Epaper_22-12-1 KHI

Govt vows to make economy interest-free in five years: Dar

g oBServeS CouNTry fACiNG CurreNT ACCouNT ANd BudGeT defiCiT

g GovT deCideS To keeP PriCeS of PeTroleuM ProduCTS uNChANGed

december 15, 2022. The new prices of petrol and diesel will be rs224.80 as well as rs235.30.

on the other hand, the finance minister also announced to reduce rs7.5 light diesel and rs10 kerosene oil per litre. it is pertinent to note that the government is charging rs50 per litre Petroleum development levy on petrol and rs12.59 per litre on diesel.

Meanwhile, there is no sales tax on petroleum products. he also announced to extend the date of income tax returns for another one month till december 15, 2022. The minister urged the people to take advantage of this opportunity and file their tax returns at the earliest.

iShAq dAr APPreCiAteS tiMely PrOviSiOn Of $500 MilliOn by Aiib: federal Minister for finance and revenue Senator Mohammad ishaq dar on Wednesday appreciated the timely provision of $500 million transferred by the Asian infrastructure investment Bank (AiiB) to Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD staff report

federAlMinister for finance and revenue ishaq dar has said the government is determined to promote islamic finance and eliminate the interest-based system in the country. he was addressing a conference titled “hurmat- e- Sood” in karachi on Wednesday.

finance Minister said that the country is needed at five years to move towards an ‘interest-free’ banking system under islamic law.

The minister informed the participants that a special wing would be set up at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for the promotion of an interest-free system. “i would notify the wing in a week’s time,” he added.

The finance minister lauded the federal Shariah Court (fSC) decision, saying that the “A base has been already been established, as islamic banking, in terms of overall assets and deposits, enjoys a market share of 20% and 21%, respectively,” said dar, while adding that further progress needs to be made in this regard. ishaq dar said that significant progress is required in non-banking sectors including mutual funds, insurance and capital markets on islamic terms. dar said that attempts are made worldwide to improve financial inclusion. “in this regard, we made considerable progress during our previous stint and approximately 30% of the population became part of the banking sector,” he said adding that steps

are being taken that every individual is included in the financial system.

The finance minister observed that the country is facing twin deficits i.e. current account and budget deficit. “There is a need to impose a fiscal discipline. We need to increase our incomes while rationalising our expenses in order to the budget deficit,” he added.

he also assured that resolutions of the seminar would be shared with the Prime Minister.

earlier this month, dar announced that the government had reached an understanding with the SBP and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to repeal their appeals against the fSC order to implement islamic banking system in Pakistan by 2027.

on April 28, 2022, the fSC had ruled that elimination of interest from the economic system was a religious and legal responsibility, ordering the government to end the interest-based banking system by the end of 2027.

The decision was made on petitions against riba (usury) after the Supreme Court referred the case back to the court in 2002 following appeals against the decision of the fSC.

GOvt deCideS tO keeP PriCeS Of PetrOleuM PrOduCtS unChAnGed: The federal government for the third consecutive time announced to keep prices of petroleum products unchanged despite a declining trend in the international market.

finance minister ishaq dar in a briefing said that the government has decided to keep prices of petroleum products unchanged for next quarter till

This appreciation he made while meeting with the Governor State Bank of Pakistan Jameel Ahmad at Governor house, karachi, today.

SAPM on finance Tariq Bajwa and other senior officers of the Ministry of finance attended the meeting.

it was shared that this financing would contribute in maintaining the external account stability, said a press release issued here.

he further said that the market had responded positively to the inflow of AiiB loans and hoped the further inflows in the pipeline from international financial institutions and friendly countries would boost our foreign reserves.

finance Minister Senator Mohammad ishaq dar discussed various measures taken by the federal government to stabilize the economy and hoped that the results of these measures would soon be reflected in enhanced economic activity.

The Governor State Bank shared various steps taken by SBP in this regard.

he commended the efforts of the present government for bringing efficiency, stability, and growth to the economy of Pakistan.

he highlighted that SBP is fully committed to support the process of economic revival as per the policies of the present government.

in conclusion, the Governor SBP thanked the finance minister for the continuous support by the present government for the policy initiatives taken by the State Bank of Pakistan.

Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to resume work on stalled projects

pipeline will transport 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from Turkmenistan to the three South Asian countries.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to resume work on several projects that have been stalled, including a four-nation energy corridor.

The much-awaited agreement was reached during a meeting between deputy foreign Minister hina rabbani khar and acting Afghan foreign Minister Maulvi Amir khan Muttaqi in kabul on Tuesday, said separate statements from the two countries’ foreign ministries.

khar, who arrived in kabul on Tuesday morning for a day-long visit, met with top interim Taliban government leadership, including acting deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam hanafi and acting Minister for Mines and Petroleum Shahabuddin delawar, as well as delegation-level talks with Muttaqi and his team.

kabul’s top diplomat informed khar that his country is ready to resume work on the TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-india (TAPi) gas pipeline project, the CASA1,000 (Central Asia-South Asia power project), the Trans-Afghan rail project, and other projects that have been on hold for a long time.

The $7 billion TAPi project, which was supposed to be completed by the end of 2017, has been pushed back due to the Taliban’s war against the uS-backed Afghan regime, which ended in August last year.

A 1,600-kilometer (994-mile)

While CASA-1000 is a $1.16 billion project currently under construction, it will allow surplus hydroelectricity from kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to be exported to Afghanistan and then to Pakistan.

The acting Afghan foreign minister, for his part, highlighted issues pertaining to the release of imprisoned Afghan refugees in different Pakistani jails, bilateral and transit trade, and treatment of refugees in Pakistan, said a statement issued by his ministry in kabul.

According to the statement, khar assured the Afghan side that islamabad would take immediate steps to resolve these issues.

Although Pakistan is thought to have had some influence over the Taliban, the two sides are still struggling to resolve a number of longstanding issues, including cross-border attacks on security forces and fencing of a 2,640-kilometer (1,640-mile) porous border between the two neighbours.

Afghanistan does not recognize the de facto border region between the two countries, commonly known as durand line, on the grounds that it was created by a British colonial regime “to divide ethnic Pashtuns”.

islamabad, however, maintains that the durand line is a permanent border between the two neighbouring countries.

ISLAMABAD staff report

Newly-appointed

Both

KABUL anadolu agency

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir called on President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately.

CJCSC General Shamshad and Army Chief General Asim Munir separately called on President Alvi at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday. The duo also called on Prime Minister separately. They exchanged views on national security and discussed professional matters pertaining to Army. The president and premier congratulated the new military leadership on assuming their respective offices.

Smog eNguLFS LaHoRe amId CompLeTe SILeNCe

CoRRIdoRS oF poWeR

is shocking, and the governmental and institutional apathy in response is criminal.

LAHOREonce again capped the ranking of the most polluted cities in the world with a peak Air Quality Index (AQI) of 668 in some areas of the city. Yet even as citizens of Punjab’s capital cough, wheeze, and rub their eyes from the effects of the deadly smog, a shocking silence remains in the corridors of power over what should be ringing alarm bells.

According to the AQI scale, anything over 150 is unhealthy, anything between 200-301 is very unhealthy, and anything over that is straight up hazardous. Lahore has regularly seen AQI rating above 600 — double the amount at which it is hazardous.

The scALe of The PRobLem: To understand this, the air quality index is calculated based on averages of all pollutant concentrations measured in a full hour, a full eight hours, or a full day. The final calculation is made by averaging at least 90 measured data points of pollution concentration from a full hour. For Lahore to regularly measure well above hazardous

To put things into perspective, in September 2020 the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Lane Regional Air Protection Agency released data that showed historical record-breaking air quality across the state following massive forest fires that left the state engulfed in ash and soot. The resulting AQI calculations that caused alarm and shock? Just under 500. On Wednesday, Lahore capped this by some distance.

The scale of the problem is massive and its consequences will be dire in the years to come. Prolonged or heavy exposure to hazardous air causes varied health complications, including asthma, lung damage, bronchial infections, strokes, heart problems, and shortened life expectancy. A report in Dawn from back in 2019 points out how a 2019 analysis by the Air Quality Life Index produced by the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago showed that long-term exposure to particulate matter air pollution was reducing the average Pakistani’s life by “more than two years.” And a 2018

study commissioned by Air Quality Asia, and carried out by Dr Junaid Rashid and Dr Shazia Manzur of Lahore’s Children’s Hospital, shows a spike in admissions for lung-related ailments during the smog season.

The ‘Global Alliance on Health and Pollution’ estimated in 2019 that 128,000 Pakistanis die annually due to air pollution-related illnesses. What is more alarming is that the statistics for the longterm damage that these prolonged years of smog will have on the health and lifespan of the city’s population are yet to even materialise. so WhAT cAN be DoNe?

The reality of the situation is that we know what the root cause of the problem is. The city is filled with cars that have deadly emissions. It is close to unregulated industrial zones and perhaps worst of all it has been a problem that is consistently ignored because it goes away in the summer.

A drastic revamp of the public transport, afforestation in dense urban areas, higher taxes on cars, distancing industrial zones, and plans to try and turn

Authorities fail to curb Munshi culture in Patwar Khanas

LAHORE Shahab omeR

Due to the inattention and apathy of the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and the Lahore district administration, the culture of hiring private Munshis in patwar houses located in the provincial capital has started to develop rapidly, Profit learnt here on Wednesday.

A survey conducted by Profit revealed that most of the Patwar Khanas in the city, including Tawwakhana Chand Rai, Chungh, Ichhra, Mozang, Dolukhurd, Dolu-kalan, Ker Kalan, Gajumta, Sattukatla, Amarsadhu, Pekhewal, Kot Lakhpat, Bela Basti Ram, Khoi Meeran, Shahdara, Shahzada, Jhalke, Kamahan, Gurumangat etc. Patwaris have hired private munshis who have been “busy extorting” money from the public.

Most of the applicants who visited

Patwar Khanas for acquisition of land documents, mutation and registry of property complained that Munshis were present in Patwar Khanas as frontmen of Patwaris and demanded money for

FBR collects Rs2,680 billion revenue in five months

ISLAMABAD Shahzad paRacha

Federal Board of Revenue has collected Rs 2,680 billion tax revenue during the first five months of current fiscal year. As per the details, FBR continues to demonstrate excellent performance in revenue collection for the fifth consecutive month of the current financial year and has exceeded both the five months target of Rs 2,680 billion as well as monthly target of Rs 537 billion despite import compression and zero rating on POL products. As per provisional figures, Rs 2,688 billion has been collected against Rs 2,330 billion collected during the corresponding period of the previous year, by recording an increase of over 15.3%. FBR has also issued refunds to the tune of Rs 135 billion as against Rs 124 billion issued last year.

Provisional gross revenue collection is recorded as Rs 2,823 billion for the first five months as against Rs 2,454 billion collected during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Collection of direct tax registered maximum growth of 43%. The provisional net collection for the month of November, 2022 is Rs 538.2 billion which shows an increase of more than 11.5% over the collection of Rs 480 billion for November 2021. FBR also recognizes the endeavours of all field formations and officers for their untiring efforts and commitment to optimize revenue collection in difficult times where sales tax collection on imports is showing negative growth.

processing each paper.

However, a senior officer of the Board of Revenue informed that several times orders had been issued to all patwaris to keep government records

Lahore into a more walkable city will be vital to making Lahore liveable again. And that is what we must remember — it is possible.

Up until now, the smog issue has been taken for granted. It has been written off as a phenomenon, or a new reality, or some kind of act of God. The government has responded with ad hoc actions to firefight the problem on a temporary rather than a sustainable basis. The utter failure of the administration to take durable measures to

improve the air quality has inflicted severe, long-term harm on public health, putting people at greater risk for heart and lung diseases.

The truth is it is entirely created by our own irresponsibility. While larger goals like shifting to clean energy are important, in the meantime we must at least revamp Lahore and other cities to make them friendlier to the environment. Because as things stand, the consequences of this in the future will be dire.

Top leadership vows not to let militancy hamper polio eradication efforts

away from private munshis and ban their entry.

“Most of the field staff of the AntiCorruption Department and the district administration are in collusion with these patwaris due to which they never implement the orders,” he claimed.

However, when the district administration was contacted in this regard, it was learned that Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Dr Mujtaba Bharwana had arrested private persons from Patwar Khana Satuktala who were working as private secretaries.

The spokesperson of the district administration informed Profit that two persons were working as Munshis in the absence of Patwari against whom an FIR has been registered.

“The concerned Patwari has also been suspended. A crackdown is being done against the private Munshis whereas the Patwar Khanas are being checked,” he maintained.

Next Karachi mayor to be from PPP: Bilawal Zardari

This

Park here.

The PPP chairman also pledged that his party would resolve the issues of Karachi after winning the upcoming local bodies elections.

The PPP chairman in his address also lauded the arrangements made by the PPPP workers, saying the party’s office bearers had won his heart.

Bilwal further said that PPP was a national party as it believed in politics of hope and unity rather than hatred and division.

The best revenge, Bilawal said, would to see Pakistan truly adhering to democratic principles and serving the people. “Peoples Party connects this country and it is a chain of all four provinces,” he said while recalling the famous slogan of the party in political gatherings.

He recalled that former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto raised the flag of PPP 55 years ago, on this very day.

“When Shaheed Bhutto took control of the country after it was disintegrated in 1971, he made the defeated nation to stand on its own feet by instilling hope in them,” he said while remembering his grandfather who was the founder of PPP. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also credited his grandfather for giving the unanimous Constitution of Pakistan in 1973.

He said that Bhutto gave the right to vote to the poor.

The foreign minister said that the youth of this country do not know that Bhutto gave the right to students, allowing them to form unions. In this country, including the foreign

policy, Bhutto used to consult with the youth and student unions, he remembered.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Shaheed Bhutto gave democratic and constitutional rights to every class while ensuring their economic rights of bread, clothing and housing were provided to every one.

He held that country “owns nuclear power due to Bhutto Shaheed”.

The PPP Chairman said that as a country they have to adopt the politics of unity in a bid to regain glory and to achieve economic rights.

Speaking about her mother, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Benazir Bhutto had always taught him to love and serve the public.

Bilawal said his party had always done politics within the limits of the Constitution.

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

In

on the event in Quetta, the president and the prime minister recommitted to eradicating polio. Alvi paid tribute to the efforts of healthcare workers and police for saving the children of the country from the crippling disease. He also prayed for the forgiveness of the deceased and for the early recovery of the wounded. Sharif said polio workers across the country were fulfilling their responsibilities without caring about their lives. He stressed that eliminating the disease from the country was amongst the top priorities of the government and vowed not to rest until polio was completely eradicated. He asserted that “evil elements” would fail to harm the anti-polio campaign in the country.

2021 attack on IHC: Lawyers seek unconditional apology in contempt case

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A single member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) accepted unconditional apology of lawyers facing contempt charges over Islamabad High Court (IHC) attack case in 2021 and directed them to comply with the code of conduct in the future else action would be taken against them. The court asked the lawyers to assure the court of their humble behavior in the future. IHC Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb heard the contempt case against lawyers for attacking IHC. As the court resumed hearing of the case, the lawyers sought an unconditional apology from the court. Upon which, the bench asked the lawyers involved in the attack that “have you read the code of conduct of lawyers?” Later the hearing was adjourned for two weeks.

Security forces kill one terrorist in Shewa, North Waziristan

RAWALPINDI: Security forces in an operation have killed one terrorist in Shewa, North Waziristan while a troop also embraced martyrdom. “On 30 November 2022, fire exchange took place between terrorists and own troops in general area Shewa, North Waziristan District. Own troops fought bravely and engaged the terrorist’s location effectively; 1 x terrorist got killed. Weapon and ammunition was also recovered from the killed terrorist,” says a handout issued by the ISPR. Staff RepoRt

President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday condemned the attack on a police mobile deputed for the protection of an antipolio team and said such terrorists would not be allowed to block the nation’s commitment to eliminate the paralysing disease.

separate statements

KARACHI Staff RepoRt

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday said that his party would be victorious in the upcoming second phase of local government elections, adding that the next mayor of Karachi would be from PPP.

he said while addressing on the occasion of the 55th foundation day of PPP at Nishtar

mCI ISSueS ‘HazaRd & SaFeTy aLeRT’ FoR

oFFICeS oN CoNSTITuTIoN aveNue

ISLAMABAD ahmad ahmadani

dECLARINGthe existing fire safety preparedness of different offices on Constitution Avenue including upper most offices as more vulnerable than ever, the Emergency & Disaster Management of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has revealed in its Hazard & Safety Alert issued here on Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) Emergency & Disaster Management in a letter titled: “Fire Safety Advisory through Special Messenger” to Director Aiwan-e-Saddar, Director Coordination, Parliament House, Director Parliament Lodges, Director Maintenance, Director E & M (Maintenance), Executive Engineer (PWD),G-9, Executive Engineer (PWD), Prime Minister’s Office, Executive Engineer (PWD), CCD-IV, Pak PWD, Executive Engineer (PWD), CEMD-1, Pak PWD, has pointed out that the buildings of different offices on Constitution Avenue

including upper most offices i.e PM Office, Aiwan-e-Saddar, Parliament House, Parliament Lodges, MNA Hostel, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad High Court (IHC), Cabinet Secretariat, Wafaqi Mohtasib Building, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Diplomatic Enclave, All Pak Secretariat Blocks, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Headquarter, Buildings of the Islamabad Administration & Police including Police Stations etc are much more vulnerable than ever in the prevailing state of preparedness with an old and archaic system of apparatus. And, recommended a complete revamp and overhauling to be able to have these buildings secure, safe and responsive in case of any eventuality etc.

The instant notice may be treated as “Hazard & Safety Alert” and acknowledged to have scheduled inspections and subsequent plan of action afresh for each building in accordance with the Building Standards for fire prevention & life safety 2010 and Pakistan Building Code, fire safety provisions 2016, said Emergency & Disaster

Management of MCI letter.

The letter added that the fire incidents (in the past) have played havoc in the capital city, rather entire Pakistan.

Complaining against not acknowledging and complying with desired safety measures to deal with emergency like situation, the MCI Emergency & Disaster Management

said that several safety assessments reports (containing explicit recommendations) have been issued for compliance. However, none of the above has since been acknowledged and/or complied with.

“The old and archaic fire prevention, protection and life safety arrangements without technical consultation of the subject

PTI moves IHC for early hearing of plea against ECP verdict in prohibited funding case

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday filed an application in Islamabad High Court (IHC), requesting early hearing of its petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruling in prohibited funding case.

The PTI in the application requested the court that it petition should be heard on a daily basis. The petitioner said the federal investigation authority (FIA) has been carrying out operations on the ECP ruling against the party leaders. It stated that though the petition was fixed for hearing, it was de-listed later.

Earlier, the court extended the interim pre-arrest bail of former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan until December 14 in the prohibited funding case.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and 10 others over accusations of receiving

foreign funding. The case had been registered by the FIA Corporate Banking Circle.

The case’s First Information Report (FIR) stated that the accused including the former premier Imran Khan violated Foreign Exchange Act and all of the nominated persons were beneficiaries of the private bank account.

It is important to mention here that the PTI founding member and former information secretary Akbar S Babar had filed the case in the ECP in November 2014, alleging financial irregularities in PTI’s foreign funding and that it received funds from prohibited sources.

ATTAcK oN IsLAmAbAD hIgh couRT: On February 08, 2021, after the demolition of illegal chambers at District and Sessions Court Complex in Islamabad, furious lawyers stormed the high court building and manhandled police officials, staff and journalists.

A large number of protesting lawyers outside the building had hurled stones while raising slogans against the district

Customs ceases nine vessels of illegal gmo Soyabean cargo

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A session of the National Assembly’s standing committee of food security ended in a fiasco after exchange of harsh words between the Minister of National Food Security and representative of soyabean importers on Wednesday. Food Security Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema said that the import of genetically modified soyabean is not allowed in Pakistan. “Nine vessels with GMO soyabean cargo have been ceased over illegal cargo,” minister said. “Customs Intelligence has ceased ships. We could not be part of any illegal practice,” Cheema stressed. “GMO soyabean causes cancer thus its import has not been allowed,” he further said. “Only import of non-GMO soyabean has been allowed. US ambassador had also called on me for clearance of soyabean vessels,” food minister said. “Give one-time clearance to soyabean vessels,” he asked. “How can Pakistan allow a thing, which has been banned in the USA,” minister said. “Chairman of the committee has also become advocate of soyabean importers,” he said. Chairman standing committee Rao Ajmal and Tariq Bashir exchanged harsh words over the comment. “I am going to adjourn the committee session if Mr. Cheeman didn’t take back his words,” Rao Ajmal warned. “I am not advocate of anyone. Poultry industry has been on the verge of destruction. My 10 poultryfarms out of 12, have been closed,” Ajmal said. Federal Minister demanded removing the representative of soyabean importers from the committee’s session. “You yourself leave the session,” importers representative responded to the minister.

administration and the IHC chief justice. couRT DoesN’T exTeNDs ReLIef To cDA sPecIAL mAgIsTRATe: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) administration on Wednesday did not extend any relief to the beleaguered senior special magistrate of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and advised him to seek protection from the authority’s own law.

IHC Member Inspection Team (MIT) in response to the formal complaint of CDA’s senior special magistrate Sardar Mohammad Asif, against the hierarchy of the civic agency, advised him to seek protection as provided in the law.

CDA’s magistrate accused senior authorities of the civic agency and the Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) of forcing him to “extort” money and that his court was being treated as “an automated teller machine (ATM)”.

In his complaint to IHC, he stated that his “court is being influenced and interfered unwarrantedly to hoodwink in the due process of law which is

repugnant to the principle of natural justice.” He stated in the application that the CDA’s hierarchy was using his office to “mint money”.

“The trial court is being considered an ATM machine, which is causing an unnecessary litigation burden on the district judiciary,” he stated in the complaint. He requested the IHC to protect his office “from undue influence, interference in the larger interest of justice, claiming that he had been acting as a “whistle blower”. He further said that the CDA might be restrained from taking any adverse action against him.

The IHC administration perused his complaint and referred this matter to Senior Puisne Judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.

Responding to the complaint, the MIT of the IHC, through a letter, stated that the court of the senior special magistrate is an independent judicial forum and its judgement is appealable in the court of sessions/before the competent forum.

Punjab LG polls to be held in last week of April: ECP

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday announced that the local government (LG) polls in Punjab province would be held in the last week of April next year.

The meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, warned a strict action against the Punjab government in case of any change in local government rules as the commission wanted no more delay in the LG polls.

The meeting decided to fix the date of LG polls in last week of April after consulting representatives of the provincial government.

The CEC directed the representatives of Punjab

government to immediately provide copies of election rules and data to the Punjab Election Commissioner and District Election Commissioners.

The representatives of the Punjab government assured providing draft rules, made after incorporating ECP’s feedback, for perusal of next cabinet meeting. They also assured providing copies of draft rules to the ECP, District Election Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners.

The CEC said that the elections have not yet been held in Punjab province only due to frequent changes in elections laws and other delaying tactics used by the successive provincial governments.

Briefing the meeting, Secretary Election Commission said that the tenure of local government in Punjab has already ended on January 1, 2022. ECP has completed the delimitation task for holding LG polls twice due to changes in LG laws.

Now the provincial government has notified Punjab Local Government Act on Nov 16, 2022. ECP was going to start the delimitation process afresh under the new law. But the provincial government has not yet notified Punjab Local Government Delimitation Rules and Punjab Local Government Conduct of Election Rules despite the fact that the provincial government was bound to cooperate with the election commission in light of the constitution, law and directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

ECP Secretary asked the forum to bound the provincial government to immediately provide relevant rules, maps and relevant data to the commission to enable it to initiate the delimitation process.

specialists and without undergoing regular maintenance/repair is generally prevailing all across these occupancies, whereas procurement/replacements of such apparatuses are highly contrary to the occupancy-wise actual requirements, and thus required to be technically-consulted, surveyed and then installed (afresh), on aforementioned guidelines of the PBC-FSP 2016, regulated under Islamabad Fire Prevention & Life Safety Regulations 2010,” reads Emergency & Disaster Management of MCI letter.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Emergency & Disaster Management of MCI has also offered its advisory /consultancy and expert services, starting with occupancy-wise assessment, along with a third-party MEP consultant(s) /PEC registered fire expert, to subsequently devise supreme fire safety systems and effective plans for each occupancy on warfooting basis, in the interest of the inhabitants of these buildings, primarily for all government buildings at the constitution avenue.

Quaid-e-millat’s son akbar Liaquat ali Khan passes away

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Akbar Liaquat Ali Khan, the son of Quaid-e-Millat and the first prime minister of the country Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan passed away on Wednesday. According to a private media report, Deputy Commissioner District West Karachi, Raja Tariq Chandio confirmed the death of Akbar Liaquat Ali. He said that Akbar Liaquat Ali was undergoing treatment in a private hospital due to a kidney disorder and was being treated by the Sindh government. On the other hand, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah expressed his grief over the sad demise of Akbar Liaquat and said that the Sindh government tried hard to save the life of the deceased. The CM directed the DC to help the heirs for the burial arrangements of the deceased.

orakzai coal mine blast kills three labourers

ORAKZAI Staff RepoRt

At least three workers were killed in a coal mine blast in Doli lower Orakzai, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP). According to the District Police officer (DPO), the blast was caused by a gas explosion, resulting in the death of three coal mine workers and leaving three injured as well. The three injured coal mine workers were shifted to Kohat divisional headquarter hospital. Earlier, a powerful explosion in a coal mine in the Saragarhi area on the outskirts of Quetta left five miners dead and five others injured. Balochistan’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has stated that three injured miners have been shifted to the Trauma Centre. “An inquiry to find the cause of the explosion inside the coal mine has been underway,” DG PDMA said.

Caa introduces new queue system at major airports

KARAchI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Wednesday introduced new queue system at Karachi and other major airports of Pakistan. As per details, the civil aviation authority has introduced the new zigzag and snake lanes at Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore and Islamabad airports. This new upgradation will facilitate the passengers to easily go through the boarding and immigration process. Staff RepoRt

Pakistanis among migrants rescued in channel: French authorities

BOULOGNE ReuteRS

FRENCHauthorities rescued 61 migrants, including small children, in the English Channel on Tuesday in one of the largest emergency operations in recent months as calm seas drew a rush of migrants in small boats toward the coast of Britain.

Rescue workers in the port of Boulogne, where the migrants were brought ashore, said about 30 people had to be plucked out of the cold waters as they rushed to climb aboard a French rescue vessel from their rubber dinghy, which had been taking on water.

Officials said the rescue took place about one nautical mile inside British territorial waters.

Afghan, Indian, Iranian and Pakistani nationals were aboard the dinghy, which left the French coast in the small hours of the morning, the refugees said.

At the quayside, the migrants were handed fresh clothing and heat-retaining blankets by emergency workers.

French police earlier on Tuesday had stopped close to 50 migrants from trying to cross the Channel to Britain after mild weather and calm waters led a growing number of people to undertake the dangerous journey in recent days.

Guy Allemand, mayor of the small village of Sangatte near Calais, said some migrants had been forced by police to turn back, but that another 100 had made it to the open waters. He told Reuters that migrant trafficking networks had recently changed their methods.

“They [traffickers] now arrive with ‘taxi boats’ and the refugees are being asked to run into the water to catch them … rather than launching their own boats from the beach,” he said.

So far this year more than 40,000 people have crossed the Channel to Britain in small boats, up from 28,526 in

2021. Unusually mild November weather led to a hike in departures.

Earlier this month, Britain and France signed an agreement worth 72.2 million

Govt designs 20,000 scholarships for unemployed graduates: Ahsan Iqbal

offer 20,000 scholarships to unemployed graduates across the country. “The govt has decided to provide 20,000 scholarships to unemployed graduates,” he said, adding that the federal government was committed to providing the underprivileged class access to education.

The minster further announced that scholarships would also be awarded to students of far-flung areas of the country under Youth Development Initiatives (YDI), recently launched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The summit was attended by US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, Senator of Utah State Dr Keith Grover, the chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) and others.

Earlier, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) announced fully funded scholarships for studies in China for the session 2023-24.

The Higher Education Commission has set December 15, 2022, deadline to apply for scholarships in Chinese universities.

uk-returned family deprived of valuables worth rs 3.5m

JHELUM Staff RepoRt

In another incident of street crime in Punjab, robbers looted valuables of over Rs3.5 million from a UK-returned family in Jhelum. The incident of robbery took place in the Jhelum Kala Gujran district of Punjab, where three dacoits intercepted UK-returned women, who were traveling in a rickshaw and looted gold ornaments. The pictures of the robbers have come to light, while the police reached the spot as soon as the incident was reported. The police registered a case against three unknown persons and started searching for the accused. Earlier, a cashier of a petrol pump located at Karachi’s Abu Al-Hassan Isphani Road was deprived of Rs8 million. As per local police, the cashier of the petrol pump was going to a bank to deposit Rs8 million cash, where he was cashed by four robbers, riding two motorbikes. The robbers intercepted the cashier of the fuel station, snatched the cash at gunpoint and fled away from the scene easily.

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Addressing an international summit in Islamabad on Wednesday, the minister emphasized that education was inevitable for the nation’s progress and development.

He thanked the United States for its support in the higher education sector in the country. The minister urged the HEC to produce skilled labour as per the needs of the market.

Ahsan Iqbal revealed the government had decided to

HEC has invited applications from Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistani students to study and conduct research in various fields at the best universities in China.

The deadline to submit an online application on the HEC portal www.scholarship.hec.gov.pk under learning opportunities abroad is Thursday, 15th December 2022.

To submit an online application on China Scholarship Council’s portal under category A (agency No. 5861), please visit Campuschina.org.

Rasheed: Decision on provincial assemblies’ dissolution within week

ISLAMABAD ppi

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said on Wednesday that a decision about the fate of the assemblies of Punjab and KP would be taken within a week.

The former interior minister in a tweet underlined the instant challenges being faced by the state.

He said the country was facing an economic catastrophe whereas power-hungry people were ruling

over them.

Ahmad said the apolitical approach of the institutions was commendable, but it’s nearly impossible for the institutions to stay aloof from public affairs. People with sheer greed for power have economically shattered the country, he added.

In his last public address in Rawalpindi, the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan announced that he would dissolve the two assemblies in protest against the government. The PTI leadership had

Islamabad local govt candidates to be allotted election symbols today

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The contestants of the local government polls for Islamabad were allotted election symbols on Thursday.

According to the schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), November 30 has been fixed as the last date for the withdrawal of nomination papers. Polling

will be held on December 31. Canvassing will kick off after December 1.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,773 nomination papers from out of some 4,403 aspirants were accepted by the relevant Returning Officers (ROs) for local government elections on 101 union councils (UCs) of Islamabad.

The ECP had appointed four additional sessions judges as ap-

pellate authorities for 101 UCs for impending LG elections in Islamabad. In 2015, elections were held in 50 UCs. Now, the government increased the number of UCs from 50 to 101.

In the last elections, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan

Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidates gave a tough time to each other, while the PPP could not win a single seat.

eZdmc starts efforts to acquire land for Pak-afghan eZ

PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt

The officials of the Land Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KP-EZDMC) held a detailed meeting with Deputy Commissioner (DC) district Khyber, said a press release issued here on Wednesday. During the meeting, the officials of KPEZDMC discussed land acquisition for the establishment of PAK-AFGHAN Economic Zone at Shahkas Jamrud. The project is of high importance for socio-economic development of the Newly Merged District, while the project is also expected to escalate industrialization in the region and rapid exports to Central Asia via Afghanistan. Initially, Pak-Afghan EZ will be established over an area of 550 acres under one of the projects of Khyber Pass Economic Corridor (KPEC).

Pakistan, eu agree to continue working to deepen ties

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan and European Union have agreed to continue working together to further deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation. This was discussed during the eighth round of the Pakistan-European Union Political Dialogue which was held in Brussels. The dialogue covered a broad range of subjects in the context of Pakistan–EU relations, as well as regional and global developments. Both sides underlined the importance they attached to their multifaceted partnership. Jauhar Saleem, the acting Foreign Secretary, and Enrique Mora, Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, led their respective sides. Saleem appreciated the timely and invaluable humanitarian assistance and support provided by the European Union for the victims of the massive climate-induced floods in Pakistan. Taking note of the multiple, complex challenges confronting Afghanistan, the Acting Foreign Secretary reiterated the importance of sustained engagement of the international community with the Interim Afghan Government in order to ensure the well-being of the Afghan people. Both sides agreed to hold the next round of the Political Dialogue in Islamabad next year.

been striving for an early election in the country and

holding rallies to pressurise the government into doing so.

euros ($74.5 million) over the coming year to ramp up joint efforts to prevent illegal migrants making perilous journeys across the Channel.

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said the government is committed to educating every child as it is their fundamental right, saying the government had decided to offer 20,000 scholarships to unemployed graduates across the country.

GHARO-JHImPIR CORRIdOR RePReSentS eneRGy futuRe Of PAKIStAn: dAStGIR

Staff report

fEDERALMinister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan said on Wednesday that every new wind power project launched in GharoJhimpir corridor of Sindh was a step forward towards achieving the national goal of producing cheaper and clean electricity through indigenous energy sources.

This he said after formally inaugurating two new wind energy projects in Jhimpir area i.e. a 60 MWs plant of Metro Wind Power Ltd and a 50 MWs renewable project of Gul Ahmed Electric Ltd in Jhimpir, district Thatta.

The Minister said the Gharo-Jhimpir corridor being the site of several wind power plants represented the energy fu-

ture of Pakistan that stands for maximum utilization of indigenous power resources for clean electricity production.

He said the launching of new wind power plants in the country was fully in line with the energy policy of the present government having the compulsory provision that any new generation capacity to be installed in the country shouldn’t consume imported fuels for the protection of the environment.

He appreciated that new wind power plants would also go a long way in slashing the electricity bills as their tariff was much less than the electricity tariff being charged from general consumers in the country.

He assured the audience that the present government would do its best to facilitate the launching of new wind energy projects in the country by expanding the

national transmission capacity as it required greater production of clean electricity for powering economic growth in Pakistan.

The Minister said the power production on the basis of expensive imported fuels would gradually be phased out in Pakistan and instead, there would be greater reliance on wind, solar, nuclear, and hydro resources for clean electricity generation for every consumer in the country.

He said the present government stood fully committed to introducing the most advanced technology for consuming Thar coal for energy production so that there should be minimal harm to the environment.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief of the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), Shah Jahan Mirza, assured the audience that AEDB had been

doing its best to act as the one-window facility for prospective investors who wanted to launch clean energy projects in Pakistan.

He said the AEDB had been helping out the incoming energy projects to play its due part in achieving the vision of the government that stands for 60 per cent power production in the country through clean energy sources by the year 2030.

Sarah Mooney, British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi said that a transition towards clean energy is essential for Pakistan to build back better after the devastating floods that have affected 33 million people. The UK, in line with its COP-27 commitments, is playing a leading role in providing investment and expertise to enable Pakistan to shift towards a greener and climate-resilient economy, she said.

Kazakhstan Alumni Forum calls for Pak-Kazakh cooperation in science, education fields

ISlaMaBaD Staff report

Participants at the Kazakhstan Alumni Forum held here on Wednesday called for strengthening the level of cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan in the field of science and education.

IHC assigns judicial magistrate to probe alleged torture on prisoner

ISlaMaBaD Staff report

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday directed a judicial magistrate to probe alleged torture on a prisoner in Adiala Jail and submit a report within a week. The court also ordered medical examination of the affected prisoner by a PIMS medical board. Shah Fahd – the affected prisoner – had filed a petition, alleging that the jail authorities tortured him for pointing out the abuse against prisoners during judges’ visit to Adiala Jail. IHC Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri issued a written order for the hearing of prisoner Shah Fahad petition.

The court wrote that according to the petitioner, he was subjected to the worst torture by the jail authorities. Photographs with torture marks on the prisoner’s body have also been attached along with the petition. The written order states that no torture shall be allowed on any prisoner.

The court directed the judicial magistrate to ensure safety of prisoner Shah Fahad in judicial custody. The court ordered the judicial magistrate to conduct a medical examination of the prisoner in PIMS and directed the PIMS head to form a medical board for the purpose. The court said whether an incident of violence had taken place or not, an investigation should be done and a report submitted within a week. In addition to the prisoner’s statement, the judicial magistrate can also summon witnesses to investigate the charges levelled by the prisoner against the jail authorities. The court adjourned hearing of the case until December 7.

A meeting of graduates of Kazakhstani Universities was held at the headquarters of COMSTECH (the Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation) chaired by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General COMSTECH. The conference was attended by diplomats, representatives of the Pakistan Higher Education Commission, journalists, as well as experts.

During the event, the participants discussed the prospects for the development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan in the field of education and science.

A unanimous opinion was expressed about the existing potential for training Pakistani youth in Kazakhstani universities.

The graduates shared their warm memories, emphasizing the quality level of education, material, and technical equipment of educational institutions. The hospitality and friendliness of Kazakhstan people and the commonality of cultures and traditions of both countries were also noted.

Besides, the guests of the event also raised problematic issues that require special attention from the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Pakistan. The Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek made a special video greeting. The Minister proposed to organize the next meeting of graduates in Astana.

In his welcome speech, Prof. Dr. Choudhary expressed an interest in developing cooperation in the field of education, science, and technology

between the fraternal countries. He declared his team’s readiness to make a direct contribution to cooperation.

For his part, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kistafin emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of education. He noted that during the meetings of President K. Tokayev with the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, the Head of State invited Pakistani youth to study at Kazakhstani universities. As a result, a decision to form the “Kazakhstan is my second homeland” Graduate Association and appoint Prof. Choudhary as President was made.

The members of the Association agreed to hold the next event in February 2023, during which they are going to approve the action plan and determine the main activity directions. The Embassy of Kazakhstan expressed its gratitude to Prof. Choudhary and his team, as well as Prof. Atia-tul-Wahab for organizing a high-level event.

Railways reveals 9,986 acres of land under illegal occupation

ISlaMaBaD app

Precious land of Pakistan Railways, measuring around 9,986 acres land and worth billion of rupees, has been under illegal occupation of private, individual and different government departments across the country, revealed an official of the Railways Ministry.

“According to a survey of Pakistan Railways, there are round 3,287 acres of land under illegal occupation in Punjab, 832 acres of land encroached upon in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, 5,180 acres in Sindh and 687 acres of land occupied in Balochistan,” the official told APP.

However, he said Pakistan Railways has retrieved as many as 955 acres of its land worth Rs 19,603 million during various anti-encroachment operations across the country in the last five years.

About the operation being carried out to retrieve

the land, he claimed that around 476 acres of land had been retrieved in Punjab, 133 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 327 acres in Sindh and as many 19 acres of land had been recovered from land-grabbers in Balochistan.

He said that about 3,287 acres in Punjab, 832 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,180 acres in Sindh, and 687 acres of land in Balochistan were being encroached.

The official said that in the light of orders of the Supreme Court, the anti-encroachment operations for retrieval of encroached railway land all over the Railway network were initiated and a joint procedure order was issued to all Divisional Superintendents for retrieval of Railways land from the grabbers.

“The anti-encroachment schedules, on a three months basis, are being prepared and sent to all concerned in line with the joint procedure order,” the official added.

UNDP, Japan ink accord for $3.9m project in Kurram, Orakzai districts

ISlaMaBaD Staff report

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan and the Japanese Government have signed an agreement to launch a project worth US$3.9 million “for stabilization and economic recovery through social cohesion, local governance, and livelihood opportunities” for communities in Kurram and Orakzai districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The agreement was signed here Wednesday by Mitsuhiro Wada, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Pakistan and Knut Ostby, Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan. The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Embassy of Japan, the Economic Affairs Division and Planning and Development Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With generous support from Japan, the two-year project will assist more than 200,000 individuals, with

a particular focus on the youth and the women. The project will use innovative approaches to engage youth in policy dialogues and sports/cultural events for social cohesion and trust building.

Employment opportunities will be provided to 1,300 youth through digital skills, incubation and skills training. Community organizations will engage in the planning process and rehabilitate 50 community physical infrastructure schemes. Thirty-five offices will be constructed for village councils to strengthen local governance. Two common facility centres for women entrepreneurs will be operationalized. The project is aligned with the KPK Government’s development agenda and aims at building trust between communities and local government to promote sustainable livelihoods.

“The KPK Government is strongly committed to sustainable development of the merged districts. We appreciate the continued support provided by the Govern-

ment of Japan for improving the conditions for the people of the merged districts,” said Muhammad Qaisar Khan, Additional Secretary, Planning and Development Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

While speaking at the ceremony Ms. Samar Ihsan, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Economic Affairs, said. “Government of Pakistan is committed to working with UNDP and the Government of Japan. The entire tribal belt has been severely affected by the two decades of insecurity and its after-effects. Stabilization and economic recovery of merged districts are important for durable peace and prosperity.” His speech, Ambassador Mitsuhiro Wada mentioned that the project would not only support recovery and income generation but also enhance social cohesion and local governance to ensure sustainability of the outcomes. “Japan and UNDP have a long-standing partnership, and I greatly appreciate UNDP’s tireless effort.

Woman police officer appointed as SHO in Railways Police

In a first, railways police have appointed its first ever woman police officer as station house officer in Lahore. Under the vision of IG railways, SP Maaz Zafar of Lahore division has appointed an officer Nausheen Kanwal as SHO of railways police station Mughalpura, Lahore. The move is unprecedented to promote the participation of woman officers in the field posting. It will enhance the self-confidence of woman police officers and their abilities to perform in the field would also be gauged, added SP railways, Maaz Zafar.

All set to hold 2nd, 3rd phases of AJK LB polls

MIrPUr (aJK) Staff report

Preparation finalized for holding of 2nd and 3rd Phases of the Local Bodies elections in Poonch and Mirpur divisions on Dec. 03 and Dec. 08 this year, AJK Election Commission sources told here Wednesday. However, independent candidates are also in run to contest the polls to get into the civic bodies of all categories across the liberated territory. The civic polls in Azad Jammu Kashmir are being held in three phases under the auspices of Azad Jammu Kashmir Election Commission with the coordination of the judiciary in a free, fair and transparent manner in collaboration of the security institutions including local civil law enforcement authorities. He said that Pakistan army shall also be available as quick response force to combat any eventuality. Senior Member AJK Election Commission Raja Muhammad Farooq Niaz, when contacted, told APP here Wednesday that adequate arrangements had been made for holding of the LB polls in AJK in free, fair and transparent manner after a long pause of over three decades.

It may be mentioned here that in the first phase, the local bodies elections have been held in Muzaffarabad division on November 27.

In all three districts of Mirpur division including Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimbher districts, a total of 12 lakh, 32 thousand and 79 registered voters will go to exercise their right of franchise to elect the local bodies representatives of their respective choice in the 3rd phase of the polls on December 08.

These registered voters include 5,63,016 in Kotli district, 36, 6043 in Mirpur district and 30, 3020 registered voters in Bhimbher district, he said.

Raja Farooq Niaz continued that a total of 1026 polling stations were being set up in Kotli district, 625 in Mirpur district and 538 in Bhimbher district respectively with 1602, 924 and 850 polling booths in the above three districts respectively to facilitate both male and female registered voters to use their right to elect their civic bodies members, he added.

The senior member of AJK EC stated that in Poonch division, a total of 10 lakh, 16 thousand and 889 registered voters would go to the polls in 2nd phase of the LB elections to be held on December 03. “A total of 1859 polling stations containing 2697 polling booths are being set up in all 06 districts of Poonch Division including Rawalakot, Bagh, Sudhanoti.

KaraChI

lahore pr

Quetta blast

Still enemy property

The killing of four people, including a policeman, and the swift claim of responsibility by the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan, shows that the ending of the ceasefire a day before has been followed with strong action. That the blast took place in Quetta, showed that the TTP, while not restricting itself to military personnel, had an eye open on the institution fighting it, because Balochistan’s provincial capital is home not just to a corps headquarters but also a number of training institutions, such as the Command and Staff College, and the Infantry School, making Quetta more of a military town than most. The operation, a suicide blast, was probably planned before the ceasefire was broken off amid mutual recriminations about who was responsible, be that as it may, the TTP has once again shown its ability to strike in virtually any urban centre in the country.

One of the problems that has beset dealing with the TTP has been the insistence that it was a security issue, and had to be dealt with by the security agencies. Thus not only have talks been shrouded in secrecy, but they have also excluded the representatives of the people. The latest blast should have made it clear that the people are involved, because they are being killed, and it is their peace which is being threatened. A point of danger is that it is not known how much has been conceded in negotiations; it should be remembered that the TTP has made demands which only a sovereign party could make, and seemed similar to the ones by the Afghan Taliban of the USA. Does the TTP see itself as negotiating with an occupying force?

however it sees itself, it should be clear to the Pakistani side that its approach has failed. This is not the first breakdown of the ceasefire, and if the TTP is brought back to the table, will not be the last until something new is tried. The Army has a new COAS, committed to ending interference in politics. This is an ideal opportunity to learn that civilian supremacy is not just about elections, but about security issues. Any civilian input cannot very well make matters worse, for they are already as bad as they could be. Bringing in representatives of the people, meaningfully and not as an eyewash, not only involves those who are being killed, but bring in ideas which have so far been ignored.

IN connivance with the first Desi Sipah-e-Salar, on 7 October 1958, Iskander Mirza, the first President of Pakistan, abrogated the 1956 Constitution and clamped Martial Law on the country. his ambition was shortl-ived. On 27 October Gen Ayub Khan deposed Mirza and took control.

Khan ran the country with an iron fist, using the coercive state apparatus against those who opposed his misrule. On 25 March 1969 the dictator had to step down due to countrywide street protests, mostly by student and labour unions. Going against his own constitution, he handed over power to Agha Mohammad Yayha Khan, the Army Chief.

Yahya abrogated the 1962 Constitution. To run the country a Legal Framework Order (LFO) was enacted.Free and fair elections were held on the basis of adult franchise in 1970 to elect a Constituent Assembly. When he failed to call the Assembly session, civil war broke out in the eastern Wing and Jinnah’s Pakistan was dismembered. Finally, under pressure Yahya stepped down on 20 December 1971. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) the popularly elected leader of what remained took oath of office as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator.

Asma Jehangir, the famous Civil Rights lawyer of her times. had filed a petition against the detention of her father under Martial Law regulations. hamood Rehman, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, was close to declaring the two Martial Laws illegal (October 1958, March 1969). In order to keep order, ZAB moved fast to lift the Military Rule. he took oath of office as President under the 1972 Interim Constitution, thus ending the siege of the country by its own armed forces after over 13 years of military dictatorship.

souls against tyranny. Finally Muhammad Khan Junejo, as Zia’s handpicked Prime Minister decided to shut down these torture cells. When Junejo Sahib tried to investigate the Ojhri Camp disaster, which turned out to be an attack against the people of Rawalpindi, he had gone too far and was shown the door to be replaced by the eve obedient Mian Nawaz Sharif of Gawalmandi. Since then the 1973 consensual document has been repeatedly by-passed and abused.

As a Muslim League child I had the opportunity of meeting the stalwarts of the freedom movement. They were able and honest individuals totally committed to their cause who desired to serve, not rule. When I first met the front men of the first usurper the comparison was shocking. Ch Zahoor elahi, a dismissed Police Constable of Gujrat, was launched in Lahore. he was handed over the National Press Trust which published the leading newspapers like The Pakistan Times and Imroze. It did not end here. he got a plot to build a house across the road from FC College, road is now named after him as the family now owns several mansions there.

A semi-literate person, Chaudhry Muhammad hussain, was appointed Mayor of Lahore. During my days in Government College, I had the chance of observing both the best and the worst of the lot. Nawaz Sharif was seen around with the likes of Arshad Paidal and the Malik Brothers (Sons of Malik Mubarak) who came to the college to spend time at Malik Sahib’s Fruit Shop with no interest in academics.

As a pre-engineering student, I then moved to the Punjab University for my engineering degree followed by higher education in USA. On my return I found that Nawaz had managed to become the PM by impressing the men in uniform with his talents that he had picked up by spending time outside the classrooms. On the first opportunity I got to meet Lt Gen (retd) Ghulam Jillani Khan (Jill) I inquired about the basis of his selection. The answer was straight, “Interpersonal Skills ‘ in other words ‘Muk Muka’. The worst political leadership that the nation has to endure today is a direct result of these uncalled-for military interventions into the civilian arena for which they were neither trained nor qualified.

eleven years of Zia (5 July 1977 to 17 August 1988) followed by nine years of Musharraf (12 October 1999 to 18 August 2008) carries the total siege years to 33. After the first Martial Law in October 1958, a term, ‘Bloody Civilians’ was introduced to draw clear lines between the friends and foes of the men in uniform. except for small pockets of resistance (1947 to 1958, followed by the ZAB years of 1971 to 1977 and the Imran Khan regime of August 2018 to April 2022) the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been enemy territory under the boots.

erty’, has to end for normalcy to return. Imran Khan has decided to fight till the end. It is a do-or-die situation, now or never. A new Sipah-e-Salar has assumed the mantle on November 29.

hopefully the negative process that Ayub Khan had started on October 27, 1958 will meet its logical end for all times to come with the return of the men in uniform back to the barracks where they rightfully belong and are vitally needed for the security of our borders.Pakistan and its people have to be liberated to grow and advance. The siege must end. Nation building can no longer be delayed or denied. Free and fair elections is the way forward to be held ASAP.

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M. A. Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor

The echo of real freedom is being heard LOUDLY in the country. the Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership is demanding immediate elections on one hand and also raising the slogan of real freedom on the other. This slogan of real freedom (haqeeqi Azadi) is becoming a public slogan over time while the governing coalition claims that a long march along with the real freedom slogan of the Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders has also failed that is why they are now talking about dissolving their provincial assemblies whereas for the past several months, PDM leaders have been repeatedly saying that if the PTI leadership wants immediate elections, they should sacrifice their Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments then the PDM will also have no other option but to hold instant elections.

The Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership has announced the dissolution of their provincial assemblies, so instead of going to the elections, the PDM leadership has initiated presenting no-confidence motions in both provinces, so that the assemblies cannot be dissolved. even if this happens according to the intention of the coalition government then the dissolution of the assemblies can be prevented for a few weeks only. The coalition government is also expecting from Chief Minister Punjab Ch Pervez elahi that he will change the whole game in conjunction with PDM. In

When an Army moves it targets its enemy. Once it takes over it identifies its friends and foes in the captured arena. Those who resist are dealt with firmly and kept at bay. Under dictatorship, dissent and defiance carries a heavy toll which ordinary folks cannot bear. The dungeons of the Lahore Fort where torture was carried bear witness to the struggle of the few brave

Today total lack of ownership prevails in all civilian institutions. There is a clear cut approach of ‘Lutto they Phutto’ (Loot and Move on; don’t come in the way). There is a famous saying; “When exposing crime is treated as committing a crime, you are being ruled by criminals”.

Unfortunately, Pakistan has been ruled by the unscrupulous who otherwise had no chance to emerge on merit. The siege that started on 5 July 1977, under which the republic was declared an ‘enemy Prop-

People want real freedom

this regard Chaudhry Parvez elahi and Moonis elahi have made it clear that the Punjab government is the trust of Imran Khan, whenever he orders, the Punjab government and the assembly will be dissolved immediately.

In this radically changing political environment Ch Pervaiz elahi is politically unwilling to join the PDM. The country will have elections in six months or next October and the majority of the population now supports Imran Khan. As can be seen, Ch Pervaiz elahi is well aware that if he runs in the election alongside Imran Khan, he will undoubtedly win otherwise the political risk is very high for his party. No matter what impression the ruling alliance may create about Imran Khan’s politics and how complacent they remain, in reality, the time of more trouble has begun for them.

As soon as the Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership moves towards its announcement, the difficulties will increase for the PDM. There are concerns not only about political instability, but also the destabilization of the economic situation. There will be a lot

The people are also supporting PTI fully but whatever is happening or being done in the name of democracy in this country, it is not a democracy in any way or a real election system, neither there will ever be a change in this way nor will the people get real freedom, in fact, the whole system will have to be changed for the real freedom (Haqeeqi Azadi) of the people and this system can only be interchanged by popular revolution, not by election

of loss in generalto the ruling alliance and the PML(N) in particular, and the PTI leadership will not be able to escape the loss of this economic instability because if they form their government after the upcoming elections, they will also get a very bad economy and be unable to do anything with this destabilizing economy. This is not the time for confrontation, instead it is time to resolve matters through understanding. It would be appropriate for the coalition government to invite the PTI leadership to a serious dialogue instead of showing unnecessary obstinacy since the dialogue will also bring political stability and the economic situation will also avoid further deterioration.

At this time, the only solution to all the problems of Pakistan is seen in the immediate general

Ayub Khan the first and Qamar Bajwa the 16th Sipah-e-Salar have left a poor legacy; the 17th has an opportunity to make a difference by moving in the direction of the barracks instead of the roadways of power where they have operated without the mandatory driving licence.

The writer is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

election but the coalition government knowingly is constantly reluctant to hold general elections. how long will the government continue to run away from the fear of defeat in the general elections? If not today then tomorrow the elections will have to be held, so it is better to keep the personal interests aside and negotiate in the national interest. Negotiations should be held with Imran Khan to hold the elections because Imran Khan’s election demand also has extraordinary public support and if this demand continues to be ignored, it will further increase political unrest. As a result, where political tensions rise, the Army, which has declared its non-interference in politics, will be forced to intervene once more.

There is no doubt that the people want real freedom from the elite, which has dominated the people since half the century. At the moment, there is no such leadership in the political scene except the Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership, who can stand against such an elite. The leadership of the Tehreek-e-Insaaf is not only standing against the anti-people elites with great courage rather, leaders are also constantly raising their voices for the real freedom of the people.

The people are also supporting PTI fully but whatever is happening or being done in the name of democracy in this country, it is not a democracy in any way or a real election system, neither there will ever be a change in this way nor will the people get real freedom, in fact, the whole system will have to be changed for the real freedom (haqeeqi Azadi) of the people and this system can only be interchanged by popular revolution, not by election.

The

writer tweets @AttiyaMunawer

TTP’s return to action shows that talks are not leading to peace

attiya Munawer

Ayub Khan the first and Qamar Bajwa the 16th Sipah-e-Salar have left a poor legacy; the 17th has an opportunity to make a difference by moving in the direction of the barracks instead of the roadways of power where they have operated without the mandatory driving licence

Dr FariD a Malik

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

It’s time the country became free

How long can the coalition fob off elections?

Bleeding of Balochistan

How to avoid a sixth insurgency

The fifth insurgency, which still continues, started on 3 January 2005, when one Captain hammad raped a lady doctor, Shazia Khalid, in the Sui Gas compound, which sparked the conflict. President Pervez Musharraf’s unusual comments and biased judgement led to a violent uprising by the Bugti tribe, which disrupted the supply of gas to much of the country for several weeks. In 2006, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, a 79year-old political leader of the Baloch, was killed in fighting with the Pakistan Army.

Apart from history there are many factors which led Baloch to insurgent groups such as socio-economic problems, the weak financial position, education, and infrastructure, medical facilities, and so on, created an inferiority complex among the youth of Balochistan.

In Balochistan, especially in rural areas, there is still a lack of basic education, and 47 to 50 percent of children are out of school.

BALOChISTAN is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area and the smallest in terms of population, 43 percent and 5.94 percent respectively. Balochistan is so very diverse in terms of ethnicities, as there are approximately 52 percent Baloch, 36 percent Pashtoon and the remaining 12 percent are hazaras, Punjabis, Uzbeks and Seraikis. Balochistan also has plentiful natural resources like Saindak, Reko Diq, Gwadar port, oil, gas, coal, and so on.however, since the independence of Pakistan there have been insurgent groups who destroyed the whole beauty of Balochistan.

The word insurgency means “revolt”. When a group of people take up arms against its own central government, it is called an insurgent group. Currently we are living in the fifth insurgency. The first ran from 1948 to 1950. Before independence, current Baluchistan comprised four princely states which were Kalat, Lasbela, Kharan, and Makran. The province’s shahi jirga (royal council) decided to join Pakistan on 29 June 1947. The princely states except Kalat acceded to Pakistan.

however, the Khan of Kalat, Ahmed Yar Khan, wanted the independence of Kalat. After some time as an independent state he decided to accede to Pakistan on 27 March 1948. This decision of Ahmed Yar khan led his brothers prince Abdul Karim and Muhammad Rahim to revolt against his decision in July 1948 and they refuse to lay down arms against central government. Due this revolt the Quaid-e-Azam and his successors permitted Ahmed Yar Khan to retain his title until the province’s dissolution in 1955.

The second insurgency was started in 1958 and lasted 1959, in which Nawab Nauroz Zehri took up arms in resistance to the One-Unit policy. It was the time of the first martial law administrator Gen Ayub Khan. however, in the end he and his group were arrested by the military.

The third insurgency was started in 1963 and lasted until 1969 because President Ayub khan established military bases in troubled areas of Baluchistan, which came under the influence of Sher Muhammad Bijrani, who didn’t like it. The other major problem was that Bijrani wanted equal dividends of the profit which the state got from Sui gas, but Ayoub denied this, due to which a civil war started. It ended when Yahya Khan ended the one-unit policy and gave Balochistan the full status of a province.

The fourth insurgency was in 1973-77, when Z.A Bhutto dismissed the provincial government of Balochistan on the pretext that arms had been recovered in the Iraqi embassy for Baloch rebels, and imposed a martial law in those specific areas, which led to an armed insurgency.

Illiteracy in those areas exceeds 90 percent. In 2006 the human Rights Commission of Pakistan review said that the level of facilities of education, accessibility to the facility of sanitation, electrification and accessibility to safe normal water is relatively lower in Balochistan than in the rest of the country. The right to education is every person’s fundamental right in today’s world, which the federal government ignored in the rural areas of Balochistan. There are no hospitals in the rural areas which is why when there is an emergency people shift their patient to Punjab or to Quetta hospitals. unfortunately on the way patient often expire, especially women during pregnancy.

It is the failure of successive governmental authorities which did not reach out to the real issues of the people of Balochistan. This continuous process of marginalization and underdevelopment of the province had led to inner, exterior fault lines which were used by nawabs and sardars as well as by foreign powers in their interests or in weakening Pakistan.

From the beginning the founder of Pakistan didn’t realize that what they are propagating is not the one single religious identity which will be able to subsume the ethnic fault lines. This did not happen in 1971 and didn’t seem to be happening in the case of Balochistan.

All those grievances can be tackled if the federal government improve the socio-economic conditions of Balochistan, started projects in which the economic, political, social problems would be recognized and acknowledged, provide jobs to the youth of Balochistan, especially for Baloch tribes, establish schools, colleges, universities and give Baloch special quota in these institutions. When the youth get education, they have their own ideas and will not follow their nawabs’ or sardars’ orders without logical thinking. After that these youth will also participate in opportunities given to them by the state. When other tribesmen see how their youth are getting education, they will also be willing to give education to their children.

The federal government needs to promote political dialogues with these insurgents’ groups because it is not the work of the military to engage in dialogue. If again the military tries to control these insurgent groups by hard power the Baloch insurgency will remain, and a sixth insurgency seems likely in future. That’s why the federal government of Pakistan needs to not repeat history otherwise unfortunately Balochistan will be the next example of Bangladesh

The other major factor is the lack of political representation. Due to being uneducated, mostly the youth of Baloch tribes are servant of their nawabs or sardars and at the cost of their youth these nawabs and sardars fulfill their own interests. When the federal government stop these nawabs from exploiting their youth these nawabs command their servants to join the insurgent groups and then train them for bomb blasts and other such terrorist activiies.

Another factor is the people are not given equal dividends to Baluchistan’s resources. The whole of Pakistan is using and making profits from the resources of Balochistan, but the residents of Balochistan didn’t get equal shares. For example, Sui gas was discovered in the 1950s and was supplied to all provinces except Balochistan, and Quetta got gas pipelines only in 1988.

Another major factor is the missing persons: in 2001 the Pakistan Interior Minister acknowledged that around 1100 Baloch had disappeared and till now very few came back home, with their families still trying by protest and having hopes that one day their beloved one will come back home.

In that process the youth of Pakistan will be easily separated from those insurgent groups, and then it will be easy for the federal government to negotiate with those groups. When they lose support from the youth they will have no other option except to accept the conditions of government. The Pakistani government needs to develop a comprehensive political strategy to ensure that the Baloch people will regain their trust in the legitimacy of the federal government and there is a need to bring an end to the old system of patronage politics.

There are many huge development projects in Balochistan which can only be started with the approval of regional authorities. It is the interest of the state to reconcile with Balochistan by placing its resources with the people of Balochistan.

The federal government needs to promote political dialogues with these insurgents’ groups because it is not the work of the military to engage in dialogue. If again the military tries to control these insurgent groups by hard power the Baloch insurgency will remain, and a sixth insurgency seems likely in future. That’s why the federal government of Pakistan needs to not repeat history otherwise unfortunately Balochistan will be the next example of Bangladesh.

The writer can be contacted at mfaisal16112001@gmail.com

Editor’s mail

Cash-dry ATMs

The automated teller machines (ATMs) of most banks remain cash-dry during the initial days of the month, every month, when it is time for people to draw their salaries. Sometimes, there is a network problem due to which the salaried class and other people face great difficulty in accessing their hard-earned money.

Those who come from a distance to these machines suffer a bit more than the rest. Naturally, after the ATMs are refilled, one has to wait in long queues to be able to access the ATMs, which causes massive irritation to the people because waiting in a queue simply kills the very purpose for which the ATMs were planned and installed.

Another problem is that banks deduct certain charges on each transaction in case one is using the ATM of a bank in which one does not have an account. This is unfair. In all such cases, there is a set limit beyond which the customers cannot draw cash. This is simply to make sure that the customers are unable to draw the desired amount in one go so that they may make multiple transactions, leading to multiple charges for the bank concerned.

The State Bank of Pakistan should ask all commercial banks to ensure proper and timely deposit of currency in ATM machines. It should also introduce a penalty on banks for poor maintenance of ATMs and inconvenience caused to the customers.

MUJEEB ALI SAMO LARKANA

Character certificates

The system behind the character certificate verification done by the Police Khidmat Markaz (PKM) needs a slight but critical improvement. When a certificate is verified through PKM website, only the photo of the applicant, his/her CNIC number, name, father’s name, date of birth, and permanent address are mentioned in the result on the basis of which the system verifies that the document is genuine and issued by Punjab Police. The missing element is the image of the original certificate. This can cause problems.

The original certificate also mentions in relevant cases that a legal matter against the person is in the courts, and mentions the relevant details of the case. In case there is no criminal record, the certificate says so in as many words. With the image of the original certificate not there in the verification process, a person with criminal record can easily fabricate a certificate to the contrary knowing that the verification would be done on the basis of CNIC details alone. All subsequent actions, like academic admission, employment, foreign visa applications, etc., are generally based on PKM verification. And things can get tricky from hereon. Therefore, the police department in Punjab should immediately update the mechanism so that the image of the original character certificate may also be added to the online verification system.

SYED KARAR HUSSAIN GUJRAT

Lab exploitation

MY younger sister was recently suffering from fever and was taken to the local government hospital where doctors prescribed some tests. The problem was that the laboratory was non-functional on account of some strike being observed by the staff. Left with no choice, we moved to a private laboratory, where we were asked to dish out Rs1,200 for getting the tests done. As it seemed I was being ripped off, I rushed to the lab outlet being run by the Liaquat University of Medical and health Sciences (LUMhS) locally. The outlet itself carries the reputation of being very expensive, but, surprisingly, it charged Rs700 for the same tests.

The way the private laboratory is charging its customers is callous. Most of the patients going there happen to be poor, and are forced to go to this particular laboratory because of its proximity to the children hospital, and the almost constant ‘strike’ that its laboratory staff observes.

SHAMS UL HAQUE LARKANA

Hospital blues

ReCeNTLY, I had the misfortune of making a number of visits to a leading private-sector hospital in Islamabad, and found it to be under immense pressure due to inadequate health facilities in the capital and its surroundings. Apparently, the hospital and its subsidiary have monopolised the health sector in Islamabad and are doing a roaring business by charging exorbitant fees for different services on offer. Despite being so expensive, the parking lots, corridors, waiting halls, out-patient clinics and laboratories remain packed all day long. The inpatient occupancy rate is just as amazing. The thing that irked me the most in my interactions was the zeal with which everyone at the hospital promotes laboratory tests and the insistence to have them all done at the hospital itself “in order to safeguard our patients”. Surprisingly, a non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan done at the hospital was found not good enough by the consulting physician at the hospital, and the patient was advised to have “further evaluation with post-contrast MRI”. Would it not have been better if, in the first instance, an MRI with contrast was prescribed? This would have saved time, money and frequent pricking of the veins and being exposed to radiation and magnetic rays over and over again.

Further, the lab reports are normally provided in 12-24 hours, and are directly transmitted to the consulting doctor online. As a rule, doctors or their assistants should update the patients about the further course of action. however, one has to collect the hard copies of the reports and personally wait in the queue to have the doctor’s advice.

As per hospital policy, if the reports are presented and examined by the doctor within seven days of the first visit, the consultation is free. In such a scenario, waiting in the queue means hours as the revenue patients having an appointment for the day are accommodated on a priority basis. The other option is to plead with the staff and flatter them to squeeze is an audience with the doctor in between the scheduled appointments. Many find it more convenient and dignified to take a fresh appointment by paying the consultant’s fee once again. This is clearly what the hospital policy and its execution seem to be encouraging everyone to do. There is something about the whole environment that suggests, even though there is no substantiating proof on this count, that different sections of the hospital have been assigned some kind of revenue targets that they have to meet within the timeframe, and the staff is doing its best to hit that target to save their skin.

KHALED ISLAMABAD

MuhaMMaD Faisal yousaFzai

CUlTUre war iN QaTar

opEn MaGazinE s PrAsAnnArAjAn

The Qatar World Cup, like all previous World Cups, should be the pinnacle of “sportswatching”. It was for the fans who filled the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which at the end of the match between the Cup favourites Argentina and underrated Saudi Arabia was a site of broken as well as inflated hearts. In a historic humiliation, Lionel Messi, GOAT for some, could only watch Saudi fans erupt in disbelief. he would have loved to hear what his country once sang for Maradona, the real GOAT with human flaws to match: he took the ball, serene in his action/Ran past everybody to the keeper/And with a firm shot he became the shooter (courtesy Simon Kuper’s brilliant profile of Messi, the ultimate pibe, the boy, in The Football Men). In the first appearance of what could be his swansong Cup, Messi, who had not held it for his country unlike Maradona, witnessed unimaginable devastation. Saudi Arabian knights dancing in the air was the sight to behold for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who watched the match with Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin hamad Al Thani. It was validation at its most spectacular for the prince, and he was not alone in believing that the riches of Arabia could buy both acceptance and adulation. Moments like this make a Jamal Khashoggi a blurry bad memory. The initial matches had already made “sportswatching” worthy of the catharsis or catastrophe it provided, and the beauty of the game had already begun to overshadow the murky history of Qatar’s Cup.

Still, “sportswashing” is the word that refuses to go away as the host balances being Qatar with being a global show stealer. Onfield, the players chose to be dissenters first, especially the ones from Iran and Germany. The Iranians remained silent as their national anthem played in the Khalifa International Stadium in the match against england, and The Three Lions took a knee in turn. The

Iranian players, in silence, joined in prayer with Mahsa Amini who died in custody for not hiding under a hijab, and played out their rebellion against the moral dictatorship of the ayatollahs. The english were just keeping up the post-George Floyd tradition of bringing social justice from the street to the stadium. A game played to a global audience is now more than a muscular expression of national glory; it is a display of a nation’s unregulated sentiments as well. The Germans covered their mouths with their hands because they had an opinion on sexual rights that didn’t sit well with the hosts or FIFA. Increasingly, the game is being played against an off-field team as well—the cultural and political arbiters.

True, football or baseball going woke is not something the fans enjoy. Then nothing is just what it is. The Qatar World Cup, in the parlance of fair-play advocates, is the most blatant display of “sportswashing” in the desert because the host country is playing a bigger game of power off-field. Qatar’s critics may argue that the petro-rich autocracy is following what hitler’s Germany did in 1936 and Putin’s Russia did in 2018. The Berlin Olympics “sportswashed” the Nazis’ impending project in the Final Solution. Germany was not boycotted because the Games were nobler, politics was petty. Putin’s neo-Soviet transgressions—Crimea was still fresh—were forgivable because Russia loved football and played it with gusto. Qatar has no World Cup history, but it owns a european club and the world’s priciest players, and the story of how it ‘acquired’ the World Cup is not fully told

yet, though no one has been proved guilty despite the media exposé on corruption in the highest echelons of FIFA. Qatar’s ambition is bigger than its geographical size; and it has the resources to translate it. The World Cup may be the glitziest trophy it has acquired; take a trip to London to see its other proud possessions, ranging from harrods to the Shard. Qatar has a statement to make.

It makes its boldest statements far beyond, in the prized parts of the free world. Once the world’s most enterprising pearl diver and currently its most exhibitionist petro-plutocracy, Qatar is a showy emirate but a land of multiple taboos that cannot afford to deregulate its cultural habits, for culture, of the Wahhabi variety, is what defines its existential core. Wealth makes no effort to hide it; beer-denied english fans cannot change it. Qatar’s answer to the criticism echoes the so-called marginal people’s response to the resentment of the privileged: racial arrogance. echoing the progressive fears about racial entitlement is the surest way to get even in the culture wars, no matter Qatar has shown that the free world is its favourite marketplace. Petrodollar adds to the aura of useful victimhood.

In the world’s most watched sporting event, the bad backstory—or the morally sanitised venues—cannot restrict the beauty of the game once the stadiums are on fire. It doesn’t matter who gets scarred in the culture war. Qatar has won despite losing the inaugural match.

S Prasannarajan is the Editor of Open magazine.

UN climate fund will become a money pit if we don’t stop burning fossil fuels

The United Nations climate summit in egypt this month broke ground with a new agreement to compensate poor nations for the effects of global warming. The creation of a loss and damage fund is an important, if overdue, step toward climate justice and one of the top agenda items at the COP27 summit.

Developing nations have long sought help from rich countries as they bear the brunt of the impacts from the overheating of the planet such as droughts, heat waves and floods, even though they are responsible for virtually none of the emissions causing climate change. Yet for years the United States and other wealthy, industrialized nations have refused to address the harm from their pollution. Many of the details of the fund are yet to be worked out, but it’s a first step toward accountability.

The positive news of the fund, however, was overshadowed by the disappointing lack of action by world leaders, who again failed to do what’s necessary to stop the root cause of the crisis: the burning of fossil fuels. Until we move decisively to end the use of fossil fuels, the debt to poorer nations will continue to grow.

Most countries are falling far short of their climate goals under the 2015 Paris agreement, and the world isn’t moving anywhere near fast enough to cut pollution and keep global warming from reaching catastrophic levels.

During last year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, countries agreed to “revisit and strengthen” their 2030 emissions-reduction commitments by the end of this year, but there’s been a

distressing lack of follow-through. By Nov. 18, only 30 countries accounting for 18% of global emissions had updated pledges, and some of those did not even raise their target, according to the Climate Action Tracker.

The final agreement reached in egypt last week only asks countries that have not yet strengthened their targets to do so by the end of 2023. And despite dozens of nations pushing for stronger language to phase out all fossil fuels, world leaders went no further than repeating the same, embarrassingly weak call for a “phasedown of unabated coal power” that they made last year in Glasgow. The plan encourages renewable energy but at the same time calls for increasing “low-emission” energy, an apparent reference to natural gas, a planet-warming fossil fuel.

If this is the most world leaders could muster against the biggest threat to our planet, it doesn’t bode well for our chances of cutting emissions in half by 2030.

The truth is we can expect only so much from a proceeding that requires buy-in from nearly 200 nations including authoritarian petrostates such as Saudi Arabia and Russia. The annual climate summit has been criticized as little more than venue for greenwashing, where one of the largest delegations is from the fossil fuel industry itself.

The mixed-bag outcome in egypt, which brought a measure of progress against a backdrop of ongoing failure, shows that making headway against climate change will require constant, year-round follow-up pressure and protest. Leaders at every level of government and society need to know that we are watching and demanding faster, more aggressive action.

how can this be? Because most of our “protected” areas are nothing of the kind.

One analysis suggests that only 5% of our land meets the international definition of a protected area. even these scraps are at risk, as scarcely anyone is left to enforce the law: the regulators have been stripped to the bone and beyond. At sea, most of our marine protected areas are nothing but lines on the map: trawlers still rip them apart.

ter used for ecological restoration. Over half the european farm budget is spent on propping up animal farming, which is arguably the world’s most ecologically destructive industry.

iN every conflict over the living world, something is being protected. And most of the time, it’s the wrong thing. The world’s most destructive industries are fiercely protected by governments. The three sectors that appear to be most responsible for the collapse of ecosystems and erasure of wildlife are fossil fuels, fisheries and farming. In 2021, governments directly subsidised oil and gas production to the tune of $64bn (£53bn), and spent a further $531bn (£443bn) on keeping fossil fuel prices low. The latest figures for fisheries, from 2018, suggest that global subsidies for the sector amount to $35bn a year, over 80% of which go to large-scale industrial fishing. Most are paid to “enhance capacity”: in other words to help the industry, as marine ecosystems collapse, catch more fish.

every year, governments spend $500bn on farm subsidies, the great majority of which pay no regard to environmental protection. even the payments that claim to do so often inflict more harm than good. For example, many of the european Union’s pillar two “green” subsidies sustain livestock farming on land that would be bet-

Pasture-fed meat production destroys five times as much forest as palm oil does. It now threatens some of the richest habitats on earth, among which are forests in Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and Myanmar. Meat production could swallow 3m square kilometres of the world’s most biodiverse places in 35 years. That’s almost the size of India. In Australia, 94% of the deforestation in the catchment area of the Great Barrier Reef – a major cause of coral loss – is associated with beef production. Yet most of these catastrophes are delivered with the help of public money.

The more destructive the business, the more likely it is to enjoy political protection. A study published this month claims that chicken factories being built in herefordshire and Shropshire are likely to destroy far more jobs than they create, wrecking tourism through the river pollution, air pollution, smell and scenic blight they cause. But none of the planning applications for these factories has been obliged to provide an economic impact analysis. Planning officers, the paper found, are highly dismissive of the hospitality industry, treating it as “non-serious and trivial”. By comparison, the paper found, “attitudes to farming were very different; described as serious, ‘proper’ (male) work”. The “tough”, “masculine” industries driving earth systems towards collapse are pampered and protected by governments, while less destructive sectors must fend for themselves.

While there is no shortage of public money for the destruction of life on earth, budgets for its protection always fall short. According to the UN, $536bn a year will be needed to protect the living world – far less than the amount being paid to destroy it – yet almost all this funding is missing. Some has been promised, scarcely any has materialised. So much for public money for public goods.

The political protection of destructive industries is woven into the fabric of politics, not least because of the pollution paradox (“the more damaging the commercial enterprise, the more money it must spend on politics to ensure it’s not regulated out of existence. As a result, politics comes to be dominated by the most damaging commercial enterprises.”) earth systems, by contrast, are treated as an afterthought, an ornament: nice to have, but dispensable when their protection conflicts with the necessity of extraction. In reality, the irreducible essential is a habitable planet.

In 2010, at a biodiversity summit in Nagoya, Japan, governments set themselves 20 goals, to be met by 2020. None has been achieved. As they prepare for the biodiversity Cop15 summit in Montreal next week, governments are investing not in the defence of the living world but in greenwash. The headline objective is to protect 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030. But what governments mean by protection often bears little resemblance to what ecologists mean.

Take the UK, for example. On paper, it has one of the highest proportions of protected land in the rich world, at 28%. It could easily raise this proportion to 30% and claim to have fulfilled its obligations. But it is also one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth.

All this is likely to become much worse. If the retained eU law bill goes ahead, the entire basis of legal protection in the UK could be torn down. even by the standards of this government, the mindless vandalism involved is gobsmacking. To prove that Brexit means Brexit, 570 environmental laws must be deleted or replaced by the end of next year. There will be no public consultation, no scope for presenting evidence and, in all likelihood, no opportunity for parliamentary debate. It is logistically impossible to replace so much legislation in such a short period, so the most likely outcome is deletion. If so, it’s game over for rivers, soil, air quality, groundwater, wildlife and habitats in the UK, and game on for cheats and con artists. The whole country will, in effect, become a freeport.

Never underestimate the destructive instincts of the Conservative party, prepared to ruin everything for the sake of an idea. Never underestimate its appetite for chaos and dysfunction.

The protected industries driving us towards destruction will take everything if they are not checked. We face a brutal contest for control over land and sea: between those who seek to convert our life support systems into profit, and those who seek to defend, restore and, where possible, return them to the indigenous people dispossessed by capitalism’s fire front. These are never just technical or scientific issues. They cannot be resolved by management alone. They are deeply political. We can protect the living world or we can protect the companies destroying it. We cannot do both.

Monbiot is a Guardian columnist.

From the amazon to australia, why is your money funding earth’s destruction?

IT HAS WON DESPITE LOSING THE OPENING MATCH

THE ANNUAL CLIMATE SUMMIT HAS BEEN CRITICIZED AS LITTLE MORE THAN VENUE FOR GREENWASHING, WHERE ONE OF THE LARGEST DELEGATIONS IS FROM THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY ITSELF

Guardian george monbioT

George

Editorial Board Los AngeLes Times

ASA Microfinance Bank partners with Systems Ltd & NdcTech

KarachI: ASA Microfinance Bank (Pakistan) Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASA International Group plc, one of the world's largest global microfinance institutions providing micro loans to emerging entrepreneurs across Asia and Africa, has entered into a partnership with Systems Limited & NdcTech to implement Temenos nextgeneration Core Banking system. NdcTech, a longstanding premier partner of Temenos and a wholly owned subsidiary of Systems Limited will deliver end-to-end core banking implementation and support services to ASA MFB. With this partnership, ASA MFB will further its mission to promote financial inclusion within the economy by providing value added services to the unbanked strata, particularly female owned enterprises. Temenos’ microservices packaged and functionally rich solution, which is tailored for the needs of inclusive banking, along with NdcTech’s expertise on Temenos products and indepth knowledge of updated methodologies and tools, will enable the Bank to achieve its vision of increasing customer satisfaction with innovative and value-added services and leverage on operational cost efficiencies. pr

Telenor Microfinance Bank announces $15m equity injection from shareholders

KarachI: Telenor Microfinance Bank (TMB), operator of Pakistan’s leading digital payments platform Easypaisa, has received US$ 15 million (PKR 3.4 billion) equity injection from its shareholders Telenor Group and Ant Group. This is the first tranche of a total investment of US$ 30 million planned by the shareholders to support the latest business plan.

This tranche brings the total equity invested by the shareholders since 2018 to USD 305 million. The investment has further strengthened the Bank’s capital position and placed the organization on an upward trajectory to continue its growth in Pakistan’s digital finance space. pr

ILO recognizes MMBL’s WIN program as best practice case study in gender equality and women empowerment

US ASSISTANCe IN reSeArCh, deveLOpMeNT TO heLp BOOST pAkISTAN’S AgrI yIeLd: gArdezI

LAhOrE staff report

US Political and Economic Chief of the US Consulate Lahore Ms. Kathleen Gibilisco called on Minister for Agriculture Punjab Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi here at Civil Secretariat and discussed matters of mutual interest.

During the meeting, both the dignitaries agreed to promote partnership in agriculture sector. The Minister for Agriculture said that the US assistance in Research & Development (R&D) would yield positive results to help increase the agriculture productivity while its cooperation in the new cotton seed would sufficiently increase cotton production.

The Agriculture Minister pointed out that reforms and process of digitization are being introduced in the agriculture sector. Steps are being taken at

the government level to achieve better quality as well as higher production of crops, the Minister concluded.

On this occasion,the Ms. Kathleen Gibilisco said that America would carry out its assistance program to fulfill the requirements of Pakistan in agriculture

commodities and implements.

It merits mention here that Mr Gardezi has recently launched a campaign to grow more wheat under Agriculture Department Punjab. The last program in this series was held at Khawaja Farid University of Engineer-

75th anniversary of Pak, Turkiye diplomatic ties marked

ISLAMABAD staff report

A tree plantation ceremony was held in the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara on Wednesday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Türkiye.

The event, hosted by Turkish Deputy Minister Ambassador Faruk Kaymakci, was attended by Ambassador of Pakistan to Türkiye Dr. Yousaf Junaid, officials of Pakistan Embassy and Turkish diplomats.

Deputy Minister Kaymakci highlighted how the two states had supported each other during critical times, as

the relationship evolved from a strategic perspective.

He expressed hope that this special relationship would further grow from strength to strength symbolized by the tree saplings planted today, a press release issued by Pakistan Embassy in Ankara said.

In his remarks, Ambassador Yousaf Junaid recalled that the relationship between the two nations described by the Prime Minister as “Two Hearts One Soul” was much older than 75 years.

He underscored the long tradition of extending mutual support on all core issues, which testified to the enviable amity existing between the two sides.

The Ambassador ex-

pressed satisfaction on the existing robust institutional frameworks in place to take the relationship forward.

In particular, he referred to the economic and connectivity opportunities and the recently signed Trade in Goods Agreement as the harbinger of a new future of this relationship.

The tree plantation ceremony was followed by a bilateral meeting of the Ambassador with Deputy Minister Ambassador Kaymakci.

In the meeting, both sides took stock of the successful visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Istanbul on 2526 November 2022 and agreed to follow-up on the decisions taken during the visit.

China continues to support Pakistan’s health system

BEIJING staff report

“After the 14-day aid in Pakistan, we are ready to continue giving full play to our professional strengths and enhance exchanges with Pakistan and contribute to the reconstruction of Pakistan’s health system”, said Mr. Huang Wenxin, head of China (Guangxi) Medical Expert Team for Aiding Pakistan in Flood Relief.

The team has concluded its work in Pakistan for postflood medical treatment and

infectious disease prevention.

During the trip, the expert team, consisting of experts on gastroenterology, infectious diseases, respiratory medicine, dermatology, general surgery, nursing, monitoring, analysis and prevention of infectious diseases, drinking water sanitation, mosquito vector monitoring and transmission, environmental elimination, and laboratory testing, visited Islamabad, Karachi, and the badly-hit Khaipur District in Sindh Province.

In Gambat Relief Camp,

the team donated medical supplies to Khaipur, including antibiotics and antiviral drugs for respiratory tract infections and infectious diarrhea, dermatological topical medication for infection, anti-allergy medicine, antidiarytic medicine, mosquito repellent medicine, antimalarial medicine, malaria detection kits, protective clothing, medical masks, etc.

Experts in the team together with local doctors provided free medical care to the flood affectees.

ing and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan.

On this occasion, Agriculture Minister Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi, speaking as chief guest, said that wheat is our strategic crop in which self-sufficiency increases the country’s prestige. He said that if we increase the production by 4 to 5 maunds per acre, then we can meet the food needs of the country.

Farmers of Rahim Yar Khan are innovative and this is the reason why this district excels in crop production, he added. He further said that under National Plan to Increase Wheat Production, subsidies are being provided to the farmers to increase the production of wheat per acre at a cost of 12.59 billion rupees.

He further said that this year, wheat cultivation target for Punjab was 16.5 million acres while the production target 22 million metric tons has been set for which all resources are being utilized.

LAJA hosts training for Mediation Committees members

Hon. Chief Justice Federal Shariat Court Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar, while addressing the closing ceremony of the three days ADR training sessions as a chief guest said that amicable Dispute Resolution is an Islamic concept which urges for amicable settlement of disputes, as it creates harmony in society. On the other hand, the conflict and the litigation are somewhat destructive for the relations. He further added that compromise builds relations. The Hon’ble Chief Justice resolved that the initiative of LAJA in collaboration with its partners will not be one time. Instead, with the support and supervision of the Federal Shariat Court, it will become a permanent and regular feature of LAJA’s activities and Federal Shariat court having its jurisdiction; will support these initiatives across the country. The Hon’ble Chief Justice also appreciated IG Islamabad Police for making Dispute Resolution Teams, for the purpose of resolving issues in Police Stations before taking that to the courts which will prove helpful in minimizing the burden on the courts and to cope with the backlog of cases. It will also help the police to do its work of policing in better way. pr

Importance of social leadership, voluntarism among youth for nation building stressed

Islamabad: Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank's (MMBL) flagship women empowerment program, ‘Women Inspirational Network (WIN)’ has been recognized at the Women Empowerment Conference held in Karachi – a joint venture of The Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), under PRS/STRIDE project funded by Government of Japan, as a best practice case study in ILO’s upcoming publication documenting similar cases globally. The event was graced by Senator Rukhsana Zuberi as chief guest.

Mobilink Microfinance Bank is part of the VEON group, a global digital operator that provides converged connectivity and online services across seven countries. As part of its digital operator strategy, VEON is transforming people’s lives, creating opportunities for greater digital inclusion, and driving economic growth across countries that are home to more than 8% of the global population. pr

Islamabad: Youth being the most vital asset of the nation, with Pakistan having more than 60 per cent of its population under 30 years of age – potentially an important demographic dividend – needs to be engaged positively and prepared to take up the challenges of the upcoming era, empathetically and systematically.

The views were expressed by speakers at a ceremony organized by Youth Impact, a not-for-profit social development organization, at a local hotel, to showcase and acknowledge 75 peacebuilding projects undertaken by youth leaders it trained from across Pakistan this year. pr

Pakistan Navy seizes huge cache of drugs worth Rs8.6b at sea

KArAchI staff report

Two Pakistan Navy (PN) Ships in collaboration with the PN air unit seized approximately 5800 Kg of drugs in the North Arabian Sea.

A successful counter-narcotics operation was conducted by two Pakistan Navy Ships in the Arabian Sea in which a large cache of drugs has been apprehended, said a news release on Wednesday.

While conducting Maritime Security Operations in the North Arabian Sea, Naval Ships located and effectively intercepted two suspicious dhows. Upon scrutiny of these boats, a large quantity of drugs that valued at approximately

Rs. 8.6 Billion in the international market was seized. Both apprehended dhows have been handed over to law enforcement agencies for further legal proceedings as per the law of land.

Pakistan Navy continues to demonstrate our National resolve to deter, dissuade, discourage and thwart any illicit activities along the strategically important waterways in the Arabian Sea.

The successful operation by the Pakistan Navy to seize a huge quantity of narcotics reaffirms the resolve and commitment of the PN to fulfill national and international obligations for maintaining good order at sea. Pakistan Navy is vigilant to counter any illegal activity and safeguard its maritime borders.

NBP becomes the 1st Bank to sign up with 1-Link to enable 3D secure digital commerce and payments for UnionPay International Debit and Virtual Cards. Mr. Muhammad Hamayun Sajjad, Chief Digital Officer NBP, Mr. Nadeem Haroon, Country Manager UPI, Pakistan, and Mr. Najeed Agarawalla, CEO 1-Link along with their team members were present on the occasion. pr

China makes history with spaCeship Crew gathering in orbit

JIUQUaN miAn AbrAr

tHEthree astronauts aboard China’s Shenzhou-15 spaceship entered the country’s space station and met with another astronaut trio on Wednesday, a historic gathering that added the manpower at the in-orbit space lab to six for the first time.

China launched Shenzhou-15 on Tuesday night. The manned spaceship, atop the Long March-2F Y15 carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 11:08 p.m. (Beijing Time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

About 10 minutes after the launch, Shenzhou-15 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit.

The manned spaceship Shenzhou-15, atop the Long March-2F Y15 carrier rocket, blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Nov. 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

At 5:42 a.m. Wednesday, the Shenzhou15 spaceship conducted a fast automated rendezvous and docked with the front port of the space station’s Tianhe module. The space station was expanded to its largest configuration with three modules and three spaceships, having a total mass of nearly 100 tonnes. At 7:33 a.m., Chen Dong, the commander of the Shenzhou-14 crew, opened the

hatch. The three space station occupants greeted the new arrivals Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu with warm hugs and then they took a group picture with their thumbs up, shouting in chorus — “China’s space station is always worth looking forward to.”

The space reunion has kicked off the first in-orbit crew rotation in China’s space history, said the CMSA.

The rotation can verify the feasibility of the regular rotation mode that will follow, according to Gao Xu, a senior spaceship designer at the China Academy of Space Technology.

The manned spaceship Shenzhou-15, atop the Long March-2F Y15 carrier rocket, blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Nov. 29, 2022.

(Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

SIX ASTRONAUTS IN ORBIT: The Shenzhou-14 astronauts, who were sent to the space station in June, plan to complete the in-orbit work handover in about five days, and then return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

During the rotation of the two groups, they will complete a work handover concerning the status of the space station combination and materials, as well as the experimental projects. Meanwhile, the Shenzhou-14 crew will continue to make preparations for their return, said Ji Qiming,

assistant to the CMSA director, at a press conference on Monday.

With six astronauts in orbit, it’s a challenge to allocate resources such as space, equipment and materials rationally for more efficient utilization, according to the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.

There are two sets of kitchen equipment in orbit, allowing the six to prepare a meal at the same time and share food with each other. In addition, two modules of the space station are equipped with two sanitary areas and six sleeping areas, all of which can be

used independently, said the center. The processing capacity of the environmental control and life support system will also be increased to meet the maximum demand from six people. During the rotation, the information of the two manned spaceships will be transmitted through different lines for exclusiveness and accuracy, Gao said. In addition, an emergency evacuation strategy based on the situation of two berthing spaceships has been worked out to ensure the safety of astronauts, Gao said. This simulated image captured at the Ji-

US Senate votes to protect same-sex marriage

decades been a deeply divisive issue in America.

The US Senate passed a landmark bill Tuesday protecting same-sex marriage, as lawmakers from both parties moved to forestall the possibility of the conservative-led Supreme Court taking away this right as it did with abortion.

“With today’s bipartisan Senate passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, the United States is on the brink of reaffirming a fundamental truth: love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love,” President Joe Biden said in a statement released after the 61-36 vote.

The Senate vote sends the bill back to the House of Representatives, which is expected to move swiftly to approve it and send it for Biden’s signature.

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer hailed a “momentous step forward for greater justice for LGBTQ Americans.”

11 Republicans joined Democrats to pass the legislation on what had for

In the United States, same-sex unions have been guaranteed by the Supreme Court since 2015. But after the court’s historic overturning of a longstanding ruling protecting the right to abortion in June, many progressives feared that same-sex marriage may also be under threat.

Democrats have worked with urgency to get the bill passed while they still control Congress.

They held on to the Senate in this month’s mid-term elections but lost the House to the Republicans, although the latter eked out a much thinner majority than they had expected. So when the new Congress takes power in January, gridlock is expected.

The bill passed Tuesday does not require states to legalise same-sex marriage.

But it repeals previous legislation defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and does require states to recognise same-sex marriages

twitter lifts rule against Covid-19 misinformation

saN FRaNcIscO AFP

Twitter said it has stopped enforcing a policy intended to prevent the spread of Covid misinformation, as new owner Elon Musk — who has clashed previously with US officials over pandemic safety rules — continues to remake its content moderation policies. The move comes after the mercurial billionaire reinstated a slew of accounts on the social media network that had previously been banned for violating its content rules, such as that of former president Donald Trump. “Effective November 23, 2022, Twitter is no longer enforcing the Covid-19 misleading information policy,” read a message posted on a Twitter transparency web page. During the pandemic, Twitter took to labeling misleading tweets about Covid and booting users who persisted in spreading such misinformation. Banned content included statements intended to influence people to violate health authority guidelines, along with bogus cures or denial of scientific facts, according to a Twitter blog. As of September of this year, Twitter had suspended 11,230 accounts under the policy, the blog stated. Musk, who also runs Tesla, clashed with officials in 2020 over pandemic safety orders which temporarily shut down the electric car giant’s plant in California, calling shelter-in-place orders “fascist” and “an outrage” that infringed on personal freedom. Under Musk, who calls himself a “free speech absolutist,” Twitter has begun reinstating roughly 62,000 accounts in what is being referred to internally as “the Big Bang,” according to the Platformer news blog. Since taking over the platform last month, Musk has cut around half of Twitter’s workforce, including many employees tasked with fighting disinformation, while an unknown number of others have voluntarily quit.

from other states.

So if the Supreme Court were to overturn the 2015 ruling that legalised same-sex marriages, a state that bans them will still have to recognise such unions carried out in other states. The bill also applies to interracial marriages.

“Today’s vote is deeply personal for many of us in this chamber,” said

Schumer, who wore the same tie he had on at his lesbian daughter’s wedding. A similar bill was already passed in June by the House of Representatives. All the chamber’s Democrats voted in favour, along with 47 Republicans. The new vote in the House is needed to reconcile the two bills but this is seen as a formality.

The powerful American Civil Liberties Union hailed the “historic step forward” but denounced the rise of laws attacking the right of transgender people in several states.

“While we welcome the historic vote on this measure, members of Congress must also fight like trans lives depend on their efforts because trans lives do,” James Esseks, director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project, said in a statement.

Polls show a strong majority of Americans back same-sex marriage but it is still contentious. 36 Republicans voted ‘no’ on Tuesday and the religious right remains mostly opposed to such unions.

uquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China shows the manned spaceship Shenzhou-15 conducting a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the space station’s Tianhe module on Nov. 30, 2022.(Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

INTENSIVE TASKS: The Shenzhou-15 mission will wrap up the last stage of the space station construction and kick off the first stage of its application and development, Ji said.

During their six-month mission, the Shenzhou-15 crew will carry out tests related to long-term residence in China’s space station at its three-module configuration, Ji said. The crew will also unlock, install and test 15 scientific experiment cabinets, and carry out more than 40 experiments and tests in the fields of space science research and application, space medicine and space technology, Ji said.

They will conduct extravehicular activities (EVAs) three to four times and complete the installation of the Mengtian lab module extended pump sets and the exposure payload platform, Ji said.

The astronauts need to master the operation skills of the new extravehicular spacesuits, node cabin of the Tianhe module, mechanical arms and other facilities and equipment as well as relevant emergency fault dealing methods, according to the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.

indian, Us troops exercise near sino-indian border violates agreements: China

BEIJING Agencies

A Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said on Wednesday that the joint military exercise between India and the US close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at the China-India border violated the spirit of the agreements signed between India and China. India and the United States carried out a joint military exercise near the Sino-Indian border control line, which violates the spirit of the 1993 and 1996 relevant agreements signed by China and India, Zhao Lijian said during his regular briefing held here at the International Press Center (IPC). As per media reports, Indian and US troops on Tuesday participated in a high-altitude training exercise in a cold mountainous terrain near India’s disputed border with China. The spokesperson said that the joint exercise did not serve the mutual trust between India and China, and added, China has already expressed concern to the Indian side. The annual drills took place around Auli, a hill station in the northern state of Uttarakhand. The US troops came from the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division, and their Indian counterparts were members of the army’s Assam Regiment.

BEIJING aGENcIEs

Jiang Zemin passed away due to leukemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai at 12:13 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2022, at the age of 96, it was announced on Wednesday.

The announcement was made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the State Council of the PRC, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and the Central Military Commissions of the CPC and the PRC.

It was announced in a letter addressing the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups.

The letter says they proclaim with profound grief to the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups that our beloved Comrade Jiang Zemin died of leukemia and multiple organ failure after all medical treatments had failed.

The letter says that Comrade Jiang

Zemin was an outstanding leader enjoying high prestige acknowledged by the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist and diplomat, a long-tested communist fighter, and an outstanding leader of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

He was the core of the CPC’s third generation of central collective leadership and the principal founder of the

Theory of Three Represents.

Numerous users of China’s Twitterlike Weibo platform described the death of Jiang, who remained influential after finally retiring in 2004, as the end of an era. “I’m very sad, not only for his departure, but also because I really feel that an era is over,” a Henan province-based user wrote.

“As if what has happened wasn’t enough, 2022 tells people in a more brutal way that an era is over,” a Beijing Weibo user posted. The online

pages of state media sites including People’s Daily and Xinhua turned to black and white in mourning.

Wednesday’s letter described “our beloved Comrade Jiang Zemin” as an outstanding leader of high prestige, a great Marxist, statesman, military strategist and diplomat and a longtested communist fighter.

Jiang was plucked from obscurity to head China’s ruling Communist Party after the bloody Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989, but broke the country out of its subsequent diplomatic isolation, mending fences with the United States and overseeing an unprecedented economic boom.

He served as president from 1993 to 2003 but held China’s top job, as head of the ruling Communist Party, from 1989 and handed over that role to Hu in 2002. He only gave up the position as head of the military in 2004, which he also assumed in 1989.

When Jiang retired, it was said by sources close to the leadership at the time that everywhere Hu looked he would see the supporters of his predecessor.

WasHINGTON AhmAd sAAd

PakIsTan, EngLand To TakE dECIsIon on fIRsT TEsT sTaRT Today moRnIng

PCB, ECB IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT COMMENCEMENT OF RAWALPINDI TEST

rAWAlPiNDi stAff RepoRt

THEPakistan Cricket Board and England and Wales Cricket Board on Wednesday unanimously agreed to delay the decision on the commencement of the first Test, which is due to start on Thursday, until 0730 Pakistan time tomorrow (Thursday).

The two boards made the decision based on medical advice from the England doctors, which revolved around the players’ health and welfare, agreeing that the England cricket team are able to select an XI for the first of the three ICC World Test Championship matches, which will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The two boards also agreed, subject to the England players not recovering well enough to take the field on Thursday morning, then the Test will commence on Friday and will be a five-day match.

In this scenario, the schedule of the second Test in Multan and the third Test in Karachi will remain unaffected and will be played as per original schedule i.e. 9-13 and 17-21 December, respectively. Further information for the ticket-buyers will be

shared on Thursday morning.

It merits mention that a sickness bug in the England cricket squad on Wednesday compelled Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to hold discussions about the commencement of the first Test match at Pindi

Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi.

The first Test of the three-match series is scheduled to commence on Thursday. Several England players and officials, including captain Ben Stokes caught a viral infection. The unwell players have been advised to rest, and do not participate in the

final practice session on the eve of the match.

“The PCB and ECB are in discussions regarding the commencement of the 1st #PAKvENG Test as some England players are down with viral infection. The PCB continues to monitor the situation, is in contact with the ECB and will provide further updates in due course,” the PCB said on its twitter account.

“We are in discussions with the PCB regarding the start of the first Test due to a viral infection within our camp,” the ECB said on its official twitter handle.

England top-order batsman Joe Root, who took questions in the pre-match press conference instead of captain Stokes also spoke on the situation in the English camp.

“There’s going to have to be Marcus Trescothick, Rob Key and Brendon McCullum – there’s going to have to be a new top three for tomorrow,” he responded jokingly when asked for an update on the England squad.

“As far as I am aware, there’s a few guys not feeling 100 per cent. I didn’t feel great yesterday and I woke up a lot better today. So hopefully it’s just 24 hours of virus; don’t think food poisoning or Covid

Test

Azam

stAff RepoRt

“The way we have prepared, we, as a team are ready for the Test match. We have an edge that our first class cricket was going on and majority of our team mates were busy in the season, so it is good for the First Test,” he said in a presser at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

Babar said the players took benefit of the experience of former Test cricketer Muhammad Yousaf who was also the coach of the national team.

“The test matches he has played in England and others, we ask him of what mindset he was in the games and the way he used to handle the bowlers. So, whenever we have a meeting, his input is very important and you get a lot of help when such great players are with you,” he said.

The prolific batsman said, “We have almost decided the Playing XI and hopefully

it would be revealed. We are having a bit of discussions on some of the players of what combinations are we going to go with, in the game, but we have shortlisted the players,” he said.

The Lahore-born cricketer was of the view that the conditions at the venue would favour both teams. “We will take both departments (fast and spin bowling) along and bring the best out of them.”

To a question, he said he had heard that some English players were unwell, but hopefully they would recover soon as we want all of them to play in the game.

He said it was an honour for him to represent Pakistan in all three formats and there was no pressure on him in this regard.

“I try to give my best performances but ups and downs are part of the game. I never think of the captaincy, so much, as Allah

has given me the honour and only he can take it. I’m not perfect and I always try to learn,” he said.

Speaking about the Test matches against England and New Zealand for the World Test Championship, Babar said he was excited as the series is very important. “We will try to play competitive cricket and make it to the finals of the World Test Championship.

The beauty of a Test match is that it tests a player’s temperament and patience as per the situation,” he said.

In a special message to the Pindi crowd, he said the crowd had always come to the stadium to witness the games and cheer up for the players. “My message to them is to come to the stadium and support both teams (Pakistan & England) in the Test match,” he said.

He said bowlers Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Ali and Faheem Ashraf were dominating in the game. “No matter who ever is the opponent we try to stick to the plan and execute it accordingly. I have full belief on my spinner and pacers they will provide us with the visitor’s wickets,” he said.

or anything like that.

“It’s just one of those things that we have unfortunately picked up as a group. We are trying to do absolutely everything right to make sure that we prepared really well for this game and sometimes life throws these kinds of things at you as a squad, and we just got to see how we pull up tomorrow and do be right and ready to go.”

England had already named their playing XI for the game, with Liam Livingstone in line for his Test debut and Ben Duckett back in the side after six years. Root said that England would still look to field the named XI, but admitted changes could be made if anyone fails to recover in time.

“It’s hard to say,” said Root when quizzed if everyone will be fit for tomorrow. “I have not seen anyone this morning. Literally got straight on the bus. Guys will do everything they can. Work really hard in that respect. Time will tell I guess.

“There isn’t much you can do, apart from doing everything you can to fuel and hydrate. Do all the things away from the game that is going to serve you really well tonight in preparation for tomorrow. That’s all we can do now. It’s where we are at as a team.

Williamson, Latham progress in ICC Rankings

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and wicketkeeper Tom Latham have made notable progress in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after figuring in a match-winning 221-run partnership in the first ODI of their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series against India in Auckland. Williamson has moved into the top 10 after his 98 not out while Latham has galloped 10 places to reach 18th position after smashing an unbeaten 145 off 104 deliveries, their unbroken fourth wicket stand helping overhaul a total of 306 with 2.5 overs to spare, said a press release. Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have dropped behind Australia’s Steve Smith (at a career-best sixth place) and England’s Jonny Bairstow (seventh) as they are not part of the ODI squad in New Zealand, while Shreyas Iyer (up six places to 27th), Shubman Gill (up three places to 34th) and Sanju Samson (up 10 places to 82nd) have moved up the list.

Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who notched up half-centuries in a winning cause in their first ODI against Sri Lanka and in the abandoned second match, has progressed 21 places to 48th in the latest

Labuschagne hits 154 as Australia take control against West Indies

A high number of 0-0 draws in the group stage of the Qatar World Cup has seen playmakers squeezed out by defensive solidity and organisation, closing down the spaces where the world’s most creative players usually thrive in.

The four scoreless draws in the first 16 games in Qatar quickly eclipsed the one such stalemate in the group stage in Russia in 2018, as teams string five men across the back to protect themselves from the likes of Argentina’s Leo Messi, Croatia’s Luka Modric and Denmark’s Christian Eriksen. “There’s a lot of teams out there who are saying, ‘We’re not going to lose this game, we’re going to have to put in a very solid defensive structure’. Those playmakers generally need that space,” former Australia international Alex Tobin told Reuters.

“They need those sort of areas to play into, and they haven’t had a lot of space here.” Tobin has plenty of experience in facing down the world’s best number 10s. He faced off against Diego Maradona in

the OFC-CONMEBOL playoff for the 1994 World Cup, which the Argentinians won 2-1 on aggregate. “Maradona was the one where you could just say, ‘I just can’t take anything for granted’, because the guy will do something that you just can’t predict,” the former centre-back who won 87 caps for the Socceroos recalled.

“There were moments where I thought like a regular defender, ‘Well, that player can’t do that’. And then I actually visually thought, no, that’s Maradona, so I have to defend in a different way.”

UNDERDOG TACTICS: That Australia side almost upset one of the world’s soccer superpowers using exactly the kind of tactics that the underdogs in Qatar have been deploying to great effect.

“I think it would be fair to say that the vast majority of teams have set up their stall with a very strong defensive structure,” Tobin explained.

“Yes, they want to score goals, they want to go forward and so on, but they don’t want to take too many risks to bring in the ball-players, the creative players, attacking midfielders and strikers who can do the damage down the other end.”

Marnus

The hosts reached an ominous 293-2 at stumps on day one following captain Pat Cummins’ decision to bat in hot and dry conditions. The total was built off the back of a 142-run stand between Labuschagne and Khawaja, who came together after David Warner was out for five, then an unbeaten 142 with Smith.

A focused Labuschagne, who survived chances on 75 and 137, brought up his eighth century in his 29th Test and with the in-form Smith unbeaten on 59 the omens are not good for the visitors, who have failed to win a Test in Australia for 25 years. “When you finish the day at around 300 for 2, you feel good. It was nice to build partnerships throughout the day,” said Labuschagne.

“Scoring a Test hundred any time is amazing, so to be able to do it in the first Test

of the summer can hopefully set you up for this game, and also the summer.

“It was all about the process, build your whole game around it and don’t worry about anything else,” he added.

The West Indies bowled with plenty of discipline in front of just 10,929 spectators, but the chances were few and far between.

After getting the early wicket of Warner for five, they had to toil for hours in the heat

to bag another, with Khawaja compiling 65 before edging Kyle Mayers to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva just before lunch.“We bowled well in spurts, but we didn’t get the breaks,” said West Indies coach Phil Simmons. “We’ll look to get a couple of wickets early tomorrow and try and peg them back that way. Even if they get 450 we’re still in it because I think the wicket looks like it can get better.”

g

g TEST MAY BE DELAYED DUE TO ILLNESS OF ENGLAND PLAYERS

islAMABAD

Pakistani Skipper Babar Azam believes the national team is well-prepared for the first Test against England beginning Thursday saying we are ready for the big game.

islAMABAD stAff RepoRt

DOhA ReuteRs

Perth, AustrAliA Agencies

Labuschagne cracked a masterful unbeaten 154 while Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith hit 50s as a dominant Australia took control of the opening Test against the West Indies at Perth Stadium on Wednesday.

LAwmAkers engAge in wAr oF words over gmo oiLseeds imporT

parliamentary committee.

pROfIt REpORt Ghulam abbas

iNa conflict that is increasingly becoming ugly, after the minister of food security exchanged harsh words with oilseed importers in a session of the national assembly’s standing committee for food security.

The issue has been ongoing since October, when two shipments of vital GMO oilseeds were stopped at Port Qasim in Karachi because they did not have the necessary certification from the climate change ministry.

Read more: Oilseeds vessels remain stuck at port as confusion prevails between ministries

The meeting of the standing committee on Wednesday started off on the wrong foot after the minister for food security, Tariq Bashir Cheema, walked into the meeting where oilseed importers were also present. The minister took exception to this, saying that representatives of soybean importers were not welcome at a meeting of a

During the meeting of the standing committee chaired by MNA Rao Ajmal, minister for food security Tariq Bashir Cheema engaged in verbal blows with oilseed importers. The minister said that the import of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is not allowed in Pakistan.

“You yourself leave the session,” the importers representative responded to the minister. “Nine vessels with GMO soybean cargo have been seized over illegal cargo. Customs Intelligence has ceased ships. We could not be part of any illegal practice,” Cheema stressed. “GMO soybean causes cancer thus its import has not been allowed,” he further said.

“It seems that the chairman of the committee has also become an advocate of soyabean importers,” he said. At this, committee chairman Rao Ajmal and Tariq Bashir exchanged harsh words over the comment.

“I am going to adjourn the committee session if Mr. Cheeman doesn’t take back his words,” he warned. “I am not advocating for any-

one. The poultry industry has been on the verge of destruction, and 10 of my 12 farms have closed down yet I haven’t used my position to try and influence anything. Why would I be doing this now?”

“Only import of non-GMO soybean has been allowed. The US ambassador had also called on me for clearance of soyabean vessels,” the food minister retorted. “Give onetime clearance to soybean vessels,” he asked. “How can Pakistan allow a thing, which has been banned in the USA,” the minister said.

Later, speaking to Profit, Nawab Shehzad Ali Khan, representative of All Pakistan Solvent Extractors’ Association (APSEA), said no progress has been made regarding the clearance of the vessels. “Let’s see who wins,” he said, indicating the differences and fights between the food minister and importers.

The Committee condemned in the strongest words the misbehavior and abusive language used by Mr. Shahid Abdullah, Director Technical Department of Plant Protection (DPP) M/o

National Food Security and Research during the meeting of the Committee. The Committee directed the Secretary, NFS&R to immediately take strong disciplinary action should be taken against him and a compliance report therefore be sent to the Committee at the earliest.

The meeting was also attended by MNAs including Riaz ul Haq, Ahmad Raza Maneka, Ch. Faqir Ahmed, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, Mr. Kamal Uddin, and senior officers/ officials from the Ministry of NFS&R, Ministry of Climate Change and DPP.

As per documents available with this scribe, at least 257 vessels of oilseed have been imported by Pakistan from 2017 to February 2022 without GMO test or certification out of which 132 vessels fumigated by DPP. In 2021 53 vessels were imported out of which 45 vessels were fumigated by the department. Till February 2022 at least six vessels of oilseed were imported and the same were fumigated. Currently six vessels of oilseed were stuck up at port while another three vessels were on their way to Pakistan.

Imran have no right to use Quaid’s name to achieve his ‘nefarious agenda’: Marriyum

ISLAMABAD staff report

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday fired a broadside at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, saying he should not use the name of Quaide-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to achieve his “nefarious agenda”.

“Whether Quaid-e-Azam has said that the (wrist) watch with the image of Mecca should be sold from Toshakhana, or did he say to offer a lifetime extension to the army chief behind closed doors,” she said while addressing a news conference here to brief the media persons about the decisions taken by the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The minister said today Imran Khan while congratulating Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir on assuming the charge cited a “farman” (saying) of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and expressed the hope that the new leadership of the military would end trust deficit between the nation and state.

She said: “if Imran Khan thinks that the meaning of trust deficit is to offer a lifetime extension to the army chief behind closed doors then the mistrust actually prevails in his mind.” Marriyum went on to say that Imran Khan made an offer to the (former) army chief for a lifetime extension, “launched malicious (social media) campaigns against the martyrs and officers of Pak Army, formally invited the head of an institution to intervene in the politics and above all forced the governor, deputy speaker and other constitutional office holders to violate the Constitution so that he could remain in the power”.

She asked Imran Khan whether he made the offer for a lifetime extension to the former army chief behind closed doors and quipped that Imran and his wife allegedly “demanded a ring of the fivecarat diamond from a businessman in line with the

“Whether Imran Khan spent the donation money for political purposes in line with the sayings of Quaid-e-Azam and abducted Tayaba Gul and put her in the Prime Minster’s House for blackmailing the NAB chairman, or locked up the FIA DG in the PM’s House, or did victimization of political opponents or sell the gifts from Toshakhana, or launch the campaign against the military martyrs, or plunder national exchequer after stealing public mandate while following the teachings of the father of the nation,” Marriyum asked while taking a jibe at the PTI chief.

She said Imran Khan had no right to cite the sayings of Quaid-e-Azam on any platform as he (Imran) had an autocratic mindset and was “hell-bent on spreading hate, chaos, anarchy and polarization in the country”.

To a query, the minister accused the PTI chief of “launching a malicious campaign against the state institutions and their heads on social media networking sites”. She said it was the same party whose chairman gave orders to his workers to launch a “malicious campaign against the martyrs of Pak Army who lost their lives while carrying out flood relief and rescue activities in Balochistan”.

“What else can be expected from a person (Imran Khan) who has such an obnoxious mindset,” she said, adding this was the same mindset which had formally invited the institutions’ heads to intervene in national politics.

She said ironically, Imran Khan still had the audacity to say that the head of an institution should have at least intervened to stop the process of a vote of no-confidence which was moved against him by the then opposition in the National Assembly.

The people, she said would never forget the darkest era of Imran Khan’s government which was marred by “corruption and incompetency”.

Terming Imran Khan an “incompetent and disqualified person, and a thief”, she said his long

march had fizzled out. Imran Khan had exhausted all his political options and was now left with no other political move.

“In his free time, Imran Khan should declare all the gifts which he sold after illegally purchasing from Toshakhana and also file the defamation case which he announced after refuting all the facts regarding the matter as mere accusations,” she continued.

She said Imran Khan knew that he would have to answer about all the Toshakhana gifts if he filed the defamation case in this regard.

The minister recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif filed a defamation case against Imran Khan for hurling accusations in the Panama case, but failed to submit his reply in the court to date. Now, the court would decide the matter if he failed to submit his reply.

Marriyum said Imran Khan just wanted to spread “political instability, chaos, anarchy and polarization in the country as part of his unfinished agenda”.

His so-called “Haqeeqi Azadi” (Real Freedom) had been exposed before the public, she said, adding “Haqeeqi Azadi” could not be achieved by hiring the services of a US-based lobbying firm for improving the party’s image.

She said every lie of Imran Khan got exposed gradually, especially, after the leaked audios in which he could be heard discussing the strategy to create a narrative over the so-called regime change conspiracy, “buying votes to defeat the no-confidence motion against him, and asking a provincial finance minister to write a letter to the IMF”.

The minister said the coalition government was committed to resolving the people’s issues and ensuring their well-being.

“Our entire focus is on carrying out rehabilitation and reconstruction phase in the flood-affected areas and reversing the damage caused by Imran Khan to the country at internal and external fronts while being in power for four years,” she said.

Toyota increases price of Corolla Altis 1.8

pROfIt REpORt Daniyal ahmaD

Toyota Indus Motors has announced a price increase of Rs 370,000 for its Corolla Altis 1.8. The 7% increase in price is a jump from Rs 5,269,000 to Rs 5,639,000.

All orders as of November 28 with full payment paid on or before December 20, 2022 will be invoiced according to the previous price. The increase in the Altis 1.8’s price makes it the ninth vehicle in Toyota’s portfolio to see a price increase in the month of November alone.

The three variants of Corolla namely Altis X 1.6 M/T, Grande 1.8 CVT (Beige) and Grande 1.8 CVT (Black) have not experienced price hike yet. The reason behind this price hike is likely the same as before: Toyota’s soaring loss of Rs 3.3 billion in Q1FY23. The company saw its sales revenue collapse by 76% from Rs 5.42 billion in Q1FY22 to Rs 1.29 billion in Q1FY23. Had it not been for its Rs 5.16 billion from its other income, Toyota would have ended the quarter with a complete loss altogether. Perhaps that’s why Toyota continues its current strategy of introducing price hikes piecemeal rather than blanket increases across its portfolio.

Four dead as bomber targets Quetta police protecting polio teams

QUEttA the associateD press

A suicide bomber blew himself up near a truck carrying police officers on their way to protect polio workers outside Quetta on Wednesday, killing four people, including a policeman, and wounding at least 23, mostly law enforcement.

Ghulam Azfar Mahesar, deputy inspector general (DIG) of Quetta police, said the attack happened when the policemen were heading to the polio workers, part of a nationwide vaccination drive launched Monday.

He said the bombing also damaged a nearby car carrying members of a family. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in a statement claimed responsibility. In a statement, the militant group said the attack in Balochistan targeted police to avenge the killing of their former spokesperson, Abdul Wali. He was widely known as Omar Khalid Khurasani and was killed in a bombing in Afghanistan’s Paktika province in August. His death was a heavy blow to the group.

The attack on police came amid a spike in new polio cases among children. The latest vaccination campaign is the sixth such drive this year and will last for five days, aiming to inoculate children under the age of five in high-risk areas.

The drive is aimed at Islamabad and in the high-risk districts in Punjab and Balochistan, where Monday’s attack took place. It killed at least two people, including a police officer and a child. A similar campaign will be launched in the northwest in the first week of December. The authorities have been launching such campaigns regularly despite attacks on workers and police assigned to inoculation drives. Militants falsely claim that vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilise children. Since April, Pakistan has registered 20 new polio cases, which can cause severe paralysis in children. Pakistan came close to eradicating polio last year, when only one case was reported. Currently, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries in which polio has not been eliminated.

Wednesday’s bombing happened two days after the TTP ended a monthslong cease-fire with the government in Islamabad, ordering its fighters to resume attacks across the country, where scores of deadly attacks have been blamed on the insurgent group. In Monday’s statement, the outlawed TTP group said it would end the five-month cease-fire after the army stepped up operations against the TTP. Pakistan and the TTP had agreed to an indefinite cease-fire in May after talks in Afghanistan’s capital. The TTP is a separate group but are allies of the Afghanistan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan more than a year ago as the US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout.

Imran hopes new military leadership will work to ‘end trust deficit’

staff report

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday congratulated the newly appointed military leadership, expressing the hope that they would work to “end the prevailing trust deficit” between the nation and the state.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Imran felicitated the new military command. “We hope the new military leadership will work to end the prevailing trust deficit that has built up in the last 8 months between the nation and the state.

“The strength of the state is derived from its people,” the PTI chief added.

Along with the message, Imran also

shared a screenshot of a purported quote by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which some people on social media questioned the veracity of.

Last week, Gen Asim Munir, a soldier with considerable operational experience and a career steeped in intelligence, was designated as the country’s 17th army chief while Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, another infantry officer with an enviable career, was appointed as the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee.

The appointments ended weeks of intense speculation about who will lead the powerful military following Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s retirement. Gen Mirza took charge on Nov 27 while Gen Munir assumed

charge on Nov 29.

Imran slammed for ‘selective memory’ Reacting to Imran’s statement, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb took exception to his claim and questioned whether Quaid-iAzam had also offered an indefinite extension to the army chief behind closed doors.

The information minister, addressing a press conference in Islamabad, said the only mistrust present was the one in Imran’s mind.

Aurangzeb said Imran was now twiddling his thumbs after the party’s long march and advised him to do the following two things: Declare all the gifts he had taken from the Toshakhana and follow through on registering a case against the Jang Group and Dubai-based businessman Umar Zahoor for

the claims they made against him.

“You know that if you file the case, you will have to provide details about the watch and all those details related to the Toshakhana which have yet to be revealed to the nation.”

As for the PTI’s announcement to leave the provincial assemblies, she said Imran only wanted political instability and discord in the country.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz claimed Imran had a “selective memory” but other people did not.

“You collude with certain elements of the establishment, they raise and feed you like their godson. Now you beg for their unconstitutional interference and when it is de-

nied you call them traitors. You have the audacity to talk about trust deficit? You think people are fools,” she tweeted.

PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair was also of the opinion that the PTI chief had “selective memory”.

“He supported the direct military intervention of Musharraf and then directly benefitted through Shuja Pasha, Zaheerul Islam and others completely forgetting what Quaid said about the military’s role and what boundaries have been set in our Constitution,” he said.

In a message from its Twitter account, PML-N called Imran a “fascist” who was “literally begging for unconstitutional intervention till the very last day”.

LAHORE

“Farman” of Quaid-e-Azam.”

RS370,000 INCREASE MAKES ALTIS 1.8 NINTH TOYOTA CAR TO SEE A PRICE INCREASE IN NOVEMBER