Epaper_23-01-12 LHR

profit report

morethan 90 percent of the pledges made at monday’s geneva moot for flood relief in pakistan have come in the form of project loans. a high-powered press conference that involved prime minister shehbaz sharif and other members of cabinet including finance minister ishaq dar revealed the details of the pledges made by different states and stakeholders at the specially called conference. according to the finance minister, the project loans will be rolled out over the next three years. the presser revealed that $8.7 billion of the nearly $10 billion in pledges came in the form of project loans. What are project loans?

as the name suggests, project loans are intended as financing for very particular initiatives for a set purpose.the money is dependent on compliance and is monitored to be used for a specific purpose. a country may, for example, assist another in the construction of a school or a hospital in a region. in this scenario, the funds help support the project. the funding may or may not originate from a single source.

in this particular case, the moot included generous contributions from the islamic development bank, the asian development bank, and friendly states including saudi arabia. project finance is the funding (financing) of long-term in-

frastructure, industrial projects, and public services using a non-recourse or limited recourse financial structure. most of the loans are expected to be for infrastructure development. according to the latest report of the post-disaster needs assessment (pdna), pakistan needs at least $16.3 billion for post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction. the pdna report, released by the representatives of the government and the international development institutions, calculated the cost of floods at $30.1 billion – $14.9 billion in damages and $15.2 billion in losses.

Yet beyond this immediate need for reparations, pakistan also needs a clear agenda on what it wants to do on the climate front. there is the immediate concern of rising temperatures, for example.pakistan faces a problem where even if it is given the climate financing that it is asking for, it will not know how to spend this money effectively.

The Geneva Moot the moot had been planned and called after last year’s cop27 conference at which pakistan was centre stage owing to last year’s super floods that left the country deeply devastated and struggling to finance the recovery effort. the conference, which was cohosted by the united nations secretary general antonio guterres and prime minister shehbaz sharif, was attended by heads of state, government representatives, and other stakeholders.

Details from the presser while talking about the pledges dar said project loan financing had already crossed $8bn, which included commitments from the islamic development bank, the asian development bank, the asian infrastructure investment bank, and the world bank. these were some of the largest donations, the idb pledging $4.2 billion while the adb committed $2 billion.

“i am not incorporating the pledge made by the saudi development bank on purpose here because it is not clear whether their announcement of $1bn pertains to programme lending or project loan,” dar said. the finance minister did not reveal what the terms of these loans were. however, the prime minister said “we expect the terms to be lenient”.

“be it bilateral or multinational donation, a sum of $9.7 billion is the total amount [that was pledged] and the islamic development bank (adb) held a major share of $4.2bn of the total financial commitments,” prime minister shahbaz sharif earlier said while talking about the outcome of donors’ conference. giving a breakdown of the amount pledged at the conference, the prime minister said saudi arabia committed $1 billion followed by china $100m, Qatar $25m, canada $18.6m, denmark $3.8m, european union €87m, france €380m, germany €84m, italy €23m and azerbaijan $2m.

KSB Pumps resumes production after 10 days

profit report

MuhaMMad Raafay Khan

the ksb pumps company limited (ksbp) will resume plant operations from thursday, just 10 days after it announced a temporary closure of its main hassanabdal factory. the company made the announcement to the pakistan stock exchange (psx) on wednesday.

the notification read, “with reference to our earlier disclosure of material information dated january 02, 2023 relating to temporary suspension of the plant operations of the company. this is to inform you that plant operations will resume with essential manpower effective january 12, 2023.”

the company had temporarily suspended its plant operations at the start of last week after facing a lack of demand and import access to essential raw materials. the import restrictions, placed in may of last year after the change of government, had led to the closure of operations of many of the end customers of ksbp. these restrictions impacted the clearance of consignments of raw materials and components necessary for the company’s production operations. the positive development caused ksbp share price to increase by 4.78% during the wednesday trading session to close at rs. 118.47.

the sales of the company for the third quarter ending september 2022 were rs. 1,204 million, an increase of 35% compared to the same period last year. the com-

pany also posted a quarterly profit after tax (pat) of rs. 8.26 million, an increase of over 120% compared to the same period last year.

Company profile

ksb pumps company limited (a ksb group company) was incorporated in pakistan in 1959 and listed on the psx in 1979. it is a subsidiary of ksb se & co. kgaa, a german multinational, and is principally engaged in the manufacture and sale of industrial pumps, valves, castings and related parts and after market services. the factory of the company is located at hazara road, hassanabdal.

ksb pakistan has led the pump, valve and system solutions market in the country for over six decades in addition to exporting its products to foreign markets. it specialises in six market areas, i.e. general industry, mining, energy, building services, petrochemicals / chemicals and water.

the multinational ksb group finds its origin in frankenthal, germany and is a leading international supplier of pumps, valves and related systems for industrial applications, building services, process engineering, energy conversion, water treatment, water transport, solids transportation and other related applications. ksb group has been growing continuously since its foundation in 1871, and today operates in more than 100 countries of the world with its own sales & marketing companies, manufacturing facilities and after sales service operations.

Imran Khan says PTI lawmakers being ‘coerced’ to change loyalties

Imran says ‘JIT members claIm ccPO lahOre nOT cOnsIDerIng DIvergenT vIews’

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

FOURjoint investigation team (JIT) members probing the Wazirabad attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Wednesday distanced themselves from “some of the conclusions drawn and being shown on media” as they complained that CCPO Lahore was not “giving due weightage” to their “divergent views”.

The former prime minister had sustained a bullet wound to his leg on November 3, 2022, after an armed attack on his container, as he led the PTI’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’ in Wazirabad.

One person had died in the incident, while several members of the PTI chairman’s close circle, including Senator Faisal Javaid, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Ahmad Chattha and Imran Yousaf, were injured. Breaking his silence in a video address after the attack, the PTI chairman had alleged that

three people – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a senior military officer, were behind the botched assassination attempt on his life.

Earlier this month, senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had claimed that the JIT constituted to investigate the November 3 attack on Imran had found that there was a planned attempt to assassinate him.

Sharing the findings of the JIT, Fawad had said that by reducing the number of police personnel in Gujarat, an opportunity was provided for the attack and subsequently an assassination attempt was made on Imran.

“The revelations made in the JIT report will be made public soon,” the senior party leader had said, while speaking to the media.

“A well-thought-out narrative was chalked out to give the assassination attempt the cover of religiously-motivated crime,” he had added.

Previously, however, contrary to PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan’s claim, the JIT had found no evidence of a

wazirabad attack JIT distances itself from ‘conclusions’ being shown on media

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Four joint investigation team (JIT) members probing the Wazirabad attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday distanced themselves from “some of the conclusions drawn and being shown on media” as they complained that CCPO Lahore was not “giving due weightage” to their “divergent views”. The former prime minister had sustained gunshot wounds on his leg on November 3, 2022, after an armed attack on his container while lead the PTI’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’ in Wazirabad. One person had died in the incident, while several members of the PTI chairman’s close circle, including Senator Faisal Javaid, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Ahmad Chattha and Imran Yousaf, were injured. Breaking his silence in a video address after the attack, the PTI chairman had alleged that three people – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a senior military officer, were behind the botched assassination attempt on his life. Earlier this month, senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had claimed that the JIT constituted to investigate the November 3 attack on Imran had found that there was a planned attempt to assassinate him. Sharing the findings of the JIT, Fawad had said that by reducing the number of police personnel in Gujarat, an opportunity was provided for the attack and subsequently an assassination attempt was made on Imran. “The revelations made in the JIT report will be made public soon,” the senior party leader had said, while speaking to the media. “A well-thought-out narrative was chalked out to give the assassination attempt the cover of religiously-motivated crime,” he had added. Previously, however, contrary to PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan’s claim, the JIT had found no evidence of a second attacker. Last week, the forensic report of the attack had revealed that Imran was hit by three bullet fragments and a metal piece in the attack. In a joint statement Wednesday, RPO DG Khan Syed Khurram Ali, SSP CTD Punjab Naseeb Ulllah Khan, AIG Monitoring Punjab Ehsan Ullah Chohan and SP Potohar Division Malik Tariq Mehboob said that they “as members of JIT have tried to [carry the investigation] to the best of our abilities” but said contrary to media reports, they held “very different views on the issue”.

second attacker.

Last week, the forensic report of the attack had revealed that Imran was hit by three bullet fragments and a metal piece in the attack.

In a joint statement today, RPO DG Khan Syed Khurram Ali, SSP CTD Punjab Naseeb Ulllah Khan, AIG Monitoring Punjab Ehsan Ullah Chohan and SP Potohar Division Malik Tariq Mehboob said that they “as members of JIT have tried to [carry the investigation] to the best of our abilities” but said contrary to media reports, they held “very different views on the issue”.

Contradicting the PTI’s stance once again, the statement said that “as such no credible or independent evidence has come on record which shows that there were more than one” persons involved in the attack, adding that thus far “no data, call record or witness has been found that connects the main accused [Naveed Bashir] with any other person”.

The statement also said that based on the

investigation so far, co-accused Waqas’ status remained that of “facilitator only” and that it was “yet to be ascertained who was responsible for the death of Moazzam”.

The JIT members also held that the FIR on the case was “still not complete and making it the basis of this investigation makes no sense”.

“CCPO Lahore (convenor) of JIT was requested time and again to give importance to our divergent views on the subject case, but for reasons best known to him, our opinion has not been given due weightage,” the JIT members said. They went on to claim that on December 17, “one of the members of the JIT” had gone on to raise “serious objections in the process and quality of the investigation” and that for “unknown reasons he was not called in the next meeting of the JIT on December 29”.

Stressing the need to maintain the “objectivity and impartiality” in the investigation, the JIT members urged caution saying that the investigation was still

underway and “making it a subject of discussion on media is very premature”.

It may be noted here that on Tuesday, the PTI chief had quoted “media reports” in claiming that members of the JIT were being “pressurised” to distance themselves from the findings of the probe. The Interior Ministry and the Punjab inspector general police were informed yesterday of the differences emerging in the JIT team.

According to the sources, the four members of the investigating team and CCPO Lahore have disagreements over the probe. Sources said that the CCPO has handed over the investigation to an anticorruption officer, Anwar Shah, who is overseeing the questioning of the accused, while the JIT members are not being permitted to investigate him.

RO CTD Lahore Naseeb Ulllah Khan, RPO DG Khan Syed Khurram Ali, AIG Monitoring Punjab Ihsan Ullah Chohan and SP Potohar Division Malik Tariq Mehboob are among the dissenting JIT members.

SC seeks record of new AGP’s appointment, resignation of his predecessor on 17th

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday called into question the official status of new Attorney-General of Pakistan (AGP) after his office failed to assist the apex court in a property-related case.

The apex took notice of the appointment of the new AGP and resignation of the former Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) and also sought record of the appointment and resignation till January 17.

The two-member SC bench, headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, issued the order over non-cooperation by the deputy attorney general. “We are not getting correct assistance in cases from the attorney general’s office,” Justice Qazi Faez Isa said. The court summoned the secretary of law on the next hearing and

ordered him to bring all the documents related to the new attorney general’s appointment and the former’s resignation.

“Who is the attorney general?” he asked from Deputy Attorney General Shafqat Abbasi. “Ashtar Ausaf is the attorney

Moonis’ abducted friend returns, insists he was with family

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

A friend of Moonis Elahi, a lawmaker of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) party, who was reportedly abducted last week, has been located and presented before the Lahore High Court (LHC) by the Lahore police.

According to Geo News, Ahmad Faran Khan was dropped off outside his home in the early hours of Wednesday. Faran was reported missing from the Garden Town neighbourhood of Lahore four days ago, with Elahi claiming he was abducted by unknown individuals in black-

coloured vehicles.

Salman Zaheer Khan, Faran’s brother, filed a habeas corpus petition at the high court, alleging the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had kept him in illegal custody. The petitioner alleged that Faran was kidnapped by eight people on the evening of January 6, and it was feared that he was taken by the federal government.

The LHC, taking notice of the incident, directed the FIA to recover Faran Khan and present him before the court on January 10. However, during the hearing conducted by Justice Alia Neelum, the FIA submitted that it had not arrested Faran and he was not in its custody.

“Who is the new attorney general?” he questioned. The deputy attorneygeneral said he was unaware of it.

Justice Isa then questioned Additional Attorney General (AAG) Aamir Rehman about the new AGP, who also failed to give an answer.

The court adjourned the hearing till January 17. New AGP Mansoor Usman Awan, who is the new AGP, replaced Ashtar Ausaf Ali after the latter resigned from his office. His appointment was approved by President Dr Arif Alvi on December 23, 2022.

The former AGP resigned from his post back in September 2022 due to health reasons, as per the sources.

He submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. However, he had offered to continue working as AGP till a replacement was appointed.

Dense fog disrupts life in parts of Punjab

LAHORE: Dense fog again blanketed different cities of Punjab, including Lahore on night between Tuesday and Wednesday, paralysing routine life and disrupting road and air traffic. The flight operation at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore and Multan Airport was also affected due to severe weather condition and several incoming flights were diverted to other airports while outgoing flights were either delayed or cancelled. The thick fog has badly affected the flow of road traffic in several cities. According to a Motorway spokesperson, the Motorway M2 from Lahore to Kot Momin, Lahore-Multan Motorway M3 from Faizpur to Darkhana, Motorway M4 from Faisalabad to Abdul Hakim, Motorway M5 from Shershah to Taranda Muhammad Panah and Motorway M11 from Lahore to Sialkot have been closed for all kind of traffic. The Motorway police have appealed the drivers to use Grand Trunk (GT) Road for travelling. Staff RepoRt

ECC allows to fix dtP of 50kg imported urea at rs 2340 per bag

urea in the market. The ECC further directed that the 50% of subsidy for imported urea should be shared by the provinces.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet Wednesday considered and approved a summary of the Ministry of Industries and Production on revision of the price of imported urea and allowed to fix the Dealer Transfer Price (DTP) of 50 kg imported urea bag at Rs 2340 per bag by National Fertilizer Marketing Limited (NFML).

The ECC also provisionally approved incidental charges from KPT at Rs 594/bag and from Gwadar at Rs 1008/bag respectively to bring stability to the prices of

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar presided over the meeting of the committee here. Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Industries and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud, SAPM on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, federal secretaries and senior officers attended the meeting.

Petroleum Division tabled a summary on change in take-or-pay commitment in power purchase agreements and gas supply agreements of three RLNG public sector

power plants namely Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power Plant, Balloki Power Plant and Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant.

In the wake of prevailing international economic conditions and the unprecedented price hike of RLNG in the international market and to optimize the utilization of RLNG for the continued operations of these power plants, the ECC considered and approved the proposal of the Power Division to fix the minimum take-or-pay commitment at 33% under the PPA and GSA to guard the interests of both buyers and suppliers. Further, the ECC allowed the fixation of GSD under the GSA at Rs 15 billion per power project.

The ECC considered another summary of the Ministry of Industries and Production on the provision of funds to Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC) to release the markup amount to Bank of Khyber (BoK). The ECC, after discussion, approved Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) amounting to Rs 80.988 million to HEC for payment to Bank of Khyber for markup amount for 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters of the calendar year 2022. The ECC also gave approval in principle for the provision of funds with the direction that the transaction of HEC must be completed by 15th February 2023.

Ministry of Railways submitted a summary of its business plan to generate a

decent source of earnings in order to improve its financial health through the laying of fibre optic cable along its infrastructure.

The ECC, after discussion, constituted an inter-ministerial committee comprised of federal secretaries of all relevant divisions, headed by the Federal Minister for Law & Justice to prepare a draft of the Right of Way Policy on the issue.

The ECC also approved a Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs 500 million in favour of the Ministry of Housing and Works for execution of the development scheme for construction/rehabilitation of flood-affected roads, District Muzaffargarh-I.

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

general,” Shafqat Abbasi told

Justice Faez Isa. “Ashtar Ausaf has resigned. His has been accepted,” Justice Faez Isa . During the hearing, the judge commented that “the office of Mansoor Awan, the new AGP, was not assisting the court in cases for which it seeks a explanation”.

ecc FIxes mInImum TaKe Or Pay cOmmITmenT aT 33% TO FavOur Three rlng POwer PlanTs

ISLAMABAD Shahzad paRacha

THEEconomic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet approved the proposal of the power division on Wednesday to fix the minimum take or pay commitment at 33% to guard the interests of three RLNG public sector power plants.

Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar presided over the meeting of the ECC.

Sources said that the ECC vide its decision, dated April 14, 2021, approved a proposal to waive the minimum 66% take or pay commitment in the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) of three public sector RLNG power plants — the Quaid e Azam thermal power plant, Baloki power plant and Heveli Bahadur Shah power plant.

Furthermore, instead of an annual production plan for firm gas commitment, the concept of a monthly production plan

court orders removal of defamatory content targeting actor hayat

kARACHI Staff RepoRt

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered the removal of defamatory content on social media against actress Mahwish Hayat after a military critic apparently accused her and two of her colleagues of being used as “honey traps” by the top brass of the Pakistan Army. The court issued notices to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to take legal action within two weeks. The court’s decision came after Hayat approached the court over the “campaign being run against” her on social media, following accusations made by a YouTuber and retired army major based in the United Kingdom, Adil Raja. Raja claimed in a YouTube video that some of the nation’s female actors were used by the military to trap politicians. He didn’t name any actors but he ended up revealing the actors’ initials. Soon after the video went viral, social media users were quick to make assumptions that the actors in question are Hayat, Sajal Ali, and Kubra Khan. Hayat’s lawyer argued that those who made the fake accusations were “mentally ill” and should be punished. Hayat expressed her hope for justice from the judiciary, stating that she and her family were going through mental agony due to the false allegations.

Karachi man fatally shot in robbery

kARACHI Staff RepoRt

In yet another tragic incident of street crime in Karachi, a young man was shot and killed by armed robbers while resisting a robbery in Surjani Town on Wednesday. According to the police, four robbers entered Muhammad Salman’s home and opened fire upon encountering resistance. The robbers fled the scene, and police are currently searching for the suspects. This incident is just one in a spate of street crimes that have plagued the city in recent weeks. So far this month, five people have lost their lives and 29 others have been wounded while resisting robbery attempts. Separately, over Rs32.5 million have been stolen in the first 12 days of January alone. One of the most significant robberies occurred in Karachi’s Clifton neighbourhood, where armed robbers killed a civilian and stole Rs7.5 million, along with 11 expensive watches and laptops. Citizens have also reported dozens of mobile phones being snatched in the first 12 days of the month. Karachi has seen a significant deterioration in law and order in recent months. Street crimes such as armed robbery, carjacking, and snatching of valuables have become commonplace, and citizens are living in fear of becoming victims of such crimes. The situation is made worse by the fact that many of these crimes go unsolved, and perpetrators are rarely brought to justice. This lack of security is having a detrimental effect on the city’s economy, as businesses and investors are hesitant to invest in an environment where there is a high risk of criminal activity.

binding on power purchase and the project companies was introduced with effect from 2022. Although this decision of the ECC was put in practice, the related amendments in the PPA and GSA could not be put into effect. This also impacted and delayed the privatisation process of the National Power Parks Management Company which owns and operates two of the plants — Baloki and Haveli Bahadur Shah.

The prevailing international economic conditions and the unprecedented price hike of RLNG in the international market has made it expedient that the ECC decision, dated April 14, 2021, be revisited to optimise the utilisation of RLNG for the continued operations of these power projects.

In this regard, a meeting was held on December 20, 2022, at the power division which included all stakeholders: The privatisation commission, petroleum division, power division, PPIB, NPPMCL, SNGPL and CPPA-G. They deliberated on

the issues of amendments in the implementation agreement (IA), PPA and GSA. Participants noted that the main issue is to settle changes stated in the GSA which were then to be reflected in the PPA and IA.

Sources present said that the power division has highlighted two issues: Amendment in 66% take or pay provision and fixation of gas supply deposit amount.

After detailed deliberations, all the stakeholders agreed that instead of completely diminishing the 66% take or pay commitment it should be fixed at 33% and that the gas supply deposit under the GSA be fixed to Rs 15 billion per power project instead of the existing GSD which is equivalent to one fourth of maximum gas allocation valued at current applicable gas price, inclusive of taxes. It was further agreed that changes made in the GSA shall be reflected in the PPA and IA by relevant parties.

In addition, it also asked ECC to authorise PPIB, CPPA, SNGPL and

NPPMCL to make necessary amendments in the respective project documents after completing other formalities.

The ECC considered and approved a summary of Ministry of Industries and Production on the revision of price of imported Urea. It allowed to fix Dealer Transfer Price (DTP) of 50 kg imported Urea bag at Rs 2340/bag by NFML and provisionally approved incidental charges from KPT at Rs 594/bag and from Gwadar at Rs 1008/bag respectively to bring stability in the prices of Urea in the market.

The ECC further directed that 50% of the subsidy of imported Urea should be shared by the provinces.

It also considered another summary of the Ministry of Industries and Production on provision of funds to the Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC). This was to release the markup amount to the Bank of Khyber (BoK). After discussion, the ECC approved Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) amounting to Rs 80.988 million to

HEC for payment to Bank of Khyber for markup amount for the second, third and fourth quarters of the calendar year 2022. It also gave approval in principle for provision of funds with direction that the transaction of HEC must be completed by February 15, 2023. Next, the ministry of railways submitted a summary on its business plan to generate a decent source of earning in order to improve its financial health through laying of fiber optic cable along its infrastructure. The ECC after discussion constituted an inter-ministerial committee comprising federal secretaries of all relevant divisions, headed by the federal minister for law and justice to prepare a draft on Right of Way Policy on the issue.

The committee also approved a Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs 500 million in favour of the ministry of housing and works for the execution of a development scheme on the construction/rehabilitation of flood affected roads, District Muzaffargarh-I.

in land transfer

MuZAffARgARH Staff RepoRt

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Lahore High Court (LHC) said it was mandatory for a chief minister to possess round-the-clock support from a majority of legislators in the legislative assembly.

Justice Asim Hafeez made these comments as a five-judge bench heard a plea from Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, challenging Governor Baligh ur-Rehman’s orders to remove him from office.

The hearing coincides with an ongoing session of the Punjab Assembly, which has been disrupted by two consecutive days of protests from opposition members, who are demanding that Elahi take a vote of confidence.

Last month, the governor had removed Elahi from his position as chief minister in an effort to prevent former prime minister Imran Khan from dissolving the Punjab Assembly. Elahi had argued that the move was unconstitutional and unlawful, and subsequently approached the court.

At a previous hearing, the LHC had reinstated Elahi as chief minister after he pledged to the court not to dissolve the provincial assembly until the next hearing.

During the hearing, Justice Shaikh commented that the matter was yet to be resolved and that it would only be

settled when a vote of confidence was taken. The court then asked Elahi’s lawyer if they were accepting the offer for a vote of confidence, to which the lawyer replied that they had rejected the offer. Justice Shaikh stated that if a consensus couldn’t be reached between the governor and the chief minister, the case would be decided on “merit.”

The confidence motion card was played to prevent Khan, who is backing Elahi in the provincial parliament, from going ahead with the scheduled dissolution of the assembly.

Khan announced last month he would dissolve two provincial assemblies, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, earlier than scheduled, in an attempt to build pressure on the

federal government to hold snap elections. Once that was done, he had said his party would also resign from the National Assembly that is run by a unity government consisting of his opposition parties.

That scenario would have vacated over 60 percent of the parliamentary seats to make Khan’s snap polls case stronger. Khan has been demanding snap polls since he was ousted in April last year after he lost a parliament’s vote of confidence, and led countrywide rallies to mount pressure on the government.

Sharif’s unity government has rejected the demand, reiterating repeatedly that the elections will be held on schedule in October 2023.

The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) booked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Azhar Abbas Chandia and his son on charges of alleged financial irregularities in the land transfers.

The Punjab ACE lodged a case against PML-N MPA Azhar Abbas Chandia, his son and others over alleged irregularities in the transfer documents more than 500 land. According to ACE sources, eight persons including Kot Addu tehsildar and patwari were also nominated in the case. They said that the alleged corruption was committed by the PML-N lawmaker, his son, employees and others with the nexus of the revenue department. The sources said that the records were also destroyed with the assistance of the concerned officials of the revenue department. Earlier in the day, an anti-corruption court in Lahore indicted Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) MNA Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf in a land-grabbing case. Special judge anti-corruption court justice Arif Mehmood indicted PML-N MNA. The court has also summoned witnesses in the case. The hearing was adjourned for January 30. Earlier, the court granted bail to PML-N MNA Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf’s bail plea in a land fraud case. Ashraf got bail against surety bonds of Rs100,000. It is pertinent to mention here that Punjab anticorruption establishment team Tuesday arrested PML-N MNA Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf over ‘land grabbing’ charges. The PML-N MNA from NA-161 Sahiwal is accused of occupying 157 acres of government land. The Punjab anti-corruption department said the PML-N lawmaker occupied the land through fake documents with the help of Muhammad Saleem Patwari. The lawmaker has been arrested after confirmation of the charge. A case had also been registered against the PML-N lawmaker, the spokesperson said.

46 out of 230 imported coaches reach Pakistan, running on tracks, NA panel told smog Towers: a quick fix?

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways that as many as 46 out of 230 coaches imported from China, had reached Pakistan and were running on the track satisfactorily.

The meeting of the committee, chaired by MNA Muhammad Mueen Wattoo in the Committee Room of Divisional Superintendent Railways, Multan, took notice of the billboards installed without permission and the railways had no income from them and recommended bringing them into the tax net. In the report submitted by the Ministry of Railways about the Calling Attention Notice moved by MNA Qadir Khan Mandokhail regarding handing over the administration of Railways school near Kala Pull, Karachi to TCF/ICWS discussed in detail but the mover who participated via video link was not satisfied and the committee decided to hold the meeting

at Karachi for a site visit in near future.

Divisional Superintendent, (DS) Railways, Multan said while briefing the committee that 2,236 acre land of railways was encroached in Multan division for residential, commercial, agriculture, and govt departments whereas 5,666 acre land was leased out by Railways for different purposes like agriculture, Kachi Abbadies, and commercial, etc.

While responding to the question, DS Railways Multan replied that commercial encroachment of 89 acre in the Multan division could not be vacated due to litigation but the committee emphasized on its previous direction that encroachment on railways land for commercial purposes should be vacated by using all means and Ministry of Railways, Director General Property & Land and legal directorate were directed to approach the higher courts for the vacation and stay orders but the matter was still pending and nobody had taken care.

He informed that during the year 2021-22, 24.47 acre of land, including

9.10 acre commercial land, was retrieved from the land grabbers. Ministry of Railways has given two and half month time to all divisions of Railways for the vacation of encroached land. The committee was briefed that Railways track in Sindh, Baluchistan, and Punjab was damaged badly at 10 locations and the same has been rehabilitated from the resources of Pakistan Railways, and train operation is continued successfully.

DS Railways, Lahore informed the committee that the matter for desealing of the shops is under process as the occupants of shops were asked by Railways to deposit a fixed amount along with an affidavit as per the approved rent policy. Ministry of Railways informed the committee that the legal advisor was hired through proper procedure. The MNAs, including Ch Muhammad Hamid Hameed, Muhammad Khan Daha, Ramesh Lal, Dr Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla and Pir Syed Fazal Ali Shah Jilani, and the officials of the ministry attended the meeting.

COnInuED fROM BACk PAgE

What would those strategies be?

According to environmental experts, “governments should instead tackle root causes: reduce emissions and promote renewable energy.” Installation of smog towers- apart from its limited impact- is by large a quick fix solution. It offers immediate relief from air pollution, and that too in a limited capacity.

“The only way to prevent smog is by controlling its sources, the fuel from motor vehicles and power plants,” concludes Raffay Alam. He expressed doubts over the Punjab government’s competency in tackling air pollution also, “the Punjab government is also clutching at straws. They don’t even know if they’ll survive the next High Court hearing.”

another Pml-n mPa, son charged with alleged irregularities

LHC: Chief minister must have confidence of majority of lawmakers at all times

“We need to think if we need such costly technology of INR 22 crores to be installed and require further INR 2 crores for annual maintenance. These funds could be spent on more effective strategies that would make a substantive impact.”

AgreeMent signed to provide free teCHniCAL eduCAtion to gWAdAr’s youtH

ISLAMABAD StAff RepoRt

tHEsigning ceremony for the joint operation agreement of Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute (PCT & VI), built with a Chinese grant under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was held at Gwadar Business Center on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed by Shandong Institute of Commerce and Technology (SICT), Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), The University of Gwadar (UoG), and China Overseas Ports Holding Company (COPHC) for providing free of cost sixmonth short courses and three-year diploma programmes with hands-on technical and professional training to thousands

of youths of Gwadar, according to a message received here on Wednesday.

Students from the University of Gwadar, local employees of COPHC, GPA and COPHC officers attended the signing ceremony while teachers and officers from SIC joined the ceremony online.

Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute (PCT & VI) was gifted and handed over by the Chinese government to GPA in September 2021 with the intent to train, prepare and equip the youth of Gwadar / Makran / Balochistan with skill sets for the future needs of Gwadar port, Free Zones, smart city, new international airport and other CPEC projects pertaining to commerce, marine industry, market-based businesses, modern fish practices, real es-

tate, tourism, construction, hospitality and other allied industries.

As per the joint operation agreement, GPA is responsible for supplying spaces and supporting facilities to meet the requirements of teaching, office, and accommodation in the existing new building of PCT & VI. It will cooperate with all government departments to handle relevant procedures as per Pakistani laws and regulations.

It will also coordinate with COPHC for internship and preferential employment of qualified students of PCT & VI. The University of Gwadar will be responsible for the operationalisation of the institute at international standards. It will coordinate with GPA for daily managing, academic and administrative activities and operating expenses.

Karachiites

to reject regime change conspiracy’s characters on

15th: Asad

ISLAMABAD StAff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Secretary General Asad Umar expressed the hope that people of Karachi would reject the characters of the regime change conspiracy and the attempt to impose an artificial system on January 15 in the metropolitan. PTI Central Secretary General, in a statement on Wednesday, said that the people of the financial hub would come out in huge number on January 15 to vote for the PTI’s candidates in the long-delayed Local Government (LG) polls in Karachi to inflict crushing defeat on the self-centered political parties who remained in power for decades for did nothing for the public good. Asad Umar said that like the people voted to PTI in the by-polls and routed the joint candidates of the PDM elsewhere in the country, hoping that the people of Karachi would also crush the coalition partners in the similar fashion in the forthcoming LG polls. He went on to say that Karachi would announce its real independence by stamping on the bat in the LG polls.

Wife of Moonis moves LHC against putting her on stop list

LAHORE: Former federal minister and PML-Q leader Ch Moonis Elahi’s wife Tehreem Elahi on Wednesday challenged the FIA step to put her name on the stop list in the Lahore High Court. Tehreem Elahi filed a petition in the LHC, challenging the Federal Investigation Agency’s step to stop her from flying abroad by placing her name on the stop list. StAff RepoRt

UNICEF continues working on restoration of health facilities in flood-hit areas

ISLAMABAD StAff RepoRt

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) will continue to respond to urgent humanitarian needs in flood-affected areas, restoring and rehabilitating existing health, water, sanitation and education facilities for families returning home in the months ahead.

“As families begin to return to their villages, our response has moved with them and our mobile health, nutrition and water teams continue to respond to an immediate lifesaving need,” Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan told here Wednesday.

He said, “We will continue to help restore and rehabilitate existing health, water, sanitation, and education facilities, supporting the government’s ef-

forts in climate-resilient recovery and reconstruction. We know the climate crisis played a central role in supercharging the cascading calamities evident in Pakistan.”

He said, “We must do everything within our power to ensure girls and boys in Pakistan are able to fully recover from the current disaster and to protect and safeguard them from the next one.”

Acute respiratory infections among children, a leading cause of child mortality worldwide, have skyrocketed in flood-stricken areas.

In addition, the number of cases of children identified as suffering from severe acute malnutrition in flood-affected areas monitored by UNICEF, nearly doubled between July and December as compared to 2021 as an estimated 1.5 million children are still in need of lifesaving nutrition interventions.

Nearly 10 million girls and boys are still in need of immediate, lifesaving support and are heading into a bitter winter without adequate shelter. Severe acute malnutrition, respiratory and waterborne diseases coupled with the cold are putting millions of young lives at risk,” Abdullah Fadil added.

UNICEF and partners have started providing items such as warm clothing kits, jackets, blankets, and quilts, aiming to reach nearly 200,000 children, women, and men. In response to the worsening child survival crisis, more than 800,000 children have been screened for malnutrition, 60,000 were identified as suffering from Severely Acute Malnutrition – a life-threatening condition where children are too thin for their height – and referred for treatment with Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).

UNICEF health interventions have reached nearly 1.5 million people with primary health care services so far, and 4.5 million children have been immunized against Polio in 16 flood-hit districts. UNICEF and partners have also provided more than one million people with access to safe drinking water, and one million with hygiene kits.

UNICEF Pakistan has permanent field offices in all four provinces and has established four hubs to bring UNICEF operations and programmes closer to the hardest hit areas. “We have been working with the government of Pakistan, UN agencies, and NGO partners to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable populations in 55 calamity-affected districts, both for displaced populations and those returning to the location of their destroyed villages

Mayor provides computers to municipal educational institutions

Comedian Majid Jahangir passed away on Tuesday in Lahore.

He had been under treatment at a hospital in the city. Jahangir was best known for his work on Fifty-Fifty, alongside fellow comedian, the late Ismail Tara. Fifty-Fifty was loosely based on Saturday Night Live and featured sketches, satire and paro-

dies. He worked for the PTV for 22 years and acted in four films during his career.

His son Fahad Majid Jahangir revealed that he will be laid to rest in Karachi. In recognition of his achievements throughout his career, he was awarded Pride of Performance and Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan. Condolences poured in on social media after news of his demise brok.

LAHORE AhmAd SAAd

Ibn-i-Insha, one of the most renowned Urdu poets and intellectuals of Pakistan, was remembered on his 44th death anniversary Wednesday. He passed away on January 11, 1978, but his legacy lives on through his poetry and prose that continues to inspire and influence generations of readers and writers alike.

Ibn-i-Insha, whose real name was Sher Muhammad Khan, was born in British India in 1927. He began writing poetry at a young age and published his first collection of poems, “Khud Kalami,” at the age of 16. He went on to publish more than 20 books, including “Aap Se Kiya Parda” and “Awara Gard Ki Diary“.

In addition to poetry, Ibn-i-Insha was also a prolific writer of prose. He also wrote plays and essays, and was a regular contributor to newspapers and maga-

zines. His prose, known for its wit and humour, is considered to be some of the finest examples of Urdu writing.

Ibn-i-Insha’s poetry, in particular, is considered to be a reflection of his irreverent and unconventional personality. He was not afraid to express his thoughts and opinions on a wide range of subjects, from love and relationships to politics and society. His poetry is noted for its unique combination of wit, satire, and humour, making it accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds.

One of the most notable aspects of his poetry is his use of the Urdu language. He is credited with introducing new words and phrases into the language and revitalising it through his writing. He was also known for his use of puns and wordplay, making his poetry a delight to read and understand.

His contributions to Urdu literature and culture have been recognised through numerous awards and honours, including

“There

the Pride of Performance award, which he received in 1977, just a year before his death. He was also awarded the Sitara-iImtiaz, one of Pakistan’s highest civilian honours, posthumously in 1979.

Ibn-i-Insha’s death anniversary is also an occasion to reflect on his life and legacy. His poetry and prose continues to be widely read and studied, and is considered to be an important part of Pakistan’s literary heritage.

His influence can be seen in the work of many contemporary poets and writers, who continue to draw inspiration from his unique style and perspective. The significance of his life’s work is not only limited to the Pakistani community but also his work is renowned worldwide.

His poetry, travelogues, and essays have been translated into several languages, introducing his work to a global audience.

He also left a mark on Pakistan’s culture, influencing the country’s music, television, and film.

On this death anniversary of the poet, a number of events and programs were organised across the country to pay tribute to his life and work.

These included poetry recitations, seminars and lectures. Through these events, the public appreciated once again the timeless legacy of one of Urdu literature’s greatest poets.

In a 2008 seminar organised to remember the poet, Dr Rauf Parekh, an Urdu linguist, remembered Ibn-i-Insha in the following words: “He was a poet fascinated by the moon and perhaps that was why his first book was titled Chandnagar. Sadness was his wealth, he would cry in love as a child but as Ahmed Bashir puts it, he wanted sorrows in return for his love.” Ibn-i-Insha was not only a poet but also a cultural icon who left a lasting impact on Urdu literature and society. He was also an advocate for preserving the Urdu language and culture and he will be remembered for his efforts to revitalise it.

PESHAWAR: Mayor Peshawar Zubair Ali on Wednesday provided new computers to three municipal educational institutions for enabling students to get modern education and handson experience with modern technology.

will be no compromise on quality, we will make the municipal inter-schools and colleges high-quality educational institutions and it should be the mission of all of us to include them in the best educational institutions of the province,” he said while addressing a ceremony here. He assured all-out efforts to fulfill the demand of municipal educational institutions and provide the best quality education to the students. StAff RepoRt

LAHORE StAff RepoRt

WEF GLOBAL RISKS REPORT 2023

Pakistan faces raPid inflation, debt crisis among other risks

iSLamaBad Shahzad paracha

tHEWorld Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risks Report 2023 has identified Digital power concentration and monopolies, Failure of cybersecurity measures (including. loss of privacy, data fraud or theft, cyber espionage), Rapid and/or sustained inflation, Debt crises, State collapse, Lack of widespread digital services and digital inequality, Interstate conflict, Terrestrial biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, Terrorist attacks and Employment and livelihood crisis as top ten risks that pose the biggest threats to Pakistan in the next two years.

The report stated that a combination of extreme weather events and constrained supply could lead the current cost-of-living crisis into a catastrophic scenario of hunger and distress for millions.

This can also turn the energy crisis towards a humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, Energy shortages – because of supplier shut-offs or natural, accidental, or intentional damage to pipelines and energy grids – could cause widespread blackouts and fatalities if combined with seasonal extreme weather.

Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer Mishal Pakistan, the Partners Institute for New Economy and Societies Platforms of the World Economic Forum said, “the Global Risk Report 2023 identifies that for Pakistan, both the affordability and availability of basic necessities can stoke social and political instability”.

He further said, “Last year, the increase in fuel prices alone led to protests

in an estimated 92 countries, some of which resulted in political upheaval and fatalities, alongside strikes and industrial shutdowns”. He said, “the impact of insecurity will continue to be felt in Pakistan and may also exacerbate instability due to simultaneous food and debt crises. Resulting in the emergence of a possible more technocracy-based decision-making leadership framework.

The Report identifies that the cost-ofliving crisis is the biggest short-term risk while failure of climate mitigation and climate adaptation are the largest longterm concerns. The geopolitical rivalries and inward-looking stances will heighten economic constraints and further exacerbate both short- and long-term risks.

The World Economic Forum in the Global Risk Report says that estimates suggest, over 800,000 hectares of farmland has been wiped out by 2022 floods in Pakistan – this has resulted in increasing commodity prices significantly in a country that is already grappling with record 27% inflation. Water stress is also widespread in Pakistan, this particularly impacts women and girls responsible for water collection, with knock-on impacts for health and education outcomes. More widespread scarcity, combined with paralysis of international cooperation mechanisms, has necessitated a degree of water nationalism, resulting in prolonged disputes between neighbouring states and countries. In the face of spreading humanitarian crises and state instability, water infrastructure could continue to be used both as a weapon and target, mirroring past water conflicts and terrorism in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

KSB Pumps resumes production after 10 days

continued from page 01

The KSB Foundry was established in 1980 and measures a capacity of Ferrous casting of 3500 Tons / annum and Non‐ferrous of 100 Tons/ annum. A Rapid Quenching Heat Treatment Furnace is also available for special grades which is capable of manufacturing sophisticated automotive component castings namely for leading automobile manufacturers including Indus Motor Company, Honda Atlas, Nissan Diesel Trucks and Perkins & Massey Ferguson Pvt. Ltd. apart from pumps & valves castings.

The single largest shareholding in the company is by its parent company M/S, KSB SE & CO, KGaA, which holds 58.89% of the shareholding. The rest of the shareholding is all free float owned by local investors, institutions, and banks.

On the international front, at present, the global pandemic and war in Europe have brought energy, inflation, food, and security crises back to the fore. These create follow-on risks that will dominate the next two years: the risk of recession; growing debt distress; a continued cost of living crisis; polarized societies enabled by disinformation and misinformation; a hiatus on rapid climate action; and zero-sum geo-economic warfare.

“The short-term risk landscape is dominated by energy, food, debt, and disasters. Those that are already the most vulnerable are suffering – and in the face of multiple crises, those who qualify as vulnerable are rapidly expanding, in rich and poor countries alike. In this already toxic mix of known and rising global risks, a new shock event, from a new military conflict to a new virus, could become unmanageable. Climate and human development therefore must be at the core of concerns of global leaders to boost resilience against future shocks,” said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director, World Economic Forum.

The report is produced in partnership with Marsh McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, draws on the views of over 1,200 global risk experts, policymakers, and industry leaders. Across three timeframes, it paints a picture of the global risks landscape that is both new and eerily familiar, as the world faces many pre-existing risks that previously appeared to be receding.

Unless the world starts to cooperate more effectively on climate mitigation and climate adaptation, over the next 10 years this will lead to continued global

warming and ecological breakdown. Failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change, natural disasters, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation represent five of the top 10 risks – with biodiversity loss seen as one of the most rapidly deteriorating global risks over the next decade. In parallel, crises-driven leadership and geopolitical rivalries risk creating societal distress at an unprecedented level, as investments in health, education and economic development disappear, further eroding social cohesion. The Report also sheds light on the rising rivalries risk not only growing geo-economic weaponization but also remilitarization, especially through new technologies and rogue actors.

The coming years will present tough trade-offs for governments facing competing concerns for society, the environment and security. Already, short-term geo-economic risks are putting net-zero commitments to the test and have exposed a gap between what is scientifically necessary and politically palatable. Dramatically accelerated collective action on the climate crisis is needed to limit the consequences of a warming world. Meanwhile, security considerations and increasing military expenditure may leave less fiscal headroom to cushion the impacts of an elongated cost of living crisis. Without a change in trajectory, vulnerable countries could reach a perpetual state of crisis where they are unable to invest in future growth, human development, and green technologies.

The report calls on leaders to act collectively and decisively, balancing shortand long-term views.

90% of Geneva pledges are project loans: What does that mean?

continued from page 01

The premier said the amount pledged by “friendly countries” showed respect for Pakistan, adding the countries would never have committed the amount had there been reservations over financial irregularities. “Those who hatched propaganda against the government have gotten the answer,” he said in an indirect reference to opponents of the coalition government.

Responding to a question on how soon he expects these pledges to turn into actual inflows, the premier said that depended on “us”. “The faster we can design and create feasibility and impress them [donors], the faster these pledges will materialise.”

IMF discussions continue

During the presser, the finance minister also talked about a meeting he had with the IMF

team on the sidelines of the Geneva moot, revealing that discussions over the already delayed ninth review for the release of $1.2 billion revolved around the government’s ability to meet the revenue targets previously determined for the ongoing fiscal year after the Federal Board of Revenue fell short in December.

This gap in revenue collection was a result of a high court invalidating the super tax imposed by the government in June last year, according to the finance minister. He said that his team informed the IMF that Pakistan could recover the revenue shortfall in a staggered manner after the Supreme Court ruled on the super tax. “We are not changing the fiscal budget target and we will achieve it,” he asserted.

However, the IMF still wanted the government to take fiscal measures and cut back

ECP writes to Sindh IGP for security of LG polls in Karachi, Hyderabad

Staff report

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has written a letter to Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sindh, Ghulam Nabi Memon to maintain security during the upcoming local second phase of government elections in the province.

In the second phase, LG polls are scheduled to be held in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions on Jan 15 and the ECP’s preparations have entered in final stages.

Meanwhile, the head of ECP’s

Sindh chapter has directed the secretary of the electoral body to reach Karachi ahead of the elections.

The much-awaited LG polls will be held in 25 towns of seven districts of Karachi division, comprising Karachi Central District, Karachi East District, Karachi South District, Karachi West District, Korangi District, Malir District and Keamari District.

The polling will also be conducted in Hyderbad division’s nine districts including District Hyderabad, Tando Mohammad Khan, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Badin,

Dadu, Jamshoro, Thatta and District Sujawal.

Earlier this week, the ECP rejected a petition of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), seeking use of new voter lists for the Karachi and Hyderabad local government elections.

The electoral watchdog ruled out further delay in the polls and said the second phase of the Sindh local government elections would be held on Jan 15 and the chief secretary and the IGP should ensure peaceful polls.

some subsidies, Dar added. “We have identified some fiscal measures but there will be no burden on the common man. They will be very targeted and categorical,” he assured.

Dar asked naysayers to stop spreading panic over “default” rumours, saying such elements must consider national interest above everything. He said Pakistan faces no threat of default and there is nothing to worry. “All the external debt liabilities will be made on time.”

At the outset of the presser, PM Shehbaz vowed that ‘every penny’ pledged by the international community for flood-relief work in Pakistan would transparently go to the victims. He also heaped praise on Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his efforts in meeting foreign dignitaries and raising “the case of Pakistan effectively”.

Weather tracker: temperature may plunge to 5c in parts of sindh

KaracHi Monitoring report

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecasted that a “cold wave” is expected to grip Sindh, including Karachi, starting Thursday.

According to the forecast, minimum temperatures in Sindh are expected to drop to as low as 2-4C in districts such as Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot, Kashmore, Jacobabad, Jamshoro, Dadu, and Tharparkar. Mercury is also expected to drop to 3-5C in Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushahro Feroze, Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, and Sanghar districts.

In Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan and Thatta districts, the minimum temperature is expected to range between 5C and 7C. Weather analyst Owais Hyder, the founder of Pak Weather Network, said the majority of Pakistan will experience extreme weather conditions in the coming days due to a “weak polar vortex” that is causing Siberian winds to blow with full intensity in the region, potentially leading to record-breaking events for the winter season.

igP takes notice of girl’s rape by dacoits in khanewal

Staff report

Punjab Inspector General of Police Aamir Zulfiqar Khan Wednesday took notice of the incident of alleged rape of a girl by dacoits in Khanewal and sought a report on the incident from the Multan RPO. The Punjab IG ordered DPO Khanewal to form a special team to arrest the accused. He directed that the accused should be arrested as soon as possible and strict legal action should be taken, while the delivery of justice to the victim should be ensured on a priority basis. IGP takes notice of incident of killing of four people by firing at Mandi Bahauddin Meanwhile, IG Police Aamir Zulfiqar Khan has taken notice of the incident of killing of four people by firing in Mandi Bahauddin and has asked for a report from RPO Gujarat. IG Punjab ordered the senior officers to reach the spot immediately. He said that every aspect of the incident should be investigated and strict legal action should be taken against those responsible. Aamir Zulfiqar Khan directed that justice should be ensured to the families of the victims on a priority basis.

shujaat takes dig at bilawal, Pm’s critics

LaHore Staff report

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain Wednesday lashed out at the ‘critics’ for calling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto ‘beggars’, saying that both Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal were ‘begging’ for the sake Pakistan. In a statement, the former prime minister slammed the opposition for accusing Pakistan’s top leadership – PM Shehbaz Sharif and FM Bilawal Bhutto – of ‘begging’. Shujaat Hussain noted that they were ‘begging’ for the country’s sake. “They [prime minister and foreign minister] were begging for rehabilitation of flood victims and economic development to steer out of crisis,” he added. “We will join and stand by them in this good deed,” Ch Shujaat said, asking the ‘critics’ to take steps for the sake of the nation.

KaracHi

LaHore

Stark choices

tHE lahore High court took up the matter of the denotification issued by Punjab Governor Balighur rehman against chief Minister ch Pervez Elahi, and while it ordered the status quo to continue, with ch Pervez again barred from dissolving the assembly, as Pti chief imran Khan wants, with the cour adjourning on saturday. remarks from the bench indicate that it cannot give ch Pervez the relief he seems to want: that of remaining in office without any questions being raised about whether or not he enjoys the confidence of the House. the court, which is committed to the defence of the constitution, cannot overlook the fact that the entire constitutional scheme assumes that the Executive shall be entrusted to whoever enjoys a majority in the legislature. ch Pervez contends that there is no calling of a session when the House is already in session, which it is, and which the government shows no sign of adjourning. all of these technicalities do not sound like someone standing on principle, as ch Pervez claims he is, but like someone who cannot produce the necessary numbers. the PDM also does not seem to have the numbers it needs to win a vote of confidence, and it seems if, as seems possible, the fall of the Pervez ministry precipitates a fresh election, no one would obtain a majority on the first round, which would leave a winner being declared in the second round of whoever wins a simple majority. it might almost seem that it would be better to dissolve and opt for a fresh election. However, there are underlying problems which demand that the province have a firm government, one firmer than it had when the present crisis erupted.

ch Pervez is not important, as his 2008-2013 tenure showed, but not only does the bureaucracy observe a wait-and-see policy, but he himself is distracted by the fact that he is surviving from day to day. Mr Khan’s wish for a dissolution has not got any support within the party, but has apparently become an end in itself, and is unlikely to lead to a national dissolution even if accompanied by the KP assembly’s dissolution. as the country has entered on election year anyhow, it seems only appropriate that Mr Khan execute one of his famous U-turns, and let elections take place later in the year, and leave the Punjab to find a cM to govern it in the few months remaining.

AFtEr ch Pervaiz Elahi’s statement that “ General Qamar Javed Bajwa is our mohsin (benefactor)”, 1i was reminded of my meeting with a fellow who called himself ‘Just Mohsin’. the year was 1979, i was visiting Wayne state University in Detroit, Michigan. He was studying there, and instead of introducing himself as Muhammad Mohsin he was more comfortable with ‘Just Mohsin’.

Perhaps the name carries a special significance. in the land of the pure. there is a long history of mohsins it was the first usurper who in the 1960s discovered a dismissed Police constable from Gujrat to be his front man in lahore. He was the Mohsin of ch Zahoor Elahi, the founder of the ‘chaudhry Dynasty’. since then there has been no looking back for the chaudhrys. the ‘umbilical cord’ with GHQ has remained intact. it was the third usurper who decided to take-on Bhutto’s party in lahore and Karachi for which new players were introduced. While Nawaz sharif was launched in lahore, altaf Hussain and his MQM (Mohajir Qaumi Movement) emerged as a terror political outfit in Karachi. General Zia-ul-Haq was their Mohsin. the fourth dictator who had toppled the Nawaz Government, decided to corner both Benazir and Nawaz but the chaudhrys remained loyal to the Mohsin. initially Mian azhar led the new brand of Muslim league (PMl-Q) but was pushed out of the

In politics there is no place for Mohsins, it’s either interests or ideology. In the checkered political history of Pakistan only two real political parties came to the fore (PPP in 1967, PTI in 1996), the rest were created by the Mohsins.

Meray Mohsin

arena. He then remained in the wilderness, joined imran Khan’s Pti, and his son Hammad azhar is now a prominent leader of imran’s party. During his trial in the Military tribunal, Hussain shaheed suharwardy used the term “My learned friend” but then corrected himself by saying “you are neither learned nor my friend”. in the fertile land of five rivers certain words carry no meaning. in the historic anarkali Bazar, sheikh inayatullah and sons, a general merchant’s shop, existed before partition. it remained in business till the 1990s. rehmatullah succeeded his father and ran the business very efficiently. He introduced the ‘hearing aid’ technology in the city which he personally supervised. as the technology was new, it had teething problems. He himself dealt with all complaints. to soften the anger of the complainants, he extensively used the term Meray Mohsin (my benefactor) but really did not mean it. His words were magical. after his death the shop was shut down, a plaza has been built in its place. the sound of Meray Mohsin of anarkali is now history. in politics there is no place for Mohsins, it’s either interests or ideology. in the checkered political history of Pakistan only two real political parties came to the fore (PPP in 1967, Pti in 1996), the rest were created by the Mohsins. somehow the platform of Muslim league has been used from which various brands were introduced, PMl-Funactional, PMl-Nawaz, PMl-Quaid, PMl-council, PMl-comvention, PMlZia, PMl-awami, PMl-Musharraf to name a few. in the 1970s and 1980s, Mohsins were focussed on getting rid of Bhutto’s People’s Party which sought social equality and supremacy of the constitution. after the judicial murder of Bhutto in april 1979, his daughter led the party with courage and conviction. Finally she was silenced on 27 December 2007 at the same venue where the first Prime Minister fell. With her departure the party fell into the lap of her husband, asif ali Zardari, who is currently the mastermind of the PDM movement that has been tasked to contain imran Khan’s party which currently challenges the status-quo after the neutering of the Bhutto’s party. over the years, Mohsins have emerged as the main defenders of the colonial era status-quo together with their brothers in the bureaucracy and judiciary. the dreaded establishment continues to survive through the age old policy of divide and rule. Finally in 2022, voices are being raised across the board for common resistance against the exploiters but there is lack of confidence on both sides.

Madare Millat did not survive long after this episode. She died in 1967, Ayub Khan was toppled in 1969, Jinnah’s Pakistan was dismembered in 1971 but the Mohsins continued together with their Ehsanmands

be uninterested in his chants for the Ehsanmands (beneficiaries) come in the way.

M. A. Niazi Joint Editor

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

Historically speaking, Pakistan had faced the worst ever ND deadliest flash floods and heaviest rains in most parts of the country which started in June 2022 and continued for a couple of months, aND massive devastation and destruction and were described to be three times more in intensity and catastrophe than tHE 2010 flash floods.

the federal and provincial governments launched rescue efforts at the maximum level for the flood- and rain- hit people to go to the safer places as quickly as possible as their houses were massively damaged or completely swept away. on a humanitarian appeal by Pakistan for assistance, a number of friendly countries and international organizations promptly responded by sending in planes loaded with relief goods for helping the flood affected people on humanitarian grounds as sympathy and solidarity with

civilian supremacy is the only way forward to finally make rest in peace the Mohsins who continue to call the shots. the conduct of the outgoing sipah-esalar is being currently debated. Even after his departure his Mohsin hood seems to matter,for those who have dared to come in the way have been punished. till the 1970s, the conspiracy behind the murder of the first PM was being debated, and since then two more have been added to the list (Bhutto, Benazir) with the fourth one recovering from his attempted assassination. after failing to get an Fir registered, the former PM continues to fight for a fresh mandate through free and fair elections. the Mohsins seem to

there is a famous Urdu verse, Ehsan jo muj pay na kartay to ehsan hota “ (if you hadn’t done me a favour, it would have been a favour). When Fatima Jinnah refused to acccpt the dictator as a Mohsin she was declared a traitor. it did not stop here. i remember the huge banners on the historic town Hall in lahore posted every year on 27 october with ayub Khan’s photograph under the caption of saviour and allama iqbal as co-saviour with no mention of Jinnah the founder as his sister had dared to oppose the Mohsin it was taken as a challenge against Manhood and Mohsin-Hood which was unacceptable.

Madare Millat did not survive long after this episode. she died in 1967, ayub Khan was toppled in 1969, Jinnah’s Pakistan was dismembered in 1971 but the Mohsins continued together with their Ehsanmands

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

An appreciable positive response

The money pledged at the Geneva Conference is a good start

the unfortunate catastrophe victims in different parts of Pakistan.

as the rescue operations reached final stages with close cooperation and help of the armed forces officers and jawans, helicopters , boats and other machinery equipments, with Prime Minister shehbaz sharif spearheading the effortsfor helping the larger number offloods and rains victims along with the federal and provincial authorities concerned, Pakistani leadership availed every possible opportunity to apprise the international community of the massive destruction and devastation and miserable state of the large number of homeless people and sought maximum help and assistance for the affected people.

Pakistan’s case so presented at the appropriate highest level before the world at large about the massive devastation caused by the recent monsoon flooding inundating a third of the country. in order to overcome serious post-flood challenges of rehabilitation and reconstruction, Pakistan needed a minimum of $6.78 billion in one year for flood-affected districts, more than $6.17 billion in the next three years and another $3 billion over five years in longterm help. according to the framework so prepared, Pakistan’s total flood losses were assessed to be around Us$ 15.32 billion with the total affected 94 districts across four provinces and 33 million people, eight million of them becoming homeless and over 1700 men, women and

children killed as a result of climate-related events besides standing crops over large areas completely washed away.

UN secretary General antonio Guterres toured Pakistan in september 2022 and visited flood victims in different places along with Prime Minister shehbaz sharif to express his sympathies and solidarity with the people in distress, and appealed to the international community for helping andassisting Pakistan in overcoming the challenges so posed in an effective and prompt manner in order to save the catastrophe victims from onrushing winter problems.

in continuation of ongoing efforts for ensuring earliest rehabilitation of the flood victims, Pakistan joined hands with the United Nations in organizing a one-day international conference on climate resilience in Geneva, switzerland. the Geneva moot so organized on January 9, was co-chaired by UN secretary General antonio Guterres and Prime Minister shehbaz sharif. the moot at a rather short notice was still attended by more than 40 heads of governments and international financial institutions.

Pakistan’s case was again strongly and effectively presented by the Prime Minister preceded by another quite timely presentation by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari telling the moot that Pakistan needed $16 billion for overcoming postcatastrophe challenges of rehabilitation and

reconstruction for ensuring. return of normal life in the flood affected areas of the country at the earliest possible. the Prime Minister assured the prospective donors on the occasion that every penny contributed by them would be spent in a transparent manner, allowing no wastage on any account for assisting the catastrophe victims.

the UN secretary General again strongly pleaded for maximum help and assistance to Pakistan in its difficult times and to express much needed and deserved sympathies and solidarity with the pretty large number of flood victims.He emphatically reiterated what he had seen with his own eyes when he had visited flood-hit people in Pakistan and called for maximum assistance to Pakistan for overcoming climate resilience challenges effectively.

the response from the heads and representatives of the governments and international financial institutions to the appeals made by the UN secretary General and Pakistani leaders was indeed quite positive, encouraging and very much appreciable to say the least.

the international community came out strongly with pledges of more than $9 billion for the rehabilitation of flood victims in the catastrophe-hit Pakistan at the earliest possible.

Pledges so announcedin the Geneva moot indicating its resounding success, and included those by islamic Development Bank $4.2 billion, World Bank $2 billion,

saudi arabia $1 billion, asian infrastructure investment Bank $1 billion, asian Development Bank $500 million,France $408 million, Usa $100 million, china $100 million, European Union $97 million, Germany $90.20 million, Japan $77 million,UK $43.50 million, Qatar $25 million, italy $ 24.7 million, canada $18.60 million, sweden $7.5 million,Norway $6.5 million, switzerland $4.30 million, Denmark $3.89 million, Netherlands $3.50 million and azerbaijan$2 million.

these pledges so made by friendly countries and international financial institutions were not only their expression of solidarity and sympathies with the catastrophe victims but also their appreciable contributions towards rebuilding of Pakistan and their confidence and trust in the country’s rulers in an impressive and appreciable manner. Quite appreciative of these pledges, the PM has justifiably thanked the international community at large and leading financial institutions.

Hopefully, these pledges will soon materialise to help Pakistan government to implement its resilient recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction framework provisions which has been prepared in close cooperation of the world partnersfor ensuring that large number of floods and rains hit people were rehabilitatedin their reconstructed houses and shelters as early as possible enabling them to resume their normal life once again the soonest.

The writer can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com

The struggle for the Punjab has entered a decisive phase

dR faRid a. Malik

Yousaf Nizami Editor

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

MuhaMMad Zahid Rifat

Doing favours and having favours —done for you

Not just a brief stopover in Bangladesh

He also mentioned china’s involvement in a number of important development projects including the Padma Bridge rail link.

THE Bangladesh-china alliance is not new. the path that connected Bangladesh with china is is famous in history as the silk road. since china and Bangladesh are both coastal countries, the exchange between them by sea has been excellent since ancient times. china and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations in 1976. since then, china has invested in and implemented a slew of coal-based power projects.

Bangladesh has conveyed to china that it maintains a balanced foreign policy and walks together with all the countries while reassuring Dhaka’s support to Beijing.

“We believe in the one-china principle. We maintain a balanced foreign policy. this is our principle. We will extend our support (to china) from time to time,” Foreign Minister Dr aK abdul Momen told reporters on tuesday as conveyed to his chinese counterpart.

Newly appointed chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a brief stopover at Hazrat shahjalal international airport early tuesday. Foreign Minister Momen received his chinese counterpart upon his arrival at around 1:58am.

While briefing the media at the airport early tuesday, Momen said he raised the huge trade gap issue with china.

He said though there was a decision of dutyfree and quota-free facilities for Bangladeshi exports, it has not been implemented yet fully.

china, asia’s largest economy, has decided to give duty-free export to 98 percent of Bangladesh’s products, including leather and leather goods. 383 new items were added to the list. this facility will expand the export trade. china will also increase investment in Bangladesh. it will produce products here which will also create employment opportunities for Bangladesh. the trade deficit between the two countries would be reduced.

it may be recalled that on 1 July 2010, china was the first to grant access to the least developed countries to the duty-free quota-free market. initially, under this facility, 33 least developed countries, including Bangladesh, gt duty-free access to 60 percent of china’s tariff lines.

But an examination of whether china’s facility is conducive to Bangladesh’s export potential shows that many products are not included. the Bangladesh commerce Ministry requested china to provide duty-free access to potential products for Bangladesh.

after lengthy negotiations, on 17 June 2020, china issued an order granting Bangladesh unconditional access to 97% of its products (6,256 items) duty-free.

as a result, all potential products of Bangladesh were to get duty-free quota-free access to the chinese market, effective July 1 of that year.

Now china should implement this and Bangladesh should benefit from this offer if it utilizes this properly.

Businesses are yet to take advantage of the DFQF facilities in the chinese market, Momen mentioned, seeking measures from the chinese side.

Momen described the visit of chinese President Xi Jinping to Bangladesh in 2016 as a milestone but mentioned that many decisions in terms of investment are yet to be implemented.

He also thanked the chinese government for its support to Bangladesh during the covid-19 pandemic. the chinese Foreign Minister invited Momen to visit Beijing. Momen also invited his chinese counterpart to come again for a longer stay.

Foreign Minister Momen saw off his chinese counterpart at Hazrat shahjalal international airport at 2:50 am.

although it was not an official visit, the chinese foreign minister made a stopover here on his way to another destination. Qin Gang, who until recently was ambassador to the Us, has started his term with a weeklong trip to five african countries, Ethiopia, Gabon, angola, Benin, Egypt, the african Union Headquarters and the league of arab states Headquarters, from January 9 to 16.

after the visit of chinese President Xi Jinping in october 2016, the then Foreign Minister of china took a break in Dhaka. at that time, he discussed with the then Foreign secretary about the various decisions taken during the visit of the President of china.

according to the observer research Foundation, Bangladesh received a net FDi of Us $1.159 billion from china in Fy-19, making it the top receiver in south asia. Henceforth, one can observe that the ties between Bangladesh and china increased exponentially after X’s Dhaka visit. President Xi and Bangladeshi PM sheikh Hasina inked 27 agreements worth billions of dollars, elevating their relationship from a “comprehensive partnership of cooperation” to a “strategic partnership of cooperation”. in 2015, china surpassed india as Bangladesh’s largest trading partner. china’s expanding engagement with Bangladesh is built on stable economic ties and chinese infrastructure assistance. Dhaka has welcomed Beijing’s cooperation as the two sides agreed to expand cooperation on trade, defence, and infrastructure projects, further strengthening china-Bangladesh ties.

china made a commitment to provide tk 1,700 billion for 27 projects. three years have already elapsed, but loan agreements have been signed to merely fund for these projects.During chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Bangladesh in october of 2016, some 27 projects were finalised. the implementation of these projects was supposed to be complete by 2020.

the joint working group (JWG) consisting of officials of two countries should meet as early as possible to find a solution to the delay in implementing projects. the JWG was formed during sheikh Hasina’s visit to Beijing in July 2019. the implementation of the projects should gain pace following the recommendations of the JWG.

With 2023 looking gloomy for both economies, businesses in Bangladesh are cautiously optimistic that china’s decision to open its trading doors to the world after 1,016 days of a strict “zero-covid” policy will ease supply chain woes and boost business. However, as china opens up its borders on sunday, experts said there are concerns about whether the spillover effects of the decision may disrupt the world economy.

Entrepreneurs and experts opined that the reopening might create more export opportunities for Bangladesh and help it procure raw materials from its most significant source. additional demand for oil, gas and other essential commodi-

ties in global markets will also be created.

Bangladesh plays a significant role in trade relations with both india and china due to its geopolitical location. in recent years, china has stepped up its investments in Bangladesh in an effort to strengthen bilateral ties. Bangladesh’s total exports to china reached $38.959 million in February 2021, according to cEic data.

Until now, Bangladesh is the second-largest recipient of chinese loans under the Belt and road initiatives (Bri) after Pakistan. china has also stepped up its investments in infrastructure, which is worth $10 billion in Bangladesh. also, Bangladesh is set to receive an investment worth $40 billion from china under a bilateral partnership. to meet Bangladesh’s growing energy needs, china has offered to construct nuclear power plants in Bangladesh. Moreover, china has exported refined petroleum worth $861 million, light rubberized knitted fabric worth $749 million, and light pure woven cotton worth $170 million. according to Dr Ma razzaque, the head of research and Policy integration for Development (raPiD), Bangladesh could make $25 billion if it could acquire even one percent of china’s imports. Bangladesh’s principal export categories, such as ready-made clothes and others such as leather goods, jute and jute goods, agricultural products, frozen and live fish, pharmaceutical products, plastic, sports goods, handicrafts, and tea, have a great competitive advantage in the worldwide market.

“Bangladesh is important to china due to its geopolitical location, and as a result, investment has steadily increased. For example, total business was approximately $14.69 billion in 20182019, whilst investment was around $12.8 billion in 2017-2018. However, investment was reduced to $12.5 billion in 2020-21 owing to covid-19. in other areas, the pace of cooperation has increased with Xi’s and Hasina’s exchange of visits. During them, various agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in various fields including energy, technology, and infrastructure development. china will invest about $25 billion in various sectors including economic infrastructure development in Bangladesh in the light of the one Way one region programme. china has been assisting Bangladesh in various developmental activities including the construction of the country’s first tunnel on the Padma Bridge and Karnafuli river, and construction of thermal power plants in chittagong and Khulna.

last year, china offered duty-free access to 5,161 products to Bangladesh to reduce the trade deficit between the two countries. With this, Bangladesh got duty free facility on a total of 8,256 products. as a result, it is expected that the trade deficit between the two countries will be reduced.

it was expected that with the announcement of July 1, 2020 for more duty-free quota-free access of Bangladeshi products to the chinese market, bilateral trade, especially export from Bangladesh would be revamped. that did not happen. Bangladesh has a huge trade deficit with china.

Despite bilateral trade favouring china heavily, Bangladesh has enormous potential. With the new extension of duty-free and quotafree access to china, Bangladesh must redouble efforts with required administrative, regulatory and infrastructural support.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Editor’s mail

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan today exclusively

Israeli savagery

tHE way israeli forces use Palestinian children as human shields is nothing but a war crime. there are many documented cases and human rights reports of israeli troops in Palestine carrying out such barbaric crimes. yet, this war crime and its perpetrators are rewarded with fresh supplies of weapons by the West to kill more children, who, by the way, have no role in the bloody conflict.

Palestinian children are used as labourers in israeli settlements and agriculture. children as young as 10 years old work for the occupiers. Palestinian children working on settlement farms vomit and suffer from dizziness after spraying pesticides with little protection. they are denied medical assistance by the apartheid regime. the stolen fruit and vegetables from Palestinians are sent to European and american markets. the occupation forces of israel deny water to Palestinian farmers, freedom of movement and market access for their products. the Palestinians want to cultivate their own lands and to create an economic environment in which they may support their children so they may go to school and get education. all is denied by the settlers. the West poses itself as the champion of education for children, but the occupiers in Palestine prevent students from reaching schools, attacking children on the pretext of ‘security’. and none of this bothers the West. the israeli settlers, protected by the army on the orders of the government, carry out attacks against Palestinians. a Palestinian child, yazan al-rajbi, was so brutally beaten by israeli extremist settlers that he needed to be hospitalised. Palestinian human rights groups reported that 40 children have been killed and 750 others were arrested by the israeli occupation forces in 2022 alone. yet, the Europeans and the americans, who are but European settlers on occupied native american land, continue to supply weapons of mass destruction to the israelis.

the Defence for children international has said that each year approximately 500-700 Palestinian children, some as young as 12 years old, are detained and prosecuted in the israeli military court system. the most common charge is stone-throwing; yes, stone throwing against a heavily armed israeli military in Palestine. that would have been a joke had it not been so cruel. ahmad Manasra, now 21 years old, was arrested when he was just 13, and since then has been imprisoned by israeli authorities. His mental health has been deteriorating, yet the extremists enjoy watching Manasra’s sufferings. Where is the so-called United Nations (UN), which was once so quick to recognise white settler colony in Palestine calling it ‘israel’? Why does it seem so powerless against the same settler colony and could not demand an immediate release of Palestinian children despite claiming to be working for the rights of the children? the UN, the European Union (EU) and, indeed, the United states of america will not boycott, sanction and divest because money and resources need to be stolen for the white race from Palestine. if the West and the world bodies mean what they say about children, they should ask illegal settlers in occupied Palestine to release Palestinian children, men and women and return their land.

ANGABEEN AHMAD KARACHI

Acts of animal cruelty

tHE cruelty we show to the stray animals that roam our streets is unfortunate. in movies from the West, it is common to see people being nice and affectionate to stray animals so much so that stray cats and dogs come into their homes for food and shelter. i often used to think why stray animals in our society run away at the first sight of a passer-by. then i realised that the reason was actually no secret. We do not treat them well. Why would they trust us? over the years, i have realised that our society has deeply traumatised these poor animals. children throw stones at dogs for fun and chase them out of the streets going as far as to steal their young ones; the puppies. What else could they do, but fear the human beings?

People can truly be judged by the manner in which they treat those who are weaker than them and cannot communicate, and that includes the innocent animals. the general absence of laws for the protection of animals has led to a rampant rise in animal cruelty cases. the laws that do exist are archaic and not up to the current standards of protection. it is of utmost importance to revise the laws to make our society civilised and humane.

AMBREEN FATIMA LAHORE

Brutal customs

oNE of the old customs, ghag is a tradition common among the people of mountai-nous regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), formerly called the Federally administered tribal areas (Fata), and in Balochistan, in which a person intends to marry a woman without her consent.

it is known as a pre-planned announcement and clear intention of the man to marry a particular woman. this inglorious practice is carried out in many ways. For starters, a man sends his proposal to the woman’s house, or the man fires three aerial gunshots while standing in front of her doorstep, and announces her name publicly. Moreover, when ghag has been announced on any girl’s name, she is not allowed to marry another man; she will either marry the culprit or stay single for life. Ghag is also used as a tool to exact revenge on the girl’s family by claiming the girl without her consent. it ruins the life of the woman and her family.

there have been several unreported cases of suicide because of ghag. this social evil has destroyed the lives of many hapless women.

this is an old custom that continues to humiliate the dignity of women in blatant violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution. the KP government, with help of some secular parties of the province, has decided to declare this custom illegal. in the proposed legislation, it has been mentioned that a person who will be found involved in this offence will be liable for seven years of imprisonment and rs6,000 fine. Ghag is a social evil and a sign of regressive mentality, and this should be eliminated from the northern areas so that women may choose their groom as well. the provincial government may organise public awareness campaigns and tell people how this shameful practice violates the dignity of women and contravenes the freedom and rights given to them by islam. in this regard, the help of the clergy can be vital. in addition to the move by the provincial government, the federal government should also bring this abominable practice to an end.

AYAZ ALI BHATTI THARI MIRWAH

tilottaMa Rani ChaRulata

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s brief stop was actually quite important

StateS muSt recoGNISe that humaN rIGhtS defeNderS are Not the eNemy

THE FAILURE OF GOVERNMENTS AND CORPORATE LEADERS TO LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO MANY OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THE WORLD FACES TODAY

at least 358 human rights defenders around the world in 2021. the majority of these killings remain in impunity, an issue directly linked to corruption, which transparency international indicates is a serious problem in two-thirds of the world’s countries.

IrIsh tImes Mary lawlor

Ilook back on 2022 with a mixture of admiration for those brave human rights defenders who have refused to be silenced, and dismay at the weasel words of politicians and corporate leaders who in their pursuit of power undermine human rights and marginalise those who defend them.

i am humbled by the courage and dedication of people like this year’s nobel Peace Prize winners ales Bialiaski, from Belarus, russian human rights organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian Center for Civil liberties. ales has been in pre-trial detention since 2021 in Belarus, Memorial has been declared a foreign agent and has spent most of the last year in court fighting against its forced closure, and the Centre for Civil liberties continues its work documenting war crimes in Ukraine. all three refuse to give up.

they are not alone. all over the world, thousands of human rights defenders continue the peaceful struggle for the rights of others. their reward is intimidation, unfair trials on spurious charges, physical and digital attacks, torture, imprisonment and killings. in its 2022 report, Front line Defenders documented the killings of

if we are to find solutions to the climate emergency, and reverse the human and economic destruction caused by the current devastating crises in Myanmar, Ukraine, afghanistan, Yemen and Syria, we need to find ways of working together. one starting point is for states to recognise that human rights defenders are not the enemy. they have a crucial role to play in creating more just and equal societies, and the failure of governments and corporate leaders to listen to their voices has contributed to many of the problems we are facing today.

it is a sad fact that human rights defenders are under attack in almost every corner of the globe, including europe. the recent corruption scandal in the european Parliament has brought home to us all just how vulnerable our democratic institutions are to attack.

But corruption isn’t only about envelopes of cash. Corruption destroys lives: every time someone takes a bribe, gives a job to an unqualified relative, or diverts money for a hospital or school to their own pocket, it is an attack on human rights.

in the struggle for human rights, social media can be a force for good by facilitating communication and agency for those on the margins. But all too often, it descends into a toxic sludge of innuendo and false accusations, with smears directed at human rights defenders who have the temerity to challenge the rich and powerful.

Fatma Moatemri is a female human rights defender, a journalist in tunisia and a member of the tunisian as-

Ben-Gvir goes too far in banning Palestinian flags

Jerusalem Post Editorial

National Security Minister itamar Ben-Gvir has gone too far in ordering police to remove Palestinian flags from public spaces and arguing that they display an identification with terrorism. in the interest of upholding free speech, we urge the government to reconsider the matter carefully and overrule this directive, which in any case will be extremely difficult to back up in court and enforce on the ground.

We understand that Ben-Gvir’s order came a day after protesters against the government’s planned legal revolution hoisted Palestinian flags at a large rally in tel aviv on Saturday night, and a week after freed Palestinian security prisoner Karim Younis – who served a 40-year term for kidnapping and murdering iDF soldier avraham Bromberg – waved a Palestinian flag while receiving a hero’s welcome in his home village of ara in northern israel.

as offensive as such images are for many israelis, banning Palestinian flags –which have powerful symbolism for the Palestinian people – do not help israel. With his legal background, Ben-Gvir should know that the ban crosses a red line on free expression but also raises a red flag. “it can’t be that lawbreakers wave terror flags, incite and support terror, and therefore i have ordered that terror-supporting flags be removed from the public space.”

“it can’t be that lawbreakers wave terror flags, incite and support terror, and therefore i have ordered that terror-supporting flags be removed from the public space,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement on Sunday. “identifying with a terrorist and with harming iDF soldiers is not protected under freedom of speech.”

Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu also tweeted that the presence of Palestinian flags at the tel aviv protest was “wild incitement,” but he refrained from publicly backing Ben-Gvir’s announcement.

Following Ben-Gvir’s announcement, israel Police Commissioner insp.-Gen. Kobi Shabtai ordered police commanders to remove Palestinian flags from public spaces throughout israel.

WHAT DOES ISRAELI LAW SAY ABOUT PALESTINIAN FLAGS? From a legal standpoint, israeli law does not prohibit the display of Palestinian flags. From a security standpoint, security forces have in the past exercised the right to remove them when they are deemed to be a threat to public security, although this has often triggered international condemnation. in May of last year, police sparked such an outcry when they ripped away Palestinian flags from mourners at the funeral procession for al Jazeera journalist Shireen abu akleh, almost causing her coffin to fall. it should be noted that before the oslo accords were signed 30 years ago, the israeli government considered the red, green and white Palestinian flag to be a symbol of terrorism, but the peace deals signed between israel and the Plo effectively ended the ban. legal experts said Ben-Gvir’s order is unlikely to withstand legal scrutiny and could even be ruled illegal. Channel 13 news reported that police had sought advice from government legal counselors on how the order could be carried out.

according to the attorney-General’s office, Palestinian flags can be removed only when there is a high probability that “waving the flag will lead to serious disruption of the public peace.” the issue of the Palestinian flag is a kind of litmus test for the new netanyahu government, and ultimately should be ruled on by the prime minister himself. on one hand, backing Ben-Gvir’s ban could help turn the issue into a cause célèbre for the Palestinian authority, which has already received support from the United nations in its challenge against israel at the international Court of Justice. israel’s punitive measures against the Pa – including the withholding of tax revenues – have already drawn condemnation and concern from Jerusalem’s allies, including the United States. on the other hand, this could be an opportunity for netanyahu to show Ben-Gvir who is really in charge. While he might understand the motivation for the move, the prime minister could make it clear that it is legally questionable and practically not enforceable. Pictures of israeli police tearing down Palestinian flags will not help israel. But most importantly, it will make israel look like it is not interested in respecting civil rights – and this includes the right to wave Palestinian flags, whether we like it or not.

sociation for Democratic Women. her work is primarily focused on promoting women’s rights in her country, and on exposing corruption.

on May 12th, 2020, a video of her chatting with friends and having an alcoholic drink was posted on social media. the video was labelled “girls having sex”, and was posted during the month of ramadan, despite the fact that it had been taken months previously. Since the video was posted online, Fatma has received several death threats and has been labelled an “infidel”. the authorities have taken no action to investigate the incident, and Fatma believes that it was an attempt to discredit her because of her investigations into high-level corruption. in this period of wars and conflict, the issue of national security is uppermost in governments’ minds. in many cases they respond by introducing national security or anti-terrorism laws which are so vaguely worded and open to interpretation that any human rights defender who is critical of the government can be branded as an extremist or, a terrorist or a foreign agent. 24 countries have imprisoned human rights defenders for sentences of 10 years or more using fabricated charges in the guise of security.

i have just returned from tajikistan, where human rights defenders operate in a climate of fear. lack of independence in the judicial system, with closed, unfair trials means human rights defenders are sentenced to long prison terms as extremists or terrorists- even for something like documenting housing evictions. the country has little independent media or access to information.

Governments claim that all this repression is about national security. in reality it is about power and money. they want to maintain power so they control information: they control the message, and they control the abil-

ity of civil society and human rights defenders to do their work just in case they are a threat. human rights defenders are, after all, agents of social change.

in other countries, such as Brazil it seems that the only law is the law of the gun. on December 13th, 2022, land rights activist raimundo oliveira was at home asleep when two hit men burst into the house and shot him dead. raimundo was a member of the Movimento Sem terra, (landless Peasants Movement) in the tocantins state of Brazil, which campaigns for the right of peasant communities to own even part of the land which has been seized illegally by big landowners and large companies.

When he was a small boy, raimundo saw his father shot dead by two gunmen sent by a local land grabber. Since then he had campaigned for the rights of poor farmers to be given enough land to feed their families, and as a result was the target of repeated assassination attempts between 2000 and 2015.

at a time of increasingly polarised political discourse and escalating conflict, it is worth remembering the power of a single voice to combat injustice and the words of Pastor Martin niemöller, who moved from being a borderline fascist to confronting the horrors of nazism. “First they came for the socialists, and i did not speak out –because i was not a socialist. then they came for the trade unionists, and i did not speak out – because i was not a trade unionist. then they came for the Jews, and i did not speak out – because i was not a Jew. then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Why interfaith marriage in India is getting dangerous

caught up in “love jihad” and illegal religious conversions.

“love jihad” is a derogatory term used by the hindu right-wing to describe an alleged phenomenon where Muslim men lure hindu women into marriage and conversion to islam. hindu groups claim, without evidence, it is an organized conspiracy.

VhP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal claimed the alleged practice was a “heinous form of religious conversion.” “there is a strong need for enactment of a stringent central law to check ‘love jihad’ and illegal religious conversions,” Bansal told DW.

the special marriage act registrations for interfaith marriages are a basis of harassment for young people,” Malavika rajkotia, a lawyer who focuses on family and property law, told DW.

india’s special marriage act was enacted to validate and register interreligious and inter-caste marriages and allows two adults to marry through a civil contract.

however, couples have to wait for more than a month to register their marriage, allowing time for harassment from disagreeable family members and authorities.

DW Murali Krishnan

InterFaith marriages in india have been a sensitive issue for many years, with authorities and hindu right-wing organizations disrupting weddings between hindus and Muslims under so-called “anti-conversion” laws. in one incident two years ago, indian police stopped an interfaith marriage in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh despite the consent of both families. Before the ceremony could begin, a police team intervened following a complaint by a local hindu right-wing leader.

in india, most marriages are still arranged by families. intercaste and interfaith marriages are looked down upon and considered taboo in many places.

in extreme cases, families have attacked or even killed couples for falling in love or for trying to marry someone outside their religion.

INDIA’S ‘ANTI-CONVERSION’ LAWS: at least eight states, including six governed by the ruling hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have passed anti-conversion laws that ban religious conversion solely for the purpose of marriage.

last month, in the western state of Maharashtra, the government formed a 13member panel to investigate interfaith marriages in the state and maintain a record of couples and their families.

last month, the Vishva hindu Parishad (VhP), a hardline hindu group, launched a nationwide public “awareness campaign,” claiming that hindu women are being

HOW MARRIAGE BECOMES A CRIME: asif iqbal, co-founder of nGo “Dhanak of humanity,” a platform to extend help for interfaith couples, told DW that many couples live in fear of their relationships becoming a criminal offense under the current attempts at legal reforms. “Prevailing legal and social situations have effectively decreased the number of interfaith marriages,” iqbal said. “interfaith marriage has always been challenging in india, but the discrimination and threats of violence now make the struggle to assist such couples more difficult than ever,” he added.

in the last decade, the nGo has helped over 5,000 couples of different faiths, castes and communities come together. however, iqbal said there has been a sharp decrease in the number of couples coming to seek help. “Couples have to leave their state to get married in some other state where religious marriage is not a crime,” he said. “Moreover, the police and the judiciary in many states are not ready to help couples and sometime don’t offer protection,” he added.

LIVING IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR: amid heightened communal tensions in recent years, interfaith and intercaste couples in india face bullying, harassment, opposition from relatives and even death threats.

Since the BJP was elected in 2014, tensions between hindus and Muslims have become more polarized. the introduction of anti-conversion laws is indicative of a rise in hindu nationalism, say activists.

“the laws are an intimidatory tactic against minority communities. now, even

to counter the hate and bigotry directed at interfaith couples, married couple Samar halarnkar and Priya ramani launched the “india love Project” on instagram in 2020, which rejects religious polarization and celebrates interfaith relationships.

“in a country that is increasingly criminalizing interfaith love, the project became a space where differences are cherished and cheered. honestly, it’s a bubble of love, a safe space in a toxic landscape,” ramani told DW.

THE RIGHT TO INTERFAITH MARRIAGE IN INDIA: indira Jaising, a senior Supreme Court lawyer who has worked extensively on this issue, told DW that in the last few years, india has enacted specific laws targeting interfaith marriages. “an individual actively ‘adopts’ another religion when choosing to marry a person from a different religion under that religion’s personal law. this, too, is a freedom that is guaranteed under the constitution,” Jaising said. She added that the laws are liable to be challenged for violating the indian constitutional guarantee to practice freedom of religion. “laws barring marriage through religious conversion run afoul of india’s foundational value of secularism,” she added. according to the indian Constitution, citizens have the freedom to “profess, practice and propagate” religion. the word “propagate” also includes the citizen’s right to convert.

last week, the Supreme Court began hearing two public interest litigations challenging anti-conversion laws passed in several states that seek to prohibit religious conversion by marriage and make it mandatory to give notice of conversion to the state authorities.

Mary Lawlor is United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Social Innovation, Trinity Business School.

corporate corner

mARTIN DOw GROUP LAUNChES SChOLARShIP PROGRAm FOR IBA STUDENTS

KarachI Staff report

mARTINDow, the Multinational Healthcare Group in Pakistan, has launched another initiative for deserving students at IBA Karachi under the program of M. Jawed Akhai Scholarship seats.

Bank Alfalah introduces QR Payment Solution with SnappRetail

Chairman of Martin Dow Group Mr. Ali Akhai met with IBA Karachi’s Executive Director Dr. S Akbar Zaidi to formalize the scholarship program aimed at strengthening the legacy of the founding chairman. Under this program, scholarships in the memories of M. Jawed Akhai will fund the education of deserving students at IBA.

of

Naval Chief Heads Command & Staff Conference At Naval Headquarters Islamabad

serve is a reflection of our belief in Creating Distinction for Life.”

We are taking this legacy forward by further enhancing the relationship with the IBA Karachi through the M. Jawed Akhai scholarships for the needy, contributing to sustainable causes and building positive connections with communities, he added.

Till now, the Martin Dow Group has been IBA's long-standing partner in delivering an international-standard health & learning environment to students. The Martin Dow Health Centre was established to provide free of cost medical treatment to students, faculty, and staff members at the IBA. Besides, M. Jawed Akhai gold medals and shields were introduced to motivate & reward the best in class at the IBA.

NImAhosts roundtable conference on ‘Naval Developments in Indian Ocean – Its Effects in Region’

KARAcHI: Bank Alfalah continuing its rich legacy of being the industry leader in digitizing the retail landscape of Pakistan, Bank Alfalah has entered into an aggregator partnership with SnappRetail. This partnership is designed to accelerate Merchant acquiring activities and to encourage digital payments at the Point of sale (POS). Under this collaboration, merchants acquired by SnappRetail will be on boarded to the QR (Quick Response) payment system of Bank Alfalah, bringing the cash-oriented merchants into the fold of the documented economy. pr

Careem Pay partners with Lulu Exchange to launch digital remittance from UAE

KARAcHI: Careem has partnered with Lulu Exchange, one of UAE’s largest licensed remittance providers, to launch international remittances on Careem Pay, enabling customers and Captains to send money abroad. In the first phase, customers can seamlessly transfer money from the UAE to Pakistan in minutes at competitive rates through the ‘Send Abroad’ tile on the Careem app. Funds are sent directly to a recipients’ foreign bank account whether they are Careem or non-Careem customers. The process is fully digital with electronic KYC completed in seconds, making it possible to send money overseas in just a few taps. Transfers exceeding AED 400 are free of charge. The UAE is the second largest source of remittance globally, with nearly $50 billion sent abroad in 2021. Over 1.7 million Pakistani expats live and work in the UAE and the country has become one of the largest sources of remittance to Pakistan, with $452.5 million transferred to Pakistan in November 2022 alone. Careem plans to expand the service to include transfer to the Philippines, Egypt, and India in the coming months. Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and Co-founder of Careem, commented: “We're delighted to partner with one of UAE’s largest licensed remittance providers to introduce the simplest remittance service from the UAE to Pakistan to the Careem app. Over a million and a half Pakistanis live in the UAE, including thousands of hard working Careem Captains. We're excited to really simplify and improve their experience when sending money home to support their families.”

Adeeb Ahamed, Managing Director of LuLu Financial Group, said, “As consumer-facing organizations, both Careem and LuLu Exchange share a common philosophy to make people’s lives easier using technology. Being a trusted name in cross-border payments, we are happy to integrate our fully compliant remittance-as-a-service platform with Careem Pay and contribute towards the rapid adoption of digital payments among the people of UAE.” pr

Islamabad pr

Command and Staff Conference of Pakistan Navy concluded at Naval Headquarters, Islamabad. The Conference was chaired by Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi. During the conference, matters related to national security, geo

strategic affairs, combat readiness and training of troops were discussed. Ongoing progress on PN projects including future plans were reviewed and way forward were deliberated. The conference assessed evolving maritime affairs in the region and beyond.The Naval Chief emphasized on maintaining perpetual combat readiness to effectively thwart any ag-

IESCO'S customer friendly measures for timely redressal of customer complaints

Two new sub-divisions, Sagari and Morgah, have been established by IESCO management to enable timely resolution of customer complaints and provision of best services to them. Due to the increase in the number of consumers, Rawat sub-division has been divided into Rawat sub-division and Sagari, while Sawan sub-division has been divided into Sawan and Morgah subdivisions, due to which the areas of Rawat sub-division, villages Davri, Punjgaran, Dadhar, Dakala, Ojrayala, Sagari, Mankiala, Butter, Arazi Pind, Arazi Khas, Mandna Jattal, Mora Hayal, Bashandot, Ruper, Deri Mera Basanta, Bhatta, Village Pindori, Village Chaudharian, Dhok Amban, Dhok Major, Abin Chak, Meera, Sood Gangal, Pind Mirzan, Morra vance, Sardar Market, Mankiala, Morra Bhattian, Shah Bagh, Karali, Terel, Chak Sanal, Dera Khasala, Meana Morra, Nithia, Chabutra, Morra Rupival, Morra Bakhtan, Village Chapri Ako electricity consumers. The new subdivisions have been added to Sagri, while the areas of the 10th sub-division are Morgah Village, Dhok Syed Muhammad, Jamra, Kotla Kalan, Rabia Bungalow. pr

gression against Pakistan. The Naval Chief lauded the initiatives undertaken towards capability development through acquisition of emerging technologies. The Admiral expressed full confidence over high state of operational preparedness of Pakistan Navy to meet all challenges while safeguarding the maritime frontiers of Pakistan.

SECP issues Guidelines for Offering Islamic Financial Services

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark development for the growth of Islamic finance in the non-bank financial sector, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has issued Guidelines for Offering Islamic Financial Services, 2023, covering all its regulated sectors. The guidelines are framed to facilitate growth of Shariahcompliant financial products in the financial services market regulated by the Commission, which include Islamic capital markets, Takaful, Modarabas, NBFCs, pension and private funds, REITs, and so on. The guidelines are based on notions of proportionality and gradualism and cover key principles for the conduct of Shariahcompliant operations by persons offering Islamic financial services. It also introduces the concept of "Islamic windows" in all regulated sectors, apart from providing detailed guidelines for the conversion of conventional financial institutions into Islamic financial institutions. Another essential aspect covered in the guidelines is the foundational principles for developing cohesive Shariah governance within Islamic financial institutions. pr

A Roundtable Conference on “Naval Developments in the Indian Ocean – Its Effects in the Region & Beyond” was organized by the Indian Ocean Study Centre of National Institute of Maritime Affairs Islamabad in collaboration with the Institute of Regional Studies. Vice Admiral (Retd) Ahmed Saeed HI(M), DG NIMA welcomed all the worthy speakers & participants and highlighted the significance of the roundtable conference regarding the naval developments in the Indian Ocean Region. Dr. Adam Saud, Dean, Faculties of Humanities & Social Sciences, Bahria University, delivered an overview of the topic including a theoretical perspective. He said that the Indian Ocean is turning into a battleground of US and China competition, and India is being projected as a trusted friend of the West. Mr. Kamran Hashmi, Research Associate NIMA said that Indian Ocean Region is the future of world politics. At present, the Indian Ocean may be calm on the surface but, it is extremely turbulent, and the possibility of multiple conflicts between various stakeholders cannot be ruled out. pr

US Embassy, NUST launch ‘Rising Stars Startup Competition’ for minorities

ISLAMABAD: The National Science & Technology Park at NUST and the US Embassy, Pakistan have launched the “Rising Stars Startup Competition.” Conceived and designed by NSTP for the minorities, the primary objective of the programme is to increase the number of quality entrepreneurs and, in so doing, give impetus to long-term economic growth of Pakistan. Besides the US Embassy, Draper University has also been welcomed aboard as a Knowledge Partner offering virtual training to participants, while Pak Mission Society has been engaged as an Outreach Partner to mobilise minority communities. Under the initiative, selected participants will avail mentoring, support from industry partners, and access to networking events. The programme will help foster a culture of entrepreneurship amongst the underprivileged to the extent that they become capable enough to scale their ventures. In addition, hands-on trainings and workshops will be offered to participants to build their entrepreneurial skills and business acumen. Participants will also be able to showcase their ideas to investors to secure funding for their respective startups. pr

Bahria Town intends to master art of urban and town planning: Country Head

Ali Saqlain Real Estate & Builders, a leading Real Estate Company along with the Country Head of Bahria Town, Mr. Shahid Mehmood Qureshi recently presented the Project Briefing of Bahria Town 2 through an exclusive ceremony held near the community estate around 8pm (at) Bahria Farm House Area. The ceremony was hosted by Mr. Shahid Qadri, CEO of Ali Saqlain Real Estate and Builders where the announcement, speech, and presentation took place. Several corporate leaders, people of influence, and

esteemed members of the media fraternity were present at the event. Audience members included notable celebrities and influencers such as Shehroze Subzwari, Sadaf Kanwal, Mashal Khan, Juggan Kazim, Junaid Akram, Anamta Quraishi, Faysal Quraishi, Amna Ilyas, Ushna Shah, Fouzia Aman, Anjiya Mithani and Naiha J.Eiman.

The Bahria Town Karachi 2 Project Briefing began with a speech by the Country Head of Bahria Town Karachi, Mr. Shahid Mehmood Qureshi followed by a presentation by Mr. Shahid Qadri, CEO of Ali Saqlain Real Estate and Builders. The insightful ceremony discussed the future of

Bahria Town 2 and the estates being built within the area. Since Bahria Town’s current community living, real estate projects, and buildings have already held promise for years, Bahria Town 2 is also expected to be equally imaginative and world-class. Hence, a handful of celebrities also took to the podium to discuss the future of its urban planning and shared their enthusiasm over the freshly launched project. Bahria Town intends to master the art of urban and town planning while transforming a great vision into reality. With world-class communities that are far ahead of their time, all developments will have the most advanced infra-

structure and facilities in the country. The sheer scale, logistics, and quality of this world-class project will be beyond anything experienced by Pakistan before.

Launched in 2014, in only 8 years, Bahria Town has already become a “city within a city, " a living community with thousands of residents, enjoying a lifestyle not available anywhere else in Pakistan. Designed with a neighborhood concept to provide outstanding facilities to its residents, it has introduced new benchmarks of community development. The attention to detail ensures that all amenities and services are available which were unimaginable in Pak-

istan. It is also quickly becoming the financial hub in the region. Bahria Town Karachi also boosts projects such as Bahria Homes, Bahria Farm Houses, Bahria Paradise, Bahria Apartments, Bahria Heights, Bahria Central Park Apartments, Bahria Golf City, Danzoo, Sports City, State-of-the-art Schools & hospitals. Ali Saqlain & Builders was first established in 2001, considering the rapidly increasing property demands of people and their constant dream of living in their own houses with an ideal lifestyle. Having spent fifteen years of accomplishment in the commercial real estate business, Ali Saqlain had a vision of expanding.

Expressing his views, on this occasion, Chairman Martin Dow Group Ali Akhai said, “Jawed Akhai, the Founding Chairman Martin Dow Group, focused on improving the quality of life

underprivileged communities and making sustainability a part of Martin Dow's business model as per our core values. We are here to improve the quality of life for the communities we

KarachI Staff report

LAHORE: Activists of All-Pakistan Hydro Electric Workers Union led by General Secretary Khurshid Ahmed stage a demo against privatization and price hike. Staff reporter

UK and Japan to sign maJor defence deal as Kishida visits london

ture fighter jet.

suicide blast near afghan ministry, more than 20 casualties

afp

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida will sign a “hugely significant” new defence agreement when the pair meet in London on Wednesday, Downing Street said.

The two leaders will also discuss Japan’s current presidency of the G7 and “the need to maintain our collective support for Ukraine”, according to a statement from Sunak’s office.

The deal, to be signed at the historic Tower of London, will allow UK forces to be deployed to Japan in what London called “the most significant defence agreement between the two countries in more than a century”.

“In the past 12 months, we have written the next chapter of the relationship between the UK and Japan — accelerating, building and deepening our ties,” said Sunak.

“This Reciprocal Access Agreement is hugely significant for both our nations — it cements our commitment to the

Indo-Pacific and underlines our joint efforts to bolster economic security.”

Kishida left on Monday for securityfocused talks with Japan’s G7 allies in Europe and North America which ends with a meeting with US President Joe Biden on Friday.

In Paris, he and Emmanuel Macron

peru launches probe to investigate president for ‘genocide’ after deadly protests

Lima reuters

Peru’s top prosecutor’s office on Tuesday said it launched an inquiry into new President Dina Boluarte and members of her cabinet over violent clashes that have seen at least 40 killed and hundreds injured since early December.

The inquiry comes after 17 civilians were killed in the country’s southern Puno region on Monday — the most lethal day of protests since former President Pedro Castillo was ousted and detained last month.

The violence continued on Tuesday with a police officer dying after his car was torched.

The attorney general’s office said it was investigating Boluarte along with Prime Minister Alberto Otarola, Defense Minister Jorge Chavez and Interior Minister Victor Rojas on charges of “genocide, qualified homicide and serious injuries.”

Human rights groups have accused authorities of using firearms on protesters and dropping smoke bombs from helicopters. The army says protesters have used weapons and homemade explosives. The president and ministers’ offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The ouster of Castillo, which came after he illegally attempted to dissolve Congress, has ignited a wave of protests across the country. Protesters are demanding the resignation of Boluarte, the dissolution of Congress, changes to the constitution and Castillo’s release. Lawmakers on Tuesday were set to cast their ballots in a vote of confidence in Boluarte’s cabinet, which is needed to lead a new government.

Prime Minister Alberto Otarola has blamed organized attackers financed by “dark” money for those killed on Monday. Another 68 civilians and 75 police officers were reported injured, according to the ombudsman.

pledged

In turn, Kishida vowed G7 support for Ukraine.

The UK, Italy and Japan said last month that they will jointly develop a fu-

The new “Global Combat Air Programme” is slated to produce its first jets by 2035, merging the three nations’ costly existing research into new aerial war technology, from stealth capacity to high-tech sensors.

A British patrol ship also last year took part for the first time in “Exercise Keen Sword”, the regular Pacific training operation carried out by the Japanese and US navies. The exercise involved 36,000 military personnel, 30 ships and 370 aircraft, drawn mainly from Japan and the United States but with Australia, Canada and the UK also joining in.

Japan has a pacifist post-war constitution, which limits its military capacity to ostensibly defensive measures.

But Tokyo is poised to make the largest overhaul to its security strategy in decades, in light of the war in Ukraine, repeated missile launches from North Korea and growing pressure from China.

The leaders are also expected to discuss trade, including the UK’s possible accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

China, AU vow to build China-Africa community with a shared future in new era

isLamabaD staff report

China is ready to continue to work with Africa as a development partner and build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Wednesday during a meeting with African Union (AU) Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat.

Qin and Faki held the eighth China-AU Strategic Dialogue at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia on Wednesday.

China has taken the lead in supporting the AU’s membership in the G20, enhancing the representation and voice of African countries in the UN Security Council and other international organizations, and safeguarding the common interests of the vast number of developing countries, Qin said.

He added that China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and security in Africa.

Faki said China stands with Africa in its struggle for national independence and liberation; it stands with Africa in its efforts to accelerate development and revitalization and to participate more in international affairs.

The AU values China’s strong support for Africa’s integration, connectivity and free trade zone construction and looks forward to working with China to promote the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, he said. Both sides are confident in the prospects of China-Africa relations, stressing that they will maintain close high-level exchanges, enhance synergy in their development strategies and focus on pragmatic cooperation.

After the talks, Qin and Faki signed cooperation documents and jointly attended the completion ceremony for the China-aided project of the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters.

The Africa CDC will make a greater contribution to public health in Africa and the health and well-

being of the African people and write a new, splendid chapter in the history of China-Africa relations, Qin said. Qin made a four-point proposal on developing China-Africa relations while addressing the ceremony. The four-poinT proposal

First, Qin called for enhancing in-person interactions and connectivity of ideas.

“We will encourage Chinese companies and people to come to Africa for investment and tourism. We will provide more facilitation to restore two-way personnel exchanges at a faster pace,” he said. “African political leaders, AU Commission officials at various levels and Africans in the political, business and academic circles are most welcome to visit in due course. China supports South Africa in its rotating BRICS (the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) presidency and supports Uganda in hosting the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement.”

Second, to further deepen the friendly relations between China and the AU. China will continue to work with African countries and the AU Commission to forge strong synergy between Belt and Road cooperation, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and Agenda 2063 of the AU, the African Continental Free Trade Area and the development strategies of African countries, he said.

Qin said China is the first country to support the AU in joining the G20 and will encourage the G20 to take robust steps toward supporting the AU and African countries to play a greater role in the global governance system.

Third, to upgrade and elevate China-Africa cooperation. He said Africa’s needs are the priorities in China-Africa cooperation. China will continue to expand trade with Africa, promote high-quality development of China-Africa financing and investment cooperation, and boost the new dynamics in health, green development, the digital economy and other sectors.

A suicide bomber blew himself up near Afghanistan's foreign ministry where a Chinese delegation had been due to meet on Wednesday, causing more than 20 casualties, Taliban officials and witnesses said. The Taliban claim to have improved security since storming back to power in 2021 but there have been scores of bomb blasts and attacks, many claimed by the local chapter of the Islamic State (IS) group. An AFP team was conducting an interview inside the information ministry next door when Wednesday's blast took place. A company driver waiting outside saw a man with a backpack and rifle slung over his shoulder walk past before the man blew himself up. "He passed by my car and after a few seconds there was a loud blast," Jamshed Karimi said. "I saw the man blowing himself up." Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran confirmed the blast "which unfortunately resulted in casualties". "Security teams have reached the area," he tweeted. In the aftermath, bodies lay strewn on the road outside the high-walled compound of the ministry, marked with the Taliban flag, a video verified by AFP showed. Some injured people writhed on the ground, screaming for help, and a handful of onlookers scrambled to offer assistance. The ministry itself did not appear to be badly damaged. "There was supposed to be a Chinese delegation at the Foreign Ministry today, but we don't know if they were present at the time of the blast," Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Muhajer Farahi told AFP. At least five Chinese nationals were wounded last month when gunmen stormed a hotel popular with Chinese business people in Kabul. That raid was claimed by IS, who also took responsibility for an attack on Pakistan's Embassy in Kabul in December that Islamabad denounced as an "assassination attempt" against their ambassador. Four people were killed and 25 wounded in an attack on a mosque in the grounds of the interior ministry in Kabul in October, with survivors reporting it was a suicide bombing. And two Russian embassy staff members were killed in a suicide bombing outside their mission in September in another attack claimed by IS. Hundreds of people, including members of Afghanistan's minority communities, have been killed and wounded in other attacks since the Taliban regained power.

six wounded in paris train station stabbing attack

PaRis afp

An attacker stabbed six people on Wednesday at the busy Gare du Nord station in Paris before being shot and apprehended by police, authorities said.

The Gare du Nord is a busy commuter hub which also serves as a departure point for trains to northern France, London and northern Europe. Police were treating the stabbings as attempted murder, not as a terrorist attack, a source close to the case said.

The attacker’s motive was not immediately clear.

One of the six people was seriously wounded in the attack at 6:42 am (0542 GMT), while the other five sustained light injuries, prosecutors said.

The entire incident was over within two minutes, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters at the scene.

It was not immediately clear what type of weapon the attacker had used.

isLamabaD Mian abrar

The second plenary session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued a communique at the end of the conference on Tuesday, stressing to implement the decisions and plans made at the 20th CPC National Congress, strengthen Party discipline and safeguard the purity of the Party by various means.

General secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered a speech on Party self-governance at the meeting. Party and state leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the meeting.

It was agreed at the meeting that Xi’s speech, from the perspective of the overall development of the Party and the country in

the new era, made an in-depth analysis of the causes, main manifestations and solutions to the unique problems facing the Party, elaborated on the goals, tasks and practical requirements of improving Party self-governance system and made strategic plans for unswervingly and deeply promoting comprehensive and strict Party governance.

The plenum pointed out that discipline inspection and supervision organs at all levels should make the implementation of the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress their primary political task at present, strictly enhance political conduct, govern Party members and combat corruption, and firmly safeguard the purity of the Party so that the Party can better shoulder the missions and responsibilities entrusted by the people.

The meeting stressed that 2023 is the start to fully implement the decisions and plans by the 20th CPC National Congress, a crucial year for carrying out the country’s 14th FiveYear Plan, and an important year to lay a good

foundation for comprehensively building a modern socialist country, so it’s of great importance for the CCDI to do solid work in discipline inspection and supervision.

The meeting noted that the CCDI should further strengthen political oversight, uphold the unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee and comprehensively improve political competence. Besides, it should also promote the enhancement of intra-Party rules and regulations and keep improving the system of Party self-revolution. At the same time, the commission should give full play to the role of inspections by making coordinated arrangements for routine, special and mobile inspections, and sternly fight against formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance.

It also asked inspection and supervision organs at all levels to strengthen Party discipline building, attach great importance to discipline education for young officials, and resolutely investigate and deal with violations of Party discipline. Moreover, the

CCDI should deepen reforms of the Party’s discipline inspection system and improve the coherence between the Party’s discipline system and state laws and regulations.

The plenum called on all members of CCDI to carry forward the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, be confident, inde-

pendent, innovative and brave to fulfill their responsibilities and continue to enforce strict Party governance, improve Party conduct and fight corruption, working together to build a comprehensive modern socialist country and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

KabuL

LONDON afp

deeper ties, with the French president promising to maintain “joint actions in the Pacific” and France’s “unfailing support” against North Korean aggression.

NeW ZeALANd ThumP PAKiSTAN To LeveL SeRieS 1-1

KARACHI StAFF RePoRt

NEWZealand on Wednesday defeated Pakistan by 79 runs in the second one-day international (ODI) on Wednesday to level the series 1-1 at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi.

Opting to bat first, New Zealand posted a target of 261 runs before bowling out Pakistan for 182 runs in 43 overs, with skipper Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi claiming two wickets, while every other Kiwi bowler took a scalp each.

Babar Azam was the only batter who resisted the New Zealand advance scoring 79 runs on 114 balls. Fakhar Zaman was first to go without scoring while Imamul Haq followed at 6 runs. Mohammed Rizwan scored 28 while Haris Sohail gathered 10 runs.

Agha Salman supported Babar to some extent scoring 25 runs while Mohammad Nawaz could only fetch 3. Usama Mir got 12 and Mohammad Wasim could get ten. Haris was out on a duck while Naseem Shah remained not out without scoring.

Earlier,

national in Karachi.

Nawaz finished with 4-38 as New Zealand slumped from a strong 183 for one in 29.5 overs to 206-6, losing five wickets for 23 runs in the space of 40 deliveries.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 10 after winning the first game — also in Karachi — by six wickets on Monday.

New Zealand, who won the toss and batted, were lifted by a second-wicket stand of 181 between Conway (101) and Kane Williamson (85) before they slumped to the spin of Nawaz.

Fast-bowler Naseem Shah (3-58) broke the stand when he dismissed Conway off the last ball of the 30th over.

Conway hit 13 boundaries and a six off 92 balls, his second hundred in one-day internationals.

His stand with Williamson is a record against Pakistan, beating the 159 set in Wellington by Williamson and Martin Guptill in 2016.

Nawaz then initiated destruction, dismissing Daryl Mitchell (five) and Tom Latham (two) in one over before cleanbowling Williamson in his next.

Williamson, dropped on 53 and 54 off Mohammad Wasim, cracked 10 boundaries from 100 balls.

Glenn Phillips scored three and Michael Bracewell eight, while Mitchell Santner was the last man out for 37.

Afghan women athletes barred from play, fear Taliban threats

Noura’s determination to play sports was so great that she defied her family’s opposition for years. Beatings from her mother and jeers from her neighbours never stopped her from the sports she loved.

But the 20-year-old Afghan woman could not defy her country’s Taliban rulers. They have not just banned all sports for women and girls, they have actively intimidated and harassed those who once played, often scaring them from even practicing in private, Noura and other women say.

Noura has been left shattered. “I’m not the same person anymore,” she said. “Since the Taliban came, I feel like I’m dead.”

A number of girls and women who once played a variety of sports told The Associated Press they have been intimidated by the Taliban with visits and phone calls warning them not to engage in their sports. The women and girls spoke on condition of anonymity for fear they will face further threats. They posed for an AP photographer for portraits with the equipment of the sports they loved. They hid their identities with burqas, the all-encompassing robes and hood that completely cover the face, leaving only a mesh to see through. They didn’t normally wear the burqa, but they

said they sometimes do now when they go outside and want to remain anonymous and avoid harassment. The ban on sports is part of the Taliban’s escalating campaign of restrictions that have shut down life for girls and women.

Since their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have barred girls from attending middle and high school. Last month, they ordered all women thrown out of universities as well.

The Taliban require women to cover their hair and faces in public and prohibit

K-20 Cup 2023: Apollo, Golden, Lucky Star, Ali Garh Club get victories

LAHORE StAFF RePoRt

Apollo Club, Golden Star Cricket Club, Lucky Star Club and Ali Garh Club emerged victorious in the K-20 Cup 2023 T20 Cricket Tournament matches played here on Tuesday. Usaid Amin sparkling knock steered Apollo Club to a thrashing 140 runs win over Shah Faisal Club in the 11th match of the tournament. Besides Usaid, Muhammad Akhlaq (53), Babar Arshad (45*) and Rehan Nadeem (30) also batted brilliantly and scored a huge total of 212-5 in allotted 20 overs. M Ilyas, Ali Manzoor, Soban Malik and Bilal Ansari got one wicket apiece. Superb bowling by Apollo Club bowlers restricted Shah Faisal Club to a paltry 72-10 in 18.2 overs. Only Mohammad Ilyas (17), Ahmad Zahoor Elahi (16) and Salman Mirza (12) reached the double figures. Umair Butt was key wrecker-in-chief grabbed 3 wickets for 2 while Usaid Amin, Mohammad Rameez and Asad Rafiq bagged 2 wickets each. For his all-round performance, Usaid Amin was named player of the match. Golden Star Cricket Club maintained their supremacy in the tournament as they defeated P&T Gymkhana by 26 runs. Golden Star, batting first, posted a total of 178-8 in 20 overs. Azzam ul Haq hammered 44 runs, Abrar Ahmad 31, Mohammad Naveed 27 and Usama Tahir unbeaten 21. Adan Khan, Adan Mir and Asad Raza took two wickets each. P&T Gymkhana, in reply, could score 152-10 in 19.2 overs. Ahmed Bhatti top-scored with 52 runs while Mohammad Ishaq struck 39 and Yawar Bashir 17 runs. Ahmad Safi Ullah, Zain ul Hussain, Abrar Ahmad and Sadaqat claimed 2 wickets each.

them from going to parks or gyms. They have severely limited women’s ability to work outside the home and most recently forbade non-governmental organizations from employing women, a step that could cripple the vital flow of aid.

Even before the Taliban, women’s sports were opposed by many in Afghanistan’s deeply conservative society, seen as a violation of women’s modesty and of their role in society. Still, the previous, internationally-backed government had programs encouraging women’s sports

and school clubs, leagues and national teams for women in many sports. A 20year-old mixed martial artist recalled how in August 2021, she was competing in a local women’s tournament at a Kabul sports hall. Word spread through the audience and participants that the advancing Taliban were on the city’s outskirts. All the women and girls fled the hall. It was the last competition Sarina ever played in.

Months later, she said she tried to give private lessons for girls. But Taliban fighters raided the gym where they were practicing and arrested them all. In detention, the girls were humiliated and mocked, Sarina said. After mediation by elders, they were released after promising not to practice sports anymore. She still practices at home and sometimes teaches her close friends. “Life has become very difficult for me, but I am a fighter, so I will continue to live and fight,” she said.

Mushwanay, a spokesman of the Taliban’s Sports Organization and National Olympic Committee, said authorities were looking for a way to restart sports for women by building separate sports venues. But he gave no time frame and said funds were needed to do so. Taliban authorities have repeatedly made similar promises to allow girls 7th grade and up to return to school, but still have not done so.

Poor form puts Chelsea’s faith in Potter to the test

Four months into his reign as Chelsea manager, Graham Potter is under pressure for a run of form that would have seen many of his predecessors at Stamford Bridge fired during the Roman Abramovich era.

A 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City on Sunday means the Blues are already out of both domestic cups. They sit 10th in the Premier League, 10 points adrift of even a place in the top four.

It is not the start the club’s new American owners will have expected after spending over £300 million (365 million dollars) on new players to improve a squad that finished third in the Premier League last season.

Judging by the dissenting voices of the fans, it is the consortium led by chairman Todd Boehly that are responsible for the malaise on the field.

As Chelsea chased City shadows at the weekend, the travelling support at the Etihad rebelled by chanting the names of former manager Thomas Tuchel and former owner Abramovich. Tuchel was ruthlessly sacked by the new regime just seven games into the season in what appeared a sure sign that the hire-and-fire culture was set to stay at Stamford Bridge despite Abramovich’s departure. The Russian had shown no mercy to even illustrious managers such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte, who won Premier League titles during their time at Chelsea.

Despite making his name as a Premier League manager in three impressive seasons with Brighton, Potter does not have the CV to match many of his predecessors. But Potter believes times have changed at Chelsea. He says a more patient approach promised by the new owners was one of the things that attracted him to leave Brighton in September.

‘Massive transitional period’ “There’s a completely different ownership,” Potter said after also losing to City 1-0 in Chelsea’s last league outing. “This is hard for people to get their head around as Chelsea for 20 years has been one thing and now all of a sudden it’s different. “The reason for me to take the job was because you’ve got a chance to shape a club that is in a massive transitional period.” One thing in Potter’s favour is that Chelsea’s £280 million transfer spend in the summer window took place before he arrived.

It also took place after the club’s transfer guru Marina Granovskaia and goalkeeper turned technical and performance advisor Petr Cech departed with Abramovich. Boehly stepped in to head up the recruitment as sporting director.

The result has been a scattergun approach to the transfer market. The signings of veterans past their peak, such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kalidou Koulibaly, already looks like money wasted, while more than £50 million has been splashed on a number of promising youth prospects not yet ready for the first team.

30,000 tickets for R30 with only 30 days to go to Women’s T20 World Cup

ISLAMABAD AgencieS

With only 30 days to go until the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, fans have an opportunity to watch the best cricketers in the world in action for only 30 South African Rand (R). Thirtythousand tickets will be available for R30 across the three host venues, to mark the countdown to the historic cricketing showpiece taking place from 10-26 February, the ICC said in a press release on Wednesday. The three stadiums will be putting on a spectacular show for the spectators, with entertainment and festivities at the centre of a day out at the cricket. Fans can look out for top South African artists performing at prominent matches, DJs on the decks, giveaways and more, a memorable and inclusive experience for everyone. Tickets are available at ticket offices at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, Boland Park in Paarl and St George’s Park in Gqeberha or online at www.t20worldcup.com/tickets while stocks last. Fans are encouraged to secure their seats for this exclusive promotion, which will be running across limited seating areas. Proteas captain, Dane van Niekerk said: “There is a real buzz in the air for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, it is starting to feel very real now. It’s not often that you get to watch premium cricket at such a price, especially with some of the world’s best cricketers on show. Being a Gqeberha local, I know the experience and atmosphere is going to be electric, fans are going to be in a for treat on and off the field.” ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: “It is so exciting that we are only 30 days away until the start of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup when the best cricketers from around the world will compete for the ultimate prize in T20 cricket.

The entertaining vibe and activities planned for spectators at matches is not to be missed, so I urge all fans to take advantage of the promotion and be a part of a World Cup before tickets sell out.” The excitement for the event has been building, with fans coming out in their numbers to get up close to the silverware as part of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour driven by Nissan, which has been making stops around the country since November. As one of the most significant women’s sporting events in Africa this year, the Women’s T20 World Cup edition will be an African first, with South Africa welcoming nine nations; Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies and defending champions, Australia to the shores for the first time in the event’s history. The anticipation continues as countries start to name their squads, which feature star-studded line-ups and exciting young talent contesting the ultimate prize in T20 cricket.

The unprecedented year for women’s cricket is gaining momentum with the start of the ICC Under- 19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Potchefstroom and Benoni on 14 January.

Chelsea sign Portugal forward Joao Felix on loan

LONDON AgencieS

Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix has joined Chelsea on loan for the rest of the season, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday. The 23-year-old will bolster the attacking options for manager Graham Potter, whose squad is currently hard-hit by injuries and languishing in the 10th spot in the table. Chelsea described the Portugal international as a “skillful and stylish attacker” who is best in a fluid forward role. “Chelsea is one of the great teams in the world and I hope to help the team reach their objectives, so I am very, very happy to be here and very excited to play at Stamford Bridge,” Felix said in a club statement. Atletico said Felix had extended his contract with the Spanish club for one more season, until June 2027. “From Atletico de Madrid we wish Joao Felix every success in this new professional stage,” the club said.

KABUL the ASSociAted PReSS

spinner Mohammad Nawaz took four wickets to help Pakistan restrict New Zealand to 261 all out after opener Devon Conway hit a century in the second day-night inter-

LONDON AFP

ExplainEr: ThE MonEy plEdgEd aT gEnEva will noT hElp forEx Crisis

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aTa press conference with the prime minister, the finance minister stated that most of the money pledged at the Geneva Moot is going to be project loans.

Project loans usually represent long term financing for infrastructural or industrial development that is dependent upon, and paid off from that project’s cash flows.

What this means is that not only will Pakistan not realize the money until the said projects’ plans are rolled

CM Elahi seeks vote of confidence shortly

isLAmAbAd staff report

out. But also that this money will take a lot of time to come in. The finance minister hopes for the most of it to come within 3 years.

So, contrary to political speculations and hopes, it is highly unlikely that the pledges at the Geneva Conference would be able to solve the liquidity crisis of Pakistan.

According to media reports, State Bank of Pakistan’s midweek reserves stand at around $4.5 billion. That places Pakistan at a tight spot with an import cover of less than a month. This puts Pakistan in immense need of dollars, however, the Finance Minister, in his press conference today, hinted that the

pledges at the Geneva conventions are majorly going to be project loans while some of them may still be in program lending’s form.

As per experts, the reinstatement of the IMF program is not only critical to solving the liquidity crisis but also to restore the confidence of the pledgers at the Geneva conference.

The head of equity research at Ismail Iqbal Securities, Fahad Rauf told Profit, that “In the current context, most of the pledges without the ninth review of the IMF are close to meaningless.” What exactly are Pakistan’s forex reserves?

Earlier this week Ishaq Dar while

talking to media said that “the reserves with the central bank, also belonged to Pakistan”. This raised concerns regarding the government taking over commercial banks’ reserves. In a tweet on Wednesday, Ishaq Dar clarified that his statement had been “greatly misconstrued” and “nothing of the sort will happen”.

In a press conference he further explained that he was merely giving a breakdown of the total forex reserves. “Whenever Pakistan’s reserves are quoted anywhere in the world, in a survey or a document — the [total figure] is quoted and then a breakdown is given. I gave a breakdown too,” said the Finance Minister.

Imran Khan says PTI lawmakers being ‘coerced’ to change loyalties

PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said on Wednesday that the PTI-PML-Q coalition had the requisite numbers for Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi to secure a vote of confidence from the Punjab Assembly, adding that the proceedings would begin shortly.

The development came hours after the Lahore High Court (LHC) extended the “interim relief” of reinstating Elahi as chief minister till Jan 12, adding that the chief minister couldn’t dissolve assembly until 9am tomorrow.

Speaking from the assembly hall, where the session was extended by another hour, Fawad said: “The numbers for the confidence vote are complete.”

He said that the PTI-PML-Q alliance was currently waiting for some lawmakers who were en route to the PA from various other cities in the province. He said that the confidence vote would be held as soon as they arrived.

Fawad also said that from a legal perspective, the vote could be held at any time since the session was still under way. He commended lawmakers for rejecting bribes offered to switch their loyalties.

Fawad said CM Elahi was also on his way to the PA and the PTI wanted to get the proceedings “over with”. When asked what about the plan of action if the confidence vote was held, Fawad said the party would then withdraw the petition from the high court and forward the summaries for dissolving the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies by tomorrow morning.

Questioned about his thoughts on the possibility of the confidence vote not being held, Fawad said: “God willing we will take it. We are only waiting for two MPAs [to arrive].”

Meanwhile, Fawad also took to Twitter to say that the “number of 187 is complete”.

In another tweet, he said that according to the directives issued by the LHC, Elahi could seek a vote of confidence “at any time”.

“For weeks the PML-N was demanding we show 186 lawmakers. Now when the time has come to show the numbers, why are you running?”

Earlier today, the PA session chorused for the third day with the opposition’s demands for the chief minister to take a vote of confidence.

The session began after a delay of almost two hours with Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan presiding over it.

Addressing the session, PPP MPA Syed Usman Mehmood said that the “minority government” was requested to take a confidence vote and then a period for questions could be held as well.

LAHORE staff report

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said his party members are being coerced into believing that the former prime minister has no political future as he has been marked with a ‘red line’.

Speaking to members of the PTI’s parliamentary party in Punjab via video link, the party chairman said that only fools could say such things as only the people have the power to draw such lines.

“It is being said that there is no future for PTI or Imran Khan. We have marked a red line on Imran Khan. People are being scared into believing that it is now ‘minusImran’ and that he has no future whatsoever,” Khan told party

members. “Only foolish people can say things like these. Neither do they understand politics, nor have they studied history. The Pakistani people are the heirs of this nation, and only they can decide to put a red line on anyone,” he said.

He said that huge sums of money were being offered to ‘buy’ the loyalties of PTI lawmakers.

“Our members of parliament are being pressurised. I met our tigers from Muzaffargarh. They told me how Rs1.25 billion were offered in an attempt to ‘buy the conscience’ of five MPAs,” he said.

He praised PTI Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) for attending the session in large numbers despite facing difficulties in movement owing to the foggy condition in Lahore. The party chief said that he is fully aware of how PTI MPAs

are being pressurised and offered money to part ways with the political party. He also praised Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) lawmakers and Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi for not accepting the pressure.

“These people were also asked to part ways with the PTI and join the side of PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz).” He alleged that PTI lawmakers and its allies are being told that they marked a red line on Imran Khan and they are going to minus Imran Khan.

“Pakistan belongs to the Pakistanis. Only Pakistanis can mark a red line on someone but anyone else. If some people are arrogant enough to think about redlining any personality then they have no sense of politics, neither they read the history nor care for the country.”

nEpra approves rs7.43/unit cut in power tariff for Karachiites

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Wednesday approved a reduction of Rs 7.43 per unit in the power tariff for the consumers of K-Electric (KE) on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for the month of November 2022.

According to a NEPRA notification, the negative FCA of November 2022 shall be applicable to all consumer categories except lifeline consumers, domestic consumers consuming up to 300 units in a month, agriculture consumers and Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) consumers of KE.

“It is hereby clarified that negative adjustment on account of monthly FCA is also applicable to the domestic consumers having Time of Use (ToU) metres irrespective of their consumption level,” read the notification.

It added that KE shall reflect the fuel charges adjustment in respect of November 2022, in the billing month of January 2023.

While effecting the Fuel Adjustment Charges, KE shall keep in view and strictly comply with the orders of the courts notwithstanding this order, added the notification.

According to sources, Karachiites will get over Rs 10 billion of relief due to NEPRA’s decision of Rs 7.43/unit cut.

Earlier, KE demanded that the reduction be of Rs 7.04 per unit under the head FCA of November 2022.

On the other hand, NEPRA has approved 18 paisa per unit hike in the power tariff of power distribution companies (DISCOs) on account of FCA of November 2022, and issued a notification in this regard.

NEPRA, in a statement, said that the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) on behalf of DISCOs, except K-Electric, sought 19 paisa/unit increase in the electricity price under the head FCA of November 2022.

Pursuant to Section 31 (7) of the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997, as amended through Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment Act 2011), NEPRA makes and notifies the adjustments on account of variations in fuel charges in the approved tariff of DISCOs.

PM: Flood aid pledges vote of confidence in government

isLAmAbAd staff report

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called the $9.7 billion pledges by the international community at the Geneva conference a “vote of confidence” on the Pakistani nation, assuring the funds would be spent transparently and audited through a third party.

“This is the manifestation of trust and dignity to the government and people of Pakistan by the world nations. They would not have pledged around $10 billion of their taxpayers’ money if they had any apprehensions of any embezzlement in funds as was being propagated by our political adversaries,” the prime minister told a news conference after he returned from Geneva where he co-hosted International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan with United Nations Secretry-General Antonio Guterres.

Giving a breakup of the pledged money, the prime minister said the Islamic Development Bank made the biggest pledge of $4.2 billion followed by $2 billion by the World Bank, $1 billion each by Saudi Arabia and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), $500 million by Asian Development Bank, $100 million each

Smog Towers: A quick fix?

As a quick fix to the smog crisis in Lahore, the Punjab government has announced plans to install smog towers in Lahore and other areas of the province. While the towers are effective in clearing air-pollution in the short-term, the effects from them are certainly not long-lasting.

Environmental experts and activists have claimed that the towers are equivalent to papering over major cracks. But how effective are they really, and is anything being done to try and control the smog crisis in the long-run?

What are smog towers?

Think of smog towers as mega structures that act as air purifiers. They consist of multiple layers of air filters and fans at

the base to suck air. Once the polluted air enters the smog tower, it is purified across multiple layers and then released back into the atmosphere. Its prototype was built in 2017 in Beijing, followed by Tianjin, Krakow and Delhi.

China agreed to export this technology to Pakistan. This development was made at a successful meeting between the Chief Minister of Punjab, Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi and the Chinese Consul General, Zhao Shiren in Lahore. Given the dire air quality of Lahore, the Chinese consulate provided extensive documents detailing the smog towers already installed in China to the CM Office Task Force Smog. According to the CM secretariat, “Chinese smog towers appear to be an antidote of air pollution.” There are further plans to install smog towers near border areas and indus-

trial areas.

by China and the United States, €380 million by France, €84 million by Germany and $25 million by Qatar, besides others. The prime minister congratulated the whole nation as well as the government for the unexpected response by the international community as he said the pledges were far above their expectations.

He said following the pledges by the international community, it was the government’s responsibility to ensure the successful and transparent execution of the projects to meet the needs of flood survivors and the world’s expectations. Appreciating the efforts by ministers for foreign affairs, climate change, finance, information and others, he said the federal secretaries had prepared an efficient roadmap for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the flood victims.

The prime minister said that despite the worst division created by the opposition in the society, the representatives of federal and provincial governments attended the conference and presented their case to the international community, which was also a display of the nation’s trust in the coalition government.

He specially thanked the UN Secretary-General for supporting Pakistan in its endeavours of building back after it was hit by the worst floods in history. He stated

Are smog towers effective?

In glowing awe of the smog towers, the CM secretariat seems confident that China’s Institute of Earth Environment will be able to help Lahore. The institute has constructed the world’s largest smog tower in the northern city of Xi’an: “The 100 meters tall smog-sucking tower is designed to improve air quality in the city, where standards regularly fall short of the expectations set by the World Health Organisation.” Moreover, to assess the tower’s impact, the pollution monitoring stations in the vicinity indicated that the PM2.5 (most harmful smog particles) levels had decreased by 15% compared to the average levels.

According to environmentalist Naseem Shaid, “as the Punjab government has declared an environmental emergency, smogfree towers are the need of the hour for Punjab.” He added that the Xi’an smog tower has managed to produce more than 10 million cubic meters of clear air since its in-

that as the incumbent government was a combination of youth and experience, it was a must to put in all of the efforts to accomplish the objectives of reconstruction and rehabilitation. The prime minister also thanked the Saudi leadership for hinting at enhancing safe deposit to $5 billion and investment to $10 billion.

To a question, Sharif said the country had sufficient stock of wheat however it was upon the provincial government to release the commodity to the flour mills. He said unfortunately, the provinces were not releasing the required quantity of wheat and assured that the federal government would use its powers to provide relief to the masses.

He told the media that the government was totally aware of the changing global circumstances and that the reconstruction projects would be made resilient using modern technology. The government would spare no effort to achieve the objective and the government’s commitment to transparency through third-party validation would send a strong message to the donors, he added.

When asked about the distribution mechanism of funds, the prime minister said the federating units would get funds considering the flood-caused losses as Sindh suffered the most followed by Balochistan, South Punjab districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a small area in Gilgit Baltistan.

ception. “On severely polluted days, it has reduced smog close to moderate levels.”

In evaluating their efficacy, he says, “the purpose of this project is to find an effective and low-cost method of artificially removing pollutants from the atmosphere. China has already housed what was considered as the largest smog tower designed by the Dutch artist, Daan Roosegaarde at 798, a creative park in Beijing. It was only 7 meters (23 feet) tall and produced around 8 cubic meters (282.5 feet) of clean air per second.”

However, not all environmentalists are too optimistic about this. According to Raffay Alam, Pakistan’s leading environmental lawyer, “smog towers are known not to work. They failed massively in Delhi. In India, you’ll find a whole bunch of experts who denounce this as a ridiculous idea. It’s nothing but a waste of money.”

In August 2021, the Delhi government installed two smog towers after a Supreme Court ruling. This development was deeply criticized however. Firstly, smog towers were

only effective in purifying the surrounding air. Their effect wasn’t widespread. Secondly, this limited impact wasn’t justified by the high costs of installation and maintenance.

A similar case can be made for Pakistan as well. Polash Mukherjee from NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) India reported to India Today, “Outdoor purifiers are similar to installing air conditioners on a particularly hot day. A study suggested that at least 40,000 such smog towers will be required to make any impact.” Therefore, smog towers are ineffective in curbing air pollution.

Their impact is restricted to the surrounding area, around 100 meters. An RTI (right to information) filed by an environmental activist, Amit Gupta indicated that the smog tower reduced PM 10 pollution levels by up to 27% at a distance of 100 meters. Reporting to India Today, he said that prior to functioning, it was claimed that smog towers would be effective within a radius of 1 kilometer.

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