Epaper_23-01-15 LHR

Punjab assembly stands dissolved, KP assembly liKely to be dissolved today

g PUNjAB GovERNoR ExCUSES fRoM SIGNING SUMMARy, SAyING HE CoULDN’T BE PART of MovE

tary committee to resolve the issue.

tHEPunjab Assembly stood dissolved Saturday night while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly would follow suit as per the commitment made by the KP Chief Minister. The Punjab Assembly stood dissolved as Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman excused himself from signing the summary, saying he could not become a part of the move. “I would rather let the Constitution and law take its own course. Doing so will not hamper any legal process as Constitution clearly provides a way forward,” he tweeted.

Ahead of Punjab Assembly dissolution, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman and other federal ministers Saturday met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the premier’s residence in Lahore’s Model Town. The meeting deliberated upon whether to dissolve Punjab Assembly.

Sources in the ruling party said that after the dissolution of provincial assembly, CM Elahi will unanimously decide the name of caretaker chief minister in consultation with opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz within three days.

They said that the caretaker CM will be sworn in if both leaders agree on a name. However, if they don’t then the matter will be referred to Speaker Punjab Assembly who will announce a parliamen-

Insiders revealed that if the committee also failed to reach an agreement then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would take up the issue to choose a candidate from the six nominated candidates. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz also met with senior federal ministers and PML-N leaders including Ishaq Dar, Rana Sanaullah, Atta Tarar and others. In the meetings, consultations were held regarding the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly and possible elections in the province.

The development comes two days after CM Elahi, hours after regaining the confidence of a majority of lawmakers in PA, formally advised the governor to dissolve the provincial legislature.

The move capped weeks of speculation, legal wrangling and a public spectacle of the differences between the ruling allies in Punjab — the PTI and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) — over whether the assembly would be disbanded or not.

According to Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leader Moonis Ellahi, the dissolution advice was received by the Governor House at 10:10pm on Thursday.

According to Article 112 of the Constitution, the assembly stands automatically “dissolved at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the chief minister has so advised” if the governor does not do it.

on Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi

Urban Sindh goes to LG polls today amid fear, uncertainty

The meeting was attended by Secretary Election Commission Umar Hameed, the Sindh IG Police and other government officials.

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI

Saleem Jadoon

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday rejected the latest request from the Sindh government to defer local body elections in the province, declaring the vote will definitely take place Sunday (today).

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the ECP which was held in Islamabad on Saturday afternoon with Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in the chair virtually from Lahore. An official statement signed by the ECP spokesperson stated the ECP directed the Sindh government to ensure “foolproof preparations for peaceful elections”.

Earlier, the ECP called the meeting after intelligence agencies sensitized the election commission to the terror threats during

the polls in the province. In the wake of fresh information, the ECP had summoned a meeting on Saturday under the chair of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in Islamabad.

The Sindh government had also written a letter to the election commission, requesting for postponement of the local government elections, keeping in view the security threats. It requested the commission to delay the polls till it arranges security at the polling stations.

The provincial government said that the deployment of Army troops and civil armed forces at polling stations was urgently needed.

An important meeting was held under the chair of Sindh Chief Secretary Sohail Rajpoot where a briefing was given on the security arrangements during LG polls in the province.

During the meeting, the police authorities told the participants that they are ready to deploy policemen at polling stations but there is security risk involved. They have threats from proscribed organizations including BLA and TTP. They said that 63,000 police officials are required to provide security at Karachi and Hyderabad divisions. “If these police officials were deployed there, then cities may face law and order situation,” they maintained.

Sindh IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon said that not even a single polling station could be declared normal in the province and “that’s why we are facing a shortage of police officials for their deployment at polling stations.”

He informed that only in Karachi, 1,340 polling stations have been declared ‘most sensitive’ while 3,655 have been confirmed as ‘sensitive’.

In Hyderabad, 1,005 polling stations have been declared ‘most sensitive’ and 2,874 confirmed as ‘sensitive.

If combine together, the number of most sensitive polling stations in Karachi and Hyderabad is 2,345 and number of ‘sensitive’ polling stations is 6,532.

LAHORE mian abrar

had formally advised the governor to dissolve the provincial legislature hours after retaining the confidence of a majority of lawmakers in the PA, in a

session that began on wednesday and ended in the early hours of Thursday.

g CM ELAHI To DECIDE NAME of CARETAKER CM IN CoNSULTATIoN wITH oPPoSITIoN LEADER HAMzA SHEHBAz

cm Elahi says fulfillEd promisEs madE with imran Khan

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

CM Elahi chaired a consultative meeting to review legal and constitutional aspects after sending an advice of dissolution of the Punjab Assembly to the governor. He further said the interim government would be formed after consultations.

On Friday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf

(PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry, while offering the federal government to sit down to discuss the election framework, said the elections should be held simultaneously in the entire country. He said that for how long the federal government would run away from the elections. “There is still time; sit with us on the framework of the election,” he said.

The former federal minister said the governor had received the summary for the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly, adding that instead of waiting for another 24 hours, the governor should order dissolution of the assembly so that the

process for interim set-up could begin.

Unlike the rules in many countries, the caretaker government must be formed in Pakistan until a new government comes to power after the elections and this process of the interim set-up is discussed in detail in the Article 224 of the constitution.

Chaudhry Parvez Elahi will continue to work as the chief minister unless a caretaker set-up is formed and only Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan will continue to perform his constitutional role under the interim set-up.

For the caretaker government, within 48 hours of the assembly’s dissolution, the

CM will write to the opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz and they will suggest three names each for caretaker chief minister.

In case of deadlock between them, the speaker has the authority to form a committee of six members with equal representation from the treasury and opposition. The CM and opposition leader will send two nominees each to the committee. Again in case of no success by the committee, the matter of nominees will come to the Election Commission of Pakistan for a final decision.

The selected nominee has the power to

appoint his own cabinet and perform his role as the interim CM until a new government. Following the placement of a caretaker chief minister, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is bound to carry out the election in the province within 90 days. The electoral body can hold polls within 22 to 45 days because constitutionally it requires at least 22 days to scrutinize the nomination papers of the candidates.

The candidates will be given 29 to 30 days to run the election campaign. Considering such a timeline, it is possible that the ECP may conduct the polls between March 1-April 10.

HDT leader Maulana Hidayatur Rehman sent on physical remand

QUETTA ageNcIeS

70 railway carriage wagons to arrive from china on monday

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

About 70 state-of-the-art goods train wagons from China will arrive at Karachi on Monday, January 16. This was informed by the Pakistan Railways spokesperson in a statement issued on Saturday. He stated that 130 more such wagons out of total 820 wagons would be inducted in the railway system in March this year. Rest of the 620 wagons would be manufactured in the country under transfer of technology based agreement with China which would save the capital of the national exchequer and would generate employment opportunities, he added. An income of Rs 1.5 billion per annum is expected with addition of these wagons in the system. The spokesperson said that the new wagon could run with the speed of 100 kilometer by carrying 70 tons of weight while the older ones could run with the speed of 80 km by carrying 60 tons of weight. After induction of new carriage wagons, the trend of using railways for transportation of goods would increased, he said.

stalls set up in

districts to provide wheat flour on discounted rates

LARKANA app

The Sindh government has started the process of providing fair price wheat flour to the people, in this regard, special Subsidized price flour stalls have been set up at various places in Kashmore-Kandhkot, where people are getting wheat flour per 10Kgs bag at Rs. 650/=. In this regard, Deputy Commissioner KashmoreKandhkot Engineer Munawar Ali Mithani, DFC Akhtar Khan Buzdar visited Kandhkot City Park and inspected the cheap flour stall on Saturday. He said the district administration and the food department have provided cheap flour to the people on the instructions of the Sindh government. Stalls have been set up in different places of the district in which flour is being sold at a Subsidized price so that the poor people can reduce their problems by buying cheap flour. On the occasion, District Food Controller Akhtar Bozdar said on the special directives of the Sindh government, the food department and the district administration in the entire district. More than 14 cheap flour stalls have been set up where flour is available to the public at the official price, he added. He said a 10 kg bag of wheat flour is available for 650 rupees at the stalls. The buyers said they appreciated the initiative of the district administration which has given relief to the public by setting up cheap flour stalls. They demanded the Sindh government and the district administration provide relief to the people by setting up stalls of cheap flour and other essential items.

A local court in Gwadar handed over Haq Do Tehreek (HDT) leader Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman to the police on physical remand, a day after arresting the civil rights activist. Rehman was arrested by the Gwadar police Friday and was produced in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Gwadar today.

The police also produced before the court three other suspects and requested their physical remand.

The request was accepted by the court which then handed all four to the police on physical remand for four days. According to the police, cases have been registered against the HDT leader under various provisions including disturbance of peace and sedition in Gwadar. A heavy police contingent present outside the local

court Friday arrested the HDT leader and three others, including Naseeb Nosherwani and Hassan Murad, days after he said he would reach Gwadar to surrender before the law enforcers.

The HDT leader was nominated in the first information report (FIR) of the death of a police constable — Yasir Saeed — who was killed by unknown assailants on November 27 during a protest in Gwadar. The police, in a statement, said a bullet hit the constable in the neck and he died on the spot. Following this, Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove ordered the police to register a case against the HDT leader.

The FIR, in which Rehman and others were nominated, alleged that the HDT leader provoked and incited people at the protest to pelt stones at government vehicles, following which the people threw

stones and shattered the windowpanes of a police officer’s car. The Gwadar protests, in which the unfortunate incidents took place, had a wide range of demands and had been going on for two months under the HDT leadership.

The protestors were demanding a reduction in the number of check posts, easier border trade, and a total end to deep-sea fish trawling in the sea next to Gwadar.

However, the death of the constable led to the arrests of seven HDT supporters, along with HDT leader Hussain Wadala, which heightened the matter, leading to a blockade of the Coastal Highway on December 26. Balochistan government spokesperson Farah Azeem had alleged that the protestors tried to shut the Gwadar port after which the police took action and arrested some of them. She added that the movement’s attitude was provocative.

Bilawal urges mQm-p to contest lG polls

KARACHI INp

Foreign Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has urged Muttahida Qaumi MovementPakistan (MQM-P) to contest the local government (LG) elections, scheduled to take place tomorrow (January 15).

4,200 policemen guard LG polls in Badin today

BADIN Staff RepoRt

The Sindh Police will deploy 4,200 police personnel and officers for Local Government Elections 2023 being held in Badin district like other parts of the Sindh on Sunday (today).

According to details, a total of 936051 registered voters in Badin district including 507,329 men and 428722 women will cast their votes in favour of their candidates during the LG elections 2023.

There are 1,980 candidates vying for 63 seats of district Council, 10 town committees seats and two municipal committees seats. It is to be noted that as many as 47 candidates of different political parties have already been elected unopposed on different slots while four candidates have passed away due to which elections have been postponed

in these areas.

According to Election Commission of Pakistan, as many as 656 polling stations have been set up for polling during the LG elections in all the five talukas of the district. Out of these polling stations, 138 have been declared as most sensitive. Similarly, there are about 2,291 polling including 1,197 for men & 1,094 for women established for smooth voting. Whereas, the ECP has deployed a total 695 presiding officers, 4,585 Assistant presiding officers, and 2291 other polling staff for the conduct of the local bodies elections.

The Sindh police have chalked out a comprehensive plan for foolproof security during polling. The police have warned that the troublemakers would be dealt with sternly and nobody would be allowed to hamper smooth conduct of the LG lections in any way.

Governance reforms must for climate resilient Pakistan: Speakers

Speakers at a webinar on “the Geneva roadmap for a climate resilient Pakistan” on Saturday said Pakistan needs to go for institutional and governance reforms to combat the challenges of climate change in the long run.

A country-wide efficient adaptation plan

would be worked out on a bottom-up approach alongside the implementation of conservation strategies, they said. The Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) organized the webinar.

The climate change expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh was the keynote speaker.

The other guest speakers included

Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed, Lahore Garrison University

assistant professor International Relations Dr. Zainab Ahmed, Economist at Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) Dr. Khalid Mahmood, and climate advocacy specialist Zahra Khalid Haque.

Munir Ahmed introduced the subject of the webinar. He said the UN and Pakistan cohosted the ‘International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan’ on January 9 at Geneva to present a $31.2 billion “Resilient

In a statement, the foreign minister reiterated PPP’s desire to hold local government elections, saying that attempts were being made to remove the reservations of allied parties.

Responding to one of the MQM-P reservations, Bilawal Bhutto noted that it was not possible to change the delimitations of constituencies after the election schedule. He stressed the need of a local government system, saying that it could have helped the flood victims in a better way.

The foreign minister urged MQM-P to contest the local government polls, pointing out that the PPP suffered ‘a lot of damage’ when they boycotted the election in the past.

He also urged the people of Sindh to exercise their right to vote, reiterating that the local government system can work for the improvement of the cities. “We are in contact with MQM-P to call out their voters to cast votes,” he added.

Bilawal further said that he wants next mayor of Karachi from Pakistan People’s Party, adding that the successful ones should work for the development of the country. “We will work together with all parties for the development of Karachi after the election,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that after MQM-P’s demand, the Sindh government announced postponing the Karachi and Hyderabad LG polls.

Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework (4RF)”, which lays out a multisectoral strategy for rehabilitation and reconstruction in a climate-resilient and inclusive manner.

The other key objective was to secure international support and forge long-term partnerships for building Pakistan’s climate resilience and adaptation. Munir Ahmed said it was the first-ever UN donor conference in

Geneva to raise funds for any country. Pakistan needs to act wisely to safeguard its climate-vulnerable communities with a stronger local governance system. The inclusive bottom-up approach and multistakeholder monitoring for transparency will support sustainable recovery and rehabilitation, he added.

Ali Tauqeer Sheikh said “Resilient development is not possible without institutional reforms. The urgency is staring us in the face with a current price tag of eight per cent GDP loss and projected GDP shrinking 20pc by 2050.”

LAHORE: A view of polling for annual election of Lahore Bar Association. (Inset) Newly-elected LBA President Rana Intizar Hussain and Finance Secretary Tahira Shaheen flash victory sign with supporters. photo by zubaIR Mehfooz

Kashmore, Kandhkot

pUNJABChief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi says he had fulfilled all promises made with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD app

Journalist rEmandEd in custody ovEr ‘lEaKEd’ tax data of Ex - army chiEf BaJwa

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

acourt in Islamabad granted the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) a two-day physical remand of Shahid Aslam, a journalist associated with Bol News, on Saturday, a day after he was arrested for his suspected involvement in the leak of confidential tax documents of former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa’s family.

The investigation stems from a November report by investigative news website FactFocus, which accused Bajwa and his family of accumulating assets worth Rs12.7 billion during his six-year term in office.

The report cites tax records and wealth statements to support its claims of the alleged accumulation of assets by the family both inside and outside of Pakistan.

Subsequently, instead of questioning or denying the validity of the information, the

dsp among three cops martyred in peshawar, one in taunsa terror attacks

CONTINUED fROM BACK pAgE

Punjab IG Police Aamir Zulfiqar issued the instructions while presiding over a high-level meeting at RPO office DG Khan. On the occasion, the IGP was informed about the preliminary investigation into terrorist attack on police-post in Taunsa Sharif.

Additional IGs South Punjab, Special Branch, CTD, RPO DG Khan, DIG Operations Punjab, DPO DG Khan and other officers participated in the meeting.

The IGP ordered DIG Admin and Establishment South Punjab Muhammad Saleem to send detailed inquiry report of Taunsa Sharif incident to CPO within 24 hours. He said that there should be no delay in taking action against those responsible for negligence while conducting an inquiry from all aspects of the incident. He directed the Additional IG South Punjab should personally monitor the police operations in sensitive areas including Kacha area and reports of search and combing operations should be sent to the Central Police Office on a daily basis. The IG Police said that in order to further strengthen the rule of law in Kacha area, full-scale operations should be conducted against organized criminal gangs. Police teams should increase patrolling in sensitive areas while supervisory officers should monitor the operations themselves. Aamir Zulfiqar Khan directed that more resources, modern weapons and additional personnel will be provided to the police teams for the operation against the anti-social elements. He said that coordination and information sharing with Sindh and Balochistan police should be improved to end movement of criminals.

IGP, LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE

ATTENDED FUNERAL: Earlier, IG Punjab attended funeral prayer of Shaheed Head Constable Mazhar Iqbal at Police Lines DG Khan. He floral wreathe on the conffin of the martyr and recited Fatiha for higher ranks of martyr. IG Punjab paid tribute to eternal sacrifice of the martyr and said that the officers and officials of the department who embraced martyrdom are real gems of department and heroes of nation. The IG Police vowed to ensure provision of best welfare to families of martyrs. A large number of citizens including police officers and officials, media representatives, lawyers, political and social personalities participated in the funeral prayer. After the funeral prayer, the body of the martyr was sent to his native village where he will be buried with full official honors. Yesterday, head constable Mazhar Iqbal was martyred by firing of criminals on the police picket located on border of Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

office of Ishaq Dar said the finance minister had taken “serious notice” of the leak, calling it a violation of the tax law and a breach of official confidential data.

Days later, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), under then-Gen. Bajwa, rejected the report, claiming it was “totally untrue and based on blatant lies and malice”.

During the proceedings on Saturday, Aslam’s counsel argued the journalist’s detention was illegal and that there was no

proof that Aslam had received or passed on the leaked information.

The prosecutor countered that the evidence was on Aslam’s mobile phone and laptop, which he was not providing to investigators, and that Aslam played the “role of the facilitator” in the crime. If found guilty, Aslam could face a 10-year jail sentence.

After hearing the arguments, the judicial magistrate approved the two-day physical remand of the journalist.

Punjab Assembly stands dissolved, KP Assembly likely to be dissolved today

CONTINUED fROM pAgE 01

The move had capped weeks of speculation, legal wrangling and a public spectacle of the differences between the ruling allies in Punjab and the federal government over whether the assembly would be disbanded or not.

Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman also sent letters to Chief Minister Punjab and Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly for appointment of a consensus caretaker chief minister in the province.

“Following the dissolution of Punjab Assembly, letters have been issued to Chief Minister Punjab and Leader of the Opposition Punjab Assembly for appointment of a consensus caretaker Chief Minister,” wrote Governor Punjab on Twitter.

Per the letter, Parvez Elahi would continue as caretaker CM Punjab till January 17 to help participate in the process of evolving consensus for the caretaker chief minister Punjab. The Governor also said he would remain available for meetings with the CM and Opposition leader for finalising the caretaker setup.

Rehman had said on Friday that the process for the dissolution of the assembly would happen step by step, terming it to be a “lengthy process”.

KP AssEMBLy TO BE DIssOLvED NOw: CM MAhMOOD KhAN: Chief Minister of KhyberPakhtunkhwa (KP) Mahmood Khan on Saturday announced that the provincial assembly will be dissolved today. Addressing a presser in Peshawar, Khan stated that

this was his “last address” as the K-P assembly would be dissolved today. The minister stated that he was subordinate to PTI Chairperson Imran Khan, who would not give further suggestions, but rather would signal when the summary for the dissolution will be sent to the KP governor. Khan congratulated his cabinet and governing body, adding that victory and loss were part of elections. The KP CM claimed that the PTI, based on its performance would win a two-thirds majority vote in the upcoming elections. Khan also condemned the recent terrorist attack on a Peshawar police station where three police officers were martyred. “The police have made immense sacrifices. We are trying to fight and eradicate terrorism,” he said.

Labelling Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah a “joker”, the KP chief minister said that if the province lost against terrorism, then Sana would be unable to hide out in the Sindh or Punjab House.

PML-N, PTI hUDDLEs MULL OPTIONs, FUTURE sTRATEGy: Meanwhile, at a huddle with senior PML-N leaders, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday discussed the party’s future action plan regarding the assembly’s dissolution, which the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement coalition had been trying to avoid. Simultaneously, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Friday had urged Rehman to dissolve the PA forthwith instead of waiting for the 48-hour deadline to pass. During a media talk yesterday, Chaudhry said contact was being initiated with Leader of the Opposition in the PA Hamza Shahbaz to begin discussions over the caretaker setup and that Elahi would be forwarding him a few names.

Zardari summons session of ppp's parliamentary party in pa

LAHORE INp

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) cochairman Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday summoned the session of PPP’s parliamentary party in Punjab Assembly at Bilawal House. The session will discuss political situation of the province. Sources said that PPP parliamentary party’s leader Syed Hassan Murtaza, MPAs Ali Haider Gillani, Makhdoom Usman, among others reached the house. Earlier, Mr Zardari flew to Lahore to discuss political affairs with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. His visit comes in the wake of the political volatility caused due to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) decision to ask the PM to obtain the vote of confidence in the National Assembly (NA) after Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Parvez Elahi succeeded in obtaining the trust vote in the Punjab Assembly. Sources told that Mr Zardari would put forward his recommendations on the future strategy to the PM..

Urban Sindh goes to LG polls today amid fear, uncertainty

CONTINUED fROM pAgE 01

The IG police said that as per the SOPs defined by the ECP, eight security officials would be deployed at the most sensitive polling station while four will be deployed at a sensitive polling station. “Using this criterion, we have to deploy 25,340 security officials in Karachi and 19,536 in Hyderabad. The total deployment will be 44,876,” the IGP added.

He said besides this static deployment, thousands of other security personnel would be needed for patrolling and other duties during the polls.

He said that the total strength of police officials in Sindh is 119,000 and it is not possible to spare 70,000 out of them for polling duty. He said that the election

commission needs these officials for at least for 3-4 days.

He said that during last 1.5 months, the sensitive agencies have issued 17 security alerts for Karachi and other areas of the province.

Following the ECP statement, Rana Sanaullah Khan, the minister for interior, Saturday expressed concern over the “worrying situation” resulting from the differences between component parties of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition over the vote.

He said two parties — Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) — were in the favour of holding them tomorrow while two — MQM-P and PPP — were not, claiming that “a few miscreants could benefit from the volatile political situation” and lead to a violent situation of law and order.

‘Imported turns Pakistan into a banana republic’

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Secretary General Asad Umar came down hard on PPP-led Sindh government for making all-out efforts to delay the Karachi local government elections and added that the imported turned Pakistan into a banana republic.

Asad Umar, in a statement on Saturday, said that Sindh government made yet another attempt to delay Karachi elections. He said that the PDM was looking for escape, as they had seen the writing on the wall. However, Asad Umar stated that they could not escape defeat come what may. He said that the imported turned the country into a banana republic. He took a jibe at the PDM and said: “At the rate they are going, we will soon be the biggest exporter of bananas in the world!!!.”

PM pins hope on civil servants to steer country out of current challenges

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday urged the civil servants to serve the country and nation with their utmost capacities and expressed the hope that they were capable of steering the country out of the current challenges.

Addressing the passing out ceremony of probationary officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), the prime minister reminded them that after assuming their basic responsibilities in practical life, they would be confronted with issues like unemployment, poverty, disease, lack of education and delayed response to public problems.

Appreciating the civil bureaucracy, the prime minister said that he personally knew a number of good officers who had strived to serve the country by shedding their sweat and blood.

In a veiled reference to the previous government, the prime minister said baseless allegations were leveled against certain officers which caused embarrassment for their families.

He said due to such a situation, the civil bureaucrats, thought twice before taking any step in the performance of their duties which was a real stumbling block.

The prime minister stressed that it should be a collective agenda of them all and the political hierarchy to provide an enabling environment to the civil bureaucracy to serve the masses with dedication. If an amicable environment was provided to the civil servants, they could excel with their full potential, he added.

He observed that in the world, there was not a difficulty that could be surmounted.

Referring to the performance of the bureaucracy, the prime minister cited that he had set a two-month target for the civil administration for the establishment of education facilities in one of the floodaffected areas of Balochistan and during his recent visit to the province, he admired them for establishing a smart school within the stipulated timeframe.

Terming them as ‘Future of Pakistan’,

the prime minister expressed the optimism that they would perform with dedication and honesty as the nation had attached expectations to them.

“Let’s move to transform Pakistan into Quaid’s and strive to turn it stronger. The people will remember you for your yeoman’s service,” he said.

The ceremony was attended by Governor Punjab Balighur Rehman,a retired judge, officers and a number of families. The prime minister elaborating his viewpoint over the economic challenges faced by the country also regretted that during the past 75 years, different governments whether headed by the political leadership or military dictators could not address the economic issues.

In the past, time was wasted with the creation of chaos and protests, he added.

The prime minister said that sustainable development goals (SDGs) could be achieved if their bus could have moved at a fast pace and on the right track and they could not have sought foreign loans. The prime minister said during his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, the UAE president had very graciously and

affectionally announced to grant a further $1 billion loan to Pakistan.

He apprised him that Pakistan was passing through economic issues and meeting the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) conditionalities. The prime minister said that it really embarrassed him to ask for further loans and also lauded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the financial support.

He opined that it was not the right solution to their economic challenges as the loans would be returned back. The prime minister also congratulated the officers of PAS on the completion of their courses and said that they were the brightening stars of the nation, holding keys of country’s future in their hands.

He also commended them for serving the flood-affected people and visiting different areas of the country. Earlier, Director General Civil Services Academy, Lahore Omer Rasul highlighted the role and contributions of the academy in training future bureaucrats to serve the county and masses with their capabilities and dedication.

The prime minister also gave away certificates to the outstanding officers.

SANAULLAH UrGES ‘rEStrAINt’ AmId ‘tENSE’ LG PoLLS IN KArACHI, HydErAbAd

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

INTERIORMinister Rana Sanaullah has emphasized the need for defusing the tense environment surrounding the conduct of local government elections scheduled to be held in Karachi and Hyderabad on Sunday (today).

“Differences amongst the political parties over the conduct of the local government elections have assumed a worrying situation and the situation warrants sagacious approach to avert any tension.”

In a statement issued on Saturday, the interior minister expressed concerns over the circumstances under which Karachi and Hyderabad LGs elections were being held, warning that some miscreants can take advantage of the situation and the law and order situation may arise.

He said that the opposition among

political parties is concerning, as two parties are in favour of holding LG polls and two are against it. There are chances of clashes between political parties on the issue of LG polls and the terrorist can benefit from this uncertain situation.

Court gives Imran last chance to appear

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

On Saturday, a banking court in Islamabad heard a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan seeking bail in the foreign funding case. During the hearing, the lawyer for PTI requested to exempt Khan from appearing before the court and the request was accepted by the Banking Court Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen with a warning that it was the last time that the court was giving him an exemption from court appearance. The judge summoned Imran in a personal capacity during the next hearing of the case on January 31 and also sought arguments from the lawyers of both parties. This is a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against the opposition party and its leadership.

Sanjrani to lead delegation to annual Parliamentary Hearing at UN on Feb 13-15

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani would lead a delegation to the annual Parliamentary Hearing at United Nations (UN) in New York on February 1315, 2023. The hearing will focus on water scarcity around the globe under the title theme “Water for people and the planet: Stop the waste, change the game, invest in the future,” said a press release issued by the Senate Secretariat.

During and after the hearing, the chairman would hold meetings with UN Secretary-General, President Pro Tempore of the US Senate, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, US Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee and key senators and congressmen. It will be the first-ever visit of the Chairman Senate to the United States. Following his engagements in New York and Washington D.C, he will visit New Jersey, Chicago and Housten to meet the Pakistani diaspora.

Rana Sanaullah urged all the political parties to resolve the issue with reconciliation and dialogue. The election commission of Pakistan and the Judiciary should take notice of the current crisis.

Earlier on Saturday, the Sindh gov-

ernment suggested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone the LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad amid security threats.

The Sindh government has advised the ECP to postpone elections in eight out of total 17 districts; 7 districts of Karachi and one district of Hyderabad. It is pertinent to mention here that after MQM-P’s demand, the Sindh government announced postponement of the Karachi and Hyderabad LG polls.

However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the provincial government’s notification to postpone polls and ruled that the local bodies elections will be held as per schedule on January 15. Rejecting Sindh government notification and request, the ECP has directed Interior Ministry to ensure the deployment of Rangers and Army on highly sensitive polling stations in Karachi and Hyderabad.

CTD arrests five terrorists from three Punjab cities

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Counter Terrorism Department Punjab has caused a major dent to the terrorists network by arresting five militants from three cities on Saturday.

According to CTD officials, five terrorists belonging to a banned organization were arrested from Lahore, Multan and Gujranwala.

Four of the arrested militants were identified as Abdul Samad, Sohail, Ali Rahman and Noor Abbas.

The CTD officials further said that they had also seized explosive material, weapons and hand-grenades from terrorists’ possession.

The CTD officials lodged four cases against the detained terrorists, who were shifted to an unknown

place for further interrogation.

The CTD officials informed the media that during the current week security agencies had carried out 452 combing operations during which 208 suspects were taken into custody and 138 cases were registered. They also quizzed 22,800 suspects during these operations.

Pakistanis among irregular migrants denied access to Bosnia in 2022

SARAJEVO anadolu agency

At least 6,000 irregular migrants, some of them from Pakistan, were prevented from entering Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022, authorities said.

“The largest number of migrants were citizens of Afghanistan, Burundi, and Pakistan,” the Bosnia and Herzegovina Border Police said in a statement.

“There has been a certain decrease in the number of citizens of Pakistan, who were previously at the very top,” it added.

Most attempts to enter the country were

on the eastern borders, from the direction of Serbia and Montenegro, the Border Police said.

There were also frequent attempts to smuggle in migrants, including by hiding them in trucks or trailers.

Some 180 migrants tried to enter the country illegally in the first 11 days of 2023, the statement said.

Since the beginning of 2018, Bosnia and Herzegovina has faced a heavy influx of migrants looking to cross over to other EU states.

Legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan named among 200 greatest singers of all time

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The name of legendary Pakistani singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was included in the list of 200 greatest singers in human history by the leading American magazine ‘Rolling Stone’.

According to a private news channel, the magazine termed Nusrat Fateh Ali as emperor of qawwali and also praised his centuries-long family legacy.

Ustad Fateh Ali Khan has been ranked 91st on the list. Famous Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar has also been placed on the list of greatest singers.

Egyptian singer Umme Kulsum has also been included in the list while Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Billy Eilish are also included.

ECP issues guidelines for LG poll voters

ISLAMABAD app

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday issued guidelines for voters regarding Karachi and Hyderabad’s Local Government Elections being held on Sunday.

In the guidelines, ECP stated that the voters should bring their computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC) along in order to cast the vote, even expired cards will be accepted but a photocopy of the card will not be valid. It was further stated the details will be checked in the electoral list according to the national ID card by the polling station. The voter's name and serial number will be called aloud in front of the polling agent and a thumbprint will be taken before the mentioned name after which, the nailbed area on the thumb will be marked with indelible ink. The voter will be given three coloured ballot papers out of which, the green will be for the Assistant presiding officer of the Union Council, the Blue paper for the District Council and the white for the General member. The Blue Ballot papers will also be used for the Town Committee as well as for the member of the Union Council.

No ‘red liNe’ caN be imposed to politiciaN loved by people, says presideNt alvi

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

pRESIDENTDr Arif Alvi Saturday said no “red line” could be imposed to a politician who was loved by the people of Pakistan and holding of fresh elections would help meet challenges facing Pakistan.

In an interview to a private television channel, he said, according to the constitution, the Election Commission should always be prepared for holding the elections.

He said elections were very important for Pakistan and the spirit of the constitution should be followed. Elections should not be avoided by finding loopholes in the constitu-

tion, he added.

The president said elections at the national, provincial and local levels were reflective of the will of the people. Elections should be held on time or before time and avoiding election was undemocratic, he added.

The president said according to the constitution he could ask the prime minister to get a vote of confidence if he would feel that he lacked majority vote in the National Assembly.

He said opposition which was outside the National Assembly had popularity among the people. Political parties should take responsibility for taking the country forward, he stressed. He told that he talked to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar

about the need to hold elections.

The current establishment wanted to stay away from politics, he remarked. Dr Arif Alvi expressed confidence that Pakistan would not default economically. The biggest issue for Pakistan at the moment was its economy, he noted.

He said members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resigned from the National Assembly but their resignations were not accepted.

He said it should be ensured that the next elections in Pakistan were free and fair.

“I tried my best for use of electronic voting machines in the polls and for giving voting rights to the overseas Pakistanis,” he concluded.

FC deployment ordered to protect Sindh polling stations during LG elections

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Ministry of Interior has ordered the deployment of Frontier Constabulary troops to guard “sensitive” polling stations during the second phase of local government elections in Sindh. The ministry issued the directive on Saturday, a day before the vote is scheduled to be held.

It said it took the decision on a request by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking static deployment of security personnel. The date and areas for deployment will be mutually decided by the Sindh government, ECP and FC high-ups, the ministry said. Earlier

on Wednesday last, the General Headquarters (GHQ) had declined to deploy Army and Rangers personnel at polling stations in Sindh.

The federal government had informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) about the GHQ decision.

In a letter to the ECP, the Interior Ministry had said that deployment of 20,000 personnel of Army and Rangers was sought at sensitive and most sensitive polling stations but the GHQ had conveyed they could not spare such a large number of personnel.

The ministry in the letter had further stated that the Army and Rangers will be deployed only as a quick response force.

CM chairs 9th cabinet meeting

LAHORE app

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi presided over the 9th provincial cabinet meeting at his office here on Saturday.

Addressing the meeting, he highlighted that the Punjab government had set a record to utilize development budget worth Rs 273 billion in a short span of five months. Around Rs 273 billion were being utilized under the Annual Development Programme till 12th January 2023, he added. The CM appreciated the Chief Secretary Abdullah Sumbal, Chairman P&D Wasif Khursheed and his team on behalf of the Punjab Cabinet and directed them to complete the under process development projects within the stipulated period of time, saying that continuity of ongoing development programmes should continue. He directed that commissioners and deputy commissioners should not let the pace of work get affected on the ongoing development programmes. The public money was being spent on public welfare projects and their well-being, he promised.

The Punjab cabinet accorded a formal approval to grant 21 thousand metric tonnes wheat to Balochistan. CM underscored that the Punjab government was providing wheat to their Balochi brothers by sacrificing its share in order to promote provincial harmony. "Our intentions are noble and right from the outset and Allah Almighty has always granted positive fruits owing to keeping pure intentions", he said. CM stated that he tried his level best to resolve the problem of one whom he listened or came to know.

He also thanked the Cabinet, Punjab Assembly, police, administration and media team.

The cabinet granted a conditional approval to accord Mianwali the status of a division and the Mianwali division will comprise district Mianwali and district Bhakkar. Mianwali will formally be granted the status of a division after the completion of delimitation process of union councils. A conditional approval was granted to make Multan Khurd a tehsil of Talagang. A conditional approval was granted to accord a district status to Jampur along with granting conditional approval to make Dajjal and Muhammad Pur as new tehsils of Jampur during the meeting. The cabinet paid rich tributes to the efforts and services of late Member National Assembly (MNA) Sardar Jaffar Khan Leghari for making Jampur a district. After the completion of delimitation work of the union councils Jampur will be granted the formal status of a district along with granting Dajjal, Muhammad Pur and Multan Khurd the formal status of a tehsil.

The cabinet granted approval to link 36 km long road from Mianwali to DaudKhel with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) interchange and to link 33 km long Lakki Thamey Wali road with the CPEC interchange.

Approval was granted to pardon the sentence of minority prisoners on completing their religious education. A principle approval was granted to pardon the sentence of prisoners on completing Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) courses. Approval was also given for the recruitment of approved 2500/ jail wardens.

Approval was granted to extend contract of the staff members of Punjab Thalassemia and Genetic Disorder along with Prevention and Research Institute.

Sanjrani eulogizes Chinese envoy for taking bilateral ties to new highs

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani Saturday eulogised the services of outgoing Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong for taking Pak-China relations to new heights. The senate chairman shared the remarks after the farewell dinner hosted in honor of the outgoing envoy. Both the dignitaries discussed important regional and international issues including bilateral relations were discussed.

Chairman Senate said that Pakistan-China friendship is an example for the whole world and this timetested friendship has always met challenges together. He said that the relations between the two friendly countries are based on mutual respect and trust and China

has supported Pakistan in every difficult time.

Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project is a gift from China to the people of Pakistan and acknowledged the active contribution of China to the relief and rehabilitation during the recent floods in Pakistan.

He said that the Pakistani Nation is grateful to the people and government of China for this generous assistance. On the occasion, Nong Rong appreciated the comments of the Senate Chairman and said that the government and people of China are also proud of their everlasting friendship with Pakistan. He said that China will continue to cooperate in the development of Pakistan and both countries will continue to support each other’s position at regional and global forums.

Pakistan’s economic, national security in danger, claims Rasheed

RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has once again called for early elections in Pakistan, warning that the country’s economic and national security is at risk. In a series of tweets, Ahmed, a former interior minister, said elections are inevitable in the current political climate and questioned what the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) wants if they are “running away from the elections.” He also suggested that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif should return to the country to clarify his political future. Ahmed stated that politics in Pakistan are entering a crucial stage and that the period between January 15 and April 15 is “important” and expressed hope that the election schedule will be announced within 100 days. Staff RepoRt

Sindh LB polls

ECP refusal to postpone paves way for polls today

KARAcHIand Hyderabad divisions of Sindh will go to the polls on Sunday (today) to elect local councils to replace those dissolved in 2020. the main contests are for the Karachi Metropolitan corporation and the Hyderabad Municipal corporation, which will see the MQM vying for control with the PPP and the Jamaat Islami, as well as the PtI. the MQM, which had been split into various factions, and the Pak Sarzameen Party, had recently come together. Sindh Governor Kamran tessori, who had taken office in October, had played an important role in bringing all together. the ecP had been asked to postpone the polls because the MQM was dissatisfied by the ward delimitations, and wanted fresh ones. the ecP found the present delimitations adequate, as representing the latest census. the MQM does not accept the census, as its appeal for a forensic audit of the wards was not accepted. While a new census is due in February, to wait for it, and then carry out delimitation under it, would mean postponing the polls by months. Apart from what this might mean for the various councils elected in the province’s other 14 districts last June, it would involve too long a delay for the ecP, especially when there seemed no legal bar to holding the polls on delimitations based on a census that currently holds the field.

It might seem a cruel irony that such a metropolis as Hyderabad should lack its own elected civic body, let alone Karachi, which is one of the world’s metropoles, but that is the result of politics. the previous Mayor of Karachi, Waseem Akhtar, ended his tenure last year with a plea for financial autonomy, which indicates that the dependence on the provincial government for funds rankled. It was also to be noted that in the latest federal-provincial tussle over Karachi, the local government was kept out, even though its constituents were most affected.

there are said to be wheels within wheels. the Sindh provincial government, formed by the PPP, does not like being so completely excluded from its own capital, and is said to be pulling out all stops to get one of its members elected as Mayor. the MQM’s recent protest almost saw it pull out of the PDM-led coalition, and was over the local body polls. It is to be hoped that not only are the elections held peacefully, but the results are accepted in good spirit.

Understanding the Baloch Mayar

Mayar. According to this principle, a Baloch is supposed to stay loyal to his words and promises. However, it is taken for granted by the majority of the representatives of the Baloch themselves. While few other key authorities, whether Baloch or not, also take it for granted.

Second, the Baloch asks for honour, as already confessed by our former heartless colonial masters, the British. If not dealt with honour, which is not mere verbal honour, Ber or Hun (revenge) is another principle of Baloch Mayar that asks him to defend his honour. Killing and abduction of any of his tribesmen in particular asks for him to take revenge. A Baloch battal (proverb) throws light on the concept of ber, “the Baloch`s revenge for blood/Remains as young for two hundred years/As a deer of two years”

A. Niazi Joint Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

PAKIStAn is going through a difficult time. citizens of the state often blame corrupt leadership, bad governance, incompetent authorities, and unfair distribution of opportunities and resources as reasons behind the ongoing crises. However, a large number of the Baloch population of Pakistan`s largest province, Balochistan, see other reasons for these crises. they consider the state`s contrasting attitudes and behaviour towards its own citizens a big reason for the ongoing crises. the feelings of being kept intentionally deprived, poor, and deceived are some common ones among a great number of Baloch in the province.

For instance, on a recent visit to Dalbandin and a short stop at noshki, I noticed that people blame the state for their poverty and poor conditions of health, infrastructure, and energy. In short, they blame the state for whatever deprivation they are facing. People in Dalbandin, particularly the literate ones, had only complaints about their representatives as well as the state. Similar complaints and grievances are on the lips of every dissident Baloch.

We neeed to understand the psyche of the Baloch and then we can suggest a way forward to understanding the Baloch and addressing their grievances to bring peace in the region. Peace is after all a prerequisite for sustainable development.

First, according to a Baloch nationalist author Inayatullah Baloch, Baloch Mayar or Baloch code of Honor has a great place in the lives of Baloch. this includes laj (modesty), Ghairat (honour), Izzat (reputation), and nang o namoos (Prestige, honour). Unfortunately, many representatives of the Baloch people who are supposed to be ideals, also do not adhere to Baloch Mayar. like etbar (trust) is a principle of Baloch Mayar which is often broken by them as well as the state and government officials who claim to change the fate of the people of the province but fail to do so.

Qual (promise) is another principle of Baloch

If the issue of Baloch missing persons is seen from this lens, then it is not hard to digest that an insurgency at a low scale can continue for an infinite time in Balochistan. Apart from the issue of Baloch missing persons, tribal rivalries particularly in rural Balochistan, and exploitation of the lower strata by the upper one cause more blood and loss of valuable investments. As investors are unlikely to invest in a war-like situation and the province direly needs investments.

third, a great number of Fc personnel are posted in Balochistan. the majority, if not all of them, are unaware of the Baloch Mayar and almost all dissident Baloch in Balochistan have been harassed by them in one way or the other. An officer of the armed forces of a top rank might not be a threat to the national integration of Pakistan but the unjust, unfair, and even sometimes humiliating behaviour of the Fc personnel on various checkposts is a threat to the social cohesion of the state.

Moreover, the majority of the Fc personnel deployed in Balochistan are Pashtuns of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who hardly know anything about the local people of Southern Balochistan. Whereas the innocent and mostly less educated Baloch cannot differentiate between the Pashtun residents of Balochistan and those of KPK. Many of them have started considering Pashtuns in general as antiBaloch. While anti-Punjab sentiments have already been present in the province for a long time, it should be kept in mind that Pashtuns are the second major ethnic group in Balochistan. Misconceptions about Pashtuns are looming threats to the security and safety of the province and its people.

therefore, it is recommended that everyone who is appointed in a Baloch-majority area should be taught the basics of Baloch Mayar, including Fc personnel who are unintentionally causing the gap to further widen between the Baloch and the state. Because many dissidents seem to be under the impression that their senior officers ask them to keep their behaviour inhumane with the residents of the province.

Therefore, the stakeholders, representatives of the Baloch people and other concerned authorities should understand Baloch Mayar and see Baloch through that lens instead of taking Baloch Mayar as a mere unpracticed tradition. In short, it is inevitable to understand the psyche of the Baloch to end a crucial internal issue within the state, which is only possible by understanding his set of principles, that is, the Baloch Mayar

Representatives of the people should also stick to Baloch Mayar and avoid choosing shortcuts to go to the Assembly or Parliament. Fair distribution of the resources of the province and provision of opportunities to its people can also decrease their grievances and can improve the rotten image of their representatives as well as the state.

However, the most pressing issue in this regard is of the Baloch missing persons. It has not only kept the insurgency alive but also keeps fueling it. Because any Baloch who strictly adheres to Baloch Mayar will hardly forget an event that is against his laj, Ghairat, Izzat, and nang o namoos. therefore, the stakeholders, representatives of the Baloch people and other concerned authorities should understand Baloch Mayar and see Baloch through that lens instead of taking Baloch Mayar as a mere unpracticed tradition. In short, it is inevitable to understand the psyche of the Baloch to end a crucial internal issue within the state, which is only possible by understanding his set of principles, that is, the Baloch Mayar.

Bangladesh for India’s Act Fast for Northeast Policy

between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh, on the other hand, is only about 550 km.

Recently,Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar stated that, if there is one border and one region of India which has dramatically improved in the last decade, it is eastern and northeastern India. And the reason for that is that India has vastly improved its relationship with Bangladesh.

not only that, but recently India also has expressed interest in building and operating an airport in Bangladesh. India wants a piece of Bangladeshi land in Brahmanbaria to upgrade and expand the Agartala airport, which is set to become the third international airport in India’s northeastern region by the end of this year or early next year. Following the completion of the project, flights between Agartala and Dhaka, as well as other Bangladeshi cities like chattogram and Sylhet, would be operated.

the main reason behind this is, Bangladesh is the trump card for India to implement its Act Fast for northeast policy.

And chicken’s neck or Siliguri corridor created the importance of Bangladesh for India. this corridor is one of the most geographical compulsions for India. this narrow corridor separated the whole north eastern region from the Indian Mainland. Bangladesh creates a broader nexus between the Indian mainland and the north eastern region. Because Agartala is 1,650km from Kolkata and 2,637km from new Delhi through Shillong and Guwahati. the journey

Furthermore, the average distance between Bangladesh's major cities and northeast India is 20km to 300km. As a result, Bangladesh is always considered crucial for the north-eastern region's connectivity with mainland India by rail, road, and river routes.

Bangladesh played a major role and has immense potential for the development of Indian northeastern states. And among those states, tripura and Assam are prominent.

Bangladesh For tripura: tripura is an important part of India’s northeastern states. It is considered India’s gateway to ASeAn countries. there is a saying in the South Asian region that, if Bangladesh is Indialocked, tripura is Bangladesh-locked. So, the relationship between Bangladesh and tripura is a long one; it is civilizational, historical, lingual, and cultural. From time immemorial, the people of tripura and Bangladesh have shared their problems and prosperity. tripura and Bangladesh share a porous border, which stretches over 856 km, constituting 85 percent of tripura's border.

the Agartala–Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway link is expected to be completed in June 2023. When it will be completed, it will connect Gangasagar in Bangladesh to nischintapur in India (10.6 km) and then connect nischintapur to Agartala railway station (5.46 km) in India. the scope of trade relations will open with the introduction of the Agartala-Akhaura railway line. not only that, but India also plans to develop an inte-

grated checkpost and cargo-handling facility at nischintapur, which is the junction point of the Agartala-Akhaura rail link at tripura. this rail link will reduce the journey time between Agartala and Kolkata by passing through Dhaka instead of Guwahati. the

from Mizoram, which is 150 km away.

With the completion of these two connectivity projects— the Feni bridge connecting Sabroom, tripura with chittagong, Bangladesh, and the Agartala–Akhaura rail line, tripura would emerge as a well-connected state from a ‘landlocked’ one. In this way, tripura will develop its connectivity

Bangladesh to facilitate the connectivity of northeastern states. Air connectivity will not only strengthen the connectivity between Bangladesh, the Indian mainland, and tripura but also between India and ASeAn countries.

Bangladesh For Assam: Bangladesh is situated in a crucial geostrategic location for Assam. Bangladesh forms a key triangle around Assam along with Bhutan and Myanmar. Because of its strategic location, there are several opportunities for trade, transportation, commerce, and connection between Bangladesh and Assam.

travel time between Agartala and Kolkata will be reduced to 10 hours from the current 31 hours, as it will traverse a mere 550 km instead of 1,600 km.

India and Bangladesh currently have four operational rail links between West Bengal and Western Bangladesh— Petrapole-Benapole, Gede-Darshana, Radhikapur-Biral, and Singhabad-Rohanpur. the last two are also notified of the use of nepalese transit traffic. the present line will not only help people from Agartala but also those

and relations by connecting India, Myanmar, and thailand through roadways.

tripura’s Maharaja Bir Bikram airport would be the third international airport in the landlocked northeastern region after its new terminal is completed by this year. After the completion of this airport, flights between Agartala and Dhaka, as well as other cities like chittagong and Sylhet would be operated. not only that, recently Indian High commissioner to Dhaka Pranay Verma has shown interest to invest in new airports in

Moreover, Bangladesh is India's bridge to South-east Asia. Bangladesh is a natural pillar of the Act east policy. It can act as a ‘bridge’ to economic and political linkages with South east Asia and beyond. Bangladesh is an important part of the regional cooperation forums (i.e., BBIn, BIMStec). Bangladesh has many potential ways to increase commerce with Assam and subsequently open up access to the ASeAn nations because both India and Bangladesh have made progress in establishing connectivity through roads and railways. At present, Bangladesh also permits India to transfer commodities between different parts of India by using the chattogram and Mongla ports, which lowers the cost and speed of shipping.

not only these two states but also the other five states of the seven sisters’ development is inextricably related to Bangladesh. that’s why India repeatedly acknowledges Bangladesh’s contribution to its Act Fast For northeast policy.

The writer is a freelance columnist

The writer is research Fellow at Balochistan Think Tank Network, Quetta

sAmARA AshRAt

AsAdullAh RAisAni

M.

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

The Baloch are learning to resent Pashtuns

Government at the doorstep

Inthe backdrop of the somewhat heightened political temperature between various political groups, Pakistanis seem to be silently experiencing a new avenue; an avenue, which has not been implemented regularly during the last 75 years of the country’s existence; the local bodies’ elections or the city council elections. As these words go into print, there is uncertainty of elections being held in select districts out of ‘political expediency’.

In modern nation states; the first tier is central or federal; which derives its existence from the government in the centre; determining distribution, usage of resources as well as the desired policies, which need to be undertaken. the provincial tier guides the federating units, counties, states, provinces towards a set of policies and a sphere of activities exclusive to a certain region.

For the sake of covering the expenditure, it is the highest tier, the government at the centre, which determines the concurrent list of taxes, duties and other government levies the other tiers like provincial or local government are liable to collect. Similarly, the spheres of activity, which the provinces are supposed to see, is also determined by the centre. In the case of Pakistan, agriculture, which since the country’s inception has been a federal subject, is now after the passage of the 18th constitutional Amendment, a provincial subject.

the third tier has been the part of the political systems around the world. It makes no difference whether the system of government is a theocracy like Iran or an early day hybrid system like turkey. the third tier is responsible for development works like construction of roads and affiliated infrastructure, provision of land to the upper tiers of the government, like if the air force needs a tract of land for the construction of an airbase, it needs to consult the local government for the related modalities.

coming back to Pakistan, the local government systems have been fraught with firstly erratic implementation of the system in the country; secondly, its usual implementation has been identified with the brief stints of direct military rule. the local bodies system was first introduced in Pakistan during the Ayub era in early 1960, when the then military government had already done away with all types of political opposition; eBDOed (derived from eBDO, a military government order aimed at disqualifying politicians from electoral politics; the credible political opposition). the second round was never completed as unrest overtook many of the then government plans.

the Zia government also toyed with that idea and it was the case with the Musharraf dispensation. the rationale for the two last named military dictatorships was that once the known and credible opposition was disqualified or debarred, the new leadership would automatically be under a moral obligation to follow the military government; act as grass root support for it.

For obvious reasons, the utility of the local tier of the government for the populace at large was clouded. that was influenced by the thought process held by the political elite that, the introduction of the local bodies politics was not to benefit the society, rather it was packaged in a

manner to introduce a new crop of leaders, beholden to the military and intelligence. these political elites were correct on certain counts that the new leadership was not a team of qualified young professionals, rather a new wave of the 22 families propped up against the traditional political camps by the deep state.

It is a fact that the only credible political club in Pakistani politics, which can challenge the trader-centric PMl(n) and agriculture/middle income-centric PPP in the elections is the PtI, which fortunately or unfortunately is made up of the political elite thrown up during the Zia and Musharraf years.

In the backdrop of these perceptions, it has been observed that the PPP or PMl( n) seldom went for any serious commitment towards holding the local bodies’ polls whenever they were in control in the centre. the direct consequence of that thought process has been that many tasks, which were supposed to be the natural domain of a city government; fell first into the provincial domain, and gradually became a national issue. In no country does the central government or the provincial government in their respective ADP or the Annual Development Plans list underpasses, ring roads, or flyovers as their responsibility.

provincial entities are known after specific sectors of economic activity. that could not have been possible if the demarcation of the tiers had been allowed to be clouded and consequently without any defining line.

Here it would be appropriate to note that political parties have found that to be the vehicle of good governance in other countries. turkiye strong man tayyab erdogan owes much of his political capital to his days as Mayor of Istanbul, when the whole country was under the tight grip of ‘Hybrid’ Kemalist generals. His own party was in political wilderness and its chief necmettin erbakan was in prison. Despite all the odds, that Islamist trend succeeded to catch the imagination of the turkish electorate; the rest is history. In the same manner, in Iran, much of the face uplift of the cities, especially tehran, owes itself to the mayors; prominent amongst them former President Ahmadinejad and the incumbent speaker of Majlis Baqer Qalibaf. election to the city council and the election of mayor in Iran goes in parallel in the timeline; when simultaneous ballot boxes and papers are issued to the voters for the election of the president, new members in place of outgoing members of leadership (Khubregan) assembly and the members of the city councils.

Provided the process of referral to local bodies’ ballot is made a constitutional obligation on the state, the current round might not yield the desired results needed, system-wise. A renowned economist once threw up the idea of ‘domestic commerce’, which meant designing the cities to match commerce facilitation. It seems the government at door and development of micro commerce is alien to the established order. All a bewildered Pakistani should think of should be a frontline state managed as a police state

Here the development work taking place in lahore, Karachi, Islamabad or Peshawar is undertaken as worthy of political capital. the provincial and central governments directly hijack the city development work. the result is that there is no progressive monitoring of the needs of civic life and whatever development is undertaken is based on the political imagination of the party in power. these are erratic investments, which might not be followed up professionally.

the other devastating fallout is the degeneration of the political culture at the first and second tiers. central government shies away from taking critical decisions that have a futuristic outlook. Similarly, provincial governments are also clueless what to do with the resources available; natural, agricultural or mineral, to make the most of the benefits.

Here it must be observed that despite an apparently centric approach, the chinese state has clearly demarcated the tiers and the provincial governments are free to pursue the economic growth options. It is no ‘military secret’ that chengdu province in china is known for its aviation-related military hardware. Similarly, other

Regretfully there is no tradition as such witnessed in turkiye and Iran, found in Pakistan. Pakistan is characterized by a political herd culture; where any political group having the deep state’s approval can make the most of funds embezzlement. In Afghanistan, a term is used, “Gilam Jam”, means pushing the rug from beneath, meaning looting. In Pakistan, a Gilam jam ritual is undertaken every five years when political governments take over central and provincial budgets. the cities suffer as a result and one can find piles of waste in every city like Karachi, lahore and others, because of the absence of any dividing lines and consequently absence of any system; which can take care of the cities.

Provided the process of referral to local bodies’ ballot is made a constitutional obligation on the state, the current round might not yield the desired results needed, system-wise. A renowned economist once threw up the idea of ‘domestic commerce’, which meant designing the cities to match commerce facilitation. It seems the government at door and development of micro commerce is alien to the established order. All a bewildered Pakistani should think of should be a frontline state managed as a police state.

The writer is a freelance columnist

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Shipping industry is a game changer

Itis a pity that while so much is being said and written about the poor state of national economy, a great opportunity that can contribute towards its betterment continues to remain unexploited; even unmentioned. the shipping industry has the potential to become a major and sustainable contributor to the economy, especially when it comes to the issue of balance of payment.

Unfortunately, no in-depth study has ever been carried out to understand the working of this particular industry in Pakistan’s specific context and how we can benefit from it. the result is that shipping policies announced from time to time bore no result. the focus of official policies has always been on increasing private ships under the national flag. Had there been a study, we would have known that shipping is not just about owning the ships; it is much more than that. Bulk of the modern shipping industry is run in the private sector where the sole motive is to make profit. It is for this reason that a large number of ship-owners do not manage their ships but give them to independent ship management companies for cost-effective management. this highlights the importance of efficient running of the ships. Pakistan may not have much to offer when it comes to ship-owning, but it has some unique advantages to offer cost-effective ship services. these advantages include the close vicinity of a terminating shipping lane where ships pass its coast twice and can call Pakistani ports with little diversion, and a ship demolition yard that can provide recycled machinery and spare parts. Much more critical is the availability of local manpower for both ship and shore use along with training and certification capability for labour force.

If these advantages are utilised intelligently, Pakistan can provide costeffective ship services, like repairs, supplies, crew change, etc., and can become one of the most sought after destinations for ship services.

Once vessels start calling Pakistani ports for such services, it will facilitate large-scale employment of Pakistani seafarers and will lead to the establishment of ship management companies in the country. these ship management firms will give us some kind of a much needed say in the affairs of international shipping. to achieve the above, a paradigm shift is required in our approach towards the neglected shipping industry. Instead of ‘ship-owning’, our focus should shift to ‘ship services’, and towards the efficient removal of irritants in the way of the delivery of these services.

Unlike ‘ship-owning’, ‘ship services’ are not affected much by the ups and downs of business and can provide a sustainable source of foreign exchange earning to the country.

MUHAMMAD MOHSIN ZAIDI KARACHI

Can we welcome the returning doctors?

tHeReare nearly 226,000 doctors in Pakistan, as per the survey done by the Ministry of Finance in 2017-18. Funnily enough, there are around 122,000 doctors registered with the Pakistan Medical commission (PMc), as per its recent data. Some of these may be registered here, but still practising abroad. In any case, for a population of over 220 million, the numbers mean there is at the most one doctor for every 1,000 patients on an average. In a situation like this, another important factor in the equation is the number of doctors moving abroad for the promise of three times the salary, better life and better work-life balance. Social media trends are definitely playing a major role. they see their colleagues, who started at the same time as they did, but after what seems like a short span, they are way ahead of them in financial terms with a high feel-good factor about their lives. the ones who do not leave mostly end up wondering why they never thought of such an option. In such a scenario, the doctors who had left the country and now want to return represent a key community. the primary pull force is almost always family or parents, followed closely by culture and religion. those for whom the second set of reasons is primary generally go to the Middle east for obvious reasons. Under these circumstances, the odds are never in our favour. All that we can hope to do is to optimise the use of those who return for family reasons. Do we have a plan to do that? Hardly. We are losing a prime resource that we acquired after investing millions of rupees. I am sure it is not confined to doctors alone. We are losing basically just about every professional who can and wants to leave. While moving back to Pakistan, we were questioned by our friends and family what we would do there. We felt and still feel all eyes were and are on us; whether we succeed here or fail will help many others make this critical decision. Most Pakistani doctors have an intense desire to come back to the country of their origin, and to their parents. they want to show their children the love, family and cultural values they experienced in their younger days. Money is never going to be the reason for doctors to return to Pakistan. not because they do not want it or need it, but because they were, and are, making much more abroad. those who return are realistic enough to make the financial compromise. But if the returning doctors can find an institution that respects the work they do and makes them feel welcome, they are more than satisfied. Once the number of ‘satisfied repatriates’ grows, others will come back in numbers. But the million-dollar question is: will Pakistan welcome these natives?

DR RUBIA USMAN ISLAMABAD

Parents and dreams

I am the first girl from my whole tribe to have acquired higher education, earned a master’s degree in english from the University of Karachi and currently preparing to be part of the central Superior Services (cSS). All this has been possible only because of my parents who defied the conservative norms of society and supported me through thick and thin.

Ours is a conservative tribe where it is believed that girls may go morally corrupt by getting education, especially higher education. tribal elders believe that the sole purpose of a woman’s existence is to get married, raise children, cook and wash dishes. As such, it is ‘unwise’ to waste money on their education. that being so, a woman pursuing a career is simply unimaginable; a taboo. I am blessed to have parents who stood by my side. I urge every parent to do the same and let their daughters acquire education in order to fulfil their dreams. We must not deprive our daughters of what is as simple as the basic right to education.

NAZMEEN KHAN KARACHI

nAqi AkbAR

Pakistan’s somewhat erratic rendezvous with local government

Why ChIna madE a $540mn EnErgy dEal WIth thE talIBan

rt tiMur fOMenkO

afGHaniSTanhas signed a deal with a Chinese company that will invest $540 million to develop oil and gas fields in the country. The deal is the first large-scale investment to be conducted in afghanistan since the Taliban took over the war-torn country in august 2021, following the withdrawal of US forces after 20 years of occupation.

although Beijing does not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of afghanistan, it does recognize that the group is in control of a neighbouring country with vast natural resources, which makes it critical to China’s economic security and strategy. Thus, while Western diplomats fled Kabul following the Taliban’s advance, Chinese negotiators stayed put.

The decision to make a deal with the Taliban is an extension of a strategic dilemma which China faces when it comes to energy security. as the world’s most populous nation and an industrial giant, China is also the world’s largest energy consumer. it does not have enough resources at home to meet its own demands, which are continually growing as the country rapidly develops. This has left China as a major net importer of oil and natural gas, which has been a driving factor in many of its recent partnerships, including with Russia, ecuador and the Gulf States of the middle east.

While China’s ties with these countries have remained strong, Beijing’s energy imports have a strategic achilles heel – these resources, except for those coming from

AFGHANISTAN HAS VAST MINERAL RESERVES AND POSSESSES 1.75 TRILLION CUBIC FEET OF PROVEN NATURAL GAS RESERVES AND HAS SOME OIL TOO. FOR CHINA THIS IS IMPORTANT, AND FOR THE TALIBAN, SECURING FOREIGN INVESTMENT, GIVEN THEIR COUNTRY’S ECONOMY IS ROCK BOTTOM, IS CRITICAL

Russia, have to be imported by sea, and through strategically contentious regions which are being militarized by the United States. This includes the South China Sea.

The US seeks to dominate China’s entire periphery, and in the event of a conflict would almost certainly try to embargo shipping in a bid to cut off energy supplies. even though the attempt to pursue such a blockade would be costly, there are nonetheless more distinct “strategic chokepoints” such as the strait of malacca, which would produce the same effect.

Recognizing this weakness, China has responded over the past few years by building up the Belt and Road initiative (BRi), seeking to integrate eurasia by building transcontinental roads and railways, constructing new logistical routes which can allow goods to come in and out of China beyond the reach of american power. for example, the China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC) is a cornerstone of the BRi which is establishing a route to the western indian ocean, creating a shortcut to the mid-

dle east which bypasses these militarily vulnerable maritime regions.

But no strategic roadmap, the BRi included, would be complete without the incorporation of afghanistan. The Central asian country shares a short stretch of border with China and sits as a crossroads between the middle east, Central and Southern asia. This means Kabul forms a critical part of China’s own security and strategy. While the country has been inherently unstable, and thus unusable for decades, the end of the US-led war against it and the Taliban takeover has given afghanistan relative stability in contrast to its usual circumstances. although an islamic State (iS) insurgency continues with terrorist attacks, afghanistan has been at its most stable point in 40 years (which is, admittedly, a very low bar). and as it happens, afghanistan has vast mineral reserves and possesses 1.75 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves and has some oil too. for China this is important, and for the Taliban, securing for-

eign investment, given their country’s economy is rock bottom, is critical. never in decades has afghanistan ever had an opportunity to receive such money, a problem which was exacerbated by the corruption of the US-installed regime. These circumstances have allowed what are two ideological polar opposites, islamic fundamentalists and a Communist state, to come together and seal a deal amounting to half a billion dollars.

in making this deal, China pledges to respect afghanistan’s internal politics and to uphold its own traditional position of noninterference. While this offers a critical advantage and alternative to the United States, who attempted to forcefully impose their own ideological vision on the country and failed, it also means that Beijing must overlook the Taliban’s extremist policies, for example its discrimination of women, who have been excluded from education and much of the job market.

China, after all, deplores islamic fundamentalism to the point that it has condemned

it as an ideology of separatism in the Xinjiang autonomous region, and sees enforcing secular rule on the Uyghur minority as critical to stability in that region, a set of policies that have come under increasing attacks by the West. However, China’s foreign policy is pragmatic, and forging working relations with the Taliban state on its border is in the national and strategic interest. China needs access to energy, and where better to look for it than in a neighbouring state?

Thus, Beijing likely believes that by investing in afghanistan, it can make the country more stable through prosperity. While there are many reservations to be had about the character of Taliban rule, isn’t it time for change? Carpet bombing and waging war in afghanistan in the name of democracy has been an abject failure for decades which left the country in ruins as a failed state. This country deserves a chance to make some money and recover, rather than being starved to death by US-led war and sanctions. The China model offers something new, positive and different for afghanistan.

Why the Dutch apology for slavery leaves a bitter taste in my mouth

GuardIan JerMain Ostiana

EliSjuliana, a poet, artist and intellectual from the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, who died in 2013, once said: “The scars of my people’s feet from Dutch enslavement are still bawling pus.” it’s a vivid statement that captures the dominance of Dutch political and economic power over the Black people of Curaçao and its sister islands, including Saba, Statia, Bonaire, aruba and St maarten. and it still holds true – even after the surprising apology from the netherlands last month for the atrocities of Dutch slavery in the region. in that apology, the prime minister, mark Rutte, said: “On behalf of the Dutch government, i apologise for the past actions of the Dutch state: to enslaved people in the past, everywhere in the world, who suffered as a consequence of those actions, as well as to their daughters and sons, and to all their descendants, up to the present day.”

What he failed to mention is that this announcement was being delivered without input from the people he was apologising to. imposing such an impactful decision as a one-way announcement from above tells you everything about the hierarchy that still governs relations between the netherlands and its former colonial possessions. The outrage that accompanied the announcement was justified.

But, first, the history. Dutch colonies in the Caribbean, which were the centre of its genocidal slave trade during the so-called “golden age” in the netherlands, remained as such until 1954, when the government eventually agreed to semi-decolonise its territories. The ruling white minority elites negotiated a six-island union, the netherlands antilles, which by the 21st century, after a series of referendums, had become an arrangement whereby three islands, stripped of their self-rule, are governed directly from the netherlands as municipalities, and three are “autonomous countries” within the Kingdom of the netherlands. in reality, in the autonomous countries government spending is scrutinised and needs Dutch approval from an oversight board. Social services are under-resourced, forcing people to live in impoverished conditions. Primary schools in Curaçao, for instance – where Dutch is privileged over the local language, Papiamentu – fail students again and again. With enraged sadness i see our Caribbean societies stay underdeveloped, constantly under siege by the colonial powers.

But the apology announcement overshadows an even bigger atrocity: the erasure of the lived experiences of people in the Caribbean, who understand that the harm of past enslavement didn’t stop after abolition, but only mutated into oppressive Dutch govern-

ment policies and economic exploitation.

This manifests itself today through dependency on Dutch tourism, with europeans dominating ownership of the industry. You see it in gentrification projects that displace Black communities. Or the “rigid imposition” of budgetary rules from a “political elite that feels closer to The Hague” than the people of the region, in the words of a former central banker.

The Dutch present Bonaire as a success model of an overseas territory. What’s not mentioned, besides the widespread poverty, is the pending Greenpeace climate justice case against the Dutch state for failing to invest in climate change protection, as it has in the netherlands. St maarten is living proof that Hurricane irma had more compassion than the Dutch government, which made false promises of financial recovery aid after the 2017 catastrophe.

The royal visit of King Willem-alexander, Queen maxima and Crown Princess Catharina-amalia to the islands at the end of this month offers an opportunity to hold the Dutch state accountable for the structural underdevelopment of the Caribbean.

The economic and geopolitical rationale that Black people can’t govern themselves goes all the way back to when their royal-mandated slave ships forcibly carried our ancestors to these shores. Hence the eternal noncompliance of their obligation to make these islands economically, socially and culturally sovereign and self-sufficient.

an apology of such magnitude by a prime minister can only be meaningful when there is a true commitment to a full process of reparatory healing, led by and for Caribbean communities, and anchored in legislation.

The communities suffering from Dutch neocolonialism will have to come together to determine an agenda. Reparatory justice could look like constitutional arrangements whereby Caribbean people’s assemblies become the sole architects of policy. it could take the form of climate reparations from Dutch Royal Shell or removing the colonialera function of governor, the repudiation of odious student debt, or giving key positions in the public sector to Black inhabitants.

The Dutch present themselves as global champion of human rights, branding The Hague as the capital of international law. One of the most important tenets of reparatory justice for colonial violence under international law is cessation and the guarantee of non-repetition; to this day, it remains a principle they have never lived up to. it’s time for us in the Dutch Caribbean to resist the colonial idea that our homes are a space of unfreeness, and create political structures that set us towards genuine freedom.

Jermain Ostiana is a writer and poet from Curacao.

THE LACK OF HOPE AND FUTURE HORIZON FOR YOUTH HERE, COUPLED WITH UNEMPLOYMENT, AND THE IMPACT OF REPEATED KILLINGS AND RAIDS, HAVE CREATED AN ACCUMULATING ANGER EXPRESSED THROUGH RESISTANCE

camp, its residents always in a position of confrontation with the occupation. This spirit, and the israeli crackdown on it, grew tenfold after the 2021 Gilboa prison escape.

i live in an area on the outskirts of jenin, and i always have to check if there are soldiers outside, if it is safe for my kids to go to school, and even if it is calm enough to move inside my house. my father was shot by an israeli soldier while standing in his kitchen during the Second intifada.

israeli governments succeeded in receiving US military aid, european support, and even securing normalisation deals with arab countries, even while perpetuating occupation and apartheid, this new government may face obstacles. Provocations in al-aqsa mosque compound, for example, are amplified around the world, since the mosque is not only of religious significance, but also a historic symbol for many arabs.

Benjaminnetanyahu, once again, is israel’s prime minister, and the israeli government sworn-in at the start of this year is perhaps the most extreme one ever. netanyahu’s far-right policies are very familiar to Palestinians, but his coalition partners and ministers have also got to where they are today thanks to their anti-Palestinian rhetoric and policy proposals, as well as their promise to the israeli electorate that there will be no political agreement with the Palestinians that respects our rights.

Here in jenin, last year was difficult enough even under the previous israeli government. The occupation’s violence in jenin camp is so extensive and the living conditions so abnormal that a child cannot imagine a future for themselves –only death at the hands of the army. after the 2002 invasion, the feelings of national dignity and fierceness skyrocketed in jenin

The lack of hope and future horizon for youth here, coupled with unemployment, and the impact of repeated killings and raids, have created an accumulating anger expressed through resistance.

now, we Palestinians are having to deal with the appointment of controversial ministers like itamar BenGvir, Bezalal Smotrich, and more.

However, while Ben Gvir and the like represent the strength of far-right religious nationalism, with respect to israel’s foreign relations and “PR”, the establishment of such a government is a crisis, directly contradicting the image of “democracy” it has been projecting for almost 75 years.

This has the potential to undermine the new government, and make it more vulnerable to accountability via international legal mechanisms. a more “strategic” or politically savvy so-called centrist government is harder to hold to account, because the same occupation practices are done more covertly, and with a pretence of caring about democracy and human rights.

Thus, acknowledging that past

This comes with ongoing arrests, settlement expansion, and threats to the Palestinian identity, putting jerusalemites on the frontline with this government.

The same applies to anywhere that settlers are trying to seize more land with official sponsorship, like the Hebron or nablus regions, for example. any such area is typically subject to measures of collective punishment, killings, raids, and repression.

Despite the extremism of this new israeli government, i unfortunately don’t expect anything from the world’s governments, who saw Shireen abu akleh killed in front of the cameras and did nothing.

However, i hope that civil society organisations and free peoples of the world will understand that Palestinians are humans – each one of them important and valuable – and act on it. i hope they understand that Palestine is an oppressed country that has the right to breathe its freedom.

Mustafa Sheta is general manager of The Freedom Theatre in Jenin.

THIS COUNTRY DESERVES A CHANCE TO MAKE SOME MONEY AND RECOVER, RATHER THAN BEING STARVED TO DEATH BY US-LED WAR AND SANCTIONS. THE CHINA MODEL OFFERS SOMETHING NEW, POSITIVE AND DIFFERENT FOR AFGHANISTAN

I HOPE THAT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AND FREE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD WILL UNDERSTAND THAT PALESTINIANS ARE HUMANS – EACH ONE OF THEM IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE – AND ACT ON IT

We should all be worried about Israel’s new government

Independent Mustafa sheta

Sightsavers launches film ‘ Noor’ to ensure good eye health for all children

Balochistan sacks assist director among officials on corruption charges

QUetta

Staff report

tHEBalochistan government has suspended Assistant Director, three Inspectors and others officials of Fisheries Department involved in corrupt practices and launched a formal inquiry against them.

The action was taken after conducting secret inquiry against them, said a news release issued here Saturday.

The provincial government has further expedited its efforts to take strict action against the boats involved in illegal fishing in its coastal waters.

Balochistan has seized many trawlers involved in illegal fishing at the marine boundaries of the province. Progress was made in curbing illegal fishing trawlers in the Gwadar’s marine area.

The Gwadar district administration, Fisheries Department and security agencies are taking strong measures against trawling to curb such illegal activities in future.

The Fisheries Department and other agencies have stepped up patrolling against illegal trawling at the Gwadar’s waters in the wake of directives of Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo to the provincial government in this regards.

S&P Global sponsored mega coding competition concludes at LUMS

IsLAmAbAd: To raise awareness of the impact of vision impairment caused by uncorrected refractive errors (URE) in children, ‘Noor’, a film starring Sarwat Gillani and Umair Rana has been released by international development organization Sightsavers during a ceremony held in Islamabad. Over 4 million children in Pakistan are estimated to have Uncorrected Refractive Error (URE), which include short and long-sightedness and affect child development, future opportunities, and can lead to children missing school. With over 2 million children already locked out of learning due to recent devastating floods. The impact of poor eye health will only increase this number if we don’t act now. The film, produced in collaboration with SeePrime and WhiteRice and directed by Umer Adil, reflects these issues, and revolves around a schoolgirl struggling with poor eye health and problems associated with it. It also focuses on the need to challenge societal stigmas associated with wearing glasses. Ms. Zeb Jaffar, Honorable Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Professional Training graced the occasion as chief guest and appreciated Sightsavers's role in focusing on this important issue of eye health and linking it to educational outcomes and said that governments need to contribute and do their best for the future generations of our nation. pr

Leopards courier services wins best 3PLof Daraz Award

Leopards Courier Services, Pakistan’s # 1 Courier & Logistics Companyhas once again achieved the title of “Best 3PL of Daraz”Award from Pakistan’s leadingECommerce Marketplace, Daraz. In a recent event held at theirHead Office, Daraz declared Leopards Courier Services as the winnersfor the months of November & December 2022. This award was presented to Leopards Courier Services in acknowledgement of theirteam’s tremendous performance & dedication during the mega event of Daraz 11-11and the grand year end sale, 12-12 in 2022. Leopards Courier Services have provided core logistics functions and are now proud to play a significant role in shaping the E-Commerce landscape of the country by providing safe, effective, and timely services worldwide. Leopards Courier Services being the top player in theCourier & Logistics &ECommerce marketis no strangerto such achievements.Their contributions with various accreditations time and time again have helped them cement their position as Pakistan’s leading Courier & Logistics Management company. Mr. Ehsan Saya, Managing Director Daraz presented the award to Mr. Rizwan Saadat – CEO – of Leopards Courier Services. Mr. Mohsin Ansari, VP of Operations, Mr. Zahid Ali Khosa, VP of Commercial, Mr. Ammar Anwar, Head of E-commerce Operations, and Mr. Hassan Khursheed, Senior Manager of Operations Excellence were also present on the occasion. pr

Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), held a two-day technology event in collaboration with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers bracket (IEEE) Society, titled CodinGuru 5.0. in partnership with S&P Global Pakistan. This competition aimed to improve the tech quotient of the students and encourage ambitious and skilled coders to enhance their abilities.

Senior Director Commercial S&P Global, Shafqaat H. Shah, addressed the audience and said, “At S&P Global, we not only deploy cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), virtual reality (VR), data science, and analytics in our products to power the markets of the future, but we do so while being inclusive and equitable towards our people, clients, and the communities we operate in. Together, we can accelerate progress in the world.”

The competition was planned across 3

segments: Programming, UI/UX, and WebApp Module. The participating teams developed innovative solutions for daily usage like delivery applications, climate change actions, and energy-saving appliances through different programming languages like C++, Java, and Python.

To further highlight the correlation of ‘Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’ (DEI) with innovation and creativity, a panel discussion was held focusing on the significance of inclusion in workplaces. Moderated by Campus Recruiter S&P Global, Hiba Khalid, it included Senior Director Commercial S&P Global, Shafqaat H. Shah, Director People S&P Global, Samia Qamar, and Founder Skills Todo, Ayesha Zaman. “A thriving, inventive workplace must aim to represent the society that it functions in. Coding skills are intrinsic to progress and S&P Global ensures the development of skills by incorporating the diversity of backgrounds, and more importantly, different perspectives, which result in more creative solutions for the problems” stated Director People S&P Global, Samia Qamar.

4TH Financial Crime Summit highlights critical challenges, proposes solutions

pr

The 4th annual financial crime summit was held today in Karachi, with the theme ‘PostFATF Financial Crime Action Plan – Continuing the National Anti-Financial Crime Agenda’. The Summit was organized by Dellsons Conferences under the banner of Dellsons Associates, together with its Knowledge Partner, A. F. Ferguson & Co. (a member firm of the PwC network). The summit was attended by more than 400 people from across various sectors and included representatives from regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies, banks and financial institutions, academia, media and others.

The Honourable President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi graced the event as the Chief Guest. Speaking at the Summit, Dr. Arif Alvi emphasized that the need of the hour is for the financial community to stay a step ahead of them (people committing financial crimes) at all times. With effective collaborations

between various stakeholders, data sharing protocols can enable us to ensure sustainability and progress in the times to come. He appreciated the effort of Dellsons Associates and its Chairman, Ibrahim Amin and the knowledge partners A. F. Ferguson & Co. in continuing to organize the Summit annually on this critically important and relevant to the times subject.

In addition to the address of the President of Pakistan, the pre-lunch session of the Summit featured speech by Guest of Honor Salim Raza, former Governor SBP and member Board of Directors, HBL, speech by Guest of Honor Kazi Rahat Ali, Secretary General, Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), and keynote speech by Nadeem Hussain, Chairman, Planet N Group. Key highlights of the Summit included a number of speeches, presentations and panel discussions including from Presidents & CEOs of banks and non-bank institutions, Chief Compliance Officers of banks and key regulatory authorities and LEAs.

PiMeC2023: initiative to jump start maritime sector

Oceans remain an important component of our planet having countless marine species and vast sea bed resources. It has provided with the cheapest medium for transportation of goods andlargely contributes to world’s GDP. Economic activities in the oceans are increasingly expandedover the period of time primarily due to growing population and globalization.

Dependence on oceans has led to diverse economic interactions clubbed under the term, Blue Economy, which covers industries focused on sustainable utilization of oceans based resources.

The geographical location of Pakistan provides the shortest route to Indian Ocean for Central Asian Republics, Afghanistan and western part of China through Karachi and Gwadar ports, presenting great potential for development at national as well as regional levels. In this regard, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a manifestation of Pakistan’s commitment towards the utilizing the potential of Blue Economy through enhanced regional connectivity. The country is blessed with over 1000 km long coastline and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covering about 240,000 Sq. Km. In addition, extension of continental shelf (50,000 Sq. Km) was also approved by

United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS) in 2015.

Pakistan’s coastal areas provide vast breeding grounds for commercially important fishery resources including crabs and shrimps, having potential worth of more than $2 billion annually.

More than 40,000 Pakistani citizens are directly or indirectly attached with fishing industry providing a huge workforce for exploitation of these resources. Pakistan’s coastal area contains numerous scenic spots including Sandy Beaches, Cliffs, Bays, Deltas, Islands, mud volcanoes, Estuaries and Mudflats. Pakistan’s beaches are highly suitable for water sports activi-

Lahore pr

University of Management and Technology (UMT) President Ibrahim Hasan Murad met His Excellency Shaykh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al Issa on the special invitation at the Muslim World League (MWL) headquarters in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the visit, Mr. Ibrahim Murad discussed areas of mutual cooperation with H.E. to increase global harmony via interfaith dialogue based on Abrahamic religions. H.E. Shaykh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al Issaexchanged views on topics of common interest, including leveraging the Charter of Makkah in furthering educational objectives at the university. Mr. Murad and Secretary General shared views on future collaboration and how the Pakistan's Ranked 1st private sector university UMT can offer its expertise to facilitate and assist the cause of global harmony. President UMT Ibrahim Murad highlighted the importance of quality education and its role in shaping the future of coming generations and stressed that universities should work towards enlightening the minds of our youth. The two discussed ways to create better opportunities for youth engagement, in order to provide them with a platform for innovative and constructive dialogue. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will continue sharing long-standing fraternal relations and mutual support besides remaining committed to engaging in meaningful dialogue and collaboration to build a better, brighter and more united tomorrow. H.E. Shaykh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al Issa also presented a souvenir to President UMT Mr. Ibrahim Hasan Murad.

ties including Boating, Snorkeling, Jet-Skiing, Para-Gliding and Scuba Diving to promote coastal tourism. Pakistan’s coastal line contains a range of luxurious accommodation facilities to support coastal tourism industry.

With an annual freight bill of more than $3 billion and business friendly shipping policy, Pakistan offers great opportunity for investment in Marine transportation sector. Moreover, Gadani is an important hub for ship breaking industry spread over 10 kms beach on the Arabian Sea close to Karachi port. It is the third largest ship-breaking yard in the world. Additionally, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW) has state

of the art Ship Lift and Transfer System (SLTS) which affords construction and repair of multiple ships as per international standards. Karachi Shipyard is also building various vessels for Pakistan Navy including MILGEM class corvettes. Being cognizant of the maritime potential of Pakistan, Pakistan Navy has taken various initiatives such as maritime security workshops, maritime conferences, visits and briefing to policy makers, engagements with media house and business community, inclusion of maritime related curriculum, maritime awareness and publicity campaigns, and observing world ocean and environment days, to harness benefits of Blue Economy.

umt president meets shaykh dr muhammad bin abdul karim al issa at mWl headquarters

aLi Basit

Lahore pr

LAHORE: GCU VC Dr Asghar Zaidi gives away gold medal and certificates to students at annual convocation of Punjab Institute of Administrative Sciences. Staff photo

Biden, Kishida strengthening ties to counter china, ‘puts toKyo on the front line’

uS President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s pledge to strengthen their countries’ ties and bolster alliances in the Indo-Pacific region under the excuse of countering China – their imaginary enemy – represents a ticking bomb for the region’s hard-sustained peace, experts said, believing that Japan is also laying ground for hosting the G7 summit this year, to draw in members to concentrate on attacking China.

They believe that such “alliance,” which endows the country support of military expansion, is a double-edged sword for Tokyo, as it also pushes Japan to the front line of attack and disdain across Indo-Pacific region, as more tensions will be triggered by its ties with US. They warned China to remain on high alert against Japan and the US’ next step, especially on the Taiwan question.

“Our security alliance has never been stronger,” US and Japanese leaders said in a joint statement that included an exhaustive rundown of areas of agreement – from defense and trade to critical technologies and gender equality – but ploughed little new ground.

“At the same time, the Indo-Pacific faces growing challenges, from actions inconsistent with the rules-based international order by China to provocations by North Korea,” according to the statement.

Friday’s session at the White House

followed results agreed by top military and diplomatic officials from both countries on Wednesday to strengthen Tokyo’s air, sea, land, cyber and space defenses and otherwise strengthen integration to counter China. Kishida visits the US on the last leg of his tour of five Group of Seven nations. Japan holds the presidency of the G7 this year and will host the summit in Hiroshima in May, NHK reported. It also said that Kishida planned to brief Biden on a major shift in Japan’s security policy announced last month. It includes gaining capabilities to launch counterstrikes and large defense budget increases. Meeting with Biden was the top priority of Kishida’s agenda, and its aim is to

tehran executes iran-British national over spying claims

tEhRan the associated PRess

Iran said Saturday it had executed a dual Iranian-British national who once worked for its defense ministry, despite an international outcry over his death sentence and those of others held amid nationwide protests.

Iran’s Mizan news agency, associated with the country’s judiciary, announced Ali Reza Akbari’s hanging.

It did not say when it happened. However, there were rumours he had been executed days ago.

Iran had accused Akbari, without offering evidence, of being a spy for Britain’s MI-6 intelligence agency. It aired a highly edited video of Akbari discussing the allegations resembling others that activists have described as coerced confessions.

On Friday, State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel criticized Akbari’s pending execution.

“The charges against Alireza Akbari and his sentencing to execution were politically motivated. His execution would be unconscionable,” she said.

collude with the US to counter China, Lü Chao, an expert on the Korean Peninsula issue at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, said. At the same time, Japan is laying ground for the G7 summit, which will be held in May this year, to draw members to concentrate on attacking China.

The expert also warned China to remain high alert on Japan and the US next steps, especially on the Taiwan question.

Japan’s move to boost its military ability and strengthen cooperation with the US and other European countries is actually seeing China and other neighboring countries as “imaginary enemies”; such moves will certainly bring huge uncertainty to the Indo-Pacific region, Hu Jip-

ing, deputy head of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times. In a bid to project a more positive agenda as space becomes increasingly militarized, the two countries signed a US-Japan Space Cooperation Framework Agreement on Friday to jointly explore “the moon and other celestial bodies, for peaceful purposes.”

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. He told the Global Times on Saturday that not only the move of introducing Western powers into the Indo-Pacific will undermine regional peace and stability, it also sows discord among regional countries, thus making international cooperation more difficult on issues such as economic recovery and climate change.

In response to the “2+2” security talks between Japanese and US officials, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Friday that “They claim to uphold the rulesbased international order, but what they do is trampling on international law and the basic norms governing international relations and grossly interfering in other countries’ internal affairs. What they have done poses a real challenge to regional peace, security and stability.” The strengthening of ties, seemingly to benefit Kishida’s government, is believed by Chinese experts to backfire on Tokyo more than Washington as it has put Japan at the front line of counterattacks and riskier position.

Elon Musk faces US fraud trial over Tesla tweet

ployees, most in San Francisco, and radically changed the site’s content moderation policies.

israeli forces kill two palestinians in West Bank: palestinian ministry

wEst BanK aFP

Two Palestinians were killed Saturday during an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The two young men were shot dead by Israeli forces “during an assault on the village of Jaba, south of Jenin” in the north of the West Bank, the ministry said.

No further details were provided on the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The Islamic Jihad group condemned the killings in a statement, describing the two men as “heroic martyrs” belonging to the group.

It said they were killed while trying to intervene against the “occupation forces which were carrying out a cowardly assassination operation”. The Israeli army said in a brief statement that it had launched “counterterrorism activity” near the village, during which “suspects shot live fire” at them from a passing vehicle.

“The soldiers responded with live fire. Hits were identified,” it said, adding that no Israeli soldiers were reported injured.

An AFP photographer saw a white car in Jaba with its windshield riddled with bullets on the driver’s side.

Elon Musk, the CEO of electric car giant Tesla, will face trial on Tuesday over allegedly manipulating the stock market with a tweet after a federal judge rejected his request to move the case out of California.

The case dates back to August 2018 when Musk tweeted that he had sufficient funding to take Tesla private, causing a whirlwind in the company’s share price.

Musk was swiftly sued by shareholders for allegedly costing them billions of dollars with the Twitter post that said funding was “secured” to buy out the company’s shareholders.

According to a spokesperson for the court, Judge Edward Chen on Friday refused to transfer the proceedings to Texas, the southern state where Musk moved Tesla’s headquarters and jury selection is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

Defense lawyers had argued that the multibillionaire would be denied a fair trial in San Francisco, where he bought Twitter in late October and has been widely criticized for his decisions since taking over the social media firm.

After taking over Twitter, Musk fired more than half of the 7,500 em-

“For the last several months, the local media have saturated this district with biased and negative stories about Mr. Musk that have fostered… highly prejudicial biases in the jury pool,” the CEO’s lawyers argued in a filing.

“The local media, in a deviation from how they typically cover these stories, have blamed Mr. Musk personally for the reductions and even accused him of violating the law,” the lawyers said.

According to Bloomberg, Judge Chen expressed confidence at the hearing that impartial jurors could be chosen.

Musk’s short tweet in 2018 has already attracted the attention of authorities.

The US stock market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission, ordered that Musk step down as chairman of the board of Tesla and pay a fine of $20 million.

The vehicle had crashed into a building under construction and its rear was completely gutted. The Palestinian health ministry named the two young men killed as Ezzedine Bassem Hamamra, 24, and Amjad Adnan Khaliliya, 23.

A third Palestinian, 19-year-old Yazen Samer Jaabari, died of his injuries after he was shot by Israeli forces earlier this month, the ministry said.

He was wounded during an Israeli army operation on January 2 in the village of Kafr Dan, near Jenin, in which two other Palestinians were killed, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The latest deaths bring up to 12 the toll of Palestinians killed this year during violence in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967. Israeli forces have launched near-daily raids in the West Bank following a wave of deadly attacks in Israel last year.

The surge in bloodshed last year saw at least 26 Israelis and 200 Palestinians killed across Israel and the West Bank, according to an AFP tally. More than 150 of the fatalities were in the West Bank.

How India’s ruling party is tightening grip on occupied Kashmir

sRinagaR ReuteRs

For the first time in her life, Asha, a street cleaner in the city of Jammu, will be allowed to vote in upcoming local elections. And she’s in no doubt who will get her ballot.

Asha plans to reward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for scrapping policies in place for decades that denied her and a million more people in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir many of the same rights as other Indians.

“We have faced the humiliation silently, but Modi-ji has changed our lives forever,” she said, leaning on her broom. “It’s not just me and my children, future generations from our community in Jammu and Kashmir will vote for the BJP.”

The Hindu nationalist party is counting on Asha’s vote as it pushes to take control of the occupied part of the Himalayan region that is hotly contested by Pakistan and has been governed almost exclusively by Muslim chief ministers.

The BJP hopes the addition of up to a million mostly Hindu voters to the electoral roll, new electoral boundaries, seven more seats in

the regional assembly and the reservation of nine for groups likely to back the BJP will give it a fighting chance of becoming the biggest party in the 90-seat legislature.

Reuters has interviewed three dozen federal and state officials, six groups representing disenfranchised residents, and analysed the latest data to lay out for the first time the scale of the BJP’s push in Kashmir — and why it may succeed.

A BJP majority would be a seismic shift and even talk of a strong showing underlines how Modi has trampled on old taboos to push his agenda in every corner of the country of 1.4 billion people.

The 72-year-old, who is set to run for a third term in 2024, has combined promises of prosperity and social mobility with a radical Hindu-first agenda to dominate Indian politics.

A BJP victory in the disputed region could consolidate India’s claim over the territory on the global stage.

“We have taken a pledge to cross 50-plus seats to form the next government with a thumping majority,” the BJP’s president for occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Ravinder Raina, told Reuters. “The next chief minister will be from our party.”

For many of Jammu and Kashmir’s

Muslims, the BJP’s policies upending decades of autonomy and privilege represent a dangerous new phase in what they see as a nationwide push to champion the rights of the Hindu majority over minority groups.

‘ILLEGAL OCCUPATION’: The neighbours have claimed Kashmir since the partition of India in 1947 and fought two wars over the region, which is also partially claimed by China. Pakistan accuses India of trying to marginalise Muslims there with its policies.

“India is following a strategy to perpetuate its illegal occupation by the disenfranchisement of Kashmiris by altering the demographic structure of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir from a Muslim majority to a Hindu-dominated territory,” Islamabad said in a statement to Reuters.

Jammu and Kashmir is divided in two. Jammu has about 5.3 million inhabitants, 62 percent of whom are Hindu while Kashmir Valley has 6.7 million, 97 percent of them Muslim, according to a 2011 census. Estimates from survey officials and senior bureaucrats suggest the population stood at 15.5 million in 2021.

From 1954, the Indian region enjoyed special status under India’s constitution.

The shift in the political landscape came

in 2019 when the BJP-led parliament in New Delhi revoked this status, which had denied rights to many Hindu communities not considered indigenous to the region.

Since 2020, the BJP has required everyone in Jammu and Kashmir to apply for domicile certificates that allow them to vote in local elections, buy agricultural land and permanent homes, as well as apply for state universities and jobs.

According to the regional government and associations representing six previously disenfranchised groups, just over a million people have the right to vote in local elections for the first time — and 96 percent are from castes within the Hindu hierarchy.

Out of those people, 698,800 had received domicile certificates as of December, official records seen by Reuters show. Government data showed a further 7,346 retired bureaucrats and army officers had signed up.

Reuters spoke to 36 people who now enjoy full citizenship. All said they would vote for the BJP in assembly elections.

Asha, a Hindu who has gone by a single name since her divorce, said only good had come of the changes.

On the lowest rung of the Hindu caste system, her family had been stuck in menial

work since they were invited from Punjab in 1957 to fill in for striking sanitation workers. Now, her two children are studying to become teachers.

“No one will ever understand how it feels when an educated child is told they should sweep the streets,” she said.

SPECIAL STATUS: Until the region’s special status was revoked, secular left-of-centre parties with Muslim leaders had controlled the local assembly and whoever governed India from New Delhi tended not to dabble in the region’s political autonomy.

The assembly, which controls the state budget, spending, employment, education and economic activity, was dissolved and a lieutenant governor appointed to run the region until local elections can be held — which could be as early as this spring.

In anticipation of protests after the move, the authorities imposed a curfew, cut the internet, tightened security and put hundreds of Muslims and other opposition leaders under house arrest for months. They have since been released.

An armed campaign for freedom and public protests against Indian rule has killed thousands of people, mostly in the 1990s when the violence peaked.

washington agencies

washington agencies

Djokovic ‘likes his chances’ of 10th australian open crown

MELBOURNE afp

nOVAKDjokovic declared on Saturday that he “likes his chances” of winning a recordextending 10th Australian Open crown, despite lingering injury worries.

After missing last year’s tournament when he was deported over his Covid vaccination stance, the Serbian star is back at Melbourne Park and in sizzling form.

He ended the 2022 season by winning the ATP Finals and began the new year with his 92nd career title at the Adelaide International.

He tweaked a hamstring in Adelaide and is still getting treatment, but insisted he was ready for another two-week campaign to potentially win a recordequalling 22nd Grand Slam.

“I’ve been struggling with that a bit,

to be honest, the last seven days,” he said of the injury.

“But it’s hopefully not a major concern. So far I’ve been able to train, compete and play points, practice sets. So

that’s a positive sign.

“Obviously I’m being a bit more cautious. I’m not going full out on the training sessions, conserving the energy for next week. Hopefully, it won’t cause an

issue for me then.”

Seeded four, the 35-year-old faces Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena in round one and said that despite the injury niggle “I like my chances”.

“I always like my chances. I train as hard as really anybody out there,” he added.

“There’s a lot of youngsters now that are very hungry, that want to win. They want to take a scalp off you on the big stadium. I know that.

“But the experience of being in these kind of particular circumstances helps I think to have the right approach and do things in a proper way.

“Because I know when I’m healthy and playing my best, on this court (Rod Laver Arena) I have chances really against anybody.”

Warm reception: Djokovic was deported from Australia on the eve of the 2022 Grand Slam after a high-profile legal battle.

Rizwan reaches Chittagong in helicopter for BPL

CHITTAGONG agencies

Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan reached here via helicopter mere hours after reaching Dhaka and was named in the Playing XI for Comilla Victorians against Fortune Barishal.

Mayers’ all-round brilliance powers Durban super Giants to win over Mi cape town

CAPE TOWN agencies

Durban Super Giants’ Kyle Mayers displayed all-round brilliance to power his side to a dominating five-wicket victory over hosts MI Cape Town in the fifth fixture of the ongoing SA20.

Super Giants’ bowlers displayed a collective effort to halt MI Cape Town for a below-par 152/8 in the allotted 20 overs despite a valiant half-century from Grant Roelofsen. Put into bat first, the hosts had a dismal show with the bat as they lost wickets at regular intervals and were 45/4 by seven overs before Roelofsen anchored the innings with a cautious knock.

The right-handed batter top-scored for his side with a 44-ball 52, hit four fours and a six.

Besides him, only George Linde exerted some resilience with his quick 33-run knock while the remaining batters seemed clueless against the strong Super Giants’ bowling attack. Reece Topley, Hardus Viljoen and Prenelan Subrayen bagged two wickets each, while Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers made one scalp each. Set to chase 153, the Super Giants comfortably sailed despite a magnificent bowling spell from Olly Stone, who picked 4/28. The Super Giants batters too put on a collective effort and amassed the total in just the 17th over. Henrich Klaasen top-scored for his side with a brisk 36 off just 22 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six, while opening batter Mayers was equally impressive with his 23-ball 34. Top-order batter Wiaan Mulder also chipped in the run chase with a crucial 30 off 26.

Rizwan, who was busy on national duty amid the three-match ODI series against New Zealand till Friday has reached here today to play his first Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2023 fixture for the Victorians. The righthanded batter enjoyed a successful series with the bat as he accumulated 182 runs in three matches and remained the top-scorer.

His brilliance, however, could not fire Pakistan to seal the series as Glenn Phillips’ brisk 66-run knock led New Zealand to a historic ODI series victory. According to the de-

tails, briefly, after the conclusion of the home ODI series, Rizwan immediately left for the airport from the stadium and took a flight to Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

The wicketkeeper batter was poised to represent the Victorians in the ongoing edition of the BPL and the side made a desperate effort to get back on the winning

track after

real Madrid still hungry for success: ancelotti

RIYADH agencies

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team are still hungry for success ahead of their Spanish Super Cup final showdown against rivals Barcelona on Sunday. The Catalans failed to win a trophy last season and are looking for their first since coach Xavi arrived in November 2021, while Real Madrid won a Champions League and La Liga double.

The sides meet in a Clasico at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Ancelotti thinks his players will be equally motivated, despite their success.

“We are talking about players that started winning in 2013, have kept winning and have never filled their stomachs and they never will fill them,” Ancelotti told reporters Saturday.

“We are at a very demanding club that doesn’t allow you to think your stomach is full.”

Madrid are the record 14 time-Champions League winners, with five of those trophies arriving from 2014 onwards.

“All titles are important for this club, titles give motivation, confidence, there’s a lot at stake in this game,” continued Ancelotti.

“We fight each day for this, to get to a final. The team is motivated and comfortable too, because we are used to playing under this type of pressure, that’s why we have a lot of confidence.” Ancelotti has a fine record in finals, having lost just one of the last 10 in which his teams have competed in — against Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Spanish Super Cup.

“Statistics are there to be changed,” Barcelona coach Xavi told a news conference. “It is a difficult game but I want to think positively. I have to remember that I have had a lot of luck too in finals.

“We have to take stock of where we are, that we have Real Madrid in front of us is a huge motivation.”

– Great opportunity –

Real Madrid beat Valencia on penalties to reach the final on Wednesday, and a day later Barcelona triumphed against Real Betis on spot-kicks as well.

Xavi was filmed shouting at his players during a team-talk in the break in extra-time against Betis.

“I would change myself for one of them, even one on the bench who was only getting a few minutes,” said Xavi.

“This is what you think about as a child, this is why we play, to show you’re at a great level, to be important. “As a coach you suffer a lot more. The other day I was angry because in some way the players thought they should not be in that situation.

successive defeats

boarding him in a helicopter.

According to Bangladeshi media, Rizwan’s flight landed in Dhaka at 10:20 am (BST) and he then boarded a helicopter which landed at Women’s Sports Complex ground beside the Zahur Ahmed Chowhdury Stadium in Chattogram at 12:45 pm (BST).

“I tried to connect them to what was at stake.”

Xavi said winning in the final would mean more to Barcelona because the opponent was Madrid.

“We have not won a trophy for a long time, we have to show that we want it, that is non-negotiable,” added the coach.

“Tomorrow is a great opportunity, we have to do everything we can to be able to win this final, we’re especially excited for it and with it being Madrid too, it would mean lot to Barcelona.”

Sadam bats P&T Gymkhana to victory in 20-K Cup 2023

LAHORE staff report

Superb batting by Sadam Khan batted P&T Gymkhana to a convincing 63-run victory over Pindi Gymkhana here at the Pindi Gymkhana ground on Saturday.

P&T Gymkhana, batting first, posted a decent total of 173 runs for the loss of seven wickets in allotted 20 overs. Sadam Khan emerged as top scorer with a sparkling knock of 60 runs off 31 balls that included 5 fours and 4 maximums. The other key contributors from the winning team was Yawar Bashir, who hammered 31-ball 32 runs while Manzoor Khan smashed unbeaten 29 runs off 12 balls.

Umar Anjum bowled brilliantly

Kohli, Rohit out of India squad for New Zealand T20s

Zealand because of family commitments, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been left out of India’s T20 squad for the home series against New Zealand as selectors ponder major longterm changes.

November’s World Cup semi-final drubbing to England prompted soul-searching in India and talk among the cricket board of easing out senior players. Both men remain in the one-day squad for the visit of the Black Caps. Kohli hammered 113 off 87 balls to drive a big win over Sri Lanka in an ODI at Guwahati on Tuesday. Skipper Rohit made 83. Batsman KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar Patel will sit out the ODI and T20 matches against New

It did not give reasons however for the T20 omissions of Kohli and regular all-format captain Rohit.

Hardik Pandya will continue to skipper the T20 side, having done so against Sri Lanka earlier this month. The three-match ODI series against New Zealand begins on Wednesday in Hyderabad while the first of three T20 matches takes place at Ranchi on January 27.

India will then go into a home Test series against Australia on February 9.

ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul

Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik.

T20 squad: Hardik Pandya (captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar.

Test squad against Australia: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Shami Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.

Outstanding bowling by Kramat Ali of P&T Gymkhana restricted Pindi Gymkhana to 110 runs for the loss 9 wickets in 20 overs. Aneeq Mushtaq scored 28-ball 37 runs while Asfand Mehran hit 15 and Wasif Khan 14 runs. Kramat Ali grabbed four wickets for 17 runs and he was ably assisted by Imran Hassan, who bagged 3 wickets for 23 runs and Asad Raza and Manzoor Khan got one wicket each.

For his brilliant batting display, Sadam Khan was named player of the match. On Sunday (January 15, 2023), Apollo Club will compete against Valencia Gymkhana Cricket Club in the only match of the day at Pindi Gymkhana ground at 10:30 am.

two

by

NEW DELHI afp

for Pindi Gymkhana as he clinched four wickets for 42 runs while Aneeq Mush-

taq bagged 2 wickets for 23 runs and Asfand Mehran took one wicket for 29.

PTI To PuT Shehbaz SharIf To TeST ThrouGh TruST voTe: IMraN

MIaN abrar

TI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be “tested” through a vote of confidence in a tit-for-tat move similar to the one he himself had faced as the premier in April last year.

Speaking in a TV programme, Khan was asked if the incumbent prime minister could be asked to obtain a vote of confidence from the National Assembly.

“Absolutely, we will test him,” he asserted. Imran said Shehbaz had tested the PTI so now he would have to taste his own medicine.

He said the PTI would hash out the details of the move in a party meeting on Sunday and carry out full planning for not only the trust vote but also “other plans to fully thrust them in a testing situation now”.

It is pertinent to mention that the MQM-P, a key ally of the ruling coalition, has in recent days indicated that it could quit the federal government owing to what it says are unfulfilled promises.

MQM-P sources earlier said that the party had communicated its ultimatum and it would announce its decision at a workers’ convention scheduled to be held on Saturday (today).

PML-Q LIKELY TO MERGE INTO PTI: Imran Khan has proposed that its

ally, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) should merge with it.

The former prime minister shared the proposal in a meeting with journalists at his Zaman Town residence in Lahore on Friday, where he looked quite relaxed and confident after Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s successful vote of confidence.

Elahi won the much-awaited confidence vote in the Punjab Assembly Wednesday night after lawmakers sitting on the treasury benches entrusted their trust in him, with the opposition boycotting the session in protest after tearing

Dar, Punjab Governor discuss caretaker govt, by-polls in Punjab

LAHORE INp

Federal Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar called on Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman here at Governor House on Saturday. Various issues including the overall economic situation of the country were discussed in the meeting.

Talking on this occasion, Punjab Governor Muhammad Baligh ur Rahman said that the entire economic team under the leadership of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is making all out efforts to bring improvement and stability in the economy.

Governor said that the rate of inflation had been low, GDP growth had been better and Pakistan had been emerging as a strong country economically in the previous tenures of Pakistan Muslim League (N).

He said that PML-N was committed to bring economic stability in the country despite multiple challenges faced by the country. Governor also congratulated Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on his recent successful foreign visits and said that the way the whole world had announced the relief package for the people of Pakistan in recent foreign visits was an expression of confidence in the transparency of the present government.

Governor appreciated the efforts of Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for making sincere and strenuous efforts for stabilizing country’s economy.

up the agenda copies.

Khan said that discussions on the proposed merger of the two allies are yet to take place. He praised Moonis Elahi and said he stood by the PTI despite pressure from powerful quarters.

“Moonis is a forward-looking young man and he could see the PTI’s political future and was able to convince the older leadership of his party.”

Khan also praised Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for having withstood threats and other pressure. He said that even his own members had a lot of offers, especially woman MPAs, but they refused and stood

by their party when it came to the vote of confidence. Khan said that fighting with the establishment is madness.

On reconciliation with the army, Khan said that it is possible and he is willing to forgive the establishment and move on, whether it is the case of Azam Khan Swati or Shahbaz Gill or other things that took place since the vote of no-confidence against him because he genuinely believes that the military is the most organised institution and has the resources to stop the smuggling of dollars, help in the crackdown against corruption and other things.

Khan recalled the army’s assistance and work during the Covid pandemic, in polio vaccination campaigns and in controlling locusts.

He also said that the military establishment only needs directions from leaders. “Their role can be very positive when they move in the right direction.”

To a question by this reporter on whether the military would get more space to meddle in politics if more role is given to it, he said that it cannot end overnight but leaders have to make sure that a direction is set on how to use the military to establish the rule of law.

Per him, only the military can take the country out of the current quagmire if it works with all political stakeholders.

Khan said that the military can establish the rule of law and that no institution should be above the law.

US defense secretary holds talks with army chief Munir on regional matters

ISLAMABAD staff report

The United States Department of Defence announced its secretary, Lloyd J. Austin, held a telephonic discussion with the army chief, Gen. Asim Munir. According to a statement on Saturday, the two military leaders discussed areas of mutual interest as well as recent regional developments.

This is the second high-level interaction between the US and Pakistani defence authorities since Gen. Asim Munir took over as the Army Chief on November 29.

Earlier, US Central Command (Centcom) chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla had visited Pakistan and held a meeting with the army chief.

During his visit, Gen. Kurilla met with senior military leaders, observed conditions and operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and discussed opportunities to strengthen the military-to-military relationship between Centcom and the Pakistani forces.

At the General Headquarters (GHQ), Gen. Kurilla met with Gen. Munir and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza.

In his statement, Secretary of Defence Austin said that the US and Pakistan have a long-standing defence partnership and “I look forward to working with Gen. Munir.” He also congratulated Gen. Munir

on his recent appointment as Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff.

During his visit, Gen. Kurilla also traveled to Peshawar to visit the XI Corps headquarters. He and the XI Corps leaders traveled by helicopter to visit the Big Ben post overlooking the Khyber Pass, where they observed border security and discussed the cross-border threat of terror groups operating in Afghanistan.

PML-N gears up preparations to contest elections in Punjab, KP

ISLAMABAD staff report

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has officially launched preparations for by-polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces in wake of the dissolution of both the assemblies by the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

The party leadership has also convened an important meeting of its Central Executive Committee (CEC) for next week, as the dissolution of the Punjab and KP assemblies loom.

The meeting, which is expected to be chaired by party leader Nawaz Sharif, will focus on strategizing for the future and potentially electing new officials to the party’s executive committee.

The CEC will also reportedly finalise candidates for potential by-elections in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, as well as discuss plans for the next general elections.

Additionally, it was announced that PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz will return to Pakistan next week, with a specific date expected to be announced in the coming days.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had directed the party leaders and workers to do preparations for the election in Punjab.

PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif passed on the directives while presiding over a consultative meeting of the party leadership in London, the minister said in a series of tweets.

Marriyum said Nawaz Sharif had also directed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also president of the PML-N, to set up a Parliamentary Board.

She said the PML-N Quaid had asked the party leaders and workers to contest the election in Punjab with full passion, confidence, strength and preparations.

The minister quoted Nawaz Sharif as saying that the PML-N would stand victorious in the election.

Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah also said on Saturday that the dissolution of Punjab Assembly could not be reviewed and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was ready to go for polls.

The PML-N leader said a majority of the party leaders including Nawaz Sharif was in favour of dissolution of assemblies. He said the party had requested Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan and personally lead the election campaign in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On Friday, Rana Sanaullah had said the National Assembly, as well as the Sindh and Balochistan assemblies would complete their terms.

“With the CM’s advice of dissolution, Imran’s bandit rule has ended in Punjab,” he claimed.

Speaking at a private news channel, Rana Sanaullah said that after dissolution, elections for both the KP and Punjab assemblies would be held within 90 days.

“We will contest the elections and win,” he added.

DSP among three cops martyred in Peshawar, one in Taunsa terror attacks

PESHAWAR/LAHORE/DERA GHAZI KHAN staff report

Three policemen, including a senior officer, were killed in an attack on a station on the outskirts of Peshawar in the wee hours of Sunday while a head constable martyred and another sustained injuries during a gun attack on a Punjab Police post in border area of Taunsa area in DG Khan, the police confirmed both the incidents.

“A group of terrorists attacked Sarband police station at midnight from different sides,” Kashif Aftab Abbasi, senior superintendent of police operations, told reporters.

He added that three policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were killed while chasing the terrorists after the attack. “Terrorists used grenades, sniper rifles, and automatic weapons in the attack, and apparently the DSP was targeted by a sniper,” he said.

The proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan group, or TTP, claimed responsibility for the police station attack a day earlier and

for killing the officers.

Police launched a search operation in the area to arrest the terrorists.

The TTP has waged an insurgency in Pakistan over the past 15 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of religious laws in the

country, the release of their members who are in government custody and a reduction of military presence in the former tribal regions.

They also claimed responsibility for an attack Friday at a police checkpoint in the Taunsa district of Punjab that killed two officers.

CENTRAL GOVT DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT DETERIORATING LAW AND ORDER IN

KP: Interior Minister

Rana Sanaullah Khan said the central government was deeply concerned about deteriorating law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He criticised provincial authorities for failing to learn from previous assaults, including a militant takeover and hostage situation at a counter-terror department in the Bannu district.

“Terrorists are attacking police stations, policemen and officers are being targeted,” said Khan. “It seems that the provincial government has not learned any lesson even from Bannu CTD headquarters,” he said, referring to the counter-terror department that was seized by militants.

He claimed the provincial chief minister’s priority was politics not peace and, with even local police not safe from attacks, he asked what would happen to the safety of ordinary people.

During the last few months, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bordering Afghanistan has

again become a hotbed of militancy with increasing terrorist attacks launched by TTP. Last month, several policemen were killed in Afghanistan-based group-claimed attacks in Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, and Bannu districts.

The recent attacks are the aftermath of rescinding a fragile cease-fire between security forces and the TTP, which could last only a few months. Both sides blame each other for the violation of the cease-fire.

ACCELERATE CRACKDOWN ON TERRORISTS AND CRIMINALS INVOLVED IN ATTACKS ON POLICE TEAMS: Inspector General Police Punjab Aamir Zulfiqar Khan directed to accelerate massive crackdown under zero tolerance against terrorists and criminals involved in attacks on police teams. He emphasized upon taking terrorists as well as their facilitators to their ultimate end. The IGP directed to increase the number of personnel at police check-posts in border area and expert snipers should also be deployed along with modern resources.

LAHORE