LAHORE Saleem Jadoon
FoLLowiNgPti chairman imran Khan’s announcement regarding dissolution of Punjab and KP assembly on dec 23, “political wheeling and dealing” has intensified as the ruling Pakistan democratic Movement (PdM) leaderships have been busy weighing up fallout of any such action and options available to stop imran Khan from taking this [absolute action].
the ttP, listed as a foreign terrorist organisation by the united states and the united Nations, routinely carries out attacks against security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and elsewhere in Pakistan. its central leaders and commanders are sheltering in neighbouring afghanistan.
PESHAWAR Staff RepoRtarmed militants ambushed a police station in a remote town of Lakki Marwat city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing four policemen and critically injuring another four, officials said saturday.
“at midnight, militants attacked the burgai police station in the southern outskirts of Lakki Marwat from two sides and tried to enter the building,” according to shahid hameed, a spokesperson for Lakki Marwat police, who told the press that more than 60 policemen were on duty at that time.
the suspects used grenades and automatic weapons on the station before fleeing the scene overnight, said Nawaz Khan, an officer of the targeted police station.
Khan said police on duty retaliated and called for reinforcement before the attackers, their ammunition apparently exhausted, fled the scene before help arrived. Police were searching for the attackers.
hameed pointed out the police station was situated in a far-flung town and took almost one-and-a-half hours to reach from the city of Lakki Marwat.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but previous attacks on police in the district have been claimed by proscribed afghanistan-based tehreek-i-taliban Pakistan (ttP).
Located 207 kilometres (128 miles) from the provincial capital Peshawar, Lakki Marwat has become a new hotbed of militancy with increasing terrorist attacks launched by the group on security forces in recent months.
Last month, its militants ambushed a routine police patrol,
ATTACK CONDEMNED: condemning the attack, President arif alvi and chief Minister Mahmood Khan prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the dead police and for the speedy recovery of the wounded.
he also asked the provincial police chief for a report on the incident and directed the injured police be provided with the best medical treatment.
the president said the government’s efforts to combat militancy will continue until the complete elimination of the remnants of terrorism.
asif ali zardari, former president and chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), expressed condolences to the dead policemen’s families. observing that the “increase in terrorism incidents in KP was concerning”, he demanded strict measures against terrorists.
Pakistan has experienced a dramatic rise in ttP attacks originating from afghanistan since the taliban seized power there in august 2021 when the usbacked afghan government of President ashraf ghani collapsed and all international troops exited the war-torn country.
the violence has killed close to 500 people, mostly security forces, in Pakistan this year alone. officials note that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has suffered the highest number of ttP attacks, claiming the lives of at least 100 soldiers and as many members of the police force.
islamabad has been urging the taliban to live up to their commitments to rein in terrorist groups and not to allow them to use afghan soil as a launch pad for attacks.
Noor wali Mehsud, the ttP leader, nonetheless claimed the militant network operates from within Pakistan and is not using afghan soil.
in an interview with cNN on saturday, Mehsud, from an unknown location, told the tv station that the militant network is targeting the security forces inside Pakistan from “within its territory.”
BANNU: Two officials of the KP Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were martyred and many more injured when terrorists, who had been arrested previously and being interrogated at CTD police station inside Cantonment, snatched an AK-47 from police and opened fire in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday afternoon. The police and rescuers informed that one of the miscreants snatched rifle from police during interrogation and neutralised the guards deployed at the building.
District Police Officer (DPO) Bannu Dr Iqbal also confirmed that there was no attack from outside and one of the miscreants snatched rifle from police during interrogation and neutralised the guards deployed at the building. He then freed all the suspects being held at the building and who took control of the compound. They also made several policemen hostage. “They are in control of the building and we have cordoned off the entire Bannu cantonment. They have been kept busy by means of negotiations,” he added. Staff RepoRt
though it was sunday – a holiday –both the PML-N and PPP leadership were on their toes, holding marathon of meetings…. to devise a comprehensive strategy for [dealing] with the situation. in this connection, former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman asif ali zardari visited Prime Minister (PM) shehbaz sharif at his residence in Lahore and discussed country’s political situation and ‘possible’ dissolution of Punjab assembly. according to details, the former president called on PM shehbaz sharif at his
residence in Model town and discussed ‘possible’ dissolution of Punjab assembly. during the meeting, the prime minister apprised asif zardari of the former’s meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President chaudhry shujaat hussain.
Meanwhile, sources said that PM shehbaz sharif and asif zardari agreed to increase cooperation with chaudhry shujaat. both the leaders also agreed to task chaudhry shujaat for stopping dissolution of Punjab assembly, sources added.
killing all six policemen in the vehicle in the dadewala town of the Lakki Marwat district.HAMZAShahbaz, vice president of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), accused former prime minister Imran Khan of being on a mission to bring “political and economic instability” to Pakistan.
In a tweet, the former chief minister of Punjab declared that Khan tried to cover up his “incompetence by making false
accusations” against institutions, including the military.
He criticized the decision of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman to dissolve the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the ruling coalition government will respond to Khan’s every move in a “political and legal way.”
His remarks come after Khan announced his decision to dissolve the two assemblies on December 23.
Shahbaz tweeted: “Imran Niazi is on a
mission to bring Pakistan to political and economic instability. He tried to cover up his incompetence by making false accusations against institutions. Every move will be given a political and legal answer. We are always ready for the election but one person. The path taken for ego satisfaction will be blocked.”
Earlier on Saturday, Khan, during his virtual address to the party workers and supporters, announced the parliaments will be dissolved on December 23. Prior to the
announcement, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi held a meeting with him.
Sharing details regarding the meeting, Elahi said: “Today in Zaman Park, I met with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan. In the meeting, the dissolution of the assembly was discussed. Imran Khan will announce the decision by sitting together the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
Hours before Khan’s announcement,
Elahi said: “I will support every decision of Imran Khan. Punjab Assembly is Imran Khan’s trust, which has been returned to him. Imran Khan has zeroed in on the politics of the opposition. Rumourmongers will still fail as before.”
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Fisheries Department could manage to spend just Rs59 million from its allocated share from the annual development programme of the current fiscal year. The KP government, which is going through severe financial crisis, had allocated Rs232.292 million for the development projects recommended by the Fisheries Department in the annual development program. The KP Finance Department has released Rs107.610 million for these projects but the department could be able to spend just Rs59 million out of the total amount.
Sources in the Fisheries Department informed that the KP Provincial Government had started a project for increasing the production of trout fish in cold areas to create employment opportunities for local people and increase production of trout fish in the province.
The source said that the project launched by the provincial government also fell prey to favouring political and favoured persons due to which the expected results could not be obtained from the said project. Moreover, because of poor planning most of trout fish farms were also destroyed by the recent floods.
The finance department sources added that since the federal government has stopped funding to the province, fisheries department, like other administrative departments could not get their allocated annual development funds. As a result, the PTI provincial government has to freeze the ADP for the current year.
The fisheries department sources also informed that despite receiving requests from a large number of people for sitting up trout fish farms, under the project in Malakand and Hazara divisions, the department ignored these requests and used the project for political purposes as a result desired results could not be achieved from the project.
In this regard, Provincial minister Muhibullah Khan was contacted several times, but he was not available for comments.
The government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance will observe Deliverance Day, or Youm-i-Nijaat, from Imran Khan if his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dissolved parliaments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) minister of Sindh.
Khan has announced his party would dissolve two provincial assemblies it controls on Friday, earlier than scheduled, in an attempt to build pressure on the central government to hold early general elections.
The dissolutions could trigger a fresh constitutional crisis in the country.
In a statement, Nasir Hussain Shah, the minister for local government, lambasted the former prime minister for failing to dissolve the houses earlier and questioned
In
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was ready to contest elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dissolved assemblies in the two provinces.
“PPP’s leadership, workers, and candidates are ready to contest elections in Punjab and KP as per the wish of PTI chairman”, he said during a news conference held here.
Faisal Kundi said he would ask all the members of his party and collation parties to fulfill Imran Khan’s wish of conducting elections in the two provinces. Criticizing the PTI chairman for delaying the dissolution of assemblies, the SAPM said yesterday Imran Khan had given another date for dissolving assemblies, which was next Friday. “The decision of dissolving assemblies has not been implemented may be due to the unavailability of the architect and masons PTI has hired from different political parties,” he remarked in a satirical way. The SAPM said the people of Pakistan were asking questions about the utilization of Rs 15 billion collected by Imran Khan for the flood-affected people. “Imran Khan could not get an FIR registered in his own governed province and protect the gifts of Toshakhana; how can he run a country,” he questioned.
The audio leaks of Imran Khan and his wife are also an eye-opener for the masses that how dishonest he is, he added. Robbers and thieves would be held accountable, Kundi said while indicating that more
It was interesting to see Morocco reach the semifinals of the (soccer) World Cup and then get knocked out by France. It was a case of former colonial masters putting them back into place, a reminder that the World Cup was crowded enough with Europe and South America, and didn’t need any Africans or Arabs.
It might be a sign of the times that the Cup was in Qatar, in an Arab country. Morocco’s loss would be a bit like Pakistan losing to England in the Cricket World Cup. As a matter of fact, that happened back in 1979, in a semifinal. Imran was not yet captain, so were destined not to get the Cup.
That was to wait until 1992, But though the country was gifted a PM, at that time, the victory was made sweet by the fact that it was England we beat. Though Imran has never made the claim, I’m sure that it was Imran knowing the English better than they knew themselves that enabled the victory.
So Morocco had better wait at least 12 years before they can beat their former colonial masters in a World \cup final. Of course, they will have to have the future ruler of Morocco with them as captain.
Either King Mohammad should get himself (or the Crown Prince) picked to lead the team, or else he should shorten all captains by a head. Or he could make sure that only someone with a stable married life is picked as captain.
It’s interesting that the Moroccan run was seen as a victory for Islam. I do not
than half of the PTI candidates would contest elections from prisons whereas others might be get disqualified over corruption charges.
The SAPM said PPP has always respected the constitution and rendered sacrifices for ensuring true democracy prevails in the country. About the Foreign Minister’s response to India, he said, “The voice of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is the voice of every Pakistani, Kashmiri, and staunch believer of democratic and human rights values.”
He said the way Bilawal Bhutto has shown a mirror to his Indian counterpart by giving befitting response to his allegations.
His statement has received overwhelming support not only from people and human rights activists in Pakistan but also from India. He said Bilawal Bhutto has represented Pakistan and its people belonging to all schools of thought as well as Kashmiri masses, however, PTI chairman remained silent at this time.
Faisal Kundi said that Indian Prime Minister Narendara Modi was involved in the killings of Muslims in Gujrat and is replicating the same in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). About the flood relief assistance disbursement, Faisal Kundi said that around 98 percent amount out of a total of Rs 70 billion has been disbursed among 2.8 million families while the rest of two to three percent is in process. He said that recently, transgenders have been included in the Benazir Kafalat Programme for which the transgenders have to obtain CNIC from NADRA to be eligible for the said programme.
remember the b1992 World Cup win being described as a victory for Islam. The Riasati-Madina phase must have come over Imran later. Note also that nobody in the Moroccan team made any promises, though they did behave politely with parents in the stadium praying for them.
However, there’s one little detail that I haven’t had explained. Why did the Moroccan Ambassador call on our Chief of Naval Staff on the day of the match? Is the current CNS, Adm Amjad Niazi, a former footballer? Did he serve as naval attaché in Paris? I know the Navy has connections with France because of the equipment it has, like the Exocet anti-ship missile, the Alouette helicopter and the Daphne-class submarines, but soccer? What pull could our CNS have? As usual, you had a diplomat trying to convince the home government that he was pulling out all stops to further the national interest.
Apart from this, I’m still a little puzzled by the Moroccan team representing Islam.
Talpur, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother Shehbaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and opposition leaders as part of his accountability drive.
He also claimed the chief ministers of Punjab and KP, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Mahmood Khan, were against Khan’s decision to hold snap elections.
Historically, polls for the federal and provincial governments are held at the same time in a general election every five years. If the two provincial assemblies are dissolved earlier, separate polls would have to be held for them within 90 days, which could throw up legal problems. Khan, who was injured in an apparent assassination bid last month, said he was “sacrificing” his two provincial governments for the sake of the nation’s future.
He added that elections in the two provinces would mean holding polls in 66 percent of the country, and so the government might as well hold general elections.
Four special economic zones (SEZs) being set up under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are likely to generate about 575,000 direct and over one million indirect jobs in Pakistan, an official said. The economic zones being established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan would bring about immense opportunities for the people in job and business sectors, S. M. Naveed, chairman of Special Economic Zones Authority, said. “We have conducted a study to assess job opportunities in four out of nine SEZs, including KP’s Rashakai, Sindh’s Dhabeji, Punjab’s Allama Iqbal and Balochistan’s Bostan, to find out potential jobs and industries in the SEZs,” the official said, adding the SEZs offer employment in different fields for which the local youth would be trained before the initiation of the industrial phase. The trained and skilled labour and engineers would not only get good jobs in the economic zones but also enable Chinese and local companies to recruit skilled professionals from local areas, he added. The potential industries being set up in the CPEC special economic zones include food processing, cooking oil, ceramics, gems and jewellery, marble, minerals, agriculture machinery, iron and steel, motorbike assembling, electrical appliances and automobiles.
Launched in 2013, CPEC is a corridor linking Pakistan’s Gwadar Port with Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation.
Why didn’t the Iranian team attract that attention. Was it sectarian feeling or because they didn’t do anything but lose? Are Muslims tired of being beaten? Or was the fact that the Palestinians were playing their traditional role of punching-bag for Israel during the tournament have something to do with it?
Were Muslims better off in 1992? Well, neither Bangladesh nor Afghanistan had got Test status, and 9/11 was still far in the future. However, Israel still occupied Palestine, not just the bit they got away with in 1948, but also the large swathe they occupied in 1967. If Qatar could spend billions for the World Cup, turning an impossible dream into reality, why is the Palestinian dream of a free Al-Quds so unrealistic?
Another sign of the times is that there’s been the suggestion of a Christmas Truce between Russia and Ukraine. Funny, such an appeal to religion is not terrorism. Only Muslims are terrorists, remember? Russian
commanders have shot down the idea, though, perhaps remembering that the previous ‘Christmas Truce’ in 1914 ended badly, with almost four years of bloody trench warfare. Are they merely reflecting the traditions of the Red Army, which was of godless communism.
Anyway, the schoolchildren here have had yet another three-day weekend, which has been made compulsory because of the smog. So the air at home is not polluted, as opposed to that at school? Kids are not happy, and want the anniversary of the APS massacre declared a holiday. It’s already celebrated in Bangladesh as Victory Day. Do we plan to join them? We should re,e,ber that, as we have been told many times, that the 1971 surrender was a political defeat, not a miliary one. So it seems that we had not got the GOC-in-C East Pakistan, Lt Gen A.A.K. Niazi, signing the surrender document, but the PTI East Pakistan Information Secretary.
PAKISTANTehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)
secretary general Asad Umar said on Sunday that country was heading towards elections but the government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was afraid of the dissolution of parliaments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The PTI leader said that prominent politicians from other parties were going to
join the opposition party in the days to come.
Speaking to the media in Quetta, he said the epidemic of abductions, torture and sometimes murder in Balochistan is against the Constitution and unacceptable for any civilised society.
Families of the missing gathered ahead of its arrival in the provincial capital to urge the MP to take action to bring their loved ones home. Virtually sealed off to foreigners, Balochistan is potentially one of Pakistan’s most prosperous regions, endowed with copper and gold. Umar said PTI, during its
tenure, allocated more funds for Balochistan, compared to Punjab, in excess of a development package of more than Rs600 billion.
chohan challengeS rivalS to electionS to ‘gauge’ Public SuPPort: Spokesperson to Punjab Chief Minister, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan has challenged the political rivals to holding general election to prove their public reputation.
In a statement issued on Sunday, he said that announcement of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to dissolve assemblies has taken away the night sleep of the ‘imported government’.
Fayyazul Hassan Chohan said that illogical statements of the PMD leaders reveal that they were mentally disturbed.
He said that the political opponents instead of making statements should conduct election and contest election against PTI and give public opportunity to decide about their future. The spokesperson to the CM paid tributes to
Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Federal Minister for Board of Investment and son of PML-Q supremo of Ch Shujaat Hussain, on Sunday described former chief of army staff (COAS) Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa as the benefactor of both PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi alike.
“Ch Pervaiz Elahi expressed what he thought mention worthy…and it was merit,” Salik Hussain said and added if the incumbent Punjab CM wants a return to his “original place by accepting mistakes and reforming self,” the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would welcome him.
In a statement, the PML-Q leader – while reacting to Pervaiz Elahi’s recent statement – said that Gen Bajwa was the benefactor of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and the incumbent Punjab Chief Minister. He urged Ch Pervaiz Elahi not to support the one
The Pakistan Army observed the 51st martyrdom anniversary of Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz, recipient of the Nishan-e-Haider, on Sunday in Pind Malkan village of Rawalpindi, the native town and the final resting place of the soldier, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Maj. Gen. Shoaib Bin Akram laid a floral wreath at his mausoleum and a contingent of the army presented the guard of honour. The media wing of the army reported that people from various walks of life attended the ceremony. Mahfuz was born on October 15, 1944, in Pind Malakan and enrolled in the Pakistan Army on October 25, 1962. After training, he joined the 15th Punjab Regiment. During the 1971 war, he was part of the Pul Kanjry operation in the Wahga-Attari sector. On the night of December 17, while capturing the objective, his company was halted at about 70 metres short of Indian positions. His machine gun was destroyed due to enemy shelling so he took another machine gun from a martyred soldier and effectively engaged an Indian machine gunner who was inflicting heavy causalities on his company. In the process, Mahfuz was critically injured and his machine gun was destroyed. Unruffled by his wounds, he leapt forward and strangulated the enemy to death. In the meantime, he was bayonetted to martyrdom by another enemy soldier from the same bunker. The next morning, a ceasefire was ordered and the enemy commander himself praised the martyr while handing over his body.
Elahi expressed displeasure over the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for his continuous criticism of ex-army chief
retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Speaking on the ARY News programme The Reporters, Punjab CM Elahi said that he had urged the PTI chief to avoid criticism of Gen (r) Bajwa during his yesterday’s Liberty Chowk rally speech. “Imran Khan criticised Gen Bajwa in his Lahore speech during my presence which is an injustice to me,” he said.
He went on to say that Gen Bajwa frequently helped PTI during its government and criticism of him after his retirement was unfair. CM Elahi said that his party supported PTI in the Centre and Punjab despite reservations.
Pervaiz Elahi said the PML-Q endorsed Imran Khan’s decision to dissolve the Punjab Assembly, but we could not stab our benefactors in the back.
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in his Lahore speech announced to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies on December 23.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter has said that the Kashmir dispute is not a battle for power, but the issue of freeing Kashmir from the illegal occupation of India.
APHC-AJK chapter Information Secretary Imtiaz Wani in a statement issued in Islamabad strongly condemned the confiscation of houses and other properties of Jamaat-e-Islami and freedom-loving leaders and activists by Indian agencies.
He said that, on one hand, India is killing, arresting and disappearing innocent Kashmiri youth and, on the other, it is trying to demoralize the resistance leaders
and activists by confiscating their houses.
Condemning the illegal arrests, molestation of women and vandalism of houses and other properties by the Indian troops, he said the Kashmiri people are making huge sacrifices for their birthright to selfdetermination and will continue their struggle till complete success. Imtiaz Wani said APHC represents the freedom-loving Kashmiri people and is determined to take the Kashmir freedom movement to its logical conclusion at all costs.
He also demanded the immediate release of all illegally detained Hurriyat leaders and activists, including Masarat Alam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Pir Saifullah, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, Ayaz Muhammad Akbar, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Shahid-ul-Islam.
Imtiaz Wani also paid tributes to prominent leader of Kashmir freedom movement Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas on his death anniversary and said that he was the shining star of Kashmir freedom movement whose mission was the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan and for which he fought till his last breath.
Meanwhile, APHC-AJK leaders Qazi Imran and Khalid Shabbir in their separate statements in Islamabad have also paid glowing tributes to Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas.
CM Pervaiz Elahi for his “unprecedented” support to Imran Khan. “The Punjab CM has proved himself to be a brave and faithful person and PTI would lay rivals flat if they contest election against it,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided to complete reorganization of party in Lahore for which it has started consultation of senior party leaders. Sources said on Sunday, the PML-N leadership has decided to motivate all sub-organization of the party regarding next general elections.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the chief minister of Punjab, said he was fully satisfied and on board with former prime minister Imran Khan’s decision to dissolve legislatures in Pakistan’s most populous province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “I am satisfied and was with Imran Khan from the beginning”, he told a group of journalists during a conversation. Elahi reiterated his support for Khan, saying he owed the Punjab government to him.
Responding to a question, the provincial chief executive conceded talks with the opposition party on seat adjustment in Punjab have begun. On the other hand, in a bid to scuttle the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly, lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) signed a no-trust motion against Elahi and Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan. The decision to sign no-trust motions came after the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who met party leaders at his Model Town residence in Lahore. In addition to discussing the motion, the meeting also mulled approaching the governor for a vote of confidence from the chief minister.
During the meeting, Special Assistant on Interior Attaullah Tarar apprised the PML-N president the motions would be submitted in the coming week.
“We have our own plan which cannot be shared at the moment,” he said. Militants released at least three videos in which they could be seen armed with AK-47 rifles and medium machine guns. In one video they showed a hostage and demanded the security forces to provide them with a helicopter to reach Afghanistan safely and in return they would not harm their hostages. The affiliation of the terrorists could not be ascertained immediately. A spokesman for the TTP did not immediately confirm or deny a link with the militants in the compound.
Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Special Assistant for Information Barrister Saif has denied that CTD facility had been attacked in Bannu, saying that some suspects attempted to snatch weapons from the security forces. He said that the situation was “completely under control” and security forces have cordoned off the affected area. Saif said that an operation was underway against the miscreants which will be completed soon. It was the second terrorism incident of the day in the area as earlier four policemen were martyred in an attack by TTP in Lakki Marwat in the wee hours of Sunday. Four other policemen were injured in the attack on Burgai Police Station.
Sources claimed that the two leaders also decided not to approach Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi directly till a “green signal” from the PML-Q president. They also decided to keep a close eye on the current political situation, sources added.
Both Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari discussed in detail the overall political and economic situation in the country. During the meeting held at the Model Town residence of the prime minister, they agreed that nobody would be allowed to create political instability in the country.
They decided to take decisive action against those who were conspiring to push the country toward economic default.
They consulted on matters related to relief to the public and increasing economic activities in the country. The former president appreciated the efforts of the prime
minister to reduce the prices of petroleum products. The two leaders agreed to speed up relief activities for the rehabilitation of flood affectees and to save them from the harsh winter.
They concurred that the allied parties would enhance their political strength. They were unanimous in their view that political stability was imperative for the economic progress of Pakistan and they would go to any extent to save Pakistan from economic hardship. They resolved that the coalition government would continue to move forward for political stability and economic development.
The special assistants to the prime minister Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan and Attaullah Tarar were also present during the meeting.
PM Shehbaz conSultS nawaz over diSSolution iSSue
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif on Sunday consulted PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif over the political situation that emerged after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s announcement to dissolve the two provincial assemblies on December 23 (Friday).
Reportedly, the PML-N chief urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to expedite consultations with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties to prevent the dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.
Both bigwigs also discussed the option of no-confidence motion in the Punjab assembly.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at his residence in Lahore and discussed country’s ‘political and economic situation’.
According to a statement, PM Shehbaz
Sharif – during his meeting with the PMLQ President – enquired after his health and presented him a bouquet.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the prevailing political and economic situation in the country. The prime minister apprised Chaudhry Shujaat of the measures taken by the government to restore economy and provide relief to the public.
The PML-Q president acknowledged the efforts of PM Shehbaz Sharif to rid the country and its people of the problems being faced. Moreover, Ch Shujaat and the premier agreed to strengthen their mutual cooperation in the future.
Both the leaders agreed that political stability and close cooperation were essential to get the country out of the problems it is facing, the press release added.
National Food Security Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, Board of Investment Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain —
Chaudhry Shujaat’s son — and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan were also present.
The meeting came a day after PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced that his governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will dissolve their assemblies on December 23 (Friday) to pave the way for fresh elections.
The former prime minister made the announcement in a video address with Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan by his side.
It is pertinent to mention that the incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Elahi belongs to the PML-Q but has chosen to side with Imran and be PTI’s ally.
Elahi has time and again publicly declared that the Punjab Assembly is the PTI chief’s mandate and that he will dissolve the assembly whenever Imran tells him to.
PUNJABChief Minister
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said that environment friendly hybrid buses will be operated in the provincial capital.
“Purchase of 300 hybrid buses has been approved in first phase, for which as many as 200 new bus stops would be set up in Lahore to facilitate commuters.
Overall 513 hybrid buses would be operated in Lahore,” Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi informed while presiding over the meeting of Masstransit Authority here on Sunday.
The CM directed the authorities to allot seats for women, blind and differently abled persons in the buses and added that seats should be near to the
doors of the buses to facilitate differently abled persons in a proper manner.
He also directed to set up new bus stops in the city and added that routes of the new buses should be determined
ISLAMABAD: Minorities Rights Day is celebrated every year in India on December 18 but minorities have been subjected to second class citizens in the country. A report released by Kashmir Media Service, today, said the fascist Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party regime is relentlessly implementing RSS ideology against minorities in India and its discriminatory policies have pushed Indian minorities to the wall. It said the Hindutva narrative is now a dangerously growing trend in world’s so-called largest democracy, adding violence, intimidation and harassment against minorities have become the order of the day in the country. The report said hate crimes against Muslims and other minorities have alarmingly increased in India under Modi and minorities are being persistently hounded in India under rogue Modi’s regime. It maintained that the plight of minorities in India was often highlighted in reports issued by global rights’ watchdogs and it is high time for the world to act to ensure basic human rights to the Indian minorities. The report said that the global rights bodies must come forward to save minorities, including Muslims and Sikhs, from Hindutva onslaught in India and the international community must take notice of the plight of minorities in India. agencieS
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported 13 new cases of Covid-19 over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of National Health Services said on Sunday. The overall tally of infected people climbed to 1,575,585 across the country after adding the fresh cases, according to the data released by the ministry. A total of 30,635 people died of coronavirus in Pakistan, with no more death over the last 24 hours, according to the ministry’s statistics.
On Saturday, 5,262 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity rate stood at 0.25 percent. Staff
RepoRtkeeping in view the timings of students of the educational institutions.
Masstransit Authority would run hybrid buses with the cooperation of private operators.
CM also gave approval to construct offices of Masstransit Authority in Dera Gujran while auction policy of the authority was approved as well.
Transport secretary and other officers were also attended the meeting.
Terrorist attack in Lakki Marwat condemned
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi condemned a terrorist attack on a police station in Lakki Marwat area, on Sunday.
He expressed his deep sense of sorrow over the martyrdom of four police personnel and expressed his heartfelt sympathy and grief with the heirs of the personnel. The chief minister prayed for early recovery of the injured police personnel.
The CM said the martyred police personnel laid down their lives during performance of their duties.
Pakistan Peoples Party took out rallies across the country to support Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for calling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “butcher of Gujrat” while delivering a speech at the United Nations.
In Karachi, a rally was staged at Karachi Press Club in the leadership of PPP leaders Saeed Ghani, Waqar Mehdi and Javed Nagri. The leaders strongly condemned India’s Modi government for committing atrocities against Muslims in India and Kashmir.
In Hyderabad, a large number of PPP activists took out a rally and held a protest demonstration in the city press club where leaders supported narative of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari against the Modi government. The leaders called for end to atrocities against Muslims in India and Kashmir.
The party also staged rallies in Sukkur, Khairpur, Dadu, Nawab-
shah, Tandojam and other cities of Pakistan to support Bilawal and condemn Modi government’s atrocities against Muslims.
Similarly, a rally was also took out in Larkana during which the public raised slogans against the anti-Muslim policies of India. The rally was also joined by the Pakistani Hindu community which was led by PPP city president Muhammad Sheikh and Ejaz Laghari.
District General Secretary Ijaz Ahmed Laghari, Khair Muhammad Sheikh and others who led the protest instead of their top leadership said while addressing the participants that we will not tolerate propaganda about Pakistan and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in any way so BJP and Modi government should stop it.
They said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has shown a mirror of reality to the Modi government in the United Nations, after which the real face of India has been exposed in front of the whole world.
They said that they want to tell
the BJP, which is demanding an apology from Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and shouting slogans against Pakistan, that the Modi government, which pardoned terrorists in India and massacred Muslims in Kashmir, should apologize from the platform of the United Nations and stop brutality in Kashmir.
They said that with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s open stance on Kashmir and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and Modi government have cried out and the people of Pakistan will not remain silent on the propaganda about the country and its foreign minister. They said that the Modi government should avoid false propaganda against Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, otherwise there will be protests against the Modi government and BJP not only in Pakistan but also in other countries.
PPP activists of Naundero also took out a rally separately here where they demanded an apology from Indian rulers.
RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Pakistan seized over 467 kg of drugs, and arrested eight accused including a woman besides impounding three vehicles while conducting six counter-narcotics operations throughout the country, said an ANF Headquarters spokesman here on Sunday. He informed ANF in two operations near Islamabad Toll Plaza managed to recover two kg of Ice drug and 2.4 kg charras from the possession of two accused including a woman. In two other operations in Lasbela, ANF seized 220 kg charras and arrested five accused besides impounding three vehicles. In the fifth operation, ANF foiled a bid to smuggle drugs from
to Punjab and recovered 180 kg charras and 60 kg opium from secret cavities of a car.
At least 12 people were killed and 1,240 others injured in 1,150 road traffic crashes in Punjab during the last 24 hours. As many as 646 seriously injured people were shifted to different hospitals, while 594 with minor injuries were treated at the incident site by the rescue medical teams.
The data analysis showed that 555 drivers, 32 underage drivers, 155 pedestrians and 542 passengers were among the victims of the road accidents.
The statistics showed that 263 accidents were reported in Lahore, which affected 277 people, placing the provincial capital at top of the list, followed by 98 in Faisalabad with 109 victims and at third Multan with 91 accidents and 94 victims. According to the data, 995 motorbikes, 91 auto-rickshaws, 144 motorcars, 34 vans, 11 passenger buses, 36 trucks and100 other types of vehicles and slow-moving carts were involved in the road accidents.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly’s Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani while responding to PTI’s chief decision over the fate of assemblies said that, the assembly would be dissolved on Friday as per Imran Khan’s call. He said the country would default in case of delaying of elections and PTI would win the polls even if the Election Commission did not play fair. Talking about the current government he said: “The country is ruled by thieves and plunderers who are looting the country.”
As the grand festival of Christmas is approaching fast, the sweet sellers in the federal capital have finalized special preparations, expecting huge business during the festive season.
Keeping in view the new trends and demands, the bakeries have designed and displayed a variety of cakes decorated with images of Santa Clause, a Christmas tree, and other related themes to attract buyers. A huge crowd was witnessed at the sweet shops and bakeries for placing orders for the customized cakes and sweets. Muhammad Aun, a bakery owner said while talking to APP, “We are expecting huge business this year as, during the last few years, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the festivity.” He said customized Christmas cakes were on the trend in the town as many people had and booked their orders much prior to the event. “We are already having so many orders and now we have stopped new bookings of customized cakes.”
Safir Ahmed, another sweet shop owner, said cakes are the most sold items on Christmas as everyone likes to celebrate this event with cakes and sweets.
The postdoctoral academia announced on Sunday the launch of a struggle to save the unborn and newly-born babies from contracting lifelong abnormalities, saying “it is a war on teratogens, which is no less than the war on terror, on any count”.
The great struggle was launched by the postdoctoral academia on December 18, in various countries of the world, at special ceremonies, organised in connection with the 50th birthday marking of international researcher of Pakistan, Prof. Dr. Aurangzeb Hafi, who is one of pioneering researchers of the ‘terato-kinetics’ study.
These ceremonies were organised in the USA, UK and Pakistan for declaring the war on teratogens and paying tributes to the Pakistani researcher. The ceremony in Pakistan was held at the Punjab University’s Quaide-Azam campus by the Asia & Oceania PostDoctoral Academia (AOPDA), National Postdoctoral Academia (NPA), UNKAKHTAH and postdoctoral community of
the country.
Speakers at the Punjab University ceremony said the struggle initiated on Dec 18 would be a war on drugs and food additives that cause physical and mental complications among the unborn and newly-born babies. It is the war against the chemical agents that cause abnormalities following fetal exposure during pregnancy, they said.
A spokesperson for National Postdoctoral Academia (NPA) told APP that title of the study is ‘Trans-referential research model of teratology’, along with the ‘Trans-positional theory of terato-kinetics and Iatro-teratogenicity’. Latro-teratogens are the substances or medication induced probability perils and fate subsequences, which cause the development of abnormal cell tissues in the unborn as well as newly-born babies, particularly during fetal growth, yielding a multiplex of physio-chemical defects in the fetus.
The research study is evidence-based, well documented, comprising statistical records analysis of nearly 660-730 million disables, — a sum that constitutes somewhat 10-17 per cent approximation of the planet’s
population, added the spokesperson. It clearly endorses the alarmingly lethal and proveable enough linkages between what is to be later on referred to as ‘iatro-teratogenicity’ and multiple disabilities in newlyborn as well as unborn babies.
The spokesperson said the threshold of the research would concentrate and put pivot emphasis on bringing global attention to certain chemicals that could cross the mother’s placenta and pose serious threats to embryo, thus causing speckled wide-ranging physicochemical and neuro-cerebral complexities at embryonic stages. The research study also covers the adverse offshoots of certain food additives and some other ‘ultra-smart utilities’ during pregnancy that should also be brought under legislative consideration.
The research holds the global initiatives for serious consideration of international legislation. It is going to impact more than 730 million disabled persons around the world by initiating not only the new debates in planetary academia and the medico-forensic spheres, but also hitting the legislative orbits around the globe, believes the NPA
spokesperson. Ethico-legal hierarchies like the United Nations are intent marked stakeholders of the present research, he added.
In 2013, Prof. Dr. Aurangzeb Hafi launched the first-ever ‘Model of teratological research’ in the recorded history of medical sciences. The landmark research document is an outcome of nearly over twoand-a-half decades investigative work by the multidisciplinary arch-researcher. The ground-breaking research document was primed for over 1,700 international prestigious universities of the world in accordance with the United Nations mandate on the subject-matter.
Presided over by the Chancellor Emeritus of Asia & Oceania Post-Doctoral Academia Justice (R) Dr. S.S. Paru L.L.D., D.D. Litt., the scientific colloquia, regimented under the aegis of AOPDA, are well-observed by the academicians of reputed institutions around the globe, said the spokesperson.
In his keynote theme-lecture at the Punjab University ceremony, Prof. Aurangzeb Hafi accentuated on subsoil water toxicity hazards
due to non eco-compatible sewage and drainage practices. “The environment of the planet, in its totality, is on stake due to lethal vulnerabilities of under-ground water reserves and its repercussion for living organisms would be disastrous,” asserted the speaker.
Prof. Hafi brought into the academia’s as well as public attention the critical issue of different types of teratogens and the complex phenomenon of teratogenicity, which is responsible for various types of multiple disabilities at pre-birth stages as well as in newly born babies. He assertively identified and affirmed the subsoil hydro-toxicity to be a potential teratogen in the developing countries like Pakistan, where these ecologically incompatible sewerage-drainage practices are deemed as legal developments, and there exist no measures and regulatory policy framework to restrict the same. He stressed the need to tackle the growing impact of inner and outer environmental toxicity, in a broader perspective, in compliance with the UN conventions on the subject-matters under discussion.
PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt
CHIEFMinister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan said that the provincial government had taken concrete steps to enhance quality agricultural produce to ensure food security in the province.
Presiding over a meeting regarding establishing the Agricultural University Swat here Sunday, he termed the establishment of agriculture university in Swat, a flagship project of the provincial government, which will not only promote modern education and research in the agricultural sector, but will also increase the value and quality of agricultural products in the region and create employment opportunities for the people.
He added that Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal project was also an important achievement of the incumbent government, which on completion would bring hundreds of thousands acres of barren land under cultivation in the southern districts.
The chief minister directed the quarters concerned to transfer all the assets of Agriculture University Peshawar’s Sub-campus Swat to the newly established University of Agriculture Swat without any delay and said that concerted efforts be made for its operationalization.
The meeting also made a threadbare discussion on the procedure for the transfer of assets from one university to another.
Addressing the participants, the chief minister said that the Agriculture Univer-
A total of 191 artificial intelligence enabled cameras equipped with advanced technology have been installed at the entry and exit points of Islamabad. Following the directions of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, the Islamabad capital police is in the process of installing modern cameras equipped with Artificial Intelligence to make security and surveillance more effective in the federal capital. Police spokesman said that Safe City Islamabad is performing the surveillance and monitoring duties in a fully operational and effective manner and playing an important role in the elimination of criminal elements in the federal capital Islamabad. Due to these cameras, a taxi driver involved in sexual harassment was also arrested as a woman registered a complaint of sexual harassment on the helpline of Islamabad Capital Police “Pukar-15”. Upon receiving the complaint, the Safe City Islamabad staff took immediate action and traced the vehicle and shared the information with the concerned police officials. The accused was arrested and a case was registered against him in Secretariat Police Station. Capital Police Officer (CPO) Safe City said that Islamabad Capital Police is utilizing all resources to strengthen the security of the federal capital, adding that the Eagle Squads have been closed from the police stations and centralized in safe city by connecting it with “Pukar15”. An integrated police unified communication and response system has been launched, under which Eagle squads quickly respond to the calls. Keeping in view the convenience of the citizens, the missing report of any valuable item is registered through the online system and people are informed to collect it from relevant police station after being traced.
sity Swat was of great importance not only for Swat but also for the entire Malakand division, which would help to promote agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and other sectors in the region through modern education and research.
The Chief Minister further said that the establishment of this university was the need of the hour to make the province selfsufficient in agriculture.
It is pertinent to mention here that 94 projects of agriculture and livestock sector have been reflected in the current annual development program including 72 ongoing and 22 new projects.
The total cost of these projects is over 1 trillion and 15 billion rupees. Some of these projects include agriculture transformation plan, establishment of seed indus-
try in the province, enhancement of wheat production in the province, establishment of Agriculture Complex, development of Gomal Zam Dam Command Area, provision of interest-free loans to farmers under Gomal Zam Dam Command Area Project, upgradation of Agricultural Research Institutes into Centers of Excellence etc.
The chief minister said that food security was one of the priority areas of the government and projects worth billions of rupees had been launched to this end.
Secretary Agriculture Israr Khan, Secretary Higher Education Daud Khan, Commissioner Malakand Division Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture Peshawar Prof. Dr. Jahan Bakht and other concerned officials attended the meeting.
As millions suffer from fatigue and other symptoms of long Covid, researchers have presented new evidence of triggers for fatigue following the SARS-COV-2 infection.
The team from the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna, led by chemist Christopher Gerner, showed that an exaggerated anti-inflammatory response is likely to be responsible for long Covid syndrome.
Although auto-immunity was previously suspected as the main cause of long Covid, there is no evidence of accompanying inflammatory processes in the long Covid syndrome patients.
According to the new study published in iScience, not the excessive inflammatory reaction but anti-inflammatory substances as the triggers for the long Covid syndrome.
Contrary to previous expectations, the researchers were able to find several anti-inflammatory proteins,
lipids, and metabolites in long Covid patients, which on the one hand could contribute to the most important long Covid syndrome symptoms, and, on the other hand, point to the formation of alternatively polarised macrophages as the cause, the Medical Daily reported.
Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has greeted the government and people of Qatar on their National Day.
In a felicitation message on Sunday, Sadiq Sanjrani said, “On behalf of the government and people of Pakistan and on my own behalf, I convey warmest congratulations and best wishes to the government, people and the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the occasion of the National Day of Qatar.”
He said that it was his great pleasure to note that the long-existing friendly relations and cooperation between Pakistan and Qatar continues to thrive.
The Pakistani government and people highly value and express gratitude for the remarkable assistance and support rendered by the Government and people of Qatar to Pakistan over the past years, which have continuously contributed to the socio-economic development of Pakistan.
The Chairman Senate said, “I am confident that such friendly relations and good cooperation will be further enhanced to new heights in further years to come.”
Under the dynamic leadership of Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar has achieved new milestones and contributed towards the well being of people of Qatar, Sanjrani stated in his message.
for their leader. He said the looters of Toshakhana and watch would continue to make such dramas to grab people’s attention till October.
In the course of a viral infection, there is normally a very strong activation of the immune system. But in virtually all of the long Covid patients studied, corresponding markers such as cytokines, acute phase proteins and eicosanoids, which indicate inflammation, were in fact hardly detectable.
“All important potential markers for acute inflammatory processes were below the levels of healthy donors or not detectable at all in LCS patients,” said Gerner.
Surprisingly, the differences were more pronounced in long Covid patients compared to asymptomatic patients recovering from Covid disease than in healthy controls.
“This finding shows that there was indeed some residual inflammatory response detectable in asymptomatic recovered patients, whereas long Covid patients had the opposite finding,” Gerner added.
The researchers are confident that in the near future, they will be able to offer significantly improved diagnostic options for long Covid syndrome and, above all, monitoring methods to evaluate the effects of therapy.
Advisor to the KP CM on Home and Tribal Affairs Babar Saleem Swati has said that anti-state elements would not be allowed to sabotage peace in the province at any cost. In a statement issued here on Sunday, he expressed profound grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of police personnel in a terrorists’ attack on a station in Lakki Marwat district and termed the incident as sorrowful. He said that the sacrifices of the police force will not go in vain, adding that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. He termed the incident a cowardly act and highly condemnable. Swati said that police are a frontline force and rendering sacrifices of their lives for the cause of peace. The Advisor directed for provision of the best medical facilities to injured police personnel and also prayed for their early recovery.
Notwithstanding the people’s expectations, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman, Imran Khan has given yet another date to dissolve the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies by Friday which was being termed as irrational and illogical by the political experts.
On Saturday all eyes were on TV screens watching Imran Khan’s address that whether he would dissolve both assemblies on Sunday as per his earlier announcement or would take another U-turn by giving a new date.
Political observers said that the fixation of Friday for assemblies dissolution by Imran Khan was tantamount to allow opposition parties to file a no-confidence motion against the Chief Ministers of both provinces to prevent its dissolution and save his face.
“Imran Khan is known for U-turn and whenever the time for an implementation of a decision comes he runaway,” said Ikhtiar Wali, PMLN spokesman and member Provincial Assembly while talking to APP.
He said if Imran Niazi was interested in the dissolution of assemblies would have announced it on Saturday night in presence of KP and Punjab CMs rather extended it to Friday, adding he wilfully allowed space
for opposition to file a confidence motion against CMs to prevent assemblies dissolution and extend his Govts tenure to October next year.
He claimed that Imran Khan lacked political acumen and courage to dissolve the assemblies and knew that his party would economically and politically suffer if his decision was implemented.
“I questioned why the Chief Ministers of both the provinces has not signed the assembly’s dissolution papers in the presence of Imran Khan on Saturday night. Now, these assemblies would complete its tenure?
He said that PTI members including CM KP claimed that they would lay down their life for Imran but are now reluctant even to sign a resignation paper
Wali said that Imran Niazi and his party made false accusations against political opponents, but we are thankful to Allah Almighty that Pakistani as well as international courts have declared the leadership of PMLN as “Saadiq and Ameen”.
Ikhtiar Wali said that Imran project has been completed failed and would be closed forever in the 2023 general election. Former Environment Minister and leader of Awami National Party, Wajid Ali Khan said that Imran Niazi was known for giving new dates for assemblies’ dissolution to put pressure on the government for an early election.
He said PTI Chairman has wasted four years of the nation by making false accusations against political opponents and branding Pakistanis as thieves abroad.
He said that Imran took advantage of the sincerity of Pathans and deceived them in the name of change.
To save his own politics, he said that Imran Niazi had used innocent Pakistanis to misbehave and break Saudi laws at Haram Sharif, but it was Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who forgave them and waived the heavy fines imposed on them.
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRtIndus River System Authority (IRSA) on Sunday released 73,600 cusecs water from various rim stations with inflow of 39,300 cusecs. According to the data released by IRSA, water level in River Indus at Tarbela Dam was 1491.90 feet and was 93.90 feet higher than its dead level of 1,398 feet. Water inflow and outflow in the dam was recorded as 19,200 cusecs while outflow as 40,000 cusecs. The water level in River Jhelum at Mangla Dam was 1121.20 feet, which was 71.20 feet higher than its dead level of 1,050 feet. The inflow and outflow of water was recorded 6,500 cusecs and 20,000 cusecs respectively. The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa , Guddu and Sukkur was recorded 64,200, 31,800, 25,100 and 12,200 cusecs respectively. Similarly, from River Kabul, a total of 8,200 cusecs of water released at Nowshera and 2,000 cusecs released from River Chenab at Marala.
PTI chief seems to have got out of the corner in which he had painted himself by announcing a date for the dissolution of the Punjab and KP assemblies, December 23. however, while it may seem that Mr Khan has charged out of that corner, the question arises why did he give the assemblies so many more days of life? If either assembly, or perhaps both, use this opportunity to pass some legislation, the delay would make a certain sense. It cannot merely be a matter of certain executive decisions, because they simply need the CM to sign off, which means they only need as much time as it takes to get the file in front of the CM. Whatever the reason, the oppositions in both provinces have been afforded more time to take whatever preventive measures they can, whether it be moving of a vote of no-confidence against the CM, or for the Governor to ask the CM to take a vote of confidence from the assembly.
Mr Khan’s announcement should have been enough, but the real imponderable, is Punjab CM Ch Pervez elahi. KP CM Mahmood Khan, though a loyal partyman, has made it clear he will only advise a dissolution if Ch Perbvez dissolves in Punjab first. he has not made clear what will be his position if a Punjab dissolution is rendered doubtful and ends up in the courts, which is another possibility that might occur. Ch Pervez was present for Mr Khan’s announcement, and has repeatedly said he would do the needful as soon as Mr Khan told him, however, there are many reasons why he would not like like to dissolve, not the least being that he would no longer main CM.
Another reason why Mr Khan may have delayed, is that he wants to give some time to the coalition to reconsider, and give him what this entire exercise is supposed to be for, a fresh election date. There are certainly some backchannel talks going on, with President Arif Alvi playing a lead role for the PTI. however, the opposition might find it more suitable have it out now in two provinces, and even if the result is unfavourable, to hang on to the last possible moment, which will be next October. Now that Mr Khan, after three weeks of threatening a dissolution somewhere in an indeterminate future, has now given a firm date, but it is only when the dissolutions occur, and are made to stick, that the nation will believe.
The current year is at the cusp of ending, but the covid-19 pandemic, along with the war in Ukraine, is still ongoing, with the world continuing to suffer from global supply shock. That being said, an overboard monetary tightening policy stance adopted by many central banks around the world, including International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommending a strong procyclical policy response, including squeezing aggregate demand through monetary tightening, to both programme countries and generally, means that strong recessionary headwinds are building up for the global economy.
Renowned economist and Nobel laureate Joseph e. Stiglitz highlighted concern over unnecessarily long monetary tightening, and the recessionary impact that it is likely to produce, in his recent research study, titled ‘The causes and responses to today’s inflation’, which he co-authored with Ira Regmi, and which was published by the Roosevelt Institution. The two writers pointed out in the report ‘While we welcome the return of interest rates to more normal levels… increasing interest rates too far and too quickly risks a painful slowdown to the economy with minimal benefits to inflation short of a significant downturn. This would have particular adverse distributional consequences, especially for marginalized groups in the country.’
In an article ‘All pain and no gain from higher interest rates’, based on the report mentioned above, and published by Project Syndicate (PS), Stiglitz highlighted this concern about over-tightening monetary policy, and its likely negative consequences on economic growth as ‘Central banks’ unwavering de-
termination to increase interest rates is truly remarkable. In the name of taming inflation, they have deliberately set themselves on a path to cause a recession– or to worsen it if it comes anyway. Moreover, they openly acknowledge the pain their policies will cause, even if they don’t emphasize that it is the poor and marginalized, not their friends on Wall Street, who will bear the brunt of it. …The Roosevelt report also dispenses with the argument that today’s inflation is due to excessive pandemic spending, and that bringing it back downrequiresa long period of high unemployment. Demand-driven inflation occurs when aggregate demand exceeds potential aggregate supply. But that, for the most part, has not been happening. Instead, the pandemic gave rise to numerous sectoral supply constraints and demand shifts that– together with adjustment asymmetries–became the primary drivers of price growth.’
A recent The Economist- published article ‘Why a global recession is inevitable in 2023’ by The Economist’s editor-inchief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, highlighted the highly likelihood of recession in 2023 as ‘Much of the world will be in recession in 2023, and in several places economic weakness could exacerbate geopolitical risks. This poisonous combination will be most evident in europe.… Many european economies are already on the edge of recession. The higher interest rates needed to dampen inflation will further sap consumer spending and increase unemployment.’
tion makes immense sense; where such allocation ismade with a more appropriate needs-based allocation criteria followed by IMF, unlike the August 2021 episode whereby most of enhanced SDR allocation went to rich, advanced countries.
It is strange then that while developing countries in particular are in the jaws of so many economic crises– from weak balance of payments, to difficult debt repayments situation, to currently low growth situation in many developing countries, and even recession likelihood looming right around the corner, and little debt moratorium/relief, climate finance, and SDR allocation coming to the rescue– the IMF still continues with its rather notorious policy of surcharges, as fees on late payments on its loans by programme countries.
This policy needs to immediately stop, especially given a situation of multiple economic crises facing the world, especially the global South
That being said, while the calls for a new IMF’s enhanced special drawing rights (SDRs) allocation–on the same lines as in August 2021, to the tune of $650 billion– have been raised quite loudly around the middle of the current year, there is still no indication of this bythe IMF. With many developing countries facing serious balance of payments, and debt distress, and given a stronger dollar at the back of overboard monetary tightening, and in turn, significant capital flight from developing countries, resulting in greater imported inflation at the back of weakening domestic currencies of a number of these countries, a quick release of enhanced SDR alloca-
This policy needs to immediately stop, especially given a situation of multiple economic crises facing the world, especially the global South. A recent Center for economic and Policy Research (CePR) published article ‘IMF surcharges can be removed as precautionary balances are safely within target’ by Andres Arauz, pointed out in this regard ‘Surcharges are additional fees that the IMF charges countries with relatively large and long-term loans; they significantly increase the debt payments that these countries must make to the Fund, siphoning away scarce foreign exchange and budget resources.When the IMF has positive net earnings, they are retained and added to its “precautionary balances,” a subsection of its capital reserves. The Fund has an indicativetargetin the range of SDR 20–25 billion ($26.0–32.5 billion) for its precautionary balances, and a floor of SDR 15 billion ($19.5 billion). As ofApril 2022, the Fund’s precautionary balances were SDR 20.9 billion ($28.1 billion). Based on itsfirst quarternet operational income and this year’sgross lending income, I estimate that as of November 2022, the IMF’s precautionary balances have reached SDR 23.0 billion ($30.2 billion). … Yearly surcharge income is an almost negligible 0.18 percent of the IMF’s total resources available for lending. The Fund’s lending power is not genuinely impacted by surcharges.’
ribution of corruption has been given to the common weak man in the form of inflation.
one hand, it is becoming more and more difficult for the people to meet their daily needs, on the other hand their trust in democracy is getting weaker. All political and economic policies have become a textbook case of taking one step forward and two steps back for eight months.
There is no doubt that the allies came to power with the same claim that they will not only put the car of the country’s economy on track but also reduce the rising inflation, however, even after eight months of power, the former opposition, or rather the current government, which scorned the inexperience and incompetence of the former PTI government, has not been able to take a single step for economic improvement. From Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, all the claims have been left behind and recently foreign reserves of Pakistan has fallen to $6.7 billion, leading to asevere economic crisis.
so powerful in the country that no institution can hold them accountable for their corruption. If any institution tries to do so, it is made ineffective by amending its laws.
This fact has become clear in front of the whole nation that accountability of bribery and corruption and those who collect illicit wealth have been held only for mutual bargaining. The alleged political and non-political governments have all been involved in this crime. The elites have been flourishing by illegality and the ret-
While the middle class struggles to find enough to eat, educate their children and find a place to live, the wealthy have access to all of these necessities. In this worst situation, speeches, addresses and mutual accusations will not work, nor can people be made more stupid by using the excuse of being bound in the chains of slavery.
If the PDM leaders do not want to leave power, they will have to show their efforts to stay in power. Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif and his family have been part of the governing class for at least four decades. The government also enjoys the support of the PPP, which has served in the government three times. They both understand the state’s and government’s challenges and will also know how to solve them.
The coalition government that came to power with the slogan of ending inflation and economic recovery from the country, has not yet been able to provide any relief to the people. Despite the passage of eight months in power, the coalition leadership has not been able to make any improvement on the economic front nor end political instability.
It is a sign of the administrative passiveness of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that he has to seek permission from his elder brother based in London for every decision and also get the approval of his allies. The root of this is that Ishaq Dar, who occupied the chair of the Ministry of Finance by claiming to show a miracle on the economic front, has also taken political matters into his own hands instead of being limited to his basic responsibilities. n this situation, the common citizens who are hoping for relief from the federal government are facing severe disappointment. On the
All the blame of this scenario is being put on catastrophic floods and political stability. On the one hand, the Prime Minister is making noise about being chained to the IMF and on the other hand, the people are being burdened with more debts. The ruling class of an impoverished nation is unready to adopt austerity and saving principles, nor are new sources of income being created. The country is being run on alms and loans and the ruler who gets more loans and alms declares himself successful.
On the one hand, the rulers take loans from the IMF and other international financial institutions and on the other, they also complain about being chained by the nation. Neither the Pakistani people have chained the country to the IMF and other international financial institutions, nor have they put their freedom at stake, the rulers of this country have given their freedom to the slavery of international institutions as the corruption of the bureaucrats and politicians of this country has increased the wealth of the capitalists and the lives of the people are becoming more and more difficult. This section has become
The coalition leadership should take measures to liberate the people rather than subjecting them to the IMF’s shackles. How long will the allies continue to fool the populace by giving them a decade of slavery? Or they can deceive those who follow them for a few more days. They can make political and government institutions their tools, they can also buy the justice system but none can deceive the Creator and the Lord, who is keeping a close eye on the plight of His creatures and fearing the coming time when all will be caught and there will be no one to save them.
The coalition leadership should take measures to liberate the people rather than subjecting them to the IMF’s shackles. how long will the allies continue to fool the populace by giving them a decade of slavery? Or they can deceive those who follow them for a few more days. They can make political and government institutions their tools, they can also buy the justice system but none can deceive the Creator and the Lord, who is keeping a close eye on the plight of his creatures and fearing the coming time when all will be caught and there will be no one to save them.
have even demolished properties of Muslim without legal authorization. “The authorities in several Indian states are carrying out violence against Muslims as a kind of summary punishment. Officials, blatantly disregarding the rule of law, are sending a message to the public that Muslims can be discriminated against and attacked,” commented Meenakshi Ganguly.
The USA has included Pakistan in the list of states of “particular concern” over religious freedoms. While in the USA, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari categorically rejected the list. The list for 2022 has Burma, China, Cuba, eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Strangely neither India nor Israel is on the list although global human rights bodies are criticizing both countries for gross religious violations against Muslims.
A “Country of Particular Concern” is a designated under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) by the Secretary of State of a nation engaged in severe violations of religious freedom. The IRFA requires an annual review of the status of religious freedom worldwide and the designation of countries that have “engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom” during the reporting period. The IRFA defines particularly severe violations of religious freedom as systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom, including violations such as torture, degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention without charges, abduction or clandestine detention, or another flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons. Is not bizarre the IRFA does not find torture, degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention without charges, abduction, and detentions of Muslims in India during the year 2020-2021 and during the first 10 months of the year, 2022 as the report covered the above-mentioned periods under consideration.
One can say that Bilawal refused to accept the list because he is the Foreign Minister of Pakistan and his statement is diplomatically loaded and politically motivated. however, facts speak that a recent report by human Rights Watch published in October 2022 has also indicated state-sponsored brutalities committed against Muslims in India. The report that was presented by Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at human Rights Watch, categorically said that the authorities in India are increasingly using abusive punishments against Muslims in several states ruled by the hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) where party leaders
BBC News correspondent for Delhi Geeta Pandey,m in her recent special report, showed facts that unprovoked attacks on Muslims by hindu mobs have become routine in India. She explained her viewpoint by citing several incidents of brutal treatment being faced by Muslims including a video that went viral on social media exposing a terrified little girl clinging to her Muslim father as a hindu mob assaulted him. The footage showed the 45-year-old rickshaw driver being paraded through the streets of Kanpur, as his crying daughter begged the mob to stop hitting him. The mob was forcing the Muslim rickshaw driver to chant “Jai Shri Ram” or “Long live Lord Ram”. Another viral video showed a Muslim bangle-seller being slapped, kicked, and punched by a hindu mob in Indore and told by it to stay away from hindu areas in the future. Almost every week such videos surfaced during the period of the year 2021-22— — a time when IRFA documented religionrelated human rights violations for preparing the year 2022 report that was released on November 30.
Since the list for 2022 includes Burma, China, Cuba, eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, therefore one should review the list politically. The inclusion of China, Cuba, Iran, and North Korea does not need explanation because everybody knows the USA considers China as the biggest threat to its economy while it has over 50 years of bitter relations with Cuba. Iran has always been a country of “grave concerns” since the 1979 revolution and the US hostage crisis and Russia is a killer of humanity. The US did not invite eritrea to the US-African state summit that took place recently because eritrea is an “untrustworthy country” in Africa. Washington does not explain why it considers eritrea “untrustworthy” The Department of State claims that Nicaragua’s current leaders have systematically undermined Nicaragua’s democratic structures and President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, are not democratic while Saudi Arabia is no more trust-
worthy due to its openness for Russia and China and its refusal to accept the dictation of President Biden in the oil crisis. Tajikistan is “in orbit of Russian foreign policy” while Turkmenistan believes in non-aligned policy and does not care what the USA thinks about it. So now we need to find why the USA is not happy with its time-tested, frontline war partner and collaborator since the 1950s, Pakistan.
An academic article confirms that the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) is a “soft power” tool of the USA. The paper also indicates that IRFA was seeded by Christian advocacy groups and prominent American evangelicals to address what was perceived as the growing persecution of Christians worldwide following the end of the Cold War.
I can adduce several reasons but I believe Pakistan’s nuclear success, tricky strategic policy over Afghanistan, its proximity and dependence on China, and geopolitical location are some of the reasons for considering Pakistan as an “untrusted partner”. One can understand IRFA listing is based on the strategic interests of the USA rather than the actual situation of religious freedom parameters.
An academic article titled “With Friends Like These: Does American Soft Power Advance International Religious Freedom?” written by Ariel Zellman and Jonathan Fox of the Department of Political Studies, BarIlan University of Israel, published in May, confirms that the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) is a “soft power” tool of the USA. The paper also indicates that IRFA was seeded by Christian advocacy groups and prominent American evangelicals to address what was perceived as the growing persecution of Christians worldwide following the end of the Cold War.
This can be a reason why IRFA keeps quiet when violations are against Muslims but IRFA reacts sharply when matters are related to Christianity and somehow or other with Ahmadis’ issues. Now one can understand what does France is not penalized when it does not allow Muslim women to use their religious hijab, or India, and Israel are not included in the list when they are killing kill Muslims.
The writer is an international award winning journalist who has been in the field since 1988 and appears in national and international media as analyst and political scientist.
DYSFUNCTIONAL science laboratories or their downright absence at our educational institutions are true indicators of the trajectory of our research and development in the field of science. It is hard to believe how science subjects are taught by separating theory from practical exposure.
Science in layman terms is simply defined as observation of the surrounding environment, and to discover the hidden or lost laws of nature. how is it possible to make the most of the teaching of science without inculcating the spirit of empiricism and research in science education? Our students, who study science as a major subject, do not know anything of Archimedes’ eureka moments and serendipitous flashes beyond the landscape of their reasoning faculty. At our educational institutions, science laboratories are rarely used to explain experimentally the theory of various scientific laws and principles.
Consequently, students do not even know the names of apparatuses and tools used in experiments. Then, as a cover-up machination, rote learning becomes quite a handy tool to top the educational grades at school and college levels. Consequently, students are deprived of hands-on experience, which is a prerequisite for the study of science.
It is no rocket science to trace where all this rot starts. In the beginning, lack of funds hampered the provision of fully equipped laboratories at educational institutions, discouraging the management and the teachers from optimising the use of such laboratories. Then started the phase of mushroom growth of small schools in every lane and street to cater to the educational needs of the ever increasing population. Such schools did away with the laboratories altogether for obvious reasons. even the relevant authorities were partners in this crime as they did not force these schools to have equipped and functional laboratories.
But the actual mindset hampering progress in the field of science in the country is seen in institutions that have fully equipped and functional laboratories present. The problem is the unwillingness and demotivation of the teachers and the managements to make use of the facility by teaching science on practical grounds. Demotivation is there because everyone knows that marks in practical examinations are obtained in any case because they are supervised by the subject teachers themselves. A nexus of awarding grades to students without requiring them to actually perform experiments dictates the scene involving all the relevant stakeholders. This unscrupulous practice of securing marks in practical examinations through iniquitous means must be abolished at the earliest. This is nothing but sheer professional corruption and pedagogical dishonesty.
No foolproof method has been developed yet to stem this rot. Policymakers have badly failed in coming up with any remedy to motivate the stakeholders for tapping into the practical faculty of students. The sooner it is admitted that teaching of science without experiments is detrimental to and wastage of human resource, the better it will be.
evidently, functional science laboratories can instil in students the heuristic approach and the power of observation which are indispensable to study the scheme of nature and the mysteries of the universe. We can earn respect in the comity of nations only when we put in our share in global research and human development in the field of science.
The world acknowledges that the Muslims had ruled the field of science till the 13th century. The names of the Muslim scientists of that golden era, like Alhazen, Avicenna, Geber, Rhazes, Al-Biruni, Averroes and countless more, echo in the Western world even today. Various science theorists believe that research has been an important part of the DNA of the Muslim world, and they are keen to see us have some sort of renaissance. Only functional science laboratories and their optimal use on a sustained basis can hope to trigger the process, if at all.
M NADEEM NADIR KASURPOLITICAL heroism originates in both social and academic voids and finds sanctuary in developing nations to mislead public opinion by masking the harsh reality. Pakistan has encountered its biggest crisis in recent months, including societal division and intolerance, made worse by inflation and the larger economic decline. But is the recent current state of affairs to blame for the lack of social tolerance?
To comprehend this, we must look back in time and study a bit of history. hero worship has long existed in the sub-continent, with Sufis and Sadhus being one reflection of a widespread trend. even Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah ahead of the 1945 elections for the Central Legislative Assembly and the Council of State had sought the support of the likes of Pir Sahib of Manki Sharif and Pir Jamaat Ali Shah. They turned out to be crucial figures in the campaign and, as a result, all Muslim blocs were won by the Muslim League. This, in turn, gave the League considerable negotiation leverage. In contrast, only 109 of the 482 seats were won by the League in the 1937 provincial elections.
This demonstrates unquestionably that Sufism and hero worship have always been a major element in the history of the subcontinent. Thus, whether intentionally or unintentionally, ‘hero worship’ had a significant impact on the formation of the country, which still exists in society.
In fact, if we look closely, the ruling elite classes of today are not newcomers to politics; rather, they are the successors, with the majority coming from ‘Pir’ families. Their voters and supporters are more of their ritual followers, particularly in the backward areas that make up the majority of the country. For the most part, they have nothing to do with their leader’s vision and manifesto, and are unable to accept any criticism of their leaders. This, in the true spirit of democracy, is detrimental to the cause of national cohesion, and leads to social division.
B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of Indian Constitution, in 1949 summed it up well, saying: “In politics, Bhakti, or hero worship, is a sure road to degradation and eventual dictatorship.” Our society has never promoted institutions or visions; only individuals and personalities. In the case of Pakistani politics, the catchphrase Quaid Ka Pakistan has consistently led us astray soon after Jinnah passed away. The Quaid himself never referred to Pakistan’s ideology as Quaid Ka Pakistan; rather, he was a staunch supporter of institutiona-lisation, and constantly emphasised the twonation theory and his vision.
No slogan during the entire Pakistan movement was self-centred, or promoted the stardom of Jinnah. Instead, they were all linked to the movement’s belief and mission. Pakistan Ka Matlab Kia, La Ilaha Illallah, for example, was a well-known slogan of the time. Quaid Ka Pakistan is a slogan politicians and leaders have frequently used to influence public opinion and use that sentiment to promote heroism rather than institutionalism.
SYED MUHAMMAD FARHAN ZAHID ISLAMABAD
and months later, the damage is still going on. Stagnant water means farmers cannot plant new crops – those who could not plant rice in October, with water in certain parts remaining thigh high, will have no harvest to reap come March.
Famine is not a possibility: it is a certainty. there is a health crisis: hundreds of thousands of pregnant women have no access to maternal care, and fetid water means there are epidemics of snake bites, malaria and dengue. Medicine shortages affect the poor – who cannot access even basic relief – above all. Millions upon millions of people have lost their homes, their livelihoods and their loved ones. today, a third of Pakistan remains under water.
access to ordinary painkillers, like Panadol or Calpol, and are likely not to have been seen by a doctor for months, if not years.
they treated about 1,000 people that day, and Zulfikar sent us a photo from the camp of a father holding a newborn baby aloft, hoping to carry him over the sea of waiting people so he could be seen by a doctor. the baby is wearing the traditional black thread to protect him from the evil eye, from harm and jealousy. even though his eyes are closed, when I zoom in to the picture I can still see the swipe of kohl, another talisman against bad fortune.
while the poor of the global south pay the price. at the same time as the world’s climate villains hemmed and hawed at Cop27, alaa abd el-Fattah, the tech activist and writer who was on hunger strike in his Cairo prison cell, served as a living embodiment of solidarity. every week, abd el-Fattah writes one letter to his family. One week, no letter arrived. his family panicked, fearing the worst. But the letter had been censored: in it he had written about his fears and worries “about global warming because of the news from Pakistan”.
thIS summer, intense monsoon rains combined with glacial melt caused super-floods across Pakistan. We are home to the second largest number of glaciers after the polar regions and, thanks to global heating, they are melting at unprecedented, terrifying speed. this is the year the climate emergency came home to me, and this is a photo that haunts me.
the floods wiped out approximately a million livestock, decimated crops, displaced 30 to 50 million Pakistanis, destroyed thousands of kilometres of roads –
My brother Zulfikar, our friend Menaal and I were horrified by the floods. together, we put together an auction and organised online talks with writers and artists to raise money for three charities working on the ground in Sindh, the worst-hit province. With the help of friends and the kindness of strangers we raised funds, but it wasn’t enough. My brother organised medical camps, collecting medicine and arranging for volunteer doctors to spend the day seeing people in badly hit villages. he took this photo in Warah, Sindh, where people had no
the photo encapsulates the injustice of the climate crisis. Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of global emissions; we are not climate criminals but climate victims. In November, during Cop27, the division could not have been starker. In a recent report, Carbon Brief estimated that the US, the UK, Canada and australia are billions behind contributing anything close to their fair share of climate funds. the US, whose mega emissions mean it owes some $40bn to the $100bn fund that rich countries pledged to donate a year by 2020, has only coughed up just over $7bn. these rich countries pollute with abandon
reading about abd el-Fattah’s concern reminds me how I felt seeing the picture of the innocent baby, asleep in his father’s open, hopeful hands, as the world burned around them. “hope is a discipline,” the activist and abolitionist Mariame Kaba said. I have thought about that sentence a lot this past year, and will carry it with me always, especially now when things seem so dark. We have no other choice. We have to fight for the living world, fight with everything we have, or we will have nothing left.
Fatima Bhutto is a Pakistani author of fiction and nonfiction.
Shinzo abe in 2015 pushed legislation through the Diet that expanded roles and missions for the Self-Defense Forces, including for the first time allowing it to come to the aid of a close ally under attack, there were by citizens concerned that the new law was at odds with the constitution and would put the country on a path to war. there has been no such reaction to the policy changes set to be announced this month. When the Kishida government releases the strategies, several issues bear close attention.
prehensive defense structure” that reflects non-defense investments with national security implications. an intense internal debate over how to pay for these increases continues within the coalition, and the outcome is likely to be a combination of tax hikes, cuts to other government outlays, and issuance of government debt.
Later this month Japan will announce new national security and defense strategies that will shatter policy norms in place for much of the period since World War II. tokyo is poised to unveil plans to nearly double defense spending over the next five years, discarding the informal 1 percent of GDP cap that has been in place since 1976. It will set out plans to acquire long-range precision-strike cruise missiles, capable of hitting targets well inside North Korean or Chinese territory, loosening the postwar constraint on military power projection. and it may signal intent to remove much of the remaining limits on defense equipment exports, first adopted in 1967 and loosened in 2014, but to little effect. this package, if implemented, will break with a tradition of incremental change in Japanese defense policies that is rooted in article 9 of the constitution—and ultimately transform Japan’s defense posture and the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Driving this change is a regional security environment that Japanese officials describe as the most challenging since the U.S. occupation. China is undertaking a sweeping military modernization program and increasing maritime pressure on Japan in the east China Sea, with a near-constant presence of China Coast Guard vessels in waters around the Senkaku Islands; its military exercises around taiwan in august, which included ballistic missiles launches that landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, underscored that a conflict in the taiwan Strait would directly impact Japanese security. North Korea continues to advance nuclear weapons and missile programs, and in October, launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile that overflew Japan. Finally, after tokyo joined the G7 in imposing sanctions on Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine, russia labeled Japan an “unfriendly” country and increased military activity near Japan.
the russian invasion of Ukraine in particular has been an accelerant of change. Japanese officials watched as NatO support for Kyiv increased after it demonstrated a will to fight in the face of impossible odds. they concluded that by ensuring the capacity to better defend Japan, the United States and other partners will be more likely to come to their aid in a crisis. as a panel of experts advising Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on defense strategy wrote in November, “demonstrating . . . that we will defend our country ourselves is essential to maintaining the unwavering confidence of allies and likeminded partners,” (author’s translation).
the Japanese public appears to agree, and there is strong popular support for plans to increase the defense budget and to acquire strike capability—also a departure from the past that reflects perceptions of Japan’s challenging neighborhood. When former prime minister
THE KEY CHALLENGE: CHINA: the National Security Strategy (NSS) had a nuanced description of the security challenges confronting Japan, noting that a “shift in the balance of power . . . has substantially influenced the dynamics of international politics.” It identified North Korea first on Japan’s list of concerns in the region. against the backdrop of growing friction over the Senkaku Islands, the 2013 strategy described China’s actions as “an issue of concern to the international community including Japan.”
Japan’s new NSS is likely to list China first among the challenges Japan faces, ahead of North Korea and russia; it will likely for the first time make explicit Japan’s interest in peace and stability in the taiwan Strait, and its opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo. But the strategy is unlikely to describe China as a threat. the Kishida government has set out a policy approach that seeks a “constructive and stable” relationship with Beijing, one that combines steps to strengthen deterrence with support for close economic ties—a fact that reflects China’s status as Japan’s largest trading partner. Kishida’s meeting with Xi Jinping last month in Bangkok resulted in provisional agreement to resume high-level bilateral economic talks, a manifestation of this approach. the threats posed by North Korea and russia to Japan will also feature in the National Security Strategy, but for the first time China will likely be the focal point.
also of interest will be the language Japan uses to describe relations with the republic of Korea (rOK). the NSS, released at a time of relatively warm relations between tokyo and Seoul, described the rOK as “a neighboring country of the utmost geopolitical importance for the security of Japan. . . . Japan will construct future-oriented and multilayered relations and strengthen the foundation for security cooperation with the rOK.” a decade later, ties between the two are on shakier ground, but the geopolitical imperative of closer ties remains—and since the inauguration of South Korean president Yoon Seok Yeol in May, the Biden administration has pushed an aggressive trilateral agenda.
DEFENSE BUDGET: Japan is poised to undertake increases in defense spending that are unprecedented in the postwar period. through a combination of growth in core defense spending and other “national security-related” investments, the new strategy is likely to establish a budget trajectory that will approach 2 percent of GDP by the end of the five-year plan—from about 5 trillion yen ($37 billion in today’s exchange rates) in this fiscal year to as much as 11 trillion yen ($81.5 billion) by Japanese Fiscal Year (JFY) 2027. Press reports indicate that the core defense budget could total about 43 trillion yen over five years—an increase of more than 50 percent over the current plan. Other categories of spending— such as the Coast Guard, some civilian research and development, and public infrastructure—are likely to be included in the total calculation, as part of a new “com-
By any measure, the coming growth in Japanese defense spending is significant, but clear prioritization will be critical to ensuring investments that strengthen Japan’s capabilities and the alliance. the Defense Ministry’s budget request in august identified seven priority areas for additional funding—but together they are sweeping in scope, encompassing counterstrike capabilities, uncrewed systems, integrated air and missile defense, space and cyber capabilities, mobility and lift, and a catch-all resilience category that includes everything from munitions stockpiles to readiness and maintenance. even with additional resources, this swath of requirements risks stretching the budget thin. In the near term, resilience is particularly important for strengthening Japan’s defenses—the SDF historically has been plagued by insufficient stocks of munitions and poor levels of readiness. Significant investments here would represent an immediate down payment on Japan’s commitment to strengthening deterrence.
COUNTERSTRIKE: With the Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner Komeito in apparent agreement on Japan’s need for “counterstrike” capability, the strategies will reflect a decision to move forward on this pathbreaking acquisition. Since the end of World War II, Japan has eschewed power projection capabilities, such as long-range missiles, aircraft carriers, or strategic bombers—a postwar strategy, linked to article 9, known as exclusive self-defense (senshu bōei). although the Japanese government asserts that the senshu bōei framework remains in place, long range cruise missiles represent a threshold capability that will fundamentally change Japan’s approach to deterrence.
In the 2018 defense strategy, Japan first decided to acquire “standoff” capabilities in the form ofanti-ship missiles to strike an adversary’s forces “attempting to invade Japan.” Japanese security planners have since concluded that such capabilities are insufficient, and that Japan needs the ability to target fixed military facilities deep within an adversary’s territory. Over the long term, Japan intends to extend the range of an indigenous ground-launched cruise missile to as much as 1,500 kilometers, and to develop air, sea-, and submarine-launched launched variants. this process likely will extend into the 2030s, however; as an interim measure, Japan is therefore considering a request to purchase U.S.-made tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles (with a range of more than 1,600 kilometers) with the goal of deploying the capability before 2027. the prospect of a Japan that can strike back in response to an attack, at long range and on its own, would represent a significant new variable for potential adversaries in Pyongyang and Beijing, and one that would help to reinforce deterrence. It would also send a powerful signal about Japan’s status as a U.S. ally—today only the United Kingdom possesses the tomahawk, although australia has also announced the intent to acquire the capability. an effective Japanese counterstrike capability would set the stage for a far deeper level of command-and-control integration with the United States than exists today. regardless of the system Japan acquires, it will have to rely heavily on U.S. intelligence and targeting support as
it develops the capability. any scenario in which Japan is launching long-range cruise missiles at targets in China or North Korea would almost certainly coincide with U.S. military action; the allies therefore will need to develop an integrated process for target identification, prioritization, and deconfliction to maximize the effectiveness of U.S. and Japanese strike operations. this capacity does not exist today. With the counterstrike decision in place, reimagining U.S.-Japan command and control would represent the next opportunity to deepen the alliance.
STRENGTHENING JAPAN’S DEFENSE-INDUSTRIAL BASE AND CYBERSECURITY: Both the national security and defense strategies are likely to include an emphasis on strengthening cybersecurity to protect Japanese government networks as well as critical infrastructure. New initiatives are likely to include efforts to strengthen the authorities of the National center of Incident readiness and Strategy For Cybersecurity (NISC), which today nominally sets cybersecurity standards and oversees incident response—or the creation of an entirely new organization, to better integrate cyber defense capabilities in the Defense Ministry and National Police agency. the Ministry of Defense reportedly is planning to increase personnel responsible for cyber defense by a factor of five to around 4,000 personnel, from just over 800 todayby 2027. a focus in Japan on strengthening cybersecurity will be welcome in the U.S. government; weak cybersecurity practices across the Japanese government have been a critical impediment to deeper alliance cooperation and expanded information-sharing.
Finally, the defense strategy will also place a heavy emphasis on strengthening Japan’s defense-industrial base. Despite steps to loosen restrictions on defense equipment exports under abe, Japan’s defense industry is largely uncompetitive internationally, and remains focused on the small domestic market. a recent exodus of second- and third-tier suppliers from the sector has further alarmed Japanese leaders. the defense strategy is therefore likely to advance a number of steps to strengthen the industry, including increased funding for research and development; further loosening of export rules, in particular to allow more flexibility for transfers to countries that could be parties to a conflict (current rules make it difficult for Japan to provide equipment to Ukraine, for example); and exploring new institutions, perhaps modeled on the Innovation Unit, to support and capture emerging dual-use high technologies. this is an urgent area for the Japanese government—but also a challenging one to address, given the existing structure of Japan’s industry, in which defense is a small side business for even the largest firms. the imminent announcement of a partnership among Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy to develop a common fighter aircraft will signal tokyo’s intent to move toward a codevelopment and co-acquisition model that diverges from the past practice. will signal tokyo’s intent to move toward a codevelopment and co-acquisition model that diverges from the past practice.
the Kishida government’s new national security strategy represents an inflection point—one that sets in motion a material transformation in Japan’s defense posture that builds upon the policy and legal reforms that abe put in place. these changes were unimaginable only a few years ago and represent a vast opportunity for the U.S.-Japan alliance.
THE US, WHOSE MEGA EMISSIONS MEAN IT OWES SOME $40BN TO THE $100BN FUND THAT RICH COUNTRIES PLEDGED TO DONATE A YEAR BY 2020, HAS ONLY COUGHED UP JUST OVER $7BN. THESE RICH COUNTRIES POLLUTE WITH ABANDON WHILE THE POOR OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH PAY THE PRICECenter for StrategiC and international StudieS (CSiS) Christopher B. Johnstone
MuLtAN staff report
A special operation was conducted by the task force to ensure an uninterrupted supply of government flour to the citizens and a wheat quota to six flour mills suspended over the misappropriation of government flour. The district administration and food department jointly raided under the supervision of Deputy Director Food Asif Raza and issued warnings to the owners of more than 10 sale points. AsifRaza conducted a surprise inspection of various flour mills early on Sunday morning and issued orders to suspend the quota when their plants were closed. The mills included Miran flour mill, Ghousia, Ittihad, and Al Hafiz flour mills were issued show cause notices for low supply. Deputy Director Food said that the wheat was being supplied to flour mills on merit throughout the division, including Multan. Sale points have also been increased for the supply of flour in the market so that every citizen could benefit from the subsidy on flour.
A mobile diagnostic system of the National Institute of Health (NIH) has continued providing its free services in flood-affected areas to support locals in case of an outbreak. According to official sources, testing facilities are available in those locations where access to testing was limited and now citizens can have free testing services for Influenza, Malaria, Dengue, and SARS-CoV-2. The free diagnostic system was handed over by the NIH for flood-hit areas while two mobile diagnostic labs were deputed in the flood-affected areas of Sindh in this regard. The mobile labs were parked in Badin and Larkana where citizens can submit their blood samples for investigation.A three-member team from the NIH, including a doctor and two molecular biologists, were deputed to run the labs at Badin.
The Sui Southern Gas Company has implemented the load management plan, while suspending the gas supply to Captive power after CNG, according to a report on Sunday. The gas supply to the Captive power plant will be cut off for 24 hours and gas CNG stations will also experience gas suspension for three days from Friday. The gas supply to both sectors will be restored on Monday at 8 am. According to the spokesperson of SSGC, the domestic consumer demand has increased in the Balochistan region. It merits here to mention that the load-shedding period has worsened in winter and there is a series of long gas outages in winter in different areas of Karachi. The residents of Nasir Colony Korangi are facing the worst situation because there is no gas for ten hours a day. On the other hand, business activities are adversely affected by gas outages.
tHEMinistry of Climate Change (MoCC) has launched the process of preparing the country’s first ever National Adaptation Plan in a record time of six months that was facing a halt during the previous regime.
The Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman after assuming her charge in April 2022, directed the Ministry officials to convene the Climate Change Council in 100 days that never met since its creation under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, ensure continuation of the projects that were important to ensure country’s resilience and preparedness for global warming impacts and natural calamities.
The MoCC under the collective wisdom of the coalition government, within short span of six months, prepared for an international environmental moot of 27th Conference of Parties (COP-27) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Egypt and presented the case of developing countries
of the global South devastated by the climate catastrophes.
The Minister directed the Ministry’s officials to ensure a disaster and climate change resilient policy that endeavours to guide the federating for improving adaptation on a priority basis.
Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman said that the country was the least source of carbon emissions at the global level. It was not its responsibility to focus mitigation being the worst impacted state at the receiving end of climate disasters rather to ensure adaptation to global warming and environmental degradation for a sustainable future.
The process started to prepare the National Adaptation Plan for building resilience to climate change aimed to reduce vulnerabilities to climatic
changes by creating comprehensive medium and long term plans including the integration of adaptation measures into national policy. “Pakistan has been using nature based solutions and ecosystem based adaptation in its national efforts to build climate resilience,” the Minister said.
Moreover, a Climate Resilient Urban Policy Framework was also being formulated to work out opportunities and challenges in achieving green and resilient urban development.
The Ministry under the collective vision of the coalition government, initiated the biggest initiative of the Living Indus after consultations with the provinces in order to protect the Indus River from environmental degradation.
The World Bank study highlighted that the River Indus was facing existential threats due to environmental
President All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF), Syed Maaz Mahmood expressing grave concern over unannounced ban of the government on import of goods, non-clearance of consignments and unavailability of dollars with the banks has asked the government to ensure dollar availability for import of raw material, besides allowing unrestricted import of industrial machinery and spare parts to avert any halt in industrial operations in the country
In a statement issued here on Sunday, he urged the government to take immediate steps to ensure availability of forex otherwise industries may close down, which will have adverse impact on the overall economy of the country, as the country’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank have plunged by $784 million to a nearly four-year low of $6.72 billion.
Syed Maaz Mahmood pointed out that the strategy of curbing imports was not growth-friendly. He expressed concern about the country’s ability to pay back the huge amount of foreign loans. The frequent concerns have depressed the market and the exchange rate remained unstable during the ongoing fiscal year.
Chairman APBF Ibrahim Qureshi said that the foreign exchange reserves should remain the top agenda of the government. However, SBP’s reserves have dropped by more than $4 billion from around $11 billion at the time when this government took the helm in April 2022. He said that APBF is in favor of export expansion and this is where we should plan to focus our efforts to take this forward for sustained economic growth. He said that our tax
Oceans and seas have played very important role throughout the history of mankind. Nations who understood the utility of seas ruled this world because of their extended reach, economical voyages and lift capacity. World economies have been sustained and survived over sea trade. A nation which has the sea is considered blessed as enormous potential lies underneath seas which if exploited optimally accrues great advantages. Pakistan is also one such blessed country.
Despite having 1050 km long coastline, 240,000sqkm exclusive economic zone and 50,000sqkm continental shelf, Pakistan seems deprived of its due share from the sea and marine resources.
It’s simply not understandable
why this incongruity prevail in our country when nations around us make good use of their marine resources? India, Iran, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia all lie in our region and take substantial benefit from their waters. Pakistan has mostly been focussing on land resources and attention towards our marine resources has been minimal.
Successive governments could not accord due importance to this vast resource that lies in our south. The marine potential under our sea therefore seems untapped.
The term Blue Economy has been coined to underscore the important contribution of marine resources to the overall economy of a country without degrading environment.
Coast forms the backbone of Blue Economy as all the projects related to Blue Economy are either estab-
lished onshore or offshore. Pakistan has two distinct coasts namely Sindh Coast and Makran Coast on east and west of Karachi respectively. Both the coasts are distinct in their features and potential which can bring huge dividends to the country. However, as of now, unfortunately both the coasts are in dismal state of development where even the basic commodities are scarcely available.
Pakistan Navy besides its core tasks has always been cognisant of creating awareness about the maritime sector, Blue Economy and the significance of marine resources. It conducts formal and informal sessions for people from all strata of society through workshops, lectures, visits, exposures through media etc. Pakistan Navy also conducts Exercise AMAN biannually wherein navies from around the world are invited to
to GDP percentage is very low at 9.2 percent. We have to do better in order to achieve economic stability but we will undertake reforms in a gradual and orderly fashion in this regard.
Quoting the figures, Ibrahim Qureshi said that net foreign reserves held by commercial banks now stand at $5.867bn, meaning the country’s total liquid foreign reserves are now $12.58 billion. Central bank currently holds $6.72bn, barely enough to cover over one month’s worth of imports.
The APBF President said that the falling reserves may make it more difficult for the country to repay foreign loans; the remaining amount of over $6.7bn is just to cover a month’s imports.
He said that during the last five months, inflows remained just $4 billion but the figure was expected to rise in the second half of the current fiscal year ending June 2023. Maaz Mahmood attributed the fall in foreign exchange reserves to a payment of $1 billion against the maturity of sukuk. However, he said the $6.7 billion reserves were not calculated after the payment for bonds.
He said that the SBP paid $1 billion and another $1.2 billion to two commercial banks, which have agreed to relend the same amount in a few days.
The APBF President believed the government needed to generate additional revenue of about Rs800 billion to get the next IMF tranche. However, the political cost of squeezing this extra revenue from citizens is too high for the present government, which is the main hurdle, he said.
He said that the demand for dollars remains high in the interbank market, while the open market offers no hard currency. The dollar rose 0.09pc to close at Rs224.37 in the interbank market during the week.
Pakistan to participate in variety of naval and maritime activities. Next Exercise AMAN is scheduled in year 2023.In continuation of its resolve to project Pakistan’s maritime potential, Pakistan Navy under the aegis of Ministry of Maritime Affairs has taken another initiative of organising first ever Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC). It will be clubbed with Exercise AMAN next year from 10-12 February. The idea of PIMEC is very noble yet not unique as such exhibitions are held by various other countries on regular basis. Iran, China, India, Myanmar and Singapore have been regular in organising such exhibitions. Its purpose is to showcase the own country’s potential while affording an opportunity of shake hand between local and foreign entrepreneurs.
degradation, human intrusion and anthropogenic activities leading the water source nurturing the human civilizations of thousands of years old could hardly survive another half a century.
The Ministry while considering the rising threats and shrinking water levels in Indus River, worked on the ambitions initiative of protecting, cleaning and reviving the only lifeline of the country.
The Ministry also collaborated for the piloting of first ever Local Adaptation Plan prepared for Thatta and Chaman districts of Sindh and Balochistan respectively.
The document was based on local knowledge and expert guidance of international professionals to ensure adaptation of the climate change impacted region.
The MoCC in a unique move, lead global negotiations as Pakistan chaired the G-77 plus China group engagements at COP-27 and successfully got the long-standing initiative of loss and damage fund approved which was hailed by the world community as a much needed step led by the most impacted and vulnerable nations due to climate change.
The Capital Police took prompt action against underage motorcyclists and drivers during the ongoing month and imposed fines on them under the campaign of Special Traffic education and enforcement. Following the directives of Inspector General of Police Islamabad (IGP) Islamabad, the Islamabad Capital Police launched a special traffic education and enforcement campaign to resolve the traffic related problems faced by citizens on roads, a police public relations officer said. He said that, campaign is underway against underage bikers, those involved in rash driving and violating traffic rules. Under the supervision of chief traffic officer Islamabad, zonal DSP’s are ensuring strict action against those violating traffic rules. In this regard, Islamabad capital police already formed special squads to set up special roadblocks in major highways and squares of Islamabad in order to take strict legal action against underage drivers and other traffic rules violators. Pamphlets and leaflets are being distributed to create awareness among citizens. While, various teams of education wing are creating awareness about road safety rules and to educate the road users about the traffic rules. Following the efforts of these measures, several underage motorcyclists and traffic rules violators were fined, while unregistered bikes were also impounded at different police stations. The Chief Traffic Officer appealed to the parents to fulfill their responsibility, while also abiding by the law and forbidding the minor children to drive a car or motorbike. He added that the purpose of such a campaign was aimed to protect the precious lives of citizens.
Pakistan’s maritime sector is in desperate need of investment. However it’s not only foreign investment that we must seek, the local investment is also minimal right now and merits to be pursued.
It is needless to mention that investors will be ready to invest capital if and only they consider it to be secure. Governments around the world therefore formulate and implement policies and create environment that are favourable for the investment. The motive should be that the atmosphere must automatically lure investment. This is what Defence Minister Mr KhawajaAsif vowed to have during his speech as Chief Guest on the occasion of soft launch of PIMEC on 26th of July, 2022.
If the government of Pakistan formulates and implements investor friendly policies for the maritime sector, the initiatives like PIMEC will certainly bear the fruit. The security along our coast had been disturbed during past few years yet a favourable secure environment per-
sists currently. This all has been achieved through the dedicated efforts of our security forces and Law Enforcement Agencies. Security can be further improved if commercial activities are promoted all along our coast and people are incentivised to visit these areas frequently. This will also help in contributing to socio economic uplift of the locals which is as yet dismal. Also, all commercial projects will be beneficial incentive for the foreign investors and shall automatically form part of Blue Economy.
The idea of PIMEC is worth appreciating yet it will accrue true potential when supplemented and supported by favourable policies and environment. It’s a momentous opportunity being created by Pakistan Navy and Ministry of Maritime Affairs to uplift our maritime sector.
The opportunity must hence be seized by all stakeholders and relevant corners and this untapped maritime potential may now be finally capitalised upon.
DOHA agencieS
QATARon Sunday condemned a corruption investigation by Belgium and the suspension of the Gulf state’s access to the EU parliament, saying it could “negatively” impact ties and natural gas supplies.
A statement issued by a Qatari diplomat singled out Belgian authorities for criticism and insisted that “inaccurate” information had been used.
Eva Kaili, a Greek MEP, is one of four people charged after raids that uncovered at least 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in cash. The money was suspected of being linked to a Gulf state, and the EU parliament last week called for Qatar’s access to the institution to be suspended.
The scandal has erupted as many European countries look to Qatar for liquefied natural gas supplies. It has also been a link in contacts with Afghanistan and brought thousands of European nationals out of the country when the Tal-
iban took power.
“The decision to impose such a discriminatory restriction that limits dialogue and cooperation on Qatar before the legal process has ended, will negatively affect regional and global security cooperation, as well as ongoing discussions around global energy poverty and security,” said the diplomat.
“We firmly reject the allegations associating our government with misconduct,” the statement added.
Israel expelled French-Palestinian human rights lawyer Salah Hamouri on Sunday, the culmination of a lengthy judicial saga in which he was accused of security offences and held without charge since March. Hamouri, 37, had been held under a controversial practice known as administrative detention, which allows suspects to be detained for renewable periods of up to six months. He “was deported this morning to France following Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked’s decision to withdraw his residency status”, the ministry said in a statement. His family and supporters were expecting the deportation to take place on a Tel Aviv-Paris flight by Israeli airline El Al.
The supporters said Hamouri’s deportation from his birthplace by an “occupying power” was illegal.
An Israeli military court sentenced Hamouri, who holds French citizenship, to administrative detention in March. It accused him of being a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and said he “endangers security in the region”.
Israel, the United States and the European Union consider the PFLP a “terrorist group”. It has been implicated in several deadly attacks on Israelis. Hamouri denies links to the PFLP.
He has been arrested and jailed by Israeli authorities on several occasions, including in 2005.
Following that arrest, he was tried and convicted by an Israeli court on charges of plotting to assassinate Ovadia Yosef, a prominent rabbi and spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas political party. Hamouri was released in December 2011 as part of a prisoner swap. He has always maintained his innocence. Born in East Jerusalem, Hamouri does not have Israeli nationality, but he held a residency permit that Israeli authorities revoked.
Israel has occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem since the 1967 Six-Day War. Last month, he was informed he would be deported, but the expulsion was delayed as his lawyers contested the case.
‘A great achievement’
There had been increasing indications since Friday evening that Hamouri would be expelled. Arab-Israeli lawmaker Aida Touma-Sliman on Saturday wrote to Defence Minister Benny Gantz in an appeal to prevent Hamouri’s removal.
“Qatar was not the only party named in the investigation, yet our country has been exclusively criticised and attacked.” According to media reports, Moroccan interests also face scrutiny in the investigation. “We have observed this week’s selective condemnation of our country with great alarm,” the statement said.
Belgian prosecutors said they had been investigating EU parliament corruption for more than a year before the
raids and arrests of the past 10 days.
“It is deeply disappointing that the Belgian government made no effort to engage with our government to establish the facts once they became aware of the allegations,” said the diplomat.
– MEPs ‘misled’ –
The statement highlighted the “close” relationship with Belgium.
“Our nations cooperated during the Covid-19 pandemic and Qatar is an important supplier of LNG to Belgium,” it emphasised.
Kaili has been stripped of her duties as a European Parliament vice president. She and three other people have been charged with “criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering”.
The scandal has caused shockwaves in the EU parliament amid calls for a general clampdown on dealings with third-country lobbyists.
Qatar feels it has been unfairly singled out, with sentiment swayed by other accusations made against the wealthy Gulf state in its hosting of the World Cup.
At least nine Iraqi federal policemen were killed on Sunday after a bomb struck their convoy southwest of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, two security sources told Reuters.
The blast took place near the village of Safra , which lies about 30 km (20 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, said the source, adding that two other policemen were critically wounded.
A bomb blast initially targeted a truck transporting the men. It was followed by “a direct attack with small arms”, near the village of Chalal al-Matar, a federal police officer who attributed the assault to IS, told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has ordered a hunt for the “terrorist elements” who carried out the attack, dispatching the federal po-
lice commander to the area for further investigation, his office said in a statement.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Islamic State militants are active in the area. Iraq declared victory over the group, which once held large swathes of the country, in December 2017.
Iraqi police officers said Islamic State militants were involved in the attack, using roadside bombs to target the police force which was patrolling the area.
Despite the defeat of the Islamic State militant group in 2017, remnants of the group switched to hit-and-run attacks against government forces in different parts of Iraq.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
“An assailant has been killed and we are looking for the others,” the officer said, adding that two policemen were also wounded in the attack.
In Baghdad, an official from the Ministry of Interior confirmed the attack, saying seven police, including one officer, were killed.
IS seized large swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory from 2014, declaring a “caliphate” where they ruled with brutality before the jihadists’ defeat in late 2017 by Iraqi forces backed by a US-led military coalition.
IS lost its last Syrian bastion, near the Iraqi border, in 2019. The US-led anti-IS coalition continued a combat role in Iraq until December last year, but roughly 2,500 American soldiers remain in the country as trainers.
IS remnants, however, remain active in several areas of Iraq. Baghdad’s security forces continue to carry out counter-terrorism operations against the group and the deaths of IS fighters in airstrikes and raids are regularly announced.
North Korea fired two ballistic missiles towards the sea off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast on Sunday, South Korea’s military said.
Japan’s Vice Defence Minister Toshiro Ino said the North Korean-fired ballistic missiles seemed to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The missiles flew to an altitude of 550 kilometres (342 miles) and covered a range of 250 kilometres (53 miles), according to the Japanese Defence Ministry.
Ino said there had been no report of damage from the missiles so far. The North’s missile launch comes just days after the country tested a high-thrust solid-fuel engine that experts said would allow the quicker and more mobile launch of ballistic missiles, as it seeks to develop a new strategic weapon and speed up its nuclear and missile programmes.
The test, overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, was conducted on Thursday at North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launching Ground which has been used to test missile technologies, including rocket engines and space launch vehicles, the official KCNA news agency reported on Friday.
A draft UN deal to save nature calls on rich countries to increase financial aid to the developing world to $20 billion annually by 2025, rising to $30 billion per year by 2030, documents showed Sunday.
It also called on countries to “ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 percent of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas” are effectively conserved and managed. The compromise text, brokered by China which is presiding over a summit called COP15 in Montreal, was quickly welcomed by conservationists, though it still needs to be agreed upon by the 196 signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity before it is finalized.
The text “demonstrates that China is ready to lead a ‘race to the top,’ building on the ambition expressed by Parties during COP15,” said Alfred DeGemmis, of Wildlife Conservation Society.
“China will now need to defend the ambition contained in this document, bringing any hesitant Parties on board with the overwhelming global consensus that biodiversity loss is an urgent crisis that needs immediate action.” DeGemmis also cautioned however that much of the text was too focused on action by 2050, as opposed to more immediate achievements by 2030. The issue of how much money rich countries will send to the developing world, home to most of the planet’s biodiversity, has been the biggest sticking point.
Lower income nations point out developed countries grew rich by exploiting their resources and therefore they should be paid to protect their own ecosystems.
Current financial flows to the developing world are estimated at around $10 billion per year.
Delegates are working to roll back the destruction and pollution that threaten an estimated one million plant and animal species with extinction, according to scientists that report to the United Nations.
Arjun Viswanathan stood on the street, his hands folded, eyes fixed on the idol of the Hindu deity Ganesh.
On a humid morning, the information technology professional was waiting outside the temple, the size of a small closet — barely enough room for the lone priest to stand and perform puja, or rituals, for the beloved elephant-headed deity, believed to be the remover of obstacles. Viswanathan was among about a dozen visitors, most of them there for the same purpose: To offer prayers so their US visa interviews would go smoothly and successfully. Viswanathan came the day before his interview for an employment visa.
“I came here to pray for my brother’s UK visa 10 years ago and for my wife’s US visa two years ago,” he said. “They were both successful. So I have faith.”
The Sri Lakshmi Visa Ganapathy Temple is a few miles north of the airport in Chennai (formerly Madras), a bustling metropolis on the Coromandel Coast in southeast India — known for its iconic cuisine, ancient temples and churches, silk saris, classical music, dance and sculptures.
This “visa temple” has surged in popularity among US visa seekers over the past decade; they can be found in almost any Indian city with a US consulate. They typically gain a following through word of mouth or social media.
A mile away from the Ganesh temple is the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Navaneetha Krishnan Temple, where an idol of Hanuman — a deity who has a human body and the face of a monkey — is believed to possess the power to secure visas. Also known as “Anjaneya,” this god stands for strength, wisdom and devotion. In this temple, he has earned the monikers “America Anjaneya” and “Visa Anjaneya.” The temple’s longtime secretary, G.C. Srinivasan, said it wasn’t until 2016 that this temple became a “visa temple.”
Speakers at a seminar organized a Turkish NGO, The New World Foundation, on Kashmir have said that the time has come that the world must express solidarity with the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The speakers called upon the youth from around the globe to speak out and become voice of the millions of voiceless people of Jammu and Kashmir. Prominent among those who addressed the seminar included Ghulam Muhammad Safi, leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference; Abdul Rashid Turabi, former parliamentarian, Azad Kash-
“Kashmir is a political issue and needs to be resolved through tripartite negotiations between India, Pakistan, and the leadership of All Parties Hurriyat Conference. The denial of right of self-determination that was promised to the people of Jammu & Kashmir by the United Nations Security Council can bring both India and Pakistan to the brink of nuclear catastrophe,” Ghulam Muhammad Safi said
“The presence of 900,000 Indian occupation forces has made Kashmir the largest army concentration anywhere in the world.
Today, Kashmir has become literally the most dangerous place on earth. Indian forces have been given the totally immunity under the draconian laws, like Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA), Public Safety Act, (PSA) Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), and etc. World powers need to intervene for the sake of international peace and security to resolve the Kashmir conflict once for all,” Ghulam Muhammad Safi added.
Idris Ergin, Youth President of Foundation welcomed the participants to this important seminar. He said that the vision of the Foundation is that youth should be the leading voice of society. Our aim is to develop and empower them, and to work to build a
multifaceted, harmonious and vibrant society. Mr. Ergin added that Education is the basic condition for success. For this reason, our foundation aims to raise our students as highly advanced in science and technology, loyal to their national and spiritual values, hardworking, knowledgeable and at the same time possessing wisdom. Foundation will do everything in its power, Mr. Ergin said to mobilize the public opinion in Turkey to pursue the cause of our brothers and sisters in Kashmir.
Ahmed Malik of the Foundation emphasized that we want to create a model that brings young people together to network and exchange ideas, develop them to reach their
full potential, and generate solutions from the language of young people to build a better society for all. In addition to its contributions to education, the New World Foundation also protects the historical and cultural heritage and presents this precious treasure to the benefit of future generations. Mr. Malik was loud and clear when he said that the youth of Turkey should eb considered as ambassadors of Kashmir.
Abdul Rashid Turabi said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been demanding the right of self-determination for the last more than seven decades. India responds with bullets, pellet guns to silence the peaceful movement of liberation.
hArryBrook marked England’s historic Test tour of Pakistan with his third successive century and led the visitors to 254-5 at tea on the second day of the third and final Test on Sunday.
The 23-year-old yorkshireman smashed a brilliant unbeaten 108 off 141 balls to leave England trailing by 50 runs on a wicket with variable bounce and offering slow turn to spinners.
Brook followed his aggressive centuries at rawalpindi and Multan with a backfoot-driven boundary through covers against spinner Abrar Ahmed to raise his hundred off 133 balls just before the tea break. Ben Foakes, playing his first Test of the series, combined well with Brook in an unbroken 109-run stand as both batters blunted the twin spin threat of Abrar and Nauman Ali after lunch.
Foakes was batting on a confident 42 after successfully overturning on-field um-
pire Joel Wilson’s decision when he was ruled out caught close to the wicket on 9.
Captain Ben Stokes (26) fell to a sloppy run-out that left England at 145-5 in the second session before Brook and Foakes shared a century stand and brought the visitors within sight of Pakistan’s first-innings total of 304.
Stokes and Brook both ended up at the striker’s end when Stokes called for an unnecessary third run after Brook drove through midwicket.
Earlier, England’s top order slipped against spinners on a slow-turning wicket and reached 140-4 at lunch after resuming from an overnight 7-1.
Left-arm spinner Nauman, one of the four changes Pakistan made for the dead rubber, grabbed the wickets of Ben Duckett and Joe root off successive deliveries and Abrar had Ollie Pope (51) clean bowled soon after he completed his half-century.
Brook survived an lbw television referral against Abrar early in his fluent knock, but dominated the legspinner by smashing three sixes against him.
England spinners Jack Leach and 18year-old Test debutant rehan Ahmed picked up six wickets between them to dismiss Pakistan for 304.
Pope and Duckett made a fluent start against seamer Mohammad Wasim after England resumed on 7-1. Debutant Wasim, 21, was taken out of the attack after conceding 19 runs off his first two overs allowing Pakistan spinners to seize control.
Duckett hit Abrar for a straight six and took the total to 58 before Nauman had the lefthander trapped lbw for 26. Joe root then fell the first ball with Agha Salman grabbing a clean low catch at slip.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam didn’t come to the field on the morning of Day two of the Karachi Test against England.
According to details, Babar Azam protested as he was angry at being stopped by the security personnel while going out for dinner last night.
Wicketkeeper Mohammad rizwan took over the leadership. PCB kept silent on the matter and stated Babar didn’t come to the field because he isn’t feeling well.
According to the details, Pakistani cricketers planned to have dinner at a restaurant in Clifton on Saturday night. According to the procedure, they should have informed the security authorities in advance, but this was not done. When the players sat in the cars, they were stopped by the policemen. On this occasion, Babar Azam had a bitter conversation with an officer, he asked the higher authorities to permit the players, the players got fed up and went back to their rooms.
The following day, the team reached the ground as per the schedule, but before the second day of the Karachi Test, when everyone gathered in the field, Babar Azam was not included in them. The team went for fielding under the leadership of Mohammad rizwan.
The substitute player performed the duties in place of Babar. It was told in the TV commentary that Babar was not feeling well, so he did not come to the field. The captain was put out and sent for fielding, during which he remained out for about an hour.
Australia have maintained their unbeaten Test status at home this summer and closed in on booking a spot at next year’s World Test Championship final with a decisive sixwicket victory over a disappointing South Africa in Brisbane on Sunday.
The win sees Australia move further ahead at the top of the World Test Championship standings, while South Africa are overtaken by India and drop to third as a result of the loss.
Australia now hold a 76.92 win percentage, with India (55.77) now ahead of South Africa (54.55) following their 188-run triumph over Bangladesh in Chattogram earlier in the day.
The Test match was over in less than two days as Australia’s strong bowling attack – with some assistance from a bowler-friendly surface at The Gabba – made light work of South Africa’s batters with an impressive team performance.
Skipper Pat Cummins (5/42) and the consistent Scott Boland (2/14) did the majority of the damage on Sunday, while Mitchell Starc (2/26) picked up his 300th Test wicket early in the day as South Africa were skittled for just 99 in their second innings.
South Africa caused some concern in the Australia camp when they claimed four wickets. The hosts chased down the 34 required for victory, with Marnus Labuschagne (5*) and Cameron Green (0*) guiding the side home as
the Aussies clinched the opening match of the three-game series.
The battle to reach next year’s World Test Championship decider at The Oval is still wide open, with South Africa a chance to reclaim second place with positive results during the remaining two Tests in Australia.
The Proteas travel to Melbourne for the second Test that commences on Boxing Day, before the third and final Test of the series in Sydney early in the New year.
Australia will be keen to add to the three Test matches they have won against the West Indies and South Africa at home this summer, with a difficult trip to India for four Tests in February and March to likely to decide who claims the two spots in the World Test Championship final.
Gareth Southgate will stay on as England’s manager and target the Euro 2024 title, despite the misery of his team’s World Cup quarter-final exit, British media reported Saturday.
The 52-year-old said after last weekend’s defeat to defending champions France in Qatar that he required breathing space to take stock after six years in the job.
England have not won a major trophy since their World Cup victory in 1966 but under Southgate, they reached the semi-finals of the 2018 tournament and the final of last year’s European Championship.
On Saturday, the Daily Telegraph said he is “convinced” he should stay on as national team manager and will inform the Football Association of his wish to see out his contract before Christmas.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have dazzled at the World Cup in Qatar, while Morocco caught the imagination of a continent on their run to the semi-finals.
But the host nation flopped badly, Germany made a swift exit and Cristiano ronaldo discovered he was no longer an automatic pick for Portugal.
AFP Sport looks at the hits and misses from a month-long festival of football.
-Overachievers –Morocco became the first African side and the first Arab team to reach the semi-fi-
nals of a World Cup. And it was no fluke. Walid regragui’s men, ranked 22nd in the world, beat Belgium and drew with Croatia on the way to topping their group before dumping 2010 champions Spain and Portugal out of the tournament.
roared on by tens of thousands of fans and supported across Africa and the Arab world, they came up short in the semi-finals, losing 20 to France, but they have broken new ground.
Japan shocked Germany and Spain to top their group before losing on penalties to Croatia in the round of 16. South Korea underlined the progress Asian football is making by beating Portugal to qualify from their group but came unstuck against Brazil in the
first knockout round.
His current deal runs until December 2024.
The Daily Mail said Saturday that Southgate “will confirm his decision to the FA in the coming days to bring an end to speculation over his future”.
England’s latest bid to win a second World Cup ended in last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to defending champions France, who went on to reach the final.
Captain Harry Kane blazed over from the penalty spot when handed a chance to equalise late in the game, having earlier scored from the spot. “The energy that it takes through these tournaments is enormous so I want to make the right decision, whenever that is, for the team, for England, for the FA,” Southgate said in the aftermath of defeat.
“And I’ve got to be sure that whatever decision I make is the right one and I think it’s right to take a bit of time to do that because I know in the past how my feelings have fluctuated in the immediate aftermath of tournaments.”
Argentina face defending champions France in the World Cup final on Sunday with Lionel Messi seeking to win the honour that has so far eluded one of football’s greatest-ever players.
In his way stands the prolific Kylian Mbappe and a France team aiming to win back-to-back World Cups for the first time since Pele’s Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
Messi, 35, has collected seven Ballon d’Or awards for the best player in the world, but the last time he reached the World Cup final it ended in the bitter disappointment of defeat to Germany in 2014.
It is Messi’s quest that will focus the world’s attention on the 89,000-capacity Lusail Stadium in Doha, the most spectacular of the remarkable venues that the desert state have erected to host the tournament, for the 1500 GMT (8:00 pm in Pakistan) kickoff.
“I am well aware that Argentina will have a lot of fans behind them,” France coach Didier Deschamps said on the eve of the game.
“I know Argentina, many people around the world, and maybe some French people, hope Lionel Messi could win the World Cup, but we’re going to do everything to achieve our objective.”
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said: “People say the favourites are France. But we have the greatest player of all time.”
Deschamps has suffered a difficult few days since France beat Morocco — the first African team ever to reach the last four — in the semi-final.
His squad have been battling a mystery virus that is believed to have affected five players so far.
Central defenders raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate, and winger Kingsley Coman were forced to miss training on Friday because of illness.
Before that, midfielder Adrien rabiot and Dayot Upamecano were ruled out of the semi-final.
Players, staff and sources close to the French squad have spoken of a range of symptoms including fever, stomach pain and headaches.
“We are trying to take as many precautions as possible, to adapt as necessary and get on with it,” Deschamps said.
He had cause for encouragement when all 24 members of his squad took to the field at the start of their last team training session before the final, although reporters were ushered away after 15 minutes.
Captain Hugo Lloris preferred to focus on the match, insisting he was not concentrating solely on Messi and noted how France had shaken off the injury-enforced absence from the tournament of key performers Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante.
“Lots of people didn’t believe in us but here we are back in the final again,” said Lloris.
“We know what Messi represents in the history of our sport but this is a match between France and Argentina. We will do everything to win this last battle.”
Messi has been brilliant in his fifth World Cup and Sunday’s final is likely to be his last chance to match the achievement of Diego Maradona, who inspired Argentina to victory in Mexico in 1986.
But his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Mbappe, 23, is aiming to become the youngest player to win two World Cups since Pele achieved the feat at the age of 21.
France can also count on Antoine Griezmann, who has been highly influential from midfield in the run to the final.
Argentina supporters will dominate in the stadium, with at least 40,000 estimated to be in Doha.
-Superstars shine –Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, who will go head to head in Sunday’s final, have certainly lived up to their stellar billing. The forwards have five goals apiece as they vie for the Golden Boot.
Messi, 35, though lacking his former pace, has shown an uncanny knack to turn on the style at key moments, highlighted by his dazzling run to set up Julian Alvarez for the third goal against Croatia in the semi-finals.
Mbappe, 23, is ready to take on his Paris Saint-Germain teammate’s mantle as the best player in the world, looking unstoppable at times for defending champions France.
PUNJABChief Minister (CM)
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday revealed the “Establishment” does want the assemblies to be dissolved, calling the “Establishment” [more sensible] than politicians.
Speaking on ARY News programme ‘The Reporters’, the Punjab CM revealed that the country’s Establishment was against the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies and wanted Houses to complete their tenure.
The Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi reminded the “ungrateful” PTI about the “favours” of Gen (R) Qamar Javed Bajwa upon the party and warned it to keep criticism of the former army chief “within limits”.
He asked the PTI to “remember Bajwa sahab’s favours and not be ungrateful”, adding that the former army chief “elevated the party’s stature from nothing” and supported the government
on many international matters such as negotiating procurement of funds from Pakistan’s Arab allies or the International Monetary Fund.
“What do they (PTI) think of themselves? Have they descended from the heavens above? If any one of them speaks against Bajwa sahab then I will be the first to speak out and then our entire party will.
ISLAMABAD staff report
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The AJK premier, who had a recently brush with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after interrupting his speech, said the government is conspiring to topple his government.
“If this continues, the people of AJK will take to the streets,” he added. “Political stability is necessary in AJK. Briefcases full of notes are harmful to the cause of Kashmir.”
PM Tanveer Ilyas Khan said Pakistan is waging a war across the Line of Control, but such attempts will increase conflict and political turmoil in AJK. He said the federal should not show hesitancy and should go toward general elections. He warned that the people of AJK would never let any conspiracy against PTI government to succeed. they will resort to the streets if the AJK government is toppled
He said the PTI has formed governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and are demanding elections. He said they need to sit together for the sake of development and security of the country.
Sardar Tanveer Ilyas said the PTI is demanding its democratic right to hold elections. He added that political forces should not be afraid of going to the people’s court. “Pakistan is supreme, everything else comes later,” he added.
He said they are concerned about the economic unrest within Pakistan He said AJK Jammu and Kashmir is the defence frontline of Pakistan.
Sardar Tanveer said they have to create political stability at any cost. He said it is the job of the political leaders to sit together and find a solution to the problem.
“They have made it a joke. Can a person be so ungrateful? To say whatever they want … stay within your limits. No one will say [anything more now],” the chief minister said.
“I told [PTI Chairman Imran] Khan sahab three months ago that Bajwa sahab is ours, yours and PTI’s mohsin (benefactor) so fear God and don’t speak against him.”
He said he had reiterated the same in his meeting with the PTI chief a day ago at Imran’s Zaman Park residence. “He (Imran) replied: ‘I’ve received many requests [not to speak against Bajwa],’ so I said: ‘Then accept them,’” Elahi added.
Regarding Imran’s subsequent announcement of the date for dissolving the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies with the two chief ministers at his side, during which he criticised the former army chief again, Elahi said: “The injustice that Imran Khan did is that making us sit beside him, he criticised Bajwa sahab in front of me.”
He said he had “felt very bad” about the entire situation but could not raise the issue since there were too many people and he could not have time for a personal meeting with Imran. “We will not tolerate this. He is our mohsin and we don’t hear anything against them,” Parvez added.
Since Gen Bajwa’s retirement, Imran has increasingly turned his criticism towards the former army chief and levelled a series of allegations against him.
Through the new product, which has been adopted and marketed in many developed countries, including the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand, etc., there will be an alternate option available for the smokers, number of which is reportedly increasing alarmingly.
According to officials at the Ministry of Health, the summary related to regularizing heated tobacco products (HTPs) was forwarded for approval from competent bodies after examining that the alternative to cigarettes was in the interest of public health. According to them, heated tobacco products, as approved in many foreign countries after various tests, are scientifically
proven to be 95% less harmful than ordinary cigarettes.
“Though even the less harmful product is discouraged to be used by the new smokers, it will only be recommended for existing smokers who, if they do not leave, can switch to less risky alternatives to combustible cigarettes,” they said.
According to available documents, Japan, once notorious for its alarmingly high number of smokers, has been witnessing a fall in its cigarette sales and consumption since the launch of HTPs in the country. The UK Government is also in the process to regularize e-cigarettes, another type of smoke-free product –England’s National Health Service prescribes these products for smokers who want to quit cigarettes as part of their plan to cut smoking rates in the country.
In Pakistan, around 15 million of its adult population smoke cigarettes, while WHO anticipates the number to exceed one billion across the globe in 2025. Providing them with a choice to switch to smokefree products that are reportedly less harmful than cigarettes can go a long way in restoring the health of smokers. The legislation in Pakistan has been made as a proper legal framework was required for the responsible information and sale of these products to ensure it benefits public health.
It may be recalled here that various international tobacco firms are making investment into the alternative products however in Pakistan the same is apparently being opposed by those producing illicit cigarettes, which dominate over 40 percent of the domestic market.
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ISLAMABAD staff report
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan set a horrendous record of corruption during his government’s three and half years tenure, but ironically failed to prove a single allegation levelled against his political opponents.
“Imran Khan will come to his sense once he starts answering about his corruption,” she said in a news statement. She also clarified that the country had not defaulted, but Imran Khan had in every way.
“Leave the institutions aside, tell about the thefts and corruption done by you and your spouse while heading the previous government,” she said while rejecting the PTI’s chief undue criticism of the heads of different institutions. The minister believed that Imran Khan would not dissolve the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at any cost.
She alleged that Imran Khan was desperately seeking an NRO-like concession from the incumbent Chief Election Commissioner.
She further asked Imran Khan to get ready to answer before the court which would hear the cases of his alleged corruption in the foreign funding and Toshakhana scams. The minister said Imran Khan, who was a foreign agent, was found involved in looting Toshakhana and receiving prohibited funding from abroad. “Imran Khan is incompetent and will never come to power again,” she remarked.
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday said that the announcement regarding dissolution of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab Assemblies had, without naming anyone, exposed many people.
“Pakistan cannot develop and prosper without eliminating corruption and
mafia, which are the reason behind all crises prevailing in the country.”
PTI Chairman Imran Khan made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) here at residence at Zaman Park on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan said that if elections are not held in next 90 days after assemblies’ dissolution, it means no one is ‘neutral’. “The announcement of dissolving Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab Assemblies has exposed many people,” he said, without naming anyone.
“I don’t understand what happened to General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa”, he said, adding that he told Gen Bajwa that if they held 10-12 powerful corrupt people, everything would get better.
“We had a good relationship with Gen Bajwa, but I don’t know what happened then”, the former premier added. He noted that the dissolution of assemblies would
volleyed in an equaliser a minute later to take the game to extra time.
Lionel Messi saved his best for last on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on his World Cup career by finally landing the one major title that has eluded him.
Argentina won their third World Cup in extraordinary style on Sunday, beating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout after Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw that featured a hattrick for Kylian Mbappe as the holders recovered from 2-0 down after 80 minutes.
It was an incredible night of drama and fluctuating fortunes, delivering one of the all-time great finals to cap a wonderful tournament.
Argentina had looked to be cruising to a one-sided victory after Messi’s penalty and a brilliant goal by Angel Di Maria in the first half put them in total control but Mbappe converted an 80th-minute penalty and
Messi put Argentina ahead again but Mbappe levelled with another penalty, becoming the second man to score a World Cup final hat-trick after Geoff Hurst for England 1966.
In the end, the greatest player of his generation, possibly of all time, bowed out with victory in arguably the greatest World Cup final of them all.
It was a perfectly scripted farewell for the 35-year-old Argentine captain, playing in what he has said will be his fifth and final World Cup tournament.
Messi was a beacon of calm amid frequent outbreaks of pandemonium at the Lusail Stadium as Argentina twice squandered winning positions, eventually taking the title on penalties after the game finished 3-3 in extra-time.
Before kick off, Argentina’s raucous supporters had roared their appreciation as a giant television screen played a tribute to the late Diego Maradona, with clips of his legendary goal against England at the 1986 World Cup.
That was all the inspiration Messi needed as he set about delivering Argentina their first World Cup title in 36 years.
Maradona had also inspired that 1986 win, helping Argentina recover after they gave up a 2-0 lead before defeating West Germany 3-2. Eight years ago, Messi had cut a forlorn figure, finishing on the losing side as Argentina slumped to a 1-0 extra-time loss to Germany at the Maracana Stadium in the 2014 World Cup final.
That defeat left Messi staring at the possibility of joining German legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as the only man to captain his country to defeat in two World Cup finals.
force elections in 66% of Pakistan and the government would latch on.
The PTI chief further said that it would be a gross violation of Constitution if elections are not held in the stipulated period. He regretted that mafia exists in every institution, reiterating that Pakistan cannot develop without eliminating corruption and mafia.
Imran said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir himself has said that he will remain neutral.