Epaper_23-01-13 ISB

tnership with

Elahi signs summary to dissolvE Pa, KP Cm to follow thE suit

LAHORE Mian abrar

Punjabchief minister chaudhry parvez elahi late thursday night signed the summary for dissolving the provincial assembly of punjab and forwarded the same to the punjab Governor to dissolve the assembly. the decision to dissolve the assembly was taken during a meeting between the chief minister and pti chairman imran Khan at the latter’s Zaman park residence, with senior party leaders in presence.

the assembly wasn’t dissolved earlier apparently due to a restriction from the lahore high court (lhc), but since elahi won the legislative’s confidence once again, the bar was removed as the case was withdrawn.

“i, parvez elahi chief minister punjab, hereby advise you to dissolve provincial assembly of punjab,” reads a summary, a copy of which available with pakistan today, addressed by parvez elahi to Governor punjab. punjab Governor balighur rehman also took to twitter to confirm receipt of the summary.

Sources in the pti have informed daily pakistan today that pti chief imran Khan contacted Khyber pakhtunkhwa (Kp) chief minister mahmood Khan and directed to dissolve Kp assembly.

pml-Q leader chaudhry moonis elahi also took to social media blogging site, twitter, to confirm the news.

“promise fulfilled. may we see you back in pm seat soon @imranKhanpti. inshallah!!”, he wrote.

pti leader fawad chaudhry also con-

firmed the development.

Speaking to the media in lahore, he said that the advice had been forwarded to the punjab governor. “if governor does not accept the advice then, the assembly is automatically dissolved after 48 hours”.

he made the remarks after a meeting between pti chairman imran and elahi at the former’s Zaman park residence. elahi had managed to secure the confidence of 186 lawmakers in a session that began on wednesday and ended in the early hours of thursday.

fawad also said that the Khyber pakhtunkhwa assembly would be dissolved “day after tomorrow”.

“the Kp assembly will also be dissolved on a similar format a day after tomorrow and we have fulfilled our promise of going back to the people [for seeking support],” he said.

fawad thanked pakistan muslim league-Quaid (pml-Q) leaders moonis elahi and hussain elahi as well as their lawmakers

for standing with the pti. he said that the country was headed towards general elections, adding that the pti and imran had “fulfilled their promise”.

he said that a letter would be sent to pml-n’s hamza Shehbaz in the next two days for finalising an interim government, adding that elections would take place in the next 90 days.

fawad urged the federal government to abandon its “stubbornness”, asserting that the economy could not be fixed without holding new elections.

“it won’t make sense if two provinces, making up 70 per cent of the country, hold elections while the rest of the country doesn’t.” fawad called on national assembly Speaker raja pervaiz ashraf to accept the resignations of pti lawmakers so that elections could be carried out alongside the provincial seats.

fawad said the pti and its allies have proven that despite all the pressure, they were not “afraid” of going back to the people for seeking votes as they had proven it by stepping down from government in both provinces.

ECP to dECidE ExaCt datE for nExt ElECtions: sanaullah minister for interior rana Sanaullah has said the Supreme court and election commission of pakistan (ecp) would decide the time frame of the next elections.

talking to a private television channel, Sana said the punjab chief minister forwarded the request to the punjab governor for dissolving assemblies.

ON PAGE 05

MQM-P unified: Burying hatchet, Kamal and sattar return to fold

KARACHI staff report

pSp chief mustafa Kamal and senior politician dr farooq Sattar on thursday announced rejoining the mQm-pakistan to jointly raise voice for the rights of people of the urban areas of Sindh.

“today all efforts to unify all factions of [mQm] have borne fruit and all those who were hatching conspiracy against us will be disappointed,” said mQm-pakistan convener Khalid maqbool Siddiqui while addressing a joint press conference at party’s bhadurabad headquarters on thursday.

he was flanked by pSp chief mustafa Kamal, farooq Sattar and other party leaders.

“it’s need of the hour that we become one voice to fight for the rights of urban areas of Sindh,” he said, adding that Karachi is mini pakistan and its revenue engine.

Siddiqui said in view of the prevailing circumstances, it was imperative for the people who sacrificed their lives for the independence of this country should join hands and work together for the betterment of the urban areas of the province.

“i welcome all of you including mustafa Kamal bhai [brother] and farooq Sattar bhai and their supporters,” the mQm-p chief remarked.

the announcement came ahead of the local body elec-

tions in Karachi and hyderabad, which are set to take place on january 15.

“we will not let the [local body] election take place on january 15… we are ready to fight elections if delimitations are fixed by overnight but if not then we will fight for our identity,” announced Siddiqui while referring to his allegations that attempts being made to snatch the mandate of the mohajirs by gerrymandering.

Speaking on the occasion, Kamal said the reunification of different factions of the mQm will go down in history as the most important development.

“on march 3, 2016, we put our lives at stake and raised voice for the people of this city before our entry innocent people were being killed but this has stopped and we played major role in this regard,” he said while referring to the launching of his party against mQm founder altaf hussain.

“we did not rid the city from the influence of altaf hussain and raw [indian spy agency] so that asif Zardari take over this city,” he added.

Kamal said a conspiracy is being hatched to occupy different areas of Karachi and for this reason he decided to set aside differences and rejoin mQm-p to jointly struggle for the rights of the Sindh’s urban population.

Explaining ECC’s big changes to agreements with three important power plants

UAE ruler agrees to grant $1b in loan, roll over existing $2b

Engro Corporation, Royal Vopak celebrate 25 years of strategic partnership for value creation in Pakistan

Govt set to introduce policy on local manufacturing of solar panels

pm shehbaz reaches Uae on state visit for talks on trade and investment

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Abdullah Touq Al-Marri, as well as officials from the Pakistan embassy.

The prime minister is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including key members of the cabinet. This is his third visit to the UAe since taking office in April last year.

During the visit, Sharif will meet with the president, Al Nahyan, with the goal of strengthening economic, trade, and investment ties between the two countries

irate ihc questions pti for challenging toshakhana reference verdict in two courts

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday expressed anger over the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) for challenging the same case in two courts. The IHC chief justice Aamer Farooq held hearing on a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, challenging the election Commission of Pakistan s (eCP) verdict in the Toshakhana reference. During the hearing, Barrister Gohar said that Imran Khan’s lawyer for the case, Ali Zafar, is currently arguing the case before the Lahore High Court (LHC), where he has challenged the eCP s notification of Dec 7. Gohar asked the court to set a date for the next week. “One case cannot be challenged in two courts,” IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq said. “So withdraw this application if that is the case,” he added. The court made the observation, “It is not a good thing when one notice is challenged in multiple courts, as we also wrote in the Azam Swati case.” The application that is currently pending with the LHC infuriated the IHC CJ who also noted that a notice was frequently challenged in multiple courts. The case hearing was postponed till Jan 25 by court.

rasheed declares end of pml-n’s politics in lahore

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said the successful vote of confidence for Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz elahi by the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) party, had been planned for three days and that the outcome was clear. He also criticized Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, saying he had been sent to bring “Takht-i-Lahore”, a term referring to PML-N’s stronghold in Lahore, but instead returned with the PML-N’s “coffin.” Ahmad went on to suggest that this outcome demonstrated the difference in how politics is done by the PML-N and by the leader of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan. Additionally, Ahmad stated that he believed that the injured leader of the opposing party, Imran Khan, would dissolve the provincial assemblies and launch his electoral campaign. It’s worth mentioning that the vote of confidence is a procedure in which a political leader or government seeks to demonstrate that they still have the support of the legislature, usually after a significant loss of support or a major political event.

and creating more opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in the UAe.

The two leaders will also discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The prime minister will also meet with UAe Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and hold meetings with the host nation’s business leaders and investors to explore ways to increase bilateral trade and investment.

The UAe is home to around 1.7

million Pakistanis who have played a significant role in the country’s success over the last five decades, contributing to the progress, prosperity and economic development of both nations.

According to a statement from the Foreign Office: “Pakistan and the United Arab emirates enjoy close and fraternal ties based on common faith and traditions, shared history and heritage; deep-rooted cultural affinities, geographic proximity

IHC seeks MQM-P documents in Altaf’s CNIC issuance case

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday sought documents regarding the Convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan in a case seeking issuance of CNIC to founding leader Altaf Hussain. Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani heard the case filed by MQM regarding the matter.

During hearing, the court noted that the petition was filed by a person named Tariq Javed from London. The court said that the registered MQM in Pakistan had not filed this case. The petitioner’s lawyer said that Tariq Javed was the convener of MQM which was registered in Pakistan. The court asked the lawyer to prove this with the relevant documents.Further hearing of the case was then adjourned till March 15.

On the other hand, the court

application of reconciliation of two others who had

accused of kidnapping the victim. Those who have been acquitted are: Jam Awais Gehram, Miraj Jokhio, Ahmad Khan, Dudu Khan and Somar. However, Dudu and Somar will be facing charges in kidnap case. Nazim Jokhio was tortured and murdered in November 2021. The local police had quashed a case against MNA Jam Karim

General elections to be held after census, delimitation: Aminul Haq

KARACHI Staff RepoRt

The Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Aminul Haque on Thursday said that general elections in the country would be conducted after population census and subsequent fresh delimitation of electoral constituencies.

The minister, while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the digital school in Orangi Town of Karachi and later talking to media persons, said that a transparent and all-inclusive population census was a longstanding demand of MQM Pakistan as well as other political parties so that every citizen

could be counted in.

The government has decided to conduct digital census and all the arrangements for the first-ever digital census in Pakistan have been completed, he said adding that the first phase of the census, data collection, would be completed in March while comprehensive census results would be available by the end August this year.

Following the census exercise, new delimitation would be carried out for the conduct of the next general elections, he maintained adding that general elections in the country could not be announced in haste and people who were dreaming of early election have to wait for the right time.

SC informed amount in dam fund increased to Rs16.53b

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has been informed that the amount in Dam Funds have increased to Rs16.53 billion, which in next quarter will become Rs16.98 billion.

A five-judge special bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, on Thursday heard the implementation of its directives regarding construction of DiamerBasha and Mohmand Dams.

During the hearing, WAPDA lawyer Saad Rasul informed that the government in terms of Mohmmad Dam had committed Rs25 billion in PSDP, but disbursed Rs2.5

billion in the first quarter, while gave nothing in the second quarter. He further informed that for Diamer Dam Rs27 billion were allocated but disbursed Rs5.4 billion in the first quarter, while no funds were released in the second quarter.

Saad also said that the Power Division has to pay Rs 240 billion to the WAPDA. The Secretary Power Division informed the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) after receiving money from the DISCOs transfer money in their account. But there was an annual gap of Rs400 billion last year, which will further increase, adding the gap is due to line loss and the power theft. He told that circular debt at present is Rs2.6 trillion.

The chief justice remarked when the public sector is facing such a problem then why the government privatizes it, but then said they would not go into this matter.

Former Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on July 10, 2018 had set up the Supreme Court of Pakistan Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams Fund to raise money for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams. When Prime Minister Imran Khan announced to join efforts with the Chief Justice for the construction of dams then the Fund name was changed as Supreme Court and Prime Minister DiamerBasha and Mohmand Dams Fund.

The representatives of the State Bank of

and identity of views on several regional and global issues. Regular high-level exchanges and visits are a key feature of this relationship.”

nab amends case put off till 17th: sc observes court can interfere if there is any illegal act

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned hearing of a petition filed by PT Chairman Imran Khan against amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws till January 17. The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial resumed hearing of the petition during which counsel for the Federal Government Makhdoom Ali Khan argued that it was the prerogative of Parliament to legislate. He cited the references of articles of Islamic scholars and American magazines, and said the court had to view the matter in the limits of law as everything was clear in Schedule-4. He said things could not be settled on the basis of likes and dislikes of anyone. The court would also have to view whether anyone had crossed the red line, he added. Justice

Ijazul Ahsan remarked that the court could interfere if there was an illegal act. The lawyer said that then the petitioner had to prove the illegality of NAB law amendments. The CJP remarked that the court had to view the constitutional limits. The case was then adjourned till January 17.

int’l scholarships schemes: hec makes higher education accessible for students

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Chairman Higher education Commission (HeC), Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Thursday said that HeC has performed in recent years in offering various international scholarship schemes to make education accessible for students, particularly those from far-flung and less privileged areas. During 2023, a total of 508 scholars are preceding foreign countries on scholarships under HeC’s foreign scholarship schemes, from different levels of higher education including 246 PhD, 116 MS/BS, 102 IRSIP (6 months), and 44 Post of Doctorate, he said while talking to APP. “A total number of 2,812 scholars are studying at foreign universities under various scholarship schemes including 1760 students enrolled in Ph.D., 857 in MS/BS,130 in IRSIP (6 Months) and 65 in Post Doctorate” he added. “Our students are very talented and under the erasmus Mundus scholarship program, which is very competitive, this year the highest number of students securing these scholarships are from Pakistan,” Dr Mukhtar lauded.

Amidst the challenge of keeping up with international education standards, he told APP that the HeC has a gigantic task ahead to secure more scholarships for Pakistani students enabling them to pursue higher studies at the best universities in the world. We have maintained the most transparent and cautious approach for the selection of students, he remarked.

government had given undertaking to the Supreme Court bench that funds for the Dams will not be withheld.

Pakistan and the National Bank of Pakistan, through video-link, informed the bench that the Dam Fund’s amount has been invested in the government securities, which is managed by the SBP. All the banks collect the funds and deposit in the Dam Fund account maintained at the SBP, told the NBP official, and added every three months the interest on the Fund is re-invested.

Secretary Power Division informed that the incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has given priority to the construction of Diamer-Basha and Mohmand Dams.

Justice Ijaz noted that Shehbaz Sharif after taking oath as the PM had visited the site of Diamer Dam. He said the federal

The chief justice said they (judges) also have concern about the financial difficulty, which the government and the security are facing. He asked the Secretary Finance to take measures to reduce expenses and increase the resources. “Good nations face the challenges bravely and overcome them.”

The chief justice remarked that the SBP is the credible institution to manage the Dam Fund. He said Dam Fund status is available on SC website and now anyone who had donated in the Dam Fund can trace on the SC website how much he/she has contributed. The CJP said the Dam Funds will be used only for purchasing the machinery of the power houses of these dams, adding it can’t be used for the damage caused by the floods.

LAHORE: Activists of Muttahida Naan-Roti Association stage a protest in favour of their demands in front of Civil Secretariat. photo by zubaiR Mehfooz ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Court aCquits sindh MPa, others in naziM Jokhio Murder Case: Meanwhile, a local court acquitted three accused including a Sindh MPA in Nazim Jokhio murder case. The additional district and sessions court Malir announced the verdict on the applications of reconciliation between the victim’s family and the accused.

rejected the

been

after having incomplete evidence against him.

pRIMeMinister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the United Arab emirates (UAe) on Thursday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

He was received at the Abu Dhabi airport by economic Affairs Minister

foreign office denies claim of pakistan origin on seized UraniUm package

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

tHeForeign Office denied UK media reports that a package containing a small amount of uranium seized at London’s Heathrow Airport originated from Pakistan.

In a statement to the press on Thursday, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, its spokesperson, said the reports were “not factual” and that

ecp extends pml-n’s deadline for internal elections

LAHoRe Staff RepoRt

no information to this effect had been officially shared with Pakistan by British authorities. British police announced on Wednesday that a “very small quantity” of uranium was detected in a package that arrived at Heathrow Airport on December 29. The package was addressed to an Iranlinked firm in the UK, according to reports.

Police added the radioactive material, which was caught during routine scanning, posed no risk and was not linked to any

direct threat or public health threat.

According to Richard Smith, a spokesperson of Scotland Yard: “We can confirm officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command were contacted by Border Force colleagues at Heathrow after a very small amount of contaminated material was identified after routine screening within a package incoming to the UK.”

“I want to reassure the public the amount of contaminated material was extremely

small and has been assessed by experts as posing no threat to the public. Although our investigation remains ongoing, from our inquiries so far, it does not appear to be linked to any direct threat,” said Smith.

However, a report by The Sun claimed that the package originated in Pakistan before arriving aboard an Oman Air passenger jet from Muscat. In response to media queries on the matter, Baloch said: “We have seen the media reports. We are confident that the

National child rights panel criticised for ‘zero’ performance

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) has given the ruling Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) party a two-month extension to hold intra-party elections. During the hearing, the eCP commissioner suggested revoking PML-N’s party symbol for failing to hold the elections. However, PML-N’s lawyers pleaded with the commission to not do so and gave the excuse that the party’s president and secretary-general were currently abroad, preventing them from holding the elections. The commission was unimpressed, with the Chief election Commissioner quipping “You’re not holding elections, just making excuses every 15 days.” The hearing has been adjourned until March 14. This is a significant development as the political parties are required by the eCP to hold the intra-party elections within the given timeframe or risk losing their election symbols. This delay in holding the intra-party elections can also impact the political scenario and the party’s ability to contest the upcoming general elections.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights Chairperson, Dr. Mahreen Razzaq

Bhutto, criticised officials of the National Commission for the Rights of Child (NCRC) for their lack of progress on matters related to children’s rights.

During a committee meeting on Thursday, Dr. Bhutto and other Senate members expressed their concerns over children not receiving compensation for their work with the commission and the failure to confirm the rules of the Zainab Alert Bill.

The chair of the meeting warned the NCRC director general to improve his performance or face further consequences. Dr. Bhutto also expressed her disappointment over not receiving the rules for the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill, which was passed in March 2020.

She stated the rules should have been made within six months after the bill was passed and warned that a privilege motion would be submitted if the rules were not received by January 17.

During the meeting, National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) Chairperson Rabiya Javeri

Agha also brought attention to the poor conditions of Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where prisoners were allegedly tortured and 82 children were imprisoned, as revealed by an NCHR report in October last year.

Agha stated the officials at the jail were “very influential” and had connections all the way up, making it difficult to transfer them. She also revealed that drugs were allegedly provided to the prisoners.

Agha highlighted that after the NCHR report, seven officers were sacked, four were suspended, and another 38 were transferred. She mentioned that the high court also ordered a complaint cell to be formed at the jail. Another member of the committee, Abdul Qadir Mandokhail, stated that drugs were being easily supplied to jails and academic institutions. Agha also spoke of unlicensed mental health centres in the capital, which reportedly detain people against their will. The NCHR team made seven visits to the Adiala Jail starting from September 21 last year, during which numerous prisoners complained of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment suffered at the hands of jail authorities.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the government in October 2022 to assist the NCHR in the formation of a complaint cell in the jail to curb the prevalent abuses. It also recommended action against Punjab’s inspector general of prisons, after which the police chief dismissed seven officials of Adiala prison after they were found guilty of mistreatment and torture of inmates of the prison.

However, the human rights ministry failed to end the incarceration of the under-trial juvenile prisoners “for lack of funds to submit surety bonds.”

Explaining ECC’s big changes to agreements with three important power plants

ContInueD fRoM BACK pAge

Take-or-pay provisions guarantee the producers and suppliers a predetermined amount of money in exchange for making the supplies available as per agreements. The take-or-pay commitment amounts have been reduced from 66% to 33%, which means there is a reduced fixed liability to pay.

It has come in for widespread criticism, but take-or-pay clauses are quite widespread in the energy industry. This is due to the high overhead expenses for suppliers of energy units such as natural gas or crude oil, due to the volatility of energy prices.

Take-or-pay contracts incentivize energy suppliers to invest capital up advance since they have some guarantee that their products will be sold. This provision is essential for obtaining project funding since it offers an element of consistency in the project cash flows.

Furthermore, instead of an annual production plan for binding purchase of power – i.e. fixing how much power would have to be bought from a supplier or plant for a year –there now is monthly production planning or commitments with effect from 2022. This would also mean annual allocations of gas to meet the production, which will now instead be done on a monthly basis.

Basically, with the new development, energy production plans will be revised and adjusted on a monthly basis.

Why is this key noW?

A proposal to waive the minimum 66% take or pay commitment in the PPA and GSA of the three government owned power plants was approved by the eCC in its decision from April last year. The earlier changes to GSAs and PPAs were not put into effect due to legal complications. The privatisation and sale of these power stations was subsequently delayed.

The government has now realised that the earlier decision needs to be reviewed in light of the spike in liquified natural gas (LNG) prices in order to best utilise the chilled fuel for the continuous running of these power plants and ensure their operational security for a buyer of the plants (the government wants to sell them to raise capital). In order to raise more than $2 billion urgently required to sustain the rapidly declining foreign exchange reserves, the administration has been in talks with friendly governments in the Middle east for the sale of at least two of the three stated LNG-based power projects on a government-to-government basis.

Whether or not reducing the take or pay clauses in the agreement would prove to be fruitful in attracting foreign buyers for the power plant is a question that needs to be answered, experts believe, given how take-or-pay clauses have the potential to benefit all parties involved.

According to some experts, the planning of power production on a monthly basis might do more harm than good. is it a big deal?

As far as some experts are concerned this is not a major development. The plants mentioned are considered to be the most efficient in terms of power production, and therefore are classified as must-run power plants. That is, power coming from these plants have to supply energy to the grid under all conditions.

However, considering the spike in LNG prices, reducing the take-or-pay percentage would help in reducing the overall cost for the government. Additionally, considering the volatility in the energy markets, reducing the take-or-pay agreement would contribute to reducing the overall circular debt that has ballooned to about Rs 1.6 trillion.

Dealing with this circular debt is a key commitment to the IMF, and was again specifically mentioned by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday when was speaking about steps to be taken to reduce differences with the multilateral lender of last resort.

Contractually speaking, take-or-pay agreements can provide benefits and security on both sides of the fence, for the supplier and purchases. This goes for the entire value chain that goes into providing energy for your home.

A higher take-or-pay percentage suits a supplier who knows they will receive at least a set amount of money for a commodity, hence the risk in investing capital to produce it is decreased. A lower take-or-pay ratio usually suits a commodity buyer since they are free to shop around for a better price.

the desire to learn from each other.”

We are now looking forward to greater things not just in Pakistan, but internationally as well. What we value the most about this relationship is the mutual respect and trust, and

Mr. Dick Richelle shared that, “We have many partnerships around the globe for quite some time, but what we have in Pakistan is very special. We are not only celebrating 25 years of partnership between

Vopak and engro, but its 25 years of friendship between the two companies. I want to thank everyone at engro for allowing us to develop this friendship over the period of time, and to do that with the trust we put in eVTL and elengy.”

reports are not factual.” Smith said the agency would continue to follow up on all available lines of enquiry to ensure this was definitely the case. “No arrests have been made at this time and officers continue to work with partner agencies to fully investigate this matter and ensure there is no risk to the public. Border Force agents isolated the shipment in a radioactive room and, upon determining it was uranium, called in counter-terror police.”

Uae ruler agrees to grant $1b in loan, roll over existing $2b

ContInueD fRoM BACK pAge

The UAe is home to around 1.7 million Pakistanis who have been playing a pivotal role in the success story of the gulf state for the last five decades, contributing to the progress, prosperity and economic development of the two countries.

saudi’s $1b announCeMent: PM Shehbaz appreciated Saudi Arabia for extending support to Pakistan in difficult times, following the country’s announcement of $1b for Pakistan’s flood relief.

“Pakistan is grateful for the announcement of $1 billion made by Saudi Arabia’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Mohammed bin Salman for the rehabilitation of Pakistan’s flood victims,” he said. He expressed these views in a meeting with the Chief executive Officer (CeO) of the Saudi Fund Sultan Al Murshid, who led a four-member delegation. The premier said Pakistan highly values the kingdom’s assistance in the rehabilitation of flood victims. During the meeting, various development projects of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan were also reviewed.

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Nazir Tarar, Adviser to Prime Minister Ahad Cheema and senior officials.

ContInueD fRoM BACK pAge

Engro Corporation, Royal Vopak celebrate 25 years of strategic partnership for value creation in Pakistan

AdvANced, HigH-tecH cHiNese coAcHes to eNHANce PAkistAN RAilwAys’ oPeRAtioN

Xinhua

MuHAMMADNaeem was busy checking brand new train coaches with Chinese engineer Lei Song in Lahore on a chilly winter evening, ahead of their formal induction in Pakistan Railways for commercial use.

The coaches imported from China were recently parked at Lahore after completing their trial run during which they not only impressed the officials who saw them for the first time, but also Naeem and his colleagues who visited China in September last year to receive training about the coaches’ maintenance.

“The coaches can run at the speed limit of 160 km per hour, and are specially designed to provide very comfortable travel to passengers,” the 55-year-old Head Train Examiner of Washing Line in Pakistan Railways told Xinhua, adding that he will do his best to ensure safety and maintain the standard of the coaches, together with Chinese engineers who came to Lahore to work with them.

Many functions of the coaches are new

to Pakistani engineers and technicians, so they were trained to learn more about them in China and will be further trained while working together with their Chinese peers in Pakistan.

“The coaches have a lot of advanced functions, including the passenger information system, air cushion shock absorber, WiFi, air conditioning, and an energy-saving light system that my Pakistani counterparts think is very advanced and have never used before, so our job is to provide training services regarding repairs and maintenance work,” Lei told Xinhua.

Pakistan acquired the coaches from China through a transparent bidding process in which the Chinese company was the preferred pick among all others from different countries. From the contract to acquire 230 coaches, 46 arrived in Pakistan at the end of last November, while the remaining will be manufactured in Pakistan with China’s support.

Talking to Xinhua about the specifications of the coaches, Muhammad Imran, divisional mechanical engineer of the Lahore division of Pakistan Railways, said that they are extremely robust, and have cosy interiors and modern technologies to provide com-

ctd arrests four terror suspects in Peshawar

PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in joint intelligence-based operation with police, claimed to have arrested four alleged terrorists from Manchi Gate Abshar Colony in Peshawar on Wednesday. According to a spokesperson for the CTD, the law-enforcement agency conducted the joint operation in Peshawar and apprehended four alleged terrorists during the operation. He said one of the CTD officials was also injured during firing with the terrorists. The spokesperson added that weapons were also recovered from the arrested terrorists.

fortable and fast travel to passengers.

Imran visited China after the contract was won to discuss with Chinese engineers about the structure of the coaches, and their specific design to make them compatible with the local tracks and environment.

Talking about the specific design of the coaches for the local tracks, Su Weiyue, senior engineer and the project manager of the overseas project department of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) Tangshan company, told Xinhua that the

gauge of railway tracks is 1,435 mm in China whereas it is 1,676 mm in Pakistan, so the operating state of the Pakistani line and the requirements of the track were fully taken into account.

By the middle of 2023, raw materials for the remaining 184 coaches will be imported and Chinese technicians will help Pakistan produce and assemble the coaches in about two and a half years, Su said.

“We hope that the train exported to Pakistan will become a standardized product for

Symbiotic Pak-US ties contributing towards regional, global peace: Envoy

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the united States Masood Khan Thursday said the upward trajectory in Pak-uS bilateral relations is creating a salutary environment for scaling up the mutual ties in economic, technological, educational and other important sectors.

He thanked the uS government for an additional support of $100 million for post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation phase, pledged at the International Conference for Climate Resilient Pakistan held on Jan 9, 2023 at Geneva.

“We have been partners in peace and we would continue working together for promoting shared values and objectives,” the envoy said.

He made these remarks during a reception hosted by prominent Pak-American community leader Ch Nadeem Ahmed in Seattle, according to a press release received here on Thursday from Seattle (uSA).

The reception hosted in honor of the Ambassador was attended among others by Executive of King County Dow Constantine,

Senator Manka Dhingra, Director Health Seattle, Chris Stearns, Washington State Representative, Dave up the grove, Chairman of Kings County Council, Dr Faisal Khan, Secretary Health Washington State Dr umair Shah, lawmakers, Council members, community and business leaders and prominent members of Pak-American diaspora. Addressing the gathering, Executive of King County Dow Constantine while welcoming the Ambassador of Pakistan to Seattle appreciated the contributions of Pakistani community towards socio-economic development of Seattle.

Recognizing valuable services of Dr Faisal Khan and Dr umair Shah in health sector, Dow Constantine said that the opportunities offered by the united States have been grappled by vibrant Pak-uS community to excel in every walk of life. Ambassador Masood Khan in his remarks thanked the leadership of Seattle and Pak-American community for warm welcome and observed that the people of Pakistan valued their relations with the united States.

“Our relations have been marked by longevity, resilience and sustainability. The symbiotic relationship has contributed towards regional and international peace and stability,” he said. While appreciating continued assistance of the uS government and its citizenry to the people of Pakistan, Masood Khan thanked the uS administration for using its convening power and garnering support for flood affected population during reconstruction and rehabilitation phase.

NHA, Balochistan put staff, machinery on high alert amid snowfall, rain

ISLAMABAD/QUETTA Staff RepoRt

The National Highway Authority has mobilized the staff and essential machinery to cope with the possible road blocks due to snowfall in northern areas, including in Murree and Galiyat while the Balochistan government has also alerted the PDMA and the district administration to be vigilant in the wake of expected rain and snowfall in parts of the province. According to a statement issued by NHA spokesman Sohail Aftab, the authority has issued instructions to the staff to mobilize the machinery and other necessary resources to maintain the traffic flow on the national highways. General Manager Zafar Yaqoob Khan was monitoring the entire situation on the instructions of Federal Minister for Communications Asad Mehmood. NHA teams have been alerted at various places to deal with snowfall and essential machinery had been transported to various locations in view of bad weather. Citizens have been advised to avoid unnecessary travelling in bad weather. PDMA asked to be vigilant during snowfall Meanwhile, Balochistan Home and Tribal Affairs Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau directed the PDMA and the district administration to be vigilant in the wake of expected rain and snowfall in parts of the province. In a statement issued here on Wednesday, the provincial minister directed the authorities concerned to utilize all possible resources to deal with any untoward situation, particularly in the flood-hit areas.

train production in Pakistan in the future. We hope to have friendly cooperation with Pakistan to achieve the goal of joint development and benefit-sharing,” she added. Talking about the technology transfer program, Imran said that Pakistan does not have much experience with manufacturing coaches in recent history, and it is a very good project for Pakistan to provide new skills for its people and modernize its factories.

Calling the train and the technology transfer agreement a gift for the people of Pakistan, Imran said that “machinery, plant, and equipment will be installed in Pakistan during the transfer of technology … and in the future, Pakistan Railways will be able to manufacture these advanced technological high-speed coaches independently.”

The newly received coaches will be used as premier trains with special staff and maintenance facilities, Muhammad Hanif Gul, divisional superintendent of the Lahore division at Pakistan Railways under the Ministry of Railways, told Xinhua.

“It will substantially enhance the image of Pakistan Railways and it will provide comfort to passengers and will be another feather in the cap of Pakistan-China collaboration,” he added.

karachi braces for cold wave, temperatures to drop to single digits

KARACHI Staff RepoRt

Cold winds swept across the port city of Karachi on Thursday as a severe cold wave is forecasted to hit the region, causing temperatures to drop to single digits between January 12 and January 17. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the city’s temperature dropped to 17 degrees Celsius on Thursday morning with winds blowing at 35 kilometres per hour. The temperature is expected to remain between 7C and 9C in the coming days, with winds of 35 to 40 kilometres per hour. The PMD had previously predicted a fall in temperature in Karachi in the coming days due to the influence of westerly winds which entered the city on Wednesday. Cold weather is likely to grip Karachi and other parts of the province later this week. The temperature in Sindh can drop to as low as 5C during this period after a westerly system entered the province via Balochistan. According to the PMD, temperatures in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, and Tando Muhammad Khan are likely to reach below 5C, while in Shaheed Benazirabad, Noshero Feroz, Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, and Sanghar the temperature will touch 3C during the said period.

LAHORE

BilAwAl lAuds intErviEw wAivErs fACility By us for PrEviously visA holdinG PAKistAnis

iSLamaBad stAff report

fOREIGNMinister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday said the facility of interview waivers by the United States for Pakistani nationals across all age groups, who had already held US visas in the past, was extremely helpful.

“This should speed up visa process and will increase people-to-people ties,” the foreign minister said in a meeting with US Am-

bassador in Islamabad Donald Blome who called on him here.

“Thank you @SecBlinken we have discussed visa issues at length. Allowing interview waivers for those who have already in the past held US visas across all age groups is extremely helpful. This should speed up visa process and will increase people-to-people ties,” he wrote on Twitter.

The foreign minister thanked the United States for announcing an additional $100 million at Geneva conference for the recon-

struction and rehabilitation of the flood-hit areas of Pakistan.

Foreign Minister Bilawal told the ambassador that he had discussed in detail with the US Secretary of State the visa facilities for Pakistani citizens.

The US ambassador reiterated his country’s resolve to keep extending support to Pakistan for rehabilitation of the flood victims.According to the US Embassy, all Pakistani citizens, regardless of age, whose B1/B2 visas are valid or have expired within

the last 48 months, are eligible to participate. Previously, only Pakistani citizens of age 45 and older were eligible to participate. Additionally, interview waiver eligibility for student and petition-based work visa applicants who have previously held a US visa is also extended through 2023.

However, as required by the US law, some eligible visa holders may be required to appear at the US Embassy or US Consulate General for interviews after submission of their applications.

SFD signs strategic agreement with Pakistan to finance oil derivatives worth $1b

iSLamaBad shAhzAd pArAchA

To materialize directives issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, CEO Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, and Secretary Ministry of Economic Affairs in Pakistan, Dr. Kazim Niaz, signed strategic agreement to finance oil derivatives worth $1 billion to Pakistan.

According to the Economic Affairs division, the agreement was signed in Islamabad in the presence of Saudi Arabia and Pakistani officials.

Aimed at supporting Pakistan’s economy, sector growth, and navigating economic challenges, the

strategic agreement signed on Thursday comes as a continuation of the support provided by the Government of Saudi Arabia to the brotherly country Pakistan to build a sustainable economy.

It is pertinent to note that the SFD signed agreements to finance oil derivatives with a value of $4.44 billion in 2019 and 2021.

The agreement marks the latest steps taken by the Government of Saudi Arabia through the SFD and the Pakistani authorities to enhance development in the country.

Since the Fund’s establishment, the SFD has supported more than 40 projects and programs in different development sectors valued approximately at $1.4 billion to finance Pakistan’s energy, water, transportation, and infrastructure projects.

Private sector invited to invest in ITZs to boost KP tourism

peSHaWar Aziz Buneri

Experts have invited the private sector to invest in Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to boost up tourism and strengthen the provincial economy. Immense investment prospects are available in the integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs) that have been approved by the provincial government, says a senior official of KP Tourism and Culture Authority (KPT&CA) during speaking at an awareness seminar held in a hall of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Thursday.

The sensitization seminar, which was organized by SCCI in joint collaboration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) and Planning

Elahi signs summary to dissolve PA, KP CM to follow the suit

Continued from page 01

“After 48 hours, the assembly would automatically be dissolved in Punjab. There is no need to have the consent of the governor for dissolving assemblies,” he added. The interim setup, he added, would ask the election commission to make necessary arrangements for the next elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa. In reply to a question about the coalition of Dr Farooq Sattar’s party and Mustafa Kamal’s group, he said the political party members weregoing to unite for their personal interest.

and Development Department (P&D), Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.Shahid Hussain, senior vice president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry who chaired the session said in his opening remarks that the role of the tourism sector in economic development is vital across the world.

Senior office bearers said incalculable investment opportunities in the tourism sector, generally in the country and particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa available, which needed to be tapped efficiently to boost up the provincial economy.Mr Hussain emphasized the need for pragmatic steps for infrastructure improvement at tourists’ attraction sites, besides provision of better facilities to tourists and arrangements to attract more investors and tourists toward the tourism sector.

He assured the officials that SCCI will play its due role

to attract private investment in ITZs. Apart from participation of Director General KPT&CA Bakhtiyar Khan, General Manager Umer Khan Khattak, Public Private Partnership Analyst, P&D Deptt Shehryar Khan, the SCCI vice president Ejaz Khan Afridi, former president Faiz Muhammad, former vice presidents Abidullah Yousafzai, Faiz Rasool, executive members Haji Ghulam Hussain, Laal Badshah, Ms Qurtul Ain, Naeem Qasmi, Zahoor Khan, Fazl e Wahid, Malik Tariq Awan, a large number of traders, investors and representatives of relevant department were present in the seminar. DG KPC&TA Bakhtiyar Khan during the session enlightened the participants about initiatives taken by his department for uplift of the tourism sector, especially Integrated Tourism Zones and urged the SCCI members and private investors to make investment in the ITZs.

Jemima Goldsmith, brother raise over £150,000 for Pakistan flood victims

LONDON: Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of former premier Imran Khan, and her brother Ben Goldsmith have managed to raise over £150,000 for Pakistan flood victims in support of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF) Pakistan Floods Appeal and the Pakistan Environment Trust. The siblings hosted a charity dinner in central London last night with over 100 high-profile leading Pakistani and Indian personalities in attendance. The guests who attended the dinner also included the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, novelist Fatima Bhutto, British presenters, Noreen Khan and Sam Naz, Overseas Investment Adviser for Pakistan, Zeeshan Shah and former UK High Commissioner to Pakistan, Adam Thomson. On this occasion, Jemima — also a UNICEF ambassador and English TV and film producer and writer — said, “The Pakistan floods have been on such a devastating scale that it’s difficult to comprehend, with 33 million people affected and over 7.9 million people displaced. As a UNICEF ambassador, Jemima said, she was helping to raise vital funds to support the children and families affected by this catastrophe. Agencies

MQM-P unified: Burying hatchet, Kamal and Sattar return to fold

workers, saying one-time amnesty should be granted to them “as they had played major role for the development of this city”.

“Today we are beginning another migration into MQM-Pakistan,” he remarked. Kamal said PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari is trying to make his son and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari prime minister of the country. “If he wants to make Bilawal prime minister then he needs to realise that this is not possible without addressing the grievances of the of the people of Karachi and other urban areas of [Sindh],” he added. He also demanded to release missing MQM

“We will work under the leadership of Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui bhai,”he said.

‘MQM is a ray Of hOpe’: Sattar, speaking on the occasion, said the merger of the factions of the MQM-Pakistan was an important development not only for Sindh’s urban areas but for the entire country. “MQM is a ray of hope in the current political and economic crisis for Pakistan as all political parties of the country are fight-

ing each other. Our action will show why we have gathered here,” he added. Speaking about flood aid pledges of over $10 billion, Sattar said Karachi alone can gather this amount if given chance. “Today we are launching an organised and dynamic MQM. The division of MQM was a deadly poison. We are putting aside all and reuniting under the banner of MQM.” Responding to a question, Sattar said he has advised the MQM-P to quit the federal government “and don’t even look towards the [PPP-led] provincial government”.

Germany to provide Euro 28 million support to Pakistan

iSLamaBad stAff report

Government of Pakistan and Germany signed two framework agreements -amounting Euro 28 million focusing on socio economic uplift and sustainable development of Pakistan. According to the Economic Affairs Division, German Ambassador to Pakistan Alfred Grannas representing the German Government and the Ministry of Economic Affairs signed agreements in the energy and governance sectors. Alfred Grannas and Dr. Kazim Niaz, Secretary Ministry of Economic Affairs signed the agreements. Officials from KfW and GIZ also participated in the signing ceremony. Germany will provide a grant financing of Euro 23 million under framework agreement-Technical Cooperation Agreement 2021 through GIZ. Under this framework agreement three projects will be financed namely “Participatory Local Governance”, “Building Transition to Promote Energy Efficiency in Buildings” and“Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience”. Participatory Local Governance project with overall financing of Euro 10 Million, will boost service delivery capacities of local authorities in KP and Punjab to meet local needs and priorities, while other project involving Euro 3 million-Building Transition to Promote Energy Efficiency in Buildings has overall objective to promote energy efficiency through building transition model through political, legal and regulatory interventions, while using inventories and pilot demonstration models.Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience, having an overall commitment of Euro 10 million, will contribute towards improving all prerequisites for climate change adaptation and climate risk management. Along with this, another Framework agreement namely Financial cooperation Agreement 2020 worth grant of Euro 5 million is also signed today. This framework agreement will consist of only one project titled “Self-Employment for Women in the Health Sector” which will be executed by KfW. This project will aid to enable conditions for creating and securing jobs and income opportunities that will further help meeting international environmental and social Standards and to contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Time for PML(N) soul-searching

Staggering from crisis to crisis

At

THE PML(N) as a party seems the only left with nothing to do after the crushing defeat doled out to it when Ch Pervez Elahi succeeded in obtaining a vote of confidence from the Punjab Assembly on late Wednesday night. Ch Pervez and his PML(Q) was left to consider how to use the new lease of life it had got from the Lahore High Court, at least until later in the year, either to give the country’s largest province the good and effective governance it craves, or whether it would opt to help the PTI dissolve it (and the KP Assembly|). The PTI has got to work out whether such a dissolution will help it get the early dissolution of the other two provincial assemblies and the National Assembly that is the motive behind the move. The PPP has been left to consider whether CoChairman Asif Zardari had overreached himself in promising to keep enough PTI MPAs away from the vote of confidence, and what that overreach might mean for the party’s election prospects in a province where it was almost wiped out in the last general election. However, the party which has been the worst mauled, the one in most need of the deepest soulsearching, is the PML(N).

Now more than ever before does it seem that the decision to join the coalition to oust PTI chief Imran Khan as PM may not have been the right one. The move may have benefited PML(N) President Mian Shehbaz Sharif, who has become PM, but the flipside is that the PML(N) has had to take responsibility for turning around the economy that the PTI had allegedly wrecked; and the economy has not just refused to turn around, but has grown worse. The PML(N) has not been helped by its replacement of Miftah Ismail as Finance Minister by Ishaq Dar, and the very public spat between the two.

All in all, a pretty collection of problems to confront Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, who has been made Chief Organizer of the party. Worse, she does not have the luxury of time, This is going to be an election year and these problems must be fixed by the time the party begins to campaign, which means before it finalizes tickets. Even now, it may be too late to get the party into election mode.

Yousaf Nizami Editor

Penpoint

M A NIAZI

DRAGGING itself over the line, Pakistan just managed to avoid a default by managing a payment totaling $1 billion to two banks. That brought Pakistan’s reserves down to $4.5 billion, which was worth about three weeks of exports. It was not really a relief, for Pakistan was safe only until the next repayment was due. It might be remembered that there was similar panic, though lower in intensity, at the beginning of December, when last a payment was due.

It was worth noting that these payments are not to governments or multilateral creditors like the IMF, but to commercial banks. These payments are made to keep open Pakistan’s access to the global money markets, to these banks. The problem is now that these loans are not taken to fund development, but to finance the trade deficit and the current account deficit, also to keep up the payments falling due on previous loans.

An important factor is whether the global financial system can afford any more defaults. There is fear of the butterfly effect that defaults of relatively small sums might lead to further defaults, which would in turn cause a cataclysm similar to what the world experienced in 1929.

It could be that the default by Sri Lanka was simply a testing of the waters. It did not set off any bank failures. That is the factor that will count in any collapse. So far, global crises have been dated by the failure of global banks. So far, none has declared bankruptcy, but there is no certainty that the world has indeed recovered from the Subprime Mortgage crisis at the start of the century, when not just US banking, but real estate too, took a massive hit.

One problem that Pakistan faces is that it has no previous experience. For the last half a century, it has been used to being bailed out because of geostrategic odd jobs. The last episode was at the turn of the century, when Pakistan got some Paris Club relief and an IMF package in exchange for supporting the USA in its Afghan adventure. This was apart from bilateral US aid.

At the moment, Pakistan has little to offer. The USA is tilting towards India, which it sees as its bulwark in the region against China. Can the USA demand of Pakistan that it accept an Indian solution of the Kashmir issue? That is what India will demand as an earnest of Pakistani intentions if it was to accept Indian hegemony.

That Pakistan has already done, by accepting India’s changing of the status of Indian-Held Kashmir. Next, it has to abandon the Chinese relationship. Interestingly enough, the supposed crusader against the USA, Imran Khan, did more to damage the relationship than his successor, Mian Shehbaz Sharif, who has tried to use the exchange of New Year greetings with Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang to make assurances that CPEC projects would receive the attention they deserved.

The other thing Pakistan can do is to free India of the fear of its nuclear programme. That will not be easily done, because it has not become merely a sym-

bol of national pride, but of national existence. It is a commonly held belief that Pakistan would have had to accept Indian hegemony in 1998 when the Indian tests took place. Pakistan delayed its decision to test for a fortnight, while it gauged both Indian and US reactions. Indian Home Minister L.K Advani made statements indicating that India meant to throw its weight around, and the US offer was considered inadequate, so Pakistan did what it did.

Coincidentally, the government also confiscated foreign exchange deposits, declaring that they could only be redeemed in rupees or in foreign exchange bearer certificates. That is a memory that is haunting the country today, and it seems that that has been done informally. Forex deposits with the banks are supposed to cover those deposits. They are counted in the State Bank of Pakistanreserves, but they are mentioned separately. They are not supposed to be touched, much as the Saudi and Chinese deposits are not supposed to be. However, because they constitute about$ 6.5 billion, it means that the SBP is using them to pay off import requirements and debt servicing, not just decorate its books.

It should be noted that these deposits are not free, but accrue interest, which SBP has pay, even if they are rolled over. China’s rollover of $3billion in deposits merely means that China will not ask back for the money. China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have so far been Pakistan’s best friends, in the sense that they have supplied the money that has saved Pakistan from default so far.

economy have not been removed. The debt trap was created because Pakistan imports more than it exports. On top of that, it borrowed extensively to finance development projects (those should have led to prosperity, government revenue and repayments).

Perhaps the problem was that the development loans were not meant to be repaid, but were bribes to the elite, meant to be embezzled. Another problem was leveraging of every possible kind, and borrowing as much as possible, not just from governments or multilateral institutions but also from the money markets. On the one hand, money was not generated back because the loans were ill-intentioned, but the overleveraging became unsustainable.

The government in office, and its main challenger, have neither got any outof-the-box solutions. Both have a record in office, and have the same ‘sensible’ approach which means that they will try the same methods. PTI supporters may claim that their government stood up to the IMF, while the present one just rolled over and played dead.

However, it might be that Pakistan’s chronic deficits, trade, current account and government spending, have become too much for them to bankroll, and it is almost as if they have decided to let the default happen, so that they can pick up the pieces. The shape of things to come became apparent from the report that Saudi investors are interested in Pakistani assets. In floating sukuk bonds, Pakistan has pledged such tangible assets as highways. There seems interest within the government to sell such assets outright, in exchange for forex.

Hoever, no one is apparently concerned with what happens when the proceeds of such a sale are finished. It might be remembered that when privatization began in right earnest, one of the advantages was supposed to be getting out of the debt trap. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

The reason is that the basic imbalances in the

The way to progress and stability?

Achange in Pakistan’s foreign policy can be observed from a considerable time. One cannot deny the complex geostrategic location of Pakistan on the world map. This complexity has always made Pakistan focus on geostrategic policies. Primarily, Pakistan’s neighbouring states India, Afghanistan and Iran made Pakistan focus on geostrategic policies.

The hostile relations with India, and the conflicts of Iran with other powers and Afghanistan being a wartorn country made the borders of Pakistan insecure. Pakistan has borne the weight of others’ wars by this costly policy. The Cold War era can be an example, where Pakistan went into the US camp against the USSR. Pakistan trained the mujahideen on a US call, and they acted as the anti-Soviet rebels and affected Pakistan’s security and stability later on. Pakistan propped up the USA, which worsened Pakistan’s hostile relations with the USSR.

After the USSR broke up, the USA returned again in Afghanistan with the banner of War on Terror. Pakistan again suffered due to its geopolitical location and strategic alliance with the USA. Pakistan suffered the casualties, economic loss and overflow of Afghan refugees as a consequence of being a geopolitical ally of US and neighbour of Afghanistan.The geostrategic policies of Pakistan had deleterious effects and hindered the growth of Pakistan. The world’s major powers after the World Wars and proxy wars in the Cold War era realized that in this period of nuclear advancement, use of force would be destructive.

Nowadays, economic and cyber-security wars are a way of overcoming other states or as a means of bal-

ancing. The US-China trade war is a prime example of this, and now artificial intelligence and cyberwarfare are the new means in town. In all these happenings, a shift in Pakistan foreign policy was seen clearly in the Saudi-Iran proxy war; where Pakistan, rather than showing any tilt towards one or indulging itself in another war, presented itself to act as a mediator between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The other example of this could be the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Pakistan acted as a key player in bringing the Taliban and the US government to the negotiation table. These moves clearly indicated that Pakistan had shifted its policy to refraining from indulging in US wars and is now willing to build relations with other states. Strongly building ties with

Russia is an example of this.The realization of the need to maximize the gains and follow -up of world policies to compete with them made Pakistan de-focus from geopolitics.

For the first time ever Pakistan documented its National Security Policy. The objectives and determinants which used to be only security-centric have now shifted in accordance with the ground realities. Now the national security policy includes economic stability and independence. The sovereignty and dignity of Pakistan is linked up with the economic well -being now.

As stated earlier, Pakistan has now said “ABSOLUTELY NOT” in involving itself in any other war of the USA. After withdrawal from Afghanistan, the USA reportedly asked Pakistan for bases to sustain itself as a watchdog over Afghanistan, but Pakistan refused to become a source of any interference. Now Pakistan’s prime focus is on strengthening itself

However, the positive thing is that Pakistan’s vision and approach this time is pragmatic to deal with the problems. For the very first time Pakistan is majorly concerned to build up mutually beneficial relations with regional and neighbouring powers. Though the journey is prolonged to make Pakistan a strong economic power on the world map, this time the policy and path is right. The escalating political tensions and resurgence of TTP attacks could be hurdles in the way but Pakistan this time needs to continue the parallel policy of security and economic independence for the progress and prosperity.

The elite was bribed, but by whom? The answer is glaringly obvious: the countries controlling the multilateral institutions.

There was a very recent phase where Pakistan was in the news because of a war scare with India, which had become almost an annual thing. That carried with it the risk of nuclear war. Even without anyone else joining in (such as China on the Pakistani side, or the USA on the Indian), the two alone could cause nuclear winter, which would threaten all life on earth.

While a default would be pretty bad, it would not destroy the entire world. At worst, it could undermine the global financial system, which has grown in importance with the growth in international trade, which has meant a decline in selfsufficiency of individual countries.

Pakistan thus seems yto have painted itself into a corner by playing by the rules. Are there any other solutions which offer a way out? Lacking any commodity it could sell, it is left to wonder how to generate power without importing fossil fuels, get transport which does not run on fuel, but where does it get lifesaving medicines or edible oil without foreign exchange?

The government in office, and its main challenger have neither got any out-of-the-box solutions. Both have a record in office, and have the same ‘sensible’ approach which means that they will try the same methods. PTI supporters may claim that their government stood up to the IMF, while the present one just rolled over and played dead. However, going against the IMF, while continuing to play by its rules, did not lead to any revival of the economy.

through economic means. For this reason, Pakistan has built strategic ties and bilateral trade with Russia. The predominant factor which tilted the Pakistan interest is the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. China initiated a project of six corridors to connect with South Asia, Europe, and central Asia through economic ties.

The economic corridor through Pakistan to Gwadar, which is the shortest land access to the Arabian Sea, holds the greatest importance for China. On other hand, this economic corridor is a game changer and a source of policy shift for Pakistan. This has brought out the different projects, investments in Pakistan. The project of the largest maritime route of this century is building up the financial ties of Pakistan with China. At this time Pakistan is facing an economic crisis due to political instability.

However, the positive thing is that Pakistan’s vision and approach this time is pragmatic to deal with the problems. For the very first time Pakistan is majorly concerned to build up mutually beneficial relations with regional and neighbouring powers. Though the journey is prolonged to make Pakistan a strong economic power on the world map, this time the policy and path is right. The escalating political tensions and resurgence of TTP attacks could be hurdles in the way but Pakistan this time needs to continue the parallel policy of security and economic independence for the progress and prosperity.

The

writer is a freelance columnist

After the setback in Punjab, the party must do a rethink on the run

The latest default scare showed the intellectual bankruptcy of our economic managers

The writer is a member of staff

AbeerA IjAZ

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

M. A. Niazi Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor

Is Pakistan ready for digital revolution?

Youth are the driving force

DIGITAL technology is reshaping the world rapidly. It is transforming everything from the way of governments and citizens interact and how markets behave and consumers pay bills. It is boosting industrial and cultural productivity and revolutionizing health and education. Every economy is endeavouring for digital transformation. Pakistan also wants to tap its potential in this. Some sceptics cast clouds of pessimism, but recent developments and governmental initiatives indicate Pakistan’s readiness for greater digitalization. For example introduction of e-courts, giving the expatriate Pakistanis the e-vote and the desire of Pakistani youth to go digital. However, like all other revolutions, the digital can also go topsy turvy if not taken wisely. Therefore, Pakistan should pay extra heed to making digitalization work. Pakistan should develop its digital infrastructure, and disseminate information and awareness among the masses.

Since 2013 Pakistan started to pay extra attention to the process of digitization. It was also reflected in the election manifestoes of almost all the political parties. The first digitization policy surfaced in 2013. Its aim was to kickstart the debate about technological change; therefore, its scope remained limited. It laid the foundation for Pakistan’s efforts to bring the economy at par with developed economies. Initially, it was limited to engagement with stakeholders and creating jobs for IT experts.

The slogan “Roti, Kapra, Makan Aur Internet” stands prominent in Pakistan’s efforts to materialize its dreams of digitization. It not only underscores the strength and scope of digitization, but also gives a roadmap to bring the dream of digitization to fruition. Digital agenda 2020 stood on six pillars: enhancing connectivity, improving digital skills, and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. The agenda also involved spreading awareness about digital Pakistan. The PM also met freelancers and youtubers.

Some sceptics cast clouds of pessimism, and questioned Pakistan’s readiness for digital change. They believe Pakistan is caught by complex and multifaceted problems; and therefore is not ready to benefit from digitization. True, Pakistan is encountering enormous problems but the desire of Pakistan’s youth to swim the tide of digitization, and entrepreneurs and freelancer,s are factors that invalidate this stance.

Digitization can be a panacea for all ills. It can help Pakistan improve agricultural productivity by introducing digital means of agriculture. It can create jobs. Moreover, it can revolutionize the health and education sectors of Pakistan via video, and make it possible to ensure online access to far flung areas. It can help government check ghost teachers.

The World Economic Forum sees Pakistan as the dark horse in the digitization race . Ebay’s chief executive said Pakistan has emerged from the war on terror, and is now on a decent path of progress. This improved investors’ confidence. Digitization will provide inclusive financial services in a transparent, safe, low cost, and efficient way to the largely unbanked and underbanked population.

Moreover, in 2018Chinese largest e-commerce market brought Pakistan’s Daraz.pk. and companies like Uber and Careem also made inroads to Pakistan. The advent of Uber, Careem, Food Panda, and Daraz.pk is a ray of hope to ac-

celerate the process of digitization. It will not only improve Pakistan’s declining economy, but also improve lifestyles.

Not only has the usage of internet by state and society increased manifold, but also the state started to make digitization take root. In November 2018 Pakistan Post launched an online complaint centre and e-governance web portal. Similarly, Pakistan Railways, Pakistan Post, FBR and PIA also launched mobile and online applications. Thus Pakistan is getting ready for digital change.

The digital power of China’s BRI is unfolding a new era of opportunity. It creates the biggest possibility from CPEC. Pakistan China Optical FiberCable creates the land-based link between Pakistan and China. The 820-km fiberoptic cable is expected to extend to Gawada.

Besides this, in 2019 Pakistan also introduced E-courts. It will strengthen Pakistan’s judicial system, ensuring speedy and cheap justice. It is a step towards digitization.

Many other reforms are also underway in bringing about meaningful changes on digital lines to the electoral process.

Besides, Information Technology industry has also progressed. It became one of the top five export industries with the highest net export in the services industries, with reported inflow for July 2018January 2019 of $114.4 million.

Pakistan has the advantage a young population, 60 percent. Educated youth has already shown keen interest in digitization, asmany young educated students have used digital means of communication for their benefit, accepting careers as freelancers.

Internet expansion enabled online banking as the SBP issued branchless banking regulations in 2008, making Pakistan the first country in south Asia to allow branchless banking. In 2019, 27 banks are offering internet Banking Service, with 3.1 million internet users registered, while during January-March 2019, 8.6 million transactions worth Rs 862.3 billion were processed.

Similarly, digitization has unleashed enormous opportunities for women. According to womenintech.pk, digitization has created 45 percent jobs for young women. Moreover, owing to social stigmatization women could not go outside for jobs, but many women work from home online as freelancers or content writers.

In much of Pakistani society, women are easy targets of violence. Digitization gave a voice to women. Many cases of violence against women drew the attention ofthe authorities. For example the rape and murder case of Zainab in Qusoor generated an unprecedentedawareness on social media. That incident also generated the Zainab Alert Bill. The KP assembly passed MeraBacha Alert and launched a phone app.

There are challenges to be taken into account to make digitization work. Digital illiteracy is one. Digitization without digital illiteracy or digital skills is meaningless.

Likewise, the digital infrastructure is also substandard, creating unnecessary hurdles in digitalization. The Telecom sector, owing to flexible policy, invited massive foreign direct investment.

Owing to inflexible policy not only foreign direct investment declined but also internet subscriptions fell. The strict policy needs evisiting.

Owing to the lack of cyber laws, cyber bullying is rampant. It is not only creating challenges for Pakistan but also discouraging women and depriving them of the right to work freely. It must be taken seriously. Like lack of cyber laws, lack of date protection law is also a challenge. This emboldens the abusers and gives rise to cyber theft and privacy breach.

In Pakistan there are very few information technology universities. Thus, Pakistan could not keep pace with the dynamics of digitization. Research is also not being done on technological subjects. Lack of research, and of a skilled workforce, is a stumbling block. Therefore, Pakistan should pay extra attention to it.

To meet its dreams of digitization, Pakistan should locate more funds for information technology. It should create more and more universities, to promote research and scholarship in technology. It should also encourage cultural exchange programmes with developed countries and seek help and guidance in order to digitize Pakistan.

There is a wide gap in rural and urban areas in internet access. Pakistan should take serious action to mitigate this gap. It should ensure uninterrupted access throughout Pakistan. It will help Pakistan to bring about meaningful changes in its digital landscape, and also improve its international standing.

Singapore’s success in digitalization remains central to its rise as a great economy of Asia. Singapore developed its digital infrastructure on four key elements: developing digital talent, encouraging research and innovation, facilitating digital-friendly regulations, building infrastructure and enabling unhindered connectivity. Pakistan should seek help and guidance from Singapore to digitize Pakistan meaningfully.

Another Asian nation that successfully transformed their economy on the digital front is Malaysia from smart city projects to traffic control systems, energy management to smart factories, its success speaks for itself. Pakistan should learn lessons and replicate the reforms introduced by Malaysia.

It has been observed that recently, people have been defrauded by online companies. Therefore, Pakistan should implement strictly the consumer protection laws. It will boost the confidence of the public on online shopping outlets, and will encourage e-business and e-marketing.

The government’s vision for a digital Pakistan is extensive and encompasses infrastructure, e-governance, fintech and digital skills; to ensure its success multiple mobile applications, and reforms have been introduced. Digitization will no doubt cure the existing ills of Pakistan. However, challenges threatening its success must be addressed on war footing and reforms in digital literacy, data protection laws, and consumer protection laws must be brought to ensure the success of digitization of Pakistan.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Editor’s mail

Sugarcane farmers have a tale to tell

SUGARCANEis an important cash crop of Pakistan. It is grown on a large area of the country, and provides raw material to the large number of sugar mills that have been established in the country over the years. Also, some portion of the sugarcane crop is used for the production of gur (jaggery), especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The sugar industry in the country is the second largest agriculture-based industry after textile.

The sugarcane crop has a longer duration than the other cash crops in the country. Farmers require great skill and huge investment to cultivate the crop, and face a host of problems, including the increasing cost of inputs and labour as well as scarcity of water.

Even after bearing all this, at the end of the day, the growers remain at the mercy of the sugar mills and are unable to get a fair price for their produce. The interests of the millers are secured in every crisis, whether caused by shortage or due to glut of sugar supply in the market. Either way, the millers are the beneficiaries and get concessions from the government of the time to keep their profit margins intact.

The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) serves as a strong lobby and safeguards the interests of the industry. On the other hand, farmers’ concerns are largely neglected, and the growers are squeezed in the marketplace. The main beneficiaries of any price increase are always the millers or the processors. The farmers remain stuck on the lowest rung of the value chain. It merits a mention that the sugar industry comprises six per cent of the manufacturing sector and 13pc of the crop economy. The sugar sector provides direct employment to one million people and has a market size of Rs501 billion as of 2021. The government has continuously increased the support price on sugarcane from Rs126 per 40kg in 2011 to Rs300 per 40kg in 2022 to incentivise the farmers to increase sugarcane production. Since 2011, the sugarcane production in the country has shown a cumulative growth of 36pc compared to a 42pc growth in the demand of the commodity.

Also, sugarcane cultivation as a percentage of the total cropped area increased from 4.3pc in 2011 to 5pc in 2021. However, the total cropped area in the country has remained stagnant for the last four years, while the sugarcane cultivation area has declined recently.

The sugarcane farmers face delays in payments and low income due to the seriously low price paid by the mills compared to the support price announced by the government. I am sure the mill-owners would have their own litany of woes, and they must be heard by those concerned as well.

The entire spectrum of issues related to the sugar industry calls for a redesigning of the structure of the sugar market, and contemporary policies to remove the underlying bottlenecks by outlining necessary reforms. The sugar sector needs a comprehensive and rather urgent transformation at all stages whereby the price control, import and export restrictions as well as interventions by the government should be done away with once and for all.

KHAN FARAZ PESHAWAR

Sharing the burden of refugee crisis

ACCORDING to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there were at least 89.3 million people around the world at the end of 2021 who had been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution or natural disasters. Among them were nearly 27.1 million refugees, around half of whom were under the age of 18.

While the UNHCR is making considerable efforts to ensure the protection of refugees around the globe, it is not enough to end the ordeal of millions who get either outright rejection when seeking asylum in foreign countries, or face racial discrimination, xenophobia, exploited labour and endless human rights abuses in the host countries.

Their struggles begin the very day they decide to move away from their homes in the form of uncertainties lying ahead. As per UNHCR estimates, more than 50,000 people have died while trying to migrate between any two countries since 2014. The recent tussle between France and Italy over immigrants’ intake reminds the world of the apathy that has grown deep among the masses regarding immigrants amid the global economic downturn. Every other country among the wealthiest democracies, including the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and France, is tightening immigration policies for domestic political gains. But these massive economies should be cognizant of the fact that their foreign military interventions, proxy wars, funded guerrilla and militant groups have created the crisis in the first place. Whether it is northern Africa or the Middle East, foreign-funded infightings made it impossible for their residents to live in their homes peacefully, and compelled them to move abroad for the sake of their own lives.

The misplaced priorities of the US and Europe can be gauged from the fact that despite being the biggest donor to UNHCR, the US has contributed only a total of $1.87 billion in 2021, while it has funnelled $8 billion alone in dumping weapons and ammunition in the ongoing Ukrainian war against Russian aggression.

The same can be stated for the role of the European Union (EU), which, since July 2018, has contributed £37 million from its development budget and £10 million from its humanitarian resources to support Afghan refugees and their host communities, in particular, through the UNHCR’s regional programmes. But its contribution towards Ukraine has been £2.5 billion through the European Peace Facility for arms and equipment, signalling a more muscular EU foreign policy featuring the unprecedented provision of direct military assistance. This is in addition to the bloc’s recent announcement of providing Ukraine with £18 billion in financial assistance for 2023. Although Russian invasion of Ukraine is condemnable, diplomatic efforts could have averted it altogether if the big players had prioritised international peace and stability over gains of military-industrial complex and political manoeuvrings. As far as the global refugee crisis is concerned, there is a need for a more radical concerted effort by the UN, the US and Europe. There should be an active debate in the UN General Assembly to reach a consensus on a more empowered UNHCR, with funding coming from all the wealthy nations, for better accommodation and protection of refugees and asylum-seekers.

About 39 per cent of the total refugee population is hosted by only five countries; Pakistan, Turkiye, Germany, Columbia and Uganda. Therefore, more economic incentives should be available to these countries to ensure the wellbeing of the refugees.

SAMAN AFTAB LAHORE

The government’s vision for a digital Pakistan is extensive and encompasses infrastructure, e-governance, fintech and digital skills; to ensure its success multiple mobile applications, and reforms have been introduced.

Abdul WAhAb MAgsI

al JazEEra SHruti Kapila

iN a deliberate emulation of India’s revered independence hero Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the country’s main opposition leader at present is on the final leg of a mammoth public walk across the length of the subcontinent.

Defying critics and sceptics, the 3,500km (2,175 miles) walk by Rahul Gandhi — no relation to the freedom fighter — has succeeded as both political protest and mobilisation. Over the last three months, the Bharat Jodo Yatra or the March for the Unity of India has been met with widespread enthusiasm.

Now in its last phase, the yatra entered the northern state of Punjab on Tuesday night as it makes its way to its conclusion on the high peaks of Indian-Occupied Kashmir. In walking so long, Gandhi — the face of the Indian National Congress — is offering the world’s largest democracy a new political vision and script pitched against the shrill political hinduism or hindutva of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The aim of the yatra, a term usually associated with a hindu pilgrimage, is political redemption. It has reignited the Congress party that had been immobilised for a decade with serial electoral defeats. Mocked mercilessly by the BJP as an amateur politician, Gandhi has emerged today as a leader with mass appeal.

A lonG mARch offeRS A GlimpSe of A poST-modi indiA

RAHUL GANDHI’S 3,500 KM MARCH HAS A SIMPLE MESSAGE — RELIGIOUS HARMONY AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL. IT MIGHT JUST WORK

With a simple message of interreligious harmony and prosperity for all, the epic walk has focussed on common human interactions. At each stop every day, Gandhi’s aides document and disseminate on social media the conversations their leader has with farmers and workers, young and old, men and women and children too about their shattered dreams under the Modi government. These capture a snapshot of the lived realities of the Indian economy, where unemployment and inflation are high, with a government that has been high on promises and low on their delivery.

Gandhi’s message is that Modi’s strident hindutva is what is weakening the economic and social potential of India. All this and the accompanying clamour for hugs and selfies with the bearded opposition leader have charged a political and media landscape that has otherwise been monopolised by Modi. For the first time since his ascent, Modi has been rendered silent.

The political message is indeed that of a clash between a multicultural or secular polity on the one hand and hindu supremacist policies on the other. But it is clear that the march is framing that battle as also being led by two very different kinds of men who now animate and divide Indians.

Modi and the BJP have long railed against India’s secular politics typified by Gandhi’s family as embodying corruption and decay that they claim have denied India its rightful place in the world order. Gandhi’s great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi all

Spy ring uncovered

Editorial Korea Herald

The counterespionage authorities are said to be investigating an officer of a progressive party and two others on Jeju Island in relation to suspicions they have been spying for North Korea. It is the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s first known investigation of a spy ring acting for Pyongyang.

The authorities are also said to have captured indications of similar underground organizations in three other cities — Changwon and Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province and Jeonju in North Jeolla Province. They assume there are more underground groups.

The National Intelligence Service and the police have tracked the Jeju spy ring for more than five years. The authorities raided the party and a farmers group in Jeju on two occasions late last year.

According to the search warrants that media revealed, the party officer met secretly a North Korean agent at Angkor Wat, Cambodia, in July 2017, received education in a Cambodian hideout for three days about how to form an underground group and transmit and decipher coded messages. Back in Jeju, the party officer won over two persons — a senior member of a labor group and a farmer-activist — and formed an underground group.

The warrants say they received instructions from North Korea until November last year to condemn President Yoon, struggle against conservative politicians, demand the suspension of US-Korea combined military exercises, and oppose the introduction of advanced US weapons to South Korea. They reported to Pyongyang that they had actually carried out some of the instructions.

This case is similar in method of operation to that of the North Chungcheong Comrade Party for Independent Unification uncovered in August 2021. At that time, the authorities arrested three “comrades.”

They contacted North Korean agents abroad, formed an underground organization in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, and instigated anti-US protests. They received directives from and made reports to North Korea in encrypted files.

What has been exposed so far may

be the tip of an iceberg. The Moon Jaein administration obsessed with making a show of peace with North Korea effectively sat on its hands in hunting down people spying for the North.

According to data compiled by the Korea Institute of Liberal Democracy, a total of 26 espionage cases were uncovered for six years from 2011 to 2017 — about four cases a year on average, but the number dropped to three for three years from 2017 to 2020, a period when Moon was the president. even the investigations of the three cases are said to have begun in the days of Moon’s predecessor, President Park Geun-hye.

A former North Korean senior colonel who spent 30 years working his way to the top ranks of the North’s spy agencies before defecting to South Korea claimed in an interview with the BBC in 2021 that North Korean operatives were playing an active role in various civil society organizations as well as important institutions in South Korea. he said that a North Korean agent was dispatched and worked at the presidential office in South Korea for five to six years and returned to North Korea in the early 1990s.

The late hwang Jang-yop, a key architect of North Korea’s juche (selfreliance) ideology who defected to South Korea in 1997, once estimated about 50,000 resident agents were secretly acting for Pyongyang in South Korea. It would be reasonable to suspect that North Korea’s spy agencies are not sitting back but maneuvering actively behind the scenes.

Under the pretext of reforming the National Intelligence Service, the Moon administration drafted a bill to transfer the service’s right to chase and investigate spies acting for North Korea to the police, and the bill passed the National Assembly in December 2020.

It takes specialized investigation know-how to uncover spies and gather evidence. Counterespionage investigations often require the help of overseas intelligence networks. It differs from criminal investigations by the police. There are concerns that the government’s ability to hunt down spies will weaken if the anticommunism investigation authority is handed over to the police from Jan. 1 next year. It is difficult to expect an adequate level of investigation from the inexperienced police. This must be rectified immediately.

served as prime ministers.

Two massive majority mandates for Modi, in 2014 and 2019, have helped to cloak violent hindutva in the guise of popular anger against entrenched political elites. Modi has fashioned himself as a strong but populist everyman who has risen against this so-called ancien regime.

Today, from laws to political rhetoric, Modi embodies an aggressive “hindu first” agenda for India. From proposed legislation that introduces religious discrimination in citizenship to the routine violence against minorities, Modi’s agenda for cultural uniformity is seeking to drastically recast India.

At 52, Gandhi has long been vilified as a fourth-generation dynast. Yet precisely because of his family history, he has long and intimate knowledge of power and violence. Both his grandmother and father were assassinated. Shunning political office and the trappings of power, Gandhi has immersed himself in pursuing a direct relationship with the people. he appears to have understood that Modi’s strongman tactics can be countered only with the power of shared vulnerability that brings together everyone who is less than fully committed to hindutva and has — as a consequence — felt the sharp wedge of authority that stalks India’s public life.

If Modi has expressed his political power through authority and populism, then Gandhi has sought a compassionate connection. In seeking a horizontal coalition of different sections of India, the yatra’s message is to empower a politics of fearlessness. In so doing, it seeks

to rediscover the principles of diversity and equity that have been foundational to independent India. Strikingly, the yatra has emphasised a simple political script of emotions such as love, fellowship and sacrifice to blunt and counter the dominant narratives of violence and identity.

About a century ago, the famous salt march of Gandhi – the Father of the Nation – thwarted the British empire and Indian political elites alike as he shunned political office and power but lit up common Indians with audacious hope. he was searching for a transformation of politics and a redefinition of political relationships. he succeeded.

It would be ridiculous and foolhardy to compare the two Gandhis. The contest today is not about the overthrowing of a foreign imperial power. It is an entirely internal and intimate choice about the future identity of India.

But in offering a political paradigm different from that projected by Modi and the BJP, the Bharat Jodo Yatra has helped demarcate the battle lines for 2024, when the next national elections are scheduled to take place. After being overwhelmed by Modi and hindutva for nearly a decade, Indian democracy might finally be ready for a real contest of ideologies, emotions and personalities.

Professor Shruti Kapila’s teaches India history and politics at the University of Cambridge. Her latest book is ‘Violent Fraternity: Indian Political Thought in the Global Age’ and on twitter @shrutikapila

‘Racism poses a threat to Germany’s democracy’

dW elizabetH ScHumacHer

“RACISM is not an abstract concept, but a painful reality for many people in our society,” Reem Alabali-Radovan said on Wednesday, presenting the government’s first annual report on racism in Germany. “It is a major threat to democracy, as it attacks people and their human dignity, which is guaranteed to them by the Basic Law,” she continued.

Alabali-Radovan, in the newly created post of federal commissioner for antiracism, stressed the need for better support for those affected and a greater recognition of everyday and structural racism across the country after “years of ignoring the issue.”

Although the federal Commission for Migration, Refugees and Integration has put out reports regularly on the situation of immigrants and their descendants in Germany, this new report is meant to fill in the gaps in those studies as the first “comprehensive presentation of racism in Germany.”

Alabali-Radovanˈs office collated representative studies carried out by other organizations such as the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor (NaDiRa), which conducted 5,000 telephone interviews on the topic of racism. NaDiRa’s study, “in contrast to most existing quantitative studies, not only surveyed members of the majority population but also…groups potentially confronted with experiences of racism were interviewed about their perspectives.”

Although Germany does not as of yet have a standard legal definition of racism, the new report utilized the definition given by a 2021 government study on integration, which holds that racism is “beliefs and practices that are based on the systematic devaluation and exclusion as well as disadvantage of certain groups of the population, to whom biologically or culturally constructed, unchangeable and allegedly inferior characteristics and behaviors are attributed.”

NEW YEAR’S DEBATE ‘FALLING BACK ON RACIST STEREOTYPES’ Some 90% of those polled said they recognize that racism is a problem in Germany, while some 22% reported having been personally affected by it. In 2022, official crime statistics recorded 1,042 “politically motivated” violent crimes, about twothirds of which were racist in nature. however, the report notes, independent counseling services said they received at least 1,391 calls about physical attacks.

Alabali-Radovan presented the report following at a time of the renewed debate on integration following the street violence on New Year’s eve in ethnically diverse districts of Berlin and other cities. It had become a pretext, the commissioner said, to express prejudiced assumptions about the ethnicities of people who had allegedly used explosives to attack police and emergency services. “The debate about the situation on New Yearˈs eve shows that even in 2023 we need to learn how to discuss societal issues without falling back on racist stereotypes,” she said.

‘RACISM IS NOT ONLY HATE AND VIOLENCE’: In her remarks, Alabali-Radovan was keen to highlight, however, that racism does not just present itself as “hate and violence,” but also for example in routine microaggressions, systemic exclusion from the labor and real estate markets, the lack of representation in the halls of power, police brutality and discrimination at school or in doctors’ offices.

The report itself emphasizes the need to separate issues that have previously been lumped together to the detriment of the fight against them — such as conflating racism and xenophobia, as well as only examining racism against, for example, Black Germans, Muslims, Asian Germans, Jews, and Sinti or Roma people as a single uniform phenomenon.

“It should not be that a woman with a hijab and the same qualifications as a woman with a more ‘German-sounding’ name is four times less likely to be called in for a job interview,” AlabaliRadovan said of some of the damning statistics found in the Islamophobia section of the report.

Indeed, in one survey, her office noted that “one-third of respondents said that Muslim immi-

gration to Germany should be restricted, and 27% said that too many Muslims live in Germany.”

When it came to anti-Black racism, some 886 people polled in the 2020 “Afrozensus” survey reported having been the victim of or witnessed such attacks. 74.1% of those who reported the incidents said they were unhappy with how their complaint was handled by the authorities. The report also notes the barriers many face to reporting incidents at all — whether it’s fear of reprisal, officials being dismissive, or not even knowing that what had happened to them was a crime.

The study also noted the issue of discrimination against Germans of Asian heritage, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. About half of the 700 Asian Germans surveyed said they had experienced racism relating directly to false perceptions about the pandemic. That is not to say, the report stressed, that anti-Asian racism — including violent attacks — was not a major issue in Germany before 2020.

The group facing the most open enmity, the report said, were those with Sinti and Roma backgrounds. “Some 29% of inhabitants…admitted to harboring antipathy towards these groups. This result is, with a view to the genocide against Sinti and Roma [during the holocaust], more than alarming.”

AND URGENTLY

‘REPORT IS OVERDUE

NEEDED’: With these issues in mind, AlabaliRadovan announced that her office was planning to implement the following measures in the coming year: strengthen community-based counseling services, ensure these services were better connected to one another, create an expert panel to advise government antiracism policy including creating a legal definition of racism, tighten up legislation against hate speech on the internet, and make sure that leaders on the state, city and local levels are more engaged with antiracism. Germany’s independent Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Ferda Ataman welcomed the report as an “overdue and urgently needed sign.” “This is the first time the government has made it clear that combating racism must be a top priority,” she said. “The report shows: racism remains a problem in Germany.”

A NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS THAT NOT ONLY VIOLENCE BUT ALSO STRUCTURAL AND EVERYDAY RACISM REMAIN MAJOR ISSUES IN GERMAN SOCIETY. THE NATION’S FIRST ANTIRACISM COMMISSIONER CALLED FOR AN END TO YEARS OF IGNORING THE PROBLEM

corporate corner

Punjab government waives sales tax on uae imPorts

LAhOrE PPI

Tetra Pak supports Islamabad United as nutrition partner for fifth year

tHEPunjab government Thursday accorded a formal approval to the exemption of provincial sales tax on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imports. The UAE Embassy in Pakistan requested the Punjab government to give them an exemption on goods imported from UAE.

The UAE embassy in Islamabad has forwarded a formal letter to the Punjab Chief Minister for exemp-

tion from the sales tax on its imports.

After the letter, on the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the Punjab Revenue Authority sent a summary of the exemption to the Finance Department for giving sales tax exemption to UAE.

According to the sources, while relaxing the laws of Punjab sales tax, the Chief Minister of Punjab has given exemption of duty and sales tax imposed on the import of various goods from abroad to the Embassy of UAE on the basis of foreign relations.

PARC, IPO Pakistan sign MoU to set up Tech Innovation Support Centre

ISLAMABAD PR

Islamabad: Tetra Pak Pakistan announced the renewal of their partnership with Islamabad United as its official nutrition partner during the upcoming season 8 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), scheduled to kick off on February 13. The agreement was signed during a special ceremony hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Lahore on January 12, 2023. Since 2019, Tetra Pak has remained the official nutrition partner of Islamabad United for PSL making it the fifth time this year for this continued partnership. The ceremony was attended by top officials from both sides. Through this collaboration, Tetra Pak aims to raise awareness about the nutritional benefits of consuming safe and healthy packaged milk and its importance to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Milk contains high-quality proteins which help to repair and rebuild muscles after strenuous exercise. However, the consumed milk has to be safe from all forms of bacteria or adulteration. Islamabad United players will certainly benefit from the nutritious power of safe and healthy packaged milk during their PSL games and practice sessions. While commenting on this partnership, Awais Bin Nasim, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Pakistan said, “Safe and healthy milk is the most ideal form of nourishment especially to regain lost energy after a vigorous activity or exercise. This is why it is imperative that milk remains safe from bacteria and adulteration, achieved with our 6-layer packaging technology that protects milk's nutritional integrity without using any chemicals or preservatives. PR

Training of 2nd batch of field staff for conduct of first-ever digital census starts

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO Pakistan) signed an agreement for establishment of Technology Innovation Support Centre (TISC) with necessary infrastructure at National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) Islamabad.

The ceremony was held at IPO Headquarters. Dr, Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman PARC & Mr. Farrukh Amil, Chairman IPO graced the Occasion. Dr. Falak Naz, Member Coordination, PARC and Mr. Meesaq Arif, Executive Director IPO signed the Agreement on the behalf of their organization. The Agreement will provide support to PARC for Intellectual Property Rights Protection, strengthening of its own and national agricultural research system technologies.

On this occasion, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman PARC said that inauguration of TISC at NARC will be held soon. The project aims to provide an enabling environment for technology scouting, adaptation and innovation in Pakistan. Specifically, the project is expected to en-

courage the incremental and economical innovations at Universities and Research Institutes by enhancing the institutional capacity to effectively exploit the high quality technical information present in patent as well as scientific and technical literature databases.

Chairman PARC emphasized that it will provide opportunity for trainings and capacity building of PARC scientists and national agricultural research system in patent registration of innovative technologies for further commercialization under national/international umbrella. Dr. Ali ensured that PARC will provide administrative & HR support to operationalize TISC. PARC will nominate a focal person to coordinate with IPO Pakistan for TISC related tasks.

PARC will allocate support staff to carry out services of TISC and promote TISC services activities within the PARC and related academic, industrial and business institutes. Dr. Ali said that it has potential to provide a platform to youngsters for registration of their research and link their research with IPO. At the end, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman PARC, invited Chairman IPO, Mr. Farrukh Amil, and his team to visit NARC.

Govt restores federal status of PIMS Hospital

ISLAMABAD APP

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) is fully prepared to conduct 7th Population & Housing Census, which will be first ever digital census of Pakistan. The success of the census depends upon the quality of data collection, therefore, the emphasis of training is on enhancing the capacity of field staff on concept and tablet usage. The training of field staff consisting of 121,000 enumerators and supervisors is in progress. Earlier, five days training of 1st batch was successfully completed on 11th January 2023. Training of 2nd batch has started on 12th January, 2023 which will end on 16th January 2023, after that training of 3rd batch will start. Conceptual videos, case studies and mock exercises are main features of these interactive training sessions which are imparted by subject and IT experts. The trainees will be strictly evaluated through pre & posttests. Further, tablet usage and attendance of trainees will also be monitored. Apart from this, higher management of PBS including Chief Census Commissioner, Dr. NaeemUz Zafar, Mr. SarwarGondal, Member (SS/RM), Mr. AyyazUd Din, Member(C&S) and monitoring teams are physically visiting the training venues to monitor the quality of training and resolving training related issues. PR

The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination on Thursday restored the previous federal status of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital and its employees.

According to official sources, while implementing the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Bill, 2022, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has allowed Dr. Rizwan Taj, Professor of Psychiatry (BS-20) to look after the work of the post of Executive Director for disposal of day to day affairs of the hospital with immediate effect until the appointment of a regular incumbent.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Joint Session of the parliament (Majlis-eShoora) had passed the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Bill, 2022 to repeal the Federal Medical Teaching Institutes Act, 2021 commonly known as the MTI act.

The bill, which was moved by Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto and passed by the

Through this act, the Executive Director will be appointed by the government in accordance with the provisions contained in the Civil Servants Act, 1973, and rules. The MTI ordinance was promulgated in November 2020, under which the hospital was to be run through a board of governors (BoG). The BoG members were appointed and notified by the Ministry of National Health Services on the recommendation of a search and nomination council.

Descon partners with US firm to provide engineering services in Gulf countries

Descon Engineering, a leading Engineering enterprise in the region, has joined hands with KBR, a leading Global Engineering and Project company, to extend the scope of their joint pursuit of outsourced maintenance and turnaround management opportunities across the Gulf countries. Taimur Dawood, Chairman of Descon, and Jay Ibrahim, President of KBR’s Sustainable Technology Solutions, inked a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Dubai in this regard, extending their mutual area of expertise to the Gulf countries. This strategic alliance will leverage both KBR and Descon’s combined strength as leaders of industrial services in the market to optimize client OPEX, improve asset availability and reliability through KBR’s portfolio of advanced digital solutions, and Descon’s presence across the Gulf countries. Commenting on this momentous development, Taimur Dawood, Chairman of Descon, observed, “Descon holds great stature in the engineering sector of Gulf countries and is playing a pivotal role in the industrial growth of the region. This accord with KBR will allow us to extend our already existing skillset and expertise, and implement mutual learnings to achieve exponential growth.” Jay Ibrahim, President of KBR’s Sustainable Technology Solutions, said, “This agreement signals our confidence in this alliance following our success in the delivery of outsourced maintenance services in Qatar since 2021, and maps out the foundation for future growth of this strategic partnership.” Descon is committed to delivering quality services with safety and is determined to continue being a reliable partner in progress for KBR. Descon Engineering, having completed 40 years in the Gulf region, continues to strengthen its strong foothold in the region and build on its customer base, adding value to the regions multiple industry sectors. PR

10th Eat Festival celebrates all things food and music

KaRaCHI: The 10th edition of the much-loved Eat Festival 2023 in Karachi took place this weekend, and it was everything the much-loved event stands for- food, music, bringing people together and providing them with quality, wholesome entertainment. For the last ten years, the festival has worked with the ideology of reclaiming public spaces and uniting Karachiites over their love for food. A total of 128 brands were on board for the festival this year. These ranged from fast food options, desi foods, pasta, and barbeques, to drinks, hot and cold beverages, and various dessert options. The people of our city by the sea showed up for the event in large numbers over all three days and extended their overwhelming support to the festival. The crowd that turns up on a Sunday during the festival was present on the ground on the first day. A staggering number of tickets were sold online, while tickets being sold at the venue had to be reprinted because they were sold out in record time. This showed us how, despite a much talked about downsized economy, the people of Karachi are willing to step out of their homes and spend their hard-earned cash on good quality entertainment.

The Eat Festival is a hub for providing employment opportunities to a large number of people. This includes brand teams, their crews on the ground, and their vendors and people responsible for transportation, such as van drivers and logistic partners. The sponsors at the event appoint more than eighty people for fabrication. It doesn’t end there. The festival also employs grass root level workers, including gardeners who groom the park before and after the event, vegetable vendors, and kitchen staff. A team of around fifty janitorial staff is present on ground during the event. PR

Nutshell Group honors governing body of Karachi Press Club

KArAchI

PR

Nutshell Group hosted a lunch in the honor of newly elected members and governing body of the Karachi Press Club.

Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Founder & CEO of Nutshell Group, and former Minister of State & Chairman Board of Investment (BoI); Rabia Shoaib Ahmad, Director & Chief Operating Officer; Air Chief Marshal (Rtd) Sohail Aman, Chief Executive Strategic Engagements; Major General

(Rtd) Shahzad Naeem Khan, Chief Public Affairs Officer; Unaizah Ali, Chief Commercial Officer; and other senior members of the team hosted the event.

Expressing his views, Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, said, “Karachi Press Club is carrying out notable services for the media fraternity of Karachi. The democratic culture of this body is a commendable model to follow. As a passionate resident of Karachi, I want to reiterate that the city needs special attention from all stakeholders. We will all need to facilitate and sup-

port this megacity for it is the strongest financial pillar of Pakistan and the eclectic hub of cultures and diversity.”

The recently elected (unopposed) President of Karachi Press Club, Saeed Sarbazi, said, “Karachi Press Club is an important institution of this city. People from around the country come here to raise their voices against oppression and the KPC provides all essential facilitation to the oppressed groups. As President of this apex club, my resolve is to continue our efforts for the media fraternity and the betterment of Karachi.”

Other members of the KPC team included Ehtesham Pasha, Treasurer KPC; Mushtaq Sohail, Vice President, KPC; members of governing body Farooq Sami, Shams Keerio, and Kulsoom Jahan. Former Secretaries of KPC Rizwan Bhatti and A.H. Khanzada also attended the event.

Prominent members from civil society and corporate sector including former Federal Finance Minister, Miftah Ismail; Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Sindh (SACM) for Media Affairs, Fahad Haroon; Former Federal Minister, Khushbakht Shu-

jaat; Chairman TCS Group of Companies, Khalid Nawaz Awan; Prof. Dr. Huma Baqai, Rector, Millenium Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship (MiTE); Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, President Indus Hospital; Ayla Raza, Founder Pakistan Music Conference; Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Chairman Baig Group and former Senior Vice President FPCCI; and senior journalists Ghazi Salahuddin, Khursheed Haider, and Shaheen Salahuddin were present at the occasion, amongst many other eminent guests from the public and private entities.

parliament's joint sitting restored the federal status of PIMS employees, as under this act hospital means a teaching hospital as notified by the federal government.

Syngenta Pakistan Launches CENTRIGO Farming Ecosystem

Second batch of claSSified biden documentS found at another location

WASHINGTON The AssociATed Press

PresidentJoe Biden’s legal team has discovered additional documents containing classification markings, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

the revelation comes days after an attorney for the president said Biden’s lawyers had discovered a “small number” of classified documents at his former office space in Washington.

earlier this week, the White House confirmed that the department of Justice was reviewing “a small number of documents with classified markings” found at the office. Biden’s attorneys had discovered the documents at the offices of the Penn Biden Center and then immediately called the national Archives about the discovery, the White House said.

Biden kept an office there after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly

russia assures afghan taliban of continued cooperation

before he launched his democratic presidential campaign in 2019. the person who spoke to the AP Wednesday said the president’s legal team found additional classified material at a second location.

the person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. the person did not say when or where the material was found or specific details about

the level of classification of the documents. the revelation that additional classified documents were uncovered by Biden’s attorneys came hours after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged questions about Biden’s handling of classified information and the West Wing’s management of the discovery. she said the White House was committed to handling the matter in the “right way,” pointing to Biden’s personal attorneys’ immediate notification of the national Archives. But she refused to say when Biden himself had been briefed, whether there were any more classified documents potentially located at other unauthorized locations, and why the White House waited more than two months to reveal the discovery of the initial batch of documents, which were found nov. 2, days before the midterm elections. the White House and Justice department declined to comment Wednesday. the second set of classified records was first reported by nBC news.

Global tourism industry to get boost from Chinese travelers: WTTC CEO

sTAFF rePorT

russia on thursday assured the Afghan taliban administration of continued cooperation, saying it does not want Afghanistan to be isolated from the world community.

According to a statement issued by the Afghan Foreign Ministry, the assurance came during a meeting between russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, and Afghan acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul.

“russia wants stability and development in Afghanistan and does not want to criticise Afghanistan and interfere in its internal affairs like Western countries,” Kabulov was quoted as saying in the statement.

“russia does not want Afghanistan to be isolated from the international community and both countries should make joint efforts in this regard,” he added.

Muttaqi thanked russia for providing all facilitation to Afghan embassy in Moscow and said the taliban interim government is keen to expand its diplomatic presence in Moscow.

“russia has a special place in Afghanistan’s foreign policy,” said Muttaqi.

He also discussed the oil, gas, and wheat import from russia and the enhancement of bilateral trade between the two countries. the russian envoy also assured Muttaqi of continued cooperation with Afghanistan in different fields and said Kabul can play an important role in the development of trade between Pakistan, Central Asia, and russia.

Kabulov also condemned the explosion near the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday and expressed grief over the loss of precious lives. “the enemies are trying to make Afghanistan unsafe,” he said. Agencies

the chief executive officer (CeO) of the World travel and tourism Council (WttC) is bullish about the sector’s recovery from the COVid-19 pandemic and expects exponential growth over the next decade mainly thanks to a boost from Chinese outbound travelers and foreign visitors to China.

“i have been there (China) many times … and it’s wonderful that the world would be able to open its arms and welcome Chinese visitors again,” said Julia simpson, president and CeO of the WttC.

in early december 2022, China decided to optimize its COVid-19 response with new prevention and control measures to ease the restrictions on travel and visits to public venues. then, on January 8, the Civil Aviation Administration of China relaxed certain COVid-19 restrictions on international passenger flights.

“Before the pandemic, travel and tourism used to represent one in 10 jobs globally and one in $10 that were made globally. it’s a really significant sector, which brings a lot of economic benefits and a lot of jobs,” simpson noted in a recent video interview with Xinhua news agency.

According to a survey conducted last november of more than 26,000 consumers in 25 countries by YouGov for the WttC, the appetite for international travel was at its highest point since the start of the pandemic with 63 percent of respondents planning a

leisure trip in the next 12 months.

it came as the World tourism Organization (UnWtO) in november said international tourism was on track to reach 65 percent of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022 as the sector continued to bounce back.

“We all know that our sector was severely damaged by the COVid-19 pandemic. But the good news is that travel and tourism are going to bounce back and will grow over the next 10 years almost double the rate of global gross domestic product (GdP),” she said. ‘revenge trAvel’

As a non-profit organization, WttC’s members include over 200 CeOs, chairpersons and presidents of the world’s leading private sector travel and tourism businesses.

simpson said that after nearly three years, the phenomenon of “revenge travel,” which means traveling to make up for lost time during the pandemic, is expected to lift tourism

and boost businesses.

“What we tend to see when people reopen their borders post-pandemic is that you have a lot of pent-up demand for travel. the first such demand comes from family and friends … such as students working in another part of the world,” she said.

Outbound Chinese visitors to the rest of the world were “among the most valuable in an economic sense,” simpson added.

in 2019, those Chinese visitors spent $253 billion globally, which represented 15 percent of the grand total, according to WttC. top

destinAtions

For travelers from China, simpson said Maldives and Mauritius, Australia and new Zealand, europe and the U.s. lead the bucket lists of top destinations.

“i’m almost describing here the whole of the world because, actually, Chinese visitors are now everywhere,” she said.

uS republican controlled house pushes for new abortion restrictions

WASHINGTON AFP

republican Us lawmakers passed legislation shoring up their anti-abortion credentials — despite accusations from within their own ranks that they were out of step with more moderate public opinion on the deeplysensitive issue.

republicans reclaimed a majority in the House of representatives this month, giving them a handle on power in Washington for the first time since last year’s supreme Court decision gutting federal protections for the right to abortion. Wasting no time in picking up the hot-button issue, the chamber green-lit two resolutions — the least controversial of which condemns attacks on churches, groups and facilities involved in anti-abortion activism.

Lawmakers in the lower chamber of Congress also approved legislation requiring health care providers to ensure infants who survive lateterm abortions, typically taken to mean after around 21 weeks of pregnancy, are looked after. the legislation is largely symbolic, since it targets an extremely rare outcome — about one percent of abortions are late-term — and the protection is already codified in a bipartisan 2002 law establishing that infants have the rights of a full human.

the resolutions passed roughly along party lines, with almost no democratic support — but have no chance of being rubber-stamped by the democratic-controlled senate. restricting abortion rights remains key to the republican base and is backed by the vast majority of party members of both the House and senate. republican leaders say they are making good on promises of action made during last year’s midterm election campaign.

“i am proud that republicans are following through on the promises that we made to the American people. All life is sacred and must be protected,” House Majority Leader steve scalise said in a statement.

But the country as a whole is much more liberal on the issue, and it is believed to have cost republicans seats last november, when abortion rights advocates swept multiple statelevel votes to protect access to the procedure. south Carolina republican nancy Mace has accused party leaders of being “tone-deaf,” accusing them of pushing “messaging” bills that will die in the senate and advocating a more pragmatic approach to reducing the number of abortions in the country. in a sunday interview with CBs, the congresswoman argued that “if we’re going to be serious about protecting life, for example, maybe we should look at more centrist views, like ensuring every woman has access to birth control.”

ISlAmAbAd MiAn AbrAr

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Wednesday refuted the groundless allegation that China is creating a “debt trap” in Africa, saying the so-called “debt trap” is a narrative trap imposed on China and Africa.

Qin made the remarks at a joint press conference with the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat.

African countries have in recent years been actively working to promote economic and social development, but lack of funds has become a major bottleneck to Africa’s prosperity and revitalization, said Qin, stressing that balancing development financing with debt growth is an issue that all countries must face head-on in the course of pursuing development. As good brothers sharing weal and woe, China and Africa have forged ahead side by side on the path of common development, said Qin.

noting that China has always been committed to helping Africa ease its debt burden, Qin said his country is an active participant

in the Group of 20 (G20) debt service suspension initiative. He also said that China has signed agreements or reached consensuses with 19 African countries on debt relief and has suspended the most debt service payments among G20 members.

China has also been actively engaged in the case-by-case debt treatment for Chad, ethiopia and Zambia under the G20 Common Framework, he added.

At the eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in november 2021, China has announced it was ready to channel to African countries $10 billion from its share of the iMF’s (international Monetary Fund) new allocation of special drawing rights. Qin pointed out this work has made progress in stages.

He cited data from the World Bank as saying that multilateral financial institutions and commercial creditors hold nearly threequarters of Africa’s total external debt, adding that they could and should take more robust actions to relieve the debt burden of African countries. “China calls upon all parties concerned to contribute to alleviating Africa’s debt burden in line with the principle

of common actions and fair burden sharing.”

stressing that Africa’s debt problem is essentially an issue of development, Qin stressed the solution to the problem requires addressing not only the symptoms but also the root causes by means of debt treatment, so as to enhance Africa’s independent and sustainable development capacity.

He added China’s financing cooperation with Africa is mainly in areas such as infrastructure construction and production capacity, with a view to enhancing Africa’s capacity for independent and sustainable development.

Qin emphasized that the so-called “debt trap” is a narrative trap imposed on China and Africa, adding that only the African people are in the best position to say whether cooperative China-Africa projects contribute to the development of the continent and the improvement of people’s livelihood.

China will continue to respect the will of the African people, and bring tangible benefits to the African people through ChinaAfrica cooperation based on the actual situation in Africa, so as to achieve better common development, said Qin. AfricA is not A wrestling

ground: Qin also told reporters that Africa should be a big stage for international cooperation, not a wrestling ground for major-country rivals.

Qin pointed out Africa is a rising continent, a fertile field of hope, full of vitality and vigor, adding that without peace and de-

velopment in Africa, there will be no stability and prosperity in the world.

“What Africa needs is solidarity and cooperation, not camp confrontation, and no country or person has the power to force African countries to choose sides,” said the Chinese foreign minister.

ISlAmAbAd

AfghAnistAn’s nAveen quits BBL After AustrALiA’s withdrAwAL from AfghAnistAn odis

KABUL agencieS

AFGHANISTAN’SNaveenul Haq decided to leave the BigBash League in response to Cricket Australia’s decision to withdraw from the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, scheduled in UAE in March, citing increased restrictions on women’s rights under Taliban rule.

Taking to Twitter, Naveen, who represents Sydney Sixers in BBL, said he would no longer be part of the league after the withdrawal announcement by the Australian board, terming it a ‘childish decision’.

“Time to say won’t be participating in big bash after this until they stop these childish decisions that’s how they went about the one off test now ODI when a country is going through so

much in place off being supportive you want to take the only reason of happiness from them” he tweeted soon after the Cricket Australia’s (CA) pull-out decision.

CA on Thursday announced that the decision to pull out of the series was taken in the wake of the Taliban’s recent announcement regarding further restrictions on women and girls’ education and employment.

“Following extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the Australian Government, Cricket Australia has decided that it is unable to proceed at this time with the upcoming ICC Super League three-match Men’s ODI series between Australia and Afghanistan scheduled for the UAE in March 2023,” the CA statement said.

“This decision follows the recent announcement by the Taliban of further restrictions on

women’s and girls’ education and employment opportunities and their ability to access parks and gyms.”

Following the withdrawal from the series, Australia will forfeit 30 points to Afghanistan in the ICC ODI Super League. However, they have already secured automatic qualification to the ODI World Cup in India in October by being one of the top eight ranked nations in the Super League.

It is worth mentioning here that this is the second time Australia have cancelled a bilateral fixture with Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021. Earlier they postponed the one-off Test against the side scheduled to be played in Hobart in November 2021, however, they did play Afghanistan in Adelaide during the last year’s T20 World Cup.

City Gymkhana, Pak Lions, Shinning Club secure victories in K-20 Cup 2023

Staff RepoRt

City Gymkhana, Pak Lions and Shinning Club scored contrasting wins in the K-20 Cup 2023 T20 Cricket Tournament matches, played here on Thursday.

Pak Lions thrashed P&T Gymkhana by 10 wickets in the 15th match of the tournament, here at Model Town Greens ground.

P&T Gymkhana, batting first, gathered 131-8 in the allotted 20 overs. Karamat Ali (36) and Saad Najam (32) batted well. Niaz Khan, Umar Farooq and Afzal Tahiri captured two scalps each.

Helped by clinical performances of openers Hassan Nawaz (105 off 35 balls) and Afzal Tahiri (27 of 11 balls) guided Pak Lions to a thrashing 10-wicket triumph. For his outstanding batting performance, Hassan Nawaz was named player of the match.

Shinning Cricket Club defeated Yu Slim Cricket Club in the 16th match of the tournament by 62 runs here at Model Town

Club ground. Batting first, Shinning Club posted 169-10 in 20 overs. Rao Khayyam was top scorer with 56 runs while Ulfat Rasool struck 24 and Zain Bin Farooq hit 23. Mohsin Nadeem claimed 3-31, Awais Munir 2-20 and Haider Butt 2-28.

Yu Slim Club, in reply, could score 107-6 in 20 overs. Safeer Azam (29),

Majid Majeed (23) and Arslana Sajid (22) played well. Hammad Ali clinched 3-15 while Rao Khayyam, Ali Hamza and Zahir got one wicket each.

City Gymkhana overpowered Township Whites Club in the 17th match of the tournament here at Pindi Gymkhana Cricket ground. Township Whites, batting

first, posted a good total of 192-8 in 20 over with Shahrukh Ali scoring 61, M Faiq 41 and Rana Ayan Ali 40. Abdul Rehman and Usama Tariq bagged 2 wickets each.

City Gymkhana replied strongly and chased the required target losing just four wickets in 19.1 overs. Rizwan played the hero’s knock of 90 runs of 39 balls to emerge as player of the match. He was ably assisted by Saad Athar (32*) and Jahangir Mirza (23*). For Township Whites, Ammar Yousaf took 2-4.

On Friday (January 13, 2023), two matches will be played. Cricket Center will vie against Shahkamal Cricket Club in the 18th match of the tournament at Cricket Center ground while Model Town Club will play against Lucky Star Club in the 19th match of the tournament at Model Town Greens ground.

The event is organized on regular annual basis. The tournament is being played to pay homage to Col Fateh Sher Khan and is sponsored by a former American Pakistani, Nabeel Ahmad.

Draper fires warning to Nadal by reaching Adelaide semis

pete hard and do the best I can.” Draper added that he believed he could achieve “great things” but there was “a mountain of work to do”.

The promising 21-year-old faces

in the first round of the Australian

week

showed he was in fine touch with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Russia’s Khachanov.

It was a measure of revenge for Draper after losing to his third-seeded opponent last week. Draper lifted his ranking from 262 to 40 in a breakthrough 2022 and his Adelaide semi is his third in the past six months.

“It’ll be amazing to play on the court with him, he’s a great champion,” Draper said of 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal. “I want to play really well and I want to com-

While the talk continues to grow around him, the young Briton is not allowing it to influence his approach. “There’s always going to be a lot of noise. It’s important to keep your head down and just get on with the job because you’re more likely to do it that way,” he said.

Draper will take on South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo for a place in the final after the world number 84 dominated Sweden’s Mikael Ymer 6-1, 6-2 in under an hour.

Roberto Bautista Agut also moved into the final four with a straightforward 6-3, 6-2 win over fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. His reward is a clash with Thanasi Kokkinakis after the Australian battled past Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1.

In the women’s draw, Daria Kasatkina claimed her second straight win over a former Grand Slam champion to reach the last four. Kasatkina defeated two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), a day after sweeping past former Roland Garros winner Barbora Krejcikova.

“We were both dropping serve early. Once I started to hold, the game changed a bit,” said the world number eight. “Overall I was really happy with my performance and I kept my composure in the breaker.”

It set up a meeting with Spain’s Paula Badosa after the world number 11 beat Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-6 (7/5), 7-5.

Russian sixth seed Veronika Kudermetova came from a set down to topple American Danielle Collins 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 and will next face either Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic or French world number four Caroline Garcia.

32-member Balochistan delegation calls on Punjab Sports Minister

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The 32-member delegation from Balochistan Youth Affairs Department had an interactive meeting with Punjab Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Malik Taimoor Masood here at the National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.

Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Director Youth Affairs Syed Umair Hassan and other officials were also present on this occasion.

It may be noted here that Balochistan delegation which also includes seven male and female national level karate, cricket and wushu players and 21 students from different colleges and universities is on a 4-day visit of provincial

metropolis on the invitation of Youth Affairs and Sports Department Punjab under Youth Exchange Programme.

Speaking to guest delegation, Punjab Sports Minister welcomed the guest delegation and said that Balochistan youth are very talented. “The basic purpose of visit of Balochistan students under Youth Exchange Programme is to bring youth of the country at one platform. Our country has been blessed with plenty of talent. We just need to polish this valuable potential,” he added.

Malik Taimoor Masood informed that Youth Affairs and Sports Department Punjab is organizing a National Youth Summit in February to bring together the youth of the country. “The youth of the four provinces, GilgitBaltistan and Azad Kashmir will participate in the 3-day

National Youth Summit where they will share their valuable ideas and skills”.

He further said that Punjab will continue to play a role of elder brother to all other provinces. “We want to extend every kind of cooperation and assistance to all provinces practically. We are formulating a concrete policy for youth so that their useful ideas could be given material shape”.

Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi on this occasion said that the guest delegation is being provide complete awareness about history of Lahore and other achievements during their trip. “The visit of Balochistan students under Youth Exchange Programme will help a lot in promoting national solidarity and brotherhood among the people of both provinces”.

sahibzada sultan muhammad Ali opens sultan Bahu horse riding school

JHANG Staff RepoRt

After putting Pakistani motorsports on the global map, Sahibzada Sultan Muhammad Ali has created yet another opportunity for young people by inaugurating the first-ever government-sanctioned horse riding school in Jhang. Mr. Ali inaugurated the Sultan Bahu Horse Riding School alongside Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Arshad Bhatti in Chenab College. The facility aims to familiarize beginners with basic as well as advanced horse riding techniques. Government officials, equestrians of national and international fame, teaching staff, and youngsters attended the inauguration ceremony. Students of Chenab College partook in various horse riding sports at the event. The youngsters lauded the VC’s effort to introduce horsemanship and tent pegging among other recreational activities at Chenab College. They also thanked Mr. Muhammad Ali for choosing their college as the home to first-ever Sultan Bahu Horse Riding School. Deputy Commissioner Mr. Bhatti said Sultan Bahu Horse Riding School will offer horse-riding classes to common citizens.

Australia dump Afghan cricket series over taliban crackdown on women

SyDNEy Staff RepoRt

Australia pulled out of an upcoming oneday series against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. The men’s team were due to face their Afghan counterparts in three games in March following a tour to India. However, Cricket Australia said that, after talks with concerned parties that included the Australian government, the series would no longer take place. “This decision follows the recent announcement by the Taliban of further restrictions on women’s and girls’ education and employment opportunities and their ability to access parks and gyms,” it said in a statement. “CA is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan. “(We) will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country,” it said. The games against Afghanistan were part of the ICC Super League.

LAHORE

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA agencieS

Britain’s Jack Draper fired a warning to Rafael Nadal by storming past Karen Khachanov and into the Adelaide International semi-finals on Thursday.

defending champion Nadal

Open next

and

UAE rUlEr AgrEEs to grAnt $1b in loAn, roll ovEr Existing $2b

PM SHEHBAZ, UAE PRESIDENT DISCUSS FRATERNAL TIES BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES

ISLAMABAD staff report

PRIMEMinister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi held a meeting on Thursday wherein it was agreed that the UAE will roll over the existing loan of $2 billion and provide $1 billion additional loan.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomed Prime Minister Sharif to Abu Dhabi and wished progress and prosperity for Pakistan. He praised the historical relations between the two nations and the valuable contributions made by the Pakistani community in the UAE.

The Prime Minister thanked the UAE President for inviting him to the brotherly country. The two leaders discussed the fraternal relations existing between Pakistan and the UAE; and explored ways and means to further strengthen these ties, especially in the fields of trade, investment and energy.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the UAE on a two-day official visit to discuss bilateral trade and investments. He was welcomed in Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

UAE’s Minister of Economic Affairs Abdullah Touq Al Marr received the prime minister and his delegation on their arrival at the Abu Dhabi airport.

During the meeting with the UAE president, the two leaders discussed the

bilawal speaks with Muttaqi; condemns attack on Afghan foreign ministry

ISLAMABAD staff report

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday held a telephonic conversation with Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi and condemned the terrorist attack that took place on Wednesday targeting the Afghan foreign ministry.

The foreign minister, in a tweet, said both the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan were the victims of terrorism and must put in all-out efforts to defeat the menace.

“Spoke to Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi today; condemned the terrorist attack on his (Afghan foreign ministry) yesterday. Both people of Pakistan and Afghanistan are victims of terrorism. Must do all we can to defeat this menace,” the foreign minister tweeted.

According to a Foreign Office statement, the foreign minister underscored that terrorism posed a common threat to both Pakistan and Afghanistan, and required a collective response. Reaffirming complete solidarity with the Afghan people in countering the menace, the foreign minister underlined Pakistan’s commitment to work with Afghanistan towards promoting regional peace and stability.

BOTH LEADERS AGREE TO DEEPEN INVESTMENT COOPERATION, STIMULATE PARTNERSHIPS

fraternal relations existing between Pakistan and the UAE; and explored ways and means to further strengthen these ties, especially in the fields of trade, investment and energy. The two leaders also had an exchange of views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Both sides agreed to deepen the investment cooperation, stimulate partnerships and enable investment integration opportunities between the two countries.

They also expressed satisfaction with the pace of steady progress in bilateral relations. They agreed on the importance of enhanced bilateral exchanges and regular dialogue at all levels to further solidify and provide momentum to the relationship.

The UAE president agreed to roll

over the existing loan of $2 billion and provide an additional loan of $1 billion.

The PM invited Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed President for a state visit to Pakistan to which he agreed. The dates for the visit are to be decided through diplomatic channels later.

Shehbaz is visiting the gulf state at the invitation of the UAE President. This is his third official visit since he assumed the office of prime minister. The premier will also meet the UAE Prime Minister and Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

During the meetings with Emirati businessmen and investors, the PM will discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade and investment.

Explaining ECC’s big changes to agreements with three important power plants

profIt report

asad Ullah Kamran

On Wednesday, the cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved a raft of changes in the power sector, which did not make for the biggest headlines, but the moves are significant not only for a large group of people, including, at the end of the day, potentially for the consumer, but in terms of the future plans to sell two of the three major power plants.

The changes included approving a recommendation by the power division to set the minimum take or pay commitment at 33% for three RLNG power plants — the Quaid e Azam thermal power plant, Baloki power plant, and Heveli Bahadur Shah power plant — which previously stood at 66% in the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

The development also came along with adjustments to the Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) on two fronts. Firstly the revision of the

take or pay commitment to a more acceptable level of 33% and secondly the Gas Supply Deposit (GSD) which was previously valued at 25% of the maximum gas supply to the plant would be adjusted to a fixed Rs15 billion for each plant instead.

This is significant for a few reasons – but first, one must understand what all the jargon means.

In plain words…

According to the terms and conditions of a gas supply contract, GSD is a refundable sum that the supplier will repay to the customer upon disconnecting the gas supply. A safety net for the supplier of sorts – which is important given the phenomenon of unpaid dues in Pakistan’s power sector.

As for “take-or-pay”, the provision is an agreement between contracting parties that a certain amount of supply will be paid for if it is used or not. As the term suggests, you either take it or pay for it.

A GSA governs the sale and

purchase of natural gas for supply to a facility like a factory or a power plant. The GSA lays out the framework for the selling of gas to the power plant. A PPA is the agreement that governs the terms and conditions of purchasing of power from a power plant. What has happened

The ECC has fixed the minimum take-or-pay commitment to 33% of the contract in both the GSA and PPA.

In terms of the PPA, this means the purchaser of the power from these plants, in this case the Central Power Purchase Agency (CPPA), will either “take” the power produced or “pay” for 33% of the agreed quantum even if it is not required. In terms of the GSA, the “take or pay” has also been set at 33%, which means the three power plants in question will now have to pay 33% of the allocated supplies even if it does not require that amount of gas to produce electricity.

Govt set to introduce policy on local manufacturing of solar panels

100% production of E-Bikes and provision of allied services.

The government has decided to manufacture solar panels in the country, and in this regard Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif has tasked the Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P) to ensure the federal cabinet’s approval on a policy latest by March 31, 2023.

According to sources, the minister for finance and revenue has been tasked to work out a plan for early release of solar panels stuck at ports while a forex cushion would be kept for uninterrupted import of solar equipment for the success of the PM’s initiative for solarisation.

One of the sources said the PM while chairing a meeting to review the progress of energy conservation, issued 11 directions to various ministries, divisions and organisations for compliance as per the given timeline and submission of progress report to the PM’s office.

They said the premier has directed to make 2000 MW solar power plants operational by September 10, 2023, and directed the MoI&P to finalise the policy for local manufacturing of E-Bikes latest by March 1, 2023.

Meanwhile, the MoI&P in consultation with the finance division and revenue division should decide the timeline for

The government is making a concerted effort to cut the $ 27 billion annual import bill by taking some measures for energy conservation, added the source.

Insiders say the PM’s office has advised all concerned ministries and authorities to ensure compliance, and adhere to the given timelines along with a progress report to be submitted to the PMO.

According to one source, decisions taken by the PM in a meeting on a strategic roadmap for energy conservation, included the bid initiation for the first phase of solarisation of government buildings.

The cut-off date for solarisation of federal government buildings is fixed for April 30, 2023. And, AEDB is to ensure that relevant data should be finalised by January 15, 2023.

Similarly, the issuance of the bidding documents for generation of 2000 MWs of solar power on 11 KV feeders will also be initiated, ensuring the commissioning of the projects by September 10, 2023.

Furthermore, the PM has directed the cabinet division that a committee comprising Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi, MNA (Convener), Minister for Industries, MoS Finance and MoS Petroleum shall be constituted immediately to comprehensively review “The Regulation of

Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997,” (as amended upto 2021) and suggest legislative improvements.

It is also learnt from sources that the PM has directed the petroleum division, Sui companies to ensure installation of 550,000 conical baffles in existing geysers by October 31, 2023, and Science and Technology Division (S&T)/Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to ensure compliance of installation of conical baffles in all geysers currently being manufactured in Pakistan.

More directions include the PSQCA discontinuing the manufacturing and sale of incandescent bulbs after June 30, 2023, so that the transition takes place smoothly.

Moreover, the PM has directed the minister for board of investment (BOI), MoI&P, Ministry of S&T, the power division, and National Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (NEECA) to ensure that the committee headed by the minister for BoI should furnish a progress report of its meetings with all relevant stakeholders.

It should also recommend interventions for replacement of existing fans in use by lifeline electricity consumers, in consultation with power, S&T divisions and NEECA.

Engro Corporation, royal vopak celebrate 25 years of strategic partnership for value creation in Pakistan

profIt report

Engro Corporation, Pakistan’s premier conglomerate, and Royal Vopak of the Netherlands – the world’s largest bulk liquid storage and handling company – have celebrated 25 years of strategic partnership that has led to mutual growth and helped promote energy security and industrialization in Pakistan.

Engro’s business relationship with Royal Vopak dates back to 1997, when the joint venture of Engro Vopak Terminal Limited (EVTL) was commissioned as a state-of-the-art chemical storage and handling business at Port Qasim. The terminal operations have grown from handling 0.5 million tons of specialized and hazardous bulk liquid cargoes to around 6 million tons per annum. EVTL is the only facility in Pakistan that combines services for bulk storage of chemicals, cryogenic and LPG gases all under one operations. Since inception, it has facilitated investments of more than $2 billion in the downstream petrochemical industry. EVTL provides for over 60 percent of Pakistan’s bulk chemical imports and about 55% of LPG marine imports. Therefore, this venture stands as a key enabler for major industrial activities in Pakistan and helps contribute towards energy security that serves over 1 million households.

In 2015, Engro added the first-ever LNG facility of Pakistan to the terminal. The relationship between the two partners was further strengthened in 2018 when Royal Vopak acquired in total 44 percent in Elengy Terminal Pakistan Ltd (ETPL) to enhance its global LNG portfolio. Built in a record 335 days, the LNG terminal currently handles 68% of all LNG imports into Pakistan. Engro Elengy Terminal has successfully handled over 450 shipto-ship transfers and now fulfills around 15 percent of the country’s daily domestic gas requirement. As a result, Pakistan has been able to save more than $3 billion through import substitution of furnace oil. EVTL and EETL safely handle almost $4 billion of feedstock and products on an annual basis, without any incidents related to product contamination or loss, health, and the environment. The business has operated without lost-time injury (LTI) for the last 25 years, which is an impeccable safety record even by global standards.

To mark the 25th anniversary of Engro and Royal Vopak partnership, Mr. Dick Richelle (Chairman Executive Board and CEO – Royal Vopak) and Mr. Chris Robblee (President, Vopak Asia & Middle East) toured Pakistan to meet partner Engro Corporation, headed by Mr. Ghias Khan (President and CEO), senior executives of Engro, and visited the terminal facilities at Port Qasim to engage with the employees as well. According to Mr. Ghias Khan, “This partnership is very special and a great example of Pakistan because it has been very successful in all dimensions.

Alvi offers to mediate tensions between government and PTI

ISLAMABAD staff report

President Arif Alvi has once again offered to mediate between the government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in an effort to lower the rising political temperature in the country.

In an interview with BBC Urdu, the president, who is an ally of former prime minister and party chairman Imran Khan, urged the political leadership to hold talks to cool down the simmering tension.

He alleged the central government is using delaying tactics with regard to PTI and that “there’s no communication between the two parties in the last month”. He added that the government has indicated its willingness to hold talks with the PTI but no results were coming out of it.

On the matter of the economy, the President stated that there is a chance of improvement and dismissed reports of Pakistan defaulting on its international obligations. He urged all parties to come together and work for the betterment of the economy and welfare projects.

President Alvi also addressed the speculation surrounding ties between deposed prime minister Khan and ex-army chief retired Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa. He said he was not privy to any specific information on the matter and that some misunderstandings have been coming out in public.

He added that as the president, it is his responsibility to keep the federation together and that cooperation is better than discords for Pakistan.

Furthermore, he blamed social media for the differences between Khan and Bajwa, adding that if social media is given more importance over such issues, it leads to problems. He urged all parties to set aside differences and ignore social media.

When asked about the former army chief’s extension in service, President Alvi said he was not aware of such offers and stressed the importance of dialogue to remove misunderstandings. He emphasized that he is ready to bring people together and that it is his choice to seek advice from anyone.

He also mentioned that his decision to seek the PTI chief’s advice on the appointment of army chief Gen. Syed Asim Munir was based on the last couple of surveys which showed who is the most popular leader in the country.

profIt report

ahmad ahmadani