Epaper_22-12-25 ISB

Imran says couldn’t cleanse country of

due to

staff report

forMer prime minister and Pti chairman imran Khan on saturday alleged that former army chief gen (retd) Qamar Javed bajwa had a “deal” in place with PPP chief asif Zardari and sindh chief Minister Murad ali shah, citing it as the reason why corruption could not be rooted out during his government.

speaking to journalists at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, imran Khan termed the alleged deal as the reason why accountability of the corrupt could not reach a logical conclusion.

Khan claimed that initially, gen (retd) bajwa did not oppose his anti-corruption drive to hold culprits accountable “but eventually asked me to focus on the

economy and to move away from accountability”.

imran said that when the Pti was in power, the National accountability bureau (Nab) was under gen (r) bajwa’s control.

“there is no rule of law. only the powerful rule this country,” he asserted. “We found out during the last year of my government’s tenure that gen bajwa does not want accountability to take place,” imran alleged, adding that he would’ve “cleansed” the entire country of corruption had he had an “appropriate” army chief in place.

the former prime minister said that the “regime change operation” was supposed to hurt the Pti but it instead ended up boosting the party’s popularity.

“gen bajwa kept thinking that the [surprise] rise of Pti will soon be over but that did not happen.”

imran alleged that the election commission of Pakistan (ecP) was under the control of the establishment too.

responding to a question pertaining to the prohibited foreign funding case, imran said the PPP and PML-N did not have any receipt of the foreign funding received by them whereas Pti has data of 40,000 donors.

“supreme court directed the foreign funding cases of all the political parties should be heard together,” he recalled, adding it did not happen.

talking about the prevailing political situation, the former PM said that he would not tarnish the trust of the public for the sake of power. “i will not strike any deal to form a government again,” asserted Khan.

imran predicted that general elections will take place around March-april, adding that his party’s MNas will visit the National assembly on Monday to confirm their resignations. he said that the Pti is entering into an alliance with Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) because they have supported the Pti.

Mass Mobilization drive: Pti issues schedule of rallies till Jan 16: Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti) on saturday issued a wellplanned schedule of its new round of public rallies in various parts of the country in connection with mass mobilization campaign.

according to the detail, Pti would start holding rallies from Multan, Lahore, faisalabad and rawalpindi on december 25 and last rally of this round would be held in sargodha on January 16.

LAHORE

g says ‘regiMe chaNge’ MeaNt to hurt Pti but iNstead eNded uP boostiNg Party’s PoPuLarity

g says PML-N, PPP did Not have aNy receiPt of foreigN fuNdiNg they received

corruptIon

Bajwa-ppp deal

FBR HIKES numBER oF automotIvE paRtS

profit report Daniyal ahmaD

theFederal Board of Revenue (FBR) passed Statutory Regulatory Orders (SRO) 2242(I)/2022 on December 12th to expand the list of automotive parts outlined in SRO 693 (I)/2006 upon which additional customs duties are levied. The decision is in compliance with the current overarching governing framework of Pakistan’s automotive industry; Auto Industry Development and export Policy (AIDeP 2021-26) which stipulates that the

aforementioned SRO 693 be updated twice a year, to promote the local assembly of automotive parts in Pakistan.

SRO as mentioned earlier stands for Statutory Regulatory Orders which covers all kinds of government regulations carried out by FBR and different ministries through delegated powers. These include SROs in the health sector, in taxes, in commerce, in energy, in the auto sector, among others.

SRO 693, alongside SROs 655 and 656

Five killed as mortar shell explodes during tribals’ clash in Kurram

KUrrAM Staff RepoRt

Five persons were killed when mortar shell exploded during tribal clash here on Saturday. The clash erupted other day when armed men of a tribe abducted five people of opponent tribe over land dispute in Para Chamkani. however, the abductees were rescued after successful intervention by the district administration and forces but the fire exchange started again on Saturday. During the firing, a mortar shell exploded in barricade of a tribe killing five people. Deputy Commissioner Kurram, Wasil Khan said that the district administration was trying to settle the dispute through dialogues and making all out efforts in this context.

THREE KILLED OVER MONETARY ROW: Meanwhile, At least three people were killed and several others injured in armed clash over financial dispute here on Saturday. Police said that a farmer and a commission agent after exchange of hot words over financial issue traded fire in Gur Mandi Peshawar. In cross-fire, three people were killed and several others sustained injured. The bodies and injured were shifted to local hospital. The police arrested an accused an after registering a case into the incident started investigations.

form the policy framework that Pakistan adopted after moving from its Deletion Program/Compulsory Localization Policy to the Tariff Based System in 2006 as part of its World Trade Organisation membership. The aforementioned SROs cumulatively comprise the overarching mechanism for levying duties upon automotive imported parts. Parts not listed in SRO 693 are in-effect exempt from additional customs duties. The FBR’s decision to expand the list means that,

henceforth, these parts will have a higher incidence of total duties levied upon them.

“The items included in SRO 693, if imported, attract a higher rate of customs duty. This becomes an advantage for the companies to localize those parts as localization becomes more feasible” says Asim Ayaz, General Manager (Policy) at the engineering Development Board. A total of 23 headings in Pakistan’s customs codes have been amended for the regulatory changes. Twenty headings falling under Appendix I have been amended with the remaining three falling under Appendix II. The increased duties aim to encourage automotive companies to localise their value chains by

driving up the costs that they incur from importing the parts. The AIDeP envisions automotive companies would aim to circumvent higher costs by relying on local suppliers, and thereby spur the manufacturing of that particular part within Pakistan. “The recent legislation is a move in the right direction, as it tilts towards higher localization. The Pakistan Association of Auto Parts & Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) has played a key role in convincing authorities to promote the local manufacture of a higher number of auto parts, through technology transfer with the support of parent companies of local car assemblers,” says Munir Bana, Chairman, PAAPAM.

KP acquires highest amount of loan for Transport Dept

peSHAWAr aziz BuneRi

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has taken the highest loan amounting to Rs135 billion for transport sector, while lowest loan of Rs10.20 million has been taken for the Forests Department

According to documents of provincial Finance Department, the KP government has so far received a loan of Rs359.33 billion while further borrowing of

Rs179.61 billion was recently approved.

The details show that a loan of Rs135.92 billion has been taken for KP transport sector of which Rs61 billion has been spent on Bus rapid transit projects (BRT) and later Rs13.4 billion more was borrowed for BRT.

Similarly, for roads, provincial government has borrowed Rs20 billion for maintenance and Rs10.35 billion for construction of new roads. The details show that Rs60.88billion has been taken from international financial institutions for economic development, Rs36.61

Federal govt seeks SC intervention to ease out political turmoil in Punjab

LAHore Staff RepoRt

The Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) on Saturday rejected the decision of the Lahore high Court (LhC) to restore Chaudhry Pervaiz elahi as Punjab chief minister and his cabinet. The government also demanded a suo motu notice from the Supreme Court (SC), requesting that the incumbent provincial government should be limited to the powers of carrying out day-to-day affairs only.

Staff RepoRt

Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s concepts of democracy, equality, adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law as a beacon of light. Today, there is a need to review the national situation and in the light of the political principles and vision of the father of the nation, to discourage false ego, selfishness and hatred from the country’s politics, he said in his message here Saturday on the birth anniversary of Quaide-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Congratulating the countrymen on the 146th birthday of the Father of the Nation, the PPP Chairman said that the best way to pay homage to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was to follow his vision for the Constitution, rule of law and selflessness and dedication to the country. he said that Quaid-e-Awam Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had taught us to fight for political rights and serve the nation in the light of the ideology and vision of the Father of the Nation. he pointed out that in order to strengthen the Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan, the PPP leadership gave a unanimous Constitution of 1973, agrarian reforms, nuclear program, missile technology, anti-polio measures, Lady health Workers Plan, eighteenth Amendment and countless historical initiatives like NFC Award, Benazir Income Support Program and China Pakistan economic Corridor Project will always be remembered by the nation.

The remarks were made during a press conference held at the party secretariat in Model Town by Minister for Aviation and Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique along with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar and Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) leader Tariq Bashir Cheema.

Rafique stated that LhC’s decision to reinstate elahi does not meet the requirements of justice, adding that there are ‘flaws’ in it.

he furthered that PML-N will most likely challenge the decision and that no institution can deviate from the Constitution.

The minister added that the court has given 18 days during which there is fear of horse trading. Rafique said this will have to take the vote of confidence, adding that if he skips the vote then it will mean that the incumbent Punjab government does not have the majority of the

house. “The present Punjab government is not an elected government but only based on a stay order,” he added. The interior minister said that assemblies are constitutional institutions and should be respected and not ‘turned into a joke’.

“If the assemblies are being dissolved due to someone’s stubbornness and ego, it is the duty of the governor to at least ask for a vote of confidence,” said Sanaullah. The minister added that the court granted complete relief in the form of interim relief, adding that it is never the case that final relief is granted in interim relief.

Requesting the apex court to review the decision and take suo motu notice, the minister said that it is likely that the LhC’s decision to restore elahi will create legal, constitutional, and economic complications which will seriously affect the province. “As there is an apprehension of horse trading, the court should have

allowed only day-to-day matters under Article 133 in interim relief,” added the interior minister.

Sanaullah also said that the current Punjab government does not have enough numbers and will not be able to take the vote of confidence, adding that if the provincial government dissolves the assembly by taking a vote of confidence, then provincial assembly elections will be held.

Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has said elections will be held in the country at the stipulated time. he said that we have saved Pakistan from becoming bankrupt.

Railways Minister said that PTI has two provincial governments but both are not serving general public. Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister said PTI Chairman Imran Khan had announced to dissolve Provincial Assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but he could not do so.

CM Elahi to take vote of confidence soon, says Fawad

LAHore Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Chaudhry Fawad hussain on Saturday said that the party leadership has decided that Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz elahi will take a vote of confidence and soon a delegation would meet the PML-Q leader to fix a date in this regard.

Addressing the media outside former prime minister Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park, he requested Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique to not discuss the economy. “It is like Modi is talking about liberalism. They should listen to their finance minister first who will tell them in what condition the economy is in,” he added.

he said that terrorism should not have reached

Islamabad, which had almost ended during PTI’s tenure. “Pakistan will have to pay the price of instability in Afghanistan… our relations with Afghanistan have been damaged,” he maintained.

Lashing out at Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for ‘destroying’ Pakistan’s foreign policy, Fawad said that the cabinet is only focusing on foreign visits and elimination of their corruption cases. “There will be no stability in Pakistan until general elections are held.”

he said that Imran Khan today called a meeting of senior leadership of PTI in Punjab and a decision has been made that CM elahi will take vote of confidence.

“A delegation of ours will meet Chaudhry Pervaiz elahi and fix the date [for vote of confidence]. All our members of Punjab Assembly will give vote of confidence to Pervaiz elahi,” he added.

Fawad said that the Lahore high Court (LhC) has said that we can take vote of confidence whenever we like.

Talking about a recent meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat hussain, he said that there will be no gain for opponents from such meetings rather, he added, they may benefit PTI.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Mian Aslam Iqbal said that “thieves” were imposed upon the nation via a ‘foreign conspiracy’. “For the last seven months, the poor man has been struck by rising levels of inflation whereas the rulers are busy in finding ways to get rid of their cases,” he added.

he said that the vote of confidence by elahi would be taken before the court’s verdict is announced, adding that PTI wanted the elections to be held after the dissolution of assemblies.

billion for energy, Rs29.88billion for higher education, Rs20.5 billion for regional development, Rs19.4 billion for irrigation, Rs14.38 billion for the agriculture sector, Rs13.60 billion for tourism promotion, Rs1.7 billion for education, Rs4.17 billion for social welfare.

The provincial government had borrowed Rs3.6 billion health sector, Rs3.51 billion for environment, Rs980 million water supply, Rs270 million for industry, Rs60 million for urban development and Rs12 million for the forest department.

In separate letters, president asks pm, cJp to address murad Saeed’s grievances

iSLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

referred to the serious allegations levelled by the parliamentarian, which inter alia included: fake, bogus, frivolous FIR was registered against him for the incident that occurred at Masjid-e-Nabvi, Madina Sharif, on May 1, 2022, despite the fact that he was in Pakistan. Multiple FIRs have been registered against him on the same charges all over Pakistan. The aforementioned actions are against the fundamental rights enshrined under Articles 9,13 and 14 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Murad Saeed raised the issue of the deteriorating law and order situation in Malakand (Swat). Subsequently, he was threatened with dire consequences and was compelled to leave Swat, along with his family. The President pointed out that Article 15 of the Constitution of Pakistan provides that “every citizen shall have the right to remain in, and, subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by law in the public interest, enter and move freely throughout Pakistan and to reside and settle in any part thereof”. Murad Saeed raised the issue that on August 18, 2022, the privacy of his home was violated, and despite his repeated requests and court’s order, FIR has not yet been registered by Islamabad Police. Moreover, he was followed and harassed with serious life threats.

Imran’s dream about snap polls won’t

true with mere predictions: marriyum

iSLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Aurangzeb

earlier

a

April 2023.

towards April 2024. Responding to Imran Khan’s allegation regarding a deal between a political party and institution, the minister claimed that it was him who “wanted to seal a deal by offering a lifetime extension to General Bajwa.” She said it was Imran Khan who wanted a “deal” from the DG FIA, but to no avail. Marriyum alleged that Imran Khan managed to seal a deal with the former NAB chairman by abducting Tayba Gul in the Prime Minister’s house. She said that the masses continued to suffer the pain of inflation and unemployment even after the ouster of Imran Khan from the power. Imran Khan pushed the country into economic quagmire during his four-year misrule which was marred by corruption, bad governance and incompetency, she added.

Quaid’s concepts of democracy, adherence to constitution beacon of light: Bilawal KArACHi

President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday penned separate letters to the Prime Minister and Chief Justice of Pakistan, asked them to look into the issues raised by Murad Saeed to alleviate his grievances. In his letters to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, the President

come

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum

Saturday mocking Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s prediction regarding the early polls said the general election would be held on completion of the constitutional term of the coalition government. “The election will not be held on mere predictions, rather it will be held on completion of the constitutional term (of the coalition government),” she said in a news statement while reacting to Imran Khan’s remarks about the early polls.

in the day,

private television channel reported that the PTI chief had predicted the general election to be held either in March or

however, Marriyum sarcastically asked Imran Khan whether his prediction about the general election was pointing

pm SHEHBaz’S vISIt to cHIna GavE FRESH

ImpEtuS to BIlatERal RElatIonS: lIu JInSonG

BeiJiNG Staff RepoRt

dIReCTORGeneral, Department of Asian Affairs of Chinese Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong said that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China in November was a great success with fruitful outcomes, and provided new guidance for China-Pakistan relations.

“China is ready to work with Pakistan to take the visit as an opportunity to further implement the important common understandings reached between leaders of the two countries and maintain the

momentum of high-level development of ChinaPakistan relation,” he said.

he expressed these views during a meeting with Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moin ul haque, here, according to a statement issued by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Liu Jinsong also briefed him on the main outcomes of the Central economic Work Conference, emphasizing that China’s economy remained resilient with a great potential and vitality, and the fundamentals sustaining China’s sound economic growth, in the long run, remain unchanged.

he stressed that China had the confidence to do the economic work well; would respond to COVID-19 and

pursue economic and social development in a wellcoordinated way; strive to expand domestic demand; do more to attract and use foreign investment, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and work with other countries to achieve common development and prosperity.

Ambassador haque spoke highly of the sound momentum of the development of Pakistan-China relations and said that Prime Minister Sharif’s friendly and in-depth exchanges with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders during his visit to China have injected strong impetus into the all-weather friendship between the two countries.

Pakistan is ready to work with China to promote

PM urges nation to follow footsteps of Quaid for progress, prosperity

iSLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on the nation to take guidance from the life of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and follow his principles to ensure the progress and prosperity of Pakistan.

In a message on the occasion of birth anniversary of Quaid e Azam, he said the whole nation was celebrating the 146th birth anniversary of Quaid-eAzam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with patriotic fervor and zeal.

The founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam valiantly fought the constitutional and political fight for the rights of Muslims of Indian subcontinent, as a result, today all Muslims were living independently in Pakistan, he added.

The struggle of Quaid-e-Azam was against the idea of a majority usurping the rights of minorities on the basis of numerical superiority, he said, adding the Quaid had strived for the restoration of a unique way of life of Muslims and for their separate social, and economic, political and cultural identity in the comity of nations.

he said Quaid-e-Azam made the Muslims of the subcontinent truly aware of their rights and also

‘you Work, you Stay’: IGp prods field officers to take practical steps

LAHore Staff RepoRt

Punjab Inspector General Police Muhammad Amir Zulfiqar Khan on Saturday declared that elimination of crime while ensuring safety of public honor, life and property must of the top priority of the police forces, warning there is no room omission or lethargy in this regard. Punjab IGP Muhammad Amir Zulfiqar Khan issued the instructions while presiding over his maiden RPOs conference at Central Police Office (CPO) here on Saturday. he informed the officers about his policy and priorities. The IGP expressed concern over the crime situation across the province and said that the report of ‘all is good’ will no longer work, practical stepshave to be taken and crime control will be the only measure to evaluate the performance of the officers. IG Punjab ordered the officers to perform their duties according to the constitution and law. he said that there will be no compromise on the discipline of the force, there should be a clear difference in the Punjab police. Amir Zulfiqar Khan IG Punjab while giving the task of monitoring the performance of the officers to the Special Branch, directed that the report should be submitted to him on daily basis. he directed that foolproof security should be provided for Quaid-e-Azam Day and Christmas celebrations across the province.

ensured that after independence Muslims should live their lives independently and peacefully, while enjoying religious and cultural freedoms, getting equal opportunities for progress.

The PM said the efforts of Quaid-e-Azam were directed not only for the creation of a separate and independent state for the Muslims but also wanted a state in which the minorities lived without any fear or danger and were given equal opportunities of development and complete religious freedom.

The prime minister pointed that because of the rising religious animosity and the thinking of extremist hindutva, India as a state had failed to protect rights of the minorities. This situation made evident the farsightedness of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and proved right his arguments for the twonation theory, he stressed.

Shehbaz Sharif said the life of Quaid-e-Azam was a practical demonstration of his steadfastness for principles, constitutional struggle, political sagacity, and of the golden principles of faith, unity, and discipline.

he emphasized that the Pakistani nation today needed to follow Quaid’s thought and principles, adding in Quaid’s Pakistan nobody would have superiority on the basis of language, class, religion or

numerical strength.

The Constitution of Pakistan truly represented the 14 points of Quaid-e-Azam and under it without diminishing the individual strength of any federal unit, everyone would have equal opportunities for achieving progress and prosperity.

The prime minister said Pakistan was going through a difficult phase at present and the need to follow the principles of Quaid which had become more necessary to follow than ever. The best way to pay tribute to the founder was to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state.

“We have to put an end to internal chaos and work tirelessly for the advancement of Pakistan,” he said.

The prime minister appealed to parents and teachers to inform the new generation about the lives of Quaid-e-Azam and other leaders of the Pakistan movement so that they could know about the struggle for the creation of Pakistan and consider the lives of their leaders as a guiding light and play role in the progress and development of Pakistan with renewed enthusiasm and passion.

“Let us today on the anniversary of Quaid make the pledge that we will take guidance from the life of Quaid and follow his principles to ensure progress and prosperity of Pakistan,” he concluded.

Pak-Kashmir diaspora role vital for raising Kashmir issue: Ex-EU parliamentarian

MirpUr [AJK] Staff RepoRt

Former member of european Parliament Dr Sajjad haider Karim here on Saturday emphasized the need for performance of constructive role by the european Union, Britain-based Pakistani, Kashmiri diaspora community to promote the need of early peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue in the Western world.

he was talking to journalists at a grand reception, hosted by Deputy Inspector General of Police Mirpur Division Dr. Khalid Mahmood Chauhan in his honour at a hotel here. Commissioner Mirpur Division Ch. Shoukat Ali also attended the ceremony as a guest of honour.

“We, the diaspora community, is able to perform health role to highlight the urgent need of early peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue in line with the aspirations of the people of Jammu Kashmir state, the basic stake holders to the Kashmir conflict”, he underlined.

Responding to series of questions raised by the journalists, working for national print and electronic media, besides the AJK State press, ex MP european Parliament emphasized that it was the moral and global responsibility of the international communitybesides the United Nations like international forums to take immediate notice of the increased human rights violations by the Indian occupying forces in Indian illegally occupied Jammu Kashmir State (IIOJK) – in

view of the Jammu & Kashmir State, the internationally-acknowledged disputed territory –since the United Nations resolutions clearly speak of this reality”, he underlined.

Dr. Sajjad haider Kashmir, currently Adviser (Middle east & Central Asia) and ex Member european Parliament for the North West england and the holder of Sitar e Quaid-e-Azam, awarded by the government of Pakistan in acknowledgement of his role for advocating and safeguarding the ‘Freedom of expression of human Rights’, underlined recalling that it had always been a crystal clear before our likeminded grouping in the european Parliament that Kashmir is the issue of human rights.

he continued that it was enjoined upon our diaspora community in european Union countries to gear up their collective endeavors to highlight the need of early settlement of the unresolved issue of Jammu & Kashmir State. Speaking on this occasion, the host of the ceremony Dr. Khalid Mahmood Chauhan, DIG Police Mirpur Division, lauded the Pakistani and Kashmiri expatriates’ vibrant role in highlighting the national Kashmiri cause in the elected houses from the local councils’ level to the British and european Parliaments – besides other relevant forums in the Western World –with prime focus to attract attention of the external world towards the urgent need of early peaceful settlement of the much-delayed Kashmir issue.

the implementation of the outcomes of the visit, and has full confidence in the prospects of China’s development, he added.

In a tweet after the meeting, the ambassador said, “Always a pleasure to interact with my friend DG Liu. In our meeting, we reaffirmed the resolve to build on the consensus reached during PM Shehbaz’s visit and to further fortify Pakistan-China ties through future highlevel exchanges.”

new covId-19 variant in china rings alarm bells in pakistan: ncoc

iSLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday said the new coronavirus variant spreading in China is a threat to Pakistan after the Chinese authorities decided to dismantle its “Zero-COVID” regime. According to the NCOC, there is a risk that the new variant may enter Pakistan after China decided to lift the lockdown and travel restrictions. The Omicron variant is surging in China weeks after an abrupt shift in policies, loosening its rules to curb the increasing COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began three years ago after the protests broke out against the tough restrictions. “Pakistan is fully prepared to control the new variant. The country has dealt with the COVID variants in the past in a timely manner”, the NOCOC officials said. They said there is a low risk due to the inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccine, adding that the vaccination of 90% of the eligible population in Pakistan has been completed. They said about 95% of the population has received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Shahid Khaqan abbasi tests positive for covId-19

iSLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has tested positive for COVID-19. As per detail, the PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s counsel Khwaja Naveed Ahmed informed the accountability court that the former prime minister has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is currently in Quarantine. he requested the court to exempt him from personal appearance in the case as he cannot travel from Islamabad to Karachi. earlier, Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others appeared before an accountability court here on Thursday in alleged illegal appointments in the Pakistan State Oil (PSO). It is pertinent to note here that the anti-corruption watchdog had filed a reference against ex-PM Abbasi and the then petroleum secretary for allegedly appointing Sheikh Imran-ul-haq as managing director and Yaqoob Sattar as deputy managing director (finance) of the PSO in violation of rules and regulations.

Christian community all set to celebrate Christmas today

trees.

The Christian community is all set to celebrate the grand festival of Christmas in across country today in a befitting manner.

In churches, special services would take place where prayers would be offered for peace, progress and prosperity of the country.

The Christian community has finalized all the preparations to mark this festivity and they were just giving last-minute touches to their shopping and decorating Christmas

The festival of the Christian community would be marked through different activities ranging from big official gatherings to cakecutting ceremonies, illuminating houses, and observing prayers in Churches.

Special cake-cutting ceremonies are being arranged at different departments to share the happiness of the festival with the Christian staff members.

The cake-cutting ceremonies were held here at Rawalpindi Cantonment board (RCB), Police Lines, and in other departments in connection with Christmas

celebrations. The participants congratulated the Christian community and felt pleasure in sharing their joy and cheerfulness.

The main attraction of the Christmas festival includes the traditions like Christmas Trees, Santa Clause, Carols, and Christmas gifts which add charm to the festivity.

All young and old have finalized shopping for themselves and their loved ones while children and youngsters were more inclined towards decorating Christmas trees and buying Christmas gifts to show their love to their family and friends.

The main ritual of the Christmas

celebration is the decoration of Christmas trees to welcome the arrival of Santa Claus also known as Father Christmas.

It has been observed that a number of shopping malls and hotels in Rawalpindi have placed decked Christmas trees to attract visitors, especially children.

The Christmas trees are usually decked with different ornaments including baubles, small bells painted gold or silver, stars of different shapes and sizes, pine cones, apples, candies, tinsel, and balloons made from glass, metal, wood, and ceramic.

A number of stalls had been set up in

different localities where the majority of the Christian community resides. The stall owners displayed a variety of decorative ornaments as well as dresses of Santa Claus which is a source of attraction for youngsters and children.

Different brands and eateries here are also offering good discounts on the occasion of Christmas to attract more customers.

It is pertinent to mention here that Rawalpindi District Police have finalized comprehensive security arrangements on the eve of Christmas and special deployment at Churches and public places.

rAWALpiNDi

Staff RepoRt

TIP CrIES foUL AT NoNPAyMENT of rS1.13B royALTy By oIL fIrMS

ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbaS

THROUGHa recent letter the Transparency International –Pakistan (TIP) has lodged a complaint to the Prime Minister over nonpayment of royalty amounting to Rs 1.13 billion by oil firms.

The TI Pakistan has recently written to the prime minister that it has received a complaint against SPUD Energy and Frontier Holding on willfully defaulting of their obligations to pay outstanding royalty amounting to Rs 1.13 billion at sale of natural gas and the crude oil from Reti Maru Field and Zargun South Field.

The letter by TIP has said that SPUD Energy had willfully defaulted at its ob-

ligation to pay the outstanding royalty of Rs834,821,397, while Frontier Holding was defaulting to pay the outstanding royalty of Rs 303,195,732.

It has been highlighted that SPUD Energy was awarded license to undertake petroleum exploration activities at Guddu and Bolan blocks, while Frontier Holding had Badin IV South Block, under the Pakistan Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Rules, 1986.

TIP has said that after the commercial discovery at these blocks Sui Southern Company (SSGC) was the buyer of the natural gas and crude oil as well as condensate from Bolan Block and Badin IV South Block. The Engro Fertilizers was the buyer of natural gas from Guddu Block.

“Under Rule 36 of the 1986 Rules

read with the Article 9.1 of the Petroleum Concession Agreement (PCA), the license holders SPUD Energy and Frontier Holding are under an obligation to pay royalty to the government at a rate 12.5 percent of petroleum produced and saved,” TIP has said.

The TIP letter has highlighted that there have been irregularities by the two firms and added that Directorate General Petroleum Concessions (DGPC) has issued various Show Cause Notices and Default Notices to both the companies.

The DG PC has also asked the buyers of oil & gas from these companies including SSGC, Pakistan Refinery and others to withhold payments against SPUD from invoices for sale of Natural Gas and Crude Oil from fields in which SPUD had working Interest.

The TIP has attached the financial statements of these companies and stated that instead of paying government obligations these defaulters have paid shareholders a loan worth millions of dollars using gas sales receipt which is totally not just illegal but also morally incorrect.

“They have also charged consultancy services with the help of their subsidiaries,” the Transparency International Pakistan’s letter added.

“TI Pakistan requests the Prime Minister of Pakistan to kindly look into this matter, and if it is found to be correct, then direct the regulators to first recover the outstanding amount Rs1.13 billion from M/S SPUD Energy and M/s Frontier Holding prior to proceeding further on these contracts,” the letter concluded

IHC fixes Swati’s post-arrest bail plea for hearing on Monday

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Islamabad High Court Saturday fixed the date for hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Senator Azam Swati’s bail petition in the controversial tweets case.

According to the cause list, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will take up hearing in the petition on Monday (tomorrow).

fence twice. The septuagenarian’s counsel Babar Awan filed the bail plea on his behalf.

In his application, the senator stated that he did not post derogatory remarks against any institutions. He added that the prosecution has no proof against him despite the investigation.

Court issues written verdict on bail plea of Suleman Shehbaz in money-laundering case

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Special Central Court judge Bakht Fakhr on Saturday detail written order on the interim bail application of Suleman Shehbaz, the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a money laundering case.

In the order issued on Saturday, the court also stopped the FIA from arresting Suleman Shehbaz till January 7 while instructing him to join in the investigation. The court approved his two petitions in money laundering cases and granted interim bail to the premier’s son against bail bonds worth Rs0.5 million. One of the cases against him was filed by the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC) Lahore and the other of NAB Lahore.

In the petition filed through Advocate Amjad Pervaiz, Suleman argued that he was abroad when the authorities managed to secure various orders from separate courts, including one to declare him a proclaimed offender.

Maintaining his innocence, Suleman told the court that he was ready to subject himself to process of law to prove his innocence. He further maintained that the FIR was lodged against him to suppress the voice of his father, who was the then leader of the opposition in the national assembly.

The bail was approved but not before the court directed Suleman to become part of the investigation.

Election tribunal dismisses petition against MNA Irfan Ali Laghari

HYDERABAD app

The

According to details, Justice Amjad Ali Sahito dismissed the petition after Jatoi failed to substantiate his allegations of election day rigging by the winning candidate with evidence.

Laghari had won the seat bagging 96,038 votes, while Jatoi managed to secure 82,730 votes.

The senator is booked in multiple cases over controversial tweets against top military officials including the former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Earlier on Saturday, Swati filed a post-arrest bail plea in the IHC in relation to the controversial tweets case filed against him. His earlier plea, filed on December 21, was dismissed by trial court judge Azam Khan who said that the senator had committed the same of-

The application read that Swati is 75 years old and a heart patient; jailing him would be a sentence without conviction as all evidence against him is documentary.

The case: Swati is booked in multiple cases across the country for his controversial tweets against senior military officers.

Initially, the senator was arrested by the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) on October 14 after he posted a highly-hateful and threatening message against the army chief, judiciary, and other state institutions on his official Twitter account. He had secured bail in that case, but on November

27, the FIA arrested him again for using abusive language against the top military brass, including the former army chief.

On December 2, Balochistan police arrested Swati for a similar case registered against him in Quetta. At the time of his arrest, he was already on judicial remand in Adiala Jail and was shifted to Quetta under a transit remand acquired by the Balochistan police.

Later, Balochistan High Court (BHC) ordered the quashing of all cases registered against the senator in the province. Once BHC issued the order, the Sindh Police took the senator into custody over the issue of controversial tweets.

The senator then approached the Sindh High Court. The court also directed the quashing of all cases against the senator.

Following the orders, Islamabad Police took the senator into its custody and brought him to the federal capital. He is still in custody.

KP, Punjab provinces announce winter vacations

cation for all public and private educational institutions colleges and universities.

According to the statement issued by the KP government, the winter vacation in cold regions of the province would begin on January 1 and continue for 45 days – February 15.

However, there will be no vacation for colleges and universities situated in the plains of the province.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has also announced winter vacations for public and private colleges and universities.

The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will remain closed from December 24 through December 31, according to the official notification issued by Secretary HED.

UK MP calls on Ishaq Dar

Member

Bilateral relations as well as issues of regional importance were discussed during the meeting.

Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Khalid Mahmood exchanged views on Pak-UK bilateral relations. The Finance Minister expressed satisfaction at the level of friendship between the two countries and hoped that the existing cooperation between both countries will further strengthen in the future.

Khalid Mahmood felicitated the Finance Minister on assuming the finance portfolio and also expressed sympathy on the loss of lives and properties in the devastating monsoon rains and flood. It is pertinent to mention that Khalid Mahmood is the longest serving Member Parliament UK, House of Commons, elected from Birmingham Perry Barr.

Shocking results: Students from 38 Karachi colleges fail in Intermediate exams

KARACHI Staff RepoRt

All students from 38 colleges in Karachi failed in intermediate exams. According to details, the Karachi board announced the intermediate examination results. The shocking results showed that all the students in 38 colleges of Karachi including 25 government and 13 private colleges have failed in inter exams. The Karachi board has also issued the details of colleges’ performances and suspended the registration certificates of these colleges for such poor performance.

Moreover, the principals of these colleges were blamed for poor performance regarding enrollment in their respective colleges and they were also unable to increase the number of students.

Earlier, the Board of Intermediate Education (BIEK) has announced the results for HSC Part II science general group. All the top three positions in science and general groups were secured by female students, while a male student also bagged the first position in science group.

Balochistan finalizes preparations for general election: PEC

QUETTA Staff RepoRt

Provincial Election Commission (PEC) of Balochistan, Fayyaz Hussain Murad on Saturday said that preparations for the general election have been finalized, saying there were 4,896 polling stations across the province for a total of 5.93 million voters, and cross-verification was underway.

He expressed these views while talking to the media during his visit to different polling stations in Jhal Magsi district. District Election Commission Sikandar Ali Jamali also accompanied him on the occasion.

Giving more details, he said, “Our survey regarding the polling station has been completed, while there were many polling stations which lack water, electricity, washrooms for ladies, and other facilities, for which, we have written to the Provincial Chief Secretary Balochistan.”

He said that regarding the identity card of women in certain areas, NADRA was also conveyed to send mobile vans to these areas and make them National Identity Cards (NIC).

PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt

The Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governments have announced the schedule for the winter va-

The educational institutions will resume academic activities on January 2, the notification stated. On December 8, the Sindh government announced winter vacations across the province.

He said that the data of DRO and RO regarding the general election has also been completed, while the preparation for the general election has been accomplished on our side.

Govt announces 20,000 internships for engineers

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The government has decided to launch an Internship Program for 20000 engineers with forty thousand rupees monthly stipend.

This was stated by the Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal while addressing the 56th Annual General Meeting of Institution of Engineers Pakistan in Lahore on Saturday.

Ahsan Iqbal said that we need to promote the engineering sector in Pakistan. He said that we have got a large number

of unemployed engineers, who need facilities for self-employment. The Planning Minister said that a huge budget worth 6.5 billion rupees has been approved for five universities.

He said that a decision has also been taken to set up an institution with the name of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.

The Federal Minister said that the engineering sector plays a very crucial role in any country’s progress and it should be provided with all possible resources.

He said that we are an atomic state due to extraordinary efforts and capabilities of our engineers.

Election Tribunal Hyderabad has dismissed the petition of former federal Minister Liaquat Jatoi against Pakistan Peoples Party's Irfan Ali Laghari, who was elected as MNA from NA-234 Dadu district in the 2018 general elections.

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

of UK Parliament, House of Commons, Mr Khalid Mahmood called on Minister for Finance Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar here on Saturday.

Mushaal blasTs world For dealIng Zelensky, yasIn dIFFerenTly despITe sIMIlar sTruggle

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

CHAIRPERSOnof Peace and Culture Organisation Mushaal Hussein Mullick strongly condemned the undemocratic and inhuman approach of narendra Modi-led fascist government towards Yasin Malik who was denied all legal and medical facilities despite being incarcerated in fake and fabricated cases and had serious health issues.

Mushaal, a wife of Yasin Malik, in a statement on Saturday, expressed apprehension that senior Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik was not produced during the scheduled court hearing on Friday-last in false and fictitious Air Force case due to his fast deteriorating health condition.

She said that the court adjourned the hearing till

JIT formed to investigate suicide blast occurred in Federal Capital

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Islamabad police on Saturday formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate a suicide blast occurred in the capital city.

DIG Operations Sohai Zafar Chattah has issued a notification in this regard. The eight-member JIT will be headed by the SSP Counter Terrorism Department, while SP Industrial Area, SDPO Sabzi Manid, and officers of intelligence departments will be part of it.

A case of the suicide bombing was lodged at the Sabzi Mandi police station in the federal capital Friday under various sections, including charges of terrorism and murder.

On Friday morning, suicide blast took place in Islamabad sector I-10/4 in which a policeman was martyred and two terrorists were killed.

The minister, in a statement, said a man and a woman were in a vehicle which entered Islamabad from Rawalpindi. A team of the Eagle Squad stopped it for snap checking when the terrorists blew up the car, killing both of them. He said the terrorists aimed at hitting some “high-value targets” in the capital city.

Mr Sanaullah said six people, including four policemen, were injured in the incident, adding that the injured personnel were out of danger and being treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

January 23, 2023 that raised serious questions because he had several health issues but even then he was not provided with the much-needed life-saving medicines.

Mushaal went on to say that fascist Modi regime has failed to break Yasin Malik’s resolve for freedom despite using all inhuman and illegal tactics.

The chairperson expressed alarm that the brutal authorities subjected him to torture in the jail because they had nothing to prove him guilty in the court, adding that she was worried about the life of her husband who was kept in death cell of notorious Tihar jail.

Mushaal went on to say that they used all brutal tactics to silent the most powerful voice of the Kashmiris right to self-determination because they neither could buy his loyalty nor could deter him.

The chairperson said that Yasin Malik was detained and was deprived of all legal and medical facilities for his sole crime for being the most powerful

All set to observe Quaid-e-Azam’s 146th birth anniversary today

the country. The national flag will be hoisted on major government buildings throughout the country.

Special events will be arranged on the day to highlight and promote the ideals and views of the father of the nation, particularly with regard to rule of law, the supremacy of the constitution, and upholding of democracy. Public and private departments will hold a variety of events including seminars, conferences, competitions and discussion programs to highlight the messages and vision of Quaid-e-Azam.

The whole nation is busy in the preparations to celebrate the birth anniversary of the father of the nation with traditional zeal and fervor by paying rich tributes to him for his untiring struggle, sagacity and leadership that led to the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of sub-continent.

and said if Zelensky of Ukraine was not committing any crime to fight for freedom of his nation then why Yasin malik was behind the bars.

She urged that the international community and Un bodies should shun the duplicity and should also raise such collective supporting voice for Yasin Malik and Kashmiris who have been struggling for their birth rights like they are doing in the case of Ukraine.

She said that Yasin Malik was being punished because he loudly stated in the Indian court that if seeking freedom from Indian occupation was a crime, he would continue to do so and was ready to accept its consequences as well.

She urged the Un bodies, human rights organisations, EU and OIC to press fascist India to release Yasin Malik, who was battling for life in the notorious Tihar jail and ensure resolution of Kashmir dispute as per the aspiration of the people of the scenic valley.

Seven terror suspects held from across Punjab province

LAHORE: The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday claimed to have arrested as many as seven suspected terrorists linked to banned outfits from across Punjab, recovering materials for construction of suicide vests.According to a CTD spokesperson, the suspects were apprehended during 25 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted across Punjab over the past week. Apart from explosives, guns, ammunition and literature pertaining to terror activities and ideology were also recovered from the seven suspects. The seven suspected terrorists were booked on terror charges. In the past week, the CTD said that they had also conducted some 445 combing operations across Punjab in which they had searched some 19,630 people. Of these, 90 people remain under detention on suspicion of their alleged criminal activities. Further action will be taken once they have been questioned. Staff RepoRt

Governor cuts Christmas cake with Christian staffers

ISLAMABAD Mian abRaR

The 146th birth anniversary of the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah will be celebrated tomorrow Sunday with renewed pledge to uphold his guiding principles of unity, faith, and discipline.

The day will dawn today with special prayers for security, progress and prosperity of

Sanjrani urges nation to shun differences for prosperity

nation theory.

He said the entire Pakistani nation pays homage to the services of the founder of Pakistan.

Public and private departments will hold a variety of events including seminars, conferences, competitions and discussion programs to highlight the messages and vision of Quaid-eAzam.

Special events will be arranged on the day to highlight and promote the ideals and views of the father of the nation, particularly with regard to rule of law, the supremacy of the constitution, and the upholding of democracy.

LAHORE: Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh ur Rahman cut Christmas cake with the Christian staff, children and families on the eve of Christmas at the Governor's House here on Saturday. Wife of governor Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman also welcomed the guests at the cake-cutting ceremony. Christmas marks the birth anniversary of the Holy Christ. Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman said on this happy occasion, "We should share love and happiness with one another." He said Islam teaches peace, tolerance and brotherhood. He said Christian community is rendering valuable services in various fields and contributing to the development of the country. What made the event more conspicuous was the presence of children who were overjoyed to receive gifts on the eve of the Christmas. app

Imran backs out of stance on assemblies’ dissolution: Kundi

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani on Saturday urged the nation to set aside differences and get united for a progressive, peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan by following the vision of the founder of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

In his message on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the great Quaid-e-Azam, the chairman said the only way to overcome the problems being confronted by the country were to ensure the rule of law and strictly follow the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

“We have to improve our future by following the guiding principles of the founder of Pakistan,” said the chairman, adding that Quaid-e-Azam was a great visionary leader. Muhammad Ali Jinnah started the struggle for a separate homeland by bringing together the Muslims of the subcontinent on one platform with his immaculate character, consistency, and struggle, and succeeded in creating Pakistan on the basis of the two-

The foresightedness and political acumen of the fathers of the nation formulated guiding principles like unity, faith and discipline which helped changing the destiny of the nation.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah stood firm in the movement of Pakistan in such a way that the most powerful nation of the world had to accept his demands.

The chairman said the nation was suffering due to forgetting the teachings of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

He prayed Allah Allah to grant courage and opportunity to the nation to follow the footsteps of great Quaid in all walks of life and make Pakistan a strong and prosperous country.

Meanwhile, Senate Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi congratulated the nation on the birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam, acknowledging his services and called him the benefactor of all Pakistanis.

Prohibited funding case: Court extends bail of two PTI leaders

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

A banking court in Lahore on Saturday extended the bail of two PTI leaders into the new year after the petitioners contended that the charge imposed on them was incorrect.

A special banking court of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Lahore led by Judge Aslam Gondal on Saturday heard the bail pleas of two Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) leaders Mubbashir Ahmed and Tariq Shafi in

the prohibited foreign funding case.

During Saturday’s proceedings, the suspect’s lawyer contended that the charge imposed was incorrect and that the FIA has all records of transactions made.

Further, the lawyer contended that the court has previously approved the bail of co-accused Hamid Zaman, hence their bail pleas should also be accepted. Subsequently, the court accepted the please and extended their bail until January 13, 2023.

Earlier in the week, the court had approved the bail of the leaders but only for three days.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Faisal Karim Kundi said Imran Khan has once again backed away from his decision of dissolving assemblies and hiding in Lahore.

“Imran Khan had earlier announced to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies on Friday but once again backed away from his stance”, he said during a presser here Saturday.

Faisal Kundi said that Imran Khan had been declared as certified thief by the institutions for always resorting to lies and deceit.

He said that Pakistan People’s Party would adopt a democratic way to pursue no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Punjab.

Expressing concern over worsening law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the SAPM said that the Chief Executive and Police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are showing lack of concern on the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that Pakistan People’s Party along with its allied parties succeeded in improving peace and security situation in the province however those who have been ruling this province for the last ten years have brought us back to the same place.

The SAPM said that the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the failure of the provincial government and those responsible for this should have resigned from their positions. Today, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police is on duty at Bani Gala palace and busy in providing security to the thieves and terrorists who are patrons of PTI, leaving their own province, he added and said the KP government has no funds to give salaries to the employees and its Chief Minister is saying that he will protest in the center for the rights of the province. The Chief Minister never demanded any funds from Imran Khan during

the last five years just to save his own position, he remarked.

Faisal Kundi also criticized the passage of bill allowing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government servants to use the official helicopters and said that no helicopter was available for shifting the injured from Bannu.

The SAPM criticized Imran Khan for making another false allegation on Bilawal Bhutto for utilizing Rs.

two billion of Foreign Office on his foreign visits while Bilawal has not taken any funds from the government exchequer for these visits.

To a question, he said that the present government had inherited economy in very bad state due to ineffective policies of PTI led government.

The present government is striving hard to stabilize the economy. It is a difficult task but we have taken this challenge to put the economy on right track, the SAPM said.

To another question about any intentions to arrest PTI chairman, Faisal Kundi said Pakistan People’s Party do not believe on political victimization like PTI and the government will only arrest him, if the court takes decision against him”.

voice of the Kashmir freedom struggle in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Mushaal lashed out at the world double standard

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Back to the courts

Aswidely predicted, Punjab CM Ch Parvez Elahi challenged his denotification by the Governor in the Lahore High Court, which has held the notiffication in abeyance and has also taken an undertaking from him not to dissolve the Punjab Assembly. His opponents claim that his failure to take the vote of confidence he was asked to by the Governor, means that he no longer holds office. His supporters argue that the Governor could not, as he did, summon a fresh session for the vote of confidence, while the present session of the Assembly continued. once again, the courts have been asked to intervene in a matter that should not have left to the precincts of the House. the issue is actually quite simple: does Ch Parvez have the right to be CM? that depends on whether he commands a majority in the Punjab Assembly. that can only be determined by that Assembly. true, Ch Pervez has every right to stick to the office, and speaker sibtain Khan has every right to ensure that the House’s rules are followed, but avoiding a vote of confidence only leaves the Lahore High Court, and later the supreme Court, to intervene.

though the establishment claims to have become neutral, the pattern is the same: a purely political issue is taken to the courts to settle. the establishment remains in charge. Whereas one part got the decisions it wanted, validating its actions, has declared neutrality, now what had been a second fiddle, now assumes centrestage. In a strange way, the establishment, now covered in the odour of sanctity given by neutrality, is still able to get the results it wanted.

the big winner so far has got to be Ch Pervez, who also accounts himself close to the establishment. He remains Chief Minister. the PML(N), an erstwhile establishment opponent, has failed to topple Ch Parvez. the PtI, which has moved so swiftly from being the establishment’s favourite to a vocal opponent, is also a loser, at least for now, as its pledge to dissolve the two provincial assemblies it controls on Friday has come a cropper, with any future pledge depending on how the LHC decides. If the establishment had not been neutral, it would probably have been satisfied with how events were moving. But it’s neutral, isn’t it?

Celebrating the Quaid’s birthday

India. to lend credence to its fallacious allegation, Indian media showed CIA’s former director Leon Paneta’s video clips about osama bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan. As an act of cartographic aggression, India ‘annexed’ the disputed Jammu and Kashmir state and put it under Delhi’s central rule.

When the Quaid left India on 7 August 1947, Vallabhai Patel said, ‘the poison had been removed from the body of India’. But the Quaid said, ‘the past has been buried and let us start afresh as two independent sovereign states’. Nehru’s followers continued their anti-Pakistan efforts in the post-Partition period.

to attend Christmas functions. In the past there had been attacks on churches and nuns.

M. A. Niazi Joint Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

EVERyyear on December 25, we celebrate Quaid-e-Azam Day to pay tributes to the founder of Pakistan. on this national day, we hoist the national flag at private and public buildings, including the Quaid-e-Azam House in Karachi.

stanley Wolpert paid tributes to the Quaid in following words, “Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Few still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone could be credited with creating a nation state. Muhammad All Jinnah did all three”. Pakistan overcame the insurmountable problems of influx of 1947 refugees, skimpy finances and myriad others to emerge as a viable entity. We welcomed refugees, while India is all set to drive out 4.7 million refugees from its eastern state of Assam. the 1916 Lucknow Pact (drafted by the Quaid) was acknowledged as a pillar of Hindu-Muslim friendship. However, Motilal Nehru, at the behest of the fanatic Hindus, shattered the spirit of peaceful coexistence by formulating his Nehru Report (1928). His son Jawaharlal, outwardly liberal, regarded the creation of Pakistan as a blunder. His rancour against Pakistan reached a crescendo in his remark ‘I shall not have that carbuncle on my back’. Jaswant singh, in his book, Jinnah: India, Partition, and Independence, reveals that the Quaid shelved the idea of an independent Pakistan by putting his signature to the Cabinet Mission’s recommendations. this Mission envisaged keeping India undivided for ten years. the constituent assemblies were to consider the question of division after 10 years. When Congress refused to accept the recommendations of the Cabinet Mission, the British government decided to divide India. Despite the lapse of over 70 years, India still has to reconcile with Pakistan as a reality. Recently, Pakistan’s foreign minister at the United Nations drew attention to the Kashmir dispute that is unresolved because India obstructed holding a plebiscite. India’s foreign minister did not answer why the UN resolutions remained unresolved. He beat about the bush by blaming Pakistan for some terrorist incidents within

Pakistan is a pluralist democracy. the minorities are equal citizens with inalienable fundamental rights. the Quaid participated in Christmas celebrations in December 1947 as a guest of the Christian community. An over-ebullient admirer addressed him as `Maulana Jinnah’. Jinnah retorted, ‘I am not a Maulana, just plain Mr. Jinnah’. till his last breath, the Quaid remained an ardent supporter of rights of minorities as equal citizens of Pakistan.

He wanted Pakistan to be a welfare state, not a plutocracy. In his speech at the 30th session of the Muslim League, he said, “It will be a people’s government. I should like to give a warning to the landlords and capitalists who have flourished at our expense by a system which is so vicious, which is so wicked and which makes them so selfish that it is difficult to reason with them

one member of the Quaid’s post-Partition cabinet was a Hindu. A Jewish scholar, Mohammad Asad, who embraced Islam, held important positions in the post-Partition period in Pakistan. the following extracts from the Quaid’s speeches and statements as Governor General of Pakistan epitomise his vision: “you are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques, or to any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan… you may belong to any religion, caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state…We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed or another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of the one state”.

the Quaid visualised that `in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the state”. A. K. Brohi, in his the Fundamental Law of Pakistan, argues that Pakistan is an Islamic state, but not a theocracy. Jinnah’s address to the Constituent Assembly on 11 August 1947, also, epitomises his vision.

Anti-conversion and anti-love jihad laws are not being enacted in Pakistan as in India. In India even an Australian preacher, Graham staines, and his two kids were slaughtered in orissa, the Babri mosque was demolished. the Bajrang Dal warned Hindus not

Ayesha Jalal in hwe paper Why Jinnah Matters recalls `Just before his own death, Jinnah proposed a joint defence with India as the Cold War started to shape the world and the two power blocs began to form. Jinnah was still thinking as a south Asian nationalist. … Had Jinnah’s vision prevailed- and found an echo in India, we would have seen a very different south Asia. ..there would have been no crippling defence expenditures. there would have been no reason to join one or other camps of the Cold War. there would have been open borders, free trade and regular visiting between the two countries…. a more humane subcontinent might have emerged … In 1971, when Pakistan was broken in two, its critics jubilantly cried, `Jinnah’s Pakistan is dead’. they were wrong.…’.

He wanted Pakistan to be a welfare state, not a plutocracy. In his speech at the 30th session of the Muslim League, he said, “It will be a people’s government. I should like to give a warning to the landlords and capitalists who have flourished at our expense by a system which is so vicious, which is so wicked and which makes them so selfish that it is difficult to reason with them. the exploitation of the masses has gone into their blood. they’ve forgotten the lesson of Islam. Greed and selfishness have made these people subordinate to the interests of others in order to fatten themselves…If they’re wise they’ll have to adjust themselves to the new modern conditions of life. If they don’t, God help them; we shall not help them.

Lord Ismay, Chief of staff to the Viceroy, recorded an interview with the Quaid. Excerpt: ‘Mr. Jinnah said with the greatest earnestness that once Partition has been decided upon, everyone would know exactly all troubles would cease, and they would live happily ever after where they were’.

the Quaid visualised Pakistan as a democracy, not a theocracy.In a broadcast addressed to the people of the UsA (February 1948), he said, ‘In any case Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic state to be ruled by priests [mullahs] with a divine mission. We have many non-Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and Parsees– but they are all Pakistanis. they will enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other citizen and will play their rightful part in the affairs of Pakistan.”

The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com

Pakistani Faux Policy towards Terrorism

Mostreaders would probably know the fable of a shepherd boy who unendingly fooled the village people into believing a wolf was attacking his town’s flock, but when the actual wolf appeared and he called for help, all thought it was another of his false alarms. As a result, all the sheep got eaten by the wolf. the same is the story of today’s Pakistan. In the 1990s, the Islamists used a weapon against India, which continued even after that.

For decades, Pakistan has played double games not only with its enemies but friends as well. of course much more like other areas, in the official version, the image of Pakistan is presented as an innocent victim— lost 70,000 people, lost $140 billion, got its image ruined and whatnot. Astonishingly, we forget to tell ourselves that it was our decision to become part of the Western alliance against the godless, partly to become a nuclear country, and partly to get dollars— against all the official narrative, our decision to become part of the western bloc was purely strategic and security-laden.

today, Pakistanis should not be stunned to see Afghans finding fault with the policies which have made their country uninhabitable. the late one-time IsI chief, Lt Gen (retd) Hamid Gul used to say that the history of Afghanistan would be written that the IsI with the support of theUsA defeated the so-

viet Union— and the IsI with the support of the UsA defeated the UsA. those who still defend Pakistan’s hypocrisy in dealing with other countries must pay heed to the words of the man in charge rather than displaying unfounded baloney.

If General Hamid Gul were alive today, he would have added one more idea to his prophetic revelation: the taliban with the support of the IsI defeated the UsA— and the taliban with the support of IsI would destroy Pakistan. Vulgar propagandists like General Hamid Gul, who have been lying to Pakistanis, are out there in droves.

the taliban do not want to listen to us, don’t want to hear that the IsI favoured them, and are poised to flex their muscles. the victory to implant a terrorist organization has repercussions and what we are seeing is the déjà vu of the past where blood was shed in each street of Pakistan.

It is easy to use terrorists such as the taliban and the ttP or Is-K for short-term strategic goals or obscenely put “strategic depth” but they can’t be controlled or lectured, let alone tamed. In the past, sober individuals warned the stakeholders against playing with fire to achieve myopic goals.

Against all such advice, Pakistan’s confounding policy regarding terrorists gave birth to an ocean of such groups: tehrik-etaliban Pakistan (ttP or Pakistani taliban), IsIs-K, sipah-e- sahaba Pakistan (ssP), tehreek-e- Nafaz-e- shariat-e- Mohammadi (tNsM), Lashkar-e- Jhangvi (LeJ), sipahe-Muhammad Pakistan (sMP), tehreek-eJaferia Pakistan (tJP), Lashkar-e-toiba (Let), Jaish-e-Mohammad Mujahideen E-

tanzeem, Rabita trust. they do not belong to the modern, civilized and sophisticated world, and neither does the country that gave them space.

It hadn’t been too long since we used to differentiate between “good” and “bad” taliban. the good was bad for Afghanistan and carried out the same atrocities as the bad taliban did to us. the only difference was the use of soil. otherwise, their ideological

Even today, we blame others for our own crimes. No state forced us to participate in another’s war; we jumped on the bandwagon of anti-Communism, supported the Us bloc and earned what we deserved. today, much of the devastation done to Afghanis is due to our hypocritical, undemocratic, mean and lopsided policy towards our Western neighbour. If they knock at our doors, it is because we handed out their

Pakistan should have an unambiguous and vivid stance on dealing with terrorist outfits. Time and again, talking to terrorists has been seen as a waste of time. Of course, it doesn’t mean to wage war on them, but if they want to disarm, accept the Constitution of Pakistan and live as a normal person, they should be given an opportunity to do so. However, they cannot be allowed to make the likes of Taliban Afghanistan here

moorings are not much at odds. our foreign policy hasn’t been based on realpolitik, leave alone on moral grounds. Behind closed doors, boots and mosques made the decision to stand with one powerful country against dollars. those who called a spade a spade were silenced and the country went from one crisis to another.

houses to the Us-declared terrorists. If they are being tortured, raped, bombed and killed, we have to take a lion’s share of responsibility. If women are denied education, they are restricted to the four walls, human rights are crushed and barbarism is ubiquitous in Afghanistan, we played our role to have it happen.

After ceding space to militant groups, we have seen much of the drama and shame hovering around us, unfortunately rightly so. the world doesn’t know Pakistan because of the great Abdus salam, or Eqbal Ahmed, but we are known as the host of UN-sanctioned global terrorists— osama Bin Laden, Mullah omar, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, Masood Azhar, Hafiz saeed and the list goes on. Before raising terrorists, we should pay heed to the so-called educated Pakistanis who are taliban sympathizers.

I wish these individuals would spend an hour in Afghanistan under the brutality of the terrorist group or wage holy war there whose only achievement hinges upon their suppression of women and minorities. Unsurprisingly, they wouldn’t waste a second applying for an Australian or Canadian visa despite their love for the taliban.

While we have razed our neighbour, the Damocles’ sword is hanging over our head as well. the uptick in terrorist activities in recent days speaks volumes. the takeover by the ttP of the Bannu CtD centre is just the tip of the iceberg. there is an increase of 50 percent in terrorist cases owing to the increased space given to the ttP by the taliban. Cross-border conflicts have seen another height because the taliban want to live in the stone Age, therefore fencing or security doesn’t get into their head.

Pakistan should have an unambiguous and vivid stance on dealing with terrorist outfits. time and again, talking to terrorists has been seen as a waste of time. of course, it doesn’t mean to wage war on them, but if they want to disarm, accept the Constitution of Pakistan and live as a normal person, they should be given an opportunity to do so. However, they cannot be allowed to make the likes of taliban Afghanistan here.

The new Punjab imbroglio shows politicians once again taking disputes to the courts

The writer is a freelance columnist

NAzim UddiN

Amjed jAAved

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

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

Terror has begun to spill over into Pakistan

The economy and the minorities…

The year of living dangerously

As2022 draws to a close; it takes with it many lives lost, or maimed for the rest of the life. It will also be remembered in the specific context of Pakistan as the one which transformed for the worse and in the blessing in disguise; for the better. the worse; many red lines crossed. the better, many myths broken. Economy and polity in shambles; statehood in complete chaos, there has never been a nightmare lived through as was experienced by Pakistanis in 2022. taking the issue of statehood first, Pakistanis fully realized soon after the demise of the Father of the Nation that the state envisaged by him was to be soon abandoned to power groups embedded in political movements or institutions; the political parties and the established deep state order. the cornering of people like Madar Millat soon after, were the early warning signs to take note of. What was to follow was even grimmer.

However, during that period, there was some iota of decency in practice. there were seldom any instances when political opponents’ honour was at the altar and discretion of a state employee; usually an intelligence sleuth. Conversations were recorded in German make Grundig spool tape recorders; but they usually found their resting place in these intelligence agencies’ warehouses. there was seldom any public humiliation of any political figure, journalist or a common person; a separatist element; for that matter. Many journalists were imprisoned in jails or in the notorious Lahore Fort’s interrogation centres, but there was a general word out that the person would live and be returned to his family. During those decades, political dissidents were tortured in those prisons; not stripped in cyberspace, as seems to be the order of the day now.

Closely linked to the political aspect has been the treatment of the fourth pillar of the state. the first military dispensation strangulated the media in its own way, but could not stop the renowned poets in the dissident camp to; from their ghazzals being sung in sittings graced by those very established order figures. the print media years were characterized by slow infiltration of the desks by the deep state in the form of ghost stories; especially after the Zia years; whose era cultivated the first instances of right of the centre generation of “media drones” or fifth generation warriors.

that infiltration was subtle in the form of ‘ghost’ or captioned ‘news desk’ stories. However, with editorials manned by people of integrity like Masoud Ullah Khan and Zaka Rajput; who were within their domain independent enough to put such ghost content in the dustbin of the desk. the owners, while wishing to play safe with the deep state for obvious financial reasons; still had the guts to safeguard the editorial independence of the editors as well as field journalists. In a separate instance; owner editors like Mazhar Ali Khan retained people like Husain Naqi despite the latter’s head-on confrontation with the state over reported content.

However, that has not been the case with Pakistan; as was witnessed in 2022. Any journalist can be shown the door at will and debarred from working anywhere, if he had laid his feet

on the proverbial “tail of the bulldog”. sending goons to a journalist’s home; not falling in line; killing them in foreign lands without any burden on the conscience has become; unbelievably the norm in Pakistan of today. In that context; the outgrowing of the mandate of the institutions has in turn; denuded these institutions of any aura of respect or fear; in the real world. the late Ishtiaq Ahmed, renowned for writing imaginary exploits of intelligence sleuths, must be turning in his grave seeing the day-to-day happenings in Pakistan.

similarly, a vulgar pushing of content from the powerful quarters has become so much of a routine that ghost stories thrown into the dustbin by courageous desk incharges might look like fairy tales of the past.

As the electronic media dominates as a vehicle to reach the hearts and minds of the people, it is not uncommon for viewers are subject to the torture of live broadcast detailing deep state engagements of the day.

Not to ignore the economy; the preferences of the state as they transformed into an ugly monster clearly explain through actions that recovery of the economy is the last thing in the minds of people who matter; the deep state. the perils of a ‘police state’ demand that the priority is to suppress dissent and not encourage an economic revival. that deep state which has evolved as a result is not interested in warm relations with the neighbours; who are the first destination for any country’s export; thus revenues and consequently lesser dependence on IMF’s sDRs. the preference of that state is ‘negotiating’ standby facilities with the IMF.

Consequently, the definition of inflation, unlike the traditional definition of being monetary policy inspired, has taken the aspect of being cost-push; costs are pushed due to removal of subsidy on fuel, IMF diktat to keep the dollar floating in the market and lastly factor costs increase due to renewed taxation. the policy package available has forced the policy makers, no other way but to follow the IMF.

the major outcome of the so-called IMF-led adjustment policies have been the buildup of a food riot, with the only exception that the riots have still not broken out in any nook otr corner of Pakistan. the progressive inflationary trends observed since April 2022 have pushed a good deal of the population beneath the proverbial poverty line.

Politically the damage is irreparable. Polarization has attained new highs. The political factions and their supporters do not have any concern for the recovery of the economy. A divided country, already under a technical default situation, has no leadership confidence in place to take radical decisions as chances are slim as to there being any consensus. The developing scenario squarely points towards more dangers ahead; a test for the country, having already transformed itself towards destruction in the process. Any turnaround will be a miracle; human-made; if any in destiny or the tide turned towards better

Pakistan’s dire straits today are the result of that militarist approach. A city in central Punjab; an exclusive point for multiple varieties of citrus, has never been developed as an export transit point. Rather the state preferences lay elsewhere. the consequences of that approach has been that the economy has gone deep into the donors’ debt trap. As a result, the cost of living has gone up due to IMF-led or -pressured adjustments in fuel prices and imposition of Gst amd other taxes to increase the revenue of the governments; federal as well as provincial.

.With consumers’ shrinking ability to buy merchandise; causing decrease in revenues, automatically in profits and consequently stifling the growth cycle; the key policy makers; on either side of the civil and military divide lack an imagination to realize that an IMF injection is not important, rather the breaking of the vicious cycle of poverty and recession is.

Given the analysis of the year now ending, the outlook for the next year 2023, logically does not rest on confident grounds. the politico-economic slide of the country remains unabated. the will to revive the economy remains a distant hope. the coming days and months might see a further slide into ad hoc solutions with no serious will to evolve a recovery policy; be it economics or polity.

Politically the damage is irreparable. Polarization has attained new highs. the political factions and their supporters do not have any concern for the recovery of the economy. A divided country, already under a technical default situation, has no leadership confidence in place to take radical decisions as chances are slim as to there being any consensus. the developing scenario squarely points towards more dangers ahead; a test for the country, having already transformed itself towards destruction in the process. Any turnaround will be a miracle; human-made; if any in destiny or the tide turned towards better.

The

Editor’s mail

Missing birds

CANyou imagine a sky without feathery birds flying … or a spring without their melodious chirping … or trees without nests of various kinds? today, it might appear unimaginable, but it is difficult to talk with any degree of certainty about the future. When human beings become insensitive to the nature, they tend to destroy the environment. Around 500 documented bird species have so far gone extinct due to such activities. According to researchers, the extinction rate of birds is doubling in the 21st century. this is alarming. Countries like Pakistan have also seen an increase in the extinction of many bird species. Previously, it was hard for the common man to find data on such issues, but wildlife artists, such as Ghulam Abbas Khaskheli, have been documenting the birds with a rare concept of paintings. the two books, Birds of Pakistan and Painted Eggs, are rare documentations of even rarer birds captured in the form of paintings in these books. the first book is a compilation of paintings of more than 100 bird species, while in the second book, the author has gone a step further by painting on eggshells. However, the books do not have mere paintings as the author has added descriptions and details of each species, and has clearly mentioned those that are on the brink of extinction. For instance, cheer pheasant, found in the Himalayas’ steep, grassy hillsides, has almost gone extinct in Pakistan because of the destruction of its habitat.

If they keep going one after the other, we may have a day with no bird flying around. It is perhaps only then that we, the humans, will realise what we have done.

KHURSHID ALI KARACHI

Rights of domestic and wild animals

INthe words of Jeremy Bentham, an 18th-century philosopher, when deciding the rights of a being, the question is not whether they can reason or talk, but whether they can suffer. By common sense, it is palpable that all animals inherently can suffer not only in the same way, but also to the same degree that humans do.

With pleasure, pain, frustration, loneliness, fear and motherly emotions being the common elements between us, it is not too difficult to realise that animals, too, are entitled to certain rights.

When I was seven, my father would take me and my cousins to the Lahore zoo. We would see some peacocks roaming outside their enclosures, monkeys hanging on the branches inside their cages and lions sleeping in their savannas. Clinging to the fence, standing on the first level of the railings, raising our small heals to get a better view of these exotic animals, we always felt like sharing our lives with these living beings.

Living in a small town in texas, you would witness deer walking up to your house’s front door, squirrels coming to your table for a chunk of food, birds sitting on your shoulders, and ducks quacking around you as you walk them by. All these are sights so rare, almost unimaginable, in Pakistani society. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Pakistan is home to at least 177 mammal and 660 bird species, making it one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Unfortunately, conservation and rehabilitation efforts are few and far in between. over the years, the sense of chaos, unrest and insecurity prevailing in society can be seen affecting the lives of animals, too, that are an easy target for us to vent out frustrations. Psychologically, we enjoy a sense of control in our lives by doing so. the news of a domestic animal forced-fed acid and then made to work is circulating these days on social media. A few months ago, someone in southern sindh was beaten to death as he uploaded a video of vulnerable houbara bustards being hunted. the illegal hunting occurred despite the fact that the Islamabad High Court has held that animals have natural rights and are entitled to protection under the Constitution. Elephants held in solitary confinement, bears forced to ‘dance’ and the killing of stray dogs; these are not examples of granting natural rights to animals.

state and federal laws usually regard animals primarily as property, so they in turn have little or no legal standing of their own. Globally, anti-cruelty laws stipulate that all animals in captivity be provided with necessities, such as food, water and shelter.

Pakistan has been graded an overall ‘E’ on the world animal protection index with an ‘F’ in government accountability and a ‘G’ in animal protection, which ranks us lower than India and higher than only a few countries where even the human rights situation is abysmal.

to remedy this predicament, the government should improve upon the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1890 with a more focussed approach, especially in zoos. such regulations must include requirements concerning the handling, feeding, housing and farming of animals, and promote the internationally accepted five freedoms of animals: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury, or disease, freedom from fear and distress, and freedom to express normal behaviour. Moreover, it is necessary to create an accountability unit that may ensure animal welfare, protecting the five freedoms of the animals. In the case of stray dogs, adopting a humane stray animal population management system involving ownership, mass vaccinations and reproduction control should be encouraged. Animals suffer and their internationally recognised rights must be protected. In civilised countries, animals have rights, and these rights are ensured. We live in times where in some parts of the world, animals enjoy more rights than humans. It is time our society learnt to give rights to the weak, including animals.

MUHAMMAD ALI FALAK TEXAS, USA

Karachi Drug Market

Karachi has one of the highest numbers of drug consumers in the world, and the old Golimar area is the hub of this illicit trade. In connivance with government officials, the drug market in old Golimar does a flourishing ‘trade’. Drugs are sold openly and the suppliers are provided security by those who are supposed to do otherwise.

When there are drugs, there are bound to be gang wars, and that is the unfortunate reality of the area. they fight among themselves, but join hands in ‘teaching’ a lesson to those who try to raise voice against the menace. Recently, the drug dealers took out their modern weapons when the area residents held a protest demonstration to draw the attention of the government towards the activities of the drug mafia in the area. Ironically, when the law-enforcement personnel reached the spot, they used force against the protesters instead of the drug traffickers. It was like selling drugs is permissible, but complaining against it is illegal. one wonders when someone senior in the city or provincial hierarchy might find the time to pay attention to such matters.

OLD GOLIMAR RESIDENTS KARACHI

writer is a freelance columnist

NAqi AkbAr

Honour at stake; many pushed below poverty line

iran turmoil: thE nuclEar dEal must bE savEd and bold rEforms EnactEd

sued more aggressively since President ebrahim Raisi took office, with obvious signs of the state’s robust shift towards Russia and China.

“The world is approaching a new order in which the US will be isolated and Asia will rise to power,” Khamenei told a group of students this month. “The signs of the US’s decline are obvious. They have economic, social and moral problems inside the US. There are discords and bloody divisions.”

ent analysis of the political landscape before adopting policies toward the Islamic Republic.

Why EuropE’s EnErgy crisis is a disastEr for EmErging EconomiEs

neGOTIATIONS between Iran and world powers to revive the nuclear deal have turned into a lengthy and fraught process, with no tangible results thus far. Robert Malley, the US envoy for Iran, recently declared that the Biden administration was not going to “waste time” on trying to revive the deal while Tehran was cracking down on protesters at home and supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.

As the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iranian morality police has fuelled protests across the country, the european Union last month imposed new sanctions on Iran. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the eU would not close its eyes to the crackdown in Iran and was mulling further sanctions, while exploring whether to classify the Revolutionary Guards as a “terrorist organisation”.

When I was the Iranian ambassador in Germany (1990-1997), as the US pushed an agenda to further isolate Iran through sanctions, Germany advocated for dialogue and engagement policies. Things are very different today.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State has not missed the opportunity to terrorise ordinary Iranians: last week, at least 15 people were killed when the group attacked a Shia shrine in the historic city of Shiraz.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed western powers for the current unrest in his country, noting: “These riots and insecurities were designed by America and the Zionist regime, and their employees.” Iran’s eastward pivot has been pur-

AGREEMENT IN LIMBO: In the Ukraine war, Iran has been accused of supplying Russia with drones, allegations Tehran initially denied as “unfounded and unsubstantiated”. however, last week, for the first time, Iran acknowledged that it had supplied Moscow with drones but said they were sent before the war in Ukraine. Iranian Foreign Minister hossein Amirabdollahian said a “small number” of drones had been supplied to Russia a few months before Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Also, last week witnessed a stronger tone by US President Joe Biden who told supporters at a campaign rally: “Don’t worry, we’re gonna free Iran.” Biden’s statement is a clear violation of international rules and regulations undermining the noninterference principle enshrined in Article No 7 of the United Nations Charter. In response, Raisi said: “Iran was liberated 43 years ago and is determined not to be taken hostage by you (America) again.”

Meanwhile, as thousands of Iranian expats in western capitals have taken to the streets in support of the ongoing protests, the revival of the nuclear deal remains in limbo.

If western powers try to corner Iran and reinstate UN-led sanctions, Tehran would likely withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Any military strike by Israel or the US would likely then push Iran towards building a nuclear weapon.

Contrary to the West’s characterisation of recent political developments in Iran, the ongoing social movement does not exhibit the characteristics of a “revolution” that would overthrow the Iranian government, as is often claimed by western media outlets.

A sizeable segment of the Iranian populationparticularly the youth - has a whole range of economic, political and social grievances, which have been aggravated by the reimposition of sanctions after the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal. But their grievances and expressions of frustration do not suggest that the Iranian government will be overthrown. The West should obtain a coher-

INCLUSIVE POLICIES: Given these trends, there are no easy winners. The best route - one that could ultimately alleviate the current crisis - is the revival of the Iran nuclear deal. This remains the best possible mechanism to ensure that Iran does not divert its energies towards building a nuclear bomb. Revival of the deal would deescalate tensions between the West and Iran, and facilitate the international community’s agenda for a Middle east zone free of weapons of mass destruction.

To address the internal dissatisfaction of the Iranian people, the government must revive the nuclear deal and make bold decisions on economic reforms and more inclusive social policies.

There are about six million Iranians living overseas constituting 7 percent of the total population of the country. Many of them have family and assets in Iran but are too afraid to visit the country.

This has caused the ire of thousands of Iranian expats and constitutes a major reason for protesting and calling for change. In 2018, over 70 members of Iran’s parliament signed a draft law to declare a general amnesty and judicial immunity for diaspora Iranians.

When I led the foreign relations committee of Iran’s National Security Council (1997-2005), I proposed a state decree on “general amnesty for Iranians abroad”, which I believe could increase social solidarity. It never came to fruition, but the government today would do well to consider it.

In tandem with more inclusive social policies at home and Iranian neutrality with regards to the Ukraine war, a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia would be vital to ensuring peace, stability and security in the Gulf and the broader Middle east.

Five rounds of talks in Iraq between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been hailed as a “positive” development. The next round could be carried out via foreign ministers, in order to finalise the resumption of diplomatic relations. Iran-Saudi cooperation could not only facilitate a collective security system in the Gulf, but also help to end the crises in Yemen, Syria and Iraq.

Seyed Hossein Mousavian is Middle East Security and Nuclear Policy Specialist at Princeton University, and a former Chief of Iran’s National Security Foreign Relations Committee.

Russia is only too happy to step in and supply LNG to Pakistan, which is only too happy to take it. As the Pakistani ambassador to Russia told TASS news agency recently, “If

Oilprice.cOm IrIna Slav

the surge in natural gas demand from europe has led to a surge in prices that has devastated emerging economies in other parts of the world and this devastation could drag on for years, Bloomberg reports. “energy security concerns in europe are driving energy poverty in the emerging world,” Saul Kavonic, Credit Suisse energy analyst, told Bloomberg. “europe is sucking gas away from other countries whatever the cost.”

The fact is that european countries can afford to pay a premium for natural gas while poorer nations such as Pakistan or Bangladesh don’t have the money to afford such a premium. Pakistan, by the way, is already suffering blackouts for most of the day and there is little chance of that changing anytime soon because of exorbitant LNG prices. “Suppliers don’t need to focus on securing their LNG to low affordability markets,” Wood Mackenzie analyst Raghav Mathur told Bloomberg. What’s more, the spot market is so lucrative at the moment that producers can breach their long-term contracts and afford to pay the penalties with money made on that market.

The situation is unlikely to change in the observable future. On the contrary, europe is building LNG import terminals, meaning the current level of demand might extend over a longer period of time despite the eU’s bold emission-cutting ambitions.

And this means emerging economies’ energy supply troubles may well extend over a longer period of time as well as they are forced to compete for the limited supply of LNG with some of the wealthiest economies in the world. Russia, meanwhile, is only too happy to step in and supply LNG to Pakistan, which is only too happy to take it. As the Pakistani ambassador to Russia told TASS news agency recently, “If the rich countries take away all the LNG, what is going to happen to us?”

truth commissions are lessons for societies in transition

THE MANDATE OF TRUTH COMMISSIONS BRINGS AN OFFICIAL NARRATIVE OF THE WRONGDOINGS, WHETHER MADE BY STATE OFFICERS OR REBELS AND SOME WAYS TO OVERCOME THE USE OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE

mandate.

The relevance of truth commissions relies on understanding how citizens in those transitional contexts can move forward to reach sustainable peace as a collective goal.

BonIlla-aranzaleS

sOCIeTIeS in political transitions experience vivid debates; one of the most vivid focuses on the creation of institutions that guarantee that peace and justice aims are accomplished.

Some nations, such as South Africa, start the process by uncovering the truth to ensure collective reconciliation. This premise works based on the assumption that understanding and getting to know the “big picture” of past wrongdoings facilitates and makes possible a genuine reconciliation between different groups of society.

Conversely, other nations prioritise the goal of achieving justice first to reach peace and address the wrongdoings of the past. Nevertheless, truth is a crucial element – but not a mandatory one – in achieving reconciliation.

Many Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Colombia have adopted the latter model to move from an autocratic regime towards a democratic one or to stop violence after a civil war. Considering that Latin America and the African region are the world leaders in setting up truth commissions, the model of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) undoubtedly provided some valuable lessons that the Colombian Truth Commission considered in its institutional design and

As an alternative to punitive trials and lengthy court proceedings, truth commissions are temporary fact-finding institutions with no prosecutorial power, mainly in charge of unveiling, recording and documenting human rights violations in transitional contexts.

Additionally, through their truth-telling function, these mandate-oriented institutions provide analytical elements to understand the causes of human rights violations. Through public hearings, they allow victims to make their voices heard and reclaim their dignity as human beings. Truth commissions also provide reports with recommendations to avoid the future repetition of those violations and atrocities.

In sum, the mandate of truth commissions brings an official narrative of the wrongdoings, whether made by state officers or rebels and some ways to overcome the use of political violence.

In that regard, it is relevant to consider that transitional contexts and peace negotiations shape the mandate of the truth commission. In the South African case, one could argue that the establishment of the TRC emerged from a political compromise of the warring parties, which sought to reach reconciliation and forgiveness of the atrocities committed during the rule and the struggle to end the apartheid system. One can track the seed of this transitional institution from the previous work done by the Goldstone Commission. Later, the Government of National Unity in 1995 created a unique man-

date to enable South Africans to deal publicly with the human rights violations committed under apartheid to advance in terms of social reconciliation.

The retributive justice innovation adopted by the South African TRC relies on the work done by the amnesty committee. Individual amnesty is assessed by the quality of the contribution of the warring parties to the amnesty committee, which fosters the reconciliation process to guarantee trust among South African society to turn the page on violence and enter a new chapter of a peaceful future.

The Colombian Truth Commission has a similar mandate with a limited scope of action. The Colombian peace accord, signed in 2016 between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Farc in Spanish) established a comprehensive system for truth, reparation, and a guarantee of non-repetition. This transitional judicial system includes the creation of three temporal institutions: the unit for the search for missing persons within the context of the armed conflict; the special jurisdiction for peace, which is in charge of providing punitive or restorative sanctions; and the commission for the clarification of truth.

In that sense, the special jurisdiction for peace is the only institution in charge of providing amnesty for deeds made within the framework of the internal armed conflict, considering the limitations stipulated by international humanitarian law. Thus, the mandate of the Colombian Truth Commission offers an official narrative about the causes and consequences of the most protracted armed conflict in the Western hemisphere. Both truth commissions shared similari-

THE SOUTH AFRICAN TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION’S FOOTPRINT IN TERMS OF RECONCILIATION IS NOT A HUMBLE EXAMPLE OF HOW TO RECORD AND DOCUMENT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS – IT IS A LANDMARK LESSON FOR HUMANITY TO CONSIDER WITHIN TRANSITIONAL CONTEXTS

ties, and also faced similar challenges linked to the execution of their duties. One remarkable similarity is related to the leadership assumed in both institutions. In the South African TRC, the role of the anti-apartheid leader and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a pivotal element in facilitating the public’s trust in the mandate of the TRC.

equally, Francisco de Roux, the president of Colombia’s Truth Commission, is a highly respected Jesuit priest who has worked with Colombia’s armed conflict victims for decades. In both cases, the chosen leadership recognised not only the historical legacy that religion has played in the social life of both countries, but also provided high ethical standards concerning the mandate of unveiling the truth as a way of reconciliation.

Another similarity is linked to the inclusion of the victims as pivotal actors in the reconciliation process. Undoubtedly, the interaction between perpetrators and victims in the South African TRC served to unveil a social truth, which is established through interaction, discussion and debate.

Following this example but considering the particular context, the Colombian transitional justice guarantees the participation of victims to confront the wrongdoings of the warring parties prior to the judgment – such as in the case of kidnapping, in which Farc rebels admitted their role, or in the execution of civilians by army forces.

In sum, the interaction between the transitional institutions, victims and perpetrators provides impartial evidence concerning the events, causes and consequences of the in-

ternal conflict in both nations.

Among the challenges faced by both truth commissions, one could find several issues related to the design of the mandate, the limitations of the contribution by the perpetrators, and the lack of political will to implement the recommendations provided in the final reports. One could argue that in both nations, the recommendations were not legally binding – and their implementations depended on the political leadership at the highest level. Still, the success of the implementation of the peace accords relies heavily on the trust and attitudes that societies assume when the findings of truth commissions are made public.

If there is a sincere will among members of society to contribute to collective reconciliation aims, there is no inconvenient truth in transitional contexts. Truth commissions are a significant component of non-retributive justice in transitional societies to reach sustainable peace over time, promote nationbuilding, and move forward.

The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s footprint in terms of reconciliation is not a humble example of how to record and document human rights violations – it is a landmark lesson for humanity to consider within transitional contexts.

John Bonilla-Aranzales is a doctoral candidate in political science at the Harry S Truman School of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He is a research intern at the FW de Klerk Foundation.

middle east eye

Seyed hoSSeIn MouSavIan

mail and Guardian John

the rich countries take away all the LNG, what is going to happen to us?”

corporate corner

on

launched

PrEsidEnt for stEPs to EnhanCE womEn’s PartiCiPation in BusinEss sECtor

KARACHI Staff RepoRt

PRESIDENTDr Arif Alvi on Saturday urged the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) to enhance women’s participation in the business sector and labour force as they could play an integral part in society.

He called for taking practical and time-bound steps to increase women’s inclusion in the productive workforce and creating a safe, conducive, and women-friendly environment at the workplace.

The president expressed these views during his visit to the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release.

Karachi: The grand launch event of the latest book ‘Gambit on the Devil’s Chessboard’, written by Imran H. Khan was held at a local hotel here in Karachi on Saturday. The chief guest at the event was Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, Former Chairman, Senate of Pakistan. Imran H. Khan has always been drawn to the world of storytelling. He is a seasoned professional who has delved into the deep realms of creativity and penned down a riveting fictional novel. His extensive experience establishing his own biotechnology company gave him a unique perspective on the deadly friction between the haves and have nots of the corporate world. This explosive and all too real unfolding scenario of clashing head-on with the powerful and even murderous elite, is the backdrop of his latest novel. A number of notable personalities attended the event as speakers which included Senator (R) Javed Jabbar, Ameena Saiyid, Muhammad Ali Siddiqi, Professor Huma Baqai and Professor Kaleem Raza Khan. In his speech, Senator Raza Rabbani highlighted how Pakistan’s most prominent novelists in the past decade have one thing in common, and that is they’re all out of Pakistan. pR

Women working in agri sector largest contributors to informal economy: Study

Speaking on the occasion, the president said that businessmen played an important role in shaping business practices as well the opinion of society, and that they must set goals and directions in order to achieve the financial objectives of enterprises for economic prosperity, in addition to playing their role to make businesses dispense their responsibilities towards society.

He said that persons with disabilities (PWDs) needed to be employed

in different sectors of the economy, while also keeping in view their particular skill-set and the nature and extent of their disability.

While referring to the economic success of emerging economy of Vietnam with intellectual resources in the IT sector, the president said that the intellectual and human resource de-

velopment of a nation must equally be focused on in addition to developing its natural resources.

He underlined the need to establish and strengthen the academia-industry linkages to produce graduates that could fulfill the market’s requirements, besides coming up with solutions to the problems being faced by

CEO RUDA visits river training, construction sites, overviewing Master Plan

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Chief Executive Officer of Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) Imran Amin Friday visited river training site and reviewed the ongoing construction work at the embankments, meandering the river Ravi.

According to the details, the river training started early this year in first developmental phase of RUDA which has its own master plan.

In the light of RUDA’s master plan and the provisions therin, work has already started, albeit with different orientations of planning and execution. Earlier, the CEO also visited the upcoming flagship residential project Chaharbagh where he was briefed by Executive Director Engineering Brig Waheed (retd) about the developmental work completed so far.

Road. At the end, Director Urban Planning Zahid Hussain gave an overview of all initiated work as per the RUDA’S approved master plan and termed it as being based upon the best urban design concept for future with all sinews

islamabad : Rural women working in agricultural fields are the largest contributors to the informal economy in Pakistan, but they are not acknowledged, counted and protected. These women have same rights as working women in cities but in remote areas there is no recognition of their contribution and rights. These thoughts were expressed by Kashmala Tariq, Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment at the national launch of study on women agricultural workers rights organized by Awaz-CDS Pakistan. She also said that there is a strong need to implement laws already in place for women agricultural workers’ rights as they often earn less than men and are deprived of basic rights and protection. She stressed on the need of creating awareness among Women Agricultural Workers (WAWs) through mass media and effective role of local governments in addressing these issues. pR

Mr Amin instructed the resident engineer on site to speed up the communication infra structure, linking up with trunk and also feasibility finalization of a flyover, linking Chaharbagh with Ring

the local industry.

The president urged the business community to follow the path of the founder of Pakistan by pursuing the unity, faith and discipline to become successful in every walk of life and hoped that the business community would continue to strengthen economy of the country.

Balochistan finalizes preparations for general election: PEC

QUETTA Staff RepoRt

Provincial Election Commission (PEC) of Balochistan, Fayyaz Hussain Murad on Saturday said that preparations for the general election have been finalized, saying there were 4,896 polling stations across the province for a total of 5.93 million voters, and cross-verification was underway. He expressed these views while talking to the media during his visit to different polling stations in Jhal Magsi district. District Election Commission Sikandar Ali Jamali also accompanied him on the occasion. Giving more details, he said, “Our survey regarding the polling station has been completed, while there were many polling stations which lack water, electricity, washrooms for ladies, and other facilities, for which, we have written to the Provincial Chief Secretary Balochistan.” He said that regarding the identity card of women in certain areas, NADRA was also conveyed to send mobile vans to these areas and make them National Identity Cards (NIC). He said that the data of DRO and RO regarding the general election has also been completed, while the preparation for the general election has been accomplished on our side.

Five killed as mortar shell blast during tribals’ clash in Kurram

KURRAM Staff RepoRt

Five persons were killed when mortar shell exploded during tribal clash hereon Saturday.

The clash erupted other day when armed men of a tribe abducted five people of opponent tribe over land dispute in Para Chamkani.

However, the abductees were rescued after successful intervention by the district administration

OF FIRST HANGOR CLASS SUBMARINE

and forces but the fire exchange started again on Saturday. During the firing, a mortar shell exploded in barricade of a tribe killing five people.

Deputy Commissioner Kurram, Wasil Khan said that the district administration was trying to settle the dispute through dialogues and making all out efforts in this context.

THREE KILLED OVER MONETARY ROW

Meanwhile, At least three people were killed and several others injured in armed clash over fi-

nancial dispute here on Saturday.

Police said that a farmer and a commission agent after exchange of hot words over financial issue traded fire in Gur Mandi Peshawar.

In cross-fire, three people were killed and several others sustained injured.

The bodies and injured were shifted to local hospital. The police arrested an accused an after registering a case into the incident started investigations.

Pakistan achieves another milestone in indigenous submarine development project

Staff RepoRt

Pakistan’s indigenous submarine development project achieved another mega milestone on Saturday withkeel laying ceremony of first HANGOR Class Submarine and steel cutting of other submarine was held at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW). Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi graced the occasion with his presence as chief guest.

The defence agreement between Pakistan and China included development of eight HANGOR Class Submarines, including four under constructions, at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group

(WSIG) in China and the rest four being built at KS&EW under Transfer of Technology (ToT).

The construction work of first submarine to be made at KS&EW Pakistan commenced and now the Keel Laying is being laid, which is a major milestone in history of any naval vessel being constructed. Concurrently, construction work on subsequent submarine has started with its Steel Cutting at the same shipyard.

HANGOR Class Submarine is capable to undertake variety of missions as per operational dictates. The submarine possesses advanced stealth features and fitted with State-of-the-Art weapons and sensors to operate under multi-threat environment and can engage targets at stand-off ranges.

On the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi expressed that it is a matter of great pride to witness the Keel Laying and Steel Cutting of two submarines concurrently. He added that Pakistan Navy is aware of the evolving geo-strategic situation in the region and will continue to develop naval potential, improve shipbuilding infrastructure and equip platforms with advanced weapons/ sensors to counter traditional as well as asymmetric threats.

The naval chief showed confidence that these submarines will play leading role in catering the operational needs of Pakistan Navy.Earlier, the distinguished Rep of M/s China Shipbuilding Offshore Company (CSOC) expressed his gratitude for the ceremony. He added that his company

will ensure seamless provision of all resources/ support for smooth construction of submarines in Pakistan.

He further said that Pak-China friendship is deep rooted and share common objectives.

‘Gambit

Devil’s Chessboard’ by Imran H. Khan

KARACHI

The ceremony was attended by representatives of M/s CSOC (China) and other high ranking officials including distinguished guests from Embassy of China, Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP), Pakistan Navy (PN) and KS&EW.

of modernity, deep ecology, river and aquifer rejuvenation. The CEO showed his satisfaction on progress made so far and reiterated that RUDA despite being the new authority is fully equipped with both wherewithal and will to revolutionise the concept of a modern city on one hand and revival of Lahore on the other.

President PML-N Rawalpindi Ms. Tahira Aurangzeb cutting cake on the occasion of birthday celebrations of Quaid-e-Azam and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. pR

ChINa UrgeS US to StoP USINg taIwaN to CoNtaIN ChINa

BEIJING Agencies

CHINAis strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 and has lodged solemn representations with the United States after U.S. President Joe Biden signed it into law, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Saturday.

Noting the Act contains a large number of negative provisions on China’s Taiwan region, the spokesperson said those provisions seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, send a gravely wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces and severely affect peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

On the same day, Zhu Fenglian, the spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council also stated that the Act is a domestic law of the U.S., but it blatantly makes irresponsible remarks on the Taiwan question, including providing military financing and arms sales to Taiwan region. This seriously violates the one-China principle and the three ChinaU.S. Joint Communiques, Zhu said.

“For some time now, some people in the U.S. have been making more wrong words and deeds on the Taiwan question. The Act, which provides $10 billion in military assistance and $2 billion in military loans to Taiwan within five years, and steps up arms sales to Taiwan, further demonstrates that there is a force in the U.S. that stands by Taiwan in its efforts to deter China and support the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists by providing the region with military arms,” Zhu said.

She added that the move is inciting confrontation across the Taiwan Straits,

pushing the Taiwan Straits to the brink of war and putting the lives of the people in Taiwan in jeopardy.

Zhu deplored the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Taiwan in her statement, saying the DPP stubbornly relies on the U.S. to fight against the Chinese mainland and seeks “Taiwan independence,” even at the expense of the lives and welfare of the people on the island, and willingly acts as a pawn of external anti-China forces.

She warned DPP authorities that “Taiwan independence” will lead nowhere, and relying on the U.S. to seek

independence is a dead end. No one should underestimate the strong resolve, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese people to safeguard the national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson also stated that Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. No external interference in China’s internal affairs will be tolerated, adding that the U.S. should stop using Taiwan to contain China, stop fudging, distorting and hollowing out the one-China principle, and stop moving even further down the wrong and dangerous path.

“We urge the U.S. to earnestly follow through on the important consensus reached by the two presidents in Bali, abandon the Cold War and zero-sum mentality and ideological prejudice, view China’s development and China-U.S. relations in an objective and rational way, and refrain from implementing the negative China-related provisions in the Act,” said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson also denounced the “China threat” narrative in the act, saying it blatantly interferes with China’s internal affairs, and attacks and discredits the Communist Party of China (CPC), which is a serious political provocation against China.

Afghan Taliban order NGOs to ban female employees from work

Agencies

From extreme floods like those in Pakistan to heat and drought, weather and climate-related disasters have affected millions and cost billions this year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a Geneva-based UN agency, said Friday, describing the “tell-tale signs and impacts” of intensified climate change.

The clear need to do much more to cut greenhouse gas emissions was again underscored throughout events in 2022, said the agency, advocating for strengthened climate change adaptation, including universal access to early warnings.

“This year we have faced several dramatic weather disasters which claimed far too many lives and livelihoods and undermined health, food, energy and water security and infrastructure”, WMO chief Petteri Taalas said in a statement. Record-breaking rain in July and August led to extensive flooding in Pakistan, which caused more than 1,700 deaths, displaced 7.9 million and affected 33 million people.

“One third of Pakistan was flooded, with major economic losses and human casualties”, Taalas said.

While Global temperature figures for 2022 will be released in mid-January, the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, according to WMO.

While the persistence of a cooling La Niña event, now in its third year, means that 2022 will not be the warmest year on record, its cooling impact will be short-lived and not reverse the long-term warming trend caused by record levels of heattrapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

Moreover, this will be the tenth successive year that temperatures have reached at least 1°C above pre-industrial levels – likely to breach the 1.5°C limit of the Paris Agreement.

Afghanistan’s Taliban-run administration on Saturday ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to stop female employees from coming to work, according to an economy ministry letter, in the latest crackdown on women’s freedoms.

The letter, confirmed by economy ministry spokesperson Abdulrahman Habib, said the female employees were not allowed to work until further notice because some had not adhered to the administration’s interpretation of Islamic dress code for women.

It was not immediately clear whether the order applied to United Nations agencies, which have a large presence in Afghanistan.

It comes days after the Taliban-run administration ordered universities to close to women, prompting strong global condemnation and sparking some protests and heavy criticism inside Afghanistan.

The Charge D’Affaires for Norway, which funds aid in Afghanistan and hosted talks between Taliban and civil so-

ciety members in January, condemned the move.

“The ban on female employees in NGOs must be reversed immediately,” Paul Klouman Bekken tweeted. “In addition to being a blow to women´s rights, this move will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and hurt the most vulnerable Afghans.”

When asked whether the rules included UN agencies, Habib said the letter applied to organisations under Afghanistan’s coordinating body for humanitarian organisations, known as ACBAR. That body does not include the United Nations, but includes over 180 local and international NGOs.

However, the United Nations often contracts with NGOs registered in Afghanistan to carry out its humanitarian work.

Aid workers say female workers are critical to ensuring women can access aid.

Afghanistan’s already struggling economy has tipped into crisis since the Taliban took over in 2021, with the country facing sanctions and cuts in development aid.

Humanitarian aid, aimed at meeting urgent needs, has provided a lifeline to millions of people. Over half of Afghanistan’s population are reliant on humanitarian aid, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Iran Supreme Court accepts rapper Yasin’s appeal against death sentence

TEHRAN Agencies

Iran’s Supreme Court has accepted the death sentence appeal of rapper Saman Seydi Yasin even as it confirmed a death sentence against another protestor, the country’s judiciary said on Saturday.

Yasin, a Kurd who raps about inequality, oppression and unemployment, had been accused of attempting to kill security forces, setting a rubbish bin on fire and shooting three times into the air, charges which he denied.

Yasin’s mother last week pleaded in a video for help to save her son. “Where in the world have you seen a loved one’s life is taken for a trash bin?” she said in the video posted on social media.

The Court had initially said it had accepted the appeals of Yasin and another protester, but in a subsequent statement the judiciary’s Mizan news agency said only that of Yasin had been accepted.

“The public relations of the Supreme Court of Iran has corrected its news: ‘The appeal of Mohammad Qabadloo has not been accepted … Saman Seydi’s appeal has been accepted by the Supreme Court,” the agency said.

Explaining the decision in its original statement, it cited flaws in investigating the case and said it had been referred back to the court for re-examination.

Qabadloo had been charged with killing a police agent and injuring five others during the protests.

Unrest erupted across Iran in mid-September after the death in custody of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police enforcing the Islamic Republic’s mandatory dress code laws.

Death penalty: Saturday’s announcement follows the Supreme Court’s suspension of protester Mahan Sadrat’s death sentence 10 days ago. He had been charged with various alleged offences such as stabbing a security officer and setting fire to a motorcycle.

Iran hanged two protesters earlier this month: Mohsen Shekari, 23, who was accused of blocking a main road in September and wounding a member of the paramilitary Basij force with a knife, and Majid Reza Rahnavard, 23, who was accused of stabbing to death two Basij members, and publicly hanged from a construction crane.

Amnesty International has said Iranian authorities are seeking the death penalty for at least 26 people in what it called “sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran”. It said all of those facing death sentences have been denied the right to adequate defence and access to lawyers of their choosing. Rights groups say defendants have instead to rely on state-appointed attorneys who do little to defend them. Rights group HRANA said that as of Friday 506 protesters had been killed, including 69 minors. It said 66 members of the security forces had also been killed. As many as 18,516 protesters are believed to have been arrested, it said.

A top state security body said early this month that 200 people, including members of security forces, had lost their lives in the unrest.

Xi calls for enhancing agriculture sector with Chinese characteristics

Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called for continuous efforts in enhancing the agriculture sector with Chinese characteristics at a key rural work conference.

The moot was held from Friday to Saturday in the capital Beijing. China, with a vast population of 1.4 billion, or around onefifth of the global population, bears only 9 percent of the world’s arable land.

The majority of the food supply comes from China’s own farmlands. Given the limited resources plus the country’s drive for a sustainable relationship between humans and nature, Xi urged “a Chinese way” based on the current state of the country, rather than directly taking experiences from other agriculture-stronger countries.

The annual meeting over which Xi presided was attended by members of the

At the two-day meeting, Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the importance of grain security and the “stable supply” of major agricultural products, while also reiterating his call for rural revitalization in strengthening the market competitiveness and sustainable development of villages.

Stable anD Safe fooD Supply: Preserving grain security and stabilizing the safe supply of major agricultural products are the No. 1 priorities of strengthening China’s agricultural sector, Xi noted, urging a new round of improvement of grain production with solid actions.

According to official data, China’s grain output totaled about 686.53 billion kg this year, up 0.5 percent or 3.68 billion kg com-

pared with 2021, amid the impact of both extreme weather and COVID-19. Wheat and corn output rose 0.6 percent and 1.7 percent year on year, respectively. At the meeting, Xi called for upgrading the country’s “basic farmland” into “high-standard farmland” step by step. Official estimates show that the country’s high-quality farmland will have reached 1 billion mu (about 66.67 million hectares) by the end of 2022. He also urged improvement in farmers’ benefit systems.

Over the past decade, China has steadily raised the minimum purchase prices for rice and wheat, provided subsidies for grain planters, and introduced cost and income insurance for major grain producers in main production areas with a slew of policies.

In 2022, 40 billion yuan (about 5.63 billion U.S. dollars) has been allocated from the central government budget to ease the impact of agricultural material price rises, along with agricultural specialists being sent

to fields across the country to assist farms. Besides reform, Xi also called for utilizing the power of technology in achieving structural upgrades.

KABUL

Climate weather extremes in 2022, such as Pakistani floods, call for more action: UN

UNITED NATIONS Agencies

PCB names Boom Boom afridi as head of seleCtion Committee for nZ tour

stAFF rePort

tHePCB Management Committee has appointed former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi as the interim Chair of the Men’s National Selection Committee for the home series against New Zealand.

Other members of the panel are: Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, while Haroon Rashid (member Management Committee) will be the Convener, according to PCB information on Saturday.

Mr Najam Sethi, Chair of the PCB Management Committee: “I welcome the interim Men’s National Selection Committee and have no doubts that despite limited time, they will make brave and bold decisions that will help us produce a strong and competitive side in the series against New Zealand.

“Shahid Afridi has been an attacking cricketer who played all his cricket with no fear. He has nearly 20 years of cricket experience, has featured in all formats

with significant success and more importantly, has always backed and supported young talent. So, in our collective opinion, there is no better person than him to understand the rigours, demands and challenges of the modern day game.

“I remain confident that through his insight and knowledge of the game, he

three more players added to squad for test series against nZ

laHoRE stAFF rePort

Pakistan Cricket Boards Men’s Interim Selection Committee has added Mir Hamza, Sajid Khan and Shahnawaz Dahani to the Pakistan Test squad for the two-match series against New Zealand, which will commence on Monday (tomorrow).

The decision was made following the Committee’s meeting, which was chaired by Shahid Afridi, who, along with Pakistan captain Babar Azam, joined the session through video link.

Shahid Afridi said on Saturday night: “We had a good discussion on the squad and agreed we needed to strengthen our bowling department to give ourselves the best chance of taking 20 wickets in a match. As such, and taking into consideration recent form and performances, we have added fast bowlers Mir Hamza and Shahnawaz Dahani, and off-spinner Sajid Khan. “I am confident the inclusion of three additional bowling resources will give Babar Azam more options to field the best available squad for the first Test.”

In the four Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches, Mir Hamza took 16 wickets in four matches, while Sajid Khan scooped 21 wickets in seven matches. Shahnawaz Dahani appeared in only two four-day matches as he was on national duty.

Mir Hamza’s only Test was against Australia in Abu Dhabi in October 2018, while Sajid’s seventh and last Test was against Australia earlier this year in Lahore. He has to date taken 22 wickets, including eight for 42 against Bangladesh in Dhaka last year. Shahnawaz Dhani is yet to make an appearance in Test, though he has featured in two ODIs and 11 T20Is for Pakistan.

TesT squad:

Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood and Zahid Mehmood.

will help Pakistan select the best and most deserving players, and contribute in the side’s success in the upcoming series.”

Shahid Afridi: “I feel honoured to have been assigned this responsibility by the PCB Management Committee and will no stone unturned in fulfilling this responsibility to the best of my abilities.

“We need to get back to our winning ways and I have no doubts that through meritocratic and strategic selection decisions, we will help the national side to perform strongly in the series against New Zealand and reclaim the confidence of our fans.

“I will soon convene a meeting of the selectors and will share my plans with reference to the upcoming matches.”

Shahid Afridi played 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 99 T20I from 1996 to 2018 in which he scored a total of 11,196 runs and took 541 wickets. He also captained the national side in 83 international matches. He was a member of the Pakistan side that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 at Lord’s.

Abdul Razzaq, in a 17-year career from 1996 to 2013, played 343 international matches and scored 7,419 runs and took 389 wickets. He was also a member of the side that won the 2009 side that lifted the T20 World Cup at Lord’s. Rao Iftikhar played a Test, 62 ODIs and two T20Is from 2004 to 2010.

Pakistan, New Zealand hold training sessions ahead of Karachi Test

KaRaCHI stAFF rePort

Pakistan held a full-strength training session on Saturday at the National Bank Cricket Arena before the first Test of the two-match series against New Zealand, starting on Monday.

All the players of Pakistan’s Test squad participated in the first training session held in Karachi with the exception of their skipper Babar Azam, who is currently in his hometown Lahore. The captain, however, will reach here in the evening.

Meanwhile, a full-strength New Zealand squad was present on the field and carried out robust training sessions that included batting, fielding and bowling drills.

Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and Kiwi spinner Ish Sodhi

were seen inspecting the pitch and evaluating the conditions of the venue for a long part.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan will take on New Zealand

Hatate and Furuhashi at double as Celtic sweep past St Johnstone

GlasGow AFP

Japan's Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi both scored twice as champions Celtic strengthened their grip on top spot in the Scottish Premiership with a 4-1 victory over St Johnstone on Saturday.

The success in front of their own fans at Parkhead saw Celtic restore their nine-point lead over arch Glasgow rivals Rangers.

Drey Wright pulled a goal back for the visitors in a match where Celtic substitute David Turnbull was sent off in stoppage time after a VAR check for his foul on Saints goalkeeper Remi Matthews.

Hatate's double was all the more impressive given the midfielder was deployed at right-back in the absence of the injured Anthony Ralston and with Josip Juranovic on a post-World Cup break.

"He was great," said Celtic manager Ange

Postecoglou of Hatate. "Reo has played left-back earlier in his career, which I knew from Japan, but he's not a full-back, that's for sure.

"Credit to him, I thought even defensively he did a good job and kept his discipline and his position. As soon as I told him, he was all in."

Celtic went ahead in the 14th minute when Furuhashi sent compatriot Daizen Maeda sprinting down the left.

Maeda's low cross eventually came to Hatate, with the makeshift full-back's 20-yard strike completing a made in Japan goal.

Furuhashi doubled Celtic's lead four minutes later, flicking in a cross from Matt O'Riley, before his closerange finish five minutes before half-time left the Hoops in complete command at 3-0.

Hatate's second goal in the 52nd minute was initially disallowed for offside before being reinstated following a VAR check.

12th Engro SGA President Cup: Saim

Shazli maintains lead on second day

stAFF rePort

Second round of the 12th engro SGA President Cup 2022 was played on Saturday at Defence Authority Golf Club.

Saim Shazli from KGC maintained lead with 143, one under par. Yashal Shah also from KGC is following Saim by scoring 147-three over par on Day 2. KCG’s another duo of Samir Feroz and Arsalan Mughal is jointly holding third

position on second day with their 153nine over par.

In the Veterans 75 years and above, Group Captain Aftab A Khan from KGC is leading with combined two-day score of 83. Col Shahid Mahboob scored 87 on Day 2 and holding second position.

Dr. Zubair Mirza is holding at third from day one in this category.

Major Rizwan Farooq of DHA Club maintained lead from day 1 in Veterans 70-75 years category, with Brig Latif

Butt following him.

In the Juniors under 14 category, Waleed Bilal from KGC also maintained lead and Nyle Aurangzeb following him. Shayan Zia is at third on Day two.

Final round of the tournament will be played on Sunday 25th December. Karachi’s weather with chilled breeze and bright sunlight gives a clear view to the golfers playing at Defence Authority Club situated at coastline.

meg lanning returns to lead australia in Pakistan series

sYDNEY Agencies

Skipper Meg Lanning included in the Australian women’s one-day squad to face Pakistan, ending an indefinite months-long break and allaying fears that she had played her last international.

The record-breaking 30-year-old announced she was stepping away from the game in August after leading her all-conquering team to Commonwealth Games gold. She said at the time it was to “focus on myself” after a hectic string of successes for Australia and Lanning that included a World Cup triumph.

It was unclear whether she would return, but national selector Shawn Flegler said Friday that Lanning was “all in” to take on Pakistan at home next month. “We had always hoped she would come back and play, and a great story really,” he added.

“Obviously, she’s taken this time to work out what’s really important for her, things she needs to do to manage herself.

“You know, it’s a tough gig being the Australian captain and she has done it for a long time, so just really pleased she’s refreshed, happy and knows what she wants to do.”

Debuting at 18, Lanning’s skill with the bat shattered records from early on, holding the mark for the most centuries in women’s One-day International cricket.

Becoming Australia’s youngest-ever skipper at 21, she has led the side since.

Australia face Pakistan in three ODIs from Jan 16 in Brisbane and Sydney with Alyssa Healy, who captained the side in Lanning’s absence, ruled out of the series with a calf injury.

all set for Coca-Cola lahore open Polo final today

laHoRE stAFF rePort

Diamond

pm.

According to President Lahore Polo Club Omar Sadiq, a large number of lively Lahorites are expected to witness and enjoy the final of the historic Lahore Open Polo Championship. The presence of top national and international players exhibited their prowess throughout the tournament and the best two teams made it to the main final. He also thanked the sponsors Coca-Cola and Century Ventures for cosponsoring the two-week tournament.

Diamond Paints/Sheikhoo Steel team consists of Osman Aziz Anwar, Mir Huzaifa Ahmed, Omar Asjad Malhi, Nicolas Antinori while Mian Abbas Mukhtar, Sheikh Muhammad Raffay, Shah Shamyl Alam and Tomas Marin Moreno are the part of FG/Din Polo team.

The subsidiary final will be contested between Master Paints Black and Remington Pharma at 1:30 pm.

Master Paints Black team includes Sufi Muhammad Amir, Sufi Muhammad Haroon, Syed Aun Muhammad Rizvi and Manuel Carranza while Remington Pharma team comprises Basil Faisal Khokhar, Ahmed Zubair Butt, Ahmed Bilal Riaz and Hamza Mawaz Khan.

in a two-match Test series. The opening match of the series will commence on December 26 here, while the venue of the second Test is under consideration.

Paints/Sheikhoo Steel will take on FG/Din Polo in the main final of the Coca-Cola Lahore Open Polo Championship 2022 on Sunday (December 25) at Lahore Polo Club at 3:00

KaRaCHI

laHoRE

Pursuing Jinnah’s Dream

mohammadali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan was born on 25th december 1876. The nation commemorates his birthday to honour his role in creating Pakistan. Quaid-e-azam, a great advocate of freedom, achieved his mission through his unparalleled leadership, audacity, boldness, honesty, and confidence in himself.

While Jinnah did not live to see the glory of Pakistan, his dream of creating a strong, prosperous, and healthy nation still lives to this day. To ensure the legacy of his vision, Sunridge Foods embarked on a mission to create a better, stronger Pakistan. We are committed to spearheading the efforts that will help create an environment where every Pakistani can contribute his or her best to realize the vision of a peaceful, prosperous and

progressive Pakistan.

Pakistan is a country with a rich history and culture, but it is plagued with numerous problems. The most critical of these is malnutrition. Sunridge Foods has made its mission to end malnutrition in the country by implementing a unique and sustainable food security program, which uses highquality local produce and resources to create nutritious meals for children and their families. In line with Quaid-e-azam’s vision for a progressive and impartial society, Sunridge is committed to creating an equitable and efficient food system. having said that, we head start with a mission called “Taqatwar Pakistan”, to wipe out malnutrition in Pakistan from the grassroots level, keeping in mind our intention of adding value to the future generation for a green economy. Together, we seek to

transform the agricultural industry by increasing access to healthy, nutritious food for all.

as a nation, we are now living in the golden age, where every citizen has opportunities to make their dreams come true. Quaid-e-azam said that he wanted to bring Pakistan out of ignorance and darkness, to make it an example for others in the world. If we work together, we can show the world how a united country of diverse people can accomplish great things when they put aside their differences and focus on what is most important and that is making Pakistan a better country for its citizens’ future generations. We can be proud of our past and look to the future with hope for what we can achieve together. We can move forward in unity as a nation and show the world that we are a force to be reckoned with.