Epaper_23-02-12 KHI

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Profit

GPCCI seeks sbp Governor’s help against propaganda about access to letters of credit

Power consumers likely to pay more than Rs17b under quarterly adjustment

HEADS ROLL AS BLASPHEMY ACCUSED LYNCHED IN NANKANA

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IGP SUSPENDS TWO SENIOR OFFICERS FOR NEGLIGENCE

and order was the first priority for the relevant institutions responsible for that duty.

SENIOR COPS SUSPENDED: The chief of Punjab police, Usman Anwar, suspended two senior officers for their failure to prevent the purported mob lynching of a man in Nankana Sahib over blasphemy allegations, according to a statement issued to the press by his office on Saturday.

According to the statement, Anwar took immediate action after videos circulating on social media showed a violent mob outside a police station in the city named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, leading to the death of a man accused of “desecrating the Quran”.

Gen Bajwa proudly confessed to ‘regime change’: Imran

NAB’s ‘double standards’ in accountability destroyed Pakistan: PM Shehbaz

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

A35-year-old man arrested over blasphemy allegations was lynched on Saturday in Punjab’s Nankana Sahib district after a mob broke into the police station where the victim was being held.

According to reports, the victim was accused of allegedly desecrating the Holy Quran and locals claimed the victim was involved in ‘witchcraft’.

Following the accusation, he was handed over to the local police force, however, a mob later formed at the police station after news of the incident spread in the area. The mob demanded the police hand over the accused.

In videos that surfaced on social media, the mob can be seen scaling the large gates of the Warburton Police Station, forcing it open, after which the crowd entered the building.

The mob then searched the police station for the victime, found and killed him, and then dragged the body naked through the streets as more people threw sticks and stones at the body.

PM SHEHBAZ ORDERS INVESTIGATION: Taking notice of the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation.

“Why didn’t the police stop the violent mob? The rule of law should be ensured. No one should be allowed to influence the law,” he was quoted as saying by a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office.

PM Shehbaz said that ensuring peace

Videos that surfaced on social media showed a violent mob outside a police station, which the suspended officers, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Waraq and Station House Officer (SHO) Feroz Bhatti, failed to control.

Anwar has directed Syed Muhammad Amin Bukhari, deputy inspector general (DIG) of the Internal Accountability Branch, and Raja Faisal, DIG of the Special Branch, to investigate the incident and submit a report. Strict departmental and legal action will be taken against those responsible for the incident and for any acts of negligence and incompetence, according to the official. Meanwhile, Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), a religious body representing clerics from across Pakistan, condemned the incident, calling it regrettable and condemnable.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday said that the “double standards” of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) pushed the country towards destruction.

The prime minister made these remarks while speaking during a ceremony after laying the foundation of the Bab-e-Pakistan project, which is a national monument and the upgradation of Walton Road in Lahore.

Speaking about the alleged graft in this project, the premier raised questions about the NAB’s performance that targeted innocent people but failed to summon those involved in such cases as this.

“I wish no one goes to NAB’s akhuwat khana, not even my enemy. Innocent people were pushed against the wall. [But] this project, where billions were misap-

propriated, did NAB look into the elements who indulged in corruption in this project?”

“It was the double standards that had caused harm to Pakistan. The rule of ‘might is right’ must be buried forever by the 220 million people of the country,” he said, adding the country could not move ahead on the path of progress and prosperity unless they collectively resist these tendencies.

PM Shehbaz said that they were passing through hard times, but it was his firm conviction that with collective efforts, sacrifices and hard work, they would overcome these difficulties.

He said all segments of the society, including the elite class, will have to come forward and support the nation with generosity, adding that there was no other way to reach to destination except adherence to these qualities.

COAS, UAE President discuss bilateral ties in Abu Dhabi

Sunday, 12 February, 2023 I 20 Rajab,

NANKANA SAHIB STAFF REPORT

PM ORDERS INVESTIGATION INTO INCIDENT TO ENSURE RULE OF LAW

MoST ProPoSeS PSQCA DG’S APPoInTMenT on DePuTATIon To FACIlITATe ‘Blue-eyeD’

ISLAMABAD

G h u l a m a b b a

MI N I S T Ry of Science and Technology (MoST) has surpassingly proposed appointment of Director General (DG) of its attached department Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) on deputation basis despite advertising the post as MP-1 scale for second time in an apparent move to “facilitate a blue-eyed boy”

According to a summary copy of which is available with this scribe, the ministry, despite admitting that the recruitment of DG PSQCA is under process after advertising the post for a second time, has informed the Federal Cabinet that the Minister of MoST

wishes to appoint an BS 20 officer of Government of Balochistan on deputation basis for three years

Surprisingly, the said official who has recently joined the ministry as Joint Secretary on deputation basis is being proposed as head of important department (PSQCA) without citing any legal justification As the summary is selfexplanatory, the decision of appointment of DG PSQCA on deputation is being made as the Minister wishes to do the same

Interestingly, the ministry has recommended Farooq Ahmed Langov, who holds a degree of MA International Relations (2nd Division) and LLB (1st Division) for appointment against a purely technical post of DG PSQCA saying that the minister wishes someone having administrative

experiences to head the authority

The summary, dated February 2, 2023, says the process of appointment of DG PSQCA was initiated by the Ministry after conversion of post of DG PSQCA into MPI Scale with the approval of MP and SPS Scale Conversion Committee in its meeting held on 26 08 2021

The Finance Division also allowed the conversion of post into MP-I Scale via its letter dated 15 11 2021 The post of DG PSQCA was advertised on 27-11-2022 and a total of 98 applications were received of which shortlisting of the applications is under process

“However, the Federal Minister of MoST being the Chairman of the Board of the Directors of PSQCA has proposed that since the post is mainly of Administrative

nature therefore Farooq Ahmed Langov, BS 20 officer of Government of Balochistan may be posted as DG PSQCA on deputation basis for a period of three years ” The summary said

The Ministry has however not mentioned the earlier advertisement/process of recruitment in 2021 and a case related to the same appointment which is pending at Islamabad High Court

As per the Order Sheet of IHC dated January 30 2023 the Assistant Attorney General has informed the court that the first advertisement for the post of DG PSQCA was published in 2021 and process was near completion when the government changed in the center Subsequently a second advertisement was published on November 27, 2022 The Attorney as per the order sheet

PAF, PIA airlift winterized blankets, relief goods to quake-hit Turkiye

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t I n l i n e w i t h P r i m e M i n i s t e r M u h a m m a d S h e h b a z S h a r i f s d i r e c t i v e s a b o u t 2 0 0 7 t o n s o f r e l i e f assistance including 18 tons of winterized tents had b e e n s e n t t o t h e q u a k e - a ff e c t e d p e o p l e o f t h e brotherly country Turkiye T h e r e q u e s t f o r t e n t s w a s m a d e b y t h e Tu r k i s h g o v e r n m e n t t o s a v e h u n d r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f t h e quake-affected people who were bracing the severe c o l d S o f a r, d i ff e r e n t f l i g h t s o f P a k i s t a n International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Air Force ( PA F ) h a v e d e l i v e r e d 2 0 0 7 t o n s o f r e l i e f g o o d s including winterized blankets to the quake-affected populace of Turkiye

These relief assistance consignments included tents, blankets and other items

Fawad fears gov t will impose ‘economic emergency’ to avoid polls

LAHORE

S

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has expressed fears that plans are being made to extend the tenure of the current coalition government by declaring an “economic emergency ” In a series of tweets, the former information minister warned that this could have severe security implications, putting the country’s nuclear program at risk and jeopardising people’s freedom Chaudhry emphasised that elections must be held to transfer the government to the elected officials and he criticised those who are putting the country’s future at risk Pakistan is facing a multidimensional crisis The economy is teetering on collapse due to a political crisis the rupee plummeting and inflation at decades-high levels, devastating floods, and a significant shortage of energy Despite concerns raised by Chaudhry as well as his opposition party in the past, the government in December of last year ruled out the possibility of imposing an economic emergency “A false message on supposed economic emergency proposals has been circulating on social media in recent days Finance Division not only strongly rebuts the assertions made in the said message but also categorically denies it and that there is no planning to impose economic emergency,” the finance ministry had said in a statement

Sharing the latest details of the quake the Turkish health minister informed media that more than 20,213 people had lost their lives in the 10 affected provinces while 80 052 others were injured

A total of 67 survivors were also rescued from the rubble in the last 24 hours 1,666 aftershocks were recorded so far in the aftermath of two massive tremors

that brought unprecedented destruction in Turkiye

A c c o r d i n g t o e x p e r t s , Tu r k i y e l i e s o n t w o f a u l t l i n e s T h e r e c e n t d o u b l e e a r t h q u a k e w a s f a r m o r e i n t e n s e t h a n a n y t h i n g s e e n s i n c e 1 9 3 9 T h e f i r s t q u a k e r e g i s t e r e d a m a g n i t u d e 7 8 , f o l l o w e d b y another of 7 5 tremor PA F A i r c r A F t r e A c h e s t u r k i y e w i t h r e l i e F g o o d s : Meanwhile, IL-78 aircraft of Pakistan Air Force carrying tents and relief goods from PAF base Lahore reached Adana, Turkiye

According to detail, the ilyushin-78 aircraft carried 16 5 tons of humanitarian assistance relief goods from people of Pakistan for the earthquake affected brethren of Turkiye Pakistan Air Force is also making all out efforts to repatriate stranded Pakistanis in coordination with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan Embassy in Turkiye 08 Pakistani passengers will be evacuated on the PAF IL-78 aircraft on it s back to Pakistan

was asked to submit firm date, within which the appointment will be made on permanent basis, by March 16, 2023

The Petitioner in the case Dr Shahzad

0 a n d n o o n e c a n b e a p p o i n t e d o n a c t i n g b a s i s f o r more than 90 days

It may be mentioned here that MoST has not been able to fill the post of DG PSQCA since the retirement of DG Abdul Aleem Memon on September 25, 2021

When contacted the Secretary MoST Ghulam Memon did not attend the phone and also avoided replying to queries shared with him via WhatsApp

PSQCA being the only national standards body, representing Pakistan in international standardisation activities needs a highly qualified one to head and lead In standard bodies in the world like in Turkish standards institution, Sri Lankan standards institution American National standards institutions etc the highly qualified i e PhD, postdoctoral and highly experienced individuals in the field of standards and conformity assessment are appointed

PBF fears mini-budget to unleash new wave of high inflation, hit expor ts

KARACHI

S ta f f R e p o R t

ISLAMABAD S

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday denied sending funds abroad via money laundering while testifying before an Islamabad district and sessions court in a Rs10 billion damages suit he had filed against Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif for allegations regarding Shaukat Khanam Memorial Trust’s (SKMT) financial affairs

Imran had filed the defamation suit against Asif in 2012 for recovery of Rs10 billion, as the latter had levelled allegations of misappropriation of SKMT funds, claiming that $4 5 million funds of SKMT s funds had been invested abroad

In his suit, the PTI chief referred to the August 1, 2012 press conference during which the PML-N stalwart had accused Imran of lost in “real estate gambling” a huge amount of funds donated to the SKMT in the form of Zakat, Fitrana or other kinds of donations

In Dec 2021, Imran, while recording his statement before the digitally connected court, said he was the biggest individual donor of the SKMT from 1991 to 2009 and the investments against which allegations had been made were fully recovered by the SKMT without any loss

Terming the allegations “false and defamatory”, Imran had asserted that decisions on the SKMT

hospital’s investment schemes were made by an expert committee without his interference Asif had then challenged the legality of Imran s statement in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), arguing that the additional district and sessions judge had unilaterally closed his right to Imran s crossexamination The petition had requested the IHC to set aside the judge’s order

In January 2023, a local court had imposed a Rs10,000 fine on both politicians for delaying the proceedings and leaving the case unconcluded even after 11 years while it was supposed to be decided within 90 days, according to additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Umeed Ali Baloch ADSJ Baloch presided over today s hearing while Haider Rasool Mirza appeared as Asif ’s counsel and Waleed Iqbal was present to represent Imran At the outset of the proceeding, when Asif s counsel began questioning the PTI chief, the latter acknowledged that “an investment of $3 million was done in 2008 but said the investment amount was returned to Shaukat Khanum [Memorial Trust] in 2015” Imran added, “The $3m amount remained in the possession of HBG Group, whose chief executive is Imtiaz Hyderi for seven years Imtiaz Hyderi was included in the committee that accepted the $3m amount for investment He claimed that Hyderi had not accepted the investment for “personal gains”

Anonymous Pak istani businessman donates $30m to suppor t quake relief in Turkey, Syria

Turkish ambassador to the United States, Hasan Murat Mercan, announced that a businessman from Pakistan donated a substantial sum of $30 million for earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, the Turkish version of Russian state-owned Sputnik news agency reported

The magnitude of the disaster in Turkey and northwestern Syria continues to grow, as the death toll has now surpassed 24,000 In Turkey, the number of fatalities has reached 21 043 while the number of casualties in Syria has reached over 3,500

The United Nations has warned that up to 5 3 million people in Syria may now be homeless after the earthquakes, and nearly 900,000 people in both countries are in dire need of hot food

The rescue efforts are ongoing as authorities strive to help those affected by the disaster

The Turkish-American associations and consulates in the US are working together to send both monetary donations and aid supplies to the affected areas Mercan is collaborating with the heads of such associations including Vildan Görener, head of the Illinois-based Turkish-American Association (TACA), through virtual meetings

Görener said that organisations had already sent $100,000-$150,000 shortly after the earthquake, and that the anonymous businessman s $30 million donation was a significant contribution

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter to express his deep emotions after learning of a Pakistani individual who donated $30 million to the earthquake victims in the Turkish embassy in the US

He praised the act as a triumph of humanity over seemingly insurmountable odds

President Pakistan Business Forum (PBF), Mian Usman Zulfiqar criticized the government for massive increase in power and gas tariffs to meet the IMF condition, saying the minibudget would unleash a new wave of high inflation, further increasing the cost of doing business and leave Pakistani exports uncompetitive in the international markets In a statement issued on Saturday, he said that the already decline of 34 rupees in the value of local currency against dollar and 35 rupees hike in the prices of petroleum would create a ripple effect as it would badly squeeze the purchasing power, reduce growth of business activities making it more difficult to revive the dwindling economy Mian Usman Zulfiqar observed that it is unfortunate that the government has approved the passing of around Rs240 billion additional burdens on consumers through a direct tariff increase and an indirect increase through the withdrawal of subsidies given to exporters and farmers He said that the government liquidity and external vulnerability risks are elevated and there remain considerable risks around its ability to secure required financing to fully meet its needs for the next few years The PBF President also said that constant hike in power tariff has pushed the electricity prices higher and added to the already soaring cost of trade and industry He asked the government to shut down all expensive oil-based power plants to ensure availability of cheaper energy for consumers Usman Zulfiqar condemned the government for shifting power distribution companies inefficiencies’ burden to the consumers by jacking up the tariff under the guise of Fuel Charges Adjustment, as the ECC has also given the go-ahead to the recovery of pending fuel cost adjustment from consumers to collect Rs68 billion According to reports, the ECC has approved the withdrawal of electricity subsidies for farmers to save Rs14 billion in four months

Hike in power, gas tariffs to damage economy fur ther: PIAF

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Pakistan Industrial & Traders Associations Front (PIAF) while strongly rejecting the significant increase in electricity prices up to Rs15 per unit for exporters and farmers and hike in gas tariffs by Rs110 per mmbtu to meet the IMF ninth review prior condition has said that it will put additional burden of over Rs240 billion It said that high cost of doing business has proved to be dangerous for Pakistan’s industry In a statement issued on Saturday, Chairman PIAF Faheemur Rehman Saigol observed that it is unfortunate that the government has approved the passing of Rs237 billion additional burden on consumers through a direct tariff increase and an indirect increase through the withdrawal of subsidies given to exporters and farmers But the move will not solve the issue of circular debt, as it has still shown Rs335 billion in additional subsidies in the revised Circular Debt Management Plan, taking them to Rs2 34 trillion, he added He said that the government liquidity and external vulnerability risks are elevated and there remain considerable risks around it’s ability to secure required financing to fully meet its needs for the next few years

Faheemur Rehman Saigol said that constant hike in power tariff has pushed the electricity prices higher and added to the already soaring cost of trade and industry The PIAF chairman asked the government to shut down all expensive oil-based power plants to ensure availability of cheaper energy for consumers PIAF Chairman condemned the government for shifting power distribution companies inefficiencies’ burden to the consumers by jacking up the tariff under the guise of Fuel Charges Adjustment, as the ECC has also given the go-ahead to the recovery of pending fuel cost adjustment from consumers to collect Rs68 billion

No misappropriation, money-laundering involved in SKMT donations: Imran tells cour t

BeInG reSPonSIBle For eConoMIC MeSS, IMrAn

SHoulD HolD TAlKS wITH IMF: MAryAM

STAff REpORT

SE N I O R vice president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)

Maryam Nawaz has blamed former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan for the ongoing economic crisis in the country, saying that Khan should negotiate an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

In a speech delivered at a party convention in Islamabad on

Saturday, Maryam stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar should not have held negotiations with the IMF regarding the bailout package She claimed that Imran was the cause of the country s economic “destruction” and should be asked to negotiate with the IMF instead Maryam s remarks come after Pakistan and the IMF failed to reach a staff-level agreement within the stipulated time frame to revive the stalled $6 5 billion bailout package The two sides have agreed on a set of

Imran’s reconciliation with PM Shehbaz to help end countr y’s woes: Kamal

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

The nomination papers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan candidate Mustafa Kamal has been accepted for by-election to NA-256 constituency Later, talking to the media persons Mustafa Kamal stated that that if PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan reconciled with the current Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, problems of the country will be resolved “Country’s economy is deteriorating due to political turmoil , he added Responding a question regarding the MQM-Pakistan sit-in, he said demands had been discussed with the sitting government and there was no response yet Answering another question, he stated that the Sindh governor through an ordinance should end the division of Hyderabad so that a city mayor can be elected from Hyderabad city It was worth mentioned here that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) stated that it had received 189 nomination papers for the nine National Assembly seats on which by-elections will take place in Karachi on March 16 From the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Mustafa Kamal, Dr Farooq Sattar Dr Sagheer Ahmed and Rauf Siddiqui submitted their nomination papers Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf s (PTI) Ali Haider Zaidi, Saifur Rehman, Attaullah Aslam Khan Najeeb Haroon Aftab Jahangir and Alamgir Khan submitted their papers From the Pakistan People s Party (PPP), Shehla Raza, Shahida Rehmani Iqbal Sandh Asad Alam Niazi and Khawaja Sohail are prominent candidates According to the ECP, 24 candidates filed nominations papers in NA-241, 19 in NA 242 17 in NA-243 19 in NA-244 24 in NA-247 19 in NA-250, 24 in NA-252, 23 in NA-254, and 19 nominations papers were received in NA-256 As per the schedule the list of candidates will be released on February 9 The documents will be examined till February 13, and objections can be submitted against the acceptance or rejection of the nomination papers till February 16 The deadline for decisions on these objections is set as February 20

CeC summons meeting to discuss PA elections

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Saturday summoned a meeting of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday (Feb 13) to discuss holding Punjab assembly elections The meeting has been summoned to devise holding elections in light of Lahore High Court’s (LHC) directions to hold Punjab Assembly elections within a period of 90 days The forum will finalise a plan to implement LHC verdict

measures that could still help finalise the deal and avoid a looming default

However, the hopes of reaching an agreement were dashed during the recent 10-day visit by the IMF mission, led by Nathan Porter, which ended on Thursday without a stafflevel agreement The government failed to provide adequate and convincing assurances to the IMF, and Finance Minister Dar held backto-back meetings but was unable to finalise the deal Pakistan urgently needs a stafflevel agreement and subsequent

board approval for the ninth review to unlock $1 1 billion as its foreign exchange reserves have dropped to $2 9 billion, the lowest level since February 2014 Maryam in today’s speech stated that the people are suffering from skyrocketing inflation due to the economic “destruction” caused by the previous PTI-led government and the tough conditions of the IMF bailout package She claimed that the agreement with the IMF was the result of a “flawed agreement” signed during Imran’s leadership

The newly appointed chief organiser of the ruling party recalled the 2013-2018 tenure of the PML-Nled government, stating that then-premier Nawaz Sharif not only successfully completed the IMF programme but also kept food prices under control

She assured party workers that the PML-N-led government will “soon put the country on the path of development” despite acknowledging that the current economic crisis is not going to end anytime soon

She claimed that it is now time for the PTI chief to start worrying as the era of conspiracies has ended, referring to a recent interview of former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa Maryam stated that the establishment realised very late that the PTI was dangerous for the country and that the PML-N had warned about this in 2018

Maryam also accused Imran of holding secret meetings with the former army chief in an attempt to find ways to come into power through the back door, but claimed that he failed to gain any support She also claimed that the PML-N is not afraid of elections and only those who come into power through selection fear elections

She stated that the PML-N is running an election campaign on the ground, but Imran is sitting in Zaman Park like a coward ”

Pakistan’s intelligence agencies thwar t yet another false flag Indian operation

The intelligence agencies of Pakistan have foiled another false flag operation the Modi regime planned to be staged on the fourth anniversary of Pulwama attack on February 14 Under the plan, on February 14, an explosive vehicle-type attack was planned in the southern districts of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir

There are reports of suicide attacks on military targets in Pulwama, Kulgam, Islamabad and Shopian and the blame would be placed on Pakistan and InterServices Intelligence (ISI)

According to security sources, Pakistani intelligence agencies have foiled another Indian false flag operation, on which war-obsessed India is facing another embarrassment

India is once again looking to destroy the peace of the region As soon as the election time came, the Modi government resorted to high tactics against Pakistan Elections will be held in nine states of India this year, which are of decisive importance in the 2024 Indian Lok Sabha elections It wants to win elections, no matter how many soldiers it has to kill for the purpose Indian soldiers will be the fuel of the Modi government’s lust for power Barack Obama wrote in his book The Promised Land that India wins elections on anti-Pakistan sentiments

In January 2022, Congress leader Udit Raj revealed that Narendra Modi was involved in the planning of the Pulwama attack

A report by The Wire on January 16 2021 says that according to Arnab Goswami’s leaked WhatsApp chat, the

attack

O n O c t o b e r 2 7 2 0 2 2 t h e I n d i a n

D e f e n s e M i n i s t e r m a d e a s t a t e m e n t a b o u t o c c u p y i n g A z a d K a s h m i r a n d

G i l g i t - B a l t i s t a n b y f o r c e O n

N o v e m b e r 1 , 2 0 2 2 , L t G e n e r a l U p e n d r a s t a t e d t h a t t h e I n d i a n A r m y was ready to attack Azad Kashmir

MQM -P postpones sit-in against S indh govt, ECP, for now

KARACHI

S ta f f R e p o R t

Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Saturday announced postponing its February 12 sitin against the Sindh government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)

The protest was set to be staged at Fawara Chowk near the Governor House as the party still has reservations over the delimitation of constituencies and the recently held local body elections

The development came after Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori an MQM-P leader visited the party’s headquarters in Bahadurabad and held a meeting with senior members in attendance

Following the meeting, the leaders spoke to journalists, where MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the Sindh governor had visited the party s leadership with an important message” from the federation

Tessori, during the presser, said that peace exercises of the Navy were in full swing in the port city in which delegates from more than 40 countries were present

In response to the message, Siddiqui mentioned that despite “all preparations being finalised” for the

sit-in, the party has decided to postpone the event at the governor s request

“MQM-P demanded that the constituencies be fixed I have also spoken to [Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman] Bilawal BhuttoZardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah in this regard,” he said Siddiqui added that the party had taken the step under “great compulsion” He said that if anyone has the right to protest in Karachi, it is the MQM-P, but the party gives priority to the national interest and not to its political needs”

He said that tonight, the MQM-P Rabta Committee would hold consultations over the sit-in, and once the peace exercises are completed, the date would also be announced

The MQM-P convener said that Karachi is the economic industrial and ideological capital of Pakistan to date and that its “peace is linked to the peace of the entire nation The development of Karachi is linked to the development of the country ” he said

Siddiqui said that in the past, many political parties had neglected the interest of the country and continued their political agenda, but MQM-P “gave up its rights to put Pakistan first

China Economic Net in an interview

ISLAMABAD

After six months in China

s spacescraft under the first-ever Sino-Pak ‘Seeds in Space’ project, seven kinds of Pakistani medicinal seeds returned to the earth and their motherland

According to China Economic (CEN), the seeds, three kinds provided by the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi and four by Hamdard University, have made history as the first to aboard the Chinese space station and opened a new chapter for S&T cooperation between China and Pakistan

This is an extraterrestrial way to enhance food production Space-bred varieties have proved to be able to perform better in terms of production and resistance and the return of seeds from space is only the start

After Pakistan s medicinal seeds return to the earth Pakistan and China will conduct joint research on their genetic stability, material basis, effectiveness and safety by comparing the seeds on board with their mother seeds on the earth to screen out new medicinal materials with higher quality and higher yield Dr Jiang Ning Deputy Secretary-General of Sino-Pakistan Cooperation Center on Traditional Chinese Medicine National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China, told

How is that achieved? Scientific study shows that microgravity, cosmic radiation and very low temperatures outside the space station can induce genetic mutations that could make the plants more productive and resilient to climate fluctuations resulting from climate change

So far, China, the third country in the world after the US and Russia to achieve satellite breeding in space, has cultivated more than 200 new space-bred varieties with an annual planting area of 2-3 million hectares Among them, wheat variety Luyuan 502 has increased production by 11% more than ordinary varieties and manifested better resistance to drought,

T h e a i m o f t h e r e c e n t p r o v o c a t i v e s t a t e m e n t s a n d a c t i o n s i s t o c r e a t e a n atmosphere of war to disturb peace in the region

The Modi government wants to end t h e c e a s e f i r e a g r e e m e n t b y j u s t i f y i n g the false flag operation Therefore, any false flag operation can be resorted to target Pakistan

uS-returned family deprived of $25,000, other valuables in Karachi

KARACHI

S ta f f R e p o R t

Armed dacoits deprived a US-returned family of $25,000, cellphones and other valuables in Liaquatabad area of the port city on Saturday The family members recently returned from the United States (US) to attend Dastarbandi ceremony of their son at Jamia Binoria Aalamia The police have launched investigation after registration of a case of the incident According to details, the accused started chasing the family from Karachi airport and stopped their vehicle and asked them to show their identification documents after posing as government officials The alleged dacoits snatched the purse and returned their passports and fled from the scene yesterday, a case was registered at the Shah Latif police station against unidentified individuals wearing police uniforms who allegedly robbed 154 weapons from a security company in Karachi An investigation committee was formed under the chairmanship of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at the Shah Latif police station In a statement, the police spokesperson stated that the office of the security company was built in a small shop which was closed for a long time

diseases and pests

“There is no way to transform plant seeds in a set direction, but it is possible to achieve our intended outcomes by sending them to space For medicinal plants, we hope they can grow better with stronger resistance survival rate and efficacy

All can be achieved via genetic mutation in space , said Dr Wang yan, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi Aboarding China s Shenzhou 14 manned spacecraft Pakistan s medicinal plant seeds have undergone 6 months of scientific experiments

[It] represents a landmark in ChinaPakistan S&T cooperation and will be

recorded in the history of their friendship ” said Pang Chunxue, Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, terming the experiment as a milestone of China-Pakistan scientific and technological cooperation

The bilateral science and technology cooperation has been included under the framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) The scientific experiment cooperation is a concrete manifestation of China’s willingness to share the fruits of hightech development with Pakistan, said Cao Zhouhua Science Commissioner of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan He said that China’s space station is an important part of the UN s Shared Global Space initiative and is open to all UN member States

FIVE - DAY MULTINATIONAL NAVAL EXERCISE BEGINS

KARACHI ANADOLU AGENCY

NAVIES from 50 countries — including Turkey, the US, and China — have begun a fiveday multinational naval exercise led by Pakistan in the Arabian Sea.

The biannual event, which has taken place since 2007, began with a flag-raising ceremony, state-run Pakistan Television reported.

Regional countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, as well as African Union countries, are taking part in the event with ships, aircraft, special operations forces, marine teams, and observers.

According to the Chinese Defense Ministry, the People’s Liberation Army

Navy (PLAN) Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, Nanning, is taking to part in the drills.

The naval exercise, organised under the slogan “Together for Peace,” is aimed

At UN, Pakistan calls for addressing inequalities exacerbated by multiple crises

NEW YORK STAFF REPORT

Pakistan has emphasized the urgency of addressing the multiple crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic, rising conflicts, and climate change, that have exacerbated existing inequalities between and within nations.

At the Commission for Social Development, one of the eight functional commissions established by the UN Economic and Social Council, Ambassador Aamir Khan, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, spoke of the worsening inequality that has accelerated since the global financial crisis of the first decade of this century.

He highlighted that the gap between rich and poor is growing, despite unprecedented global gains.

The envoy stressed that the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing inequalities has not only lacked progress but has experienced a regression in recent years.

He pointed out that just 26 people own half of the world’s wealth and that the multiple crises triggered by Covid-19, rising geopolitical tensions, and climate change have only exacerbated existing inequalities and vulnerabilities. Khan called for more international solidarity, emphasizing that developing countries must be provided with the necessary means to recover from the crises and achieve Sustainable Development Goals. He outlined Pakistan’s employment statistics and the government’s efforts to improve job opportunities for youth, including boosting the private sector, creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurship, improving exports, and expanding access to Internet services.

at providing a forum for understanding maritime concepts and operational cultures, enhancing interoperability, and identifying ways and means to combat common threats at sea, the Pakistan

Navy said in a statement.

It added that the eighth edition is divided into two phases: harbour and sea.

The harbour phase involves seminars, operational discussions, professional demonstrations, international get together, and pre-sail planning of sea evolutions.

The sea phase includes tactical manoeuvres, maritime security exercises such as anti-piracy and counter-terrorism, search and rescue, gunnery firings, and air defense exercises.

The drill will continue until next Tuesday.

The previous edition, held in February 2021, included 48 countries.

In a related development, Pakistan’s first-ever International Maritime Expo and Conference also kicked off in Karachi on Friday.

Rashid to contest Rawalpindi by-election

ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

The nomination papers of Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, chairman of the Awami Muslim League (AML) party, have been approved by a returning officer (RO) of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for a byelection in the NA-26 constituency of Rawalpindi.

The by-elections, scheduled to take place on March 16 following the resignation of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MPs, will take place on 33 seats of the National Assembly. The final list of contesting candi -

dates will be announced on February 9, with the scrutiny of nomination papers taking place until February 13.

Objections to Ahmad’s nomination papers can be submitted until February 13, however, no objections have been raised at this time.

Despite being in Adiala jail on judicial remand for allegations of murder, the RO, Nausheen Israr, summoned Ahmad and wrote a letter to the prison authorities to attend the scrutiny of his nomination papers.

During the process, workers from AML and ally PTI party

ANP opposes Maryam’s proposal for Hazara province

PESHAWAR MONITORING REPORT

The Awami National Party (ANP) has expressed its opposition to recent remarks made by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz regarding the creation of a separate province for the Hazara division.

Aimal Wali Khan, provincial president of ANP, argued that such political statements could potentially undermine national unity, especially given the current circumstances. In a statement, Khan criticised PML-N for its previous attempts to divide Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and claimed that these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. He emphasized that in the current situation, the political posturing of this nature could harm the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance.

gathered outside the RO’s office, while Ahmad’s nephew, Sheikh Rashid Shafique, appeared on behalf of the former minister.

Speaking to the media outside the RO’s office, Shafique confirmed that the election official had accepted Ahmad’s nomination papers. He revealed the jail superintendent refused to comply with the magistrate’s directive and informed them via a phone call that Ahmad would not be presented before the RO.

Shafique added that Ahmad was being asked to change his allegiance but remained steadfast in his support for former prime minister Imran Khan.

Nine militants arrested from across Punjab: CTD

proscribed organisations across multiple districts in the province.

On February 9, Nawaz, who is the chief organiser and central senior vice-president of PML-N, announced that her party would create a separate province for the people of Hazara division if they win the next general elections by a two-thirds majority.

In response, Khan pointed out that Punjab, being the largest province in the country, should first fulfil its promise to create a separate province for its southern region.

He also commented that some people were pushing for the construction of the controversial Kalabagh Dam, but that this would never come to fruition.

Khan emphasized the close relationship between the ANP and the people of the Hazara division, describing them as the “pride” of the party. He also called on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to clarify their stance on the creation of a Hazara province, rather than exploiting such political announcements for their own gain.

He claimed that the PTI and PML-N are united in their stance on the division of Pakhtunkhwa.

APHC honors pro-freedom Kashmir leader Bhat on martyrdom anniversary

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab Saturday conducted a successful intelligence operation, arresting nine militants affiliated with various

According to a CTD spokesperson, the arrested individuals, who include Afan, Kassif, Jawad Saeed, Saqib Ilyas, Sabz Ali, Daud Shah, and Ahmad Jan, belong to both the

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and various factions of Islamic State, or Daesh.

The spokesperson reported that the CTD had recovered a significant amount of dangerous materials, including suicide jackets, explosive devices, hand grenades, detonators, remotecontrolled devices, and literature on sensitive subjects during the operation.

During the investigation, information was obtained through the interrogation of 26 other suspected individuals, leading to successful arrests.

This week, the Punjab CTD conducted 564 combing operations and arrested 93 suspects, demonstrating the department’s commitment to bring anti-state elements to justice. The spokesperson stated that the CTD will spare no effort in this endeavour.

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Detained chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Masarat Alam Bhat, and senior group leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah, paid tribute to pro-freedom leader Maqbool Bhat on the 39th anniversary of his martyrdom. Indian authorities executed Bhat in 1984 for his role in the Kashmir freedom movement and buried him in Tihar Jail.

In a message sent from the prison, Masarat Alam emphasized the need for Kashmiris to safeguard the sacrifices of their heroes and continue the fight for freedom. He also called for the transfer of Bhat and Afzal Guru’s remains to Kashmir for formal burial. Shabbir Ahmed Shah, in his message from Tihar Jail, described Bhat as an icon of the Kashmir resistance movement and a man of integrity who devoted his life to the cause of freedom. He called Bhat’s execution a judicial murder and expressed hope that the people of Kashmir will eventually achieve freedom. The two leaders urged the people of occupied Kashmir to remain steadfast in their pursuit of freedom and the resolution of their long-pending dispute.

‘Don’t lose hope’: 1122 rescuers bring relief to families of Turkey quake survivors

ISTANBUL ANADOLU AGENCY

As local and international rescue teams in southern Turkey continue to race against time with the slogan “don’t lose hope,” families of earthquake survivors rejoice as their loved ones are pulled out of collapsed buildings.

Two such international search and rescue groups from Pakistan were among those that brought relief to the residents of Adiyaman, one of the 10 provinces jolted by Monday’s powerful tremors.

The devastating earthquakes hit Turkey early this week, resulting in the death of over 18,300 and leveling of thousands of buildings. Even four days later, relentless rescue efforts have kept hope alive.

The Rescue 1122 team of 52 personnel landed in Turkey on Tuesday, as did two military teams with a total of 33 soldiers along with specially-trained sniffer dogs and search and rescue equipment.

So far, they’ve rescued five survivors from under the debris of residential buildings in Adiyaman.

“Pakistan Army soldiers brought joy to their families when they rescued alive two trapped residents in the region, while members of Pakistan Rescue 1122 helped save three people, pulling them out of the debris,” said an official from Islamabad who was following the teams’ work.

Pakistan has flown three C-130 military transport planes to Adana province, while two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

flights carrying the search and rescue teams landed in Istanbul.

Another C-130 flight is expected to land on Friday carrying medical supplies, tents, and blankets.

The official, who asked to remain unnamed, told Anadolu Agency the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan was coordinating the search and rescue operations with the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

After landing in Turkey, said the official, “all forward deployment of search, rescue, and relief personnel is being done by AFAD on the basis of need assessment of the earthquake-affected regions.”

“Pakistan is also mulling to ship aid for

earthquake victims in trucks using the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul route.”

On Wednesday night, Ambassador Yousaf Junaid and Pakistan’s diplomatic mission visited a municipal donation point in the capital Ankara, delivering relief goods for earthquake survivors, including jackets, shoes, food, water, baby food, diapers, and sanitary items.

“I am confident, that with the traditional Turkish spirit of overcoming all obstacles and defeating all challenges, the Turkish nation will emerge out of this catastrophe stronger than ever and you will find the people of Pakistan always standing with you,” Junaid said.

FOUNDATION MOBILISES RESOURCES, PAKISTANI DIASPORA: As

“all-out” domestic efforts continue by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to extend help to Turkey, a prominent foundation in the country has reached out to the diaspora to join the post-quake rehabilitation operations.

“Our appeal seeking help for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria inside Pakistan has received a positive response,” Abdus Shakoor, vice president of the Al Khidmat Foundation, told Anadolu Agency on Thursday. He flew to Istanbul soon after the earthquakes hit Turkey on Monday.

With a dedicated volunteer force of more than 60,000, the foundation won hearts in Pakistan for its efforts to mitigate the devastation caused by unprecedented floods last year in the nation.

C H i N A , PA k i S tA N N AvA l d r i l lS C o N t r i B u t i N g

S

i g N i F i C A N t ly t o S A F e g u A r d S e A l i N e S , C P e C

CH I N A, together with host Pakistan and more than 50 participating countries kicked off the AMAN-23 multinational maritime exercise in Karachi on Friday The drills are expected to enhance the participants interoperability against instabilities and threats in the Indian Ocean region and safeguard vital international sea lines of communication and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

A grand opening ceremony for the five-day AMAN23 exercise was held on Friday morning at the Pakistan Navy Dockyard in front of the PNS Taimur a Type 054A/P guided missile frigate that China built for Pakistan Honor guards raised the participating countries’

Heads roll as blasphemy accused lynched in Nankana

ContInueD froM pAge 01

The incident comes days after the National Assembly passed a bill that further weaponised the blasphemy laws The bill adopted on January 17 proposes to increase the punishment in cases pertaining to the blasphemy of the prophet’s companions and his progeny, an offense under section 298-A in the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) The bill seeks to increase the period of detention, currently set at three years, to a minimum of 10 years and extendable up to lifetime imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs1 million It also suggests modifying blasphemy to a non-bailable offense

NAB’s ‘double standards’ in accountabilit y destroyed

Pakistan: PM Shehbaz

ContInueD froM pAge 01

Recalling the journey of the Bab-e-Pakistan project, the prime minister said Nawaz Sharif laid its foundation stone in 1991 and then in 1997 when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came to power and work on the project was expedited Regretting this place was still in ruins PM Shehbaz said that this was supposed to be a venue for national and international visitors, adding that there would have been a monument here with a library During Pervez Musharraf s rule, Shehbaz Sharif said, he was told that Rs900 million worth of white granite was to be imported from Italy for this monument When I asked why the consultant said that without this granite, the creation of Pakistan is unimaginable I told him that Pakistan could not afford this He replied that nothing can be done now and that they have given an order I also gave him an order that this Italian granite will not be imported That person filed a complaint against me said the premier The PM said he refused to carry on with the project with that said consultant, adding that the contractor was a fraud who had no experience but was given the project without bidding The prime minister, at the start of his speech, talked about the history of this place saying that they had once again gathered at the historic place for which millions of migrating Muslims from the sub-continent had offered historic sacrifices and strived under the great leadership of Quaid-e-Azam, for the creation of a separate homeland The premier said that they came across the worst kind of carnage with thousands of children and women braving the onslaught on their way to the newly created homeland Referring to the Walton road, the prime minister said it was the place where thousands of migrants from India took refuge and the locals supported them which renewed the precedent of Ansare-Madina The unique precedent would always be remembered, he added

Funeral prayers for mar t yred soldiers held

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

The funerals of Major Muhammad Jawad and Captain Sagheer Abbas were held in Rawalpindi and Kot Addu, respectively the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Both officers lost their lives in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion while conducting a sanitization operation in Kohlu Balochistan

Lieutenant General Muhammad Saeed, the Chief of General Staff, was in attendance along with numerous serving and retired officers, soldiers, and members of the public from various segments of society

The two fallen heroes were given a proper military burial with full honours

national flags, while balloons and pigeons representing peace were released into the skies

Under the motto Together for Peace this is the eighth edition of the AMAN exercises since 2007 It is divided into two phases: harbor and sea

The harbor phase involves seminars operational discussions, and professional demonstrations among other preparations, and the sea phase includes tactical maneuvers anti-piracy counterterrorism search and rescue live-fire shooting as well as air defense exercises, and will be followed by an international fleet review

AMAN is a message of peace and of being together with our friends and partners from all over the world, including China, Vice Admiral Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami, Commander of the Pakistan Fleet, told the Global Times on the sidelines at the opening ceremony

peSHAWAr

a z i z B u N e R i

Call it negligence or dillydally the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Energy and Power Department could managed to spend merely Rs5 million on one project out of Rs2 57 billion allocated under the department s Annual Development Program (ADP) for 50 projects of tribal districts

The official documents show that so far no funds could be spent on 49 other projects in the much-neglected tribal districts of the province

Officials of the Department were of the view that the federal government was responsible to fund some of these projects which have been included under the Accelerated Improvementation Program (AIP) while for other projects, funds were to be released by the provincial government, which are yet to be released

The officials said that these are not mega power generation projects, like in settled districts of the province, but just power transmission lines, solarization and grid stations constructions projects They also expressed the fear that due to the inordinate delay in release of

“We want to build mutual capacities and mutual understandings so that we can all work together to ensure peace and security at sea he said China has been our greatest friend There’s no doubt that whatever the future holds for us at sea, it would not be possible without China The China and Pakistan friendship is going to prosper further at sea said Commodore Sohail Ahmed Azmie, Commander of the Auxiliary and Mine Squadron of the Pakistan Navy He told the Global Times at the event that the Pakistan Navy has been operating with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, and in the future, this trend is going to be enhanced The participating vessel from China is the Nanning, a Type 052D guided missile destroyer that is part of the PLA Navy’s 43rd escort task force to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, which set out from a naval port in Zhanjiang, South China’s

Guangdong Province on January 10

It is the Nanning’s first time participating in such a mission The domestically developed warship has received an upgraded propulsion system among many other modifications, the PLA Navy said in a press release at the time The Nanning arrived at Karachi on Thursday and was met with a warm welcome from the host country Admiral M Amjad Khan Niazi, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy told the Global Times in an exclusive interview prior to the exercise that there are a number of non-traditional threats that prevail in the wider Indian Ocean region such as terrorism, piracy, drug smuggling, and arms trafficking The vastness of the oceans makes the maritime arena an attractive avenue for illegal activities, and no country has the capability to singlehandedly counter these challenges

funds, the estimated cost of these projects could increase further According to documents due to the political tussle between former the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and the Pakistan Democratic Movement government in the center the province has been facing serious financial difficulties as the center has stopped funding to the province, impacting projects of the ADP adversely

Former KP Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra had expressed many a times that the federal government had cut the funds allocated for tribal districts which had, resultantly, severely affected the development process

However a few days ago former Federal Minister of Finance Miftah Ismail, clarified that the PTI government in KP and Punjab was not ready to provide three percent from their share in the National Finance Commission to the tribal belt He also clarified that the center had never promised to allocate 100bn rupees annually to the tribal districts Ismail said if the commitment was made at the time of merger in 2018 then PTI government should have started the provision of these funds to tribal districts

S hahid Abbasi asks Imran to file treason c ase against Gen Bajwa

Senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said the allegations levelled by PTI chief Imran Khan against former army chief retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa were about violations of the Constitution, suggesting that the ousted premier could pursue his claims legally under Article 6 high treason against the former military head

Abbasi made these remarks during a TV talk show The remarks from the ex-PM come a day after the PTI chairman called for an internal military inquiry against Bajwa for his alleged admission about being involved in the PTI government’s ouster

The general’s version was published in a column by Javed Chaudhry recently in which he termed the PTI “dangerous for the country” and that graft cases against Imran-era finance minister Shaukat Tarin were quashed with then-DG ISI Faiz Hameed s assistance

The former PML-N stalwart said Article 6 was clear about the alleged violation of the Constitution

It states: Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason ”

Abbasi said the inquiry Imran was requesting was [actually] one of Article 6 “If Imran Khan thinks the Constitution was violated, he should file an Article 6 petition, he added It is his right

He said that Bajwa sahib indeed said that Imran Khan was given support to “complete his numbers”

If investigations are to be conducted then it

should be against everyone and we must go back to 1947 to hold probe from the start If the PM or his finance minister is asking the army to quash their cases this is concerning ”

“When he became a part of the process, then he is equally responsible as others He also got support in completing his numbers in the confidence vote The probe must be held into it but inquiries are not held this way The army and the government have their own systems The request Imran is making pertains to Article 6, hence he should file a petition ”

He was of the view that Imran made so many accusations that which allegation should be taken seriously Abbasi underlined that words carried weight when spoken on the right occasion

“What is the narrative of Imran Khan? Insulting each other?” he wondered Asked if he would file a plea if the Constitution was violated he responded: I don’t think and I don’t have any information that someone violated the Constitution Imran believes it, hence he should file a plea

He said whoever got illegitimate support was wrong Abbasi alleged that political parties did not want to go along with Imran, however, he claimed “Bajwa sahib asked them to support the PTI chief in the confidence vote ”

To another question, he welcomed the absence of army from polling stations, adding Rangers and police could be utilised strictly for law and order purposes

The former premier said the Election Commission of Pakistan would have to justify delaying the elections in public as well in the courts

The former premier recalled that he had a position that he relinquished in 2019 to pave the way for Maryam Nawaz so she could work “openly”

Mushaal describes Maqbool Bhat’s execution as murder of justice

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Chairperson of Peace and Culture Organization, Mushaal Hussein Mullick paid glowing tribute to Shaheed-e-Azam Shaheed Maqbool Ahmed Bhat, saying that he rekindled the flame of freedom struggle by happily touching the glows, whose execution was the murder of justice Speaking as a chief guest at an event to mark the 39th martyrdom anniversary of Muhammad Maqbool Bhat on Saturday, Mushaal said that Maqbool Bhat was a versatile personality, who always led from the front to liberate the Kashmiris from the Indian brutal subjugation, said a press release issued here on Saturday Maqbool Bhat was sent to the gallows on February 11 in 1984 in notorious New Delhi’s Tihar Jail for his crime to spearheaded Kashmir freedom movement She said that martyrs were the real asset of Kashmiris’ freedom struggle and Kashmiri people could not forget the sacrifices of their martyrs come what may T h e e v e n t w a s o r g a n i z e d b y G o v e r nm e n t A s s o c i a t e C o l l e g e ( W ) F - B l o c k w h i c h w a s a t t e n d e d b y P r i n c i p a l M r s E r u m A s h e r, t h e C oC h a i r p e r s o n P e a c e a n d C u l t u r e O r g a n i s a t i o n R eh a n a H u s s e i n M u l l i c k a n d D a u g h t e r o f K a s h m i r i H u r r i y a t L e a d e r, Ya s i n M a l i k , R a z i y a h S u l t a n a

On the occasion, Kashmir tableaus were presented to mark Kashmir Martyrdom Day Mushaal wife of jailed Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yasin Malik, said that it was time to remember and pay tribute to Shaheed Maqbool Ahmed Bhat who was an icon of Kashmir resistance movement and sacrificed his life for the noble cause of freedom from Indian yoke T h e H u r r i y a t l e a d e r s a i d t h a t a l t h o u g h t h e f a s c i s t I n d i a n g o v e r n m e n t s i l e n c e d h i m b y s e n d i n g h i m t o t h e g a l l o w s b u t f a i l e d t o s i l e n c e h i s u l t i m a t e d e s i r e – t h e s t r u g g l e f o r t h e p e o p l e o f K a s h m i r f o r t h e r i g h t t o s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n She made it clear that the spirit of freedom of Kashmiris can never be suppressed through executions illegal detentions and other brutal tactics by Indian fascist authorities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) rather these fascist tendencies further ignite the fire of freedom struggle The chairperson said that the martyrs were the symbols of the Kashmiris’ freedom struggle against Indian yoke Mushaal reiterated that the sacrifices of Kashmiri martyrs would not be allowed to go waste as Kashmiri people were duty-bound to safeguard the martyrs’ sacrifices by taking the mission of their martyrs to logical ends at all costs The chairperson urged notorious India government to accept the bitter reality and the Kashmiri people and decide their own fate as the hindutva regime could not achieve the desired results by these brutal tactics for the last seven decades

Power consumers likely to pay more than Rs17b under quarterly adjustment

ContInueD froM BACk pAge

However, three DISCOs including Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) asked for negative adjustments of Rs 6,967 million as PESCO sought negative adjustment of

Rs 1,929 million, QESCO Rs 1,633 million and SEPCO sought negative adjustment of Rs 3,405 million NEPRA, in a public hearing notice, has invited all the interested/affected parties to submit written and/or oral comments or objections as permissible under the law at the hearing

It is pertinent to mention that this de-

velopment is largely being taken as an attempt by the government to unlock the next tranche of loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) thereby burdening the public further It is to prevent the collapse of the country’s cash strapped economy However instead of reviving a USD 7 billion loan programme for Pakistan,

the IMF has so far handed over a memorandum on the terms and conditions for the completion of the loan programme And, the incumbent government in order to secure a bailout package from the IMF has announced the imposition of taxes amounting to Rs 170 billion as part of a deal with the IMF for the revival of a USD 7 billion loan programme

Nabkana Sahib killing

The lynching of a blasphemy accused after arrest throws up old questions

The killing of an arrested blasphemy accused by a mob which tore him from inside a police station in Warburton, Nankana Sahib district, was horrific enough,but it also showed that people no longer fear the police, let alone trust it to do justice to blasphemy accused. The purpose of the blasphemy laws is to prevent private justice, to stop mobs from taking justice into their own hands. However, this matter is still one on which an enraged mob is still able to kill someone who is still merely an accused. The law itself is subject to the protection, of the mob, and it should not be forgotten that Punjab Governor Slaman Taseer was killed for having criticized the blasphemy laws.

The fact that the accused was taken by the mob after it attacked a police station showed that the legal system had failed, not just the law. In the past, blasphemy accused have either been acquitted or have got asylum abroad, with the result that blasphemy accused are seen as certain to escape once they disappear into ‘the system’. However, there is a fallacy in this. The attacks, including the one in Warburton, have been made on the accused, not convicts. Indeed, most times, the accused do not make it into police custody where they would be accused. Perhaps this has to do not merely with the emotions triggered by blasphemy, but also broader problems within society as a whole. Instead of just identifying a suspect and handing him or her over to the justice system, which is supposed to be the extent of the duty of a good citizen, the blasphemy accusers now take it on themselves to come to a verdict, and to execute the punishment personally,

It is perhaps facile to accuse any one stakeholder, such as a political party, of fostering such an attitude. It could be argued that such a party was merely following the requirements of the people, and this attitude vof accusation as conviction was generally prevalent. However, unless society is to descend into chaos, all stakeholders and opinion leaders, starting with those political parties, and including schools and prayer leaders, must work with concentration on developing not just respect for law, but tolerance of variant opinions, within society. The impression that even the judicial authority cannot be trusted depends on its own conduct. If the impression exists that the system does not enforce the law.

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

(Late)

Yousaf Nizami Editor

Prisoners of Conscience

Custodial torture remains a problem

which deal with offences related to hurt have to be relied upon as torture is not recognized as a separate criminal offense. Given the widespread nature of this problem, one wonders why such apathy exists in the electorate.

It is a paradox that torture continues to exist in our bordering jurisdiction, India, as well. This is because because India is a liberal democracy with clearly articulated constitutional and statutory provisions against torture that are constantly being developed and monitored by a strong and independent judiciary.

CUSTODIAL torment has turned out to be so basic nowadays that the police and administration as well as even individuals underestimate it as a normal police routine. The very idea of a human being in custody save for protection and nurturing is anathema to human existence. Even when applied to indicate arrest or incarceration, it does not carry any sinister symptoms of violence during custody.

Hardly a week passes without an incident of custodial torture being reported in the press. Last week, a senior journalist was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency along with a former federal minister, Sheikh Rashid, from the backdoor entrance of his residence. Physical torture of the detainees in police custody has been quite pervasive for several decades in Pakistan. It is a naked violation of human dignity and a degradation which destroys to a very large extent the human personality.

Perhaps, the police still suffer from the impact of their colonial origins as a repressive instrument of police rule. There is constant pressure on the police from all quarters, including politicians and bureaucrats, to show instant results. The crudity of criminal investigation is often blamed on the crudity of resources, lack of adequate facilities and the extremely high case-load, with an inefficient supervisory structure also hindering the ability of the police to produce the results required of them, prompting them to take short cuts. Torture or enhanced interrogation of suspected criminals in police custody is a human rights abuse, which plagues citizens of all countries across the world. However, this malaise is seen as no more apparent across the world as much as it is seen in Pakistan.

Where there is no legislation that deals with torture specifically, there is legislation that treats it as an ancillary matter. The Police Order 2002 has penalized custodial torture, with the offending officer getting up to five years in jail and a fine. The Order however fails to define torture and is left very vague and unenforceable. Even within criminal law, sections of the Pakistan Penal Code

Strategic Vista of Iran

with both countries. Among other issues, the competition between Chabahar and Gwadar ports, and the slow progress in joint economic projects, are affecting their bilateral relations.

Both the countries have also expressed their willingness to set up an oil refinery in Balochistan with a capacity of 400,000 barrels of oil. In addition, Iran has offered Pakistan to increase its electricity imports from 100MW to 1,000MW and eventually 3,000MW. Since the nuclear deal Tehran has been used by Islamabad as a historic opportunity to expand bilateral ties and take advantage of a rising Iran in the region. The lifting of economic sanctions had opened new avenues for Iran to strengthen its economic and political power. This is time for Pakistan to strengthen its ties with its oil and gas rich neighbour and to mend the broken fences with Iran.

IRAN is the western neighbour of Pakistan with 158 billion barrels of oil reserves and 34 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. However, the official bilateral trade of the both countries did not reach $2 billion. In September 2022, Pakistani and Iranian officials agreed to remove hurdles, increase bilateral legal trade and implement the barter agreement for achieving the target of $5 billion bilateral trade. Pakistan and Iran have maintained cordial relations since the Shah's regime but after the Iranian Revolution many social, political, economic and security problems have arisen. Relations between Pakistan and Iran are poor due to the Saudi element, but Pakistan strives to remain neutral in its relations

The closest power source to Pakistan is already supplying 74 MW of power to Pakistan's Makran division, while another 100 MW transmission line is under construction to Gwadar, Pakistan's emerging economic hub. Iran has invested more than $2 billion in the agreed gas pipeline project, while Pakistan has yet to build the related infrastructure. Pakistan is understandably stuck in the balance of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan's active participation in the Middle East security matrix is a manifestation of an important role for Pakistan.

Iran's mobilization in Middle East security is a surprising development for traditional regional powers such as Egypt, Israel,

The recent cases of custodial torture show a consistent and alarming pattern of tolerance of the use of torture by the incumbent government on its political rivals. It is viewed as the sheer impunity enjoyed by law enforcers. Such demonic episodes of torture result in terrible fear in the minds of the common citizens. They become convinced that their lives are consistently under threat and that the protectors themselves are busy bludgeoning human rights to death.

It should be clear now, that to end custodial torture absolutely in Pakistan, a social change needs to be brought about. If the people do not believe in an absolute ban on custodial torture, then our laws in a democratic society should reflect those needs and solve the dilemma of civil liberties and human rights by advocating for openness and accountability of these enhanced interrogation techniques

In Pakistan, where the rule of law is inherent in each and every action and right to life and liberty is prized as a fundamental right adorning highest place amongst all important fundamental rights, instances of torture and using thirddegree methods upon suspects during illegal detention and police remand casts a slur on the very system of administration. Where the Constitution does outlaw the use of torture, it does so in a very limiting fashion. Human rights take a back seat in this depressing scenario. Article 4 of our Constitution enforces the concept of rule of law that is rooted in the doctrine of specific powers. Public officials have no inherent power and can only exercise such power as vested in them by the law.

The police, while arbitrarily arresting and torturing citizens or barefacedly outsourcing them to some other law-enforcement agency, outrageously violate this very safeguard granted to the citizen by the Constitution itself. On a similar note, torture is an egregious violation of Article 9 of the Constitution, which grants an inalienable, indivisible right; the right to live free from state-sponsored torture and intrusion of the State. The right to dignity articulated in Article 14 has been enshrined in our constitutional philosophy as inviolable. Perhaps, torture is an affront to human dignity, and makes protection granted by Ar-

and especially Saudi Arabia. Tehran is dominating the regional security matrix from Baghdad to Damascus, Beirut and Sana'a, forming a strong coalition to demonstrate its superiority.

Iranian military support for regimes in Iraq, Syria and Yemen has upset the traditional balance of power in the region. Furthermore, due to the lifting of sanctions, the Iranian economy is growing at a remarkable pace as many foreign companies are willing to invest in Iran. This development has spread panic in the Arab states.

The United Arab Emirates, originally a duty-free country, now imposes the tax because billions of dollars-worth of Iranian transactions flowed through the UAE during the sanctions. Saudi Arabia is facing a budget deficit. The regional landscape is fraught with foreign support for Iran in many ways. Turkey is preoccupied with its internal problems and is unwilling to confront Iran directly.

Russia supports the Assad regime, a strategic partner of Iran, with active military support. China is supporting Iran in trade, economy and investment. European states are eager to take advantage of the emerging economy, and the USA is forced to back Iran because of its geopolitical reach, political influence, and military might to defeat ISIS. Along with international support, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had won strong domestic support in the 2016 parliamentary elections, giving him much-needed backing to pursue Iran's diplomatic, political, and economic recovery.

ticle 14 inoperable. If history stands as a testament to anything, it's the fact that abuse of power leads to the gravest of human rights violations. When power is left unchecked in the hands of those unfit to yield it, it creates an unfair power dynamic allowing those people to abuse that power. When custodial violence, torture or a fake encounter is equated with justice, it’s the Constitution that is the ultimate victim.

Pakistan is a signatory of many International legal regimes which outlaw custodial torture absolutely: the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). But Pakistan is still lagging in fulfilling its international commitments. The prevailing experience, while being a shocking revelation of the state of policing, as that state is also proof that the public could be forced into silence, if the state so requires, by imparting fear.

At the domestic front, the legislature in Pakistan has never legislated laws to outrightly ban custodial torture or criminalize the act in such a manner so as to make it an effective deterrent for police authorities. In fact, given the current socialpolitical climate of the country, with Pakistan being enveloped in a lengthy and bloody insurgency for the past 13 or so years, the legislature has actually passed laws such as the Pakistan Protection Ordinance, which gives police authorities even less oversight, more powers and greater discretion. However, more recently, the Torture and Custodial Death Bill, 2022, was passed by Parliament, criminalising custodial torture. Under it, torture by public servants is a cognisable, non-compoundable and non-bailable offence. The courts are then required to exhibit more sensitivity and adopt a humanist rather than a mechanical approach, while dealing with such cases.

It should be clear now, that to end custodial torture absolutely in Pakistan, a social change needs to be brought about. If the people do not believe in an absolute ban on custodial torture, then our laws in a democratic society should reflect those needs and solve the dilemma of civil liberties and human rights by advocating for openness and accountability of these enhanced interrogation techniques.

The writer is a lawyer based in Lahore. He tweets at: @SarmadSattar010

Therefore, it is time for Pakistan to formulate a pragmatic policy in view of the changing strategic dynamics in the region and expand its relations with Iran to protect its national security interests. The changing regional geopolitics and strategic dynamics may affect Pakistan; therefore, it should take advantage of Iran's geostrategic position

There are two possibilities in this environment of regional security. The Iranian rise can be viewed positively and the gradual normalization of the region is seen as for the benefit of all, or the rise can be viewed negatively and as a result it increases the atmosphere of conflict. However, despite many attempts, the Assad regime has not been made to fall. The war in Yemen has failed to weaken the Houthi rebels, but rather has emboldened al-Qaeda and Iraq.

The 34-state alliance, despite the highly publicized 'North Thunder' military exercise, has failed to have a significant impact on regional dynamics as key states Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan are unwilling to contribute their forces. Currently, the national, regional and international political environment favours Iran. Therefore, it would be better to consider the rise of Iran as a positive development and to work for peace, development and stability in the region.

After the end of the Iranian nuclear saga, Pakistan can easily and cheaply harness its

southwestern neighbour's energy resources to maximize its economic growth. Furthermore, Pakistan has the ability and courage to address the lack of communal trust in the Muslim world, particularly in the Middle East.

Pakistan should use its diplomatic good offices to remove the obstacles impeding the political and economic development of the region. Pakistan can play a constructive role between Iran and Saudi Arabia to eliminate their unwanted hostile regional policies.

Therefore, it is time for Pakistan to formulate a pragmatic policy in view of the changing strategic dynamics in the region and expand its relations with Iran to protect its national security interests. The changing regional geopolitics and strategic dynamics may affect Pakistan; therefore, it should take advantage of Iran's geostrategic position.

The writer has a PhD in Political Science and can be reached at akramzaheer86@yahoo.com

DR. MUHAMMAD AKRAM ZAHEER

SARMAD SATRAR

Are we ready for catastrophe rescue?

low over the damaged runway and drop the supplies at less than treetop level to get the work done.

Editor’s mail

Political rewards

THE national political system is based on and revolves around sharing the spoils where our political parties, after winning the election, provide government jobs to their supporters, friends and relatives as a reward for campaigning for their victory. This ‘incentive’ is aimed at ensuring long-term continuous support. It does not matter one bit if it all happens at the cost of merit. This is one of the reasons the education sector suffers. Every year, federal and provincial governments together spend about Rs1,000 billion on education in government schools, but we hardly see any progress. In fact, the literacy rate is stagnant, if not declining.

There is a general perception that we do not have funds for education, which is, in fact, a misperception. We do have money, but we do not spend it on education. Punjab in its government schools spends Rs31,000 per child annually, Sindh Rs40,000, Balochistan Rs61,000, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Rs38,000. Where does this money go?

This goes into the pockets of political party workers, who are appointed teachers and administrators by political parties to keep them happy and satisfied so that the parties may always have a workforce ready for any task given any time for their narrow political interests.

This politics-education nexus has ruined our education at the grassroots level in the public sector. The current literacy rate in Pakistan is 63.2 per cent, which means that about 90 million people in the country cannot read and write. To improve education and improve the literacy rate in Pakistan, we need to eliminate this ‘political rewards’ system.

Monetary tools

were an isolated event in the Jhelum River, whose proper management was however an issue which needs to be discussed separately.

SINCE the deadly earthquake hit the southern provinces of Turkey and western flank of Syria, there have been fears of a similar happening in west and south Asia; especially Pakistan. Given the fact that Turkey stands at a better human and infrastructural plane than Pakistan; the scale of devastation as well as the helplessness of the government in Turkey and Syria, there are fears; what will happen if asimilar mishap or catastrophe takes place in Pakistan.

Past experiences, starting from the 1973 and 1976 floods, the 1974 Karakoram earthquake, the 1992 limited floods, the 2005 massive earthquake, the 2010 river Indus floods and lastly the monsoon-triggered limited floods in south Punjab and Sindh in 2022; all cast a clear doubt in the minds of people; already on the edge.

A threadbare analysis of the experiences can guide the author and the readers alike, as to what have been the missing points as well as deficiencies at hand; which force us to look elsewhere and in the process generate a gulf between the rulers and the ruled. Without doubt, the 1970 East Pakistan cyclone in the month of November can be the reference point for analysis, given the fact that the event, which took place over 50 years ago, was demonstrative of the fact among other things, how much the state of Pakistan was cash-strapped, and without any plan to reach out to the people in distress. The distress, which the students of history witnessed and documented, added to the already built-up alienation between the distant province and the centre in the case of Pakistan.

Taking a cue from the events in 1970, what was left of Pakistan was not to be spared by the cruel nature in the years to come. The 1973 floods in the country triggered by rains and other factors inundated much of the country; causing the transport to come to a standstill and forcing the government to make frantic plans for rescuing the flood-affected.

Here it may be noted that despite the availability of the resources of the three arms of the federally administered paramilitary forces, Pakistan Army Aviation Alouette helicopters were hard pressed to undertake rescue missions across a vast stretch of Sindh and Punjab. It may be pointed out that the fleet was just enough to cater to the demands of the time. Likewise, the extent of water spread in the area warranted use of fibreglass boats for the units of the Army sent to the areas under water. Pakistan being short in the supply of the inventory had to depend upon the assistance from the USA, being transported on board USAF C-141 military transport planes to select Pakistani aerodromes for speedy availability to the rescue teams.

The country had to face yet another devastating flood in 1976 that was as widespread as the 1973 one. The backup for the rescue efforts in terms of hardware did not witness any change. The country was saved much of trial during the 1980s and much of the 1990s. The 1992 floods

‘Pakistan First’s trial with a bigger catastrophe came in the form of the October 2005 earthquake as well as the 2010 floods along river Indus. The first catastrophe was a nightmare for the government as well as the people. For the then Musharraf government, basking in the fiscal space created by the ‘Paris Club’ debt rescheduling, it was a spectre of being in the ‘budgetary deficit’ regime again. The people, especially in the affected areas, were clueless about how to cope with the crisis.

Pakistan, totally unprepared for the ‘nature strike’, again was short of the hardware needed to ferry supplies to the affected areas. At that point of time the Coalition in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the fall of Taliban 1 government and consequent War on Terror was able to lend a few of its idle capacity flying machines to the Pakistanis. Indians ready to undertake a similar operation were politely declined by the then military dispensation.

In 2010, the flood along the banks of river Indus in much of KPK, Punjab and Sindh, put the country again in a catch 22 situation. Pakistan was forced to seek favours from the coalition again as well as friendly air force units for ferrying supplies to the flood-affected areas. It was not unusual to witness USAF Chinooks, CH 47 heavy duty Choppers, other USAF and US Marine assets, and UAE helicopters in Pakistani skies.

It is imperative that developing economies’ governments, instead of investing in new weapons, may build up rescue infrastructures on priority basis. Likewise, a necessary regime change in priorities is needed. National security imperatives need to be debated and balanced with health infrastructures; whose utility is greater to reach out to people in distress in the aftermath of natural disasters

Further insight into the budgetary outlay points out to the fact that health infrastructure has been another area hopelessly neglected. In case of any natural calamity, the health infrastructure can alleviate the pains of many as the first stop, for initial medical care. It has been the fact that in the 2005 earthquake at the onset of the winter in a region known to have harsh winters, and in the recent problems faced by flood -affected people in Sindh, the health system has been wanting.In the case of Kashmir in 2005, the military hospitals and field units came in handy. However, that has not been the case in Sindh.

The above makes it very clear that, given the economic crisis Pakistan is into, any dislocation in the budgetary outlay due to any crisis such as the one witnessed in Syria and Afghanistan, can weigh heavily on the Pakistani economy, society and consequently the Pakistani polity.

The options ahead might not be easy enough to be materialized at a very short notice. The availability of well-stocked search and rescue aviation squadrons with at least one of the arms of the military is an imperative. In today’s world, long wars are unlikely and mostly are degenerated into attrition. Investing in conflict might not be the desired option.

The reasons for that botheration and deficiency lay in the plain fact that the budgetary paradigms discussed and finalized between the civilian and the military stakeholders, never took into account the need for a search and rescue squadron or unit; or an equivalent to that.

An independent look at the rescue assets with Pakistani paramilitary will further vouchsafe the fact. Here it may be pointed out that after the October 2005 earthquake, in Pakistan administered Kashmir, the capital Muzaffarabad’s airport was totally damaged. The only option might have been loads of heavy-duty helicopters. However, the practical option left was that the PAF C-130 laden with relief cargo might have to swoop

It is imperative that developing economies’ governments, instead of investing in new weapons, may build up rescue infrastructures on priority basis. Likewise, a necessary regime change in priorities is needed. National security imperatives need to be debated and balanced with health infrastructures; whose utility is greater to reach out to people in distress in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Pakistan is situated in the South Asian Subcontinent along major faults; whose expressions have been the world’s most important mountain ranges like the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush, spread around Pakistan, causing earthquakes off and on. It is necessary that disaster management be given the due priority. Coupled with freak monsoons caused by global warming, seismic activity can be the other factor, which can put the Pakistani system to test; and consequently the public faith in governance.

The writer is a freelance columnist

HAANI MUSTAFA KARACHI

THE State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) recently raised the policy rate from 16 per cent to 17pc in an effort to control inflationary pressures and bleeding foreign exchange reserves. Central banks around the world use monetary tools to control the demand side of inflation to save the economy from overheating.

However, it is interesting to note that monetary tightening in this case is taking place at a time when the economy is already in recession. According to the forecast of multilateral organisations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of the country would be no more than 1.5pc.

The data is also showing the same story as petroleum sales, auto demand and consumer credit uptake reflect a slowdown in growth. The policymakers need to understand that the country needs long-term structural reforms to fix the issues.

In Pakistan, the government is the largest borrower. A higher interest rate means that the government has to pay higher debt servicing costs which results in higher inflation because the government has to increase the tax rate to control the fiscal deficit. Pakistan does not have a demand problem. It has chronic systematic supply issues; whether it is low productivity in agriculture, industrial production, dilapidated energy supply chain, or low tax-to-GDP ratio. Short-term fixes to control inflation by raising interest rates will only make it worse.

EOBI’s contempt towards retirees

BY virtue of the 18th Amendment, the labour laws were devolved to the provinces in April 2010. While all the other labour laws were transferred to the provinces, the federal government for some inexplicable reasons retained the management of the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) which was constituted under an Act of parliament passed in 1976. Since then, the pension scheme for the retired employees of industrial and commercial establishments has been facing tremendous difficulties, jeopardising its efficient running.

Any amendments brought to the relevant Act after the devolution now remain confined to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), and do not extend to the rest of Pakistan. The federal government is unable to even increase the amount of monthly pension under the relevant law. Whenever EOBI increases the amount of contribution by employers and employees towards the scheme, the same is challenged by the employers in the superior courts and they get favourable judgements.

In 2005, the government had made an amendment to the EOB Act, whereby the basis of paying the contribution was changed from certain percentage of a fixed amount to six per cent of the prevalent minimum wages. It declared that the term ‘Wages’ means the rates of wages as declared under the Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers Ordinance, 1969. After the devolution, the federal government is unable to make any amendment to the Ordinance of 1969, applicable to all the provinces, as its authority is confined only to the ICT. A few months ago, EOBI increased the amount of contribution payable by the employers in its online portal from 6pc of Rs13,000 to Rs25,000; an increase of 92pc. As per the decision, 1pc of the contributory amount was to be shared by the insured employees.

As the revised amount of minimum wage of Rs25,000 fixed under the Ordinance of 1969 is applicable only to the ICT, 75 employers based in Sindh challenged the revision before the Sindh High Court (SHC) through the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan. In its interim order, the court asked the employers, who are party to the petition, to deposit the amount of EOBI contribution with the court till the final disposal of the case.

As the last month’s contribution has been deposited in the SHC, in compliance with the latter’s order, EOBI has retaliated by not accepting the pension claims of new retirees from the petitioner companies. This act of the EOBI officials is highly unjustified and undignified, while it also constitutes a violation of the SHC’s order.

The retirees are being penalised even when they are not at fault as they have been regularly paying the 1pc share of contribution to EOBI, which is now refusing to entertain their pension claims. The EOBI management should stop being vindictive and should start honouring the claims of new retirees, who are now also among senior citizens.

GANDHI’S ASSASSIN HELPED BUILD THE FORCES RULING INDIA TODAY

JACOBIN MAGAZINE CHRIS DITE

MAHATMA Gandhi led the movement that forced the British to relinquish sovereignty over India in 1947. Less than five months later, he was assassinated. His killer, Nathuram Godse, was a Hindu nationalist captivated by a vision of Hindu supremacy. On trial and at the gallows Godse denied being a member of the prominent paramilitary organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In the assassination’s immediate aftermath, the RSS distanced itself from his actions and claimed Godse had quit years earlier.

Journalist Dhirendra Jha helped expose these claims as outright lies in 2020. His new book charts the political awakening of the young Brahmin supremacist Godse and the early rise of the RSS and its ideologues. The organization’s political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won power in India in 2014 and has been in government at a federal level ever since. Since then, Godse’s reputation has undergone a frenzied rebranding, and he is now hailed in many quarters as a martyr and hero.

CHRIS DITE: Your book puts the politics of India into a historical context in a way that’s quite thrilling. Is that why you chose the biography format, rather than a pure political analysis of the RSS?

DHIRENDRA JHA: I started doing a profile of Godse for Caravan magazine in India. In the process I was doing archival research and stumbled upon certain documents and records — for example papers seized from the headquarters of the RSS — which exposed some of the myths the organization has created over the years around Godse and the assassination of Gandhi.

These myths are based primarily on the statement Godse made during his trial. But he told several lies — all the claims that this man made were summarily rejected by the court. Yet still, Godse’s statement was treated as a reliable source of history, even by non-RSS researchers and writers. That allowed RSS writers and propaganda machinery to successfully push forward myths that have no historical basis.

I wrote the piece after finding all these documents. But I felt it was not enough, so I decided to write this book, and to include things related to his broader biography which I could not have done if I focused solely on the assassination.

CHRIS DITE: You write that the RSS presented itself as “against caste-based discrimination while working for Brahminical hegemony. Rather than identifying the real oppressors, the Brahmins, the RSS identified Muslims as the enemy.” Could you explain this idea for readers who might not know much about the caste system?

DHIRENDRA JHA: Hinduism is based on a type of social segregation called castes. These are hierarchical categories where people exist in complete isolation from each other. Brahmins are the most privileged caste. They used to have all kinds of privileges. Hindutva — Hindu nationalism — emerged among these traditionally privileged Brahmins because they were nostalgic for past glories not fully available to them in colonial India.

In order to reestablish their privileged position, they created this fake contradiction between Hindus and Muslims. Around the time and place where Hindutva was born, Dalits — the lowest caste — had started to build an anti-Brahmin movement. So, Hindutva was at that time an attempt by Brahmins to divert the anger of depressed castes in a different direction, away from themselves and toward a new enemy. That’s why the RSS was based

primarily among orthodox, traditional Brahmins. Only much later, when the caste base of the RSS expanded, was it able to become a real force in the country.

CHRIS DITE: In the lead-up to Indian independence the RSS not only adopted a conciliatory attitude toward their British colonial masters, but actively tried to sabotage the independence movement. This is certainly not the image the current government tries to project about Hindutva politics. Why did they adopt this stance?

DHIRENDRA JHA: It is important to understand the context in which Hindutva emerges. In the early 1920s Mahatma Gandhi launched the first all-India antiBritish movement: the non-cooperation movement. This emerged alongside the panIslamist Khalifat movement, which had been growing worldwide after the Turkish caliphate was abolished following World War I. Many Muslims were sentimentally attached to the caliphate. Gandhi supported the Khalifat movement to create a bond between Hindus and Muslims, and in order to encourage them to join together and fight against British imperialism. This unity of Hindus

India-Russia trade

RBI NEEDS TO ALLAY FEARS OF INDIAN BANKS

NDIA -Russia ties have withstood myriad challenges posed by the Ukraine war, which is nearing its first anniversary. Notwithstanding the sanctions imposed by the US

and its allies, bilateral trade reached a record $30 billion in 2022, including a 36-fold rise in the supply of discounted Russian oil to India. Russia is now the largest supplier of crude to India, having displaced Iraq. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s meetings with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev and Presi -

treatment of Jews as a model to be applied to Indian Muslims and Christians. Is this still the politics of the organization today?

DHIRENDRA JHA: Yes. Their fascination with European dictatorships was quite visible in the 1930s. B. S. Moonje — the mentor of RSS founder K. B. Hedgewar — went to meet Mussolini in 1931. In 1939 M. S. Golwalkar — second chief of the RSS — wrote a book called We, or Our Nationhood Defined. It praised Hitler and made an explicit parallel with Hindu Rashtra (Hindu nationalism).

If you look at what is happening today in India, you’ll find that this book is now being implemented. Massive efforts are underway to steer Hindu supremacist discourse, to depict Muslims as “anti-nationals.” There are violent attacks on them in the name of cow protection and against socalled love jihad. The government is busy creating a climate of impunity for the foot soldiers of Hindutva, and pushing a Hinduauthoritarian agenda. The best example is the Citizenship Amendment Act passed a few years back, which fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslims from neighboring countries Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Discrimination based on religion is now being approved by parliament.

Gandhi stood for communal harmony, a secular democracy, a system in which people of all religions have equal rights. This is clearly an attack on that vision.

Now a Godse cult has started emerging in India. There are temples being built to him and Godse is being declared a patriot by the ruling-party MPs. Simultaneously there are attacks on symbols and statues of Gandhi across the country.

CHRIS DITE: Indian capitalists strongly support Modi’s BJP government. The Financial Times wrote that men like Gautam Adani — until this week Asia’s richest man and Modi’s confidante — personify “India’s pursuit of a development model in which the state has entrusted a few ultra-rich men with running India’s infrastructure and pioneering investments abroad.” Has Hindutva politics always been linked with big business, or is this a recent development?

ciety could come together to resist this kind of onslaught on their democratic rights. This process of different sections of society uniting holds the key. The RSS and the autocracy they’re creating can only be defeated through exactly this process of solidarity.

CHRIS DITE: The government finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman made her budget speech this week. She declared it “the first budget of Amrit Kaal,” a Vedic astrological golden age supposedly ushered in by the BJP. She promised this new era would be defined by rising living standards for all. Is such a thing possible in the current situation?

DHIRENDRA JHA: It’s completely impossible. The government is not making enough expenditure for the creation of jobs or for social security of any kind. It has not given any tangible incentive to small and medium units, which are the main creators of jobs in India. This budget can’t lead to any improvement in the standard of living.

CHRIS DITE: Her speech emphasized the condition of women. This was clearly in response to the mass protests against sexual violence and discrimination throughout India. In discussing the deep misogyny of Godse and the RSS in your book, you describe how “the preservation of Hindu spiritual values by subjugating women was, and still is, considered necessary by Brahminic Hinduism in the making of a Hindu rashtra.” Is the BJP trying to hide this aspect of its ideology?

and Muslims was the cornerstone of the first all-India movement.

In response, the British government started taking steps to create divisions between the two communities. It was at this time that Hindutva founder Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was shifted from an island to a mainland prison, beginning the process of his release. Before coming out of jail in 1923 he wrote a monograph called Who Is a Hindu? From then on, the Hindutva movement drew inspiration from this text, centering Muslims as the key enemy rather than the British. Within two years of his book being written, Savarkar was released from jail and the RSS was formed. But it stayed away from the freedom movement. The same thing was happening on the other side; [Muslim separatist leader] Muhammad Ali Jinnah was being urged to take a position against Hindus rather than join hands with them to fight against the British. It was in this context that both sectarian movements emerged.

CHRIS DITE: Inspired by Mussolini’s Italy, RSS leaders modeled the organization along fascist lines, and presented Hitler’s

dent Vladimir Putin in Moscow were aimed at strengthening the India-Russia special and privileged strategic partnership. This partnership envisages enhanced levels of cooperation in various areas, be it defence, trade, economy or science and technology.

The current geopolitical ferment calls for both nations to think out of the box. While the BrahMos missile system and the fifth-generation fighter aircraft are good examples of military technical cooperation between Moscow and Delhi, there is a long way to go on the economic front. Late last year, Russia became the first country to switch to trade settle -

DHIRENDRA JHA: Oligarchy became the basis of the Indian economy once Modi became prime minister. Of course, RSS ideology has always been in favor of business, but in the past this was more focused on small businessmen, shopkeepers, and small units who were in favor of Hindu Rashtra. Before coming to power, the RSS’s main support came from two castes: Brahmins and Vaishyas (mainly merchants, traders, and businessmen). It did get some help from princely states and big business. But despite this, it never had any definite kind of economic ideology. Now it’s become an “RSS+” kind of model, where we find people like Adani appropriating everything. Modi was a pracharak (top leader) of the RSS. He understands and uses the RSS pretty well, and it trusts him. But I suppose this kind of economics is something that Modi and men who are close to him have created more recently alongside the RSS.

CHRIS DITE: The farmers’ movement of 2020–21 successfully mobilized many people against the Modi government’s neoliberal attacks. Ashique Ali wrote for this publication that “the cross-class and crosscaste solidarity of farmers and agricultural laborers . . . broke up the unity of Hindutva nationalism.” Will the BJP’s neoliberalism be Hindutva’s undoing?

DHIRENDRA JHA: The farmers’ movement showed the way. Not just because it was militant and thousands and thousands of farmers occupied the streets of Delhi, but because it showed how different sections of so-

ments in Indian rupee, months after the RBI unveiled this mechanism to attract foreign investors. However, a major stumbling block is that Indian banks are wary of using a rupee-rouble payment system for trade settlement because of concerns about ‘secondary restrictions’ from the US.

Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov has rightly suggested that India and Russia ‘need to invent something new’ to bolster their economic relations and trade, considering that curbs on Moscow’s use of SWIFT for worldwide inter-bank transactions are likely to persist.

Russia is keen on opening an India-

DHIRENDRA JHA: Savarkar, the father figure of Hindutva, wrote that women should be treated merely as vessels to bear sons, and that their world was limited to the kitchen and children. He promoted different education for women, and said any kind of deviation from all this should be treated as “a breach of duty.” This was the mindset that launched the RSS. That’s why there are no women in the organization; it’s Hindu men only. Theoretically it is still against women — it wants women to remain second-class people who stay in the home. But its attitude toward women is not properly understood across India. There are factors which blur this reality and prevent those facts from reaching all the women of the country. Religion-based blindness is one of the reasons, but more importantly in many areas literacy among women remains low. These women’s ability to fight for their rights is drastically reduced. There is discrimination against women in every class. Many well-educated women are often more aware of their rights and quite outspoken. This is much more acute in Hindutva political circles.

CHRIS DITE: You write that Godse’s assassination of Gandhi resulted in depressed castes rising up against Brahmins, set the Hindu communalist cause back in the short term, and actually completed Gandhi’s mission by cementing secular democracy as the unifying principle in post-independence India. But looking at the situation today, has Godse had the last laugh?

DHIRENDRA JHA: Currently, Godse’s supporters are unfortunately winning everywhere. They are clearly ruling the country. Today’s India doesn’t seem to have a Gandhian foundation: it has more of a “Godsean” foundation. For example, the demolition of the mosque in Ayodhya, and the court-sanctioned construction of a Hindu temple in its place. So as of now, yes: Godse seems to be having the last laugh. But this is not the end of history. We don’t know how the future will unfold. Gandhi’s vision is the soul of this country, and it will bounce back. Today it might seem that this vision has lost. But I am convinced that if people had to choose between Godse and Gandhi, a majority in this country would still side with Gandhi.

Chris Dite is a teacher and union member.

based financial institution with Russian ownership so as to enable Indian firms to use Russian central bank’s payment system as an alternative to SWIFT. Plugging the gaps in the rupee trade mechanism can help India boost the volume of its exports to Russia, including chemicals, machinery, vehicles and food products. With Moscow being Delhi’s ever-reliable partner, the RBI needs to take concrete steps to allay the fears of Indian banks regarding rupee-rouble trade settlement. Confidence-building measures are a must to make India-Russia trade soar to greater heights amid the prolonged conflict in eastern Europe.

Dhirendra Jha is a Delhi-based journalist. He is the author of a number of books on India’s politics including Shadow Armies: Fringe Organizations and Foot Soldiers of Hindutva.

corporate corner

Carnival organised at S hauk at K hanum Hospital to mark International Childhood Cancer D ay

NOT-BY- PROFIT

inabilit y to allocate resources hindering economic growth: wb

Islamabad

N e w S d e S k

tH E World Bank has recently released a report titled "From Swimming in Sand to High and Sustainable Growth which highlights the need for Pakistan to allocate its resources and talent in a more productive manner in order to achieve sustainable economic growth According to the re-

port, Pakistan s inability to utilize its resources and talent effectively has resulted in stunted economic growth

The report suggests that in order to overcome this issue Pakistan must implement reforms that increase productivity by reducing the economic distortions that prevent it

This includes harmonizing direct t a x e s a c r o s s s e c t o r s , r e d u c i n g t h e anti-export bias of trade policy and s u p p o r t i n g g r o w t h t h r o u g h " s m a r t

i n t e r v e n t i o n s r a t h e r t h a n b l a n k e t subsidies

T h e r e p o r t a l s o h i g h l i g h t s t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f r e d u c i n g r e g u l a t o r y c o m p l e x i t y h a r m o n i z i n g t h e g e ne r a l s a l e s t a x a c r o s s p r o v i n c e s , r ef o r m i n g i n v e s t m e n t l a w s t o a t t r a c t f o r e i g n i n v e s t m e n t a n d u p g r a d i n g i n s o l v e n c y l a w s A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e r e p o r t p o i n t s out that Pakistan's low female labor f o r c e p a r t i c i p a t i o n r a t e s a r e a h i n -

drance to productivity and highlights t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r s i g n i f i c a n t G D P g a i n s i f t h e e m p l o y m e n t g a p f o r women were to be closed The report a l s o i d e n t i f i e s a n e e d f o r i n c r e a s e d i n v e s t m e n t r a t e s a n d t a p p i n g i n t o Pakistan's estimated $2 8 billion annual untapped foreign direct investment potential

To read the full article visit www dawn com

Moody ’s presents a grim outlook on Pakistan’s foreign standing

Islamabad

N e w S d e S k

To mark International Childhood Cancer Day, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore organiseda carnival for children with cancer A large number of patients and their families attended the event The hospital annuallyorganises such activities to provide psychological relief for young children going through the challenging and stressful cancer journey At the event, children enjoyed various activities including jumping castle, movies, and a puppet show Generous donors and organisations, including Total Parco, Pearl Continental Hotel, Outfitters, McDonald's, CureMD, Shakarganj, Habib Metro, Soneri Bank, Haleeb Foods, Teradata and LUMS, distributed gifts at the event, bringing smiles to paediatric cancer patients At Shaukat Khanum Hospitals in Lahore and in Peshawar, more than 75 percent of patients receive financially supported treatment Patients are provided care based on a holistic approach, aimed at strengthening not only their physical health but also their mental wellbeing p r

NBP ’s message of inclusivity, diversity in blue economy lauded at PIMEC 2023

The National Bank of Pakistan actively participated in the Pakistan International Maritime Exhibition and Conference at Expo Center, Karachi The NBP team gave a briefing on their message of diversity, inclusivity, and financial prospects for the public and private sectors to support the blue economy in the area The dignitaries and representatives from international organizations praised NBP for its continued participation and efforts at the occasion Dignitaries including Foreign Minister Mr Bilwal Bhutto Zardari, Minister for Maritime Affairs Mr Faisal Subzwari, Chief of Naval Staff Mr Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi, Secretary to Govt of Sindh Investment Department, Mr Syed Mansoor Abbas Rizvi, Assistant Director SBP BSC Ms Faryal Aslam alongwith other SBP and Govt officials visited the NBP’s stall in Access to Finance Pavilion arranged by Sindh Enterprise Development Fund in Expo Centre, Karachi and appreciated the efforts "Pakistan International Maritime Exhibition and Conference is an opportunity to emphasize the Finance facilities in the prospective markets related to the ocean in this region," stated Mr Rehmat Ali Hasnie, President (A) NBP, at this time I commend the Pakistan Navy and the Ministry of Maritimes for holding a three-day conference and internal exhibition that successfully brought together the world's economies p r

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to impose revenue-raising measures as a condition for releasing the next installment of aid to the crisis-stricken country of Pakistan Moody s

Investors Service has stated that these demands are likely to be made before the IMF releases the next tranche of assistance

Virtual talks between Pakistan and the global lender are set to begin in the coming week, following ten days of talks in Islamabad that failed to result in a deal Pakistan is hoping to receive at least $1 1 billion in frozen funding Moody s has also noted that Pakistan s external position is under significant stress with elevated risks to the govern-

pr

Ministry of Human Rights hosted the Mission of the Government of Nepal with the support of the United Nations Development Programme on a peer learning session on National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights

The session was held to share the experiences of the Ministry of Human Rights, Government of Pakistan while drafting and implementing its National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (2021 – 2026) (NAP-BHR) The Government of Nepal is in the process of drafting its own National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights; therefore, UNDP Nepal and Pakistan

ment's liquidity and external vulnerability

The credit rating company states that there remains considerable risks around Pakistan's ability to secure the financing it needs to fully meet its needs in the coming years The IMF, in a statement, has noted that progress has been made in addressing policy measures for domestic and external imbalances, but there is still no certainty on when or if the IMF financing will be provided

The financing from the IMF, which is likely to attract funding from other sources, is seen as crucial to alleviate Pakistan's liquidity stresses The country s economy is struggling with a balance-of-payments crisis, high levels of external debt, political chaos and deteriorating security

The IMF is demanding that Pakistan boost its low tax base, end tax exemptions for the export sec-

MoHR hosts Nepalese officials at Peer Learning S ession on NAP on Business, Human Rights

arranged for a peer-learning exercise between the relevant departments of the two governments so the Government of Pakistan could share its takeaways with the Government of Nepal

The Nepalese Mission comprised senior level officials from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security; Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies; Ministry of Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Office of Prime Minister and Council of Minister; National Human Rights Commission of Nepal and UNDP Nepal

Masterc ard, Network International launch new Ar tificial Intelligence Fraud-Prevention S olution

Opening the session, the Secretary, Ministry of Human Rights, Mr Ali Raza Bhutta welcomed the Nepalese delegation to Pakistan and stated that such exchanges should be frequent pr

Mastercard today announced that it is partnering with Network International, the leading enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa to address fraud declines and chargebacks in order to reduce costs and risk for acquirers

Through the partnership, Network will launch Mastercard s Brighterion Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology across the region, providing transaction fraud screening and merchant monitoring to acquirers and businesses

Naval Chief visits foreign ships par ticipating in 8th AMAN-2023, IMC

KarachI S ta f f r e p o r t

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi visited foreign ships of navies participating in 8th Multinational Naval Exercise AMAN-23 Upon his arrival on board foreign visiting ships, the Naval Chief was warmly welcomed by Senior Officers/ Commanding Officers and was presented Guard of Honour by smartly dressed out contingents

During the visits the Naval Chief interacted with Senior Officers/ Commanding Officers and was given briefings on board ships The Naval Chief highlighted that Pakistan is effectively contributing in peace and stability in the region AMAN Exercise demonstrates Pakistan’s commitment to peace, reinforce regional maritime security and enhance interoperability between regional and extra regional navies The Admiral appreciated their participation in AMAN Exercise to fulfill common resolve of Together for Peace The Senior Officers/ Commanding Officers of the respective ships highly acknowledged the persistent efforts of Pakistan Navy to bring global navies towards shared commitment

of maritime peace stability and lawful order at sea

Besides, the Naval Chief also called on Cdr DJIBOUTI Navy and Coast Guard seperately, Cdr Lebanese Navy Flag Officer Commanding Naval Doctrine Command Nigerian Navy, Flag Officer Commanding Sri Lankan Naval Fleet and Cdr Tanzanian Navy

On the side line of PIMEC the three days International Maritime Conference (IMC) was organized on the theme of 'Embracing Blue Economy – Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries by National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) under the auspices of Pakistan Navy The conference is being held in tandem with Pakistan International Maritime Expo

& Conference (PIMEC) and 8th Multinational Naval Exercise AMAN 2023 Eminent international and national scholars from China, Germany, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, UK and USA are participating in the three days conference and will share their thoughts on the dynamic theme Additionally, majority of international scholars are also joining the Conference online

The second day of the IMC was divided into two Sessions (four sub-sessions) In the First Session, Dr Anuar Liporado Bin Abdullah from Ocean Quest Global Malaysia, Dr Zafar Ullah Jattak from LUAWMS Baluchistan, Engr Faisal Iftikhar, CEO Deep Blue Sea Food and Mr Saeed Sarparah, CEO Baluchistan Board of Investment

tor, and raise artificially low prices for petrol, electricity, and gas The government has called the conditions for the $1 2 billion loan installment "beyond imagination " The central bank reported that foreign exchange reserves have fallen by $170 million in a week standing at just $2 9 billion as of last Friday The country s declining economy has sparked fears of unemployment in the construction industry The IMF's cash injection will provide temporary relief but more reforms are needed at the government level Despite previous failures, the government hopes that the IMF funding will boost confidence and encourage further loans from friendly nations such as Saudi Arabia, China, and the UAE

To read the full article visit www thenews com pk

PA F aircraft c arr ying relief goods arrives in Adana, Turkiye

IL-78 aircraft of Pakistan Air Force carrying tents and relief goods from PAF Base, Lahore has reached Adana, Turkiye The ilyushin-78 aircraft is carrying 16 5 tons of humanitarian assistance relief goods from people of Pakistan for the earthquake affected brethren of Turkiye Pakistan Air Force is also making all out efforts to repatriate stranded Pakistanis in coordination with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan Embassy in Turkiye 08 Pakistani passengers will be evacuated on the PAF IL-78 aircraft on its was back to Pakistan p r

‘Neela A sman’ Ar tist Residenc y program offers unique creative oppor tunities for emerging ar tists

K A R A c H i: The ever-pioneering Academy Award and Emmy Award winning filmmaker, Sharmeen ObaidChinoy proudly announces the launch of her latest platform, Neela Asmanan international artist residency program for emerging and established artists from Pakistan and around the world NeelaAsmaan, a project of SOC Films,will offer artists the opportunity to take inspiration from their surroundings in the picturesque Shigar valley in GilgitBaltistan The residency program, open to writers, photographers philosophers architects climate change warriors, visual artists, and design practitioners, provides private bedrooms and shared spaces that double as studio spaces as well as a stipend of up to PKR 100,000 to cover travel expenses p r

Women- owned tech star tups in Pakistan, a different kind of unicorn!

According to a post by Aljazeera, Pakistan has been one of the last untapped markets for startups and even though the growth has been significant since 2018 there’s still paucity of startup resources, economic health and a viable infrastructure of growth in the country Tech industry is even more lacking, as per United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s(UNCTAD) Technology and Innovation Report, out of 158 countries, Pakistan ranks 146 in terms of technology and development The good news is that in recent years there’s been a steady increase in the number of startups and it has gathered interest from investors across the world A somewhat concerning aspect is the disparate gender gap in startup founders Pakistan is ranked at 153 out of 156 countries, for its gender gap according to the Global Gender Gap Report p r

LAHORE: Prof Dr Rafia Rafique in a group photo with graduating students at the convocation of Institute of Applied Physiology, Punjab University Staff photo

A NEW ERA STARTS FOR CHINA-CAMBODIA COMMUNITY WITH SHARED FUTURE

ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

PRIME Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Hun Sen, who is also the old friend and good friend of the Chinese people, paid a three-day official visit to China after the Chinese New Year.

From February 9 to 11, apart from meeting with Chinese leaders, Hun Sen attended the launching ceremony of the China-Cambodia Friendship Year and the opening ceremony of the China-Cambodia business, investment and tourism forum and witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation documents, covering fields including diplomacy, economy and trade, development cooperation, agricultural products, infrastructure and media.

On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Cambodia are ready to further bilateral cooperation through “one position, six-way cooperation and two corridors,” Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong told China Media Group (CMG) on Friday.

ONE POSITION: China and Cambodia on Saturday issued a joint statement on building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era, a key consensus the two sides reached during Hun Sun’s visit.

The statement read “no matter how the international landscape may evolve, China and Cambodia will unswervingly deepen their iron-clad friendship, carry

out mutually beneficial and win-win practical cooperation and promote the building of a community with a shared future.”

This echoed the Chinese president’s call during his meeting with Hun Sen, as Xi Jinping stressed China is ready to share opportunities, seek cooperation, and promote development with Cambodia and urged efforts to building a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era for bringing more benefits to the two peoples and contributing more positive energy to regional peace, stability and development.

For his part, Hun Sen said he wants to send a clear message through his visit three years ago and the current visit that the Cambodian people will always stand

First war, now earthquake: Many Syrians displaced again

BEIRUT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Living for years in a tent camp for displaced people in Syria’s rebel-held northwest, Ali Abu Yassin used to envy friends and relatives who had brick walls around them and solid ceilings over their heads. The situation was turned on its head after Monday’s devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, killing more than 23,000 people, collapsing and damaging tens of thousands of buildings and potentially leaving millions displaced.

More than 20 of Abu Yassin’s relatives were killed when their apartment buildings collapsed from the quake in the nearby village of Bisnya, he said, including one cousin’s entire family of 14. Abu Yassin made it to the village to help with rescue efforts. “It took us two days to pull out their bodies and bury them in a mass grave,” Abu Yassin said by telephone from the rebel-held province of Idlib. From the tent he had once wished to leave, the father of three said, “I am so lucky. It’s God’s will.”

Before the earthquake, Syria’s 12-year-old uprisingturned-civil war had already displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. Abu Yassin was among them, fleeing from his home in another part of Idlib years ago. Now the earthquake has caused a new wave of displacement.

The swath of destruction included the rebel-held enclave, centered on Idlib province, as well as heavily populated government-held cities like Aleppo, Hama and Latakia. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said Friday that as many as 5.3 million people in Syria may have been left homeless.

firmly with the Chinese people. He vowed to push for more achievements of the Cambodia-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and jointly build a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.

SIX-WAY COOPERATION: During Hun Sun’s visit, the two sides also reached a consensus on the China-Cambodia “Diamond Hexagon” cooperation framework. As the Chinese president noted, the two sides could build a cooperation framework in politics, production capacity, agriculture, energy, security, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Hun Sen fully agreed with China’s proposal of the cooperation framework. The cooperation framework is written into the joint statement with detailed co-

operation plans for the six major areas.

Thus, the two sides have already taken practical actions in some areas. The ChinaCambodia business, investment and tourism forum, which Hun Sun attended, attracted some 300 government and business representatives from the two countries.

The forum aims to provide the latest information on the two sides’ policies on trade, investment and tourism, and serve as a platform to discuss, exchange experiences and connect with potential business partners to foster cooperation.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China has continued to be Cambodia’s largest trading partner for 11 consecutive years with bilateral trade volume hitting a record high again in 2022, expanding 17.5 percent year on year to $16.02 billion.

Cambodia has also pinned high hopes for its tourism recovery after Chinese tourists gradually returned to the Southeast Asian nation. China was the largest source of foreign tourists to Cambodia in the pre-pandemic era.

According to Cambodia’s Tourism Minister Thong Khon, his country received 25,000 Chinese tourists in January and will try to attract between 800,000 and one million Chinese tourists in 2023.

TWO CORRIDORS: As highlighted in the joint statement, the two countries also agreed to focus on the building of two corridors: the industrial development corridor centered on Sihanoukville Province and the fish-rice corridor in the Tonle Sap Lake area.

US listing of Chinese entities adds to soaring tensions after airship incident

Despite China’s repeated communication with the US, Washington continued to escalate its response to the airship incident through a mix of both political and economic moves, due to the malicious political manipulation by some forces in Washington, which presents worrying signs for bilateral ties, experts warned on Saturday.

The Biden administration on Friday blacklisted six Chinese aviation and technology companies as part of its continuing response to a Chinese civilian airship, according to media reports.

The US Commerce Department said the five companies and one research institute were supporting “China’s military modernization efforts, specifically the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aerospace programs including airships and balloons.”

The six entities are Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology Co, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute, Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology Co, Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group Co, Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology Co, and Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group Co.

US Deputy Secretary of Com-

merce Don Graves said on Twitter his department “will not hesitate to continue to use” such restrictions and other regulatory and enforcement tools “to protect US national security and sovereignty.”

Also on Friday, Reuters reported that the Biden administration plans to outright ban investments in some Chinese technology companies and increase scrutiny of others, so as to crack down on the billions of dollars of US investment in sensitive Chinese sectors.

On Thursday, the US House of Representatives also passed a resolution condemning China for using a surveillance balloon over US territory.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday that “the Chinese side has repeatedly shared information and stated its position on the unintended entry of the unmanned Chinese civilian airship into US airspace due to force majeure. The US Congress’s resolution is purely about scoring political points and dramatizing the whole thing. China deplores it and firmly opposes it.”

Washington’s escalation and expanding of the political implications of the airship incident is a sign that US economic and foreign policy has been completely hijacked by its domestic political chaos, which is having eco-

Pope Francis faces ‘civil war’ at heart of church

VATICAN CITY

AFP

From his reforms to his foreign relations, criticism of Pope Francis has intensified since the death of his predecessor Benedict XVI, revealing a climate of “civil war” at a time when the Catholic Church is engaged in a global conversation about its future.

Benedict, a conservative German theologian who was pope for eight years before resigning in 2013, died on December 31 at the age of 95.

Within days of his death, his closest aide, Georg Gaenswein, revealed Benedict’s concerns at some of the changes made by his successor Pope Francis, notably his decision to restrict the use of the Latin mass.

The criticism was not new. Many in the conservative wing of the Roman Curia, which governs the Church, have long complained the Argentine pontiff is authoritarian and too focused on pastoral matters at the expense of theological rigour.

But it was followed by the death of Australian cardinal George Pell, and the subsequent revelation that he had authored an anonymous note published last year that directly attacked Francis.

nomic consequences not only on the two countries, but also on global industrial chains, experts noted.

He Weiwen, a former senior trade official and an executive council member of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, told the Global Times on Saturday that the airship incident has given the US yet another excuse to abuse export controls targeting Chinese businesses, and given the US-led “decoupling” push, it won’t be surprising if more high-tech companies are affected by such restrictions in the future.

The past months already saw the US ramp up efforts to strangle China on advanced technology, including a decision to cease approval licenses for US firms to export most items to Chinese technology giant Huawei and coercing the Netherlands and Japan to join the US in limiting exports of advanced chipmaking equipment to China.

“Both the US’ technological suppression and its escalation of the airship incident actually point to a core problem, that is, the current atmosphere for US-China relations is worrying,” Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Dramatic rescues as Turkey-Syria quake toll nears 25,000

KAHRAMANMARAS, TURKEY AGENCIES

Rescuers pulled children and the elderly from the rubble Saturday as miraculous survival stories coincided with hasty mass burials five days after an earthquake devastated parts of Turkey and Syria, leaving almost 25,000 dead.

Tens of thousands of local and international rescue workers are still scouring through flattened neighbourhoods despite freezing weather that has compounded the misery of millions now in desperate need of aid.

However, amid the destruction and death, survivors continue to emerge.

“Is the world there?” asked 70-year-old Menekse Tabak as she was pulled out from the rubble in the southern city of Kahramanmaras — the epicentre of Monday’s 7.8-

magnitude tremor — to applause and cries praising God, according to a video shared on state broadcaster TRT Haber.

In southern Hatay, a two-year-old girl was found alive 123 hours after the quake, reported the Hurriyet daily online, adding to numerous children saved long after the disaster, and a pregnant woman who was found on Friday.

Meanwhile, in southern Turkey, families clutched each other in grief at a cotton field that has been transformed into a cemetery, with an endless stream of bodies arriving for swift burial.

Compounding the anguish, the United Nations has warned that at least 870,000 people urgently need of hot meals across Turkey and Syria. In Syria alone, up to 5.3 million people may have been made homeless.

Turkey’s disaster agency on Saturday said

nearly 32,000 people from Turkish bodies are working on search and rescue efforts. In addition, there are 8,294 international rescuers.

– ‘Clashes between groups’ –

However, 82 Austrian soldiers on Saturday suspended rescue operations in Hatay over a “worsening security situation”, an army spokesman told AFP.

“There have been clashes between groups,” he said, without giving details. The UN rights office had on Friday urged all actors in the affected area — where Kurdish militants and Syrian rebels operate — to allow humanitarian access.

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is considered a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies, announced a temporary halt in fighting to ease recovery work. In rebel-held northwestern Syria, about four million people rely on humanitar-

The note had described the current papacy as a “catastrophe”, and among others criticised “heavy failures” of Vatican diplomacy under his watch.

Pell, a former close adviser to Francis, was jailed for child sexual abuse before being acquitted in 2020.

Then, at the end of the month, German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller published a book adding fuel to the fire.

The former head of the Vatican’s powerful congregation for the doctrine of the faith denounced Francis’ “doctrinal confusion” and criticised the influence of a “magic circle” around him.

CIVIL WAR: Mueller’s book caused consternation among some inside the Vatican.

“When you accept a cardinal’s cap, you agree to support and help the pope. Criticisms are made in private, not in public,” said one senior official in the Secretariat of State.

Pope Francis himself told reporters on his plane back from South Sudan last Sunday that his critics have “exploited” Benedict’s death to further their cause.

“And those who exploit such a good person, such a man of God… well I would say they are unethical people, they are people belonging to a party, not to the Church,” he said.

Italian Vatican expert Marco Politi said Mueller’s book “is a new stage in the unstoppable escalation by the pope’s adversaries”.

“There is a civil war in the heart of the church which will continue until the last day of the papacy,” he told AFP.

GLOBAL CONSULTATIONS: The tensions come as the Catholic Church conducts a vast global consultation on its future, the “Synod on Synodality” launched by Pope Francis in 2021.

ian relief, but there have been no aid deliveries from government-controlled areas in three weeks.

The Syrian government said it had approved the delivery of humanitarian assis-

tance to quake-hit areas outside its control. Only two aid convoys have crossed the border this week from Turkey, where authorities are engaged in an even bigger quake relief operation of their own.

SPINNERS SHINE AS INDIA CRUSH AUSTRALIA BY AN INNINGS

NAGPUR AFP

SPINNERS Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja eviscerated Australia in just over two hours to hand India a crushing innings-and-132-run victory Saturday inside three days of the opening Test.

The hosts took a commanding firstinnings lead of 223 in Nagpur, then skittled out Australia for 91 in an extended second session to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

Steve Smith was left to survey the ruins on 25 after Ashwin, who took five wickets in the innings and eight in the match, triggered a complete batting collapse inside a single session.

“We know playing a series like this it’s important to start well,” captain Rohit Sharma told reporters.

“Glad all our batters could put up a show, get 400 and enough lead then the spinners came into the picture.”

Ashwin rattled the opposition batting with his off-spin as he sent back Usman

Khawaja (five), David Warner (10) and Matt Renshaw (two). Jadeja, who grabbed five in the first innings, took two wickets including Marnus Labuschagne — Australia’s first-innings top-scorer with 49 — trapped lbw for 17.

But Ashwin ruled the afternoon to run through the Australian batting, which fell flat on a pitch where India’s tail — including Axar Patel (84) and Mohammed Shami (37) — scored handsomely in the first session.

With 2.5b views last year, TikTok returns as official entertainment partner for HBL PSL 8

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

After a hugely successful HBL Pakistan Super League 7, having achieved more than 2.5 billion views, TikTok has returned for another year as the official entertainment Partner for HBL PSL 8. The world’s most-loved entertainment platform has partnered with the world’s most sought-after T20 league to bring the cricket community in Pakistan together again to engage with the tournament and their favourite cricketers like never before.

During the HBL PSL 8 that will be staged in Multan, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore, the TikTok community will get the opportunity to engage with and generate content on the platform that now has more than one billion people across the globe.

The month-long (34-match) festival of cricket will begin at the picturesque Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday, 13 February, and end at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, with the 19 March final. The two-season long partnership between the PCB and TikTok – now in its second year – has allowed fans to celebrate the tournament’s unforgettable moments together. With everything from pre and post match content and highlights, to cricket-related challenges, TikTok has become a home for the spirit and passion of the HBL PSL fan base that has been an integral reason for the league’s success and growth over the course of the last seven seasons. This partnership continues to cement TikTok’s position as the perfect platform for cricket fandom in Pakistan, with the last collaboration with the HBL PSL 7 racking up an incredible 2.5 billion views and 2.3 million video creations on the platform, using the hashtag #KhelegaPakistan. This is proof that Pakistan fans love cricket content on the platform, and create great content while also participating in fun-filled challenges. This year’s partnership promises to be even bigger and better as the platform gears up for an exciting month of thrilling content under the hashtags #HoJaJazbaati.

“Their spinners are always going to be hard work when the wicket is spinning,” said Aussie skipper Pat Cummins.

“That first innings, the wicket spun but wasn’t unplayable. Would have loved another 100 or so runs and put a bit more pressure on their first innings. Obviously starting here is tough.”

Shami bowled Nathan Lyon for the ninth wicket to extend the session and finished the job when he trapped Scott Boland lbw.

SAVING GRACE: Debutant spinner

Todd Murphy was the tourists’ sole saving grace, adding two more wickets on Saturday morning to return figures of 7-124.

Murphy, who on Friday became the youngest Australian spinner to bag five in his first Test, bowled Jadeja for 70 early in the morning session to end an 88-run eighth-wicket partnership with Axar.

Jadeja, a left-hander making his international return from a knee injury, added just four to his overnight 66.

But Axar stood firm in his effort to bat Australia out of the game and found an able ally in number 10 Shami, who made the most of a dropped catch on six.

A thumping finale to UoG Sports Gala-2023

GUJRAT STAFF REPORT

The much-touted and eagerly awaited mega sports event of the University of Gujrat the UoG Sports Gala-2023 came to a thumping finale here at Hafiz Hayat Campus.

Thousands of students from different departments at Hafiz Hayat Campus, the city campuses and those at the sub-campus at Mandi Bahauddin had been vying for their share of honour in the arena of different categories of sports competitions that had been going on since January 27 at the main campus.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Shabbar Atiq gave away trophies and medals to the winners in different categories of team and individual contests at grand prize distribution ceremony. He lauded the students for their overwhelming participation in the mega event and thanked the UoG Sports Board for the successful organization of the gala sports.

Earlier, upon arrival of the vice chancellor at the closing ceremony, all the teams presented a marchpast before amalgamating into the platoons in the large playground.

The UoG playgrounds wore a colourful festive look for the past two weeks with a flurry of matches in cricket, badminton, table-tennis, chess, tug-of-war, snooker, athletics, long jump and short and long

Tamasha brings Free Live Streaming of HBL PSL 2023

ISLAMABAD PR

Pakistan’s largest homegrown OTT video streaming and entertainment platform, has become the licensed digital broadcaster for the eighth edition of Pakistan Super League (HBL PSL-2023) to live stream all matches of the tournament for free for cricket fans in Pakistan. Customers of all telcos and smartphone users will be able to watch HD live streaming of PSL-8 matches completely free by downloading the Tamasha app from or as well as on Tamasha’s . Not only can the cricket buffs catch live PSL matches action on Tamasha, but they also will have the opportunity to partake in Jazz Fan Pulse quiz and answer questions during the live stream to win exciting prizes.

Quality of cricket in HBL PSL ‘second to none’: Ben Cutting

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Karachi Kings’ Australian cricketer Ben Cutting has rated the quality of cricket in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as “second to none.”

The 36-year-old was drafted by the Karachi Kings for PSL 8. He has previously played for Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators and this will be his fourth stint in the league. His wife Erin Holland is also among the presenters for the league.

When asked what brought him and his wife to Pakistan again and again, the Australian cricketer said that it was “the people and the culture of Pakistan.”

distance races.

The cricket match played between VC XI and the Registrar XI, which was won by the Vice Chancellor XI, turned into a real crowd puller. Dr Shabbar Atiq highlighted the role of healthy competition in the process of character-building of students, saying that “sports take centre stage in the cultural and social life of universities.”

NAGPUR REUTERS

Indian spinners ruled the roost in the opening Test in Nagpur but the pitch was certainly not “unplayable”, Australia captain Pat Cummins said after their comprehensive defeat in the series opener on Saturday.

Indian spinners claimed 16 of

the 20 Australian wickets on a pitch at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium where the ball kept low and spun unpredictably.

Cummins won an important toss but Australia could not quite vindicate his decision to bat, managing a below-par 177 in their first innings.

“I think, that first innings, the wicket spun but it wasn’t unplayable,” Cummins said after India

steamrolled Australia by an innings and 132 runs inside three days.

“We’d love to get another 100 or so runs and put a bit more pressure on their first innings.”

Marnus Labuschagne made 49, while Steve Smith (37), Peter Handscomb (31) and Alex Carey (36) also got their eyes in during their first innings, yet Australia settled for a below-200 total.

“We love coming here. This is my fifth visit to Pakistan. I think it’s Erin’s fifth or sixth as well. So, we look forward to it every year. Coming back to the PSL and the country of Pakistan and the hospitality, the standard of cricket is awesome,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to getting back out there in front of the full house, wherever we play, whether it’s Karachi, Multan, now Lahore, Islamabad. It can be very exciting to roll out in front of a local crowd again,” the Australian cricketer added.

Talking about the quality of cricket in the PSL, Ben Cutting said that the strength of the competition makes this league different from other leagues. “A lot of guys that haven’t been here and played the PSL always ask me what it’s like and the quality of cricket is second to none. You know, every team has got three or four guys that bowl at 140/145. They’ve got excellent spinners and all batters can smack it out of the park. So, it’s always going to be difficult as a bowler you know taking on your calibre of batters,” he said.

Speaking about Karachi Kings’ strength, he said that the Kings have got plenty of power this year with James Vince coming into the squad and Sharjeel can also smack it out of the park.

“You got to take what happened in previous seasons for every team with a grain of salt because the squads are different, and the conditions are different. It’s a little bit cool this year. So, we’re not going to look back, We’re going to look forward. I’d like the first couple of games and get into the tournament because what happened last year doesn’t really matter,” he said.

The bowling all rounder added that he is looking forward to bowling against Babar Azam in the tournament as he’s always a fantastic challenge and a very competent batter.

New Zealand v England: Ollie Pope not thinking about being future Test captain

LONDON AGENCIES

Batter Pope, 25, has twice led England in warm-ups this winter and was in line to skipper had Ben Stokes not been fit for the first Test in Pakistan. “I try not to look into it. I’ve got to score runs and be successful at number three,” Pope told a sports channel.

“I’ll keep developing my cricket brain, so if the opportunity does arise I’ll be as well equipped as I can be.” Surrey’s Pope took charge of the England team for a match against England Lions before the 3-0 series win in Pakistan, and did the same again in Hamilton in a two-day match against a New Zealand XI that has served as preparation for

two Tests against New Zealand. He was also on standby to lead the team in Rawalpindi in December when illness hit the England camp before the first Test against Pakistan and Stokes was one of the players affected.

England have not named an official vicecaptain to Stokes and Pope says there is no “label” on his increased exposure to a leadership role. “There’s no vice-captain, there are a lot of leaders within the changing room,” said Pope. “If Stokesy wants to bounce ideas off me during a game, I’m more than happy to use my knowledge.

“It [the captaincy] might be an option they are looking at in the future. It’s just good to be seen as a leader in that changing room.”

Pope, who has played 33 Tests since making his debut as a 20-year-old in 2018, captained teams at junior level but has only skippered in one game of professional cricket – Surrey’s high-scoring draw against Glamorgan in the County Championship at the end of the 2021 season. Despite that lack of leadership experience, pace bowler Stuart Broad has labelled Pope a “future England captain”. “Popey is a great leader in the group,” said Broad, who has played under six captains in his 159Test career. “He’s grown so much in the last year, in the way he operates, the confidence and responsibility he’s been given. He speaks really well in the group and he’s got a great cricket mind.”

Nagpur pitch was difficult but not unplayable, says Cummins

GPCCI SEEKS SBP GOVERNOR’S HELP AGAINST PROPAGANDA ABOUT ACCESS TO LETTERS OF CREDIT

CHAMBER URGES SBP TO ASSIST ITS MEMBERS AGAINST PROPAGANDA OR RISK POTENTIAL INT’L RAMIFICATIONS

THE German-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) has penned a letter to Jameel Ahmad, Governor State Bank of Pakistan, about what they believe is targeted propaganda in terms of their access to letters of credit.

The GPCCI states the propaganda has impaired their members’ ability to access letters of credit from commercial banks. Protests at the highest international forums, and a possible strain in Pakistan-German ties are to be expected as a consequence per the GPCCI’s letter.

The letter urges Ahmad to intervene and enable German to restore their regular operations, and assist the German companies against what the GPCCI believes is discrimination.

The accusation

The letter opens by highlighting the trade ties between Pakistan and Germany, and then moves to to highlight the issues faced by German brands operating in Pakistan stating “Imports have been almost non-existence, as Financial Institutions are refusing to establish LCs for German brands requested by their local representative companies.”

The letter then proceeds to high-

light, and define the alleged propaganda against German automotive companies in Pakistan stating, “Adding to the already difficult situation and misery, recent news in the mainstream and social media targeted specifically German automotive companies being represented in Pakistan. Fabricated and inaccurate news is being spread that LC’s are being established for German Automotive Brands operating in Pakistan with ludicrous sums, which are far from the ground realities.”

“As a result, official importers of Audi, BMW, & Mercedes-Benz are being humiliated by commercial banks in Pakistan. As of today, Commercial Banks operating in Pakistan are refusing to establish ANY LCs (irrespective of the amount) for any imports especially for German Brands for both vehicles & spare parts. Not only is this a targeted operation towards German brands, but further having no legal basis or regulation. Banks have been advised by forces unknown to us not to entertain any C s for German Automotive Brands. Added to this, banks are trusting these malicious take mainstream & Social Media news coverage of import numbers without analyzing easily available real data (SWIFT transmission records),” the letter continues.

ECP asks NAB to make Imran pay for KP govt’s chopper

STAFF REPORT

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Saturday wrote a letter to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for expediting recovery from and declaring Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and others as defaulters for using the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopter. In the letter addressed to the anti-graft body, the electoral authority stated that the PTI chief and other unauthorised persons should be declared defaulters by the relevant forum, while the list of these defaulters should be sent to the ECP. The list will then be forwarded to the returning officers for further action as per law.

According to NAB documents, two official choppers of the KP government were used for 1,800 illegal trips. Politicians used the copters 588 times, while government officials utilised them 577 times. Unauthorised people have to pay Rs198.3 million in arrears, while politicians have over Rs96.8 million in payables. Government officials have to pay more than Rs50.8 million, and others have an outstanding amount of over Rs50 million.

It should be noted that the KP Assembly had last year declared the use of the provincial government’s helicopters from November 1, 2008, till December 2022, as legal through a draft amendment in the law, after which the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) challenged the amendment in the Peshawar High Court. In December 2022, NAB — after completing its probe into the illegal use of the KP government’s helicopters — revealed that those, who engaged the chopper for private use, owe Rs90 million to the provincial administration. The development came in reaction to the usage of choppers used by Khan, former and current provincial and federal ministers, including others.

K-Electric files generation tariff petition for its power plants

PROFIT REPORT

The response taken by the German companies

The letter highlights the action that the German companies have opted for by stating, “Unfortunately, these tactics have now been brought tothe attention of the German Automobile companies* highest echelon in Germany; accordingly, protests are likely to be launched with not only the Foreign Office, but also the European Union and the WTO, highlighting that these restrictions (without any legal basis) seem to be specifically targeted towards German companies only!”

The ramifications of the propaganda

“The ripple effect of the same will be quite damaging considering Germany announced an additional 84 million euros to support Pakistan as part of both countries’ climate partnership in the wake of catastrophic flooding which struck Pakistan in 2022”, the letter states.

“On the other hand, the EU in total has also pledged substantially large amounts for reconstruction efforts, which will include humanitarian support which is growing further.

On the one hand Pakistan is expecting help from Germany and the EU in these dire times, but on the other hand, Pakistan is targeting German automotive companies (EU

based companies) operating in Pakistan”, the letter continues.

The letter then moves on to highlight how actions such as these could impair Pakistan’s prospects of renewing its GSP+ status with the EU which is set to expire this year.

The allegations in question

The Government of Pakistan has been hit with a series of allegations pertaining to their authorisation of the imports of luxury vehicles into Pakistan in November and December. The decision many argued came at a time when the country’s foreign exchange reserves were dwindling. Amongst these luxury cars, it is alleged that multiple luxury electric vehicles belonging to the German trifecta of Mercedez, BMW, and Audi have been imported.

The issue gained particular notoriety when local exporters and traders alleged that the imports had been authorised because members of the Cabinet had imported some of the vehicles. The traders highlighted their dismay at the matter stating that they had been deprived of access to letters of credit, whilst luxury automotive importers were being given preferential treatment. The Government of Pakistan has denied these allegations. However, domestic traders continue to allege otherwise.

COAS, UAE President discuss bilateral ties in Abu Dhabi

K-Electric (KE) has filed a tariff petition for its power generation plants with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) from July 01, 2023, till their remaining licensed useful lives. According to KE, the petition has been admitted by the regulatory authority (NEPRA) for KE’s generation segment which comprises six thermalbased power plants.

Through this petition, KE has proposed a tariff for the remaining life of generation plants with a structure that is in line with IPPs in which expenditures are allowed through a fixed and variable O&M. This will help to have visibility and align the tariff structure with Competitive Trading Bilateral Contracts Market (CTBCM) requirement and industry practice.

Currently, the regulator has issued a notice for stakeholders’ comments on KE’s generation tariff petition, and it is expected to conduct a hearing after which the regulator will issue its determination.

Since privatisation, KE has invested over PKR 400 billion across its value chain including PKR 203.9 billion in the generation segment. With the help of targeted investments, KE was able to greatly improve reliability, availability, and capacity of its generation fleet. As a result, KE’s generation fleet efficiency has increased from 30% in 2005 to nearly 44%. Since FY 2016, KE’s generation fleet reliability has increased from 96% to 99.5%, whereas fleet availability has increased from 81% to 91%, generation capacity increased from 1,875 MW to 2,817 MW including the addition of 900 MW Bin Qasim Power Station (BQPS-III).

PROFIT REPORT

AHMAD AHMADANI

Power distribution companies (DISCOs) have asked National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to allow the collection of more than Rs 17 billion from the power consumers through their electricity consumer bills under the 2nd quarterly adjustment of FY 2022-23.

ABU DHABI STAFF REPORT

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and discussed bilateral ties with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported on Saturday.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed received the army chief at Qasr Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, according to the report.

Gen Asim extended his heartfelt condolences to the UAE president on the passing of his mother-in-law Sheikha Maryam bint Abdullah bin Sulayem Al Falasi.

The army chief also offered condolences on behalf of President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the statement added. The two sides held discussions on bilateral relations and ways to deepen cooperation in defence affairs “for the mutual benefit of their nations”. The meeting was attended by several high-level officials from both countries.

This is the second visit of Gen Asim to the UAE since becoming the army chief in November last year. The army chief paid a maiden visit to the UAE on January 10.

The COAS and the UAE leader had discussed the regional situation and ways to increase bilateral cooperation and partnership between the two countries.

Gen Bajwa proudly confessed to ‘regime change’: Imran

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Former prime minister and Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Friday said that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had accepted that he was behind the “regime change” move that led to his government’s removal.

In an interview with Voice of America (Urdu), the ex-premier said: “General Bajwa told the journalist with much pride how he had our government ousted due to economic policies and other matters.”

He added, “People were already aware of who was behind overthrowing the PTI regime. However, General Bajwa has accepted and clarified that he was behind our government’s ouster.”

Imran Khan — who became the first prime minister to be ousted through a noconfidence vote in April last year — said that

at present the establishment and the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led coalition government are on “one page”.

Khan was referring to a recent column published in a local newspaper, in which a journalist wrote about his meeting with the ex-army chief, where Gen (retd) Bajwa spoke about his time in the office and interactions with the PTI chief.

In the column, the journalist wrote that Khan wanted the former COAS to save his government, however, Gen (retd) Bajwa did not do so as he feared that the PTI “was dangerous for the country and if it remains in power, the country would not survive”.

‘CONFESSION’

In conversation with journalists in Lahore, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry stressed the need to “consider General Bajwa’s confession, as after it, the matter is clear”.

The former federal minister said the ex-

COAS’ “revelation” has ended the legality of the incumbent government. The PTI leader said that since the PTI government’s ouster, the economy remains in shambles. Fawad added that there is a need to end the “differences” for the country to move forward, but stressed that Pakistan should not be taking dictation from friendly countries on how it should be running its affairs.

The senior PTI leader said that the country should move towards elections soon and those whom the people should be allowed to form the government.

In response, former finance minister Shaukat Tarin said that he could not “believe” that Gen (retd) Bajwa could say such things about him, which were mentioned in the column.

“On March 31, 2022, General sahib had declared me a hero when I finalised the Reko Diq deal,” the former finance minister said, slamming the former army chief.

As per details, all DISCOs except K-Electric have filed their requests for adjustment on account of capacity charges, transmission charges and market operator fees, impact, impact of incremental units, impact of Transmission & Distribution (T&D) losses on fuel charges adjustment (FCA) and variable operation and maintenance charges for the 2nd quarter of FY 2022-23 i-e October to December 2022, in line with the notified mechanism in this regard. And, to arrive at a just and informed decision, NEPRA has decided to conduct a hearing on February 22, 2023.

According to NEPRA, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has sought a collection of Rs 1,322 million, the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) Rs 6,347 million, Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) Rs 6,566 million, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) Rs 4,479 million, Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) Rs 2,407 million, and Tribal Area Electric Supply Company (TESC) Rs1,306 million from their respective consumers, under the head capacity charges, variable O&M, impact of T&D losses on monthly FCA, impact of incremental units and so on.

“The columnist wrote that the former army chief had my NAB (National Accountability Bureau) cases dismissed through [Lt Gen (retd)] Faiz Hamid. The former army chief’s comments are against the truth and

ridiculous.” PTI leader Farrukh Habib, while talking to journalists in Faisalabad, said that finally, “General Bajwa has spoken the truth” that he was behind the move that led to the ouster of Khan’s government.

Power consumers likely to pay more than Rs17b under quarterly adjustment