NEPRA to consider relief worth almost Rs12bn for Karachiites in Feb bills
Steel Industr y cries foul over non opening of LCs by SBP
Pakistan urges diplomatic resolution of Ukraine conflict to ward off negative economic impact
Police plea to extend Fawad’s physical remand rejected
PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t
aPOwerful explosion at a mosque in the secured Pol ce lines ne ghbourhood of Peshawar has k lled at least 59 worshippers martyred and wounded 170 people according to pol ce and rescue off cia s t h e e x p l o s i o n o c c u r r e d d u r i n g a ft e r n o o n p r a y e r s a t a p p r o x i m a t e y 1 : 4 0 p m a n d p o l i c e a n d a r m y p e rs o n n e l w e r e r e p o r t e d y p r e s e n t i n s i d e t h e m o s q u e a t t h e t i m e, a c c o r d n g t o p o l c e sahibzada noor ul amin, imam of the mosque, was a so martyred in the blast pol ce said “ it ’s an emergency situation ” Muhammad as m Khan, a spokesman for the lady reading hosp tal n Peshawar sa d
Many worshippers were st ll trapped ins de police said and heavy machiner y and f re br gades were comb ng the ru ns for sur vivors in a frantic rescue operation Officers said the blast emanated from the second row of worshippers, with bomb d sposal teams prob ng the suicide attack
a member of the out awed ttP c aimed responsib lity wh e separately, another member of Jamat-ul-ahrar (Jua) also c aimed the attack
the sources said that at east 27 pol ce off cials were martyred n the blast funera prayers were offered late Monday even ng for the martyred police off cia s attended by h gh-rank ng off cia s at Po ice l nes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa inspector general of Police (igP) and other top security officials attended the funeral prayers
security sources sa d that a su cide bomber present n f rst row of the Police lines Mosque in Peshawar blew himself as soon as the prayers started fol owing the bombing, the prov ncial health department dec ared an emergency in district Peshawar and asked all medical personne to remain on duty la w e n f o r c e m e n t a g e n c e s c o rd o n e d o f f t h e a t t a c k s i t e a n d h a v e s t a r t e d a n i n i t a i n v e s t g a t i o n t h e g t road near bala hisar was a so closed to traffic it was learnt that more than 250 people were present in the mosque to offer Zohar prayers when the blast took place as a resu t of explosion, the front portion of the mosque caved n ki ling severa and leaving dozens others injured rescue teams rushed the scene soon after getting the information and started rescue act vities Most of the bod es and injured were sh fted to lady read ng hospital Peshawar
Part of the mosque roof and wa l had collapsed and blood ed sur vivors limped from the wreckage as dead bodies were ferried away in ambulances the pol ce said t was a su cide attack as the suic de bomber who was standing in the f rst line of the fa thful blew himse f up further nvestigation s under way on the cctv footage of Po ce line gate and fam ly quarters, it added the roof co lapsed because the explosion damaged the pi lars of the mosque according to the n tial nvestigation a h gh- eve committee has also been set up to probe any security lapse read the report new secur ty guidelines following the deadly blast at Pe-
shawar Police line security gu delines have a so been changed for civil secretariat department of administrative affairs Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has ssued a declaration regarding the new guideines vehicles entering c vi secretariat wil go through a thorough secur ty check wh ch include nspection of car ’s bonnet and trunk
Meanwhile in is amabad roads eading to the red Zone neighbourhood housing government and diplomat c bui dings have been closed last March a suspected islamic state bomber attacked a shi ’ite mosque in Peshawar kil ing 64 in Pakstan s dead iest terror attack since 2018 afghan stan-based tehreek-i-ta iban Pak stan (ttP) are also act ve there s nce the ta iban surged back to power n afghanistan n 2021, islam-
abad has accused them of fail ng to secure their mountainous border allowing fighters to fl t back and forth to stage attacks and escape capture
Over the first 12 months of tal ban rule in afghanistan, Pakistan w tnessed a 50 percent surge n mil tant attacks focused in the western border prov nces according to the Pak institute for Peace studies (PiPs)
detect ves said the March 2022 bomber in Peshawar was an afghanistan exi e who had returned home to train for the attack
Peshawar was also the site of a 2014 massacre by the ttP who ra ded a school for ch ldren of army personnel and k lled near y 150 peop e, most of them pup ls the lady read ng hospita (lrh) spokesman has sa d the martyred
brought to the hospital ncluded inspector doran shah Zohaib nawaz [resident of d r lower] Maqsood ahmed rash da bibi, rafiq of lakki Mar wat, constab e naseem shah liaqat of charsadda driver amjad shehr yar liaqat of lakki Mar wat, Mohammad a i of Mian gujar, sahibzada, Zahir shah, t lawat shah, waseem shah gu ashraf hayatullah Khattak, Zuba r, abdul hameed, usman, Khalid Khan of charsadda, rafiq Khan, inspector ir fan Khan fc persone shahab of charsadda abdul wadud fc personnel ahmad Khan, l aqatullah shah of lakk Mar wat atif Mujeeb r zwanullah of charcadda and hazrat umer the ident ty of two bodies was not yet ascertained the spokesman added Condemnations pour in: Pres dent dr arif alv and Prime Minister shehbaz sharif strongly denounced the suic de attack ins de a mosque at pol ce lines in Peshawar s h e h b a z s h a r i f s a i d t h e c o w a r d l y terror attacks cou d not weaken the res o l v e o f t h e n a t i o n a g a n s t t e r r o r i s m a n d t h e m s c r e a n t s a n d t h e i r f a c i t ators invo ved in attacks on innocent c ti z e n s w o u l d b e p u n i s h e d f o r t h e i r h e i n o u s c r m e s he was speak ng during his vis t to Peshawar after the deadly b ast at the mosque of Mal k saad shaheed Police lines during Zuhr prayers chief of army staff syed as m Munir received the pr me minister on his arr va he was accompanied by Minister for defence Khawaja Muhammad asif interior Minister rana sanaullah Khan and M n ster for nformation and broadcasting Marr yum aurangzeb
On the occasion the corps commander Peshawar briefed the prime minister about the motives behind the terror attacks
g r u p e e d e p r e c i a t e s f u r t h e r, p e t r o l e u m p r i c e s i n c r e a s e a n d a d d i t i o n a l t a x e s i n t h e o f f i n g
ISLAMABAD S h a h z a d pa R ac h a
the ‘crucial ’ ta ks between Pak stan and the internat onal Monetar y fund (iMf) will start from tuesday as the iMf team under the super vision of mission chief to Pakistan nathan Porter has reached islamabad a sen or off cia of the M n str y of finance said that the iMf team has reached islamabad and meet ngs between both sides w ll start tomorrow morning both sides w ll official y start negotiations in order to complete the ninth review of the extended fund faci ity (eff) program the technical discussions wil start from tuesday and it w ll continue ti l fr day a source inside the Ministr y of f nance said that during the tech-
nical negotiations, both sides w ll exchange information he further added that the po icy level ta ks between both s des start from next Monday the Pakistan finance minister secretar y finance chairman fbr and governor state bank of Pakistan w ll participate in these meet ngs he said that reforms are inevitable as the government cannot give subs dies on gas and electricity to rich peop e h e a d d e d t h a t t h e b u r d e n o f r e f o r m s
w o u l d a f f e c t e v e r y s e g m e n t o f s o c i e t y b u t t h e l o w e r a n d m d d l e i n c o m e g r o u p w i l l b e m o r e a f f e c t e d t h e m o s t the iMf has decided to send ts mission to Pakistan only after the government agreed to implement tough conditions and the government has no other option but to implement these cond -
t ons he added i n n e w t h t h e i M f c o n d t i o n s, t h e Pa k i s t a n r u p e e c o n t i n u e d i t s f r e e f a l l a g a i n s t t h e d o l l a r from where it left off on friday the interbank exchange rate of the state bank, went up to 269 6 increasing by another 2 6% the open market exchange rate was offered as high as rs 275/usd during the last week, the rupee has come from 230 to 270 in the interbank exchange the government also passed on the mpact of the depreciation of rupee, onto the consumers in the form of a raise in the petroleum price On sund a y t h e p r c e s o f p e t r o a n d d e s e l w e r e i nc r e a s e d b y r s 3 5 e a c h, t a k i n g t h e m t o t h e i r
highest ever level n the histor y of Pakistan the senior officia inside the finance Ministr y also said that the gap between expenditure and r e v e n u e h a s b e e n i n c r e a s i n g d a y b y d a y a n d the government does not have the choice but to ncrease power and gas tariff as well as to impose more taxes a n s w e r i n g a q u e s t i o n a b o u t t h e p o s s b i l i t y
o f a m i n b u d g e t, h e s a i d t h a t n e w t a x e s w o u l d h a v e t o b e m p o s e d b u t t h e q u a n t u m w o u l d b e d e c i d e d d u r n g t h e t a l k s he said that there wil be equa pressure on the iMf because t would be surpris ng for ever yo n e i f a c o u n t r y d e f a u t s w h i l e b e i n g a p a r t o f the fund s program
I s h a q D a R u R g e s o f f I c I a l s t o c o n t R I b u t e I n
P t c l P e R f o R m a n c e e n h a n c e m e n t
fE D E R A L Minister for Finance and revenue, Senator Mohammad Ishaq
D a r h a s a s k e d t h e n o m i n e e Directors of the Government on the
B o a r d o f P T C L t o m a k e a n a c t i v e c o n t r i b u t i o n f o r t h e b e s t p o s s i b l e performance of the PTCL
According to the Finance ministry, the Finance Minister on Monday chaired a
meeting on the Telecom sector at the
Finance Division
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, , Secretary Finance, Secretary Privatization and Secretary IT & Telecom participated in the meeting
The meeting discussed the Telecom sector in general and PTCL in particular
Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq
Dar underscored the significance of this
ISLAMABAD
S ta f f R e p o R t Federal Minister for Law and Justice
Azam Nazeer Tarar, while strongly condemning the blast at Peshawar s Police Lines Mosque on Monday, stressed the need to join hands against the menace of terrorism in the country
Replying to various points raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem, the minister said the entire nation had to unite against the menace of terrorism which the country was facing for the last four decades “We have lost not only hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens, personnel of laws enforcement agencies but also suffered loss of billions of dollars in the war against terrorism,” he said He said the government was committed to purge such unscrupulous elements (terrorists) from the country In past, we fought valiantly and courageously,” he said He regretted and asked the opposition leaders to give concrete suggestions rather mere criticizing the government He went on to say that the past government did not only “breach the constitution but also implicated their opponent in false cases during its rule
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has cleared the way for a petition challenging the practice of politicians contesting in multiple constituencies as the Registrar Office s objections were set aside by Justice Anwar Hussain on Monday The petition was filed by citizen Zahid Mehmood who argues that this practice leads to a loss of resources and is a violation of the constitution of Pakistan The petitioner has requested the court to ban politicians from contesting elections in more than one seat at a time and to order the government of Pakistan to legislate on the matter The case has been directed for hearing by the LHC By-elections for 33 vacant seats in the National Assembly (NA) will take place on March 16, with former Premier Imran Khan set to contest for all 33 seats, according to the announcement by vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released the schedule for the by-polls and has set the dates for receiving nomination papers from February 6 to 8
sector and emphasized that the nominee Directors of the Government on the Board of PTCL must make active contributions for the best possible performance of the PTCL
It is pertinent to mention here that the government has included Advisor to Prime Minister Ahad cheema as a land utilization expert for three years in the PTCL board Meanwhile, Secretary Information and Telecom also chairs the board meeting of PTCL board Sources said that the government as
early as possible wanted to resolve the PTCL properties dispute with Etisalat International to retrieve the outstanding sale proceeds of PTCL amounting to $800 million
S o u r c e s c l a i m t h a t t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f P a k i s t a n a n d E t i s a l a t I n t e r n a t i o n a l w e r e c l o s e r t o s e t t l e t h e m a t t e r s i n t h e p r e v i o u s t e n u r e o f F i n a n c e m i n i s t e r I s h a q D a r b u t a f t e r h i s r e m o v a l f r o m t h i s p o s t , t h e m a t t e r i s s t i l l p e n d i n g a n d w e a r e h o p e f u l t h a t t h e c u r r e n t t e a m c a n r e s o l v e t h i s m a t t e r
ISLAMABAD
S ta f f R e p o R t
The planned day-long visit to Islamabad of Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been “postponed” due to unfavourable weather conditions, according to a statement from the Prime Minister ’s Office (PMO)
“Due to weather conditions, [the] visit to [ ] Pakistan scheduled for [Monday] has been postponed to a later date,” the statement said The tour, intended to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the sheikhdom and Pakistan, was postponed to a later date
The UAE president arrived in Pakistan on January 25 for a private visit and held a bilateral meeting with Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif
He was set to be welcomed at the Nur Khan Air Base of Pakistan Air Force
KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has sent a Rs10 billion legal notice to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan for making baseless allegations against former president Asif Ali Zardari
In the notice, Zardari accused Khan of causing harm to the PPP s reputation and defaming him after the former prime minister accused the former president of paying terrorists and hatching a fresh plan along with people in the intelligence agencies to assassinate him after the previous attempt failed
Khan, during a virtual press conference from his residence in the Zaman Park neighbourhood of
Lahore, had said there were three more names along with Zardari who are part of this new plot
“Now they have made a Plan C, and Asif Zardari is behind this He has an ample amount of corruption
money which he loots from the Sindh government and spends on winning elections He has given money to a terrorist outfit and people from powerful agencies are facilitating him This has been decided on three fronts and they will act soon,” he had claimed
I am telling you [the people] this because if something happens to me the nation should know the people who were behind this so that the nation never forgives them Khan had said
The notice alleged that Khan’s actions caused severe agony mental stress, and loss of reputation” to Zardari, and demanded that Khan issue an unconditional apology within 14 days or face legal proceedings for damages
(PML-
i s a t i o n a l t o u r s t a r t i n g F e b r u a r y 1 s t , a c c o r d i n g t o a s t a t e m e n t b y
Marriyum Aurangzeb
Nawaz is scheduled to address workers conventions in various cities, including Bahawalpur, Multan, Abbottabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Sahiwal Gujranwala Sheikhupura Faisalabad Peshawar, Lahore Division, Quetta, and Karachi, the minister for information and broadcasting said Organizational meetings for the PML-N will also be held in each respective city during her programme
LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Farrukh Habib has moved Lahore High Court (LHC) against possible arrest and harassment at the hands of police A c c o r d i n g t o d e t a i l s , A d v o c a t e Abuzar Salman filed a petition in Lahore H i g h C o u r t ( L H C ) o n t h e b e h a l f o f
Farrukh Habib against the possible arrest and ‘police harassment’
The TLTP leant that in the petition, the
former state minister stated that a ‘bogus’ case was registered at Ferozwala Police Station on political grounds H e u rg e d t h e H i g h C o u r t t o b a r police from harassing and arresting him, n o t i n g t h a t h e h a d s e c u r e d a n i n t e r i m p r e - a r r e s t b a i l I t i s p e r t i n e n t t o m e n t i o n h e r e t h a t a c a s e w a s r e g i s t e r e d a g a i n s t P a k i s t a n Te h r e e k - e - I n s a f ( P T I ) l e a d e r F a r r u k h H a b i b a n d o t h e r s f o r ‘ i n t e r f e r i n g i n o ff i c i a l a ff a i r s ’ a n d t e a r i n g u n i f o r m s o f p o l i c e m e n t o g e t F a w a d C h a u d h r y r e l e a s e d
A first information report (FIR) was registered late night at Ferozewala police station on the complaint of federal police office Adeel Shaukat The first information report (FIR) was lodged against Farrukh Habib for interfering in official affairs and ‘tearing uniforms of policemen’ The PTI leader has been booked under sections 148, 149, 186, 225, 341, 353, and 395 of the Pakistan Penal Code
A day later, a local court in Lahore granted interim bail to Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) leader till February 16
(PAF) by Sharif and members of his cabinet, followed by a guard of honour from the military at his official residence and a one-on-one meeting with the prime minister
According to the PMO statement, t h e v i s i t w i l l b e r e s c h e d u l e d a n d t h e n e w d a t e s w i l l b e a n n o u n c e d s h o r t l y T h e p r e s i d e n t c o n t a c t e d S h a r i f a n d e x p r e s s e d d i s a p p o i n t m e n t a t t h e p o s t p o n e m e n t , t o w h i c h t h e l a t t e r r e s p o n d e d t h a t t h e s a f e t y a n d protection of their guest was of utmost i m p o r t a n c e a n d c o u l d n o t b e compromised in unfavourable weather c o n d i t i o n s A l N a h y a n a s s u r e d S h a r i f that he would soon be making a twoday visit to Islamabad
Deadly coach accident kills two, injures 24 near Kallar Kahar interchange LAHORE
S ta f f R e p o R t
Two people were killed and 24 others injured in a passenger coach accident near Kallar Kahar Interchange on the motorway on Monday The accident was caused by slippery road conditions due to rain, according to the motorway police The coach was en route to Lahore from Rawalpindi The dead and injured were taken to a Trauma Center in Kallar Kahar The accident follows a deadly bus crash on Sunday in which 41 people were killed and 7 injured after a coach plunged off a bridge near Chungi stop in Lasbela The bus was carrying 48 passengers from Quetta to Karachi at the time of the crash Poor road conditions, lax safety measures, and reckless driving contribute to Pakistan’s high rate of road accidents According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 27,000 people were killed on Pakistan’s roads in 2018 Karachi policeman Killed: Unidentified suspects killed a police officer in Karachi shooting on Monday The incident occurred near the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, according to police The slain police officer was identified as 50-year-old Muhammad Iqbal and his body was later handed over to his family Double shooting claims two lives in Karachi
ISLAMABAD
S ta f f R e p o R t
The exchange rate of the Pakistani rupee depreciated by Rs 6 03 against the US dollar in the interbank trading on Monday and closed at Rs 269 63 against the previous day’s closing of Rs 262 60 According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of dollar in the open market were recorded at Rs 268 and Rs 270 5 respectively The price of the euro appreciated by Rs 7 11 and closed at Rs 292 71 against the previous day’s closing of Rs 285 60, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) The Japanese yen increased by 06 paisa to close at Rs 2 07, whereas an increase of Rs 8 87 was witnessed in the exchange rate of the British pound, which was traded at Rs 333 81 as compared to its last closing of Rs 324 94 The exchange rates of the Emirates dirham and Saudi riyal increased by Rs Rs 1 87 and Rs 1 91 paisa to close at Rs 71 82 and Rs 73 40 respectively
LAHORE
M o n i to R i n g R e p o R t
tH E anti-corruption establishment (ACE) in Punjab registered a case against Muhammad Khan Bhatti, principal secretary to former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, on allegations of bribery
The charge sheet alleges that Bhatti received more than Rs460 million in bribes from officials of the Punjab Highway Department in exchange for favourable
KOHAt
posts The agency has also nominated Monis Elahi, Elahi s son, and Ali Afzal Sahi, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) minister of the communication and works department under Elahi, in the case Unconfirmed reports suggest the agency has also arrested a sub-divisional officer (SDO) in the highway department, Rana Muhammad Iqbal in the case and formed teams for the arrest of Bhatti, who it claims is the prime suspect Meanwhile Elahi’s driver and bodyguard have been arrested for allegedly
The First Information Report (FIR) of boat tragedy at Kohat’s Tanda Dam has been registered in which the boat owner and three officials of the irrigation department have been nominated police said on Monday According to the FIR, the accident occurred due to overloading of the boat following which 10 children died on Sunday THe boat carrying 25-30 passengers, including madrassa students, as well as the boatman, capsized in Tanda Dam
The authorities managed to rescue six of the students, who were being treated at DHQ Hospital Kohat The incident has created a mourning atmosphere in the houses of victims
Meanwhile, a collective Namaz e Janaza (funeral prayer) of eleven children, who lost their lives in the Tanda Dam boat capsize incident was offered in Kohat on Monday, attended by thousands of people from different walks of life
The funeral prayer was attended by Station Commander, Moeen ud Din, DIG Police, Ali Khattak, DPO Kohat Abdur Rauf Qaisarai, Commissioner Kohat government officers and thousands of people from all walks of life
Participants of the funeral offered a collective Fateha and prayed for a high place in heaven for the departed souls of the children Meanwhile, an operation was underway at Tanda Dam to recover bodies of the remaining children, rescue workers said and added that all the ill-fated children belonged to the same village At least 11 children had died the other day when a boat they were onboard capsized in Tanda Dam Kohat The FIR of the incident has been registered against the officers of Irrigation Department and boat operator at Riaz Shaheed police station, Kohat
ISLAMABAD
S ta f f R e p o R t
President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned Joint Session of the Parliament at 3 00 p m on February 8 (Wednesday) The Parliament’s Joint Session has been summoned under Articles 48(1) and 54 (1) of the Constitution a press release issued by the President’s Media Wing here on Monday said
carrying liquor bottles in Islamabad, and an investigation into potential monetary transactions by two employees of the Punjab House is underway B h a t t i w a s a B P S - 7 c l e r k i n t h e
A g r i c u l t u r e D e p a r t m e n t i n 1 9 9 7 w h e n E l a h i , t h e n s p e a k e r o f t h e P u n j a b Assembly, inducted him into the provincial parliament in BPS-11
Thanks to Chaudhry’s patronage who became the Punjab chief minister in 2002, Bhatti achieved BPS-20 in less than a decade, an unprecedented rise seen by any
civil servant, and was appointed special secretary in the Chief Minister s Secretariat, a post specially created to accommodate him In 2008, he was promoted to BPS-21 and posted as the assembly secretary where he served until August of last year when Elahi, who by the time had returned as chief minister, appointed him as his principal secretary
The appointment, according to a court petition, was made in violation of the law which stipulated that an officer of one service cadre cannot be posted in another
RAWALPINDI S ta f f R e p o R t
The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Monday ordered the de-sealing of Lal Havelli, which had been closed down by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB)in the early morning
LHC Justice Waqas Rauf Mirza, while hearing an application filed by the former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, ordered the desealing of Lal haveli, which belonged to the Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed
The court asked the ETPB to decide the rest of the property land after hearing the petitioner within 15 days Earlier in the day, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed applied before the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench after the ETPB had sealed four shops on Haveli’s ground floor and residential part of the building Earlier Awami Muslim
League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad moved an application before the Lahore High Court s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench against the sealing of the Lal Haveli by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Advocate Sardar Raziq Khan, on behalf of the AML chief, while submitting the plea urged the court to hold an urgent hearing which was accepted According to ETPB Deputy Commissioner Asif Khan, two units of the Lal Haveli and five adjoining units were sealed after teams of the board along with the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) arrived at the spot early morning today Khan said Rashid’s ownership of these Lal Haveli units had been cancelled over illegal occupation of land Several notices had also been issued to Rashid and his brother in this regard, he added Taking to Twitter, the former minister has claimed that Lal Haveli was his “personal property” and a “central secretariat for public service He said he didn t receive a notice prior to the action, adding sealing Lal Haveli was an act of fascism and terrorism
“If it is proven that Lal Haveli is not our personal property, we should be declared national criminals, Rashid said claiming that the government took this step after it failed to find anything against him
The former federal minister went on to say that a case pertaining to the ownership of the Lal Haveli was already fixed for hearing on February 15
The imports of motor cars, both Completely Built Up (CBU) as well as Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) or Completely Knocked Down (CKD) witnessed a sharp decline of 66 percent and 40 37 percent respectively during the first half of the current fiscal year compared to last year
According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the imports of CKD/SKD were recorded at $722 524 million during July-December (2022-23) as compared to the imports of $1211 577 million during July-December (2021-22), showing a decline of 40 37 percent
Likewise Pakistan imported CBU motorcars worth $108 453 million during July-December as compared to
ISLAMABAD
S ta f f R e p o R t
A single member bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday sent the file to the Chief Justice for formation of a larger bench to hear the case against the appointment of one officer against two slots of chairman CDA and chief commissioner ICT at the same time Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the case filed by Riaz Hanif Rahi Advocate Additional Attorney General Munawar Dogal appeared before the court At the outset of hearing, the petitioner ’s lawyer prayed the court to form a larger bench for further hearing The court noted that the accused had repeatedly insisted for the larger bench and decided to send the matter to Chief Justice The court remarked that it was not a fun that a a person keep sitting in the office of the Chairman CDA then who would view the affairs of Chief Commissioner ’s office The further hearing of the case was then adjourned
LAHORE
S ta f f R e p o R t
the imports of $318 999 last year showing a decline of 66 percent Overall, transport group imports declined by 49 84 percent during the period under review The imports of the group were recorded at $ 1 163 005 million as compared to the imports of $2,318 457 million last year It is pertinent to mention here that overall merchandize imports into the country decreased by 22 97 percent during the period under review by going down from $ 40,563 million last year to $ 31,245 million during the current year
The exports were recorded at $14 258 million against the exports of $15,125 million last year, showing a decline of 5 73 percent Based on the figures, the trade deficit during the first six months of the current fiscal year witnessed a decline of 33 22 percent and was recorded at $ 16,987 million this year against the deficit of $ 25 438 million last year
KARACHI
S ta f f R e p o R t
The opening ceremony of the Pakistan-Turkey Joint Exercise, ATTATURK-XII 2023, took place today at Tarbella The national anthems of both nations were played at the beginning of the event
The exercise involves troops from the Turkish special forces and the Pakistan Special Services Group
made to start branding initiative in railways and to use its locations and trains for commercial and publicity purposes
Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said on Monday that initially selected railway stations and some trains would be used to implement branding initiative
Addressing a branding conference at a local hotel he said that spaces would be offered for branding on few trains and at selected railway stations and gradually this initiative would be implemented in the whole system He said, “Branding initiative should be implemented in such a way that it may not affect the esthetic sense
In past, he said a lot of efforts had been
Khawaja Saad Rafique said that being a Pakistani all of us should make sincere efforts to steer the country out of existing challenges
He said that honest officers had been appointed on main posts in railways and there was no political interference within the department adding that even railways minister could not interfere in the policies of railways Branding initiative would help private companies to enhance their business and he requested the private companies to take it as a national cause and play their role in strengthening the railway
(SSG) The two-week exercise is aimed at improving counter-terrorism techniques, with a focus on compound clearance, cave clearance, sniper training, counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) training and combat medical care
The joint exercise will strengthen military ties between the two countries and provide an opportunity to share the experience of the Pakistan Army in the fight against terrorism
He said: “If we look at other countries, railway play a significant role in strengthening economy of any country The Minister said that two decades were required to turnaround railways, adding that results could not be achieved through hollow slogans He said: “Despite financial challenges in the railways we will keep our spirit high to uplift the department ” Saad Rafique said that efforts were being made to start Main Line-1 project in a viable situation after cost cutting He said that railways wanted to move forward with the support of private sector and in light of professional opinion The Railways Minister said that there was a lot of potential in the country and efforts had to be made in right direction to achieve desired results Responding to a question he said that all parameters regarding safety of installations would be decided, adding that company involved in branding and department both had to play their role in this regard
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday expressed concern over the hike in fuel prices and urged the government to withdraw this decision LCCI President Kashif Anwar, Senior Vice President Zafar Mehmood Chaudhry, Vice President Adnan Khalid Butt and Executive Committee, in a media statement here, observed that this would add to the already increased cost of doing business (CODB) They urged the government to take immediate measures to control the rising inflation and CODB They shared that statistics issued by World Bank which indicate that only two percent economic growth was anticipated in Pakistan for the current fiscal year They added that slower development would be due to damages and disruptions brought on by catastrophic floods, a tight monetary policy rising inflation and an unfavourable global environment The LCCI office-bearers claimed that actual GDP growth was anticipated to reach 3 2 percent in next fiscal year signaling a modest recovery and if not tackled professionally this low growth would lead to further inflation and unemployment LCCI President Kashif Anwar argued that exchange rate was 17 percent rupee was devaluating and now raise in POL prices would add to the miseries of trade and economy They added that due to the current flooding, poverty would probably go worse in the hardest-hit areas and without resolute relief and recovery initiatives to aid the poor, preliminary projections indicated that the national poverty rate might rise by 2 5 to 4 percentage points putting between 5 8 and 9 million people in poverty They said as Pakistan struggled with issues like a current account deficit, huge public debt and decreased demand from its traditional export markets during muted global growth
Initially selec ted railway stations, few trains to be used for branding: S aad Rafique
LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t
A 45-member delegation from the 32nd Senior Management Programme of the National Institute of Management in Karachi visited the Punjab education Foundation (PeF) head office in Lahore Manzar Javed Ali the managing director of PeF welcomed the delegation and gave a detailed briefing on PeF’s projects, such as Foundation Assisted School, education Voucher Scheme and New School Programme
He explained that PeF provides free, quality education to over 25 lakh underprivileged students through 7 000 partner schools in all districts of Punjab with special attention paid to quality education and teacher training He also described the Roshan Thal project and the Cholistan Mobile School and Community Schools projects, mentioning that PeF terminates partnerships with schools that don’t meet educational standards and opens new schools in their place The delegation appreciated PeF’s public-private partnership model and the measures taken for free education
LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t
A l o c a l P T I l e a d e r a n d h i s n e p h e w w e r e k i l l e d i n K a l a S h a h K a k u a r e a o f L a h o r e o n M o n d a y P T I l e a d e r S h e r A f z a l a l i a s N i k k a P e h l w a n w a s g o i n g t o L a h o r e a l o n g w i t h h i s n e p h e w i n h i s c a r w h e n f o u r a r m e d m e n o p n e d f i r e o n t h e m n e a r K a l a S h a h K a k u A s a r e s u l t , S h e r A f z a l a n d h i s n e p h e w A r s a l a n s u ff e r e d s e v e r e b u l l e t i n j u r i e s d i e d o n t h e s p o t R e s c u e 11 2 2 o ff i c i a l s r e a c h e d t h e v e n u e a n d s h i f t e d t h e i r b o d i e s t o a l o c a l h o s p it a l f o r m e d i c o - l e g a l f o r m a l i t i e s P o l i c e s a i d t h a t t h e a s s a s s i n s f l e d t h e s c e n e a f t e r g u n n i n g d o w n t h e u n c l e a n d n e p h e w T h e l a w e n f o r c e r s c o rd o n e d o ff t h e a r e a a n d s t a r t e d c o l l e c t i n g e v i d e n c e f r o m t h e c r i m e s c e n e O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , t a k i n g n o t i c e o f t h e i n c i d e n t t h e P u n j a b I G p o l i c e s o u g h t t h e r e p o r t f r o m L a h o r e C C P O a n d o r d e r e d f o r i mm e d i a t e a r r e s t o f t h e k i l l e r s
A D B A p p o i n t s s A f D A r pA r v e z A s
ISLAMABAD
S ta f f R e p o R t
tHe Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Safdar Parvez as its Country Director for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Mr Parvez has arrived in Beijing following his appointment last month, says a statement issued by the ADB on Monday
As Country Director, he will oversee ADB s operations in the PRC including implementation of the country partnership strategy (CPS) that prioritizes high-quality sustainable green development The current CPS is central in reorienting ADB’s engagement in the PRC as an upper middle-income country
“I am deeply honored to be leading the office in the PRC, where I look forward to strengthening ADB s longtime partnership with the government and other significant stakeholders,” said Mr Parvez ADB will continue the effective work we’ve been doing with the PRC as an important player in ensuring environ-
mentally sustainable development and climate change adaptation and mitigation
We ll work together towards solutions for health security and supporting an aging society We will also seek to upscale our support for institutional development knowledge management, and private sector development Most importantly, we will facilitate sharing of knowledge and best practices between the PRC and developing member countries of ADB to support replicable development models Safdar Parvez has more than 26 years of professional experience, including over 20 years with ADB He joined ADB in 2002 and has held senior positions, including Director for Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination in Central and West Asia and Advisor in east Asia He has been a key leader on a number of corporate strategy reforms and initiatives at ADB ADB has been working with the PRC since 1986 To date, ADB has committed 1,160 public sector loans, grants, and technical assistance totaling $41 3 billion to the PRC ADB s green development work includes projects in the greater Bei-
jing–Tianjin–Hebei region to boost sustainable financing in renewable energy clean transport, industrial energy efficiency, and cooling system retrofits
A national of Pakistan Mr Parvez holds two master ’s degree in economics: one from Cambridge University, United
Kingdom, and another from Quaid-eAzam University Pakistan; and a bachelor ’s degree in economics from Government College, Pakistan Prior to joining ADB Mr Parvez was Programme Manager Policy at the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme
JACOBABAD S ta f f R e p o R t
At least six people were killed and seven others injured when armed men of one group attacked other over property dispute here on Monday Police said that Thaheem and Babar community residing in village Chantal Abad, Doda Pur police station in Jacobabad was in dispute over ownership of a plot equipped with heavy and automated weapons, the members of Thaheem community attacked the opponents As a result of attack six people including Nasrullah, Naseer Ahmed, Khameso Khan, Daim Khan, Sahib Khan and Sabil Babar were killed while Abdul Rahim Hafeez Ashraf and Muhammad Sadiq Babar among seven sustained bullet wounds The assailants fled the scene after killing people The bodies and injured were shifted to local hospital where the wounded people were referred to Chandka Hospital Larkana due to critical condition Heavy contingent of police cordoned off the area after the attack A case was registered into the incident and raids were being conducted to arrest the attackers
ISLAMABAD
S ta f f R e p o R t
Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Mufti Abdul Shakoor on Monday denied the allegation of gender discrimination in the appointment of Director General (DG) Hajj
The minister, in a statement, said how could he deviate from the Islamic teachings and the Constitution and influence the opinion of other senior officials who were part of the interview panel
He said that he even could not imagine about gender discrimination particu-
larly against women while sitting on a constitutional post Women in our society have more rights than any other society,” he maintained Abdul Shakoor said, in the alleged audio the informal conversation after the interview was produced negatively which had nothing to do with reality
“Despite the baseless allegation I respect the female official,” he said, adding that the female official had approached the court and he would accept the decision of the honorable court on the matter
The minister alleged the media for turning it into a sensational news story by
ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Dr Shireen Mazari lashed out at the imported government and the state institution for violating constitution and said that the PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry didn’t commit sedition; therefore the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) should take suo moto on abuse of State power
PTI Dr Shireen Mazari, in a statement, on Monday that when the State institutions and government become complicit in terrorizing critics and political leaders and carry out violations of Constitution, fundamental rights and laws then nation looked to the CJP to take suo moto action She asked: “Where else can we turn when the State itself violates the Constitution?”
Mazari stated that Munshis and their string pullers on a v i c i o u s v e n g e f u l c o u r s e a g a i n s t F a w a d C h a u d h r y b e -
c a u s e h e c a l l e d t h e m o u t o n t h e i r r e a l i t y “ N o w t h e y a r e going to “search” the place where he and his family live in ICT she added S h e r a i s e d q u e s t i o n t h a t l e g a l l y, h e d i d n ’t c o m m i t S e d i t i o n s o w h y n o s u o m o t o b y a p e x c o u r t o n a b u s e o f S t a t e p o w e r ? T h e w a y h i s j u d i c i a l r e m a n d w a s r e v e r t e d t o p h y s i c a l r e m a n d a n d h e w a s h a n d e d b a c k t o p o l i c e ( c o v e r t l y t o a g e n c i e s a s h i s w h e r e a b o u t s b e c a m e u nk n o w n ) s h o w s c l e a r m a l a f i d e i n t e n t t o i n f l i c t c u s t o d i a l t o r t u r e o n h i m M u n s h i s a n d t h e i r s t r i n g p u l l e r s r u t h l e s s , ” D r M a z a r i m a i n t a i n e d C o n d e m n i n g t h e s u i c i d e a t t a c k i n P e s h a w a r p o l i c e l i n e s m o s q u e , s h e s t a t e d t h a t t h e b o m b e r c o u l d g a i n a cc e s s t o a c e n t r a l a r e a o f t h e p r o v i n c i a l c a p i t a l w a s s a d l y a n o t h e r I n t e l l i g e n c e f a i l u r e O u r p o l i c e a r e f r o n t l i n e d e f e n d e r s a g a i n s t t e r r o r i s t s e s p e c i a l l y i n u r b a n a r e a s a n d n e e d b e t t e r r e s o u r c e s i n c l u d i n g e q u i pm e n t , s h e a d d e d
inflationary pressures start to drop
The PIAF Chairman said that the high speed diesel is used mostly in the transport and agriculture sectors
T h e r e f o r e , a n y i n c r e a s e i n i t s price will lead to inflationary impact
The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has demanded of the government to withdraw the massive increase of Rs35 per liter in petroleum prices with immediate effect, as the cruel conditions of IMF for the release of its delayed loan tranche would destroy the trade and industry totally
In a statement on Monday, Chairman PIAF Faheem ur Rehman Saigol said that federal government has announced an abnormal increase of petrol and High Speed Diesel prices by Rs35 per litre for first half of Feb a couple of days earlier instead of waiting for the end of the month which is very unfor-
tunate and shows writ of the government is very weak He said that inflation is on higher side due to the impact of government’s economic policies of soaring fuel rates, enhancing power and gas tariff, depreciating the local currency and imposing exorbitant duties on imported industry raw material Faheem Saigol urged the government to take concrete measures for easing out inflation that has further increased due to rise in oil prices and other essential commodities He said that oil prices and inflation are closely connected in a cause-and-effect relationship As fuel rates move up, inflation, which is the measure of general price trends throughout the economy follows in the same direction upward On the other hand, if the rates of fuel fall,
K e r o s e n e o i l p r i c e h a s a l s o g o n e u p , w h ich is u s ed in r emo te ar eas w h er e
l i q u e f i e d p e t r o l e u m g a s i s n o t a v a i lable for cooking purposes So, any increase in its price will have an impact o n t h e l i f e o f t h e p o o r T h e p r i c e o f
light diesel oil has been hiked, which is used in industries and its price also goes up
The business leader said that the decision would prove detrimental to the industries due to high cost of doing business and will also open the floodgates of inflation
In addition to making the electricity bills costlier and unaffordable for the consumers, the unexpected hike in oil prices would escalate prices of all household goods being widely used across Pakistan, he added
using the woman card and said before the allegation, the woman official tried to influence politically for the appointment on the said position
He made it clear that all the prevailing rules were followed in the tests and interviews for the appointment of DG Hajj
A b d u l S h a k o o r s a i d t h e f i n a l s e l e ct i o n o f t h r e e s u i t a b l e c a n d i d a t e s f o r D G H a j j w a s a t t h e d i s c r e t i o n o f t h e p r i m e m i n i s t e r
He said the Hajj 2023 was approaching nearer and requested the honorable court to give an early decision on the petition of the female official
S ta f f R e p o R t
Met office on Monday forecast that cold and dry weather is expected in most parts while very cold in north Balochistan and upper parts of the country during the next 24 hours Isolated light rain/light snowfall over the hills is expected in Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan during the period Fog is likely to occur in plain areas of Punjab during morning hours
Past 24 Hour WeatHer:
Rain/snowfall occurred in north-east Punjab, Kashmir, north Balochistan and GilgitBaltistan Cold and dry weather prevailed in other parts of the country Rainfall(mm): Punjab: Mandi Bahaudin 65, Mangla 52, Jhelum 36 Faisalabad 26 Murree 21 Hafizabad 20, Islamabad (Zero Point 19, Saidpur 16, Golra 12, Bokra 11, Airport 06) Rawalpindi (Chaklala 19 Shamsabad 16), Gujarat 13, Sargodha 12, Chakwal 08, Sialkot (Airport 08, City 03), Gujranwala, Narowal 07 Toba Tek Singh 06 Attock 03, Sahiwal 02, Lahore (Airport, City 02), Jhang 01, Kashmir : Kotli 32, Rawalakot 19 Garhi Dupatta 12 Muzaffarabad (City 08, Airport 07), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Kakul 15, Balakot 11, MalamJabba 10, Dir (Lower 10) Drosh Mirkhani 09 Kalam 04, Parachinar, Saidu Sharif, Patan 03, Mardan 02, Charat 01, Gilgit-Baltistan: Astore 12 Chillas Skardu 02 Gilgit Gupis 01 Balochistan: Quetta (Sheikh Manda 05, Samungli 04) and Dalbandin 01 Snowfall (inches): Murree 8 5 Malam Jabba 05, Astore 4 6, Rawalakot 04, Chitral 2 4, Kalam 02, Skardu 1 3 Todays recorded lowest minimum temperatures (°C): Leh, Parachinar, Kalat -07, Gupis06, Kalam -05, Malam Jabba, Muslim Bagh and Quetta -04
c o u n t r y D i r e c t o r i n c h i n A
Govt should withdraw massive hike in POL prices, demands PIAF
iN its three-year-long fight against COVID-19, China posted outstanding results in economic development and epidemic control reinforcing its status as a leading engine for the global economy
From 2020 to 2022, China’s economy posted an annual average growth of 4 5 percent, outpacing the world average of around 2 percent, according to Yuan Da, director of the Department of National Economy of the National Development and Reform Commission In 2022, the economy grew 3 percent year on year to a record high of 121 trillion yuan (about 18 trillion US dollars), with the increment standing at 6 1 trillion yuan equivalent to the economic aggregate of a medium-sized country
It also marks a new and higher level in terms of economic aggregate after the Chinese economy topped the thresholds of 100
trillion yuan and 110 trillion yuan in 2020 and 2021, respectively maintaining its position well as the world’s second-largest economy Analysts attributed the hard-won results to the country’s effective coordination in fighting COVID-19 and its economic fallouts simultaneously
Thanks to effective virus control and timely pro-growth policies, China’s economy has quickly emerged from the epidemic-induced slump and consolidated its recovery momentum for a brighter outlook
c u r b I n g t h e v I r u s : To cope with the constantly evolving epidemic situation
China has been dynamically optimising its control measures while enhancing the treatment and vaccination capacity effectively safeguarding the lives and health of its 1 4 billion population at minimum costs As of Jan 13 92 9 percent of the Chinese population has been fully vaccinated, with more than 90 percent of people above 60 covered
COntinuEd fROm bACk pAgE
The electoral watchdog proposed April 9 to 13 for the elections of the Punjab Assembly and April 15 to 17 for the K-P Assembly and asked the respective governors to select a date within the given timeline The letter stated that the governor should finalise the date between April 15 and 17 in K-P and inform the authorities Similarly, the Election Commission is bound to conduct elections in Punjab before April 13 The letter further said that it was the responsibility of the ECP to hold general elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the assemblies and Article 224 of the Constitution mandated that “in case national assembly or provincial assembly is dissolved, a general election to the Assembly shall be held within ninety days of the dissolution of the Assembly”
LAHORE
S ta f f R e p o R t
The increase in the petroleum products prices has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) A miscellaneous petition was filed by the Judicial Activism Panel against the rise in the prices of the petroleum products Sources learnt that the petition stated that instead of reducing the prices of the petroleum products in the country they were increased by Rs35 The prices of the petroleum products have not been reduced in accordance with the global market,” it added It is to be noted here that the prices of petrol and diesel had been increased by Rs35 each per litre by the government on Sunday last
Nearly 24 million Pakistanis are estimated to be cigarette smokers, with more people taking up the habit every day Health experts around the world are increasingly advocating for new technologies and innovations based on scientific research in their efforts to curb cigarette smoking One successful example can be observed in Japan - the world s ninth largest cigarette market - which has significantly reduced local smoking rates by introducing less harmful heated tobacco alternatives
Since heated tobacco products (HTP) were introduced to the Japanese public in 2015, researchers witnessed a fivefold decrease in cigarette sales along with an increase in HTP sales Japan saw the most rapid decline in cigarette sales, compared to any other major cigarette market in the world since HTPs in a remarkably short time Just like Japan if cigarette smokers in Pakistan were provided less harmful and non-combustible alternatives, smokers could have the option of a better future Now is the time to embrace change and give innovation a chance to make life better
by vaccination With Omicron much less pathogenic and deadly, China, in December last year, announced ten new measures to lift numerous COVID-19 restrictions On Jan 8, its management of COVID-19 was officially downgraded from Class A to Class B Less than one month after the optimization of COVID-19 response measures in December 2022, China reported declining numbers of fever patients and critical COVID-19 cases as both had passed the peak economIc resIlIence: In the justconcluded Spring Festival holiday, China s consumption made a strong comeback During the week-long holiday, sales revenue of China s consumption-related sectors rose 12 2 percent from the same holiday period in 2022 Its cinemas sold 129 million tickets, generating a whopping revenue of 6 76 billion yuan, the second highest-grossing to date Wen Bin, the chief economist with China Minsheng Bank, said that warming demand
at home would propel the turnaround in the Chinese economy this year and estimated the country’s full-year GDP growth at around 5 5 percent Aside from the overall economic growth China also made significant headway in maintaining consumer price stability, guaranteeing food and energy security, and improving people’s livelihoods In 2022 China’s CPI grew by 2 percent, a fraction of the increases reported in the United States, the eurozone and Britain It is also lower than those of other emerging economies
Amid a global food crisis, the country has secured a bumper harvest for the 19th year in a row, with its grain output at about 686 53 billion kg in 2022, up 0 5 percent from 2021
A total of 11 86 million 12 69 million and 12 06 million new urban jobs were created in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, all surpassing the targets set for each year Despite the gloomy global investment environment, China remains one of the most attractive in-
vestment destinations in the world
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 6 3 percent year on year to 1 23 trillion yuan in 2022 China has now become a major trading partner for more than 140 countries and regions, with its total trade of goods up 7 7 percent year on year in 2022 topping the world for six consecutive years brIghter outlooK: Recently, multiple international investment banks and financial institutions, including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Barclays, and Natixis, have upwardly revised their forecast for China’s economic growth rate in 2023, betting on the country s rosy prospects and strong resilience China has remained a glimmer of hope despite the bleak outlook of the global economy grappling with recession fears and persistent economic weakness A recent flagship report by the United Nations painted a gloomy picture of the global economy
COntinuEd
Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muazzam Jah Ansari presented the initial investigation report about the attack The PM was also shown the CCTV footage of the suicide attack on the Police Lines mosque The participants of the meeting offered Fateha for the martyred, sympathized with the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of the injured
On the occasion, the prime minister said the terrorists were attacking the security institutions, which were defending Pakistan They were making a nefarious attempt to create an atmosphere of fear and terror, and their designs would be foiled by the institutions and the people unitedly he added Pakistan had rendered great sacrifices against terrorism, and the sacrifices of the martyrs would not go waste, the prime minister said Shehbaz Sharif said the capacity of the anti-terrorism institutions and police would be enhanced and the National Action Plan would be implemented comprehensively and with full force
Meanwhile, the prime minister visited the Lady Reading Hospital to inquire after the persons injured in the blast The prime minister took rounds of different wards and met the injured He directed the hospital administration to provide the best medical facilities to the injured
Speaking during his visit he said those who shed the blood of the worshippers could not be Muslims The criminals behind the terror attack would not be absolved by Allah Almighty he remarked and vowed to root out the terrorists He said the attacks on innocent citizens during prayers in mosques and in the name of Islam were the worst acts The people of Pakistan had identified the real faces of the extremist elements who had a baseless ideology and were misinterpreting the religion, he added
Earlier on his arrival at the hospital the prime minister was received by caretaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Azam Khan, Adviser to the PM on Political Affairs Engr Amir Muqam and IGP Muazzam Jah Ansari
I m r a n K h a n f o r I m p r o v I n g I n t e l l Ig e n c e g at h e r I n g , e q u I p p I n g p o l I c e to c o m b at t e r r o r I s m: Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) Chairman and senior party leadership strongly condemned the terrorist suicide attack in police
lines mosque Peshawar and expressed sympathies with the family of he martyrs
The former premier said that it is “imperative” that the country improves its intelligence gathering and properly equip police forces to combat” the growing threat of terrorism He also expressed condolences with the families of those killed and injured p t I c a n c e l s p r o t e s t: The Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf canceled its protest against inflation which was scheduled to take place in Peshawar outside the Governor House Former minister Sher Ali urged party workers to not come to the protest
The party also condemned the attack, calling it “most unfortunate” PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai expressed his grief at the loss of precious lives, adding that security agencies made great sacrifices to restore law and order A spokesperson for the PTI instructed party workers to donate blood to the injured and urged the caretaker government in the K-P to take effective measures for the treatment of the injured
Former President Asif Ali Zardari condemning a suicide attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that terrorists being active in KP was extremely dangerous
He advised the government to take action against nurseries of terrorists as per National Action Plan (NAP) Asif Zardari said that terrorist incidents before by-polls and general elections were cause of concern
He urged the federal and interim provincial governments for bringing terrorist planners and facilitators to book
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman strongly condemned the attack and said that attacking a sacred place during worship was the “height of brutality” He maintained that the nation should fight conspiratorial elements with mutual unity and agreement Fazl also prayed for the forgiveness of the martyrs and for the recovery of the injured Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Amir Sirajul Haq also condemned the brutal attack, saying terrorism in Peshawar is highly condemnable
“Innocent blood is being shed in the country, mosques are being targeted, but government is nowhere to be found In the power grab people have been left at the mercy of terrorists Protection of life and property, let alone any relief, what purpose does such a government have? he tweeted Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has strongly con-
demned the attack on Police Lines mosque in Peshawar He prayed for the elevation of the ranks of martyrs and the speedy recovery of the injured
The Senate chairman said the terrorists would never succeed in their nefarious designs as the determination of the government, security agencies, people and parliament against terrorism was unwavering
Such barbaric terrorist attacks cannot shake our resolve for a peaceful Pakistan, Sanjrani said adding terrorists were trying to sabotage the development process in Pakistan through these terrorist activities, but the Pakistani Nation was determined to root out this scourge of terrorism
Meanwhile Senate Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Leader of the House in Senate Ishaq Dar and Leader of the Opposition in Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem also strongly condemned the blast and said the terrorists would not succeed in their evil objectives They said the entire nation was united against terrorism c o m m I s s I o n e r u r g e s c I t I z e n s o f og r o u p t o d o n at e b l o o d f o r b l a s t v I c t I m s : The city Commissioner Riaz Khan
Mehsud urged the citizens of O- group to donate blood for the treatment of blood victims
Talking to reporters, here, he said O- blood was required for critically injured victims following the appeal made by the Lady Reading Hospital’s spokesman
He said at least 28 people, including policemen, were martyred and 150 wounded in the powerful explosion that ripped through inside the mosque of Malik Saad Shaheed police lines in red zone
Meanwhile Capital City Police Officer Peshawar Ejaz Khan, while talking to the media, said that it was too early to comment anything that how many policemen were still trapped under the mosque’s rubble He said the focus was currently being made on the rescue operation We cannot say with surety about the nature of the blast at the moment but there is a smell of explosives inside the mosque,” he feared, also not dismissing the possibility of a suicide attack
The CCPO said usually 300 to 400 people including officials of the headquarters of Peshawar Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Frontier Reserve Police Elite Force and Telecommunication Departments offer Zuhr prayer in the mosque
LAHORE
The Businessmen Panel (BMP) of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) while strongly rejecting the unexpected and huge raise in the rates of oil products in the country has stated that the government has dropped a fuel bomb on the trade and industry by raising Rs35/liter oil rates in one go followed by the electric hike shock of Rs4 46/unit under quarterly adjustment by NEPRA one week ago
Former president FPCCI and Chair-
man BMP, Mian Anjum Nisar on Monday said that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) had approved increase in tariff up to Rs4 46 per unit on account of quarterly adjustment for the first quarter of financial year 2022-23 The tariff hike will place a burden of Rs4 938 billion on trade and industry on account of variation in capacity charges, variable operation and maintenance cost, and the impact of fuel cost adjustment on transmission and distribution losses for the first quarter (JulSept) of FY23
The FPCCI former president said
that the decision would prove detrimental to the industries due to high cost of doing business and will also open the floodgates of inflation
In addition to making the electricity bills costlier and unaffordable for the consumers, the unexpected hike in oil prices would escalate prices of all household goods being widely used across Pakistan, he added He said that the burden of the surge in oil price in the international market is immediately transferred to masses by the government but the process of reduction in the prices is always very slow He said that despite
an inevitable increase in the prices that will unleash a strong wave of inflation, the government remains short of clinching a deal with the International Monetary Fund On the other hand the NEPRA has increased the electricity rates mainly on account of fuel prices, capacity cost payments and the impact of rupee devaluation against the US dollar Mian Anjum Nisar condemned the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s decision to increase electricity tariffs stating that the burden of power theft, mismanagement, and inefficiencies cannot be shifted to consumers on the pretext of fuel adjustment
LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t
T h e s e c o n d m e e t i n g o f t h e p r o v i n c i a l c a b i n e t w a s
held at the Chief Minister s Office on Monday under the chair of Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin
N a q v i The cabinet strongly condemned the Peshawar blast and expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of lives The CM, ministers and senior officials offered
special prayers for the martyrs and speedy recovery of the injured, said a handout issued here
The cabinet also expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The cabinet formally endorsed the appointment of new law officers According to the court verdict, previous law officers will also remain in their positions, but they will not represent the government in any case Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi ordered to
tighten security to protect the life and property of the people and directed that the police should take every measure to maintain law and order Similarly entry and exit routes should be strictly monitored throughout the province, he added The cabinet was also briefed about the corporate farming policy and the CM directed to present this policy in the next meeting Provincial ministers, chief secretary, IGP and senior officers attended the meeting
AS an exercise in the macabre, if one were to mine our country’s history for our most despondent year, it would have to be ‘09 It would make for a longer discussion than this space to argue how it was much worse than what ‘71 could possibly be In that fateful year of 2009, the country faced its highest spate of terrorist activity Obviously, within said incidents, the bulk of the brunt was borne by the Pashtun belt Within the Pashtun belt, it was the then (and in all but name, now) tribal areas But if one were to zero in on the city that was hit the hardest, enough to change its collective psyche, it would have to be Peshawar itself The city saw no respite, with a bomb blast almost every other day
In the aftermath of the terrible blast yesterday at the Police Lines Mosque, for the people of the unfortunate city, there is a foreboding sense of doom, of a return back to that dark era The rising death toll, hospital officials fear, just might rise into the triple digits Our hearts go out to the families of the deceased and also to those that are injured
The nation’s political class is busy playing the musical chairs of power, while the nation’s bloated, overfed security establishment is the master of ceremonies of said game Both are to be blamed for ignoring the rising tide of terror but it is the latter that should be blamed more than the former, many times over The security establishment was once accused of playing a double game in the war against terror, a charge that it used to not only vehemently deny, but it also used to cast aspersions on journalists who would report on the alleged double game After the ascent of the Taliban in power in Afghanistan, the security establishment giddily jettisoned the denials of such a double game, with the former chief spymaster going to Kabul, uttering his now famous everything will be okay
Well, things are far from okay The havoc that the state has wreaked on the people of Afghanistan has to be paid with interest, unless there is a huge policy shift With the country’s entire political class up in arms (at varying degrees, depending upon political expediency) against the security establishment’s ingress into politics, the time is also right for there to be a collective, across-the-board condemnation by the political class of the establishment’s policies towards the Taliban There needs to be a zero-tolerance policy towards militancy of any ilk, regardless of where the said militants profess to take their fight
The people of Pakistan deserve better The people of (all) neighbouring countries deserve better
ther-figure than a good father himself!
It used to be that children were wary of earning their fathers’ displeasure by any ill-advised activity on their part Now it is the fathers who are decidedly terrified of their children They cannot say No to any of their demands; they cannot reprimand them for silly (often outright harmful) behaviour for fear of their getting offended; they do not have the guts to educate them when they clearly cross lines of acceptable behaviour lest they happen to cause irreparable damage to their fragile subconsciouses
Wh e N William Wordsworth referred to the child as father of the man, he was alluding to the fact that the behaviour and attitudes adopted in childhood go a long way in building a man’s personality There can be little doubt that this is as true today as it was in 1802 when Wordsworth penned the immortal lines of ‘My heart leaps up’ however, the typical modern fathers by raising their children in a way that has been in vogue for a while now, have managed to give a very literal meaning to the phrase father of the man
So it is that an observer could easily be forgiven for thinking that it is the young ones who are fathers of adult men and not the other way around That is how spectacularly children of the brave new world succeed in having their own way While one must be careful not to be overly nostalgic for a past utopia one can do worse than occasionally take stock of one’s current circumstances by looking in the rearview mirror so to speak Not very long ago children were very clear about the fact that they would encroach the boundaries set by their parents, especially their fathers, at their own peril Provider, guide, protector, teacher – the father used to be many things to his children; but a friend was not one of those things It was only a few years ago that most fathers realized that it was impossible for them to swim against the tide Children gained friends as a result but lost their fathers – an unwise exchange because friendship (though precious) is extremely dearly purchased at such a high price
Again, the object is by no means to glorify the imaginary virtues of a past when the distance between parents and children was in many cases notoriously stretched to a degree that did no good to anybody It is also undeniable however that fathers are supposed to play a role in their children’s lives that nobody else can especially in case of their sons, for whom it is so crucial to have a role model around while they are growing up And who better as a fa-
It used to be that children were war y of earning their fathers’ displeasure by any ill-advised activity on their par t. Now it is the fathers who are decidedly terrified of their children. They cannot say ‘No’ to any of their demands
Today the belief prevalent among so many of the younger generation is that life is a party For the most part, this owes to ineffectual parenting on the part of elders who are guilty of shortchanging their charges, even if that is convenient for either side in the short haul Too often it becomes a matter of parents saying things that their children want to hear, as opposed to what they need to hear The resulting life-philosophy is that happiness is a birth-right, and that the surest means to achieving it is buying things and getting the most absurd of their wishes to keep coming true all the time Such a life fails to notice that an indispensable part of being happy is to be without some of the things the heart so desires; and that for a fulfilled life, failure and frustration are as necessary as success and exhilaration That is so because the means are as important as the ends, if not more so
By allowing their children to dictate to them the parents cease to be parents in the true sense of the word The results of this are devastating to say the least: The quieter joys of life are replaced with excitement of the worst sort, relationships with screens, physical activities with gadgets, and healthy entertainment with mere distractions The entitlement level among the average youngster today is unprecedented What is more, it is certain to scale newer heights with every new day Already a youngster owning up to his or her failing is headline-news worthy on account of its uncommonness As far as the youth is concerned, every setback must necessarily be on account of somebody else’s fault, never their own In the past, it used to be friends who typically reinforced such self-serving ideas by being equally childish and unreasonable The support now comes from much more unfortunate quarters: the parents themselves Unwilling to call a spade a spade, they keep telling their children what great specimens they are No wonder then that responsible adults have become such a rarity; and all one sees around is grown up babies – adults in outward appearance only, who are utterly incapable of taking responsibility for their lives What else would one expected when their parents have never confronted them with home truths at the breakfast table?
The author is a connoisseur of music literature and food (but not drinks) He can be reached at www facebook com/hasanaftabsaeed
Th e term “homesickness” has been in use for centuries and is thought to have originated in the early 17th century The earliest known use of the term has been found in 1688 in a medical text written by a Swiss doctor named Johannes hofer in which he described a condition he called “nostalgia” he described it as a physical and psychological illness that affected soldiers and travelers who were far from home hofer believed that homesickness was caused by a disturbance in the balance of the body’s four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile) and that it could lead to severe physical symptoms such as fever and even death he also believed that it was more common in people from rural areas and that it was caused by a longing for the familiar surroundings and way of life of their home Over time, the understanding of homesickness has evolved and it is now recognized as a normal emotional response to being away from home, rather than a medical condition Nowadays, homesickness is considered as a normal emotional response and it has been studied by various fields of psychology, sociology and anthropology homesickness is a feeling of longing or longing for home typically experienced by people who are away from home for an extended period of time It can manifest as physical symptoms such as stomachaches or headaches as well as emotional symptoms such as sadness, anxiety, and irritability homesickness can be triggered by a variety of factors, including the stress of being in a new environment feeling isolated or disconnected from others, and missing familiar people, places, and routines
P o s i t i v e a n d n e g at i v e s i d e s: While homesickness is often thought of as a negative experience, it can also have some positive aspects Some of the positive aspects of homesickness include: a Increased appreciation for home: homesickness can make an individual appreciate their home and the people, places, and things that they have left behind This can lead to a deeper appreciation for the things they took for granted before they left b Personal growth: homesickness can be an opportunity for an individual to grow and develop as a person It can force them to step out of their comfort zone and learn to adapt to new environments and situations c Increased independence: homesickness can also make an individual more independent and self-reliant It can teach them how to take care of themselves and make decisions on their own d Increased empathy: homesickness can make an individual more empathetic and understanding of others who are going through similar experiences e Increased gratitude: homesickness can also increase an individual’s gratitude for the people places and things they have in their life f Greater appreciation of the present moment: homesickness can make one more present in the moment and appreciate the small things in life On the other side, the homesickness has a variety of negative impacts on an individual which include: a emotional distress: homesickness can cause feelings of sadness anxiety, and depression It can also make an individual feel isolated, lonely, and disconnected from others b Physical symptoms: homesickness can also cause physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, and fatigue c Difficulty focusing: homesickness can also affect an individual s ability to concentrate and focus on tasks which can impact their performance in school or work d Difficulty in sleeping: homesickness can also affect an individual s sleep causing insomnia or nightmares e Negative impact on social life: homesickness can also negatively impact an individual’s social life, causing them to withdraw from others and making it harder to form new relationships however, it is manageable with different coping mechanisms such as staying connected with loved ones engaging in activities that remind us of home, and finding ways to feel more comfortable and settled in our new surroundings
K i n d s o f h o m e s i c K n e s s : There are several different types of homesickness that an individual may experience, depending on their unique circumstances Some of the most common types include: a Classic homesickness: This type of homesickness is characterized by feelings of sadness and longing for home, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as headaches and stomachaches b Separation-individuation homesickness: This type of homesickness occurs when an individual is separating from their family and forming their own identity It can be especially difficult for adolescents and young adults who are leaving home for the first time c Reverse homesickness: This type of homesickness occurs when an individual returns home after being away
for an extended period of time It can be caused by feelings of disconnection from the familiar surroundings and people of home, and feelings of being out of place d Trauma-induced homesickness: This type of homesickness is caused by a traumatic event that has occurred in the individual’s home, and can be accompanied by symptoms of PTSD e Culture shock: This type of homesickness happens when an individual travel to a foreign country and finds it difficult to adapt to the new culture It can be caused by feeling of isolation, difficulty understanding the new culture and language and a longing for the familiar things and people
R e s e a R c h e s o n h o m e s i c K n e s s : There have been numerous studies conducted on homesickness over the years Research on homesickness has covered a wide range of topics including the causes symptoms and effects of homesickness, as well as ways to prevent and manage homesickness Some studies have focused on the psychological and emotional aspects of homesickness, looking at the relationship between homesickness and depression, anxiety, and stress Other studies have focused on the physical symptoms of homesickness such as headaches and stomachaches Research has also been done on the demographic and situational factors that can increase the risk of homesickness such as age gender, and distance from home Studies have also looked at the role of social support and coping strategies in managing homesickness More recently studies have focused on the impact of technology on homesickness, specifically the use of social media and virtual communication to stay connected with loved ones while away from home Studies also investigate the impact of homesickness on academic and professional performance, as well as in the military and international students Overall research on homesickness has shown that it is a normal and common experience, and that there are effective strategies for managing and coping with homesickness It also shows that homesickness can have both negative and positive impacts on an individual, and that it can be an opportunity for personal growth and development
The writer is a freelance columist
Some studies have focused on the psychological and emotional aspects of homesickness, looking at the relationship between homesickness and depression, anxiety, and stress.
HA D Turkey s President erdogan continued with his most impressive social, economic, judicial, and political reforms that he initiated and implemented during his first years in power, today’s Turkey would have been a great country, respected and prosperous while enjoying tremendous regional and global influence under his leadership Instead, erdogan reversed his remarkable achievements on all domestic and international fronts in pursuit of building an authoritarian regime that could satisfy his unquenchable thirst for ever more power erdogan will stop short of nothing to win the upcoming elections in June he certainly hopes to preside on October 29 over the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and to be recognized as the new Atatürk (father) of modern Turkey The Turkish people must deny him that honor because of his continuing horrific human rights violations
To put in perspective as to why erdogan does not deserve to preside over the anniversary and should be handedly rejected in the June elections, it is first necessary to provide a brief account of his relentless reign of terror and his unremitting campaign to harass and delegitimize the opposition parties to achieve his sinister objective
Following the failed coup of July 2016, erdogan arrested tens of thousands of innocent people, including hundreds of security officials, academics, and military personnel suspected of belonging to the hizmet (Gülen) Movement and charged them with participating in the coup he uses Article 301 of the Anti-Terror Act to crack down on dissent and even criminalize criticism of Turkishness
he arrested hundreds of journalists accusing them of spreading anti-government propaganda, shut down scores of TV and radio stations, and imposed restrictions on the use of social media
Nearly 200 journalists have been imprisoned since 2016; currently 40 remain incarcerated in subhuman prisons which blatantly defies the convention of freedom of press, especially in a NATO member state Thousands of university graduates are leaving the country in the search for job opportunities and to free themselves from erdogan s shackles Leaving their country behind is causing an alarming brain drain which is affecting just about every industry
The Council of europe and the University of Lausanne reports that Turkey has the largest population of prisoners convicted on charges related to terrorism As Turkish journalist Uzay Bulut notes The report updated in April 2021
shows that at the time there were a total of 30 524 inmates in COe member states who were sentenced for terrorism; of those, 29 827 were in Turkish prisons” [emphasis added] As Leo Tolstoy observed in War and Peace One need only to admit that public tranquility is in danger and any action finds a justification All the horrors of the reign of terror were based only on solicitude for public tranquility ” To that end, erdogan proclaims to be a pious man, but he cynically uses Islam as nothing but an evil political tool to project a divine power to assert his dictatorial whims unchallenged
The World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) reports that erdogan conveniently uses Anti-Terrorism Law No 3713, which was enacted by his AK Party-led rubber stamp parliament to stifle freedoms and silence the voices of those who defend human rights The law allows him to label peaceful human rights defenders as ‘terrorist offenders’ OMCT states that “Official data show that in 2020, 6551 people were prosecuted under the anti-terrorism law while a staggering 208,833 were investigated for ‘membership in an armed organization,’” typically those involved with the Gülen movement erdogan continues his crackdown on his own Kurdish community which represents nearly 20 percent of the population, depriving them of basic human rights his systematic persecution of the Kurds seems to have no bounds, as he accuses thousands of being supporters of the PKK which he considers as a terrorist organization and which successive Turkish governments have been fighting for more than 50 years at staggering human and material cost he consistently demands that various Balkan and eU states extradite Turkish nationals whom he accuses of being terrorists to stand trial in his corrupted courts denying them due process and subjecting them to ferocious torture in order to extract confessions for offences they never committed he is preventing Finland and Sweden from joining NATO unless Sweden extradites about 130 political refugees mostly Turkish Kurds to stand trial in Turkey Sweden has rejected his demand knowing that once they reach Turkish soil, it will be tantamount to the kiss of death To be sure, the rule of law in erdogan’s Turkey has been effectively dismantled
to issue a statement in support of his policies to help him in his bid for reelection when in fact he is at odds with President Biden on a host of critical issues including his egregious human rights violations, his refusal to allow Sweden and Finland to join NATO, his purchase of the Russianmade S-400 air defense system his money laundering, and his ceaseless corruption And in 2019, he tried to block NATO s plan for the defense of Poland and the Baltic states unless NATO identified the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces as terrorists
One would think that if he is so desperate to be re-elected come June, he would make significant concessions both domestically and in his relations with the US and the eU Why not offer amnesty to all political prisoners, free the journalists, stop harassing and jailing leaders of opposition parties and fully adhere to human rights and the rule of law?
Why not drop his opposition to Sweden’s admission to NATO? Why not rescind his purchase of a second batch of S-400s and decommission those currently in use, which are totally incompatible with NATO s air defense systems? Finally, why not restore the democratic principles which every member state of NATO is required to uphold?
As Turkey approaches its centennial anniversary this October, President Erdogan is stopping shor t of nothing to win the election in June to fulfill his life-time dream of presiding over the celebration.
S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r, Pakistan Today, 4 - S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h L a h o re P a k i s t a n E - m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan Today e x c l u s i v e l y
T h e dynastic rulers of Sindh over the years have left behind a rich heritage and majestic structures that have been a source of pride for generations When Talpur Mirs snatched power from Kalhoras to rule Sindh in 1783, they decided to distribute their power in three states; hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Khairpur hyderabad was considered the central state Mirpurkhas the southern state and Khairpur was the upper state under their rule Khairpur was called Sohrabpur named after Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur, who was the first ruler of Khairpur he was famous for having built several palaces and forts he is especially remembered for the construction of forts, such as Imam Garh in Thar region, Shah Garh towards Jodhpur, as well as Jaislmer and Ahmedabad at Diji One of them, the Kot Diji Fort, is considered the symbol of the Talpur dynasty Kot Diji means ‘the fort of the daughter ’ , and has also been known as the fort of Ahmedabad in the years gone by It was named after Ahmed, a Persian architect, who designed the fort The fort is dominating the town of Kot Diji The construction of the fort started in 1785 atop a hill at the edge of a desert in Sindh, and was completed in 1795
The fort is built on the top of Rohri hills at a height of 110 feet with walls 30 feet in height It was built on limestone hill with kiln-baked bricks to save it in case of a cannon attack
The fort is spread over an area of 1 8km with three strategically placed towers, and a mud wall on the outer side extending around 5km The wall of the fort has 50 segmental bastions This huge, majestic structure with its high walls and towers is seen from as far as the old National highway From the fort, visitors can also have a view of the Kot Diji settlement of pre-harappa period (3300BC)
A little while ago when my university teacher along with his guests from Karachi, came to visit my village, I accompanied them to some historical places of Khairpur We visited Faiz Mahal, Bali Jo Bungalow, Sheesh Mahal White Mahal and Madam Jo Bungalow and later we went to visit the Kot Diji Fort where we spent one whole day
I was deeply saddened to see the dilapidated state of this massive fort which today symbolises the apathy of the relevant authorities The walls are falling apart and one can see heaps of bricks lying around Bricks that were used to pave the streets are seen lying broken all over the place Turrets of the walls are eroding and serious damage is seen around the towers Is there no one to look after and preserve such magnificent piece of architecture? Will such glorious structures continue to decay? It is unfortunate that not only the authorities concerned, but the people, too, show careless attitude towards such a marvel of archaeology I saw people burning bricks and scaling walls Nobody seemed to care for the damage to the historical monument having a deep interest in archaeology, I urge visitors to take care of the place during their visits Also the Department of Culture Antiquities and Tourism should depute staff to guide the visitors, and engineers to preserve the heritage for the coming generations
HAMID ALI GADHI JAMSHOROBut then, erdogan’s obsession with absolute power has blinded him from seeing and feeling the plight of his own people, which only demonstrates his ignorance and shortsightedness As Jorge Luis Borges aptly observed, Dictatorships foster oppression, dictatorships foster servitude, dictatorships foster cruelty; more abominable is the fact that they foster idiocy
A number of years ago, erdogan’s former Prime Minister Davutoglu told me that by the year 2023, Turkey will have restored the glory, the global influence, and prestige that the Ottoman empire enjoyed in its heyday Needless to say, Davutoglu s prophecy has not come to pass To the contrary, today, Turkey’s economy, social and political order, and democracy are in complete disarray; Turkey is far from having “zero problems with neighbors,” and remains estranged from the US and the eU
T h e Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league that is played out during February and March every year by six teams representing six cities in Pakistan
The league is undoubtedly a source of entertainment for the citizens because millions of Pakistanis enjoy a good game of cricket, and crowds fill up stadiums in various Pakistani cities It is regrettable that not a single match of the PSL has been played in Balochistan since 2015, although the province is the largest, and has venues like Ayub Stadium in Quetta and the newly-built picturesque Gwadar Stadium
The stadium in Gwadar has been the talk of the town for months after it was showcased on social media, with many cricketers around the world mesme-rised by its beauty and the landscape One wonders why it is being ignored by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
The purpose of building such a beautiful stadium at the cost of a huge sum of money is beyond comprehension if it was not going to be used for matches Conducting PSL matches in Balochistan will definitely provide entertainment to the citizens and the youth of Balochistan who will surely feel inspired by watching top-tier talent playing in the province
The PCB and other relevant authorities should consider holding PSL matches at Gwadar Stadium This will help the country and the government showcase the rather majestic landscape of Balochistan, and to portray the soft image of the province that, unfortunately, gets highlighted in the media for all the wrong reasons
GULSAMEEN HASSAN TURBAT
To improve his chances of being re-elected erdogan wants to ensure that the Kurdish political parties are denied representation in the Parliament he has incarcerated many of the 56 members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (hDP) and removed its remaining members from the legislative process; he is determined to close the party altogether In addition, he arrested many members of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) accusing them of unfounded terrorism-related offenses and illegally replacing them through government-appointed trustees erdogan is asking the Biden administration
If erdogan manages to be re-elected through cheating and by disenfranchising the opposition parties, he will celebrate the centennial anniversary while presiding over a country in retreat with a disillusioned and despairing citizenry and diminishing regional and international stature he will not be the new Atatürk even though he so frantically wants to portray himself as a great reformer leading a constructive and great power on the world stage
Instead, erdogan will be remembered with scorn and contempt for having squandered Turkey’s huge potential while degrading the anniversary that could have been Turkey’s greatest celebration in one hundred years
Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Centre for Global Affairs at NYU He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies alon@alonben-meir com
PA K I S TA N’S deteriorating economic situation is being blamed on the change of government and the increase in inflation in global markets The fact is that in doing so we completely ignore several other factors behind our economic woes, such as smuggling of millions of dollars from Pakistan to Afghanistan
According to the exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (eCAP), it is believed that millions of US dollars are smuggled to Afghanistan from Pakistan in the form of official and unofficial trade, misuse of Afghan transit trade and smuggling through the borders This is what is depleting Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves
While dollar smuggling is aggravating our economic situation, smuggling of wheat from Pakistan to Afghanistan has surely brought us to the brink of wheat crisis and food insecurity Owing to this illegal wheat trade, people in Pakistan are seen standing in queues to simply buy wheat flour owing to the shortage of the commodity in the country Making use of the situation, profiteers and hoarders have been cashing in on the crisis, adding an artificial layer to the scarcity
Pakistan must stop smuggling of dollars and wheat to Afghanistan to overcome the economic and food crises This needs to be done as soon as possible as the present situation can also lead to a law and order situation
AURANGZEB NADIR TURBAT
r d o g a n ’ s d e s p e r a t e b i d t o b e c o m e t h e n e w A t a t ü r k
Nikkei AsiA
TO R U Ta k a h a S h i
In a bitterly divided world rife with uncertainties, India is seeking to become a superpower that could eclipse China With the war in Ukraine in a quagmire and Beijing facing the possibility of a big COVID-19 rebound new Delhi is quietly raising its geopolitical profile, but India’s rise might not be welcome news for Western democracies
India showed its ambition to play a greater role in world affairs during the Voice of the Global South Summit, an online meeting the country hosted on Jan 12-13
According to the Indian government 125 developing nations took part in the conference, discussing a range of issues in 10 sessions, each focused on specific policy areas Your voice is India s voice and your priorities are India’s priorities,” said Indian Prime Minister narendra Modi in the opening session “Our aim is to amplify the Voice of the Global South
India is also seeking to use its new Group of 20 presidency to voice the discontent of developing nations, many of which suffer from higher food and energy prices and the effects of global warming and geopolitical tensions Those nations say developed countries are mostly responsible for those problems but they are the ones to suffer the most India’s ambition to lead the “Global South” reflects its growing self-confidence With its population surpassing 1 4 billion, the country is on track to overtake China as the most populous nation this year the first time that will happen since the United nations began tracking global demographic data in the 1950s
In 2022, India likely topped Britain, its former colonial master, in terms of gross domestic product, making the South Asian nation the world s fifth largest economy, according to the International Monetary Fund The Asian Development Bank has projected India’s economy will grow at a torrid pace of 7 2% this year, the highest among its 46 members in the Asia and Pacific region
India’s economic growth has been driven by the global trend toward diversified supply chains that has emerged from the intensifying U S -China rivalry and the COVID pandemic
Drawn by the country s huge potential market, Apple has started assembling its latest iPhone 14 in India moving some production away from China and other locations Taiwan s Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn has teamed up with Vedanta an Indian natural resources conglomerate, to jointly make semiconductors in India In a fiscal 2022 survey of Japanese companies by the Japan Bank for International Cooper-
ation India topped the list of possible destinations for overseas expansion, reclaiming the crown for the first time in three years India is expected to overtake Germany in terms of GDP in 2025 and Japan in 2027 to become the third largest economy after the U S and China Modi has pledged to make India a developed country by 2047 when it celebrates the 100th anniversary of its independence India is also a major source of leading business and political talent The U S tech industry is supported by a legion of Indian-born tech experts, including Satya nadella, chairman and chief executive of Microsoft, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai Well-known Western politicians with Indian backgrounds include U S Vice President Kamala Harris and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak But new Delhi s attempt to raise its global profile has not always been successful Roughly a year a f t e r t h e p a n d e m i c b e g a n , I n d i a l a u n c h e d a n e x p o r t drive for domestically made vaccines to compete with C h i n a ’s “ v a c c i n e d i p l o m a c y ” B u t i t a b r u p t l y s u spended the program after it was hit by massive COVID outbreaks at home, irking many recipient countries
India’s democratic credentials have been called into question as it has failed to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine India has been critical of China s expansionary policy since its bloody Himalayan border clash with the country in 2020 new Delhi continues to blast Beijing for threatening its territorial integrity and sovereignty but has refused to join the West in rebuking Moscow’s invasion despite its clear violation of international law
While known for its nonalignment policy, India has made some strategic moves to counter China’s naval expansion into South Asia It has teamed up with Japan, the U S and Australia to form the Quad, a loose strategic coalition in the Indo-Pacific region It also has deepened ties with Europe, which has its own design for the area
From the perspective of the U S , which sees its rivalry with China as a battle between democracy and autocracy India belongs to the democratic camp India’s reluctance to cooperate with democratic countries has greatly dismayed and frustrated Western countries They know Russia and India have a long history of alliance, but it is still difficult for them to understand why a country that shares many values and strategic interests tries to keep its distance from them in the face of Moscow’s aggression
Last spring, leaders in the democratic camp, including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited India U S President Joe Biden held an emergency online meeting with Modi They all tried to persuade India to join the alliance of democratic powers against Russia
In September Modi surprised everyone when he assailed Russian President Vladimir Putin over his war in Ukraine at a summit held on the sidelines of an international conference in Uzbekistan Today s era is not of war,” Modi told Putin in front of news media But it is too early to see Modi’s tough words as a result of pressure from the West In fact India took part in Russia s military exercises in August and September and abstained in October from a U n vote to condemn Moscow’s “illegal annexation of four eastern and southern regions of Ukraine
After the invasion, India expanded oil imports from Russia, having bought more than 1 million barrels per day since September Russia became India s largest oil supplier, replacing Iraq and Saudi Arabia new Delhi has refused to comply with a price cap on Russian oil that had been agreed upon by the Group of Seven nations as part of economic sanctions against Moscow It may be true that India has not actively supported Russia’s war but it has done little to help broker a peace deal
Even so, India’s relationship with the West has not been seriously damaged Rather, the country appears to have increased its presence in global affairs as Western nations have become more conciliatory to new Delhi “Once they realized they would not be able to bring India to their camp, the U S , Europe and Japan changed tack to avoid pushing it toward the other side,” said Toru Ito, a professor at the national Defense Academy of Japan
There is no doubt that the focus of India s geopolitical strategy is on countering China’s expansion A book published by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in 2020 offers valuable insights into the country’s strategic thinking
In “The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World, Jaishankar wrote, India s foreign policy carries three major burdens from its past ” citing “the 1947 Partition,” which divided the territory ruled by Britain into India and Pakistan This, the foreign minister argued, “reduced the nation both demographically and politically,” and gave China “more strategic space in Asia ” It can be said that the Western perception of India as a member of its bloc is flawed in two respects
First, India has expanded its strategic ties with Western democracies through the Quad and cooperation with Europe to counter China’s naval drive to surround India with its military and commercial networks called the string of pearls But when it comes to countering China’s attempts to increase its influence in such countries as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar, India’s strategic relations with the West do not offer much help
“India’s diplomacy is aimed at countering China by using its ties with another authoritarian power, Russia, [as a deterrent], said Hiroshi Sugaya, a senior research
fellow at the Institute for Indian Economic Studies a Tokyo think tank
Second, the Western nations have mistakenly judged India to be as democratic as they are The Modi government, acting on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindu nationalist agenda, has taken a series of steps to suppress religious minorities in the country In August 2019 it revoked the constitutional autonomy of the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir to tighten its grip over the region It has also given citizenship to illegal Hindu and other immigrants from Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, while trying to exclude Muslims from its national register of citizens
Under Modi, “India is on the verge of losing its status as a democracy due to the severely shrinking of space for the media civil society and opposition according to the 2020 ‘Democracy Report’ by the Sweden-based V-Dem Institute In 2021, India was downgraded from an electoral democracy to an electoral autocracy
In fact, India has been pursuing a unique diplomacy, one of “strategic autonomy ” Its recent responses to Russia s invasion of Ukraine and other issues must have driven home to Western democracies that the South Asian nation’s strategic interests and values do not necessarily align with theirs In a way, the Voice of the Global South Summit was reminiscent of the 1955 Bandung Conference, a meeting of Asian and African nations held in Indonesia However, unlike the Bandung gathering, which was organized through cooperation between then-Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal nehru and then-Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai the first prime ministers of the two countries, the Global South was organized by India alone The fact that over 120 countries took part in the recent event signals India s growing demographic and political power “India’s rise will inevitably be compared to that of China, if only because that country has immediately preceded it, Jaishankar wrote in his book, echoing new Delhi’s strong pride and rivalry with Beijing
In the case of China’s rise, major Western powers mistakenly assumed that the emerging power would eventually move toward democracy once it was integrated with the global economy and the politically conscious middle class grew
Unlike China India has been proud of being “the world’s largest democracy,” but its actions in recent years seem to suggest that it is drifting away from democracy as its power grows If the 21st Century turns out to be India’s era, rather than China’s, the world would find itself dealing with a superpower that is no less troublesome
TORU TAKAHASHI is the Nikkei senior staff writer
country? The same can be asked of Equatorial Guinea s Teodoro Obiang nguema, the Republic of the Congo’s Denis Sassou, or Eritrea’s Isaias Afwerki: what do they have left in the tank? Thankfully, Africa has also seen leaders who knew perfectly well when to call it quits
On January 19, new Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that she would not seek re-election and would resign by no later than February 7 Ardern admitted that she “no longer had enough in the tank” to do justice to the most privileged job anyone could ever have To this end, she listed her achievements and promised to “try and find ways to keep working for new Zealand”
While some argued she resigned only because she knew she would not be able to win another election, many applauded her for recognising her limits and described her ability to put the interests of her country above her own as inspiring
As I watched Ardern’s resignation speech on TV, I too was inspired by the magnanimous leadership and selflessness on display Unfortunately, Ardern is an anomaly – leaders hardly ever resign from office voluntarily, let alone admit they may no longer have enough in the tank” to do justice to their undoubtedly demanding jobs
Even the most hopelessly incompetent and politi-
cally spent among them rarely accept the time has come for them to call it quits They cling to power even after it becomes obvious that they have nothing left to offer to the people and that they cannot win another free and fair election
Such lack of self-awareness, often fuelled by selfishness illusions of grandeur and an insatiable thirst for power is firmly embedded in the fabric of politics, everywhere
Indeed, politicians who try to cling to power at any cost are not the products of specific geography Just remember how Britain’s Boris Johnson refused to leave office in the face of countless humiliating scandals and plunging public trust, or how Donald Trump desperately tried to hold on to power after losing the White House to Joe Biden However, watching Ardern elegantly and honourably take a bow from politics made me think primarily of Africa – my home continent which produced some of the world’s most, for lack of a better word, clingy leaders in the modern era
Take Yoweri Museveni, the 78-year-old president of Uganda After six presidential terms, or 37 years in power, he remains indifferent to suggestions that he may be better off passing the job on to someone more capable
Under Museveni’s watch, more than half of Uganda’s 45 million people were plunged into poverty Today, some 60 percent of Ugandans earn only 200 000 Ugandan shillings ($54,74) a month, and 42 1 percent experience multidimensional poverty
In December 2022 Museveni tried to defend his long tenure as president in an interview with Al Jazeera, claiming he is in government supported by the people every five years”
Of course, Uganda has not held a peaceful and credible election for more than two decades, so his professed democratic mandate is pretty questionable Ugandan pres-
idential elections held in 2001 2006 2012 2016 and 2021 were all blemished by government-orchestrated repression and violence, as well as severe electoral irregularities
Museveni is continuing to lead Uganda not because he is the best man for the job or because he still has something to offer to the nation He is still occupying the presidency because he is incapable of acknowledging his limitations And he is sadly not alone among his African peers in clinging to power at a heavy cost to his people
Take Paul Biya, the 89-year-old president of Cameroon, who has been in power since 1982 On January 20, a video of the elderly leader looking extremely disorientated moments before he was set to make a speech at the United States–Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC went viral on social media
In the video, clearly struggling to remember why he is on the stage, Biya remarks, “Wow So I have become a celebrity”, and asks, “Who are all these people present? When an aide tells him people are waiting for him to give a speech, he responds, “Are there important personalities amongst them?” He takes quite a while to gather his wits as the audience waits in stunned silence
This shocking and embarrassing incident confirmed once again that Biya, who has been Cameroon’s president for 41 years, is no longer fit for office
For seven presidential terms Biya ruled Cameroon with an iron fist and essentially criminalised any opposition to his rule Today, he is clearly not in a state to rule anything but is still refusing to leave office His country is crippled with extreme poverty, widespread corruption and violent conflicts, yet he appears to have no intention to admit he no longer has “enough left in the tank” to fulfil his most basic responsibilities as president
As he prepares to celebrate his 90th birthday in February it is only fair to ask: what more can Biya do for his
Take Ketumile Masire, Botswana’s second president Like Biya and Museveni, Masire came to power in the 1980s, when much of Africa was ruled by so-called “strong men” who viewed themselves as above electoral politics Unlike many of his peers, however, during his 18 years in power, Masire proved himself to be a massively effective leader Under his stewardship, Botswana established one of the world s most stable democracies and best-performing economies
Despite his many successes, however, Masire never attempted to indefinitely hold on to power In 1988, at the end of his third full term as president he retired from politics and handed the country’s reins over to Festus Mogae Today, Botswana is still considered a beacon of economic and democratic development thanks largely to Masire’s outstanding leadership at a crucial time in the country s history Botswana, of course, is not the only African country that benefitted from leaders who knew when to retire Ghana, Mauritius, Cape Verde and namibia, among others, have also experienced regular and seamless leadership changes that have helped to secure stable democracies none of these examples, however, seems to have registered with Africa’s remaining strongmen who even at the twilight of their lives, show no inclination to voluntarily give up on power As the international community celebrates the many achievements of Ardern and congratulates her for knowing her limits, Biya, Moseveni, and others like them should pay attention
Knowing when to call it a day is an important part of being a good leader Ardern clearly and admirably knows this It is high time some of her African counterparts learned it too
Mhaka has a BA Honours degree from the University of Cape Town and works in the communications industry
INDIA HAS BEEN PURSUING A UNIQUE DIPLOMACY, ONE OF “STRATEGIC AUTONOMY.” ITS RECENT RESPONSES TO RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE AND OTHER ISSUES MUST HAVE DRIVEN HOME TO WESTERN DEMOCRACIES THAT THE SOUTH ASIAN NATION’S STRATEGIC INTERESTS AND VALUES DO NOT NECESSARILY ALIGN WITH THEIRS
iSLaMaBaD
S ta f f r e p o r t
tH E opening of China s tourism is a very positive sign for Pakistan Pakistan has made extensive preparations to welcome Chinese visitors,” said Aftab ur Rehman Rana, Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation
Gwadar Pro reported it on Monday
From January 8, 2023, China resumed outbound tourism after downgrading COVID-19 management measures from Class A to B According to the 2023 Spring Festival Travel Summary Report released by Ctrip, domestic and foreign travel orders of Chinese tourists increased by four times compared with the Spring Festival of last year The popularity of
Spring Festival tourism is only a start, and Chinese tourism market will see a remarkable recovery this year
“International flights within the Asia-Pacific region will recover faster than intercontinental flights for other regions We plan to gradually expand our international routes, said Qin Ye, deputy general manager of Pudong Passenger Service Center of China Eastern Airlines
“This year is the year of PakistanChina Tourism Exchanges We’re completely focused on this Pakistan has everything it takes to become one of the world’s best travel destinations The government of Pakistan also identified tourism as a key priority said Ghulam Qadir, commercial counselor of the Embassy of Pakistan in China He revealed that numerous tourism-related activities will be happening be-
Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited (FFC) has announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022 in its Board of Directors meeting held on January 30, 2023
The year 2022 was full of challenges ranging from socioeconomic, geopolitical, governmental and environmental factors The year witnessed galloping inflation, double digit interest rates and sharp devaluation of Pak Rupee besides heavy floods during second half of the year, negatively impacting costs of the Company The profitability was further impacted by the levy of super-tax resulting in an effective tax rate of over 40%, besides the exemption of output GST Efficient treasury management and increased dividend payout by associated companies resulted in highest-ever other income of Rs 14 4 billion compared to Rs 7 9 billion last year This enabled the Company to achieve a profitability of Rs 20 billion (despite a supertax levy of Rs 5 billion) with an EPS of Rs 15 76 compared to Rs 17 21 last year pr
iSLaMaBaD: Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan managed prominant participation in two-day 'Travel and Adventure Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York
Twenty private companies along with provincial tourism departments of Pakistan attracted world tourists The efforts of the Embassy of Pakistan in the United States made it possible to get the site for the Pakistan Pavilion at the main venue of the Trade and Adventure Show, which help to draw the attention of thousands of people to the Pakistani stalls at the Trade and Adventure Show New York 750 organizations from more than 175 countries participated in the show The aim of Pakistan s participation in the show was to attract foreign investors in the country's tourism and hospitality sector pr
Aga Khan University holds a book launch ceremony for a new global public health title
K a r a c h i: The Aga Khan University commemorated the launch of a new book titled “Making Health Systems Work in Low- and Middle-Income Countries” which is a textbook for public health practitioners worldwide Published by Cambridge University Press, this book is co-edited by public health experts Sameen Siddiqui, Awad Mataria, Katherine D Rouleau, and Meesha Iqbal and was simultaneously launched in Karachi, Cairo, Cambridge, Toronto, and Houston The book has been formulated by the contribution of rich authorship spread across the globe with the purpose to serve as a resource and guide for strengthening health systems in low-and middle-income countries Addressing the audience during the ceremony, Dr Sameen Siddiqi, Professor and Chair of Community Health Sciences Department at the Aga Khan University said pr
tween the two neighbors in this year
Roadshows will be held with all of the cultural festivities showcasing some of Pakistan’s tourist attractions We want our Chinese brothers and sisters to experience Pakistani cuisine and fashion from our trendy brands in Pakistan We’ll come up with a complete guidebook to facilitate travel from China to Pakistan and vice versa ” Ghulam added
We ve seen new highways, highways and side roads from south to east to north, and improving the road network is critical for tourism promotion ”Aftab ur Rehman Rana said
He stressed the important role that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has played in transforming Pakistan’s tourism “CPEC not only improved access to various business hubs and cities in Pakistan but also facilitated access to various tourist sites
Karachi p r
Residents of Karachi actively participated in the 4th Commissioner Karachi Marathon, held in collaboration with the National Bank of Pakistan on Sunday January 29 2023 at the Nishan-e-Pakistan
Sea View The event saw people of all ages and all walks of life attend the event in large numbers from different parts of the city Despite the cold weather, people gathered early in the morning to participate in the marathon as they tried to reach the finish line for each category
The marathon specified multiple routes for runners of various abilities including Children, families, and differently-abled people who participated in a special category; namely the Fun Run category The runners ended their race by returning to the starting point at Nishan-e-Pakistan It was encouraging to see efforts and planning invested to make the event a success There were designated rest stops throughout the route with a significant emphasis on safety and security for both spectators and participants
Several dignitaries attended the event, including Barrister Murtaza Wahab Adviser to Chief Minister of Sindh and other members from the diplomatic corps Mr Sohail Rajput, Chief Secretary Sindh was the chief guest who commended the event organizers and congratulated the winners
The gold medal and the cash prizes were awarded by Rehmat Ali Hasnie President and CEO
(A) of the National Bank of Pakistan to winners
Mr Muhammad Akhtar won gold medal in the 1st Category of 12 km Mr Muhammad Yasir Gil in 2nd Category of 7 5 km In the women's category, Nimra Iqbal won the gold medal and Fida Hussain won the gold medal in the special category The gold medalists were also awarded a cash prize of Rs 50,000 The 1st and 2nd runner-up in each category were awarded a cash prize of Rs 30 000 and 20,000 respectively Prizes were given to the winners in the fun run category Representatives from Japan Malaysia Morocco and Russia participated in the race and won prizes
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Hasnie said, "NBP is proud to be a part of events like these and we commit to supporting a brighter and healthier future for the nation NBP has always been at the forefront of encouraging people to participate in sports and other healthy activities This is one of the first steps as we continue to collaborate with Commissioner Karachi on several sports projects
The Karachi Commissioner, Muhammad Iqbal Memon, on the occasion shared his views, “The marathon is meant to bring the citizens of Karachi together Healthy activities such as these energize the youth and build confidence in them to take ownership of the city
Karachi pr
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) will be conducting a public hearing today, January 31, 2023, on KE s request for a reduction of Rs 10 26 /unit on account of Fuel Charge Adjustments (FCA) for December 2022 The FCA is reviewed every month as per the tariff regime applicable across the country and is usually applicable to the consumer's bills for one month only FCAs are linked with changes in global fuel prices and passed onto consumer bills under prescribed rules and regulations of NEPRA and the Government of Pakistan December s FCA request was lower primarily due to a reduction in prices of RLNG, furnace oil, and power purchased from CPPA-G by 17%, 15%, and 29% respectively as compared to September 2022 and better utilization of generation mix
For the past consecutive months, downward trends in prices of fuels have enabled KE to pass on benefits of negative FCA to customers Per NEPRA guidelines, after scrutiny of KE s submission, the Authority will issue instructions on the period during which these costs can be applied to consumer bills December FCA is likely to apply in February 2023 bills
A b o u t K - E l E c t r i c : K-Electric (KE) is a public listed company incorporated in Pakistan in 1913 as KESC Privatized in 2005 KE is the only vertically integrated utility in Pakistan supplying electricity within a 6500 square kilometers territory including Karachi and its adjoining areas The majority shares (66 4%) of the company are listed in the PSX owned by KES Power, a consortium of investors including Aljomaih Power Limited of Saudi Arabia National Industries Group (Holding) Kuwait, and the Infrastructure and Growth Capital Fund (IGCF) The Government of Pakistan is also a minority shareholder (24 36%) in the company
With improved accessibility, there will be a slew of new developments in the coming years including the establishment of tourism zones, new hotels, and tourist resorts along the CPEC routes
Ghulam also noted that as CPEC enters its second phase of high-quality development, more partnerships, joint ventures and travel are required “CPEC is an excellent example of the two countries friendship
We are constructing highways that will connect Pakistan from north to south, down to Karachi and ports, and a railway project will be implemented very soon ” “We have such a long, brotherly, wonderful relationship, and we must capitalize on it I think with the revival after the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese people must be looking forward to going out of their homes and traveling to Pakistan ” Ghulam added
The Motorway Training College in Shaikhupura hosted a passing-out ceremony for 186 FIA probationary assistant sub-inspectors DG FIA Mohsin Hassan Butt graced the occasion as the chief guest He addressed and inspected the parade Commandant Training College Syed Hashmat kamal, Director Training FIA Athar Waheed, and Deputy Commandant Atif Shehzad were also present at the occasion DG FIA Mohsin Hassan Butt also distributed honorary shields and certificates among the position holders He praised the matchless training legacy of Motor way Training college and said FIA selected Motorway Training College on the basis of its professional and modern training techniques He further added that FIA trainees are not only trained by focusing on core values like honesty and morality but also train to implement the rule of law without discrimination He thanked the staff of the Motorway Police Training College and instructed the successful officers to work with integrity and honesty in practical life pr
Karachi: Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight on a Boeing 777-300ER, powering one of its engines with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) The flight took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB), and was commanded by Captain Fali Vajifdar and Captain Khalid Nasser Akram, flying for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline The demonstration flight powered by SAF holds particular significance as the UAE declares 2023 the ‘Year of Sustainability’ The year will showcase the UAE s commitment to seek innovative solutions to challenges such as energy, climate change and other issues related to sustainability The flight supports collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying and help advance the UAE’s sustainability objectives Emirates’ demonstration flight, the first in the Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100% SAF, supports broader efforts to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions as the industry looks to scale up its use of SAF pr
The Bank of Punjab signed agreements with Akhuwat Islamic Microfinance and National Rural Support Program (NRSP) to extend interest-free financing under the Prime Minister Youth Business & Agriculture Loan Scheme (PMYB&ALS)
Through this arrangement, BOP became the first bank to provide financing under PMYB&ALS for onward lending to small business owners and agriculture sector Dr Kamran Shams (CEO – Akhuwat Microfinance), Dr Rashid Bajwa (CEO – NRSP), and Mr Farid Ahmed Khan (Group Chief Corporate & Investment Banking
BOP) signed the agreements Mr Zafar Masud (President & CEO – BOP), and
d e a l p r o g r a m f o r u p l i f t m e n t o f m a rg i n a l i z e d s e g -
ments of the society Akhuwat will use the program to continue its vision of empowerment and inclusion of marginalized segments of the society Dr Rashid Bajwa said “NRSP and BOP have successful track record of jointly delivering on financial inclusion projects We are proud to be the first partners of BOP for the PMYB&ALS scheme
We w i l l u s e t h i s s c h e m e t o r e a c h o u t s m a l l b u s i n e s s e s a n d f a r m e r s f o r t h e i r e c o n o m i c a n d s oc i a l u p l i f t m e n t M r Z a f a r M a s u d s a i d , “ We a r e p r o u d t o b e t h e f i r s t b a n k s i g n i n g f i n a n c i n g a g r e e m e n t s t o s t a r t d i sb u r s e m e n t s u n d e r t h e s c h e m e B O P h a s a l w a y s t a k e n t h e l e a d i n S h a r i a h - c o m p l i a n t a n d c o n v e nt i o n a l f i n a n c i n g p r o d u c t s t h a t a r e i n d u s t r y s t a nd a r d s f o r f i n a n c i n g t o m i c r o - l e n d i n g a n d a g r i c u l t u r e f i n a n c e o f t h e c o u n t r y
program
BEIJING
Ag e n c i e s
tHE Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday urged the United States to meet China halfway and define China-U S interactions by dialogue and win-win cooperation, not confrontation and zero-sum competition
The U S Department of State spokesperson has recently repeatedly talked about U S Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China, saying that Blinken will discuss with China how to responsibly manage competition, strengthen cooperation in addressing transnational challenges and express his concerns to China on issues including Taiwan fentanyl, Ukraine the Korean Peninsula
Commenting on the spokesperson s remarks Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the Chinese side always grows its relations with the U S in accordance with the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win
cooperation “At the same time, we will firmly defend our sovereignty, security and development interests,” Mao warned, adding that China does not shy away or flinch from competition
She said the Chinese side is against defining the entire China-U S relations by competition and seeking containment and suppression in the name of competition
Stressing that China is willing to communicate and cooperate with the U S side in bilateral and multilateral areas based on the principles of equality, reciprocity and mutual respect, Mao said the U S cannot expect to interfere in China’s internal affairs and harm
China’s interests on one hand while hoping for communication and cooperation from China on the other ”
The spokesperson also said the Taiwan question is at the very core of China s core interests the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U S relations and the first red line that must not be crossed in ChinaU S relations
LONDON
A F P
President Vladimir Putin threatened to personally target Boris Johnson with a missile attack just before ordering Russian forces into Ukraine, the former UK prime minister has claimed The apparent threat came in a phone call just ahead of the invasion on February 24, according to a new BBC documentary to be broadcast on Monday Johnson and other Western leaders had been hurrying to Kyiv to show support for Ukraine and try to deter a Russian attack “He sort of threatened me at one point and said, Boris, I don t want to hurt you, but with a missile it would only take a minute’ or something like that,” Johnson quoted Putin as saying Johnson emerged as one of the most impassioned Western backers of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky But prior to the invasion, he says he was at pains to tell Putin that there was no imminent prospect of Ukraine joining NATO while warning him that any invasion would mean “more NATO, not less NATO” on Russia’s borders He said, Boris, you say that Ukraine is not going to join NATO any time soon “‘What is any time soon?’
And I said, ‘well it’s not going to join NATO for the foreseeable future You know that perfectly well On the missile threat Johnson added: “I think from the very relaxed tone that he was taking, the sort of air of detachment that he seemed to have, he was just playing along with my attempts to get him to negotiate ” The BBC documentary charts the growing divide between the Russian leader and the West in the years before the invasion of Ukraine It also features Zelensky reflecting on his thwarted ambitions to join NATO prior to Russia’s attack “If you know that tomorrow Russia will occupy Ukraine why don t you give me something today I can stop it with?” he says “Or if you can’t give it to me, then stop it yourself ”
TASHKENT
A F P
A gas explosion tore through a flat in Uzbekistan killing at least five people, officials said Monday, as residents facing a brutal energy crisis resort to makeshift heat sources Gas and electricity shortages in the Central Asian country have led to the sacking of a slew of senior officials this month, as Uzbekistan struggles under historically low temperatures
The resource-rich ex-Soviet nation is plagued by ageing energy infrastructure, which regularly leads to deadly incidents The emergencies ministry said the explosion on Sunday damaged a four-storey building in the city of Nukus, the administrative centre of the autonomous Karakalpakstan region, which last summer saw deadly protests over self-determination The ministry said rescue workers pulled five bodies from the rubble and that an injured five-year-old girl was taken to hospital The blast was triggered by an air-gas mixture in an apartment on the top floor, it added The impoverished region of Karakalpakstan covers more than a third of Uzbekistan but is home to just two million people According to state statistics, around 150 people died last year from carbon monoxide poisoning in Uzbekistan, the most populous country in Central Asia with around 35 million people Temperatures in the capital Tashkent plunged to just above -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) earlier this month
In terms of the fentanyl abuse issue, Mao said China is the first in the world to have officially scheduled fentanyl as a class, adding that China has taken an active part in international counternarcotics law enforcement cooperation under the framework of the UN conventions on drug control Mao said U S sanctions on related Chinese institutions have since severely impacted and limited China’s counternarcotics capability and that the U S should remedy the fentanyl abuse at home rather than accusing others and shifting the blame
On the Ukraine issue and the Korean Peninsula issue the spokesperson reiterated that China is always committed to promoting peace and negotiation in seeking a political resolution of these issues and opposes words and deeds that add fuel to the fire and intensify the conflicts
Mao called on the U S side to take practical action to bring bilateral relations back on the right track of healthy and stable development
MUMBAI
A F P
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s new film
“Pathaan” has smashed Indian box office records following its release last week, bringing hope to Bollywood after a spate of weak showings Pathaan recorded the highestever box office collections for a Hindi film for its opening and second day in India, and raked in 2 5 billion rupees ($30 million) in its first five days, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted Sunday Its international ticket sales soared past one billion rupees ($13 7 million) in just three days, according to Yash Raj Films, which produced the movie
It comes after glitzy Hindi-language Bollywood films struggled at the box office following the reopening of Indian cinemas about a year ago after a pandemic hiatus
The unprecedented celebratory success of ‘Pathaan’ I think speaks volumes about where we are headed as the
Hindi movie industry, movie theatre chain owner Akshaye Rathi told AFP on Monday
Here we are back to the old school way of celebrating cinema in theatres as a community viewing experience ”
The release of Pathaan , 57-yearold Khan’s first movie in four years, had been highly anticipated Khan, popularly known as King Khan” has a huge fan following around the world The film also features Bollywood heart-throb Deepika Padukone and action hero John Abraham Videos shared on social media showed fans in Indian cinemas dancing and cheering during the film
In recent months, “Pathaan” and other Bollywood films particularly those starring actors from India’s Muslim minority such as Khan have been criticised by Hindu right-wingers on social media with activists calling for boycotts
Hardline Hindu groups had called for “Pathaan” to be banned because
Padukone wore a saffron-coloured bikini a colour associated with their religion in one of the film’s songs
Last year, films from southern India such as Telugu-language “RRR”
dominated box office takings
“RRR” has also been feted internationally, winning a Golden Globe for best song and scoring an Oscar nomination in the same category
LONDON
A F P
Britain’s government Monday enacted new measures to accelerate the deportation of foreign criminals, clamping down on some who have claimed protection under UK law as purported victims of “modern slavery”
It cited the case of one convicted rapist who appealed against a decision by the Home Office (interior ministry) to expel him from Britain, by claiming he was a victim of criminal gangs engaged in human trafficking
He was bailed pending the appeal, committed another rape and remains in the UK, the Home Office said
“It is totally unfair that genuine victims of modern slavery may be left waiting longer to receive the protections they need due to the flagrant abuse of the system, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in a statement
“The changes coming into force will mean if you ve committed an offence, we have the power to refuse your protections and kick you out of our country, she said T h e m e a s u r e s t a k i n g e f f e c t u n d e r a n e w N a t i o n a l i t y a n d B o rd e r s A c t m e a n t h a t H o m e O f f i c e c a s e w o r k e r s c a n i n t h e f u t u r e d em a n d e v i d e n c e o f m o d e r n s l a v e r y,
r a t h e r t h a n t a k i n g a v i c t i m s w o r d
That could include evidence from a charity worker or police officer who has helped rescue the victim But the changes have been criticised by rights groups for undermining protections for genuine victims One Braverman initiative to fly crossChannel migrants to Rwanda for per-
manent resettlement has already been blocked in the courts
Britain’s National Crime Agency reported in November that Albanian crime groups in particular were manipulating the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) which is being reformed under the new act Established in 2009 to help protect
human trafficking victims, the NRM is used to identify and refer them to UK government agencies to ensure they receive appropriate support
If caught working in cannabis farms or other criminal enterprises Albanian migrants have been coached to claim they are victims of modern-day slavery and apply to the NRM the crime agency’s report said
In December, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a new deal with Albania to stem the flow of migrants from the country crossing the Channel on small boats from mainland Europe
The agreement only came about after the government in Tirana demanded an apology for an anti-migrant “campaign” in UK media, following some incendiary rhetoric from Braverman
But the minister has maintained a hard line, to the delight of Conservative right-wingers keen to show that Britain can control its borders after Brexit and the clampdown is one of five priorities promised by Sunak for this year
“We must stop people exploiting our immigration and asylum laws,” Braverman said in Monday s statement “And I am personally determined to crack down on those abusing the generosity of the British public and taking our country for a ride ”
S tA F F R e P o R t
hUNDREds of participants from different the cities of Pakistan along with the diplomatic community based in Pakistan participated in the 2nd edition of Islamabad Marathon on 29th Jan Sunday that was organized by enthusiasts from the running community Islamabad Run With Us (IRU)
The weather conditions were perfect for the marathon run which is 42 2 KM distance and a great increase in the number of participants from last year was witnessed To create awareness and encourage masses to vaccinate children aged under five years against polio, IRU collaborated with Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme and dedicated the event with the theme Race To End Polio in Pakistan
The Islamabad Marathon 2023 was organized with full support of District Administration Islamabad, District Health Office and Capital Traffic Police Qasim Naz, the founder of Islam-
abad Run With Us said that the main objective of the event was to promote healthy lifestyle, promote marathon tourism and project a positive image of Pakistan all over the world With the beautiful Maragalla Hills in the backdrop, the runners also passed through the scenic jungle at Shakarparian as they completed their 21 1 and 42 2 km distances
Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan, Jakob Linulf also ran the Full Marathon (42 2 km) and was thrilled to be at the biggest running event in Islamabad
He said “me and my brother enjoyed the enthusiasm shown by Pakistanis of all age groups coming from different cities to participate in the marathon organized by ‘Islamabad Run with Us Such initiatives serve as a great way to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices I hope Pakistanis integrate such healthy activities into their everyday lives ”
The event was very well organized that attracted huge attendance from
families including elderly and children who gathered to support the runners
The running event included five different categories to cater to encourage vast participation of all ages and of different athletic abilities Full marathon of 42km, Half marathon of 21 km, 10 km and 5 km running were the categories that were primarily chosen for the adults and teenagers
A special category of ‘Kids Fun Run for children under 14 years was also organized to encourage children and they loved their participation with great enthusiasm
To encourage the runners Cash Prizes were given to top 3 winners from all categories
The Chief Guest Mr Hamish Young representing Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme in his address, lauded the efforts of Islamabad Run with Us for making the marathon such a big success Mr Young not only emphasized on the importance of choosing a healthy lifestyle but also stressed on creating awareness and take actions to inspire others to eradicate polio District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia also fully
A high-profile delegation of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) called on Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi here at his office at National Hockey Stadium on Monday
Hockey’s talent hunt programme at various educational institutions of the province and promotion of hockey at grassroots level were discussed in detail during the meeting
PHF Chief Selector former Olympian Kaleemullah Khan, Member Executive Board former Olympian Nasir Ali PHF Secretary Haider Hussain Associate Secretary Zahid Shah and Legal Adviser Ali Ashfaq were the part of of the PHF delegation
Speaking on the occasion DG SBP said that Sports
S tA F F R e P o R t
The Second Winter Sports Tourism Conference concluded here as the stakeholders including Federal, Provincial, Regional Governments and actors from sports tourism industry attended this Conference online and with physical presence as well The purpose of this Conference was to highlight the importance of winter sports tourism among the masses and to allure service providers to improve the service quality for such tourists Mr Abu Zafar Sadiq, President Alpine Club of Pakistan introduced the concept of sports tourism He after taken into account brief historical development reflecting the introduction of National Snow Hikes a decade ago by Alpine Club of Pakistan appreciated the role of Winter Sports Federation He stressed the need to build synergies among the stakeholders and strategies for long term sustainability and attract for foreign tourists in winter The representatives of PTDC Mr Mukhtar Rana, PSB Mr Shahid Islam and Aqib Awan AJK Sports Departments highlighted their role for promotion and development of winter sports tourism in the country Dr Prof Salahuddin from MY University stressing the need of engaging youth in healthy activities like Winter Sports Tourism argued that it is the only source to channelise the potentioal of youth towards healthy society and keep them away from drugs intolerance, gadgets etc AVM R Ijaz Malik stressed the need to be more systematic and quality conscious while developing winter tourism products He also invited attention of the participants towards environment care of the winter tourism areas The national and international athletes from Alpine Club of Pakistan winter Sports Federation, Bikers Association also expressed their concern about lack of support for their development by the Government departments These included M Javed Ali, Kasrat Rai, International Walker/Hiker, Saqib Rehman, Naila Kiyani, Fazal Wadood, Mian Salim Shah, Nabila etc
Board Punjab will utilize all of its resources for tracing fresh talented hockey players from across the province under its Talent Hunt Programme
“We can find numerous potential youngsters from our schools and colleges through our Talent Hunt Programme he added Muhammad Tariq Qureshi further said that hockey is our national game and its revival is among top priorities for us Sports Board Punjab is fully cooperating with PHF for the revival of hockey which happened to be Pakistan’s national game We will continue to provide every possible assistance to our national game in future as well,” he added
He further said that Olympian Kaleemullah Khan and Olympian Nasir Ali are world acclaimed stars of hockey DG, SBP said Sports Board Punjab has organized
participated in the running event by completing the half marathon and emphasized everyone to work together to end polio in Pakistan
Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan, Mr Knut Otsby, who is a regular member of the running community in Islamabad also ran the 10km race His valuable participation in this event was encouraging as it sets a precedent for other community members and strengthen the belief in Pakistan as a safe and healthy country for these activities
Gracing the occasion, Ms Rina
Saeed Khan Chairperson Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) said that Islamabad is gifted with beautiful outdoor locations for healthy activities and IWMB, is working very hard to manage the trails under the slogan of “My Waste My Responsibility” Ms Khan requested the residents of Islamabad to take ownership of the Margalla Hills trails by keeping them clean as they not only provide us with great outdoor adventure activities but are also home to many wildlife animals
several male and female hockey events in the recent past to provide maximum playing opportunities to young talented players of the province
“The revival of hockey is a joint mission for all of us We will have to join hands for this great task and we are hopeful that Pakistan will regain its lost glory in hockey in near future,” he added
MELBOURNE
A F P
In drawing level with Rafael Nadal s record 22 Grand Slam titles, Novak Djokovic reignited the debate about who is the greatest men’s tennis player of all time
For some, the Serb settled it with his record-extending 10th Australian Open crown
Certainly his vanquished opponent on Rod Laver Arena thinks so
“He’s the greatest that has ever held a tennis racquet for sure said Stefanos Tsitsipas after losing 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5)
It seems inevitable that Djokovic, who returned to world number one with his dominant victory in Sunday’s final, will win more Slams
At 35, he is a year younger than great rival Nadal and except for hamstring trouble early on in Melbourne, he appears to be in excellent physical shape In contrast, Nadal’s battered body broke down again at the Australian Open and he limped out with defeat in the second round, his title defence over and the Spaniard in pain with a hip injury
Roger Federer, the third of the Big Three who have dominated men’s tennis for the past 15 years, retired last year with 20 Grand Slam titles Federer will always be the people s champion in the eyes of many because of the graceful way he played, but it is Djokovic who looks primed to pull away with the record number of men s major crowns
‘Soak it in’: Djokovic seems to thrive on pain and feed off adversity Two years ago, he won in Australia despite tearing his stomach muscles, this year it was a hamstring that did not allow him to practise between matches
If not for Djokovic s vaccine status, which saw
him deported from Australia a year ago and prevented him from competing at the US Open he may well have already been on 23 or 24 Slam wins
“Haha, I told you We created a monster Sat on my couch and enjoyed the entire show Soak it all in,” Nick Kyrgios, beaten by Djokovic in the Wimbledon final last year, tweeted on Sunday Nadal at 36 may be able to recover from his latest injury and even find the will to achieve another triumph on the clay of Roland Garros in May
But he is a new dad and as the calls grow from family and friends to stop punishing his body, he could bow out sooner rather than later There is a theory that he could call it quits at this year s French Open It is his favourite tournament and a 15th title there would provide a story-book ending PolariSing: Djokovic only appears to be getting better with age and the “Next Gen” of young talent are still unable to get near him over five sets
His coach, Goran Ivanisevic, believes there are a few more years at the top and more Slams to come “Definitely two, three more years,” Ivanisevic told reporters after Sunday s final “The way he’s taking care of his body, the way he approaches everything, the food, it’s amazing It s unbelievable the level Some tennis fans will always take convincing to accept Djokovic as the greatest, despite what the number of Grand Slam titles says He polarises opinion, whereas Federer and Nadal are universally loved for how they are on and off the court There are those who see something too calculating in the intense, brooding Djokovic Controversy is never far away
Last year, it was his Covid vaccination status
Five members of the West Indies Academy have earned places in franchise teams for the first and second rounds of the upcoming West Indies Championship four-day firstclass tournament starting today 31 January The West Indies Academy players that have been selected are Kirk McKenzie, left-handed batter for Jamaica Scorpions; Kevin Wickham right-handed batter for Barbados Pride; Ashmead Nedd, left-arm spinner for Guyana Harpy Eagles; and Teddy Bishop, right-handed batter for Windward Islands Volcanoes Kelvin Pitman the right-arm fast bowler has been listed in the 13-member provisional squad named by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes Graeme West, CWI’s High-Performance Manager who has overseen the West Indies Academy programme since its inception in 2022, anticipates good performances from the players when the tournament bowls off next week in Grenada and Antigua “It is really good to see players being selected to participate in the West Indies Championship It shows the investment made by CWI in the development of these young players is bearing fruit The West Indies Academy played in the CG United Super50 last November, some players also got picked in the CPL earlier in the year, and this was great exposure in the white ball formats Now, with the first two rounds of the West Indies Championship in front of us, we have players being selected for the red ball format and we hope to see more graduate later in the tournament as well ” “In addition to playing in the four-day tournament, we also have the chance to play in the Headley Weekes Tri-Series in April and May another major investment in player development by CWI This is an amazing opportunity for these young players to match skills against some of the region’s best and we view this as the right kind of platform at this stage in their development
LAHORE
S tA F F R e P o R t
The Pakistan Cricket Board has named an eight-member selection committee which will conduct U-13 U-16 and U-19 trials for the selection of regional and district teams Former Test wicketkeeper/batter Kamran Akmal has been appointed as the chair while other members of the panel are Sohail Tanvir, Amir Nazir, Taimoor Khan, Junaid Khan, Faisal Athar, Qaisar Abbas and Sanaullah Baloch
Each selector along with head coach of the region/district, will conduct trials according to the schedule, which will be announced in due course Kamran Akmal played 268 international matches while Sohail Tanvir represented Pakistan in 121 matches Amir Nazir played six Tests and nine ODIs from 1993 to 1995, Junaid Khan appeared in 107 international matches for Pakistan Faisal Athar played in an ODI in 2003 and Qaiser Abbas played in a Test against England in 2000 Sanaullah Baloch and Taimoor Khan are former first-class cricket
C a p i ta l h o s t s r u n n e r s f r o m a l l C i t i e s o f pa k i s ta n
ISLAMABAD
S ta f f R e p o R t
tH E N a t i o n a l E l e c t r i c P o w e r R e g u l a t o r y A u t h o r i t y ( N E P R A ) i s s c h e d u l e d t o c o n d u c t a p u b l i c h e a r i n g o n J a n u a r y 3 1 , 2 0 2 3 , o n a r eq u e s t s u b m i t t e d b y K - E l e c t r i c ( K E ) for a reduction in the power price by R s 1 0 2 6 p er u n it o n acco u n t o f F u el C h a rg e A d j u s t m e n t s ( F C A ) f o r D e -
cember 2022
The FCA is reviewed every month a s p e r t h e t a r i ff r e g i m e a p p l i c a b l e a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y a n d i s u s u a l l y a pp l i c a b l e t o t h e c o n s u m e r ’s b i l l s f o r one month only
The FCAs are linked with changes in global fuel prices and passed onto consumer bills under prescribed rules and regulations of NEPRA and the gov-
February bills
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Monday said that with the country’s human rights progress on an upward trajectory Pakistan will continue to be a leading voice of the vulnerable and the oppressed
ernment of Pakistan Sources earlier said that if NEPRA allows the Rs 10 26/unit cut, the total re-
lief in power bills for Karachiites will amount to more than Rs 12 billion And that this will likely be reflected in the
r a i n e c o n f l i c t t o wa r d o f f n e g at i ve e c o n o m i c i m p a c t
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday called for the resolution of the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means saying that developing countries like Pakistan were facing consequences in terms of its economic impact
A c c o r d i n g t o K E , D e c e m b e r ’s F C A r e q u e s t w a s l o w e r p r i m a r i l y d u e t o a b e t t e r u t i l i s a t i o n o f g e n e r a t i o n m i x , b u t m o r e i m p o r t a n t l y a r e d u ct i o n i n p r i c e s o f R L N G , f u r n a c e o i l , a n d p o w e r p u r c h a s e d f r o m t h e c e n t r a l p o w e r p u r c h a s i n g a g e n c y ( C P PA ) b y 1 7 % , 1 5 % a n d 2 9 % r e s p e c t i v e l y a s c o m p a r e d t o S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2 F o r t h e p a s t m a n y m o n t h s , d o w n w a r d t r e n d s i n p r i c e s o f f u e l s h a v e e n a b l e d K E t o p a s s o n b e n e f i t s o f n e g a t i v e F C A t o c u s t o m e r s I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h N E P R A g u i d e l i n e s , a f t e r s c r u t i n y o f K E s s u b m i s s i o n t h e a u t h o r i t y w i l l i s s u e i n s t r u c t i o n s o n t h e p e r i o d d u ri n g w h i c h t h e s e c o s t s c a n b e a p p l i e d t o c o n s u m e r b i l l s T h e D e c e m b e r F C A i s l i k e l y t o a p p l y i n F e b r u a r y 2023 bills, said KE, in a statement, iss u e d o n M o n d a y ISLAMABAD
The steel industry in Pakistan finds itself stuck in a state of extreme distress as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) continues to fail in opening letters of credit (LCs) leading to the closure of numerous steel businesses and widespread job losses This has caused a severe shortage of raw materials leading to production delays and financial losses for companies According to industry estimates, the steel sector in Pakistan employs over 200,000 people directly and has an annual production capacity of over 5 million tonnes However, the crisis caused by the SBP’s failure to open LCs has forced many steel companies to reduce production or even shut down operations This has led to job losses and a drastic decline in the steel industry’s contribution to the country’s economy According to the Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) Secretary General, Wajid Bukhari, “it is estimated that a total of approximately 7 5 million jobs are at stake because if there is no steel we will witness the subsequent closure of cement and all construction allied industries within a few weeks Even during COVID-19, the steel industry was categorised as an essential industry
The SBP’s inability to open LCs is reportedly due to a shortage of foreign currency reserves, leading to delays in the import of essential raw materials such as scrap steel and additives to manufacture steel indigenously This shortage has led to a significant increase in the prices of steel products making them unaffordable for many consumers Steel bar prices have surpassed Rs 275,000/tonne and if the shortage persists, experts believe that the prices can easily cross Rs 300,000/ tonne The steel industry is calling on the government and the SBP to take immediate and drastic action to resolve the crisis They are demanding that the SBP open LCs at a curtailed level, declared through a policy or circular as soon as possible to ensure the timely import of raw materials and the continuation of production They also urge the government to provide significant financial assistance to the industry to help mitigate the catastrophic losses caused by the crisis All major sectors, including food, textile, pharmaceuticals, chemical machinery steel plastic and automobile are suffering from the decline in production It is being said that currently 5,700 containers are stuck at the ports but in reality the number is higher than 9 000 Apart from that, detention charges of $160 million and demurrages of Rs 250 million have already been imposed The steel industry is in dire straits and the inability of the State Bank to open LCs is pushing our members to the brink of collapse We urgently call on the government and the SBP to take immediate action to resolve this crisis and ensure the survival of our operations The steel industry is a vital sector for Pakistan s economy, contributing over 5% of the country’s GDP and providing jobs for over 200 000 people directly Pakistan’s steel production could decrease by over 50% in the next year, with devastating consequences for the country’s economy and its people ” read the PALSP statement issued on Monday
“We have a firm belief that all conflicts can be resolved peacefully and there are no obstacles which diplomacy cannot surmount Ukraine conflict is no exception Developing countries like Pakistan are facing negative consequences of the conflict in terms of economic impact the foreign minister said addressing a joint press conference with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during his visit to Moscow He expressed the hope that the strong tradition of diplomacy of Russia would help achieve the peaceful resolution of the conflict
The foreign minister said Pakistan considered the Russian Federation an important player in the West, South and Central Asia, and would keep up high-level contact with it Apprising the media of their meeting, Foreign Minister Bilawal said their “friendly” and “detailed discussion encompassed all aspects of bilateral relations and regional matters
He said both countries were celebrating the 75th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic relations and that Pakistan desired to strengthen its cooperation with Russia in the fields of trade, security, de-
fence, counter-terrorism, education, and people-topeople contacts He mentioned the summit-level meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand as well as the 8th Inter-Government Commission held in Islamabad which focused on trade economy, and energy cooperation
He said during their meeting, they also discussed bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora including the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Foreign Minister Bilawal said Pakistan and Russia had “good cooperation” on Afghanistan, and wanted to achieve common goals of peace and stability in the war-torn country
To a question on Pak-Russia energy cooperation, the foreign minister said the incumbent government was committed to coping with the country’s energy needs He said Pakistan valued its cooperation with Russia, the United States, and Europe, and it consistently called for dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes In his remarks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia was satisfied over its military cooperation with Pakistan Both countries were holding regular military contacts, including joint exercises and military training
He said the elimination of terrorism from the region was directly linked with Afghanistan, and they had agreed to use the capacities of SCO, particularly its Contact Group on Afghanistan for the purpose
RAWALPINDI
S ta f f R e p o R t
The security forces on Monday killed a terrorist who martyred two intelligence officers in Khanewal during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Kurram District
According to the official sources, on January 3, 2023, a terrorist named Umar Niazi shot and martyred Naveed Sadiq, the director of a sensitive in-
stitution, and Inspector Nasir Abbas in Khanewal
The intelligence agencies tracked the terrorist day and night, using extreme diligence and advanced technology to nab him before he tried to flee Afghanistan
O n t h e b a s i s o f i n t e l l i g e n c e , t h e l a w e nf o r c e m e n t a g e n c i e s i n K u r r a m D i s t r i c t c o nd u c t e d a j o i n t o p e r a t i o n a n d a r r e s t e d U m a r N i a z i i n a n i n j u r e d s t a t e H o w e v e r, h e s u cc u m b e d t o h i s i n j u r i e s l a t e r
From drafting the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Convention on Racial Discrimination to establishing the Human Rights Council Pakistan has remained and will continue to be a leading voice of the vulnerable and the oppressed,” she stated here at the 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Pakistan The minister of state said that as an ardent supporter of multilateralism, Pakistan has consistently advocated dialogue, consensus, cooperation, and mutual respect as preferred vehicles to advance the global human rights agenda “Today, I am pleased to report that my country s human rights progress is overall on an upward trajectory We continue to aspire for a progressive and pluralistic society, which puts a high premium on respect for the human rights of everyone, in the words of our founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah and I quote “as equal citizens of one State”, she maintained The minister said that Pakistan s 4th national UPR report was prepared through an inclusive, consultative process involving all national stakeholders Critically, this report was an outcome of their extensive efforts during the last five years to implement the recommendations emanating from the country s 2017 UPR, she added To implement these recommendations Ms Khar said that the Federal Government closely consulted with all provincial stakeholders, civil society, and academia We also benefitted from international best practices in certain areas I thank all those who contributed to this national endeavor, she added
The minister of state said that in line with the country’s constitutional framework, Pakistan’s democratic governance structures, as protectors of human rights have grown from strength to strength
LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t
Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) said on Monday that elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly as he vowed to “struggle for democracy” The court was hearing a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar seeking direction from the authorities concerned regarding the announcement of the election date for the Punjab Assembly During the proceedings PTI s counsel Barrister Ali Zafar requested the court to direct Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman to announce the election date Justice Jawad Hassan agreed on the time frame prescribed for holding the election but said that “the question is who is announcing them” and told the PTI to include the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as a party to the case The PTI lawyer complied while arguing that the ECP had written to the governor however he was yet to respond to the electoral watchdog “On this issue, the ECP also stands with us,” he said Calling the governor s lawyer to the rostrum the court inquired what his stance was over the delay; however, the lawyer requested the court time to prepare his case Irked by the counsel s response the judge remarked that the respondent did not appear to be taking the matter seriously Justice Jawad then went on to observe that an important legal issue has been raised in the PTI s application” and issued notices to Governor Punjab and the ECP seeking their responses by February 3
It may be noted that earlier this month the ECP had sent letters to the provincial governors of KhyberPakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Punjab with proposed dates for elections of the provincial assemblies
C O n T I n U e d O n Pa g e 03
o m m i s s i o n o f P a k i s t a n m e m b e r s and the CEC
An FIR was registered against the PTI leader at the Kohsar police station in Islamabad An Islamabad court then handed Fawad over to the police on a two-day physical remand As the remand ended on Friday, Fawad was produced before Judicial Magistrate Raja who had extended his physical remand by another two days
