Epaper_23-01-25 ISB

Profit

Dollar breaks shackles as exchange companies remove ‘Dollar cap’

profit report

Shahnawaz ali

Theexchange companies association of pakistan on tuesday announced that they would no longer be going forward with the “dollar cap”. in a statement, the secretary ecap Zafar paracha said that, “ the association was withdrawing the cap on the us dollar in the “nation’s interest” as the limit was causing adverse effects.” What did the ECAP say?

“as a result (of the cap), the business was shifting from official channels to the grey ones, hurting not only the reserves but also dealing losses to the exchange companies,” Zafar paracha added. he further said that once the dollar was allowed to trade at the market value, the customers would automatically shift from the grey market to the legitimate channels.

talking to profit, the chairman ecap malik bostan said that, “neither was the dollar cap yielding positive results for the exchange business nor was it proving to be beneficial for the country.” he informed that the companies had to dump a majority of their remittance earnings in the interbank

market due to high interbank demand for imports, and the open market was more keen on buying, than it was on selling.

The Regulator vs The Regulated? in an attempt to regulate the forex reserves, the state bank of pakistan suspended 11 outlets of 8 exchange companies on monday. the outlets were found guilty of hoarding dollars and violating the regulatory restrictions. however, malik bostan, chairman ecap told profit, that it was a mere coincidence for these two events to occur one after the other.

“the state bank had been informed of the decision, prior to the announcement.” malik bostan, chairman ecap told profit. talking to profit, he said that, “the regulator does not meddle in the open market rates, its only concern is to regulate the fee etc.”. he further added that the deputy governor of the state bank will be intimated with the details of this decision in a meeting that is to occur on the 25th of January. the office of the sbp’s spokesperson, however, failed to confirm the information of any such intimation.

What is Happening with the dollar rate?

the fact that there was an arbitrage left in the dollar exchange market, begs the question how that gap was created? to un-

derstand that we need to understand the exchange rate. it is now an open secret that the state bank exchange rate is understated as compared to the market value. as a result, as of right now, there are three prices for the dollar. the state bank of pakistan’s exchange rate, the exchange companies’ rate and the actual market rate, which in these particular circumstances is also called the “black market rate”. because the actual market rate is anybody’s guess.

the sbp rate hovers around 230 rupees/usd. the recognised exchange companies in a response to that, placed a dollar cap, whereby their prices were supposed to be in a prescribed range of the state bank’s rate. and the market, as it mostly is, would be determined by the market forces. with a pegged official rate, the open market rate has been considerably higher, and on the rise in the last few months.

what does this mean for the exchange rate market? this means that the demand for dollars, not just as a currency but as a store of value also increases making it, as miftah ismail calls it, “a one way bet”. people start to buy dollars as if they are a housing society’s files, and much like the former example, “dealers” erupt in every nook and cranny, looking to make pennies on the dollar (literally).this creates an even higher open market rate, creating ample room for the practice of hawala and hundi that keeps on increasing. in such a circumstance, for the open market players to have a cap on the dollar’s price would not only be detrimental, but more importantly it will increase the dollar’s rate even further.

the decision of the open market players to hence remove the cap is in response to this, not-so-sudden, realisation. what prompted this decision? a crackdown? a gap in the market? exchange companies’ business interests? the bottom line is; “their bottom-line”, if nothing else.

Pakistan, IMF start virtual negotiations to build consensus on ninth review

inconclusive but both sides will hold a virtual meeting on wednesday again.

pakistan and the international monetary fund (imf) have started virtual negotiations to build consensus on the ninth review, said a senior official of the finance ministry, on tuesday.

the pakistani team has started an exchange of information with the imf, sources added.

they said the government has communicated to the imf that it would meet the revenue target set for the current fiscal year.

in this regard, the pakistani team has stressed that the federal board of revenue (fbr) will collect rs 80-90 billion in the remaining period of financial year 2022-23 by imposing a 17% sales tax on petroleum products.

in addition, fbr also plans to impose a sales tax or increase sales tax/excise duty on beverages, and cigarettes and withdraw sales tax exemption on the import of inputs used by the export sectors.

sources said that the first session between the imf and the pakistan team remained

meanwhile, addressing the launch of a loan scheme in islamabad, prime minister shehbaz sharif on tuesday said that pakistan had given a “clear message” to the imf about the country’s desire to complete the ninth review of the $7 billion extended fund facility (eff).

“we are ready and want to sit down regarding your conditions so that it can be concluded and pakistan can move forward,” the premier added.

he stated that pakistan had been “given a clear message left and right” that the country would not be abandoned but that it was necessary for it to “stitch” the imf programme.

sharif said that the government had written to the international money lender. “i spoke to the imf managing director two weeks ago and we have proactively approached them that we want to complete the ninth review without delay so that the programme moves forward, in addition to other multilateral and bilateral programmes.”

NA without opposition as speaker ‘approves’ resignation of 43 more PTI MPs

Just a day after pakistan tehreek-i-insaf (pti) withdrew the resignations of its remaining 44 members of the national assembly whose resignations had yet to be accepted by the speaker, raja pervaiz ashraf tuesday approved the letters of an additional 43 mps, geo news reported, citing sources.

officials from the speaker’s office requesting anonymity said ashraf had approved the resignations in recent days and had already sent a summary recommending their de-notification to the election commission of pakistan (ecp).

the latest development brings the total number of opposition mps whose resignations have been accepted to 112.

the approval of the resignations comes a day after at least 45 pti mps attempted to meet the speaker in order to withdraw their resignations.

through the move, the party had aimed to appoint one of its members as the leader of the opposition in the national assembly, and asad umar, secretary general of the opposition party, said monday they had also informed speaker ashraf of the decision via email.

however, the development means that only dissident lawmakers of the party, headed by “turncoat” opposition leader raja riaz ahmed, remain in the national assembly at present.

fawad chaudhry, senior vice president of the party, tuesday said the main reason for returning to the assembly was to remove ahmed from the post since the parliament had “no importance”.

he tweeted: “right now, shehbaz sharif has lost the support of 172 members and is relying on lotas (turncoats) to save his government.”

more than 120 mps loyal to former prime minister imran khan resigned en masse on april 11, two days after he

was ousted following a contentious vote of no-confidence marred by unprobed allegations of military intervention.

former deputy speaker of the national assembly, Qasim suri — who was performing his duties as acting speaker after then-incumbent asad Qaiser’s resignation — accepted the resignation letters on april 15.

however, once ashraf was elected as the speaker, he decided to verify the resignations by interviewing lawmakers individually, but instead decided in favour of stalling the entire process by blaming it on the lawmakers’ reluctance to step down.

such situations require a lot of thought process, he had said, declaring he will not accept the resignation letters until he was completely satisfied they were not stepping down under pressure. however, last week, after khan hinted at “testing” the prime minister through a confidence vote in a tit-for-tat

iSLAMABAD Staff rePort

move similar to the one he himself had faced, ashraf accepted 35 resignations from pti lawmakers and sent the list to the commission.

PM Shehbaz says Pakistan keen to complete 9th review of IMF Programme

Struggling Fauji Foods given lifeline by SECP

As caretakers step in, contractors get shortend of stick on development projects

profit report Shahzad Paracha

INdIA INvITes CJP, FM TO sCO MeeTINgs OF FMs, ChIeF JusTICes

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

INDIAhas invited Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and Foreign Minister Bilawal BhuttoZardari to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO’s) meeting of the foreign ministers and that of the chief justices.

As per the official sources, India has sent invitation letters to the foreign minister and the chief justice of Pakistan.

It is to be noted that India is organizing chair of the SCO this year. The SCO’s

Power breakdown avertable had govt worked on governance rather than NRO-2: Omer

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Additional Secretary General Omer Ayub Khan lashed out at the imported government for the power blackout and said that this could have been averted if they had not concentrated on giving themselves an NRO-2 to end their corruption cases and worked on governance. In a statement on Tuesday, he rejected the imported government’s presser and stated that the Power Blackout yesterday was due to gross negligence. The imported government wanted to save fuel and did not have sufficient plants online to take the morning rising load. He said that the PTI government had made huge investments in the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) Systems. Omer stated that the PTI government took Transmission capacity from 17,000 MW to over 27,000 MW. He said that the PTI government had eliminated load shedding in 80% of the country except high loss feeders even during peak summer months. He said that the imported government was resorting to Load Shedding across Pakistan in winter. The basic issue is that the Imported government has bankrupted the country and run out of dollars to purchase commodities including fuel. “If the Imported government had not concentrated on giving themselves an NRO-2 of Rs 1100b and worked on governance, this could have been averted.

PTI cries foul after reports of acceptance of NA resignations surfaced

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday cried foul after reports regarding National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepting the resignations of more PTI lawmakers emerged on media

NA officials stated that Ashraf has accepted further resignations and forwarded them to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). However, there is no official confirmation on the matter. Staff RepoRt

meeting of the foreign ministers will be held in the Indian city of Goa in May this year whereas, the SCO’s meeting of the chief justices will be held in the month of March this year.

Pakistan has not yet responded to both the invitations. The decision regarding participation in the meeting to be held in India will be taken after consultation with all the stakeholders, the official sources said.

Zardari ChallEngEs ParK lanE rEfErEnCE: Meanwhile, PPP Co-Chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari challenged the Park Lane reference

under the amended NAB law.

An application filed by PPP Cochairman in an accountability court in Islamabad said that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the reference. So the court should send the reference back to NAB or exonerate him, he prayed the court.

Asif Zardari has already got relief from accountability courts in Thatta Water Supply and Rs8 billion transaction references.

In Mega Money Laundering reference case, the court had reserved judgement on Asif Zardari’s request for relief.

IHC seeks ECP’s record on scrutiny of PML-N, PPP funding Pakistan to conduct first digital population census

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday sought a complete record from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding scrutiny of the funding of Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Farrukh Habib seeking early scrutiny of the two parties funding. Aima Anwar Khan, the counsel for the petitioner, stated that the court had sought the record from the ECP during the last hearing.

The ECP’s Director General Law requested the court to grant more time for

the purpose as the Commission was engaged in the election matters.

The chief justice questioned what were the engagements of ECP as it was not even holding local government elections in the Federal Capital.

The DG Law replied that the ECP was making preparations for LG polls in the Capital, while three National Assembly seats from Islamabad had also been vacated. The court then adjourned the case till February 7, instructing the DG Law to come up with the complete record of the two parties funding on that date. Verdict in petition in female judge threat case

Meanwhile, an additional district and sessions court Tuesday reserved verdict on Imran Khan’s petition seeking exemption from court appearance in a

case pertaining to hurling threat at female judge Zeba Chaudhry during a PTI public rally last year.

Judge Rana Mujahid Raheem heard the petition filed by Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan.

TDuring the hearing, PTI Chief Imran Khan did not appear before the court. Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi requested the court to issue non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran.

However, Imran’s lawyer Naeem Haider submitted an application on behalf of the PTI chief seeking the latter’s exemption from court appearance on medical grounds for today.

The judge inquired from the lawyer where his power of attorney was. The lawyer replied that he came to know about the court notice yesterday night.

Planned population census may delay elections of Punjab, KP assemblies

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The election of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies likely to be delayed the new housing and population census is completed.

According to sources, the government has been considering over delay in the “elections and by-elections” of the two provincial assemblies until results of the new housing and population census are compiled. It is to be mentioned here that the new housing and population census is scheduled to be started from February 1st, which will continue till March 31. “The results of new census will be released in April this year,” sources informed.

The sources claimed that the

government wants to refer the issue of postponing the elections to the court, with a view to avoid backlash.

Recently, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal had said that general elections in Pakistan are only possible after the population census and consequent delimitation of the constituencies.

“Imran Khan himself had decided in the meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) in April 2021, that the new elections would be held only after new population census,” Iqbal said.

He said that the census results would be published by April 30, following which the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will start delimitation exercise which will take up to four months to be completed.

ECP rEviEws PrEParations for Punjab and KP ElECtions: The Election Commission of Pakistan

In this regard, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja chaired a meeting wherein he was briefed that the election commission has completed preparations for electoral material, polling stations and voter lists.

The session was informed that the electoral body was prepared to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The meeting decided to contact governors of the two provinces to fix polling date for election in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Torture incident: Lahore school expels victim amoung five students

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

A private school in Lahore expelled five students, including the victim of bullying, after a video of the girl being tortured by her classmates went viral on social media, prompting authorities to take notice and launch an investigation.

According to police officials, the school management did not cooperate with the police and refused to provide the CCTV footage of the incident to the investigating officer. However, the statements of four eyewitnesses were recorded. The seven accused named in the case of violence against the student include the principal Bilal and canteen employee Nasir, among others. A five-member committee was also formed by the education department to investigate the matter. The video footage, which was shared numerous times on Twitter on Friday, shows two to three teenage girls holding the alleged victim by the hair and pinning her to the ground.

The girls could be heard verbally abusing the alleged

victim and telling her to “say sorry”.

Another girl could be seen recording a video of the episode on her mobile phone.

The official accounts of the Capital City Police Lahore and the Punjab Police had responded to the video shared

on Twitter, saying a case was registered and that an investigation was launched into the incident.

The first information report (FIR) was registered on the complaint of the victim’s father. According to the FIR, the complainant has said that her daughter was beaten by three of her class fellows at a private school located in DHA Phase 4 Lahore. The father claimed in the FIR that his daughter’s class fellows were drug addicts and were “forcing my daughter into the drug culture which compelled me to send a video of her doing drugs to her father”. “In order to take revenge from my daughter, they assaulted her on the 16th of January, 2023,” the complainant states in the FIR. The victim’s father claimed that the girls “tried to strangle my daughter and stabbed her with knives multiple times. They also stole her gold jewellery worth 1.5 tola”. According to the victim’s father, the videos have been recorded and shared on social media by a few people witnessing and recording the incident, and he has sought the Federal Investigation Department’s help in this regard as well.

ISLAMABAD Xinhua

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) is preparing to conduct the country’s first-ever digital population and housing census later this year, which would also be the seventh overall census of the country. The PBS told Xinhua on Tuesday that the bureau had completed a 15-day training of over 121,000 census enumerators at 992 centres across the country, which concluded on Saturday. “With the help of modern technology and accurate results, the digital census will inform important decisions about the population, leading to equal opportunities in jobs and access to resources across Pakistan,” said the bureau, adding the census will be conducted in two phases, including online self-enumeration followed by field enumeration. The bureau has also urged the people to participate in the census, saying “be a responsible citizen and play your role in building a brighter tomorrow for you and Pakistan.”

Project launched for evaluation of placer gold deposits in Indus River

ATTOCK Staff RepoRt

The Punjab Mines and Minerals Department, in collaboration with the Geological Survey of Pakistan, on Tuesday launched a project for possible evaluation of placer gold deposits in the Indus River in District Attock .

Additional Secretary Mines and Minerals department Punjab Captain (Retd) Waqas Rasheed along with officials of the Geological Survey of Pakistan and Punjab Mines and Minerals department visited the site of the project in River Indus at Attock Kurd.

Pakistani singers celebrate Chinese New Year

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistani singers enthralled the audience of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad here late Tuesday to celebrate Chinese New Year 2023 at Pak China Friendship Centre. The show Happy Chinese New Year 2023 – Year of Rabbit and the Spring Festival Musical evening was organized by China Media Group. Special Assistant to Prime Minister, Zafruddin Mehmood was the chief guest on the occasion, who termed the event a token of celebration between Pakistan and China and said that such events are the opportunity to boost people to people contacts and strengthen cultural ties between two brotherly countries. Singers including Syed Asim Raza, Adil Khan, Waqas Ali, Seher Gul Khan, Alizeh Khan and Naseer Khawaja mesmerized the audience including Chinese community with popular melodies who joined them in singing and dancing. Meanwhile, China Cultural Center in Pakistan has launched series of activities to grandly celebrate the 2023 Happy Chinese New Year, the celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 5, 2023.Chinese New Year is also known as Spring Festival.

(ECP) on Tuesday considered over preparations for the elections and byelection of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.

COuRT ReseRves veRdICT ON LNg ReFeReNCe AgAINsT shAhId KhAqAN AbbAsI, OTheRs

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

An accountability court on Tuesday reserved verdict on the LNG Reference filed against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others. Former PM Abbasi and co-accused appeared in the court hearing.

Earlier, counsel of Abdul Samad Dawood, a coaccused in the case, in his arguments said that a board comprised of 13 members decided to give the tender. “The LSA process began after completion of the bidding,” defence counsel said.

“The cases were cooked up on political grounds,” Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the court. “See where the country is standing today,” he said.

“I have filed petition in Islamabad High Court to know what charges are against me,” Abbasi said. “Mr. Abbasi appeared before the court in each hearing and attend the proceedings,” NAB prosecutor said.

“No witness informed what allegations were against me,” former prime minister said. “I have been dragged in the case for last four year,” he lamented.

“I have sold a car a person four years ago but could not got time to transfer the vehicle on his name,” Abbasi said. lng

rEfErEnCE

Ex-PM Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haq, ex-

Caretaker Punjab CM decides new postings

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin Raza Naqvi has decided to replace officers serving in province’s important positions. According to details, the Caretaker Punjab CM issued instructions to Chief Secretary Punjab, directing the latter to change officers serving in province’s important positions. Media reports said that Mohsin Naqvi also issued instructions to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in this regard. “Appointments and transfers will be done in the light of Election Commission’s guidelines”, the caretaker CM said. It is pertinent to mention here that the caretaker Punjab CM removed Ghulam Mahmood Dogar from the post of Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) and as convener of Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted to investigate the attack on Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

New Punjab chief secretary assumes office

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

In a latest development, Zahid Akhtar Zaman, a senior civil servant, has assumed the role of chief secretary of Punjab. Mr. Zahid Akhtar Zaman belongs to the 24th Common of Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and has vast experience in the field of administration. Prior to his posting as the Chief Secretary Punjab, he was serving as Senior Member Board of Revenue. He previously served as a senior member of the Board of Revenue, additional chief secretary (ACS) for South Punjab, secretary of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, and director general of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). Abdullah Sumbal, Zaman’s predecessor, has been reassigned to the Establishment Division. Floods destroy 235 trout hatcheries in Swat PESHAWAR: Last year’s floods destroyed 235 hatcheries of trout fish in different areas of the Swat district, inflicting a loss of around Rs 1100 million to the business of one of the favourite menu items in the region, said the President of Swat Trout Fish Farm Association, Mutawakkal Khan. While talking to media on Tuesday, he said, the floods in Swat, totally destroyed 200 trout fish farms and restaurants attached to this business while 35 farms sustained heavy damages. He said hundreds of workers of trout fish hatcheries were rendered jobless due to flood devastations while people associated with the supply of the fish to the other districts also lost their jobs. He said from these hatcheries trout fish were being supplied to the markets in the rest of the country however due to the destruction of the trout fish sector in Swat, the supply of these fish has reached a minimum level and its price skyrocketed.

Mobile phone industry to get boost under CPEC: Murtaza

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Federal Minister for Industry and Production, Makhdoom Murtaza Mahmud on Tuesday said that the mobile phone manufacturing industry would flourish more under the second phase of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He said that the country was passing through a hard time, but it was everyone’s responsibility, including politicians, the private sector and

stakeholders to work together, adding that mobile manufacturing was a new industry, therefore, they were facing difficulties. He was addressing a summit titled “Mobile Device Manufacturing” organised by the Engineering Development Board (EDB) and Pakistan Mobile Phone Manufacturing Association (PMPMA). Mahmud said that by improving the mobile industry, the country’s needs could be fulfilled from domestic production.

He said that the devaluation of the

rupee had reduced labour costs and added that the export could be increased by enhancing mobile manufacturing.

He said that Pakistan will come out of these situations in the short term, but “we have to make a longterm policy”.

Meanwhile, Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Production Imdadullah Bosal highlighted that in 2020, a policy was launched to increase the production and half the journey had been completed while half was left.

Kohat Cement Company announces five million share buyback

COnTInuD fROM BACK PAgE

In 2022, many major companies on the PSX announced share buybacks. The share prices of many profitable and established companies took a huge hit which made their valuations attractive. But due to a lack of institutional and foreign investors in the market, the sponsors of these companies decided to take advantage of the decline in share prices and buy back their own companies’ shares. It started with NETSOL in May (two million), followed by Maple Leaf Cement (25 million), then Lucky Cement (10 million), JDW Sugar Mills (two million), then BAFL (200 million), and finally ENGRO (70 million).

We wrote a featured piece for the Profit magazine at the end of last year titled ‘2022: the year of share buybacks’. The article predicted that “it might even be the case that the buybacks have only just started, and next year in 2023 we may see even more buybacks than the ones we saw in 2022. Time will tell.” It seems the KOHC buy-back is the continuation of the buy-backs we saw last year.

Corporate History

KOHC was incorporated in 1980 and is one of the leading cement manufacturing companies of Pakistan. It has an annual capacity of 4.78 Million tonnes of Grey Clinker and 135 thousand tonnes of White Clinker. The company’s registered office and the factory are located in Kohat, whereas the Head Office is located in Lahore. ANS Capital (Private) Limited is the holding company of the Company.

In 1994, KOHC was listed on the stock exchanges of

Pakistan and an initial public offer was made in which 2,193,334 ordinary shares were issued to the general public at a price of Rs 52 per share. The new management headed by Aizaz Sheikh (CEO) undertook an extensive BMR programme in 1995 funded by proceeds of a public offering and a commercial debt.

The company has been in expansion mode since then and has timely converted to coal firing, established a white cement plant of 450 TPD production capacity, set up a new grey cement line of 6,700 TPD capacity and also established a standby power plant of 22.4 MW capacity. In 2002, KOHC also entered into foreign export markets in addition to the domestic markets.

The company has total ordinary shares of 200,861,297. Its market capitalisation is Rs 26.87 billion. Its free float shares, which are the actual number of shares traded on the PSX, are 60,258,389 or 30% of the total paid-up capital of the company.

For the financial year ended June 2022, KOHC posted a 37% yearly increase in net sales to Rs 32,877 million. Its gross profit increased by 64% to Rs 9,812 million. Its operating profit registered an impressive 75% increase to reach Rs 9,463 million. And finally, its net profit after tax increased by 44% to Rs 5,024 million. This net profit growth would have been almost 70% if not for the 10% super tax imposed on corporations’ income by the new government last year.

On Tuesday, the day of the buy-back notice, KOHC’s share price hit the upper cap of 7.5% and closed at Rs 133.78 per share.

struggling Fauji Foods given lifeline by seCP

COnTInuD fROM BACK PAgE

The Fauji Foundation shareholder loan to FFL is meant to enable it to meet its working capital requirements. The loan is interest free for a period of two years after which it will carry mark-up at the rate of 6 Month Kibor +2%, according to the announcement to the PSX. Fauji Foundation also has the option to convert this loan into equity capital at any time. In addition to this, another notification announced that assistance was also coming in the form of an agreement with Remount Veterinary Farms Corps (RVFC), to provide 1,250 tonnes of skimmed milk powder for the year 2022-23, according to an announcement on the PSX website posted last week. This, of course, is not the first time something like this has happened. The FFL has made a habit of needing the army to bail it out. The assistance from the RVFC is no different, since RVFC in Pakistan was established by the army college of veterinary sciences some 30 years ago. This contract, according to the announcement, is supposed to help grow both revenues and profit.

EgM decisions: The EGM on October 18th, 2022, gave its approval for the new share issue pending approval from the SECP. Now the SECP has finally given the green light to FFL to raise more equity in order to save its bleeding business.

It is interesting to note here that two new subsidiaries of the Fauji Group, namely FPCL and FFCEL, are investing 8.65 billion PKR into FFL. This suggests that the Fauji group’s problem child has become so big of a burden that it now needs the support of the remaining members of the business conglomerate as well.

Even though the company has not disclosed its financial results for the year ended December 2022, the company is again expected to post a negative net profit of at least Rs 2 billion, judging by the losses incurred in the first three quarters of the previous year. The share price of FFL increased by 4.09% during the Tuesday trading session to close Rs 4.58.

Year’s first poliovirus sample detected in Lahore’s sewage

LAHORE newS DeSk

The virus detected in Lahore’s Gulshan-e-Ravi has links to a poliovirus found in Nangarhar, Afghanistan last November, the Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health said in a statement on Tuesday. Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are together in their fight against polio.

“While the isolation of the virus is a cause of concern, it is excellent to note that it was detected promptly. This timely detection of the virus in the environment is crucial to protecting children from being paralyzed by the poliovirus.” The nationwide immunisation campaign that concluded on January 20 vaccinated children in the Lahore division, while additional campaigns will also be conducted in February and March to address the outbreak. Dr Shahzad Baig, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), said this is not unexpected since Pakistan and Afghanistan are considered as one epidemiological block in which poliovirus move across borders because there is widespread population movement. “In the past year, we have worked very closely with the Afghanistan programme and treat the virus in either country as our own. Neither Pakistan nor Afghanistan can be free of polio until both countries can interrupt transmission,” Dr Baig said. “The only way to stop the virus in its tracks is to vaccinate all children under the age of five. It is critically important that parents and caregivers, particularly in Lahore, ensure that their child is vaccinated in the February round,” Minister Patel added.

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to approach the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to stop the transfers and postings of 18 officers.

It was learnt that PTI would ask the electoral watchdog to stop appointments of officers who

allegedly had inclination towards the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and were involved in the May 25 crackdown on the PTI long march. The PTI, in its plea, would request the ECP that officers with alleged tainted reputation not be appointed in the caretaker set-up in Punjab. The election commission on Monday barred the caretaker government from

notifying transfers and carrying out new development projects in the province.

Meanwhile, the caretaker government has been directed to take back public protocol cars from the outgoing chief minister and ensure vacation of government residence, hostels and rest houses which were allotted to the previous administration.

chairperson of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Uzma Adil and others are named in the reference.

The court had indicted all the accused in the case. They pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges.

Subsequently, the court directed the NAB prosecution to furnish evidence to back up the charges against them.

Former PM Abbasi is accused of awarding an LNG Terminal-I contract to a firm at Port Qasim Karachi, at exorbitant rates.

PTI to file a petition against transfers, postings

Kashmiris to observe india’s republic day as blacK day

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

KASHMIRISon both sides of the Line of Control and the world over will observe India’s Republic Day, the 26th of January, on Thursday as Black Day to impress upon the world to take notice of New Delhi’s continued denial of right to self-determination to the Kashmiri people.

Call for the observance of the Black Day has been given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, according to the Kashmir Media Service (KMS).

The day will be marked as a black day in occupied Kashmir, Azad Kashmir and

abroad with anti-India demonstrations and rallies being held in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and world capitals to give a strong message to the world that India is a usurper in the occupied territory.

People through statements, massage and posters, by Sadai Mazloom, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Movement, Tehreek-e-Azadi Jammu and Kashmir, and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Alliance, Jammu and Kashmir Political Resistance Movement and Youth Freedom Fighter in Srinagar, and others areas of the valley asked to boycott all Indian official celebrations and hoist black flags on the rooftops of their houses, shops and

other buildings. The posters continue to surface since last one week in different places of the territory.

The APHC reiterated its call for imposing civil curfew in every nook and corner of the territory. It castigated India for unleashing a reign of terror, repression, frequent cordon and search operations, random arrests and restricting businesses and social activities.

Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party led by jailed leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah also appealed to the Kashmiris living all over the world to observe Indian “Republic Day” as Black Day. “The country that is grossly involved in death and destruction in Kash-

mir and holding millions of Kashmiris hostage at the gunpoint has no right whatsoever to observe Republic Day, while on the other hand India government has deprived Kashmiris of their basic rights,” the DFP said.

Other Hurriyat organizations including Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League and Democratic Political Movement said that the presence of Indian troops in IIOJK is illegal, illegitimate and unconstitutional and is clear violation of International Law. Therefore, by no law all over the world or morals can justify the presence of Indian troops in IIOJK, they argued.

New CCPO Lahore assumes office

RepoRt

Additional IG Bilal Siddique Kamyana on Tuesday assumed the charge of the post of Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore after his notification was issued by the Punjab government the last day.

Bilal Siddique Kamyana, an old Ravian belonging to Sahiwal, has already worked as CCPO Lahore last year.

Additional IG Bilal Siddique Kamyana belonged to 24th Common of Police Service of Pakistan and has served at key posts as RPO Faisalabad and Sheikhupura regions, CPO Rawalpindi, DPO Sialkot, Narowal and Okara, DIG R&D CPO, DIG SPU, SSP CTD, Intelligence Bureau and other high ranks of Headquarters and field formations of Police department.

Bilal Siddique Kamyana, has also

experience of working in provincial metropolis as SP in Operations, Investigation and Security wings.

CCPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana on his arrival at Capital City Police Headquarters, was welcomed by SSP Admin Atif Nazir and other senior police officers who presented him bouquet.

Bilal Siddique Kamyana was presented guard of honor by a fresh contingent of police personnel on his arrival.

After assuming charge of the post, the CCPO has committed to resolve the problems of citizens by providing justice to them at Police Stations.

“Maintenance of law and order, free registration of FIRs, merit based transparent investigation along with crime control would be my top priorities”, he added.

He said that he would take all possible measures for the welfare of Police officers and officials along with families of

the martyrs. He said, he would utilize all resources to give relief to the people along with chalking out a comprehensive plan to improve the morale of the Police forces and build positive image of the department as well as improve the conditions of the Police Stations.

“It would be our mission to make Lahore the center of peace so that people could spend their life calmly with complete sense of protection” Bilal Siddique Kamyana vowed.

The culture of public friendly police would be promoted so that people could visit police stations for the rederessal of their grievances without any fear and hesitation, he added.

“Projects related to IT, public friendly approach of Police and community policing will be continued and further improved to ensure protection of life and property of people according to our agenda,” he concluded.

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Justice Sardar Tariq Masood has recused himself from an in-chamber hearing on appeals against the Registrar Office’s objections on petitions seeking an investigation into a cipher presented by former prime minister Imran Khan as evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” to oust him.

The hearing, which was scheduled for Tuesday, was set to review petitions filed by Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Syed Tariq Badar and Naeem ul-Hasan last year, calling for the formation of

a “high-powered commission” to probe the alleged “foreign conspiracy.”

The petitions had named the federation of Pakistan through the law and justice secretary, the prime minister, and the cabinet secretary as respondents in the case.

However, the applications were earlier returned over objections by the Registrar’s Office and were subsequently challenged by the petitioners.

During the hearing, Justice Masood decided to recuse himself and sent the petitions back to the top judge for further investiga-

tion. In a dramatic turn of events, Khan claimed at a rally in March of last year that he had evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” to oust his government. He brandished a letter, the contents of which he had previously kept secret, but later alleged that the United States was behind the conspiracy.

Khan’s accusations were based on a cipher received from Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Asad Majeed Khan, in which the envoy reported a meeting with Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu.

Quality assurance test in more than 7,000 peF schools

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The managing director of the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), Manzar Javed Ali, has approved a major Quality Assurance Test (QAT) to be conducted in over 7,000 schools across Punjab. The QAT will be administered to 326,167 students enrolled in PEF-partnered schools under the Foundation Assisted Schools (FAS), Education Voucher Scheme (EVS), and New School Program (NSP). The testing will take place until February 15. According to PEF, the QAT of 14,987 students from 346 PEF-partnered schools in the districts of Mandi Bahauddin and Sahiwal has already been completed, and the QAT of 18,747 students from 411 partner schools in Bhakkar, Gujarat, Multan, Pakpattan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, and Sialkot will be completed today. The QAT is an annual event organized by the PEF administration to assess the academic quality of PEF-partnered schools. It is crucial for the continuation of payments to these schools. In the case of a failing QAT score for the first time, a warning will be given to the school. A second failure will result in a 50 percent reduction in payments to the school, and a third failure will result in the termination of the partnership. PEF partners are urged to pay close attention to the education and academic progress of all students in their schools throughout the year to ensure a high standard of education is maintained.

survey: 93pc people support ban on cigarette sale

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The findings of a study showed that a staggering 93 percent of people agreed that the sale of cigarettes should be banned. A Gallup and Gilani Pakistan survey reported that a nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the country was asked the following question: “Do you think the sale of cigarettes should be banned?” In response to this question, 93 percent replied yes while 7 percent responded no. The rural-urban breakdown for the responses stated that 3 percent more people from urban areas stand for banning the sale of cigarettes, the report added. An analysis of the provincial breakdown shows that the highest percentage of people who opt for a ban on cigarette sale belongs to Punjab and Sindh as 94 percent of people from both parts said yes. Meanwhile, 93 percent of respondents from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presented the same reply. Balochistan recorded the lowest percent among the provinces as 87 percent said the sale of cigarettes should be banned, according to the survey.

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

On the orders of Punjab Ombudsman retired Maj. Azam Suleman Khan, the Punjab Benevolent Fund has released the long overdue educational scholarships, and farewell, marriage and burial grants worth Rs3.1 million to 59 applicants from various districts.

A spokesman of the Office of the agency reported this in a statement issued on Tuesday.

In a separate development, the Local Government and Community Development Department (LG&CD) has devised and distributed new two-factor authentication-based standard operating

procedures among all union councils to ensure the foolproof safety of public records and that public information cannot be illegally changed in government offices, the spokesman stated.

This step has been taken on the complaint of a Lahore-based woman who approached the ombudsman’s office to declare the fake divorce certificate null and void. The ombudsman took strict notice of it and directed the LG&CD secretary to constitute an investigation committee and take concrete measures to secure the safety of public data and civil registration vital statistics, stored in the government system, cannot be illegally altered, the spokesman

stated. The LG&CD department has informed the Office of the Ombudsman that a two-factor authentication system has been introduced to further strengthen the government system.

Meanwhile, a high-level inquiry committee has proposed to the federal higher education commission that the irregularity of admissions in unapproved courses should be monitored. This step has been taken in response to the complaint of one Umar Yusuf of Gujranwala who approached the ombudsman office for the issuance of a DMLS degree, the spokesman noted.

Alongside this, the Narowal police have informed the ombudsman office that the one-year service of

sub-inspector Ghulam Hydari has been forfeited for non-filing/delay in registration of the case. This action has been taken on the orders of the ombudsman office on a complaint of Muhammad Ahsan of Narowal, the spokesman said.

Similarly, the spokesman added that the involvement of the ombudsman office has resulted in the payment of Rs144,500 as 10 percent compensation for the loss of the original file of a vehicle to Muhammad Zubair of Multan.

Secretary Union Council Pindi Kalu has also been suspended under PEEDA Act, 2006 for issuing a duplicate birth certificate without a record, added the spokesman.

LAHORE Staff

Supreme Court judge recuses himself from hearing on cipher probe Rs3.1m benevolent grant released after ombudsman’s involvement

corporate corner US SEEKS STAbILITY IN S. ASIA, vIEWS

ISLAMABAD Staff report

INa press briefing on Monday, a spokesperson of the US State Department emphasized the United States’ stance on regional stability in South Asia and reiterated that the dialogue between Pakistan and India is a matter for the two countries to resolve.

Ned Price’s statement comes in response to recent calls from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for serious and sincere talks with his Indian counterpart, Narendra

Modi, to address issues such as the conflict in occupied Kashmir.

“My message to the Indian leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is let’s sit down at the table and have serious and sincere talks to resolve our burning issues, like Kashmir,” Sharif said in an interview with Al Arabiya news channel, telecast by staterun Pakistan Television last week.

However, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) later clarified that talks with India can only take place after India reverses its actions in the Muslim-majority state of Indian-occupied Kashmir.

‘Travel & Adventure Show’ in New York to showcase Pakistan’s tourism potential

ISLAMABAD Staff report

The Pakistan Tourism Development Cooperation (PTDC) along with other provincial and regional partners will showcase Pakistan’s rich tourism potential at the two-day “Travel and Adventure Show New York,” to be held from January 28.

According to an official source, six provincial and regional tourism departments, 20 private tour operators and hospitality companies will take part in the show, and highlight the country’s rich tourism potential for the world.

“The provincial departments taking part in the event will include Sindh Tourism Development Corporation (STDC), Tourism Development Cooperation of Punjab (TDCP), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cultural and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), Culture and Tourism Department Gilgit-Baltistan (CTDGB) and Tourism Department of Balochistan”, the source said. At the outset, the Pakistani delegation will also participate in other sideline meetings to promote Pakistan as a tourist destination in the North American market.

“The event will provide an opportunity to showcase the great potential of Pakistan tourism industry and create linkages with the leading international players of tourism industry which will greatly help attract more tourists”, the source added.

Election for Karachi mayor likely in three months: ECP

KARACHI Staff report

The election commissioner of Sindh said the election for the office of mayor of Karachi is likely to take two to three months as the commission is still compiling the final results of the local government election. While talking to a TV station, Ejaz Anwar Chauhan said the compilation process of the polls is completed up to 80 percent. He added the final party position will be completed by Wednesday.

He said the party position will be finalised after removing the flaws and the recounting of seats.

Chauhan said that the commission held polls on 235 out of 246 union councils (UCs).

The provincial election commission said that the new schedule for the elections on the remaining UCs will be announced soon. He said the elections for the mayor and deputy mayor will be held after the completion of the quorum.

In the interview, Sharif also said he had taken up the issue with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on his recent visit to the oil-rich sheikhdom.

“He’s a brother of Pakistan. He also has good relations with India. He can play a very important role to bring the two countries on the talking table,” Sharif had said.

Price also emphasised the US’ desire for constructive relations with Pakistan and any elected government in Pakistan, but noted Washington evaluates governments based on the policies they pursue.

Son of former Punjab governor Khosa wounded in Lahore shooting

LAHORE Staff report

In a shocking turn of events, Balkh Sher Khosa, the son of former Punjab governor Latif Khosa and a Supreme Court lawyer, was shot and injured by unidentified armed men in Lahore on Monday night.

The incident occurred outside the gates of the Punjab University, where Khosa had been visiting clients.

According to eyewitnesses, two unidentified motorcyclists sprayed bullets at Khosa’s car as he was leaving the university. Despite being injured, Khosa was able to drive himself to a nearby hospital for treatment. The attackers fled the scene and have yet to be apprehended by police.

Khosa, Balkh Sher’s father, spoke to the media about the incident and expressed his concerns about the state of law and order in

the provincial capital. He said he had discussed the matter with interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and provincial police chief Amir Zulfiqar, and the attack may have been motivated by someone seeking to settle a score.

The exact reason for the attack is not yet known, but it has raised serious concerns about the safety of citizens in Lahore and the ability of the police to maintain order in the city.

Trans fat contamination threatens health of Pakistanis, warns WHO

ISLAMABAD

Five billion people are exposed to higher heart disease risks through trans fat, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, calling out countries that have failed to act against the toxic substance.

The WHO issued an appeal in 2018 for the industrially produced fatty acids in foods to be eliminated worldwide by 2023 amid evidence it caused 500,000 premature deaths every year.

Although 43 countries with combined populations of 2.8 billion people have now implemented best-practice policies, the other five billion plus people on the planet remain unprotected, the UN’s health agency said.

It said Egypt, Australia and South Korea are among countries that have not enacted such policies and have particularly high rates of heart disease from trans fat.

The solidified oil that clogs up arteries around the heart is often used in packaged foods, baked goods, cooking oils and spreads like margarine.

“Trans fat is a toxic chemical that kills, and should have no place in the food,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said amid the release of the annual progress report. “It’s time to get rid of it once and for all.”

He added the substance carries “huge health risks that incur huge costs for health systems.”

Urgent action call: Food producers use trans fat because they have a longer shelf life and are cheaper than some alternatives.

Best practice on eliminating trans fat means either a mandatory national limit of two grammes of industrially-produced trans fat per 100 grammes of total fat in all foods; or a national ban on the production or use of partially-hydrogenated oils, which are a major source of trans fat.

The WHO said that nine of the 16 countries with the highest estimated proportion of coronary heart disease deaths caused by trans fat intake were not implementing best-practice policies.

They are Australia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan and South Korea.

Francesco Branca, the WHO’s nutrition and food safety director, called on those countries to take “urgent action”.

60 nations now had trans fat elimination policies, covering 3.4 billion people or 43 percent of the world’s population.

Of those countries, 43 are implementing best practice standards, largely in Europe and the Americas. However, such standards have yet to be adopted by low-income countries.

“There are some regions of the world which do not believe the problem is there,” Branca told reporters, insisting that it is “easy for them to take action to prevent these products being dumped onto them.” ‘no excUse’

The non-profit organisation Resolve to Save Lives partnered with the WHO to produce the report.

“There’s simply no excuse for any country not taking action to protect their people from this artificial toxic chemical,” said its president Tom Frieden, a former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Only your heart will know the difference. You can eliminate artificial trans fat without changing the cost, taste or the availability of great food.”

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. An estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2019, of which 85 percent were due to heart attacks and strokes.

Eliminating trans fats is seen as an easy way to reduce the numbers.

Frieden said global elimination was within reach, pointing to big countries like Nigeria and Mexico moving towards the finish line.

“We’re optimistic that the world can make trans fat history,” he said.

Ibrahim Murad Calls for Investing in People through Quality Education

lahore: University of Management and Technology President Ibrahim Hasan Murad said on the occasion of International Day of Education that this day is celebrated to further the role of education for peace and development. He emphasized investing in people through prioritizing quality education.

Ibrahim Murad said we need to focus on inclusive, equitable quality education opportunities in order to succeed in achieving gender equality and eradicate poverty from the country. He stressed that the government should support educational transformation essential to deliver the basic right of education for all. He also demanded the provision of an innovative educational environment for children with disabilities and scholarships for the marginalized. pr

Law enforcers devise joint strategy to enhance security of twin cities

islamabad: The first high-level security coordination meeting was held at Safe City Islamabad which was attended by the heads of all law enforcement agencies of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.In the meeting, a joint strategy was prepared regarding the security of the twin cities. According to details, the first high-level joint security coordination meeting was held in Safe City Islamabad on Tuesday and heads of all law enforcement agencies of Rawalpindi and Islamabad attended the meeting.A joint strategy was prepared regarding the security of the twin cities in the meeting and all the participants of the meeting agreed to strengthen mutual cooperation.It was decided in the meeting to activate all the checkpoints in the twin cities and increase checking and security within both cities and also at the entry as well as exit points. pr

Regional Tax Office

Rawalpindi Confiscates Non-Duty Paid Cartons of Cigarettes Worth Millions

Upon receipt of credible information, Inland Revenue Squad of Enforcement Network (IREN) of Regional Tax Office (RTO) Rawalpindi confiscated scores of non-duty paid cartons of cigarettes worth millions of rupees in two different raids.

In the first incident, IREN Squad intercepted a truck on GT Road in Sohawa District, Jhelum, carrying non-duty paid 70 cartons (700,000 sticks) of local brand cigarettes. The illegal stock of cigarettes involving tax evasion of approximately Rs. 1.9 Million was confiscated and transferred to a warehouse in Jhelum as no documents/invoices were produced to establish that the cigarettes were duty paid. pr

ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION

Harm reduction refers to a set of strategies to minimise the risks associated with their behaviour. However, it does not completely eliminate the risks. Through harm-reduction techniques, one can limit the impact their choices have on themself, others, society at large, and the environment.

If you look at electric vehicles these days, like their petrol-powered predecessors, they transport people from point A to point B but emit significantly fewer emissions. This means that it’s serving the same purpose as a regular car but with minimal risk i.e lesser emissions.

Harm reduction works in the same way with regard to tobacco and is referred

to as Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR).

Just like emissions from burning fossils have long been a problem faced by the planet, the use of combustible tobacco is also a cause of concern.

There have been several THR strategies in place to reduce the risk of harm associated with the consumption of combustible tobacco products. And while the best option is to quit tobacco use altogether, the journey to complete abstinence can be long, difficult and at times prove impossible.

Over the years, governments all over the world introduced several measures to deal with the health impact of combustible cigarettes. One of them is THR which refers to

reducing the risk of harm associated with the behaviour of smoking combustible products. THR acknowledges that eliminating exposure to tobacco altogether would lead to the greatest reduction in harm. However, its users may not always be able to or willing to quit. This is why THR then focuses on minimising the risks associated with the consumption of combustible products.

It is a well-known fact that people smoke to obtain nicotine but the combustion of tobacco is one of the most harmful ways to obtain it. When burned, tobacco releases nicotine along with many other chemicals. These chemicals contain several toxicants which cause harm to one’s body and the en-

vironment. THR advocates for a healthy future for consumers by providing them with potentially less harmful alternatives. These potentially reduced-risk alternatives help consumers of combustible tobacco to switch entirely to products that deliver nicotine in a manner that can be 90% less harmful.

According to a brief published by WHO Europe, there is conclusive evidence which says that completely substituting electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems for combustible tobacco cigarettes reduces users’ exposure to numerous toxicants and carcinogens present in combustible tobacco cigarettes.

But tobacco harm reduction strategies are often met with hostility due to a lack of

information and understanding of the concept and strategies involved. It is important to understand that switching to potentially reduced-risk alternatives that come under the THR strategy has greater benefits for adult recalcitrant smokers, society at large and the environment. It’s high time that we look at consumers of combustible tobacco products with compassion and greater understanding.

If you want to learn more about these potentially less risky alternatives, stay tuned for our next article which will focus on how Tobacco Harm Reduction has emerged as a global public health agenda and how different countries have successfully embraced it with extremely encouraging results.

Power breakdown

iT isn’t the first timethat a ‘technical fault’ in one section of the country’s electricity infrastructure has had a cascading effect causing the entire grid to shut down, resulting in a nationwide power outage. A less severe and more limited blackout took place recently in October under the PmL(N), owing to the same reasons being explained currently by related ministers and senior members of the party. The latest one lasted for considerably longer, well over 12 hours and at time of writing had not been fully resolved. That the underlying issue that led to this has been identified as a failure of the transmission framework, serious questions arise over its reliability, efficiency and upkeep. Although the crippling energy shortfall problem was addressed by the PmL(N) back in 2013 when excess capacity was installed under various development projects, a substandard and unreliable transmission network remained largely unaddressed. This much was confirmed by State minister Senator musadik malik as he defended his party over the ongoing blackout. The PTi has meanwhile had a field day during the crisis, comparing its response time to its own blackout early last year, with some going as far as to insinuate that there was an element of intentionality to the breakdown so that ‘scarce furnace oil could be conserved’. Yes, such outlandish conspiracy theorizing is right up PTi’s alley, but one cannot ignore how quickly this notion caught traction on social media and messaging groups, pointing towards a particularly worrying problem for the ruling party; it seems many do not feel very ‘energy-secure’ in the current economic climate. internet memes suggesting the same through humour further built the case against confidence in the government’s ability to stabilize the economy.

What perhaps made matter even worse was the messaging by energy minister Khurram Dastagir Khan. his explanation thatin winters ‘we turn everything off at night’ and then ‘turn it on in the morning’, but ‘this morning it didn’t start back up correctly’ is comedic, overly simplistic and frankly unbecoming of a trained engineer who could have chosen a more articulate way of explaining what had happened. That he followed this up with the announcement that a separate investigation was ongoing in to the possibility of a ‘foreign power’ hacking into our energy system and compromising it was not only embarrassing but irresponsible, providing no useful information to the public, just creating unnecessary panic and controversy.

This current episode may have happened on the PmL(N)’s watch, and there was a bungling of the immediate response, but that is not where the responsibility solely lies. All those governments of the past and present that have left the transmission infrastructure broadly unattended with no upgrades are to blame. With no investment of time and money in the energy delivery aspect of providing electricity, there will always be risk of similar countrywide blackouts that last hours on end. Unfortunately, no such work can start without a government that has a full mandate and an economy that is not on the brink of collapse.

American Democracy at Risk

minority, to engage in constructive dialogue to find compromise solutions to problems facing the society as a whole. This is the essence of democracy.

A true democracy is never a zero-sum game in which the winners use their positions of power to silence, cancel, or demonstrate intolerance for the views of those they have defeated in free and fair elections. The authoritarian impulse to squash or punish those who represent divergent viewpoints is anti-democratic. it is important to maintain vigilance in cultivating such a democratic culture because without it a democracy can wither and die.

this outcome, one would think that republicans and Democrats, quite evenly divided among the electorate, would seek compromise solutions to pressing problems facing the country— with republicans in the house using the leverage they now have to push for compromises that reflect their views.

instead, republicans have decided to use their control of the house to paralyze the government and demonize opponents, making demands that amount to “my way, or else.” The danger here is that such an approach is not only fatal to respectful discourse and compromise, but also poisons political relationships, spreading downward to create an even more polarized electorate.

WATCH Dr JAmeS J. ZOGby

There can be no question that American democracy is at risk. Just two years ago, thousands of insurrectionists stormed and occupied the Capitol building in a failed attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 elections. They were supported by the majority of republican members of Congress who falsely claimed the election outcome was fraudulent.

There are additional disturbing signs in evidence across the country: Angry parents storm school board and city council meetings shouting down officials demanding that books be banned and teachers be fired. election officials fear for their safety as they count votes while armed protesters gather threateningly outside polling places. republican-led state legislatures pass laws to restrict voting rights or make polling places more difficult to access. hate crimes continue to rise, as do mass shootings.

Students from both the right and left shout down invited speakers with whom they disagree. Universities feel pressure to fire professors or ban groups who challenge conventional viewpoints. And, as the recent Speaker’s election debacle exhibited, intolerant behaviour at work in the US Congress are part of a politics so polarized by hyper-partisanship that our legislature is now alternately paralyzed or dysfunctional.

Against this dire backdrop, we should debunk that oft-made claim that “free and fair elections are the essence of a democracy.” While important, elections are just one of the characteristics of a democracy, not its essence. more important are the values that must be cultivated and protected in order to preserve a true democratic order.

Central among these values is that losers must respect the outcomes of elections, and that winners and groups in the majority must show respect for the rights of those who lose and those in the minority. Further, this respect leads to the protection of the rights of those who hold views that diverge from the majority and the need for winners and losers, the majority and

if this idea of respecting minority rights and views is important in a society in which one group is clearly dominant, it is even more critical in societies that are evenly divided. it was precisely the heavy-handed abuse of their electoral victory that caused so many egyptians to recoil from rule by the muslim Brotherhood. And it is the way that the victorious far-right coalition currently governing in israel is behaving to unravel the courts, rule of law, and minority rights that has caused fear and a backlash among many israelis. if democracy isn’t zero-sum, neither is politics, especially in diverse societies. When victors overreach by imposing their ideologies or attempting to extend their power by changing the rules of the road, they both weaken democracy and invite a potentially disruptive backlash from groups threatened by their behavior. What is happening in the USA today provides a case in point. in 2022, republicans won a very close election and now hold a slight advantage in the house of representatives. They lost ground in the Senate, and Democrats still control the White house. Given

The adage “politics is the art of the possible” is true, but we must also acknowledge the vital role played in a democracy by groups that passionately advocate principled positions or novel and forward-looking solutions. Our political history is filled with examples of groups and visionary leaders who have organized around their principles and solutions, moving public attitudes and, as a result, changing the political calculations of policymakers, thereby expanding what is possible.

But principled commitment to an ideal becomes dangerous when political views become dogmatic— hardened, absolute, and unbending. Such an approach is counterproductive and self-destructive. in this environment, the bad behaviour of uncompromising extremists can be held up as “principled,” while moderate voices seeking solutions are denounced for “selling out.” As a result, compromise becomes impossible, and democracy suffers. This, sadly, is where we are today in the USA. And it is putting our very democracy at risk.

Gun Violence: Pakistan and the USA

violent

Crime is man’s protest against the environment. Despite a lot of differences between two nations, Pakistan fares better in curtailing gun violence mass-shootings than the US. The form of government in Pakistan is heedless to social needs but its social structure keeps checks on violence. The USA, with its plutocracy, is more responsive to the needs of society but violence carried out by individuals, such as gun mass-shootings far exceeds hose in Pakistan. The case here is that gun violence mass-shootings should be examined as to what provokes them and why US society is more prone to them than Pakistan.

Gun violence is endemic in the USA, with the most prominent and horrific event last year being theUvalde School Shootingin Texas which killed 21, including 19 children and two teachers. Despite concerns of many in the government, no practical steps are in the offing to curb the surge in gun mass-shooting violence. The nub of the problem can be found in the American social structure. Six people were offed during the first week of the New Year in the USA. mostly recently, 11 people were killed in a mass shooting in monterey Park, California, during Chinese New Year celebrations.

Despite having a much larger per capita income than Pakistan, the USA leaves it far behind in gun violence due to differences in the social structure of the two countries. multiple causes are at the root of gun violence in the US: easy access to guns, as a report shows that there are 120 guns per 100 individuals in the USA and it is legal under their Constitution; individual dwelling and lack of familial structure; depression due to racism

caused by huge migration; a culture which promotes more weapons rather than morals and virtues; diminishing influence of religion; and psychological disorders caused due to break-ups and solitude that the American liberal culture promotes.

even in the age of high security and surveillance, the US common thinking is that individuals can keep up arms though police and other law and order forces are active in the USA to provide easy access to justice. Keeping restrictions on access to a gun can mitigate violence but it would not put an end to it. The problem lies with the family structure in Pakistan, there are large family structures and grand extended families keep restraints on the individuals to commit violence. Though honour killings occur, their percentage is much lower than the mass gun violence in the USA. There are very rare events of massshootings in Pakistan, and terrorist activities in india and Pakistan are exceptions that do not count in gun violence and should not be confused with gun violence which is often perpetrated by individuals. The perpetrators of gun violence in the USA can use it to intimidate immigrants or protest against government policies, as the terrorist killing in New Zealand did whose purpose was to intimidate the muslim community which is gradually surging in New Zealand, thus sending alarms that immigration must be curtailed by the government.

in Pakistan, though guns can be bought easily through the black market, there is a very strict, laggardly and cumbersome licensing system that halts the possession of guns by most individuals and there are only 22.3 guns per 100 people. There were only four intentional homicides in 2020 in Pakistan.

moreover there is strong familial bonding in Pakistani society that does not allow much individual freedom and strong parental controls bar children from going

The USA is the only developed nation where gun violence is soaring. it reported 648 mass shootings. The individual liberties which are proudly professed lead society towards polarization. There are then few chances for collective and community programmes and individ-

uals have very narrow social circles. in a sense, individual liberty becomes the root cause ofloneliness and solitudewhich leads towards depression and other psychological problems. As the individual faces socioeconomic problems such as dwellings, financial issues and relationships, the individuals resort to violent actions. it becomes a facsimile of the scenes from Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment when a young lad murders two women. ‘Crime is protest against the badly organized state of things,’ writes Dostoyevsky.

Loneliness is endemic in the USA, while it is surprisingly difficult for one to find enough time for one to spend time in solitude from the doldrums of too much socialization in Pakistan’s society. Depressions and anxieties are healed collectively which is why some rare organizations or departments treat psycho-social problems in Pakistan that cause someone to commit violence while in the USA, with no extended socialization, there exist a number of organizations and hospital departments that treat these kinds of problems. it is to be noted that society’s togetherness has a more important role in healing these kinds of problems than psychotherapists or other relevant specialists.

To curb the rapid surge in gun violence in the USA, Pakistan, and the world at large, the access to guns must be hampered or made difficult so that very few individuals could have access. The control of parents on the families must be rejuvenated with the help of religious institutions and new morals and virtue-based education. individual liberty must be redefined according to morals which must promote harmony and more social interdependence.

Community programmes must be carried out so that most people can participate and interact with each other which would lead towards more friendships and a decline of loneliness which can bring an end to individuals resorting to violence. ‘returning violence for violence multiplies violence’, martin Luther Jr said. The USA should deliberate its policy towards gun violence and Pakistan must not allow its youth to become victims to the excesses of social media which is one of the causes of violence.

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

and creating a hodgepodge in the society. Large extended families can easily treat psychic or depressed persons, the break-ups in relationships are shrewdly tackled by the support and wisdom of elders which is the way the more bonded societies are less violent in case of individual gun violence.

The writer is a freelance columnist

AZfAr KHAN NIAZI

But principled commitment to an ideal becomes dangerous when political views become dogmatic— hardened, absolute, and unbending.

WASHINGTON

No one has dealt with the underlying problem

There is not enough tolerance of difference

Why is Pakistan poorer both in money and mass shootings

Yousaf Nizami Editor

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

M. A. Niazi Joint Editor

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

To curb the rapid surge in gun violence in the USA, Pakistan, and the world at large, the access to guns must be hampered or made difficult so that very few individuals could have access. The control of parents on the families must be rejuvenated with the help of religious institutions and new morals and virtue-based education.

Editor’s mail

Destruction alongside development

The ongoing development work in Karachi is highly commendable. multiple tasks are being carried out by the provincial government, such as re-building and construction of dilapidated sewerage system, pedestrian ways, flyovers, underpasses, rehabilitation of Karachi Circular railway (KCr) and modern Bus rapid Transit (BrT). These development activities were long-overdue and are very much welcomed by the locals. however, the decision to remove the historical World Globe mounted in front of islamia College in the city is something that is not advisable. The Globe has a history of its own. Various generations have grown up watching the monument as it was almost a staple sight in old Pakistani movies that were shot in Karachi. As per reports, the Globe would be removed as it is said to be an obstacle in the way of the new BrT route being executed these days. BrT is our dream; our ultimate desire and an urgent requirement of the citizens. however, there may always be ways, provided those concerned are willing to find one, to salvage the landmark without compromising on the BrT route. The authorities concerned should focus on finding a way rather than taking the easy way out.

SYED SADAQAT HUSSAIN KARACHI

The cost of exceptionalism

helped to prolong the Shah’s regime, which was marked by repression, corruption, and lack of political freedom which ultimately led to the iranian revolution in 1979.

The USA also played a notable role in the eight-year war between iraq and iran, which lasted from 1980 to 1988, and its actions were heavily influenced by its parochial outlook. The new islamic republic was viewed as a threat to US interests in the region. The USA saw iraq as a bulwark against the spread of iranian-style revolution and provided iraq with significant military and economic aid throughout the war.

by the belief that israel is an important ally of the USA and that its interests and security should be prioritized over the rights of the Palestinian people.

Punjab police in a colonial hangover

PUNJAB police is one of the oldest and the most traditional departments of the province, and its culture, history and behaviour patterns are all rooted in the British era. The culture and tradition still persist in the department, and are something like a colonial hangover where the officer still presides over his underlings like a sahib bahadur of the British raj.

The world’s leading superpower since World War 2, the USA has long been guided by its sense of exceptionalism, having a profound impact in shaping the modern geopolitical landscape. By imposing its values and norms on other countries in the form of military interventions, foreign policy decisions, economic globalization and human rights issues, it has left an indelible mark on the global community. it is essential to understand how this perspective has shaped the world we live in today and the ramifications it continues to have for the future.

The USA has militarily intervened in many countries around the world, often under the garb of democracy and freedom. however, these interventions have been criticized for being based on ethnocentric attitudes and for being driven by US interests rather than a genuine concern for the welfare of the people of the country in question.

in 1953, The USA, along with the UK, orchestrated a coup d’état to overthrow mohammad mossadegh, known as Operation Ajax. mossadegh has nationalized iran’s oil industry, which was previously controlled by British and American companies. mosssadegh’s government had also implemented a number of policies that were seen as a threat to US and British interests in the region, such as the expropriation of British-owned assets, the termination of the Anglo-iranian Oil Company’s oil concession, and the introduction of land reform.

in return, the USA’s Central intelligence Agency (CiA) provided funding, logistical support, and propaganda to opposition groups in iran, and British intelligence helped to organize and train the iranian military to carry out the coup. The USA’s actions in the ousting of mossadegh were heavily influenced by its ethnocentric perspective, which saw mossadegh as a threat to US interests in the region and prioritized the protection of those interests over the rights and aspirations of the iranian people. This involvement in the coup d’état was a significant factor in the fall of mossadegh and the rise of the Shah’s regime.

The USAhad a close relationship with the Shah of iran, mohammad reza Pahlavi, who was a strong ally and a key player in the region. The USA provided the Shah with significant military and economic aid and supported his regime, even as widespread protests and civil unrest began to grow in iran. This support

This included providing iraq with intelligence, military equipment, and even chemical weapons, which iraq used during the war. The USA also provided iraq with political support, blocking UN resolutions that condemned iraq’s actions and even vetoed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Additionally, the US Navy and Air Force provided escort and protection to Kuwaiti oil tankers and even reflagged them as US ships under protection of the US Navy.

On the flipside, The USA also provided support to iran, in the form of arms and intelligence through a secret arms-for-hostages deal, known as the iran-Contra affair, during the war in an effort to prolong the war and weaken both sides, destabilizing the region for years to come. Coupled with sanctions, this ultimately resulted in a devastating conflict that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and significant damage to both countries’ infrastructure and economies.

The USA’s geopolitical actions have been heavily motivated by its ethnocentric attitude. It has consistently supported its allies, often at the expense of the rights and aspirations of the people of the region, using its military and economic power to further its interests in the region; even if it meant supporting dictators, orchestrating coups and violating the sovereignty of nations. Furthermore, it has been a biased mediator in peace negotiations and has used its veto power in the UN to block resolutions critical of its allies.

The USA has also played a substantial role in the peace negotiations between israel and Palestine. The USA has often been the mediator in these negotiations, but its actions have been heavily biased in favour of israel. it even recognized Jerusalem as the capital of israel in 2018 under the Trump Administration, a move that was heavily opposed by the international community as it undermines the peace process and the rights of the Palestinian people on the city.

Furthermore, the USA also financially backed israel to support settlements and other activities that violate the rights of Palestinians. Although the USA has also provided economic aid to the Palestinian Authority, it has often been viewed as conditional and as a tool of leverage to pressure the Palestinian leadership to make concessions to israel. This is a clear example of how the USA’s ethnocentric perspective has shaped its foreign policy.

This ‘locally-produced’ sahib bahadur is an interesting spectacle to watch. he has a university education and speaks a concoction of english and Urdu, and still takes his pauses to find the equivalent word in Urdu of a word he knows only in english. When he is unable to find the word, his reader, who serves as an assistant to the officer, senses the tense environment and jumps in to dissipate the tension by whispering the word if he knows it, or, to announce that ‘sahab ka lunch/cha’aay time ho gaya hay’ [Sir will have lunch/tea now!], and everybody just leaves the office.

Sahib bahadur also has mood swings, and he starts feeling better after a rather generous and verbose rant at the other end of which stands in utter submission any of his subordinates who unfortunately happens to be present there at the time. The underlings also recognise the fact that their sahib is other-worldly, who happens to speak english with a pop of Urdu, eats while using knives and forks, likes to eat things that others do not, like fried rice or spaghetti, and coffee and toasted bread or croissants in the morning, and always uses paper towels. So they call him Noori; made of light. The underlings recognise the fragility of their Noori officer and take special care of his mood and temperament, and certain matters often never reach the officer and are sorted out by the underlings; the Naari; made of fire.

So the sahib bahadur sits untouched, and, of course, regally on his leather-upholstered swinging chair enveloped in his grandiosity, and the Naari softly tip-toes around him, lest they excite his Noori fragility with their Naari presence. The lines above may sound satirical, which they actually are, but have been written in good humour. Nobody should take it personally, especially the Noori officer. it must also be recognised that the one who has written these lines is also identified as a locally-produced sahib bahadur, but he happens to acknowledge the fact that things should not be like this and that we should try to push ourselves out of this colonial hangover.

AHMAD KHAN RAWALPINDI

Wild beasts on roads

The US has often promoted democracy and human rights selectively, supporting them in some countries while ignoring or opposing them in others. This has been driven by the belief that democracy and human rights are US values and that other countries should adopt them, but only if it aligns with USinterests.

One example of the USA’s ethnocentric attitude in its foreign policy and nitpicking human rights issues is its long standing support for israel in the Palestine-israel conflict. The USA has consistently supported the israeli government’s actions, often at the expense of Palestinian rights and freedom. This support has been reflected in the use of its veto power in the UN to block resolutions critical of israel, and its militarily and financially backing israel. This attitude is driven

The USA’s geopolitical actions have been heavily motivated by its ethnocentric attitude. it has consistently supported its allies, often at the expense of the rights and aspirations of the people of the region, using its military and economic power to further its interests in the region; even if it meant supporting dictators, orchestrating coups and violating the sovereignty of nations. Furthermore, it has been a biased mediator in peace negotiations and has used its veto power in the UN to block resolutions critical of its allies. These actions have contributed to the continuation of conflicts, the violation of human rights and the destabilization of the region. it’s important to understand these actions and the underlying motivations behind them, to be able to critically analyze US foreign policy and its impact on the world.

The price of American exceptionalism, a mask for arrogance and imperialism, has been too high for the world. it’s time for the US to chart a new course that prioritizes humility, cooperation and mutual understanding for the sake of a more just and peaceful world.

The writer is a freelance columnist

WiTh the increasing shortage of water in Karachi, the number of water tankers on the roads has also increased. While these tankers are supposed to facilitate people by providing water, they have become a threat to their lives by spilling water on the roads, driving recklessly, and causing accidents. Those behind the wheel drive carelessly, and the dripping water from the faulty hoses of the tankers make the road slippery. Such roads become hotspots of accidents, particularly for motorcyclists.

i recently met an accident due to the same reason. my motorcycle was knocked down on the main Korangi road. i only received minor injuries, but the trauma has remained with me since because anything could have happened. many motorcyclists fall on slippery roads and get badly injured. Some of these accidents are even fatal. While these tankers roam the streets of Karachi like wild beasts and cause casualties, the relevant authorities prefer to play blind. The tanker owners as well as drivers must be held accountable for such accidents. moreover, the authori-ties should specify alternative routes for these monsters, otherwise they would continue to pose risk to commuters’ lives.

IRFAN RASHEED BALOCH KARACHI

CCE 2020 results

The Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) conducted the Combined Competitive examination (CCe) 2020 almost two years ago under the supervision of the Sindh high Court (ShC).

There were fewer than 2,000 candidates. Sadly, the results have not been announced yet, and there is no word from the SPSC on this count. When the Supreme Court had declared CCe 2013 null and void, it had also took notice of delays in result announcement, and had directed that the examination must be conducted every year. it seems the directives have been disregarded. Over 10,000 candidates appear every year in Central Superior Services (CSS) examination, and even then the result is announced in less than 10 months. Also, this year the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) announced the result of the Provincial management Service (PmS) examination within six months. The inordinate delay on the part of the SPSC in the announcement of the written test result of CCe 2020 is causing frustration among the aspirants, because they have already lost precious time waiting, and there is still no sign of their wait coming to an end anytime soon.

INAYATULLAH RUSTAMANI HYDERABAD

mOHAmmAD JAmAl AHmeD

How American ethnocentrism has shaped its foreign policy

Pelosi’s Taiwan visiT will noT lead To war

yeT

RT timur FomENko

sPeAkeR of the US house of Representatives nancy Pelosi appears to be on the verge of a trip to Taiwan, an event which China has vowed to respond to with “forceful measures.” The visit is a rehash of one she originally intended to undertake in April, but was prevented from doing so when she tested positive for Covid-19. Should it go ahead, it would constitute the first visit by a US house speaker to the island in 25 years. The last one was Republican newt Gingrich, but the critical difference was that he did so as an opposition politician to then-President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

This time around, Pelosi, as part of the majority party, is reportedly leading a delegation on an Asian tour at a time of unprecedented tensions. The trip also coincides with the anniversary of the founding of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Although President Joe Biden, as well as the US military, have voiced objections to the venture, this does not seem to have deterred Pelosi as of yet, with Republican hardliners now cheering her on and saying that the US will appear weak if she backs down.

This creates an extremely unfortunate dilemma, especially considering a Thursday phone call between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in which Xi warned Washington not to “play with fire” regarding Taiwan. But in reality, such talk has rarely meant anything given the US has, when it comes to serious actions, never been truly willing to de-escalate tensions with China, act pragmatically, or with common sense. While it is true that Pelosi is technically not the administration and would not be going there on their behalf, nonetheless, the fact this event is happening signifies how unhinged the broader spectrum of US foreign policy has become. There is no restraint whatsoever or respect for the red lines of other countries, only the push for maximalist aims at all costs.

Many people thought former President Donald Trump was insane and chaotic, yet an unspoken truth is that American foreign

policy has actually regressed further under Biden. While Trump pursued narrow selfinterests in the name of ‘America first’, which offended friends and foes alike, the Biden administration has not only embraced this doctrine, but refined it into an ideological crusade which strives to force American hegemony on every single front in a way that is both zealous and uncompromising. We should not be dismissive of Trump’s remarks that, if he were president, the conflict in Ukraine would not be happening right now, and he probably would have cut a deal to prevent it.

As a result, the US has continued to deride and press against China’s red line on the Taiwan issue, while at the same time officially claiming at the presidential level its policy remains the same to reassure China. This is a strategy that has been described as ‘Salami Slicing’ by Beijing, which endeavours to gradually shift the status quo towards Taiwan independence, while claiming not to do so to avoid strategic upsets that can create conflict. It is provocative, yet subtle. however, what Biden has not accounted for is the fact that Congress has even less restraint than he does. The onslaught of propaganda concerning US support for Ukraine has

made many overconfident in the belief that China has been made to ‘think twice’ over Taiwan, and as a result, ultra-hawks, especially in Congress, are now happy to push this button further in believing they can call Beijing’s bluff.

But if this visit happens, will it lead to war? This might be an overreaction for many obvious reasons. China will not invade Taiwan should nancy Pelosi visit. however, such a situation nonetheless forces Beijing into a corner to retaliate in a way which relegitimizes its claim over the island and prevents political humiliation. If their bluff is called, their red line loses credibility, and the logic of deterrence means something has to be done to re-establish equilibrium. Therefore, when promising countermeasures, China means what it says. however, it remains unclear to what extent exactly Beijing will go to address this.

One thing that is obvious, looking at Taiwan Strait crises in the past, is that China will probably pursue large scale military exercises of some sort. The US is already responding to this by moving military assets into the area. however, there is also speculation Beijing may move further by declaring a ‘no-fly zone’ over the island or making a similar move which dramatically heightens the risk of confrontation. Remember, when Mike Pompeo sent Un Ambassador kelly Craft to visit Taiwan on their last week in office, the flight was cancelled at the last moment after warnings from Beijing. This time around, China will undoubtedly react somehow, yet Pelosi and her supporters seem to think they can ridicule this, just like it was believed Russia’s red line over Ukraine could similarly be ignored.

Ultimately, this only goes to show that US foreign policy has degenerated into a form of strategic insanity. Fearing a loss of status over rival states, the country’s political class has become increasingly reckless and destructive in the moves it is willing to make to retain its hegemony. even if this Pelosi visit does not result in open conflict, which it likely won’t, the damage it will do to strategic trust as a whole will likely be permanent, and could set the stage for conflict further down the line, something many voices in Washington seem to relish.

Congress should not legalize marijuana

MARIJUANA, AGAIN, IS NOT HARMLESS. ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE IS LYING. IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO DECRIMINALIZE THE DRUG FOR SMALL AMOUNTS OF PERSONAL USE, BUT CONGRESS WOULD ERR TO GIVE RISE TO AN INDUSTRY

WASHINGTON EXAMINER Editorial

The movement to legalize marijuana has enjoyed an unbroken string of victories on the state level over the last decade. But as Congress considers nationwide legalization, proponents of legal cannabis are making the same empty promises they made to the residents of every state that took their advice.

They spoke of marijuana as a harmless drug that gave a cheap high and nothing more — not at all like the deadlier hard drugs such as meth and opioids, with their unhealthy and even lethal consequences. They also downplayed the idea that widespread drug use would bring about societal maladies.

As of this spring, science and data had borne out the fact that marijuana is actually pretty dangerous for a number of reasons. Based on data obtained since legalization, both medical and recreational marijuana use are associated with a 23% increase in mortality rates from opioid use — an increase that disproportionately affects men and nonwhites. It turns out there might indeed be something to that old saying about cannabis as a “gateway drug.” People have sneered and laughed at this idea for decades, and science shows they were wrong to do so. There is a great deal about drug dependency that science still does not fully understand.

And death is not the only potentially deleterious health consequence. The smoking of cannabis causes lung and heart maladies and testicular cancer, something slick marketing of legalization has left many users unaware of. But even more alarmingly, habitual use of marijuana in one’s teens or early 20s can cause permanent brain damage, affecting a late-forming part of the brain (the frontal cortex) that is critical to “planning, judgment, decision-making, and personality.”

So what happens to young people thus affected, who were convinced by advocates that they were just having

harmless fun? Do they become burdens on society? Do they join, or do they already account for, the growing armies of homeless who suffer from addiction and psychosis? Are they already camping out on the streets of so many West Coast cities and making them uninhabitable? Do they resort to criminality and violence? It may be some decades before the data exist to tell the whole story, but the field of psychiatry has already produced substantial evidence, in a peer-reviewed environment and based on more than 10,000 subjects, that marijuana use correlates with physical violence in youths. Perhaps it was not an accident that the school shooter in Uvalde was a known pothead.

Legalization is also affecting public safety in ways unrelated to crime, ill health, and drug deaths. Colorado, which legalized marijuana in 2013, has produced enough data to demonstrate as much. According to the state’s Division of Criminal Justice, the number of annual poison control calls related to marijuana increased sevenfold after legalization. The incidence of impaired drivers who are high from cannabis quadrupled after legalization. The Rocky Mountain high Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program found a doubling of marijuana-related car accidents and a 30% increase in Colorado traffic deaths since 2013.

Marijuana, again, is not harmless. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. It may make sense to decriminalize the drug for small amounts of personal use, but Congress would err to give rise to an industry so potentially harmful to the public.

Weed has become big business since legalization began. Those profiting from it will be very loath to give up such a stream of revenue, regardless of the broader consequences to society. every day, activists are pushing for new states to join the club and legalize. If the national government throws caution to the wind and legalizes the trade nationally, it will not fix any existing problem facing the nation. It may well exacerbate those problems in ways no one has even anticipated.

Pay attention to the dutch protests because america is next

independent farmers will have no place in the future that the Un and the WeF are planning.

Dutch farmers understand this. They know Rutte and his ministers want above all to eradicate their farms and way of life. But they’re not going down without a fight.

tion centers across the country, saying their livelihood and way of life are being targeted by the government.

FEdERAlIST JoHN daNiEl daVidSoN

aMeRICAnS should start paying closer attention to the ongoing farmer protests in the netherlands, which this week transformed long swaths of Dutch highways into what looked like a post-apocalyptic warzone: roadside fires raging out of control, manure and farming detritus heaped across highways, traffic stalled for miles, and massive protests across the country in support of the farmers.

Why is the netherlands, of all places, experiencing such unrest? Americans need to understand what’s happening over there because the ruinous climate policies that triggered these protests are precisely what President Joe Biden and the Democrats have in mind for the United States.

Specifically, Dutch farmers are protesting a government plan to cut fertilizer use and reduce livestock numbers so drastically that it will force many farms out of business. earlier this month, farmers used tractors and trucks to block highways and entrances to food distribu-

And they more or less are. The ruling coalition government claims its radical plan, pushed by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who branded the protests “unacceptable,” is part of an “unavoidable transition” to improve air, land, and water quality. The goal is to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia, which are produced by livestock but which the government is labeling “pollutants,” by 50 percent nationwide by the year 2030.

The only way to do that, many Dutch farmers say, is to slaughter the vast majority of their livestock and shutter their farms. The government knows this and admitted as much earlier this year, saying in a statement, “The honest message … is that not all farmers can continue their business,” and that farmers have three options: “Becoming more sustainable, relocating or ending their business.”

The genesis of the scheme was a court ruling from 2019 that said the Dutch government’s plan for reducing nitrogen emissions violated eU laws protecting its natura 2000 network of supposedly vulnerable and endangered plant and animal habitats — basically a bunch of eU-governed wildlife preserves. These sites span the eU, covering 18 percent of the bloc’s land area and 8 percent of its marine territory.

To protect these wildlife preserves, Dutch farmers are being told they must submit to their government’s ruinous emissions plan.

But the natura 2000 preserves are only part of the

story. european leaders such as Rutte are environmental ideologues who want to transform global food production and eliminate private land ownership, and he sees an opportunity in this court order to reshape agriculture and land use in the netherlands.

Indeed, Rutte — a walking embodiment of the Davos Man if there ever was one — is a big proponent of the United nations’ “Agenda 2030” and its Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to squeeze farmers and ranchers around the world in order to reduce “emissions.” The policies that flow from these goals, such as drastically reducing the use of fertilizer, contributed to the recent economic collapse of Sri Lanka, which triggered mass protests that toppled Sri Lanka’s government and ousted its president earlier this month.

Last year, Rutte spoke to the World economic Forum about “transforming food systems and land use” at Davos Agenda Week, announcing that the netherlands would host something called the “Global Coordinating Secretariat of the World economic Food Innovation hubs,” whose job would be to “connect all other food innovation hubs.”

In Davos-speak, that means agricultural production and the supply of food will be centrally controlled by intra-governmental bodies and “stakeholders” consisting mainly of the world’s largest food corporations and international nGOs. Private farms and independent farmers will be a thing of the past, supplanted by global bodies making decisions about how much and what kinds of food are produced. The private sector and the

All of which brings us back to the U.S. This week news broke that congressional Democrats had finally reached a deal on the largest piece of climate legislation in American history. The bill is a tax-and-spend cornucopia of some $369 billion for wind, solar, geothermal, battery, and other industries over the next decade, along with generous subsidies for electric vehicles and incentives to keep nuclear plants open and capture emissions from industrial plants.

After pretending to oppose Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s climate legislation, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin relented this week, clearing the way for the bill to proceed. Senate Democrats say the bill will allow the U.S. to cut greenhouse emissions by 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 — matching up nicely with the Un’s “Agenda 2030.”

Understand that the Senate bill isn’t the end, it’s the beginning. Climate activists and ideologues are working at the highest levels to transform not just the global food supply, but the nature of private property and property rights, all in the name of saving the planet. What Rutte and his government are doing to Dutch farmers, Schumer and Biden are planning to do to American farmers and American industries.

So pay attention to the roadside fires and blocked highways and mass civic unrest in places like the netherlands and Sri Lanka. America is next.

John Daniel Davidson is a senior editor at The Federalist. His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Claremont Review of Books, The New York Post, and elsewhere.

TOP US OFFICIALS THINK IT’S ACCEPTABLE TO PUSH AGAINST CHINA’S RED LINES. IT MAY NOT LEAD TO WAR NOW, BUT WILL INCREASE THE DANGER FURTHER DOWN THE LINE

SO POTENTIALLY HARMFUL TO THE PUBLIC

SPECIFICALLY, DUTCH FARMERS ARE PROTESTING A GOVERNMENT PLAN TO CUT FERTILIZER USE AND REDUCE LIVESTOCK NUMBERS SO DRASTICALLY THAT IT WILL FORCE MANY FARMS OUT OF BUSINESS

CDA auctions eight plots on first day of open auction

PAK, UzBeK FmS weIgH PRoSPeCTS FoR DeveLoPmeNT oF STRATegIC PARTNeRSHIP

UzbeKistan staff report

ACTINGMinister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who arrived in Tashkent to participate in a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization.The parties considered the prospects for further development of

PRCS chief calls on Punjab governor

the Uzbek-Pakistani strategic partnership to effectively implement the agreements reached the highest level.Regional policy issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, were discussed.Both sides emphasized the importance of effective use of the existing potential of cooperation in the transport and communication sphere and the activation of economic diplomacy.The Foreign Minister of Pakistan congratulated the Uzbek side on the successful chairmanship of the Economic Cooperation Organization.

NCHR launches campaign for women property rights

islamabad: The Capital Development Authority received a great response on the first day of the auction of plots. On first day of the auction was attended by a large number of investors and great competition was seen. 8 plots were sold more than 22 billion 11 Crore rupees on the first day of the auction. A three-day open auction of plots is being held till January 26 at Jinnah Convention Centre, Islamabad. According to the details, the most expensive plot in the history of Islamabad was sold for more than 8 billion 54 crore rupees. Similarly, Blue Area Plot No. 13 was sold in Rs. 30 Lakh 1 Thousand per Square Yard. While plot number two of blue area was sold in square yard for 26 lakh 34 thousand rupees.In public auction, residential and commercial plots of different categories are available in developed sectors of Islamabad including commercial areas. pr

PTA Receives Rs. 24.24 Billion from Jazz Against License Renewal Fee

islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has received deposit amounting to Rs. 24.24 Billion (equivalent of USD 105.80 Million) from Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited (Jazz) on account of license renewal fees.The amount is being deposited in Federal Consolidated Fund (FCF). With this deposit in FCF, the cumulative deposit by PTA in FCF during the current financial year i.e. 2022-23 will become Rs. 56.57 Billion (equivalent to USD 253.78 Million). pr

BISP beneficiaries can receive cash on 24/7 basis

islamabad: In pursuance of the directions of Honorable Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has taken up the matter of unavailability of biometric ATM cash withdrawal to BISP beneficiaries with HBL. As per directions, it has been ensured that all 149 HBL ATMs in the Multan region are biometrically enabled and operational 24 hour basis to provide cash withdrawal facility to BISP beneficiaries. Besides, A massive crackdown against delinquent mafia, who are found involved in malpractices and illegal deductions from BISP beneficiaries through ATMs & POS agents, has been taken, in order to ensure transparent disbursement of BISP funds among beneficiaries.

The Director General BISP Punjab, Zonal Director of South and other officials are personally paying field visits to monitor the smooth distribution of BISP funds under the directions of Honorable Court.

As per recent report from BISP Punjab dashboard till date, the Punjab Region has blocked 312 POS agents on account of established embezzlement complaints, wherein 30 FIRs have been lodged in local police stations and 01 case has been referred to FIA Cyber Crime Circle Lahore, while 19 POS agents have been put behind bars. pr

Power supply to Karachi normalized following nationwide blackout

karachi: Power supply to Karachi including residential, commercial and industrial zones, KWSB Water pumping stations, Airport, and major hospitals was normalized by early Tuesday afternoon through KE’s consistent efforts and close collaboration between KE management and National Grid authorities. On Monday morning, a wide part of the country’s power network was impacted due to a reported sudden problem in the National Grid network which triggered a cascading effect.KE teams immediately began restoration efforts after confirming that its network was safe, channeling electricity to the citywide network of 71 grids. The first priority was to restore power supply to strategic installations such as pumping stations. pr

The Governor of Punjab appreciates the role of Red Crescent during floods in mitigating the suffering of the vulnerable and distressed; says all possible measures will be taken to strengthen PRCS Punjab Branch, its coordination mechanism and district branch network for efficient service delivery

PRCS Chairman Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari says all the branches are arms of National Headquarter; stresses upon the need to build synergies in Punjab on disaster preparedness and disaster contingency planning just like at national level

Lahore: Chairman Pakistan Red Crescent Society Sardar Shahid Laghari called on Governor Punjab Baligh Ur Rehman at Governor House here on Monday.

In the meeting, Governor Punjab appreciated the role and services of Red Crescent in dealing with climate change and natural calamities. He lauded PRCS services and humanitarian assistance in mitigating the suffering of the vulnerable and distressed during flood response 2022.

The Governor of Punjab assured that government will fully support PRCS Punjab Branch and would take all possible measures to strengthen its programs and interventions in the province and to improve its coordination mechanism and district branch network for efficient service delivery.

Speaking on this occasion, PRCS Chairman Sardar Shahid Ahmad Laghari said that Red Crescent was in the forefront of serving the suffering humanity. He said that PRCS Punjab branch should build synergies at province level on disaster preparedness and disaster contingency planning just like we have at national level. He said all the branches are arms of National

Headquarter and he is visiting all the provinces and meeting with PHQ leadership to bring harmony among all the branches. He requested the support of Governor of Punjab in increasing the district branch network, volunteer base and coordination mechanism of PRCS Provincial Branch.

He said that Red Crescent will expand the scope of its welfare projects in Punjab with the support of its Movement Partners and stakeholders.

Chairman PRCS Punjab Branch Justice (R) Shiekh Ahmed Farooq, Secretary General PRCS Muhammad Obaidullah Khan, Secretary PRCS Punjab Muhammad Zahid and others were also present on this occasion.

CM, Maulana Asad for removal of bottlenecks for early completion of roads

KaRaCHi ppI

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Communication Asad Mahmood in their meeting at CM House on Tuesday agreed to strengthen coordination between the provincial government and the National Highway Authority (NHA) so that ongoing road sector schemes of NHA in the province could be completed well in time.

The meeting was attended by Minister Works Zia Abbas Shah, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, SMBR Baqaullah Unar, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary Works, Secretary Finance Sajid Jamal Abro while from the federal government Secretary Communication Cap

retd Muhammad Khurram, Member Sindh NHA Munir Memon, Member Finance NHA Mohammad Tayab and others attended the meeting.

N-120: The CM said that N-120 Hyderabad-Khokhrapar Via Mirpurkhas Road was 220 km, of which 120 km section from Mirpurkhas to Khokhrapar via Umerkot was under execution by NHA.

Mr. Shah said that there were another two sections of the road, including 80 km from Mirpurkhas to Umerkot and 40 km from Umerkot to Khokhrapar. Out of the 80 km road from Mirpurkhas to Umerkot, 60.00 km has been widened/reconditioned, whereas the work on the remaining portion from Umerkot to Khokhrapar (Raja Rasti) of 20 km has not been started as yet.

The CM said that the recent heavy rains have damaged the road from Umerkot to Khokhrapar. At this, the federal minister assured the chief minister that the work would be accelerated and also directed NHA to repair the damaged portions.

Jamshoro-Sehwan Road: The chief minister taking up the under-construction Jamshoro – Sehwan road issue said that it has a length of 130 km being executed by NHA. He said the work started in 2018-19. Though it was an asset of NHA yet his government has also contributed Rs. 700 million in rehabilitation.

In the meeting, the issues raised by the CM said that work on the road from Khanote to Manjhand has not been started as yet. He pointed out that during rains-2022, the newly built track came under water near Laki Shah Saddar, which required to be considered for its re-design or necessary.

The federal Minister, Asad Mahmood said that the work has been accelerated and there were some land acquisition issues that needed to be settled. At this, the CM directed the chief secretary to settle the land issues to complete work.

islamabad: Even after the amendment of the Prevention of Anti Women Practices Act in 2011, which gives women equal rights in inheriting property, over 80 per cent of women report not receiving their legal share in inheritance. To raise voice against this injustice, the NCHR among other forms of legal redress, including writing to Federal Ombudsman, has also joined a social media campaign with LAS.

The campaign highlights the case of Tahira Sultana, 91-yearold widow who has been waiting for the implementation of Supreme Court orders regarding her property share since last 22 years. She has now reached out to the Commission to tell her story to the world.

“I have no more stamina and strength in me but God willing I still hope that someone will come and end my story of woe,” the campaign quotes Tahira Sultana in one of the Tweets shared through the NCHR Twitter handle.

The campaign also shares her photographs of today, comparing that with the photographs of the age when she started her struggle. The photographs capture a widow’s 53 years journey for justice and access to rightful share in her deceased husband’s property.

Tahira’s husband Major S.S Rashidul Hamid passed away on October 16, 1964 leaving behind a widow Tahira Sultan and three children -all children were minor at the time of his death. Tahira’s father tried to negotiate for her share in the inheritance but talks remained unsuccessful.

After that, Tahira Sultana went to court and got decisions in her favor. Till now, even with two Supreme Court Judgments in her favor, the lack of implementation has denied Tahira her inheritance.

“I started this journey in strength and youth at 33, believing that my battle for haq would eventually be victorious. One step at a time, I attempted to secure financial stability through my due share in my husband’s property, yet the very state that my husband served his life for, failed my children and his widow,” mentions the letter written by the widow to the Commission. The letter also makes part of the NCHR social media campaign.

“I have lost my daughter who had a disability as I could not provide for her medical needs, I had lost the little money I had, in litigation and beyond everything I have lost my faith and pride in Pakistan’s ability to deliver justice,” says the letter. On September 26, 2022, she lodged a campaign before the Ombudsperson, Punjab, under Section 7 of the Punjab Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act 2021, for the implementation of Supreme Court orders. The next hearing regarding the plaintiffs right to their inheritance is scheduled for January 26, 2023.

The story of Tahira Sultana highlights the fact claiming property rights through court is a hard journey for a woman but for a widow, the journey is much tougher. The campaign also pays tribute to Tahira for keep fighting for her rights and not giving up. pr

PN, PmSA and collectorate of customs enforcement seize 1450kg drugs in Sea

karachi: Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) and Collectorate of Customs Enforcement seized 1450 Kg narcotics in a joint intelligence based counter narcotics operation in North Arabian Sea.During the successful joint operation, security forces apprehended largest amount of narco in-terms of quantity that included 586 Kg of Ice crystal and 864 Kg of heroin. The seized narco is valued approximately Rs 15 Billion in International market. The arrested smugglers and drug cache handed over to Custom authorities for legal proceedings.The successful joint anti-narcotics operation by Pakistan Navy, PMSA and Customs enforcement reaffirm resolve to deny illegal activities in maritime zones of Pakistan and to synergize efforts of Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies in ensuring security of our waters. pr

Global Digital Summit 2023: President of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi is presenting CXO Excellence Award to Umair Azam, Founder and CEO Integration Experts to acknowledge the company as a top performer in IT industry of Pakistan. pr

islamabad staff report

Several top UkraIne offIcIalS

qUIt aMId corrUptIon claIMS

KYIV, UKRAINE Agencies

SeverAlsenior Ukrainian officials announced their resignations Tuesday as the defence ministry was shaken by accusations of food procurement fraud, in the country’s largest corruption scandal since the start of russia’s invasion.

Ukraine has a history of endemic corruption, including among the political elite, but efforts to stamp out graft have been overshadowed by Moscow’s fullscale war that began in February.

Kyiv’s Western allies, who have allocated billions of dollars in financial and military support, have been pushing for anti-corruption reforms for years, sometimes as a precondition for aid.

Ukraine’s deputy defence minister vyacheslav Shapovalov, the deputy head of the presidential administration Kyrylo Tymoshenko and deputy prosecutor general Oleksiy Symonenko were among the officials who stood down.

The defence ministry announced the resignation of Shapovalov, who was in charge of the army’s logistical support, on the heels of accusations it was signing food contracts at inflated prices.

local media reports last week accused the ministry of having signed a deal at

prices “two to three times higher” than current rates for basic foodstuffs.

In a statement, the ministry insisted the accusations were “unfounded and baseless” but said Shapovalov’s departure would “preserve the trust of society and international partners”.

Tymoshenko, who has worked with Ukraine’s President volodymyr Zelensky since his election in 2019 and oversaw regional policy, also announced his resignation Tuesday.

He posted a photo of himself holding a handwritten resignation letter, thanking the president for the “opportunity to do good deeds every day and every minute”.

Tymoshenko was implicated in several scandals during his tenure, including in October last year when he was accused of using a car donated to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes.

The departure of Symonenko, a deputy prosecutor general, comes after media reports that he spent a holiday in

Spain this winter, reportedly using a car belonging to a Ukrainian businessman.

– Stubborn problem –

In his evening address on Monday, Zelensky announced coming “personnel decisions” at various levels and said he was banning officials from travelling abroad for purposes not related to work.

“If they want to rest now, they will rest outside the civil service,” Zelensky said. Transparency International ranked Ukraine 122 out of 180 in its corruption ranking for 2021.

The shakeups come after a Ukrainian deputy minister of development of communities, territories and infrastructure was sacked over the weekend following his arrest on suspicion of embezzlement.

vasyl lozynskiy was accused of receiving a bribe to “facilitate” the purchase of generators at inflated prices as Ukraine faces electricity shortages following russian strikes on the energy grid.

The european Union has highlighted anti-corruption measures as one of the key reforms Ukraine needs to gain candidate status for the bloc.

According to the Centre for economic Strategy, a Ukrainian think tank, the total amount of Western military and financial support for Kyiv could total $100 billion this year, including more than $40 billion for its armed forces.

Several people killed in second mass shooting in California in days

Seven people were killed in a mass shooting at two locations in the coastal northern California city of Half Moon Bay on Monday, and the suspect was arrested after driving to a police parking lot, apparently attempting to turn himself in, officials said.

12 Indian policemen booked for killing Muslim in India

LUKNOW Agencies

Twelve Indian policemen were booked for killing of a 42-year-old Muslim man in Indian state of Utter Pradesh.

The Uttar Pradesh Police filed a complaint against 12 police officers who are involved in the killing of a 42year-old Zeeshan Haider, who was shot in Deoband city on September 5, 2021, by the policemen alleged cow slaughter.

The victim Haider’s family said that he has been falsely implicated in a cow slaughter case by the police, reported Indian news agency PTI.

The police wrongly accused him of being involved in a case involving the slaughter of cows, Haider’s relatives told media men.

Afroz, the victim’s wife, petitioned the Saharanpur Chief Judicial Magistrate in November 2021, and the case against the police officials was then brought.

The shooting in Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles (50 km) south of San Francisco, came on the heels of another mass shooting in the southern California city of Monterey Park on Saturday that killed 11 people.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was visiting Monterey Park victims in the hospital when he was called away and informed of the shooting in Half Moon Bay, about 380 miles (610 km) to the north.

“Tragedy upon tragedy,” Newsom said on Twitter.

The rural area was recently pounded by a series of heavy rainstorms that caused extensive damage, affecting immigrant labourers in the area, farm worker advocates said. A series of atmospheric rivers in the three weeks following Christmas killed 20 people statewide.

San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus identified the suspect as Chunli Zhao, 67, and said he worked at one of the shooting locations. Corpus called the sites nurseries, and other officials said they

were staffed by farm workers. local media described at least one of them as a mushroom farm.

“There were farm workers affected tonight. There were children on the scene at the incidents. This is a truly heartbreaking tragedy in our community,” San Mateo County Supervisor ray Mueller told reporters.

“The amount of stress that’s been on this community for weeks is really quite high.”

The suspect was cooperating with investigators but a motive had yet to be established, Corpus said.

A semi-automatic handgun was found in his car, she said.

Deputies responding to a call found four people dead and a fifth victim with life-threatening wounds at the first location in Half Moon Bay, then found three more dead at another place nearby, Corpus told a

Hyderabad University, JNU students warned against screening BBC film on Modi

lim Student Federation known as Fraternity group. Over 50 students from the group attended the screening.

Ghislaine Maxwell says Jeffrey epstein was murdered in US jail

LONDON AFP

Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has claimed the disgraced late US financier Jeffrey epstein was murdered in prison, in an interview with a British broadcaster that aired on Monday.

The Oxford-educated daughter of the late British press baron robert Maxwell is imprisoned in a Florida penitentiary after her conviction and 20-year sentence for helping epstein sexually abuse girls.

epstein, who was facing charges of trafficking underage girls for sex, escaped trial by killing himself in a New York jail in August 2019.

The autopsy concluded suicide by hanging, although the 66-year-old’s sudden death fuelled widespread controversy and conspiracy theories.

“I believe that he was murdered,” former socialite Maxwell said in the series of jailhouse interviews aired on Britain’s TalkTv. “I was shocked. Then I wondered how it had happened.”

A forensic pathologist hired by epstein’s brother said in 2019 that evidence suggested he had been murdered, arguing multiple fractures found in his neck were “very unusual for suicide”.

The US Department of Justice has conducted a years-long investigation into how epstein was able to hang himself inside New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, but has not released any evidence of foul play.

Two prison guards on duty who admitted to falsifying records related to the night he died were charged later in 2019 over their alleged failure to monitor him.

But federal prosecutors dismissed the charges in late 2021 after the pair completed community service work as part of an earlier legal agreement.

‘Closure’

Maxwell, who is appealing her 2021 conviction for sex trafficking minors, also insisted she now regrets ever meeting epstein. She said she did not know “he was so awful” when they first met and began a relationship in the late 1990s.

US prosecutors successfully proved during Maxwell’s high-profile trial in New York that she was “the key” to his scheme of enticing young girls to give him massages, during which he would sexually abuse them.

She expressed sympathy for the victims during a court statement, saying she was “sorry for the pain that you experienced” but blamed epstein. Maxwell opted against apologising to the victims during her TalkTv interviews when given the opportunity.

“epstein has died and they should take their disappointment and upset out on the authorities that allowed that to happen,” she replied.

news conference.

video on ABC 7 from the Bay Area showed the arrest as two men in plainclothes and one uniformed deputy, guns drawn, ordered the man out of his car. The suspect came out, was thrown to the ground and searched for weapons. Multiple uniformed officers quickly arrived on the scene with long guns.

Corpus said investigators speculate that the suspect drove to the station to turn himself in. The description of the car and license plate were already circulating among law enforcement when a deputy spotted the car in the parking lot, Corpus said.

A woman who witnessed the arrest told reporters she had gone to the sheriff’s department to get more information as she was involved in agriculture and concerned about the well-being of the farm workers.

“I hope that they have some closure via the judicial process that took place. And I wish them… to be able to have a productive and good life going forward.”

‘Fake’ photograph

In interview excerpts released Sunday, Maxwell also claimed that a decades-old photograph of Prince Andrew with his sexual abuse accuser virginia Giuffre is “fake”.

Giuffre has said she was trafficked by epstein and Maxwell to, among others, Andrew, King Charles III’s younger brother.

The 39-year-old sued the discredited royal in a US court, claiming they had sex in london when she was 17 and a minor under US law. He settled the sexual assault lawsuit at a considerable cost last year, sparing him the public humiliation of a trial.

The prince, 62, has not been criminally charged and has continued to deny the accusations.

The photograph of Andrew with his arm around Giuffre’s waist and Maxwell standing next to them — said to have been taken in london in 2001 — is seen as crucial to the claim against the prince.

In Telangana, India, students at Hyderabad University have screened BBC Documentary on the role of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2002 massacre of Muslims in Gujarat.

A students’ group from Hyderabad Central University organised the screening of the BBC documentary inside the university on January 21. The screening was organised by Student Islamic Organisation (SIO) & Mus-

On the other hand, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has asked its students’ union to cancel the screening of a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his involvement in the Gujarat mayhem. The JNU admin has also warned of “strict disciplinary action” in case the event is not cancelled.

The admin decision comes after a poster was released by the university students’

union, announcing the screening of the documentary at its office on Tuesday.

The JNU admin has also warned of “strict disciplinary action” in case the event is not cancelled.

Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU), however, said since the documentary has not been banned legally, they will go ahead with the screening.

The Modi government had on Friday directed social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to block links to the documentary titled “India: The Modi Question”.

LOS ANGELES ReuteRs

NEW DELHI Agencies

AzArenkA beATs ‘feArs Of fAiLing’ fOr firsT MeLbOurne seMi in 10 yeArs

Melbourne Agencies

VICTORIAAzarenka reached her first Australian Open semi-final since winning the title in 2013, then opened up Tuesday about overcoming “anxiety” and “fears of failing” on court.

The Belarusian, who won back-to-back Australian Opens in 2012 and 2013, knocked out third seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-1 on Tuesday.

The 24th seed outlasted her American opponent in a marathon 64-minute first set before running away with the second to set up a last-four encounter against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina at Melbourne Park.

Asked about her battles with nerves and

anxiety, Azarenka detailed what she had been through in recent years and how it had held her back from winning another major.

“I don’t think you recognise it right away. I think it builds up until you hit kind of a pretty bad spot where nothing kind of makes sense,” she told reporters.

“You feel kind of lost. I was at the point where I couldn’t find anything that I feel good about myself, not like even one sentence.”

Asked what her biggest worries were, Azarenka gave a blunt answer.

“Fears of failing is a big one. To not be able to do what I want to do,” she said. “I’ve had panic attacks before.”

The Belarusian said she now has a process to cope when the nerves rear up, and she has cut a noticeably calmer figure at Melbourne Park this year.

“I kind of tried to take it more simple. Kind of working through it,” said the 33year-old Azarenka.

“I’m pretty happy that the process that I’m going through makes me feel confident about myself, happy about myself, and helps me to be more open, be more accepting, be compassionate.

“‘Compassionate’ was a very hard word for me to understand.”

Pegula was in her third Australian Open quarter-final and had never reached the semi-finals of a Slam in four previous attempts, failing to win a set in any of them.

It was a sorry statistic that was to be extended under the roof at Rod Laver Arena.

“Well, it hurts to beat her because I always want her to do well,” said Azarenka, who is close friends with Pegula.

“Today I knew I have to play fast, I have

to not give her opportunity to step in, I have to mix it up because if you don’t there’s nobody better than Jess, she just doesn’t miss.”

Pegula was immediately put under the pump by the relentless groundstrokes of her opponent.

“I think she did exactly what she wanted to do,” a downcast Pegula told reporters.

“She was just executing it I feel pretty well tonight. Hitting the ball deep, taking it early, changing the direction on the ball, doing things that I usually like to do to people.” Azarenka sped into an early 3-0 lead then forced Pegula to save six break points in an attritional 10-minute fourth game. She saved two set points on her serve to get to 35, two more in the next game, broke back to 4-5 but eventually succumbed after 64 relentlessly physical minutes.

Early breaks were exchanged in the sec-

Remington Pharma, DP win openers in 3rd Allama Iqbal Polo Tournament

Tsitsipas powers past Lehecka into Australian Open semi-finals

Remington Pharma and Diamond Paints (DP) win the opening day matches of the 3rd Allama Iqbal Polo Tournament sponsored by Lahore Smart City here at the Jinnah Polo Fields on Tuesday.

The Greek third seed proved too powerful for unseeded Czech Jiri Lehecka on Rod Laver Arena, storming home 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4. He will face the Russian 18th seed Khachanov for a place in his first Melbourne Park final, having crashed in the semis three times previously, including in the past two years. Russia’s Khachanov booked his place when American Sebastian Korda retired hurt with a wrist injury while trailing 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 3-0. “It felt different this time from any other match and the most important thing in the end is that I found a solution,” said Tsitsipas, who will become world number one should he win the title. Novak Djokovic can also achieve the feat if he does the same. “It was a very difficult three-setter, one of the most difficult so far in the competition,” added Tsitsipas, 24. “Jiri had a very good tournament, he’s started playing very well recently. He’s a great player. “I had to deal with his groundstrokes, which were coming over the net much heavier and deeper, so that was a task where I really had to put my heart out there and give it my best,” he added. Lehecka, ranked 71, warned Tsitsipas before the match he wanted revenge after losing to him in the semi-finals at Rotterdam last year. But the 21-year-old, who beat 11th seed Cameron Norrie and sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime en route to the last eight, was immediately under the gun. Tsitsipas worked five break points on his opening service game and got over the line when the Czech smacked a backhand volley wide. He consolidated for a 3-0 lead and with his strong first serve offering Lehecka few opportunities to strike back, coasted to the first set in 36 minutes, sealing it with an ace. Tsitsipas saved five break points to hold in a crucial third game of the second set as Lehecka came alive and began applying pressure. Both players dug in and it went with serve to a tiebreak, where the Greek kept his cool to take an early advantage that he never gave up. In a close third set, Tsitsipas’s second double fault of the night handed Lehecka three break points in game seven. But he saved them all to hold, pumping the air in celebration. With the bit between his teeth, the Greek star dialed up the pressure as Lehecka served to stay in the contest and a crosscourt backhand earned him a match point which he converted.

The first match of the day proved a one-sided affair, where Remington Pharma outclassed BN Polo by 10-2½. Hamza Mawaz Khan played the hero’s role in his team’s triumph with a phenomenal contribution of eight excellent goals while Basel Faisal Khokhar and Ahmad Bilal Riaz struck one goal each. From BN Polo, which had a half goal handicap advantage, Baber Naseem and Haider Naseem converted one goal each.

Remington Pharma were off to a flying start as they banged in a brace to gain 2-0 lead but BN Polo struck one to reduce it to 2-1 but in the dying moments of the first chukker, Remington Pharma converted one more to stretch their lead to 3-1. The second and third chukker was fully dominated by Remington Pharma as they slammed in two and three goals respectively in both the chukkers. The last chukker saw both the sides scoring one goal each with Remington Pharma emerging as winners by 10-2½. John

Fisher and Ahmad Khan officiated the match as field umpires.

The second encounter proved a thrilling one as Diamond Paints defeated Inara Polo/Black Horse Paints by a narrow margin of 4-3. Nico Roberts was the hero of the day from the winning team as he thrashed in three tremendous goals while the remaining one came from Bilal Hayat Noon. From Inara Polo/Black Horse Paints, Hissam Ali Hyder smashed in all the three goals.

Inara Polo/Black Horse Paints

started the match well by firing in a field goal and converted one more in the beginning of the third chukker as no goal was scored in the second chukker. Diamond Paints then made their presence felt and dominated the third chukker with three back-to-back goals to gain a slight 3-2 lead. The decisive fourth chukker saw both the teams scoring one goal apiece, thus Diamond Paints emerging as winners with a close margin of 43. John Fisher and Raja Jalal Arslan supervised the match as field umpires.

Wimbledon champion Rybakina races into Australian Open semi-final

Melbourne AFP

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina cruised into her first Australian Open semi-final with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko on Tuesday. The 22nd seed raced past the former French Open champion, seeded 17, in 1hr 19min on Rod Laver Arena and will meet either American Jessica Pegula or Belarusian Victoria Azarenka for a place in the final.

“I’m super happy to be the first time in the semi-finals,” said the Kazakh star. “It was an amazing atmosphere.”

Rybakina had declared “she could beat anyone” after knocking out top seed Iga Swiatek in straight sets on Sunday.

And she was quickest out of the blocks behind her big serve, breaking Ostapenko immediately and hammering down three aces to reach 3-1. She created another break point at 3040 when a sudden cloudburst halted the 22nd seed’s momentum. The players scurried from Rod Laver Arena while the roof was closed and the water mopped up.

After a delay of almost half an hour, Ostapenko saw off the immediate danger.

But she was powerless to prevent the aggressive Rybakina from capturing a second break two points later.

Rybakina’s serving got her out of trouble in the next at 1540 and closed out the opening set in 32 minutes

Ostapenko upped the power on her groundstrokes at the start of the second set, breaking for 2-0 with a scream.

But the calm Rybakina broke back and saved four more break points in the next to level at 2-2.

Rybakina struck again in Ostapenko’s next service game to put the finish line firmly in sight.

At 6-5 serving for the match, the normally assured Russian-born Kazakh saw two match points saved before her 11th

ace sealed her progress.

“Of course, I was nervous, especially in the last game but not as nervous as before the match,” she said. “So I’m super happy that I managed my emotions and I played really well today.” Ostapenko had won both their previous encounters — the last at Eastbourne in 2021 — and was also appearing in her first Australian Open quarter-final.

The 25-year-old has been working her way back to the top after admitting she found it hard to cope at 19 when her life was changed by winning the French Open.

After knocking out Coco Gauff in the fourth round, she said her confidence was back and she had “never doubted” she had the ability and drive to win another Slam.

But Rybakina was unstoppable as she chases her second Grand Slam crown in six months after triumphing on the grass at Wimbledon last July.

ond set before Azarenka made the decisive move. She broke for 3-1 and held her own service game, with an increasingly frustrated Pegula complaining to her player’s box.

“I don’t know what to do. The ball’s not going anywhere,” she said.

Serving for the match, Azarenka brought up two match points but only needed one as she powered through in 1hr 33min.

She said she was “excited” to face the “big challenge” of getting past Wimbledon champion Rybakina to reach the final.

“She’s an incredible player,” said Azarenka. “Her ranking obviously doesn’t tell the full story.

“She’s very powerful. Big serve. She’s in the semi-final, so she’s obviously playing amazing.

“It’s going to be a big challenge. I’m excited about that.”

20-k Cup 2023: nasrullah stars as Model Town Club breeze into semifinals

lAHore

stAFF RePoRt

Nasrullah Zia’s sensational 77 runs steered Model Town Club to a thrashing 9-wicket win over Shahkamal Cricket Club in the third quarterfinal of the 20-K Cup 2023 T20 Cricket Tournament here at the Model Town Greens ground on Tuesday. Shahkamal Club, batting first, were all out for 131 runs in 19.3 overs. Imran Nazir Jr emerged as top scorer with 42 runs off 45 balls, hitting 3 boundaries and 1 sixes while the other key contributors were Muhammad Abdullah and Sheraz Ali, who slammed 37 and 27 runs respectively. No other Shahkamal Club batter could cross the doubles figures and fell cheaply. Afaq Afridi bowled well for Model Town Club and grabbed 3 wickets for 16 runs while Mohsin Irshad and Hassan Rizwan bagged 2 wickets each. Model Town Club started their run-chase in great style and comfortably achieved the required target, losing just one wicket in 16 overs.

Opener Haider fell cheaply for 13 runs while player of the match Nasrullah Zia hammered superb unbeaten 77 runs off 48 runs that included 6 fours and 4 sixes. Muhammad Saleem also remained unbeaten for 31 runs off 34 balls. From Shahkamal, the only wicket was claimed by Usman Ali. On Wednesday (January 25), the fourth and last quarterfinal will be played between Golden Star Cricket Club and Model Town Greens Cricket Academy at Pindi Gymkhana Cricket Ground at 11:00 am.

babar features in iCC Test team of year

DubAI stAFF RePoRt

In a historic achievement, cricket captain Babar Azam has been named to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test team of the year, marking the first occasion a batting star from Pakistan has earned a spot in the prestigious lineup. Throughout the calendar year, Azam amassed an impressive 1,184 runs in nine matches, with an average of 69.94. He also hit four centuries, one against each of the teams he faced. In particular, his 196-run performance against Australia in Karachi in March was a standout and remains his highest individual score in Test cricket. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) celebrated the news on Twitter, noting that this was the first time Azam had been selected for the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year. He had previously been named to the one-day international (ODI) team of the year and was also named the captain of that team. The list includes players from several nations: four from Australia; three from England; and one each from West Indies, South Africa, India, and Pakistan. The complete lineup includes Usman Khawaja, Kraigg Brathwaite, Marnus Labuschagne, Babar Azam, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Rishabh Pant, Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Lyon, and James Anderson.

lAHore

stAFF RePoRt

Melbourne Agencies

Stefanos Tsitsipas blasted into a fourth Australian Open semi-final on Tuesday and a showdown with Karen Khachanov as he zeroes in on a maiden Grand Slam title.

Limited power outages to persist for next 2-3 days: dastgir

ahMad ahMadani

tHEREwas massive load-shedding all over the country on Tuesday after power was restored late Monday night following a national power outage. The power minister informed the public that consumers would have to face “limited load management” over the next few days as the government scrambled to bring 10,100 megawatts of coal and nuclear power plants back online.

Industrial consumers will remain unaffected, however.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday the Minister for Power Division Engineer Khurram Dastgir announced that the entire power system has been restored all over the country. However, there would be a shortage of electricity and a “limited load management” will continue for next 48-72 hours across the country for all categories of power consumers except industrial consumers. “The coal and

INDUSTRIAL CONSUMERS TO REMAIN UNAFFECTED

nuclear power plants require 48-72 hours for restarting power generation and for synchronization with the system,” Dastgir said.

“During the next 48-72 hours, power shortfall will persist. However industry will not experience power cuts as per the policy of the incumbent government, while the rest of the power consumers will bear the brunt of electricity load-shedding.”

About yesterday’s major power breakdown in major parts of the country, the power Minister said that there was a “delay in synchronization between Tarbela and Mangla power plants. However, the technical problem has been fixed now with the help and support of the Power Division, WAPDA and Water Resource Ministry and the electricity system was restored. The entire transmission system remained safe and no incident of any damage was reported during yesterday’s country-wide power breakdown.”

Kohat Cement Company announces five million share buyback

profit report

MuhaMMad Raafay Khan

Kohat Cement Company Limited (KOHC) will buy back five million of its ordinary shares, the company announced to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday.

The notification read, “The Board of Directors of Kohat Cement Company Limited in its meeting held on January 24, 2023, has approved and recommended to the members of the company for the purchase/buy-back of upto 5,000,000 (five million) of its own issued ordinary shares, having face value of Rs 10 each, out of the distributable profits/reserves of the company.”

The purpose of the buy-back is the cancellation of shares. The shares to be bought back comprise 2.49% of the total outstanding shares of the company. The purchase period is expected to start from March 1, 2023 to August 19, 2023. The purchase will be funded through the company’s distributable profits/reserves. According to the company notice, the purchase/buyback of the company’s issued ordinary shares will improve the break-up value as well as the earnings per share (EPS) of the company. It will also provide an opportunity of exit to those members who wish to liquidate their investments.

It should be noted that under the buy-back rules, such buy-backs require the approval of the company’s shareholders through a special resolution. For this reason, the Extra-ordinary General Meeting (EOGM) of the company will be held on February 21, 2023 to seek members’ approval for the proposed buy-back.

Dastgir further said that January nights have the lowest electricity demand in a year and it dropped to 8,615 megawatts on Sunday night and when we ramp down the system with the decreasing demand, we turn several power plants off, he said, adding however, the reason behind the blackout was not yet fully known.

Dispelling the rumors about the shortage of fuel, Dastgir categorically said that there was no fuel shortage in the country and the power system was restored due to the availability of fuel. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also announced the formation of a a three-member committee under the leadership of the Minister of State for Petroleum Division Dr. Musadik Malik to probe the incident.

Criticising the former government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for not investing in the transmission and generation system of the country, Khurram Dastgir said that no investment was

made during last four years to upgrade the transmission system to meet the increasing demand and due to this some parts of the country had experienced a power breakdown few months back . The installation of 20 year old conductors in the sensitive power plants during the PTI government tenure had caused this limited power breakdown, he added.

Later in a tweet, Dastgir said that all 1112 grid stations of the country had been restored while 6,600 MW coal and 3,500 MW nuclear plants are estimated to take 48 to 72 hours to restart. And, until these plants are made operational, there will be limited load management except for industrial users. The power division was working hard to restart all plants, he said.

It is pertinent to mention that despite the announcement made by the Power Minister that the entire power system has been restored, a large number of citizens across the country have been found complaining about the hours-long power load-shedding being made in their respective areas.

PM Shehbaz says Pakistan keen to complete 9th review of IMF Programme

staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated that the government had informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Pakistan was keen to complete the 9th Review Programme and wanted to conclude the terms through negotiations without any delay, so that Pakistan could move ahead.

Addressing launching ceremony of PM’s Youth Business and Agriloans scheme, Shehbaz Sharif said these loans would provide opportunities to the young generation to earn their livelihood through different business and agriculture initiatives.

The prime minister said that Pakistan was passing through difficult times and resolved that he would sacrifice all his political career and life for the sake of the country.

“I have served thrice as a chief minister of Punjab and now serving as an incumbent prime minister of the country, what legacy we will leave behind if these issues are not being addressed? It is clear that Pakistan is facing huge challenges, and if we have taken responsibility, we will make our all-out efforts to steer the country out of the difficulties,” he said. The prime minister said it was their collective responsibility as Pakistanis, politicians and the Muslims to respond to the difficult situation, and he would not even hesitate from sacrificing his life for the country.

He said in this path, problems would spring up, but they would have to bear the pains. The people at the helms of affairs, politicians and rich, have to set an example, as it was unfair to burden the poor with price hike and let the rich and elite to enjoy on the country’s loans, he added.

PM Youth Business and Agriculture Loans Scheme is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among youth by providing business loans on simple terms and with less markup through 15 Commercial, Islamic and SME banks.

All Pakistani residents, aged between 21 and 45 years with entre-

preneurial potential are eligible to apply for the loan. Loans provided under the scheme are segregated into three tiers. The prime minister, expressing his optimism, said that youth had the potential and talent and together, they would steer Pakistan out of the current issues.

He lauded them as ‘the shining stars on the horizon of country’ . The prime minister said the prime responsibility of addressing the country’s issues rested with the government. They took reigns of the government under the most difficult times, but despite all these ordeals, their resolve grew stronger to make Pakistan robust, he added.

PM apologises to nation for power outage

ISLAMABAD: The prime minister on Tuesday apologised to the nation for a major, daylong power outage that disrupted normal life across the country and drew criticism from millions who were left without electricity amid the harsh winter weather. Monday’s blackout engulfed schools, factories and shops, and many among people were without drinking water as pumps powered by electricity also failed to work. In key businesses and institutions, including main hospitals, military and government facilities, backup generators kicked in. Power was mostly restored, though some parts of the country still experienced blackouts on Tuesday. “On behalf of my government, I would like to express my sincere regrets for the inconvenience our citizens suffered due to the power outage yesterday,” tweeted Shahbaz Sharif. “On my orders, an inquiry is underway to determine reasons of the power failure,” he said adding that the probe will uncover who was responsible. staff

RepoRt

Struggling Fauji Foods given lifeline by SECP

SHARE ISSUE

(FFBL) against conversion of accrued markup on subordinated loan amounting to Rs 708 Million to equity.

profit report

The Securities and Exchange Commision of Pakistan (SECP), which is the premier regulatory body for publicly listed companies on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), has finally allowed Fauji Foods Limited (FFL) to raise Rs 11.7 billion through issuing 1,170,874,980 ordinary shares. FFL made the announcement to the PSX on Tuesday.

Back in August of last year, the Fastmoving consumer goods (FMCG) company held an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) where it decided to increase its total authorised share capital from Rs 18 billion to 28 billion. A 10 billion increase in authorised shares at the time suggested that the company was going to issue another big round of shares soon. Naturally, on Septem-

ber 20th, 2022, FFL held a Board of Directors (BoD) meeting where the board recommended to issue new shares, other than right shares, pending approval until another EGM on October 18th. The following shares were to be issued:

1- 400,000,000 shares to be issued at Rs 10 per share amounting to Rs 4 billion to FFBL Power Company Limited (FPCL) against cash.

2- 465,000,000 shares to be issued at Rs 10 per share amounting to Rs 4.65 billion to FFC energy limited (FFCEL) against cash.

3- 235,000,000 shares to be issued at Rs 10 per share amounting to Rs 2.35 billion to Fauji Foundation (FF), out of which Rs 350 million is fresh cash injection while Rs 2 billion is against conversion of subordinated loan to equity

4- 70,874,980 to be issued at Rs 10 per share to Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim Limited

Corporate history – Fauji foundation and Fauji foods

The problems at FFL have been well documented over the years. The company is a subsidiary of the Fauji Foundation, which is the conglomerate owned by the Pakistan Army involved in cement, fertiliser, and food among other things.

The Fauji Foundation itself has a long and rich history. It was originally founded in 1945 at the end of the second world war as a Post War Services Reconstruction Fund (PWSRF) for Indian War Veterans who served the crown against the axis powers. In 1947, the fund’s balance was divided between India and Pakistan and the civilian government continued to operate it until 1953.

In 1954, however, the civilian government ceded control of the fund to the army which is where the Fauji Foundation took

as caretakers step in, contractors get short-end of stick on development projects

ECP'S BAN ON DEVELOPMENT FUNDS HALTS RS50B PAYMENTS DUE TO CONTRACTORS

profit report

aziz BuneRi

f unds worth Rs 50 billion that are owed to contractors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been halted by the caretaker government after the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) ban on development funds.

These are the funds that provincial members of parliament are given to spend on development in their respective constituencies. The ECP had slapped a ban on all kinds of direct recruitments in the federal and provincial governments, besides diversion of development funds from one project to another a few days ago in a pre-emptive effort to stop pre-poll rigging.

However, thanks to the ban, contractors that have already done work are not receiving payments they are due. As a result, workers have also not been paid.

According to sources, funds of more than Rs 40 billion were required to meet the expenditures of development projects in October, but the former provincial government froze the use of funds in November due to financial difficulties. Work on projects continued at snail pace in November, December and January and contractors submitted bills of over Rs 10 billion.

Sources said that in order to clear these bills, the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had re-allocated development funds. Now the ECP has also banned the use of funds and contractors have to wait till next general elections to get the Rs 50 billion.

After the ECP banned the utilization of uplift funds, work on most of the development projects has completely stopped now. And because of the rapid inflation and depreciation of rupee, Rs 50 billion will lose much of its value after a few months which would incur more loss to contractors.Under the law, the caretaker government cannot utilize development funds and is only allowed to use funds on day-to-day affairs of the government. What will become of other development funds? As elections near, the same issue may also be faced in Punjab and eventually in Sindh and national level constituencies whenever caretaker governments come in. Back in November, the federal cabinet had in fact approved a Rs 59 billion and 43 crore development package for the constituencies of incumbent parliamentarians ahead of the country’s next general elections — which the PTI had claimed was also an attempt to win over voters in their constituencies for elections that will likely be held sometime this year.

The funds were arranged through the surrendered funds of Pakistan’s four provinces from earlier this year.

The surrendered funds are made up of the working capital and surplus funds kept for investment by the provincial governments. Documents available with Profit’s have shown that Punjab has surrendered Rs 35 billion and 27 crore, Sindh Rs 13 billion and 70 crore, Balochistan Rs 04 billion and 89 crore and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs 05 billion and 57 crore.

root. Instead of disbursing the balance of the fund worth around Rs 18.2 millions among the beneficiaries, the army invested it in establishing a textile mill. Later, from the income of the textile mill, it established the first 50 bedded TB hospital at Rawalpindi.

And that also became the purpose of the Fauji Foundation. It would go into business and grow that business so that the profit could be spent towards looking after veterans of the Pakistan army and other charitable causes. For decades, the conglomerate grew and ran successful ventures including in the fields of fertiliser and cement.

However, FFL has been an entirely different story all together. The Fauji Foundation is supposed to be a conglomerate that makes money and spends that money on the welfare of veterans and serving men and women. FFL has long proven to be a drain on the resources of this organisation.

On Aug 25, FFL released its half-yearly financial statements for the first half of

2022, ending June 30, which highlighted its continued struggles, despite a “healthy growth” of 7% in net sales. The statement showed that the company’s loss, after tax, stood at a whopping Rs1,253 million compared to Rs758 million in the same period last year. Gross profit was down to Rs178 million from Rs545 million.

The accounts showed a massive uptick in revenue costs, marketing and distribution expenses, leaving the loss from operations at Rs708 million, skyrocketing from Rs 117 million in the first half of 2021. “The company has started multiple cost efficiency and margin improvement initiatives which should start kicking in from H2 of 2022,” read the report.

A habit of needing help

The financials that have come out from FFL are terrifying to put it mildly. The solution that is being offered is that the army uses some of its more successful enterprises to essentially subsidise FFL. In one of the stock market notifications mentioned earlier, it was announced that the Fauji Foundation shareholders will be providing a loan to FFL worth Rs2,350,000,000.

MuhaMMad Raafay Khan

COMPANY TO RAISE RS11.7 BILLION THROUGH NEW

iSLAMABAD