamine levels. Drugs like hash interfere with the brain chemicals putting the user in a state of euphoria where one feels happy and excited. The fact that these drugs mimic the brain’s neurons even though they do not function in the same way, may, and often do, lead to other adverse effects.

Society and its decision-makers and stakeholders need to understand that drug abuse is a highly dangerous illness, and the pace of its spread is frightening. it is often said that drug abuse has no effective treatment, but the fact is that social, cognitive and behavioural therapies along with lifestyle modifications have an impact. besides, withdrawal therapy is very effective, provided it is dependent on the drugs consumed. The goal is safe and planned detoxification. it is a gradual process that takes time, but is definitely effective.

DR RIDA TARIQ KARACHI

The Tool of The WesTern inTelliGence MaTrix To criMinalise MusliM coMMuniTies

Middle easT MoniTor MuhaMMad hussEin

Thereare countless stereotypes and tropes found throughout popular culture, movie productions and social media. One of those is that of undercover police or intelligence agents who famously tend to consist of well-built white men donned in disguises that are overly civilian with a tactical hint – usually with similar crew cut hairstyles, shorts, sunglasses, a baseball cap or blue jeans with the outline of handcuffs seen through the back pocket –and who were especially spotted and publicised at both left and right-wing protests in the uS in recent years.

Infiltrating protests and rallies seem to be a prominent part of their job description and, in movies, they are famously portrayed as provocateurs offering to sell drugs to or buy drugs from people they suspect are either consuming or dealing in the illegal underground narcotics trade. In that process, they are also known to have the effect of luring hapless civilians into a world they may not have thought of entering into, otherwise. here enters the phenomenon that is entrapment.

Much of the discourse around secret or undercover agents – whether law enforcement or intelligence – remains wrapped in fiction, and is littered with popularised concepts, such as innovative gadgets and Bond villain intrigues, but the phenomenon of entrapment is one of those that are verifiably and undeniably true.

The infiltration of groups and movements is what allows a domestic or foreign intelligence agency to gain intelligence, as it were, and is far from being a mystery or conspiracy theory. Informants will be planted, inside information will be gained, handlers will be tasked to deal with their assets and operatives will likely try to entrap. It is not a question of if it happens, but of how far it extends, for what reasons

Rich

THE TARGETING OF MUSLIM COMMUNITIES AND THEIR VULNERABLE OR IMPRESSIONABLE INDIVIDUALS BY WESTERN INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES IS STILL ONGOING, WITHOUT A DOUBT. OPERATIVES WILL CONTINUE TO LURE, MANIPULATE AND ENTRAP SUCH INDIVIDUALS

and whether it is justifiable or not. entrapping an unsuspecting civilian while trying to catch narcotics dealers and suppliers in a drug-ridden western metropolis is one thing, but possibly entrapping a minor into joining a terror group and definitely providing assistance in trafficking them across international borders while covering it up with full awareness, is at a whole other level. and that is exactly what seems to have happened over the past few decades of the 'war on terror'.

THE BEGUM CONNECTION: The fleeing of the outcast Briton, Shamima Begum, and her friends to Syria and their eventual joining of Daesh was one such case, in which a watershed moment was the revelation, in august, that Canadian intelligence had a primary role in the trafficking of the schoolgirls and other Britons to Syria, all those years ago.

In his book 'The Secret history of the five eyes', former security correspondent of The Sunday Times, richard kerbaj, revealed that a human trafficker named Mohammed al-rashed – recruited by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) when he applied for asylum at the Canadian embassy in Jordan – had arranged transport for the girls in Turkiye to make their way into Syria.

he also photographed the passports of Begum and her friends, claiming that he needed proof of identity to buy transport tickets, before forwarding those images to the CSIS. Despite the uk's Metropolitan Police Service having issued an urgent appeal asking anyone who had seen the teenagers after they went to Gatwick airport, Canada remained silent. It was only when Turkish authorities arrested rashed and discovered the travel documents and bus tickets belonging to the teenagers in his possession, did they find the link.

ankara informed london, which was then convinced by Ottawa to conceal its role, according to the book.

In reports earlier this month, it was further confirmed that British intelligence also knew of its Canadian counterpart's role in the girls' fleeing to Syria. The BBC has also revealed that it had obtained files proving that the agent shared Begum's passport details with Canada, and that he had smuggled other Britons to Syria to fight for Daesh or marry the group's militants.

What the book and its findings reveal is not only that the girls, other Britons, and very likely scores of other westerners had assistance throughout their journeys to Syria and they did not go it alone, but that the clear and blatant role of western intelligence agencies in the recruitment, growth and operational reach of terror groups is now further able to be confirmed.

even if the CSIS and its British counterparts' involvement in the case are misreported or exaggerated – which is highly unlikely as a former Canadian agent has acknowledged her agency's role and called for it to be corrected – this is not the only case which serves as an example of those agencies' very active role in the movement of individuals wanting to join such groups.

In 2015, the uS's federal Bureau of Investigations (fBI) rented a villa in Istanbul as a safe house for alleged members of Daesh, with an undercover operative of the agency himself signing the tenancy agreement.

The fBI then turned on those assets, tipping off Turkish security forces by claiming the villa's inhabitants were plotting a terror attack within the city. reports this year revealed that prosecutors found no evidence of such a plot, but cited court papers which showed the Bureau's role in in-

forming Turkish authorities of the Daesh member's presence.

Throughout the 'war on terror' decades, too, the fBI has handled as many as 15,000 informants – with as many as three unofficial ones for every one officially recorded – to infiltrate the Muslim community in the uS, search for individuals who may lean towards militant viewpoints, and groom them into accepting a plot to attack a site or reading supposed al-Qaeda oaths.

Those individuals targeted by the Bureau usually did not have enough money or resources, let alone even the initial intention needed to commit any attacks prior to their relationship built up with the informants. The fBI and the uS government, however, made sure they were provided with them, with the informant –who usually posed as a member of a transnational terror group – guaranteeing to give the target the means necessary to carry out the plot.

Moreover, the subjects are often investigated by the fBI and security agencies multiple times before actual attacks do take place, which tends to make such agencies look useless in identifying and preventing attacks from happing. rather than ignorance or incompetence, though, it would not be far-fetched to suspect deliberate and calculated intent on the part of intelligence.

That same pattern of infiltration, investigation, approach, incitement and provision has not only been used on Muslim communities, but on any community or movement deemed a potential threat or nuisance by the 'establishment', for lack of a better term.

In October 2020, the fBI and the uS Justice Department announced the arrest of six militia members in Michigan State

known as the Wolverine Watchmen, with the Bureau having supposedly thwarted a plot to kidnap State Governor, Gretchen Whitmer. numerous undercover agents and at least a dozen informants were part of that group, including a senior member and an explosives expert who were supposed to have prominent roles in that alleged plot.

There we see the use of such tactics of entrapment against right-wing individuals, stemming significantly from those used against civil rights and protest groups over the previous decades during the fBI's COInTelPrO (Counterintelligence Program). The Bureau and other agencies' operations within Muslim communities were – and are – not new, but they have likely been further honed and perfected to a higher degree and level not previously seen.

The targeting of Muslim communities and their vulnerable or impressionable individuals by western intelligence agencies is still ongoing, without a doubt. Operatives will continue to lure, manipulate and entrap such individuals, and if they are not killed and disposed of in the attacks or warzones they are led – or trafficked – to, they will languish in a western prison or Syrian detention camp for the unforeseeable future.

Shamima Begum, her fellow schoolgirls, and other Britons were the victims that we know of. Their cases have been revealed, and they are undoubtedly just the tip of the iceberg floating in the dark depths of a world of as-yet-unknown undercover operations conducted by Western intelligence agencies and their vast web of informants. how many more victims are there, and how many attacks or militant groups have been the creation of these agencies?

Girls in Jama Masjid

ORDER BARRING THEIR ENTRY ALONE RIGHTLY RETRACTED

Guardian Gordon Brown

onSunday, loud cheers from Sharm elSheikh greeted the announcement of a new initiative – the global loss and damage fund – to right historical wrongs by compensating climate-hit developing countries. This breakthrough brought back memories of another, the £100bn a year agreed at the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit to help poor countries mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.

That money has never fully materialised. If our 13 years’ experience of the £100bn fund that never was is anything to go by, eulogies of praise will soon turn into allegations of betrayal. The president of next year’s Cop28 will have to answer for yet another fund without funders. far from the loss and damage fund narrowing the credibility gap on climate action, it is likely to bridge nothing if money fails to flow from rich to poor.

The last decade has been a history of promises made and broken. Before Covid, the cost of financing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) was $2.5tn a year. now, post-Covid, and with the price of fighting floods, firestorms and droughts – and the debt burden of low-income countries – dramatically escalating, it is $4tn annually. Set against an official development assistance (ODa) budget of only $179bn a year and $130bn on offer mainly in multilateral loans, the SDGs represent yet another unanimous but unfunded pledge of the international

community. To make matters worse, the British development aid budget has now been cut from 0.7% of our national income to 0.5% for years ahead, and already our overall contribution to meeting all our climate and development targets is down from the promised £16bn to just £11.5bn.

But there is a way forward if we are to meet our goals. about $2tn (£1.75tn) will be needed each year by 2030 to help developing countries cut their greenhouse gas emissions. This could be paid for, if necessary, by raising global taxes like the airline levies pioneered by france and the uk. as the pathbreaking Bridgetown declaration, inspired by the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, recommends, $100bn of special drawing rights (the international money issued by the IMf) should immediately be redistributed from rich to poor countries, with half going to finance green projects. President Macron’s June summit on climate finance should cancel the unpayable debt of low-income countries in return for those countries taking action on the climate. for those who can pay, debt repayments should be varied in the event of climate disasters.

Public funds will never, as Bridgetown recognises, be enough, so it is vital that every pound, dollar and euro of aid is used to generate other sources of support. Mobilising private finance was the centrepiece of a seminal 2015 report from the IMf and the development banks. Governments, it proposed, should put in place the right incentives to encourage private finance to invest in climate breakdown and development. Indeed, the SDGs’ funding needs could be met if we mobilised just 1% each year of the $400tn financial assets held by banks, institutional investors and fund managers.

yet despite billions in pledges, good intentions and a flood of press releases publicising socially responsible environment, social and government projects, too little private investment is yet in play, leading to allegations of greenwashing. Pioneered by ronald Cohen, impact investing, where corporate outlays are measured not only in risk and reward but in socially beneficial results, has the potential to fund clean energy, renewables and mitigation and adaptation. But this will almost certainly require legislation for impact-weighted accounting, so that alongside profit and loss, companies itemise in mone-

tary terms the real-time social and environmental benefits of their activities.

But all this will take time, and climate finance is needed urgently. It should be kickstarted immediately by transforming the World Bank into a global public goods bank. The international development association is the arm of the bank dedicated to the lowest-income countries. By borrowing on the strength of repaid loans, it can unlock more than $100bn in additional capital. Merging this with the bank’s facility that aids middleincome countries could then quadruple the bank’s capital base.

even more funds could be generated through the innovative use of guarantees offered to the regional development banks by the richest countries, and the asian Development Bank is already planning to fund climate projects securing guarantees from european governments. If deployed across all multilateral banks, an initial $10bn in grants, some raised from global philanthropists, matched with $60bn of guarantees, could be used to raise a total of $270bn to support the transition to net zero, and, overall, our regional and international institutions could soon be investing not just billions but a trillion dollars each year.

and funds could be guaranteed on a sustained basis if the world’s richest countries agreed to share the burden fairly, based on their capacity to pay. While this is a proven model, used in 1966 in an attempt to eliminate smallpox, today only $7bn of un financing (for peacekeeping) and just $1bn of health financing (to pay 25% of the current World health Organization budget) is currently raised through a burden-sharing formula. all the rest comes through passing around a begging bowl. a world addressing an existential challenge should not have to rely on charity. an action plan for Cop28 that requires donors to contribute to climate finance based on their capacity to pay – and, in the case of loss and damage, based on historic liability for greenhouse gas emissions – should be the starting point for the next round of climate finance. adequately funding our global goals for the first time would be something to really cheer about. We have the means and the knowhow. What we now need is the political will.

Gordon Brown is the WHO ambassador for global health financing, and was UK prime minister from 2007 to 2010.

Tribune Editorial

Thankfully, good sense prevailed and Delhi’s Jama Masjid rolled back its recent order banning the entry of ‘unaccompanied’ women to the mosque. The administration of this mosque, which attracts hundreds of devotees and tourists every day, was forced to retract its decision that reeked of patriarchy following a huge backlash from activists and the intervention of Delhi lt-Governor Vk Saxena. however, the incident betrays the misogynist mindset of the shrine’s authorities. The purported intention of prohibiting girls not escorted by a male relative was to end what they called growing episodes of ‘improper acts’ on the premises. Implicit in this regressive thought process is that the girls are solely responsible for the dates and outings with boys or the videos shot for personal use or social media. Much like the genderdiscriminatory attitude adopted towards rape victims, wherein fingers are pointed at the girl for bringing the crime upon herself by wearing certain clothes or pubbing. While maintaining the sanctity of a place of worship is imperative, does the onus to do so not fall on all visitors?

But the redeeming feature is that the outrage triggered by this regressive and Talibanesque act soon escalated into a slamming strong enough to coerce the masjid authorities into succumbing to the opposing voices. Calling the order a violation of women’s rights and shameful, the Delhi Commission for Women was quick to issue a notice to the Imam. Built by Shah Jahan in 1656, the Jama Masjid is maintained by the Delhi Waqf Board, though the aSI regularly carries out repairs of the historical monument. Women have been freely visiting it, with or without men.

That gender-prejudicial instances are not being tolerated or condoned but are called out loud and clear shows that the country is on the path of ensuring a more equal society. a progressive mindset also entails an adaptation to the contemporary way of life in which smartphones are a given. The masjid clergy would do well to accommodate their use in areas other than earmarked religious spots. Too many restrictions can be counterproductive.

nations have promised to pay for the climate crisis – but will they?

1,367 graduates awarded degrees at 9th Convocation of TUF

corporate corner Dar chairs meeting of apex committee on reko Diq project

ISLAMABAD APP

fEDERALMinister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar here on Saturday chaired a meeting of Apex Committee on Reko Diq Project to review the progress on implementation of agreed steps for completion of the Reko Diq arrangement.

board. The provincial governments have also assured to complete all the codal formalities within the due date.

The meeting was of the view that successful completion of the agreed arrangement by the deadline would add to the confidence of the international investors. The revival of Reko Diq project would give a fillip to the economy by boosting investment sentiments and will increase employment opportunities in the country.

The University of Faisalabad held its 9th Convocation and 8th of University of Medical & Dental College on 20th November at which 1367 students from various disciplines were awarded degrees, Saleem (gold), Mukhtar (silver) and Amin (bronze) medals were awarded to brilliant students for their outstanding performances. Mian Muhammad Hanif, nominee of Governor Punjab was the chief guest at the Convocation. Dr Asad Zaheer, nominee of University of Health Sciences, Lahore, also graced the occasion. Mr Muhammad Haider Amin, Chairman Board of Governors, TUF. Mian Muhammad Rasheed, Mr Muhammad Hamza Amin and Mr Muhammad Abu Bakar, Members Board of Governors, Prof (Meritorious) Dr Muhammad Khaleeq -ur-Rehman, Rector, Prof Dr Aamir Ali Choudhry, Principal University Medical & Dental College, Prof Dr Muhammad Akram Malik, Vice Principal UMDC, Deans, Heads of departments, faculty members students and parents were also present. Dr Asad Zaheer, nominee of UHS, congratulated the graduates and wished them luck in their future endeavors also praised the Madina Foundation's philanthropic services in the education and health sectors. PR

FFC Goth Machhi kick-starts 22nd annual invitational Sona Golf Tournament

The Finance Minister highlighted the importance of early completion of the remaining steps under the agreed arrangement and stressed upon all concerned to ensure that the deadline of December 15, 2022 is successfully met and the project revived soonest after the settlement, said a press release issued here.

The meeting was informed that after the advice of the Supreme Court on reference already filed is received, necessary legislative steps would be taken for which the relevant provinces concerned are fully on

Federal Law Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, DG (MI) Maj. Gen. Iftikhar Hussan Chaudhry, Director (MI) Brig. Atif Rafiq, Additional Attorney General Ahmed Irfan Aslam as well as senior officials from Attorney General’s office, Petroleum Division and Finance Division attended the meeting in person while Chief Secretary Baluchistan and officials of the Government of Baluchistan joined the meeting on zoom.

OIC economic cooperation meeting begins in Istanbul

ISTANBUL AA/APP

The 38th ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the fields of economy and commerce began in Istanbul on Saturday.

The four-day meeting of the Committee for Economic And Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) will discuss economic developments in the world, with special reference to OIC member countries and intra-OIC trade.

Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited Goth Machhi, since inception has been actively playing its valuable role in social activities, specially pertaining to areas like health improvement, education and sports. In addition to contribution in these areas, FFC GM also has the honor of hosting "8 Major Sona Cup Tournaments" of sports, including 6 national level (Hockey, Football, Volleyball, Dangal, Taekwondo and Golf) and 2 provincial level (Kabaddi and Girls Volleyball) tournaments. While expressing his views about importance of sports and role of FFC in promoting such events, Brig Talat Mehmood Janjua, Resident Manager Goth Machhi apprised the media that FFC takes upon itself the responsibility of promoting national and provincial level sporting activities. Therefore, apart from organizing these sport events, FFC Goth Machhi also regularly provides financial support for conducting regional tournaments. He further said that while maintaining their traditions in the field of sports, everyone has gathered for the opening ceremony of the 20th Annual Invitational Sona Golf Tournament where over 100 professional players from across the country are participating. Brigadier (R) Talat Mehmood Janjua further said that he would like to thank the company and the administration of the region for their continued support that helped materialize the dream of such a big tournament whilst also thanking the media for playing an important role in amplified projection of this tournament at the national level. PR

Ethiopian Prime Minister to attend ICCI BOC in Addis Ababa–Jemal Beker Abdula

In the first two days, OIC member state officials will work on a draft agenda and resolution for the meeting, including on the implementation of the OIC2025 program of action.

As the world slowly moves out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Muslim bloc's socioeconomic empowerment will also be discussed during the meeting, which is also expected to focus on enhancing the role of private sector and deepening financial cooperation among the OIC members.

For a Cause hosts session to highlight glory, grandeur of Ma Boli

LAHORE StAff RePoRt

MA BOLI – a very inclusive cultural evening hosted by For a Cause in collaboration with The Little Art, Aangun and Nashtay Walay on Saturday.

Founded by Sadaf Usman, “For a Cause” is a social enterprise that works in the field of self-empowerment, life skills and positivity by conducting interactive talks, training & storytelling sessions.

Islamabad: H.E. Jemal Beker Abdula, Ambassador of Ethiopia welcomed the ICCI proposal to organize a Business Opportunities Conference (BOC) in Ethiopia and said that the Prime Minister of Ethiopia would join the event as Chief Guest while he would provide full support to make it successful. He said that his country is a gateway for African countries and Pakistan can enhance its exports with the African region by developing closer cooperation with Ethiopia. He said that Ethiopia has made reforms for ease of doing business and is now a manufacturing hub in Africa, therefore, Pakistani investors should set up manufacturing units in Ethiopia to export their products to the African region. He said that Ethiopian Airline is going to launch direct flights between Ethiopia and Pakistan, which will help Pakistani entrepreneurs to explore Africa for business and investment. He said that Pakistan and Ethiopia have the potential to increase bilateral trade up to US$ 300 million. He said this while addressing the business community during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The Envoy said that many products of Ethiopia including tea, coffee, meat, metals can enter Pakistani markets. Similarly, Pakistan can export rice, chemicals, food products, sports goods, surgical instruments, medicines, IT products, technology etc. to Ethiopia. He said that both countries can cooperate in intercontinental trade, energy and tourism sectors. PR

Their recent event, Ma Boli featured a very impressive lineup of regional speakers and literary personalities from all over Pakistan eloquent in Hindko, Seraiki, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto, Balochi and Potohari. The speakers included Ashab Hassan Lodhi, Dr Saima Shaban, RJ Jawad, Gul Zaiba, Imad Khan, Arjumand Shaheen, Aijaz Ali, Mayisha Zaheer and Muhammad Aazib Rafaqat.

The world around is too divided and disconnected. People disregard and discriminate each other on the basis of race, ethnicity, political ideology and colour.

Languages are a bridge to build communication and understanding. Pakistan is one of those countries, having richness of culture and diversity. This diversity can be a strength if efforts are made to know and understand each other.

China's software sector sees robust revenue growth in first 10 months

ISLAMABAD: China's software industry reported a 10-percent increase in business revenue in the first ten months of 2022, according to official data. Revenue totaled 8.42 trillion yuan (about 1.18 trillion U.S. dollars) during the period, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows. Companies in this sector raked in more than 1 trillion yuan in combined profits -- up 4.5 percent year on year. In the first ten months, revenue of information technology services stood at nearly 5.46 trillion yuan, up 10.1 percent year on year. Revenue of cloud computing and big data services totaled 823.4 billion yuan, up 7.7 percent year on year. APP

Tesla to recall almost 13,000 Model three vehicles in China

BEIJING: Electric carmaker Tesla has started to recall 12,863 Model 3 vehicles in China due to potential safety risk of seat belt. The recall covers 2,736 imported vehicles produced between Jan. 12, 2019 and Nov. 22, 2019, and 10,127 vehicles produced in China between Oct. 14, 2019 and Sept. 26, 2022, according to a statement filed with the State Administration for Market Regulation. The recalled vehicles have had the middle safety belt of the second row seat inappropriately reinstalled during aftersales repair or maintenance, said the statement. It is suspected that when the service center reinstalled the safety belts, some fixed parts of belt buckles might not have been fixed with connecting bolts. The result is that the safety belt will not play a restraining role in the event of a collision. XinhuA/APP

Woman dies of cardiac arrest during police raid on house

It is the first step in a movement to include people from different regions living in our very own city and give them the opportunity to highlight the glory and grandeur of their Ma Boli.

KARACHI: A woman died of heart stroke after police raided house to arrest an accused here in the metropolis on Saturday. The police on a tipoff regarding presence of wanted criminal raided a house located in Lyari Town area of Karachi. A scuffle took place between the culprit and police during which the woman suffered heart stroke which proved fatal. A similar incident took place in Federal 'B' Area of Karachi in February 2022, where wife of Aziz died of heart attack after police raided the house and arrested her husband and son. inP

State-of-the-art radiotherapy unit to be established in Lahore Children's Hospital: Health Secretary

LAHORE inP

Punjab Health Secretary Dr. Ahmad Javed Qazi has said that a state-ofthe-art radiotherapy unit will be established in Children's Hospital Lahore for the treatment of children with cancer.

Punjab Health Secretary Dr. Ahmad Javed Qazi announced the decision while presiding over an important meeting at Children's Hospital Lahore here on Saturday.

Chancellor University of Child

Health Sciences Professor Dr. Masood Sadiq, MD Children's Hospital Professor Dr. Muhammad Saleem, Additional Secretary Development Department Specialized Health Care and Medical Education Agha Nabil, Dr. Mehwish Faizan Head of Cancer Department and faculty members attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Punjab Health Secretary reviewed the measures for the treatment of children with cancer during the meeting. Vice Chancellor University of Child Health Sciences, Professor Dr. Ma-

sood Sadiq presented valuable suggestions to Dr. Ahmad Javed Qazi regarding the treatment of children with cancer.

Speaking on this occasion, Punjab Health Secretary said that a very important decision has been taken to establish a radiotherapy unit in the Children's Hospital for the treatment of children with cancer. A summary will be sent to the government to establish a radiotherapy unit in the Children's Hospital Lahore.

Vice Chancellor University Of Child Health Sciences Professor Dr.

Masood Sadiq has been instructed to prepare a summary for the establishment of a Radiotherapy Unit. After the establishment of a Radiotherapy Unit in Children's Hospital Lahore, the treatment of children with cancer will be possible. Radiotherapy Unit in Children's Hospital Lahore refers for the treatment of children with cancer.

After the approval of the summary from the government, modern machinery will also be purchased for the Radiotherapy Unit in the Children's Hospital Lahore.

Improving transport, communications, developing sustainable and competitive tourism sectors, increasing agricultural productivity to ensure food security, and cooperation on digital transformation are other issues expected to be taken up during the fourday meeting.

Türkiye's Vice President Fuat Oktay is expected to attend the meeting, as well as ministers of OIC member nations.

Ma Boli was a celebration of this diversity, an effort to revive the regional languages of Pakistan and in the process, understand the message of love, compassion and kindness that is the forte of all languages.

US ban on ChineSe teCh firmS will only ‘hUrt global

BEIJING agencies

tHEUS Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Friday banned five Chinese firms from selling communications equipment in the US, citing the catch-all excuse of “national security,” a move Chinese experts warned will only hurt the global value chain and will definitely backfire.

The FCC “adopted new rules prohibiting communications equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to national security from being authorized for importation or sale in the US,” read a statement released on its website.

Chinese leading technology firms Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hikvision Digital Technology, and Dahua Technology were added to the list.

The US has been stepping up efforts to crack down on Chinese telecom operators over recent years. From ZTE, Huawei to China Telecom (Americas) Corp and China Mobile International

USA Inc. “Nearly all Chinese telecom giants have been viciously targeted by the US,” Ma Jihua, a veteran telecom observer, told the Global Times on Saturday. Yet, the impact of the latest ban on Chinese firms is limited, as many of them have reduced business operations in the US due to Washington’s hostile

attitude, Ma said.

The so-called national security threat is groundless. It has become increasingly clear that the US’ crackdown has seen diminishing marginal effect; while Chinese technology firms can not only survive, but will keep grow robustly, experts said.

Huawei reported a 113.7-billionyuan ($15.9 billion) net profit in 2021, surging 75.9 percent year-on-year. The firm’s total sales income totaled 636.8 billion yuan, according to the company’s annual report. China and Chinese tech companies have been ramping up efforts in new technology research and development (R&D). Huawei’s R&D investment reached 142.7 billion yuan in 2021, accounting for 22.4 percent of its annual revenue. The 5G frontrunner has more than 6,000 chief experts and scientists, as well as over 100,000 engineers.

Over the past decade, China’s investment in science and technology has increased significantly from 1.03 trillion yuan to 2.79 trillion yuan, ranking second in the world, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Instead of containing China’s development, the US’ “de-coupling” policies will only hurt the global industrial chain and world economic growth, as well as systematically degrade the US’ market environment and Americans’ livelihood, experts noted.

Taliban treatment of women could be crime against humanity: UN expert

ing parks, funfairs, gyms and public baths.

Schools for teenage girls have also been shuttered across most of the country.

Taliban restrictions on the freedoms of women and girls could amount to a crime against humanity, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan said Friday.

Richard Bennett and other UN rights experts said the Taliban’s targeting of women and girls deepen “flagrant violations of their human rights and freedoms that are already the most draconian globally and may amount to gender persecution — a crime against humanity”.

Most women who work for the government have lost their jobs — or are being paid a pittance to stay at home — since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

Afghan women have also been barred from travelling without a male relative and must cover up with a burqa or hijab when outside the home.

This month the Taliban barred women from enter-

“In recent months, violations of women and girls’ fundamental rights and freedoms in Afghanistan, already the most severe and unacceptable in the world, have sharply increased,” the UN experts said in a statement.

“Confining women to their homes is tantamount to imprisonment and is likely leading to increased levels of domestic violence and mental health challenges.”

‘Appalled’ by floggings

Women human rights defenders peacefully protesting the restrictions have for months been increasingly targeted, beaten, and arrested, they added.

Discriminatory Taliban measures “should be investigated as gender persecution with a view to prosecutions under international law”, the experts said.

UN experts do not speak for the United Nations but are mandated to report their findings to the global body.

They urged the Taliban to respect women’s fundamental rights and the international community to demand the restoration of women’s freedoms and rights.

The UN Human Rights Office said separately it was “appalled” by the flogging of 11 men and three women in Afghanistan on Wednesday and called for “this abhorrent form of punishment to cease immediately”.

They were flogged after being found guilty of theft and “moral crimes”, an official said in Logar province.

The lashings were the first to be confirmed since the Taliban’s supreme leader ordered judges this month to fully enforce sharia law.

“Corporal punishment is a human rights violation under international law,” UN Rights Office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said.

“We are also concerned that arrests, court hearings, sentencing and punishments are often all carried out on the same day. All people have the right to be treated with dignity and equality.”

Taliban condemn UN official’s ‘disrespectful’ statement about Islamic penal code

Further, he stated that countries and organisations should not allow individuals to make “irresponsible and provoca-

The Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabihullah Mujahid took to Twitter on Saturday to condemn a statement by a UN official as “disrespectful” to Islam.

A day ealier, the spokesperson of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights and representatives of Western Countries had called the punishment of flogging an “inhumane and cruel act”.

Mujahid said that this remark on the implementation of the penal code of Islam was “disrespect to the Holy Religion of Islam and against the international standards”.

NASA

NASA’s Orion spacecraft was placed in lunar orbit Friday, officials said, as the much-delayed Moon mission proceeded successfully.

A little over a week after the spacecraft blasted off from Florida bound for the Moon, flight controllers “successfully performed a burn to insert Orion into a distant retrograde orbit,” the US space agency said on its website.

The spacecraft is to take astronauts to the Moon in the coming years — the first to set

tive statements” on their behalf regarding the “blessed religion of Islam”. This response came following the

UN Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani’s statement on Friday against corporal punishment in Afghanistan.

Shamdasani said that the UN Human Rights Office was appalled by the mass floggings in public by the de facto authorities, calling an end to this “abhorrent form of punishment”.

The statement termed corporal punishment to be cruel and inhuman, adding that it is prohibited under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which Afghanistan is party to. Shamdasani noted that since the Taliban rule began in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the UN Human Rights Office has documented numerous cases of such punishment given in public, often for alleged violations of religious codes.

The statement concluded that corporal punishment is a human rights violation under international law.

musk plans to relaunch twitter premium service, again

LONDON

The associaTed Press

Elon Musk said Friday that Twitter plans to relaunch its premium service that will offer different coloured check marks to accounts next week, in a fresh move to revamp the service after a previous attempt backfired.

It’s the latest change to the social media platform that the billionaire Tesla CEO bought last month for $44 billion, coming a day after Musk said he would grant “amnesty” for suspended accounts and causing yet more uncertainty for users. Twitter previously suspended the premium service, which under Musk granted blue-check labels to anyone paying $8 a month, because of a wave of imposter accounts. Originally, the blue check was given to government entities, corporations, celebrities and journalists verified by the platform to prevent impersonation.

In the latest version, companies will get a gold check, governments will get a gray check, and individuals who pay for the service, whether or not they’re celebrities, will get a blue check, Musk said Friday.

“All verified accounts will be manually authenticated before check activates,” he said, adding it was “Painful, but necessary” and promising a “longer explanation” next week. He said the service was “tentatively launching” on December 2.

Twitter had put the revamped premium service on hold days after its launch earlier this month after accounts impersonated companies including pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co., Nintendo, Lockheed Martin, and even Musk’s own businesses Tesla and SpaceX, along with various professional sports and political figures.

It was just one change in the past two days. On Thursday, Musk said he would grant “amnesty” for suspended accounts, following the results of an online poll he conducted on whether accounts that have not “broken the law or engaged in egregious spam” should be reinstated. The yes vote was 72 percent. Such online polls are anything but scientific and can easily be influenced by bots. Musk also used one before restoring former US president Donald Trump’s account. “The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” Musk tweeted Thursday, using a Latin phrase meaning “the voice of the people, the voice of God.” The move is likely to put the company on a crash course with European regulators seeking to clamp down on harmful online content with tough new rules, which helped cement Europe’s reputation as the global leader in efforts to rein in the power of social media companies and other digital platforms.

Zach Meyers, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think tank, said giving blanket amnesty based on an online poll is an “arbitrary approach” that’s “hard to reconcile with the Digital Services Act,” a new EU law that will start applying to the biggest online platforms by mid-2023.

The law is aimed at protecting internet users from illegal content and reducing the spread of harmful but legal content. It requires big social media platforms to be “diligent and objective” in enforcing restrictions, which must be spelled out clearly in the fine print for users when signing up, Meyers said.

Britain also is working on its own online safety law.

“Unless Musk quickly moves from a ‘move fast and break things’ approach to a more sober management style, he will be on a collision course with Brussels and London regulators,” Meyers said.

European Union officials took to social media to highlight their worries. The 27-nation bloc’s executive Commission published a report Thursday that found Twitter took longer to review hateful content and removed less of it this year compared with 2021.

foot on its surface since the last Apollo mission in 1972.

This first test flight, without a crew on board, aims to ensure that the vehicle is safe.

“The orbit is distant in that Orion will fly about 40,000 miles above the Moon,” NASA said. While in lunar orbit, flight controllers will monitor key systems and perform checkouts while in the environment of deep space, the agency said.

It will take Orion about a week to complete half an orbit around the Moon. It will then exit the orbit for the return journey home, according to NASA.

On Saturday, the ship is expected to go

up to 40,000 miles beyond the Moon, a record for a habitable capsule. The current record is held by the Apollo 13 spacecraft at 248,655 miles (400,171 km) from Earth.

It will then begin the journey back to Earth, with a landing in the Pacific Ocean scheduled for December 11, after just over 25 days of flight. The success of this mission will determine the future of the Artemis 2 mission, which will take astronauts around the Moon without landing, then Artemis 3, which will finally mark the return of humans to the lunar surface.

Those missions are scheduled to take place in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

WASHINGTON afP

KABUL afP

KABUL agencies

Duke preDicteD Goal as australia revive WorlD cup hopes

DOHA agencies

Goalhero Mitch Duke said he had a feeling he would score after his header gave dogged australia a 1-0 World Cup win over Tunisia on Saturday to revive their last-16 hopes. The striker’s clever looped header in Qatar put australia in front in the 23rd minute and they desperately held on in the second half to silence Tunisia’s vociferous fans.

The Socceroos sit second in Group D with three points from two games, having been well-beaten 4-1 by holders France in their tournament opener.

They face Denmark — who play France later Saturday — in their final group game and the knockout round is in sight.

“as a striker you need to have that confidence and believe that you can score in every match,” said Japan-based centreforward Duke, 31, whose physical pres-

ence was a nuisance all game to Tunisia.

“I actually was messaging some of my family saying that I was going to score today.” Duke made the letter “J” after scoring and said that was for his watching son.

“The gesture was a letter J for the

Berhalter rewarded for faith in youth but win eludes vibrant us

DOHA ReuteRs

The United States shut out a European side at the World Cup for the first time since 1950 but left the tent-like al Bayt Stadium without a win after Friday’s tense goalless stalemate against England, a contest where they were superior for long periods. England had crushed Iran 6-2 in their Group B opener to justify their status as one of the tournament favourites, but they were fortunate to come away with a point against Gregg Berhalter’s young and energetic team.

The US, back at soccer’s showpiece tournament after eight years, looked set to make a winning return in their first match with Wales. They dominated large chunks of play and were unlucky not to go into the break with a bigger advantage. Their inspired play went for naught as Wales snatched a 1-1 draw and although they again struggled in the final third of the pitch against England, the clash was always going to be the measuring stick — and the americans showed they are more than capable of competing on the same stage.

Berhalter, coaching the second-youngest squad at this tournament, made several tactical tweaks that blunted the threat posed by England. His welldrilled team maintained a targeted press while venturing forward and unexpectedly switched to 4-4-2 while defending. Tim Weah teamed up with surprise starter Haji Wright up front, Tyler adams and Yunus Musah played centrally, and Weston McKennie flared out to one flank while Christian Pulisic manned the other.

“obviously it worked,” McKennie said. “We had the ball often, they weren’t able to really break through so many times.

“I don’t think we gave them a lot of chances to get in behind and to get goal-scoring opportunities. and it worked for us as well, we were able to break them down, have space out wide.” The draw left them with a winner-takes-all contest on Tuesday against Iran, whose two stoppage-time stunners against Wales earlier on Friday re-ignited their campaign and set up a nail-biting Group B finale.

first letter of his name,” said Duke.

“I haven’t seen it yet but apparently he did it back to me from the stadium, which was a really special moment and I’m going to treasure it for the rest of my life.”

– Under pressure –

australia’s best previous World Cup performance came in 2006 when they reached the last 16, in the days of Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka.

Graham arnold’s australia don’t have players of that ilk but they have lots of heart and kicked off to deafening whistles in front of 42,000 at al Janoub Stadium, where their fans were heavily outnumbered. Each australia touch was met with whistles from the throbbing ranks of Tunisia’s bouncing, bellowing and flag-waving supporters. australia had only ever won two matches at the World Cup before this and squeezed into this edition via a playoff.

But they started the better against a Tunisia team who held Denmark 0-0 in their opener and are looking to reach the knockout stage for the first time. The match was being shown on primetime Saturday night television in australia and viewers saw their gritty side dominate the first half.

Azhar Ali struck by ball on head ahead of Pak-Eng Test series

ISLAMABAD staFF RePoRt

Days before the much-anticipated Pakistan, England Test series, Pakistani senior cricketer azhar ali was struck by a ball on head.

Fortunately, ali avoided any injury and took part in the remaining training session of the day. The ball struck ali’s head when pacer Haris Rauf was bowling a delivery.

Pakistan’s next international assignment is the three-match Test series against England on home soil starting next month.

Speaking ahead of the series, Rauf said that he is keen on making his Test debut against England.

“It is a dream for every player to wear a Test cap. I have been with the Pakistan team for quite a while and

If I get the chance to make my debut in the upcoming series, I will try to execute whatever I have learned from my seniors,” he said.

The England team will arrive in Pakistan on November 27 for the much-anticipated tour, with the first Test set to take place in Rawalpindi on December 1.

This will be the first time England will play a Test in Rawalpindi, which has previously staged 12 matches with the home side winning five and losing three.

The second Test moves to Multan starting on Friday (December 9), and the final Test of the tour will take place at the National Stadium in Karachi, commencing on Saturday (December 17).

18-year-old Ahmed a ‘very rare talent’, says Ben Stokes

LONDON ReuteRs

England captain Ben Stokes has said that 18-year-old Rehan ahmed, who has been called up to England’s December Test squad to face Pakistan, is a “very rare talent”. He would become England’s youngest-ever men’s Test player should he play for his country in Rawalpindi, Multan or Karachi.

all-rounder ahmed has featured in only three firstclass matches for leicestershire, taking nine wickets and making 195 runs across those appearances.

Stokes told Sky Sports: “We see him as one of those

very rare talents, to have someone at such a young age be so noticeable with the way he bowls and the way he bats.” But Stokes conceded that ahmed still has much to learn and needs to be nurtured with the national team.

“We’re fully aware he’s not the finished project and I think it’s important for his inclusion not to be looked into too much. “We see this as an opportunity to get someone as talented as Rehan into the squad and nurture him,” he added. “Who knows where he could be in two or three years’ time.”

“I’m excited to have him in the squad, but if we feel we want to chuck him a Test cap, we’re in the position to do that,” he said.

Qatar football will survive World cup exit, says sanchez

DOHA aFP

Qatar’s early World Cup exit will not be fatal for the country’s football development, manager Felix Sanchez said Friday, after the hosts became the first team to be eliminated.

a 1-1 draw between Ecuador and the Netherlands sent Qatar crashing out of the tournament just hours after a 3-1 defeat to Senegal had left them on the brink.

Qatar became only the second host nation to go out in the first round following South africa in 2010, and the first to be eliminated after two games.

But Sanchez believes football will continue to develop in the tiny Gulf state despite the disappointment, and targeted a return to the world’s biggest stage.

“The World Cup will finish but football will continue here,” said the Spaniard, who led Qatar to the 2019 asian Cup title.

“It’s a football country and they want to keep developing young talent so they can reach the senior team. We can keep on competing within our limitations in asia.

“By doing that, we’ll get more experience and we’ll be able to play in more competitions like this.”

Qatar made a nervy start to the tournament in an opening-day defeat to Ecuador but put up more of a fight against Senegal.

The hosts refused to lie down when Senegal scored either side of half-time and pulled a goal back through substitute Mohammed Muntari to set up a dramatic finale.

Senegal nipped the comeback in the bud with a third goal six minutes later, but Sanchez was pleased with his team’s fighting spirit.

“We wanted to show what we could do on the pitch today,” he said. “Most of our opponents are ahead of us but the players did very well and at times we managed to compete against a tough opponent in Senegal.”

Qatar’s final group game against the Netherlands on Tuesday has now become a dead rubber for the hosts but Sanchez believes it will be anything but worthless.

“We have a very tough ahead of us against the Netherlands and we intend to be competitive,” he said. “We can’t miss a chance like this, playing at a World Cup.”

Argentina look to Messi to salvage World Cup bid

DOHA agencies

argentina face a battle to stay alive at the World Cup on Saturday, with lionel Messi and his teammates preparing to take on Mexico in a match they cannot afford to lose.

In the early kick-off in Qatar, australia beat Tunisia 1-0, recovering from a chastening opening defeat against defending champions France to keep their hopes alive.

Two-time world champions argentina, who arrived in Qatar on a 36-match unbeaten run, are in a precarious position after a stunning 2-1 defeat to Saudi arabia.

The argentines said they would draw on memories of superstar Diego Maradona, their 1986 World Cup-winning captain who died two years ago this week, to inspire them against the Mexicans.

“We keep him in mind. He was a very

important person in world football, and not just for us argentines,” said Inter Milan forward lautaro Martinez. “Today is a sad day for everyone and hopefully tomorrow we can give happiness.”

The surprising Saudis have a chance to prove they are no flash in the pan when they face Poland and Robert lewandowski, the prolific striker who is still looking for the first World Cup goal of his career.

The Barcelona forward missed a penalty in the goalless draw against Mexico in Group C. australia, who were beaten 4-1 by France, won a World Cup game for only the third time in their history at the al Janoub Stadium. Striker Mitch Duke scored the only goal of a tight game with a clever header in the first half and australia desperately held on to silence Tunisia’s vociferous fans. The Socceroos sit second in Group D with three points from two games, with a game to come

against Denmark. “as a striker you need to have that confidence and believe that you can score in every match,” said Japan-based centre-forward Duke, 31. “I actually was messaging some of my family saying that I was going to score today.”

– France eye knockouts –

Defending champions France could book their place in the last 16 if they beat Denmark at Stadium 974, which incorporates shipping containers in its design.

The French lost defender lucas Hernandez to injury in their opening win against australia, adding to a list of absences headed by Ballon d’or winner Karim Benzema, who limped out of the World Cup before a ball was kicked.

But France coach Didier Deschamps said defender Raphael Varane was ready to return after more than a month out with a leg injury. Veteran forward olivier Giroud needs

just one more goal to become France’s alltime top goalscorer.

Belgium star Eden Hazard admitted the

nation’s much-vaunted “Golden Generation” were past their best on the eve of his team’s match against Morocco.

NAB summoNs mAlik RiAz, thReAteNiNg to uNRAvel £190mN mysteRy

Akbar’s intervention with the NCA on behalf of Malik Riaz went straight back into the bank account of the property tycoon.

iNwhat could prove to trigger the unravelling of one of the most clouded and murky webs from the Imran Khan administration, real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain has been served with a call-up from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

He has been asked to appear before a combined investigation team of the accountability watchdog at 11 00 AM on the 1st of December at NAB’s offices in the federal capital. The case due to which he has been summoned goes all the way back to 2019, and involves accusations of bribery, corruption, and kickbacks against the government of former prime minister Imran Khan.

What is the case about?

In 2019, the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom agreed to a settlement worth £190 million with the family of property tycoon Malik Riaz. The settlement was the largest ever in the history of the NCA, and since it was out of court, came with the stipulation that it did not “represent a finding of guilt”.

To understand this, the NCA is a national law enforcement agency in the UK that investigates money laundering and illicit finances derived from criminal activity in the UK and abroad. If the NCA is investigating a case outside of the UK, it returns the stolen money to the affected state. So if the agency is investigating fraud or money laundering in Pakistan, it will prosecute or make a settlement in the UK and return the money to the Pakistani government.

That is what happened in the case of Malik Riaz. His family had been under a ‘dirty money’ NCA inves-

tigation for a while, which reached its conclusion with the £190 million. However, the matter gets murky with the entrance of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar, who apparently on the behest of Malik convinced the NCA to settle the matter and return the money to Pakistan.

On Dec 5, 2019, Mr Akbar announced at a press conference in Islamabad that £140m had been repatriated to Pakistan, into the Supreme Court’s account. When asked how the money could be transferred to the SC account, he deflected the question saying that the government, NCA and Mr Riaz had signed a “deed of confidentiality” which prevented him from elaborating on the matter. so What haPPeneD to the money?

We don’t quite know, and this is where the web gets really intricate. Essentially, the accusation is that the £140m that was repatriated to Pakistan after Shahzad

After coming to power, the incumbent PDM government accused former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi of accepting billions in cash and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town in return for the help that Khan’s government gave to Riaz during his investigation by the NCA. Interior minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that Bahria Town entered an agreement and gave a 458-kanal land with an on-paper value of Rs 530 million to a trust owned by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. The land was donated to Al-Qadir Trust, and the agreement bore signatures of the real estate’s donors and Bushra Bibi.

Sanaullah claimed that Imran’s aide Shehzad Akbar had “settled” the entire case, while the Rs 50 billionwhich belonged to the national treasury-was adjusted against Bahria Town’s liability. He said Imran had received a graft of Rs 5 billion as “his share” through Akbar before the case was wrapped. He further said that Bahria Town, after its Rs 50 billion was protected by the then PTI government, had allotted 458 Kanal land with an on-paper value of Rs 530 million to a trust owned by Imran and his wife. He further said that another 240 Kanals were transferred to “Farah Shehzadi” commonly known as Farah-a close friend of Bushra Bibi.

It is these 458-kanals that have now come under the scrutiny of the accountability bureau. In the callup notice served to Malik Riaz dated the 24th of November, he has been asked to appear with documentary evidence to record his statement regarding purchase of 458 Kanals 04 Marlas 58 square feet situated in Hadbast No. 77 at Mauza Barkala, Tehsil Sohawa, District Jhelum.

The apex anti-graft body required Malik Riaz Hus-

Has e-Tron’s price actually dropped by Rs20m?

worthy detail for the aforementioned SRO is that the regulatory duty on electric vehicles was time bound till the 21st November.

Audi Pakistan has revised the prices of its entire e-Tron portfolio downwards after the increase in regulatory duty the Government levied upon it in August has lapsed on 21st November, 2021. However, can you actually buy an e-tron at the aforementioned rates? Prima facie, yes but realistically it’s a lot harder than it seems. Furthermore, why has the regulatory duty been reduced to begin with at a time when default and a foreign exchange crisis is the talk of the town?

Discussing Duties

On 22nd August, the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) introduced Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) 1571(I)/2022. This was a blanket increase that saw regulatory duties harmonised across all imported vehicles and set at 100%. The decision had come off the back of, then Finance Minister, Miftah Ismail’s press conference in Islamabad where he stated “So, the choice is simple; we either use that money to buy cars or wheat. That we buy mobile phones or grain, or home appliances, microwaves and air conditioners as opposed to edible oil.” The devil is in the details and the note-

Subsequently, when the duty did lapse, the regulatory duties applicable on electronic vehicles returned to its pre August rate of 10%. Audi Pakistan was thus legally bound to revise its prices downwards or to notify customers that the prices were not on account of the regulatory duty if they stuck with the existing ones. Audi chose the latter.

So can you buy an e-tron at these new rates? Maybe Delivery scheDules anD economic forecasts

Any customer can without a doubt go and make a booking for the Audi e-tron. However, Profit inquired with their local dealership and found that wait times currently stand at five to six months depending upon the variant you book.

Furthermore, in conversation with Arshad Raza, CEO of Premier Motors which is the parent of Audi in Pakistan, Profit discovered that the company is currently is still in the process of taking orders and will likely reach out to the State Bank of Pakistan 20 days to a month from now to request access to a letter of credit to the import the vehicles. Herein is the problem,

the State Bank of Pakistan is currently rationing foreign exchange reserves to all importers. Subsequently, companies in the end receive far fewer letters of credit than the number they request.

This will force Audi Pakistan to either take very limited orders or possibly extend the wait times even further. What are the ramifications of this? Pakistan’s economic situation as of right now is not the most conducive to say the least. The automotive sector in particular has been caught in the eye of the storm in terms of both public outrage and heavy handed policies by regulators. Therefore, it is very likely if the situation does not improve then we could see the regulatory duty spike again after customers have already made bookings for their vehicles. This would necessitate they pay the difference.

Customers who would want to circumvent the wait time by opting for the secondhand market would find that all models of the e-tron still retail for premiums above the aforementioned rates.

Will the regulatory duty return? Profit reached out to the FBR and found that as of right now they do not have any plans to rescind their duty reduction. Profit also found that the FBR will be analysing import data

sain to present a complete record regarding Similarly, he has been asked to produce the deed through which M/s Bahria Town donated the above said land to AlQadir Trust alongwith revenue documents. Likewise, details of other property/donation (if any) transferred by him, any of his family members of M/s Bahria Town in favour of Al-Qadir Trust or any of its trustees, whether through sale/purchase, gift, donation or any other mode. Moreover, any other relevant information/record.

“You are advised that failing to comply with this notice, may entail penal consequences as provided in Section 2 of the schedule of NAO, 1999,” reads the notice. The notice was issued by Muhammad Faisal Qureshi, Additional Director (Staff), NAB Rawalpindi.

NAB had earlier sent notices to the former premier Imran Khan’s 21 cabinet members including Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Murad Saeed, Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mehmood, Shireen Mazari, Ali Haider Zaidi and Hammad Azhar, Dr Shireen Mazari, Shafqat Mahmood, Asad Umar for recording of their statements. NAB also summoned Ali Riaz Malik, the son of Malik Riaz who is the founder of Bahria Town.

NAB also summoned Murad Saeed and Ghulam Sarwar Khan on October 11, Pervaiz Khattak and Ali Riaz Malik on October 12, Zubaida Jalal and Hammad Azhar on October 13, Shafqat Mehmood and Shireen Mazari on October 14, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Ejaz Shah on October 17, Ali Amin Gandapur and Farogh Naseem on October 18, Ali Zaidi and Khusro Bakhtiar on October 19, Azam Khan Swati and Asad Umar on October 20, Umar Ayub and Muhammad Mian Somro on October 21, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and Fawad Chaudhry on October 24 and Mehboob Sultan and Faisal Vawda October 25 for investigation and recording of statements.

over the past few months to gauge demand for electric vehicles, their revenue generation potential, and their impact on the foreign exchange reserves to make future decisions about the regulatory duty. The findings, depending upon the time horizon, are likely to be skewed.

Electric vehicle data, for this year at least, is likely to show depressed figures due to them being subject to the import ban first and then the regulatory duty hike. Real demand forecasting will be evident based upon future expectations and demand that the country witnesses in the months to come. However, these imports will be coming at a time when the country will be scarce on foreign exchange. How the Government manages this juxtaposition is anyone’s guess.

Finally, the decrease in the regulatory duty will have an immense target on its back because of electric mobility being synonymous with the e-tron in Pakistan. “Most customers are normal citizens that finance their purchase through the bank.” Raza told Profit when inquired whether the e-tron was limited to only the highest income strata in Pakistan. However, even if Raza could placate onlookers who would hold different views, the local automotive industry is

likely to be up in arms.

With non-production days as everyday occurrences, local manufacturers are likely to see this downward revision on the regulatory duty as a cudgel the Government has used against them in comparison to the import quotas levied upon them.

Has anyone actually benefited immediately from the reduction in the regulatory duty then? Profit did receive information about a handful of people that might have. market chatter

Profit received information from within Audi that four to six e-trons had been cleared through the port and Pakistan Customs between 21st November and now. These e-trons would have been subject to the old rates had they been cleared earlier, however, their timing enabled them to benefit from the reduction in regulatory duty now in place.

When Profit asked Raza about the matter, he responded that “zero” e-trons had been cleared in the aforementioned time period. If even these handful of people did not benefit from the reduction, then will anyone benefit from it immediately at least? We can’t say. However, what we can say is that the future of imported vehicles looks to become ever more electric.

Electric rickshaws still awaiting registration nod from Punjab Assembly

ON PRECIPICE OF REGISTRATION, INDUSTRY IS AT A STANDSTILL AS IT WAITS FOR THE ASSEMBLY TO DISCUSS AGENDA ITEM

Daniyal ahmaD

The Government of Punjab Excise has in principle greenlit the registration of electric rickshaws through the Punjab Cabinet’s approval of a summary forwarded to them by Excise Taxation & Narcotics Control Department. The approval, however, has not manifested into electric rickshaw manufacturers being able to have their vehicles registered because the Punjab Assembly has yet to debate the matter despite it being an agenda item.

What’s at stake?

The crux of the matter revolves around the registration of electric vehicles within the provinces. The Punjab Cabinet had approved of the registration of all electric vehicles on November 18th, however, it is important to note that Pakistan does not indigenously manufacture any electric vehicles apart from electric rickshaws. Therefore, the registra-

tion of other electric vehicles, though pressing, is not of the same magnitude as that of rickshaws simply from an industrial policy point of view.

“Currently the biggest hurdle we face is that the provinces are not allowing the registration of electric three-wheelers. This is quite bizarre as there is a federal electric policy in place yet our customers still face registration issues.” Ammar Hameed, Director at Sazgaar Engineering Works, told Profit.

There are close to one million three- wheelers manufactured by over 45 automobile manufacturers in Pakistan, and electric rickshaws provide an opportunity to reset the entire market. “Internal combustion engines cannot be converted to electric. Simple as that. It’s not a conversion issue. You cannot put electrons in a carburetor and say that this will henceforth run on electricity. You will need to build a proper electric vehicle.” Hasan Mian, Founder and CEO of YES

Electromotive, told Profit. However, for any of the 45 manufacturers to act on this opportunity, the Government will first need to allow the registration of electric three wheelers.

Why Does the matter neeD to be DebateD by the Punjab assembly?

Speaking to Profit Waseem Akram, Director at the Transport Planning Unit in the Punjab Transport Department, explained that the electric vehicles could not be registered in the provinces because “There is no definition of electric vehicles in the Motor Vehicle Ordinance (1965) and Motor Vehicle Rule (1969).”

Subsequently, the Excise and Taxation Department moved a summary on the matter to amend the law to allow registration. It has been approved by the Cabinet and is with the Assembly. It’s been marked as an agenda item to the requisite Standing Committee. It will be debated upon, and then come back to

the Assembly for voting. Once approved, the definition of electric vehicles will be added to the aforementioned legislation and thereupon the Punjab Transport Department will issue manufacturing licenses and registration will begin.” Akram continued.

When can we expect the Punjab Assembly to debate the matter? “The session can occur at any time. It could happen tomorrow, next month, whenever. It is their prerogative as to when they conduct the session. Akram told Profit. “However, it is the priority of all governments to incentivize all forms of electric vehicles. All the Departments are doing something to promote electric vehicles under the domain of the federal policy. It would be encouraging for us as well to see additional manufacturers enter this space.” Akram continued. can electric rickshaWs take off?

Pursuing electrification in the two and three wheeler markets is a

no brainer. It’s price point is such that nobody is willing to buy an imported two wheeler or three wheeler. I mean except a very small percentage. We will have to manufacture these locally whenever we do decide to pursue them. Dr Naveed Arshad, Assistant Professor at LUMS, told Profit when asked about the matter.

“The electric three wheeler

market is the most ripe market right now for electrification. You can potentially convert a large proportion of the traditional three wheelers to electric in a short span of time.” Arshad continued.

Can electric rickshaws take-off in Pakistan’s market then? Read next week’s edition of Profit Magazine on Monday to find our answer to this question.

abDullah

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