Epaper_23-02-14 ISB

Tuesday, 14 February, 2023 I 22 Rajab,

Pakistan to get only nonstop flight route to African continent

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Nishat Power Ltd beats expectations for 2QFY23, posts 47% profit increase

In par tnership with

Profit

Eocean builds ChatGPT integration for Kistpay’s WhatsApp Chatbot to enhance customer experience

ECC OKAYS UP TO 124% GAS TARIFF HIKE TO UNLOCK IMF LOAN

g Residential consumers will pay more bills than commercial, industrial users

THE Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved an increase of up to 124% increase in gas prices to meet one of the prior conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Finance minister Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting of ECC. The Ministry of Energy, Petroleum division has informed the ECC to revise gas price for residential and other categories of consumers which would generate a revenue of Rs 310 billion as against apportioned RERR for six-month January to June 2023 of Rs 305 billion.

Gas price for non-protective domestic consumers would be Rs400 from Rs300 upto 1hm3, Rs600 from Rs500 upto 1.5hm3, Rs 800 from Rs553 upto 2hm3, Rs1100 from Rs738 upto 3hm3, Rs2000 from Rs1107 upto 4hm3 and Rs3100 from Rs1460 above 4hm3.

The proposed sales prices for commercial consumers would be Rs121 up to 0.5hm3, Rs350 from Rs300 up to1hm3, Rs730 from Rs553 up to 2hm3, Rs1250 from Rs738 up to 3hm3, Rs2250 from Rs1107 up to 4hm3 and Rs3270 from Rs1460 above 4 hm3.

Sources said that the government has put more burden on residential consumers comparable to commercial or industrial consumers as there are five slabs for domestic consumers where prices have been increased by up to 124%.In addition, the gas prices for the fertilizer sector increased from 22% to 103% due to which the electricity prices would also be increased in coming months. Whereas the gas prices for Export or non-Export sectors have been increased from 10 to 34%.

Petroleum division informed the ECC that OGRA issued its determination of Estimated Revenue Requirements (ERR) for FY 2022-23 on June 30, 2022 for both SNGPL and SSGC. According to the said determination, SNGPL

required a revenue of Rs.261 billion and SSGCL required a revenue of Rs.285 billion in FY 2022-23.

OGRA did not allow previous years’ revenue shortfalls in the ERR of both the gas companies. Pursuant to Section 8(3) of the OGRA Ordinance 2002, Government was required to advise OGRA to revise the consumer gas prices in accordance with Government policy with effect from 1st July 2022 within 40 days of determination of OGRA. However, the revision in consumer gas prices could not be done as of date. Due to price inaction, the Sui companies have already carried the revenue shortfall for the past six months i.e., July to December 2022.

G-20 DEBT SERVICE SUSPENSION INITIA -

TIVE (DSSI): The Ministry of Economic Affairs presented a summary on G-20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI). This debt relief was announced in April 2020 for IDA eligible countries to mitigate the socio-economic impact of Covid-19. Under this initiative debt relief was extended through the suspension of principal and interest payments. So far, 37 debt rescheduling agreements with 15 creditor countries have been signed. Foregoing in view, the ECC allowed the Ministry of Economic Affairs to sign a debt

rescheduling agreement with Russia for debt suspension of Covid related amount US$ 14.53 million.

POVERTY ALLEVIATION, SOCIAL SAFETY: The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety presented a summary on enhancement of the BSIP budget. The meeting was briefed on the on-going BISP programmes including Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) Programme “Benazir Kafaalat” covering around 9 million families, two Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programmes namely Benazir Taleemi Wazaif and Benazir Nashonuma.

Besides, This disbursement of cash assistance to affectees of floods as emergency relief of Rs. 25,000/- was provided per affected family to around 2.7 million families. In the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, there has been accelerated enrolments in Benazir Taleemi Wazaif and it is anticipated that additional 1 million children will be enrolled by the end of June, 2023.

Also the BISP has extended CCT Benazir Nashonuma to all the districts of the country. The ECC after discussion granted Rs. 40 billion as Technical Supplementary Grant to BISP to meet its budgetary requirements for increase in the unconditional and conditional grants.

Remittances fall by 13% to $1.89b for January

ISLAMABAD SHAHNAWAZ ALI

According to the latest data by the State Bank of Pakistan, workers’ remittance for the month of January has dropped by 13% on a Year on Year basis. The remittance has also dropped by almost 10% on a monthly basis. The workers’ remittances were recorded at an already low 2.102 billion in December 2022.

This is the lowest Pakistan’s remittances have been since the last 31 months. Ever since the dollar was kept at an artificially low rate, there was a decline in the figure for workers’ remittance. Even though Pakistan lifted that cap in the last week of January,

data reveals that almost no impact of removing the cap was seen in January’s remittance.

According to the head of equity research at Ismail Iqbal securities Fahad Rauf, “The number of remittances in January is still impressive, keeping in mind the huge gap between the black market rate and the official rate of the dollar.” He further added that any real impact in the remittances will be better observed from February onwards. The figure of workers’ remittance is also important for Pakistan because Pakistan is close to its lowest level of foreign reserves. The country has been unable to reach a staff level agreement

with the IMF, as of the time this scribe was written. Remittances, investments, and export proceeds are the main source of increasing the dollar reserves of the country. Due to a deadlock on imports and a volatile exchange rate, the local industry has majorly slowed down the import of goods. Not only that, it is believed that the proceeds of earlier exports have also not been brought in Pakistan in anticipation of the depreciation of rupee and costpush inflation. This is also the first time that the workers’ remittance for one month in Bangladesh is greater than that in Pakistan.

Import restrictions create shortage of steel bars

Tarin charged with sedition for ‘sabotage attempt’ on IMF accord

g FIR registered despite unclear origin of conversations leaked last year, defying Supreme Court ruling

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has charged former finance minister Shaukat Tarin with sedition, months after he was recorded in leaked audio conversations appearing to guide his provincial counterparts from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to tell the central government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the provinces would not be able to commit to a budget surplus due to the devastating effects of monsoon floods. The agency, which said it conducted a preliminary inquiry into the matter, deemed Tarin’s actions as an attempt to derail the loan programme and funds, thereby causing harm to the “national interest”. With the government’s permission, the FIA is now authorised to arrest the banker, said Rana Sanaullah Khan, the interior minister. The first information report (FIR), registered by the sub-inspector of the agency’s cybercrime wing, alleges that Tarin, with “malicious intentions and ulterior motives,” induced the sitting finance ministers of the provinces of Punjab and KP, Taimur Jhagra and Mohsin Leghari. It cites his conversations with the finance ministers, the origin of which remains unclear to this day. It, however, says the clips were thoroughly analysed. The complaint further says that Tarin asked the finance ministers to write letters stating that their respective ministries would not return the surplus budget to the federal government, which would critically affect the ongoing deals between the government and the IMF. During the inquiry, he was summoned and questioned about the alleged clips, but he failed to provide satisfactory answers, implying that he was hiding facts and lying about his intentions and motives. The FIR argues that Tarin’s actions could disrupt public tranquillity, create ill-will among pillars of the state, and cause fear, alarm, and intimidation among citizens due to the economic situation of Pakistan, making it an act of sedition against the state. The case has been registered under Section 20 (Malicious code) of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, and sections 124-A (Sedition) and 505 (Statements conducting to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Interestingly, the Supreme Court has previously ruled that audio and video evidence is not considered admissible until the individual who recorded it appears in court with the device and the original recording, or becomes a plaintiff. It remains unclear if the original plaintiff, rumoured to be the intelligence wing of the military, has filed with the agency or if the statement was recorded. The question of who recorded the phone call, which is the subject of the audio leak case, will need to be determined during the trial if the case proceeds, noted journalist Saqib Bashir.

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ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

FTO accuSeS MIll aT OF FRaud duRIng Ta x PeRIOd 2017 TO 2022

TH E Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), per their latest ruling in their investigation against Millat Tractors, has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) today to conduct a detailed investigation into the company’s claims for an inadmissible sales tax refund The FTO has ordered the FBR to recover an alleged amount of Rs 14 877 billion from Millat Tractors for the tax period of 2017 till 2022

“Our finding based on the documents provided to us by the complainant and our own investigation, is that there has been a gross violation committed by Millat Tractors,” Almas Ali Jovindah, Legal Advisor to the Federal Tax Ombudsman, tells Profit

The FTO has recommended that the FBR direct the Chief Commissioner of Inland Revenue to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter, in accordance with the provisions of the Sales Tax Act, 1990, and relevant SROs

The FTO has also recommended that the director general of the Benami Initiative investigate instances of benami transactions by Millat Tractors Limited, as well as other leading tractor manufacturing companies and submit a detailed report to the FTO within 90 days

The senior vice president of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Hyderabad, brought the allegations against the company on behalf of his association The complaint claimed illegal payment of sales tax refund was made to MTL through the use of selfmade documents fake and flying invoices benami names, and unrelated CNIC numbers The complaint also stated that the conditions outlined in sections 73 and 23 of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 were not followed, and the FBR never audited these claims

The FTO s order stated that the underlying issue is the alleged tax fraud committed through the payment of inadmissible sales tax refunds to MTL The order also revealed that tractors are frequently booked with black money and invoiced under benami names and CNIC numbers of unrelated individuals, who often use the tractors for purposes other than agriculture

“The zamindar ’s themselves are coming forward The tractors were obtained using the sale deeds of zamindars with the connivance of local patwaris and others The subsidy is basically for the zamindar, and if

they have not bought it then how can anyone claim the subsidy, asks Jovindah

T h e f e d e r a l B o a r d o f r e V e n u e’s fa i l u r e

The FTO s order highlighted that these instances of neglect and inefficiency in the administration of duties and responsibilities amount to maladministration and should be thoroughly investigated

“This is a serious lapse on part of the FBR Their neglect led to them failing to recognise a fraud that was culminating under their nose We were able to unearth and figure out the fraud through the relatively little investigation we carried out It would have been much easier for them to figure this out They overlooked this, and we believe this to be serious negligence on their part,” says Jovindah T h e V e r d i C T

Our recommendation is for the FBR to collect the tax, and for Millat Tractors to be denied the refund that they have claimed Furthermore the tax that they have evaded in the previous years should also be recovered from them,” Jovindah tells Profit When probed about Millat Tractors possible tax evasion in the past, Jovindah states, “They have been engaged in tax

evasion since 2017 They could have been engaged in this prior to 2017, however, based on the documents that we have received till now from the zamindars, an agricultural forum, our assessment is that they have been evading taxes for the past five, five and a half years We do not rule out the fact that they may have been engaged in this prior to that as well If we were to receive a complaint prior to 2017, then we can conduct an investigation into that as well However as of right now our documentation goes back till 2017 based on the current complaint that we received ” The case is with the president of Pakistan in representation so we will have to see whether our assessment and decision is upheld Jovindah continues

When asked about what a representation entails “Representation,” Jovindah states, Is more parallel to an appeal Normally a party can come to us and state that they have an objection to our findings and/or judgement They can make the appeal that we review our findings and/or judgement ”

“However, if a party chooses not to file an appeal then they can go to the president o f P a k i s t a n T h e y c a n s t a t e t h e i r objections, and how they differ from our

f i n d i n g s Wi t h t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n t h e y have opted to challenge our decision and a s k e d t h e p r e s i d e n t t o a d j u d i c a t e , Jovindah elaborates

“We hope that the representation yields a quick decision Our findings are always based on solid evidence and we don’t believe there is anything within them that will lead the president of Pakistan to differ from us We have a very strong case and we believe that our recommendations are based on merit, Jovindah tells Profit

When asked what the FTO’s course of action will be going forward after unearthing this, Jovindah responded by saying “We are very keen to know exactly what is happening with the other tractor manufacturers as well Maybe the FBR should examine the issue on their end as well as to how this malpractice took place, and if it permeates across the industry because Millat Tractors is not the only tractor manufacturer in Pakistan ” Millat has issued a notification to the Pakistan Stock Exchange that it has challenged the FTO’s verdict in the Lahore High Court and with the Commissioner Appeals LTU Lahore The notification also highlights that Millat will file an appeal with the president against the decision, as it believes that it is innocent It states that there was, in fact, a regulatory change governing the refunds, and that the FTO’s decision fails to take cognisance of that

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o

The Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) has released their sales for the month of January, and the results are not pretty Month-on-Month (MoM) sales have recovered from the dip seen in December with total volume rising 2,089 units for a 1 71% increase

However January s figures remain depressed Year-on-Year (YoY) with total industry volume declining by 31%

Furthermore 7MFY23 volume stands at 849,712 units sold in comparison to the 1,283,884 units sold over the same period last year for a 34% contraction

C a r s a l e s

Car sales took the largest plunge on a both MoM and YoY basis across the industry with contractions of 56% and 65% respectively Across the car segments, the 1000cc segment saw the greatest dip with an MoM contraction of 37% and a YoY contraction of 55% The sub 1000cc segment in contrast saw a MoM increase of 20%, but was unable to beat its YoY number where it saw a dip of 42%

In terms of sales by model, the general decline in MoM and YoY sales is prevalent for almost every car The aberrations to this trend are, at least on an MoM basis, Honda’s Civic and City, and Hyundai’s Elantra and Sonata Honda does not provide disaggregated data for its two sedans, and therefore, a breakdown is

not possible Hyundai’s sedans, in contrast, both recorded MoM increases

The most notable change is 99% MoM and YoY contraction in the sales of the Suzuki Alto The car only recorded 44 units sold amounting to perhaps the first time it sold below 100 units in a month since its launch J e e p s a n d p i C k u p s s a l e s The Jeeps and Pickups segment recorded both an MoM and YoY increase

The former saw an increase of 50% whilst the latter saw 34% The only vehicle in the jeep and pickup category to see both an MoM and YoY decrease was the Isuzu D-

Max which saw decreases of 54% and 28% respectively Honda s BR-V and HRV vehicles saw an MoM decrease of just 1% Honda does not provide disaggregated data for the two vehicles, and therefore it cannot be estimated as to which vehicle accounted for how much Overall, both new and old, commercial and passenger vehicles saw increases across the lineup The most notable MoM increases came for Sazgar ’s BJ40 and Haval lineup and Hyundai s Porter On a YoY basis, Tucson leads the way with a YoY increase of 359% C o m m e r C i a l V e h i C l e s s a l e s

Sales across commercial vehicles all saw MoM increases on MoM and YoY declines The largest MoM increase came in the Tractors segment, whilst the largest YoY dip was seen in the Trucks segment

Across brands, the results were mixed on an MoM basis In terms of YoY sales, all brands saw declines Across the MoM increases, Millat Tractors saw the largest increase of 340% followed by Master Motors increase of 279% Conversely the lowest YoY decrease was seen by Hino which saw a contraction of only 18% whilst the largest contraction came was for Isuzu which saw a 40% dip T w o a n d T h r e e w h e e l e r s s a l e s

The Two and Three Wheeler segments combined recorded an MoM increase of 5% and a YoY decrease of 29% When looking at the two segments separately, the results are serendipitously different The Two Wheeler segment recorded an MoM decrease of 1% and a YoY increase of 4% The Three Wheeler segment, in contrast, recorded a 94% MoM increase and a 19% YoY decrease

Across the brands operating in the Two and Three wheeler space, the results differed on an MoM basis They ranged from Sazgar seeing a 368% MoM increase to Ravi seeing a 73% contraction

Lashing out at former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan for taking frequent UTurns Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that his antics and somersaults keep disappointing the nation as his politics is based on lies and deception Taking to his Twitter handle on Monday, PM Shehbaz wrote: “Imran Niazi’s antics & somersaults continue to disappoint the nation The only constant is his desperation to get back into power even if it involves plunging the country into a protracted period of instability His politics is based on lies which are getting exposed by the day” Imran Khan, in his interview with Voice of America (VoA) on Saturday, said that the US administration was partially responsible for “regime change” conspiracy and it was the country’s establishment which implemented the regime change plan The former premier told the VoA: “Whatever happened now as things unfold it wasn’t solely the US who told Pakistan [to oust me] It was unfortunately, from what evidence has come up [former army chief] Gen [Qamar Javed] Bajwa who somehow managed to tell the Americans that I was anti-American And so, it [the plan to oust me] wasn’t imported from there It was exported from here to the [US] ” In the televised address, Imran Khan blamed Gen Bajwa for making decisions on accountability and he made sure that the accountability process gets stuck halfway and hence the political bigwigs got a clean shit once his government was osuted

Less than two years after launching operations in Pakistan, British airline Virgin Atlantic has decided to call it quits

According to a press release issued yesterday, the airline is planning on expanding its existing network and is in the process of reviewing its existing network as part of the process

“They will indeed operate their summer schedule This decision to suspend operations is for beyond the summer,” Saifullah Khan, Official Spokesperson for Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, tells Profit

The company served 249,207 passengers up until June 2022 based on the latest aviation statistics made available by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) The company has highlighted that its decision is based on its desire to utilise resources optimally in 2023 as it seeks to expand its activities The company has, however, not highlighted where it will redeploy its resources to or why Pakistan does not align with its mission to increase

resource utilisation However recent and upcoming events shed light on the possible reasons for why Virgin Atlantic did take its decision

T h e e a r n i n g s r e paT r i aT i o n

i s s u e : The International Air Transport Association (IATA) the trade association for the world’s airlines representing some 300 airlines or 83% of total air traffic, accused Pakistan of disallowing foreign airlines from repatriating their earnings IATA alleged that Pakistan has blocked $225 million in airline funds making it the second largest market after Nigeria ($551 million) and before Bangladesh ($208 million), to do so

Yousaf Rizvi,Vice Chairman of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan, claimed in a video response to the news that this repatriation problem is the reason why Turkish Airways and Emirate Airlines have suspended directly selling tickets He posits that they have done so to force customers to utilise their credit cards for payments, and thereby ensure that the airlines can

circumvent local banking restrictions to repatriate their earnings

“If we do not clear amounts then airlines may reduce the number of flights and eventually stop operations thereby affecting our passenger and trade connectivity with the world explained Ammar H Khan an independent macroeconomist, to Profit when originally asked about the matter

This also sends a negative signal to new investors, and aviation players looking to integrate with Pakistan,” Khan continued

It is likely that Virgin Atlantic did not either possess the balance sheets to employ risky tactics like those utilised by Turkish Airways and Emirate Airlines, or it simply did not deem the Pakistani market worth the additional costs T h e p o

Virgin Atlantic pivoted to Pakistan roughly six months after the crash of Flight 8303 on 22 May 2020 which led to, then Federal Minister for Aviation, Ghulam Sarwar Khan allege that 150 pilots had fake

licences This subsequently led to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) implementing a ban on the carrier, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US following suit with a similar restriction These routes accounted for 3037% of PIA s revenue according to Khan

A team of experts from the UK Civil Aviation Authority arrived in Pakistan on February 8 to conduct an audit of the PCAA

This is to be followed by an audit of PIA by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on March 7 A successful audit could reinstate PIA’s access to Europe and the UK Such a decision would be detrimental to Virgin Atlantic which currently banks on nonstop flights to the UK as its unique selling point T h e l o w y i e

The final potential reason for Virgin Atlantic ceasing its Pakistan operations is likely to do with its upcoming membership of the SkyTeam alliance The

SkyTeam alliance is the second largest global international airline alliance comprising 19 carriers from five continents Virgin Atlantic will become an official member on March 2

Membership will enable Virgin to benefit from its peers through a myriad of benefits, most important of which is the potential for codesharing This impending shakeup coincides with Virgin Atlantic’s decision to reinstate its flights to Shanghai later this year a market that it had stopped serving during the Covid-19 pandemic The confluence of these two factors, likely explains why Virgin Atlantic might deem its resources to be best utilised elsewhere For context, the aforementioned Turkish Airlines and Emirates Airlines served 891,491 and 2 3 million passengers respectively over the same period that Virgin served its 249 207 passengers

A combination of all the aforementioned factors is perhaps the likely reason Virgin Atlantic s abrupt decision comes a mere four months after its statement that it sought to double down on the Pakistani market due to the future potential it saw in it

T u R k I y e R e q u e S T S Pa k I S Ta n T O S e n d S u R g I c a l e q u I P M e n T, T e n T S , d R y F R u I T S

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

TH E Turkish government requested Pakistan to send surgical equipment, tents blankets and dry fruits for the quake victims, sources said The government of Pakistan National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) is in contact with the Turkish government through their ambassador in Pakistan

Tu r k i y e h a s a p p e a l e d t o P a k i s t a n n o t

IHc issues notices in Sheikh Rasheed’s bail case

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

t o s e n d m e d i c a l t e a m s a n d m e d i c i n e s a t

p r e s e n t

According to the Turkish government, medical teams from all over the world are arriving with medicines, so currently the victims need family tents, blankets and dry food due to the severe cold

The Turkish government has appealed to Pakistan to send surgical equipments and medical devices

According to the Turkish government, earthquake victims need major and minor

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday served notices to respondents in a post-arrest bail petition of Awami Muslim League s (AML) head Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in a case of levelling allegations against former president Asif Ali Zardari Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani of the IHC heard the bail plea of Sheikh Rasheed Earlier, a lower court had dismissed his bail petition Petitioner s lawyer Salman Akram Raja prayed to the court to approve the bail of his client as he was an old man He also requested the court to fix the next hearing at an early date The court issued notices to the respondents and sought their answers till February 16 The Aabpara Police of Islamabad had arrested Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed after registering a first information report against him for accusing former president Asif Ali Zardari of hatching a conspiracy to murder PTI Chairman

Imran Khan

gov t has badly damaged reputation of green passpor t: Fawad

ISLAMABAD

S

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry stated on Monday the mindless policies of PML-N led federal govt caused damage to the country which is currently reeling from economic and political crises This government has badly damaged the reputation of green passport,” he said, adding that the current rulers were attempting to create hurdles in the way of PTI Chairman Imran Khan The PTI leader appeared before a district and sessions court to attend a hearing of the sedition case filed against him for inciting people against the members of the ECP and their families During the hearing the police investigators failed to submit the challenge in the case To which the PTI stalwart s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry requested the court to fix next hearing of the case after March 3 as by-elections on National Assembly seats are scheduled for March 16 Later, the session court adjourned the hearing till March 18 Talking to media outside a court in the federal capital, the former minister said a sedition case had been formed against him, adding: All my voters are traitors if I am the traitor” He said police could not submit a challan in the sedition case Lashing out at the coalition governments he said they had accepted PTI lawmakers’ resignations but were not ready to hold elections

surgeries As the number of surgeries increases, there is a shortage of surgical equipment and medical devices Sources say that Pakistan has agreed to send surgical equipments and medical devices to Turkiye and the first batch of the equipment will be sent this week via air

F u r t h e r m o r e , i t h a s b e e n l e a r n e d t h a t Pakistan has decided to send aid to Turkiye via roads through National Logistic Cell NLC trucks will enter Turkiye via Iran in seven days

Cour t grants exemption from attendance to Imran K han

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

A local court on Monday granted a one-time exemption from appearance to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on medical grounds and adjourned the female judge threatening case against him till March 9

Senior Civil Judge Mujahid Raheem heard the case against former prime minister Imran Khan

During the course of the proceedings Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi prayed to the court to cancel the interim bail of Imran Khan and issued his arrest warrants due to his continuous disappearance in the case He objected to the medical report of Imran Khan being issued by his own hospital The Shaukat Khanum

lHc moved to suspend treason law

LAHore S ta f f R e p o R t

Hospital treated cancer patients but Imran Khan s illness was of different nature Imran Khan’s lawyer Imran Panjutha submitted his client s request for a one-time exemption from appearance on medical grounds citing the fresh medical report of his client dated February 8 was attached with the application

He stated that Imran Khan was unable to travel to Islamabad due to his health issues He was not even able to climb stairs and doctors had also advised him to do rest

The court reserved the decision after listening to the arguments and later granted a one-time exemption from appaerance to Imran Khan on medical grounds adjourning the case till March 9

Baligh to take stakeholders into confidence on by-polls in 90 days

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

In order to follow the Lahore High Court (LHC) orders, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman Monday decided to take stakeholders into confidence on the matter of conducting elections in 90 days

The Governor of Punjab has called an important meeting to address the said matter on Tuesday, February 14 at the Governor ’s House in Lahore

The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, decided to seek time from Punjab Governor to meet the committee

on Tuesday for devising a future strategy regarding holding of provincial assembly elections

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary has also been invited by the Governor s House to the meeting to get some consultation on the date of the elections

The committee headed by the Secretary ECP and comprising the Special Secretary and Director General Law will brief the Commission about the outcome of the meeting with the Governor

The report said Punjab Chief Secretary and IG Police Punjab will also participate in the February 14 meeting at Governor s House

Flour millers obser ve strike in Punjab

LAHore S ta f f R e p o R t

Flour millers in Punjab on Monday continued their strike in protest against raids of the Punjab food department for checking subsidised flour and wheat quota dispute

However, Punjab Secretary Food Zaman Watto claimed uninterrupted wheat supply to the flour mills and availability of flour in the markets

Flour millers had earlier announced strike across Punjab from Monday after having dispute with the provincial food department over wheat quota and raids on mills The announcement was feared to create shortage of flour in Lahore and other cities of the province Sources told that the wheat quota of more than 100 mills had been suspended and that some mills in Lahore Gujrat and Multan had already halted their operations

According to Punjab Flour Mills Association (PFMA) president Iftikhar Matto the millers want the food department to check the mills as per the defined

standard operating procedures (SOPs) Punjab Food Secretary Zaman Watto, on the other hand, said no legal action was decided against the millers and that 80 per cent mills had lifted their quota of wheat He claimed that majority of millers were against the strike He, however, said the data of those, who were involved in four shortage by inciting others for holding strike, was being gathered and was shared with the departments concerned

Meanwhile, in a sign of a deepening rift between flour mills association and Punjab food secretary Punjab Food Department has suspended wheat quota of 100 flour mills Secretary Food Punjab Muhammad Zaman Wattoo said provincial government will not be blackmailed by anyone He said the data of people was being collected who were instigating others to observe strike and create a shortage of flour in the market Punjab Food Secretary said no decision had been taken against the millers and that majority of mills had lifted their quota of wheat

PM direc ts to ensure uninterrupted availability of edible items to masses

t

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned to ensure uninterrupted availability of edible items to the people across the country He was chairing a meeting in Islamabad on Monday regarding the availability of essential items and ensuring stability in their prices The Prime Minister directed to take firm action against the hoarders so that the supply chain of essential items could be maintained For this purpose he stressed for greater coordination amongst the federation and provinces

The Prime Minister stressed that it is the primary responsibility of the federal and provincial

governments to ensure provision of essential items to the people without any interruption and at low cost

He said barriers in the way of import of basic commodities should be removed on priority basis He directed to set up special committees to improve supply chain and stabilize the prices of essential items

The Prime Minister said there is no shortage of essential commodities in the country including that of wheat Shehbaz Sharif directed the provinces and administrative units to present a concrete strategy in the next review meeting regarding ‘Sasta Ramadan Bazaars and the supply of essential commodities at cheap prices during the holy month of Ramadan

He said technology should be employed to ensure stability of prices in Ramadan bazaars Adequate

security measures should also be put in place in these bazaars He said the number of Sasta bazaars should be increased in the most populated cities

The meeting was informed that there is no shortage of food items in the country and adequate steps are being taken to deliver wheat pulses edible oil and other commodities to the people

The meeting was informed that the federal government is providing wheat to the provinces as per their requirement It was assured that stern action will be taken against those who will create artificial shortage of commodities The meeting was further informed that mobile phone applications are being used in some provinces for provision of basic food items to the people at cheap rates

A petition has been moved in the Lahore High Court (LHC) praying to the court to suspend the treason law As per details justice Shujaat Ali Khan sent the plea to another bench for further proceedings and said that another plea of this kind is in pending with Justice Shahid Karim The plea stated that this treason law is a sign of the colonial era and that the British used it for slaves The criminal code act 124(A), 153(A) and 505 are in contradiction with basic rights The treason law is also used against the citizens for political benefits and the Indian supreme court has also stopped the case proceedings based on treason law and termed it an outcome of the colonial era The court was pleaded to suspend the treason law

lHc summons OgRa official tomorrow over oil shor tage

LAHore

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Lahore High Court has summoned the senior officer of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) again to appear before the court on Feb 15 The court was hearing a public interest petition against the artificial shortage of petrol in the city Earlier, Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabbir expressed resentment over the non-appearance of the OGRA chief in the court The lawyer of the federal government on the occasion tendered an apology for the non-appearance of the OGRA official The AAG Mir Haroon appeared in court on behalf of the federal government The court summoned the senior officer of OGRA along with the reply on Feb 15 The court also granted time to the Punjab Chief Secretary IG DC and other parties to submit their reply by Feb 15 A local petitioner has challenged the shortage of petroleum products in the city

INTERIOR MINISTER VISITS DIAMER BASHA DAM PROJECT

MINISTER for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan on Monday visited Diamer Basha Dam Project, being constructed on River Indus, 40-Kilometre downstream of Chilas town.

He was accompanied by Federal Secretary Interior Yousaf Naseem Khokhar, Chairman WAPDA Engr Lt Gen (Retd) Sajjad Ghani and National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Muhammad Tahir Rai, said a press release.

The visit was aimed at assessing the overall security scenario on the mega multipurpose project, which is of vital significance for the national development in the years ahead.

Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Imdad Ullah Bosal, Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan (GB) Mohyuddin Ahmad

Wani, IG Police KP Akhtar Hayat Khan, IG Police GB Saeed Wazir, Home Secretary KP Khushal Khan, Home Secretary GB Iqbal Hussain, General Manager (GM) Security WAPDA Brig (Retd) Muhammad Tufail, Chief Executive Officer Diamer Basha Development Company Amir Bashir Chaudhary, GM Diamer Basha Dam Dr. Khawar Munir, Commissioner Hazara Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Commissioner Diamer-Astor Division Dildar Ahmed Malik, Deputy Commissioner Upper Kohistan Asif Khan, Deputy Commissioner Diamer Fiaz Ahmed and representatives of the consultants and the contractors were also present on the occasion.

During the briefing, the minister was apprised in detail about the security arrangements, which are in place to facilitate smooth construction work on different sites in the project area.

Addressing the meeting, the Federal Minister said that the scheduled completion of Diamer Basha Dam Project was directly

Student commits suicide by jumping from 3rd floor of school

HYDERABAD STAFF REPORT

A sixth grade student of a private school allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the third floor of the school building moments before the school’s closing time. The incident happened in a school near Sehrish Nagar area in the limits of Qasimabad police station here on Monday. The police said they had obtained CCTV footage in which the 12 or 13 years old girl could be seen climbing up the wall of the corridor of the classrooms and later jumping down. He added that a person, who was said to be an employee of the school, could be seen approaching her apparently to try to stop her from committing suicide.

linked with the safe and congenial environment at the project sites, and that could only be made possible by enforcing well-thought out and coherent security plans in the project area. Earlier, the federal minister reviewed the construction activities and security arrangements at the work site.

Scheduled for completion in 2029, Diamer Basha Dam will have a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 MAF to irrigate 1.23 million acres of additional land. It will have the installed power generation capacity of 4,500 MW and provide 18 billion units of green and clean hydel electricity to the National Grid per annum. A sum of Rs.78.5 billion is being spent on resettlement of affectees and CBMs in health, education and infrastructure development.

Thor Hydel Power Station, Thak Hydel Power Station and Cadet College Chilas are among these CBMs. In addition, the locals are being accorded priority in employment opportunities on Diamer Basha Dam Project

LHC directs to adopt Urdu as official language

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed to adopt Urdu as an official language in government institutes.

As per details, Justice Raza Qureshi heard the plea filed to adopt Urdu as an official language in government institutes. The court directed

the government to implement the court orders in one month.

The court said that despite the strict orders from the supreme court, Urdu has not been adopted as a national language. The government should submit the report to deputy registrar’s office after the implementation of the court orders and contempt of court can proceed if the

court orders are not implemented.

The plea filed in LHC stated that the supreme court ordered to adopt Urdu as an official language in all government institutes but the SC orders were not implemented. After hearing the petition, the LHC ordered to adopt Urdu as an official language in all government institutes. Earlier in 2021, the Supreme Court (SC) slammed the fed-

Provincial interim ministers of excise meet to discuss relevant matters

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Minister for Labour, Excise and Narcotics Control, Haji Manzoor Khan Afridi called on Punjab Caretaker Minister for Excise, Taxation, Communications and Works departments Bilal Afzal during his short visit to Lahore.

According to a press statement issued here, in the meeting held at the Directorate General of Provincial Infrastructure Development Authority at Lahore, various matters of mutual interest were discussed between the two ministers. It was also agreed to remove the doubling in collections of registration and token taxes of vehicles between the provinces besides other other difficulties and complications.

The Punjab Excise Minister assured to arranging a meeting at the level of secretaries to keep the provincial governments and departments more abreast with the collection of token tax from the vehicles of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Lahore and other cities of Punjab as well as to clarify each other’s position and to solve the problems for good. He assured that progress will be made soon in this regard.

He also mentioned the problems faced by the law enforcement agencies and special squads of the KP provincial government in Punjab in going through the stages of investigation and prosecution upon which the provincial minister

f Punjab assured that this matter would be also taken up at the appropriate level. Haji Manzoor Afridi further said that in view of the spreading menace of ice addiction among the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he has started action against this social scourge and in this regard, antinarcotics campaigns are being launched especially in the educational institutions of the province on emergency basis. A plan has been chalked out for this purpose he added. Bilal Afzal hailed this initiative and assured proper cooperation from the Punjab government side and agreed with his argument that the use of ice in our young generation has become a bigger threat than atomic bomb due to its fatal implications. He said his provincial government is fully aware of its sensitivity too.

eral government for failing to implement Urdu as the official language despite the passage of six years.

The orders were passed by a threemember SC bench headed by the then Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial, hearing a contempt case against the federal government for failing to implement Urdu as the official language.

Court issues order regarding termination of Gill’s acquittal plea

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

A local court on Monday issued a written order regarding rejection of the acquittal plea of PTI’s leader Shahbaz Gill in sedition case. Additional Session Judge Tahir Abbas Sapra issued a three-page written order regarding the matter. The order stated that the defence lawyer had said that the case against his client had been made on the basis of a USB and its forensic was never been conducted. The lawyer was of the view that the USB was not in sealed form due to which it couldn’t be depended. He had further stated that there was no evidence against his client, it added.

The court said that so far no charges were framed against Shahbaz Gill and the evidences and witnesses yet to be produced before it. The order said that the accused would have a complete opportunity to raise objections against evidence and witnesses during cross-examination. The order said that there were satisfactory evidence on record to show the connection of the accused with this case. It stated that Shahbaz Gill had never denied his statement during hearings before the court. The acquittal plea of the accused is subsequently dismissed, it concluded.

South Korea donates five computer scanners to facilitate overseas employment system

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

South Korean Ambassador Mr. Suh Sangpyo on Monday handed over five units of computer equipment [scanners] to Director of Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis to facilitate the Overseas Employment System. The donation was made in

order to support the prompt administrative processing of the Employment Permit System (E9) project, which is being pursued under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached between the Republic of Korea and Pakistan.

A donation ceremony was held to donate the units of computer equipment that can be

used in various ways, such as passport scanning, to the sending country (OEC) free of charge, and opinions were exchanged on pending issues of the Employment Permit System (E9) project between the two countries.

The Ambassador of Korea, Mr Suh Sangpyo, appreciated that Pakistani workers are getting

more jobs in Korea under the Employment Permit System (E9) and also said that he would cooperate to further expand the EPS project in the future. It merits mention that in 2022, about 2,000 Pakistani workers found employment in South Korea through the Employment Permit System (E9).

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

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d I r E C T S

J I T T O S u b M I T P r O G r E S S r E P O r T I n

A r S h A d S h A r I f ’ S M u r d E r C A S E I n T W O W E E KS

iSLAmABAd

S ta f f R e p o R t

TH E Supreme Court on Monday directed the special joint investigation team (JIT) formed for the probe of the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya to submit a progress report in two weeks

A five-member larger bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata

Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Jamal

Khan Mandokhail Justice Sayyed Mazahar

Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Mohammad Ali

Mazhar heard the suo moto notice case regarding the independent and transparent investigation into the murder of renowned journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya

During the course of proceedings Additional Attorney General (AAG) Aamir Rehman said that two reports including one by the Foreign Office and the other by the

Eocean builds ChatGPT integration for Kistpay’s WhatsApp Chatbot to enhance customer experience

ConTinUEd from BACK pAgE

The launch of the Eocean powered Chat-GPT chatbot is a major milestone for Kistpay and the use of artificial intelligence in customer service With its user-friendly interface and advanced technology the chatbot is set to change the way people interact with businesses and receive support Customers can expect a seamless experience that is both fast and convenient The Eocean powered Chat-GPT chatbot is available now on WhatsApp for all Kistpay customers ”

OMAP announces helpline for smooth supply of POL products

ConTinUEd from BACK pAgE

OMCs despite all the issues are providing oil supply throughout the country without any issue,” he explained Having said that, he demanded that OMCs must ensure the smooth supply from depot to consumer so that no problem happens in the future The chief coordinator OMAP said that people can contact the WhatsApp number of OMAP to identify hoarders

Impor t restrictions create shor tage of steel bars

ConTinUEd from BACK pAgE

The massive devaluation of the PKR against the US dollar and the increase in petroleum prices have started to cause an inflationary impact on steel prices

The industries are forced to increase prices due to the devaluation of the local currency, uncertain economic conditions and high inflation The industry fears that this is just the beginning and that consumers will face even more shocking price hikes when the stuck imported containers stricken with heavy demurrage and detentions are released from the port

The shortage of raw materials is a result of problems with the non-opening of LCs due to the rapidly depleting foreign exchange reserves and a weakening rupee The shortage has forced many steel manufacturers to operate at very low capacities of 30% to 40%, using local scrap that is of poor quality The cash-strapped industry is on the brink of collapse as the cost of doing business is increasing due to the massive devaluation of the rupee

“The steel industry is a crucial contributor to the economy as one of the highest tax paying industries in Pakistan, and we need immediate intervention from the government to resolve this crisis to have our LC’s open effective immediately The high interest rates devalued rupee, and shortage of raw materials are putting unbearable pressures on steel makers and we urge the government to address these issues and provide support to the struggling steel sector,” the association added

OGRA notifies decline in LNG prices

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Monday has notified a reduction in prices of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for consumers of two public gas utilities – Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) – for February 2023 According to details, the LNG price for SNGPL consumers has been reduced by $0 61/mmbtu for February while for SSGC consumers the rate has been slashed by $0 56/mmbtu After the reduction, the OGRA has fixed the LNG price at $13 70/mmbtu for SNGPL consumers and $14 31/mmbtu for SSGC consumers S ta f f R e p o R t

JIT on Arshad Sharif s murder had been submitted in court The Kenyan authorities had accepted Pakistan’s request for mutual cooperation in the investigation, he added He said that legal action against the two police officials who opened fire at Arshad Sharif ’s car had been initiated by the Kenyan authorities Owais Ahmed head of JIT appeared before the bench and stated that the investigation team had not yet received any material related to Arshad Sharif s murder

The Kenyan officials had not granted the JIT full cooperation for the investigation he added The AAG said that the Kenyan authorities had yet not given complete access to Pakistan to the crime scene adding that the authorities had only expressed agreement over mutual legal cooperation

Justice Mazahar asked whether the JIT had found strong evidence from the investigation conducted in Kenya or not

Owais Ahmed replied that the team was

Economic growth linked to equal treatment of law for all citizens: Imran

LAHorE

S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan on Monday said that Pakistan cannot progress till double standards of law are done away with as the powerful people were committing all loot and plunder but they remained unpunished due to the successive NROs help them conveniently get their corruption cases quash

Addressing the scholars via a video link from his Lahore residence on Monday, Khan said that the powerful people in Pakistan got NRO while it was easiest to catch the powerful people in with the West if they were corrupt

He said that there was a rule of law in the West because they had true democracy which was for the benefit of their people The state of Madinah made the people free spiritually When the basic rights of people were given it helped to prosper society

Imran said that the West was prosperous because of rule of law on the land He said that everybody witnessed the ‘circus’ in Pakistan where the opponents were being framed in fake cases and put in jail

He said that his government wanted to improve relations with Russia, because in the past; such foreign policies were designed that were meant to please other countries rather than Pakistan Imran Khan stated that the PTI government wanted to get cheap wheat and oil but when he came back from the Russian visit the former Army chief Gen Bjawa asked him to condemn Russia for the Ukraine attack

“I said that India did not do that We should also stay neutral like India, he added However, PTI Chairman stated that Bajwa arbitrarily condemned the Russian attack during an international security dialogue just to please the US

He said that independent foreign policy defends

the rights of people but in Pakistan, we make foreign policies for personal benefits and to pleas other powers Imran Khan went on to say that Pakistan was indulged in the war on terror to please the US and to get dollars resultantly we lost 80 000 people

He stated that people get most of their education in English, but it was not appropriate to become a mental slave of the West He said that such a mindset loses the ability to produce things on its own

He said that slaves have never done great things, Mental slavery is more dangerous than physical slavery and accepting mental and cultural influence is also slavery ” He came down hard on the incumbent caretaker government in Punjab for axing the health card program and said that the health card which was introduced in their tenure had one million health insurance It was a protection for the poor people and the world applauded the initiative as well but unfortunately, the government rolled it back

He said that the PTI government launched the health card program to give health coverage to middle and lower-middle classes who get buried in debt if an individual contracts a disease

He said that due to the program, the private hospitals were ready to establish healthcare centers in the rural areas however everything has stopped now

in contact with the Kenyan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities The JIT had met doctors and police officials in Kenya, while the UAE officials had yet not allowed the team to conduct an investigation there he informed C h i e f J u s t i c e U m a r A t a B a n d i a l s a i d Kenya was a sovereign country and there s h o u l d b e n o b l a m e o n a n y o n e H e s a i d that the court would see if the special JIT had correctly conducted investigations in Kenya and UAE

nutshell Group to host 6th Edition of ‘The future Summit’

KArACHi

p R

Nutshell Group will host the 6th Edition of Pakistan’s largest corporate event, The Future Summit, in the commercial capital of Pakistan Karachi on February 15-16 2023 The theme for this year is ‘Prepare for Disruption, which aims to explore emerging business opportunities amid challenges at local and global levels disruption by technology, and innovation in businesses

The Summit will highlight core issues that businesses and economies are facing and will deliberate upon strategies to resolve those issues and chalk out the best way forward into the future Senator Sherry Rahman, Federal Minister for Climate Change; Senator Dr Musadik Malik, Minister of State for Petroleum; Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Chairperson Pakistan Stock Exchange SSGC & Karandaaz; Muhammad Aurangzeb

CEO and President, HBL, Chairman Pakistan Banks’ Association and Chairman Pakistan Business Council; Ghias Khan CEO Engro Corporation; Farrukh Amin CEO, Unity Food Limited, and many national and international experts will express their views on the thought provoking sessions lined up for the 2-day conference Nutshell Group customarily partners with leading companies across a variety of sectors including Healthcare, Information Technology Banking Engineering Energy & Power, etc for this Summit Nutshell Group would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the Summit cohost Engro Corporation the platinum partner HBL the headline sponsor Unity Foods Limited, and distinguished sponsors and partners including SAP, K-Electric Faysal Bank Limited PTCL Abacus Consulting Technology Limited, Al Meezan Investment Management Ltd, NBP Funds, Hilton Pharma, S&P Global, OICCI CORPORATE PAKISTAN GROUP Institute of Business Management, and ACCA

Balochistan

govt to send relief goods and medic al team to Syria

The Balochistan government has decided to send relief goods and a medical team to the earthquake victims of Syria Press Secretary of the Chief Minister said on Monday In this connection, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo directed the Health Department and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to take necessary steps for sending relief

Contempt plea filed against failure to announce Punjab election date

goods and the medical team to the earthquake victims of Syria On the instructions of the Chief Minister, Principal Secretary to CM, Imran Gichki conveyed the goodwill message of the Chief Minister to the Syrian Ambassador The Ambassador was apprised that the people and the government of Baluchistan were standing with their Syrian brothers in this difficult hour Despite of the limited resources and the problems caused by floods in the province, the provincial government will help the Syrian brethren he expressed

60 suspects arrested in Nankana S ahib lynching case

PTI Chairman negated the impression that it was necessary to generate money first before doing things for the underprivileged class like a welfare state However he stated that the truth was the exact opposite He laid down the importance of establishing a just system in society, terming it necessary for unleashing the true potential of its people PTI Chairman said that the government didn’t want to hold elections in the country within 90 days which was the stipulated time in the Constitution “The government says that it has no money to hold the polls which is a contravention of the Constitution, he said LAHorE

The Nankana Sahib police arrested 60 suspects involved in the lynching of a man outside the police station Several police teams launched a massive crackdown at the residences, business points, and other places to round up the suspects Sheikhupura Regional Police Officer (RPO)

Babar Sarfraz Alpa said some 17 suspects/attackers have been nominated in the FIR He said the police were very clear in its action against the attackers

whether they were from any religious organsation or a political party Raids are underway for the arrest of others,” Nankana Sahib District Police Officer (DPO) Asim Iftikhar told H e s a i d t h a t t h e Wa r b u r t o n p o l i c e l o d g e d t w o f i r s t i n f o r m a t i o n r e p o r t s , o n e a g a i n s t h u n d r e d s o f suspects who attacked the police station and murdered Waris and the other for desecrating the Holy Q u

s s e i z e d 9 2 3 v i d e o c l i p s o f t h e i n c i d e n t , a n d i d e n t i f i e d a n d a rrested 60 of them, adding that the identification of more suspects was in process

LAHorE

S ta f f R e p o R t

A contempt plea has been filed in Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday against failure to announce the date of the election in Punjab despite the court’s order A citizen named Munir Ahmed moved a contempt plea through Azhar Siddique advocate against the Punjab governor, the Election Commission of Pakistan and others The plea stated that despite the court’s order to immediately announce the election schedule in Punjab, the ECP failed in doing so As per the constitution elections are to be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly and only 60 days are remaining now, the plea stated The plea has urged the LHC to initiate contempt proceedings against Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, Chief Election Commissioner, Sikandar Sultan Raja and others Last week, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to organise by-polls in Punjab within three months The LHC’s Justice Jawad Hassan announced the reserved verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf s (PTI) petition seeking the court orders for Punjab by-polls In a 16-page short verdict, the high court ordered the election commission for organising by-polls in Punjab within 90 days

PM S hehbaz S harif direc ts stern ac tion against hoarders

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed stern action against the hoarders of essential commodities across the country Chairing a meeting on the availability of essential commodities and food items here, he stressed using technology to control the rates in Ramazan bazars He also emphasized putting in place effective measures for security

He also asked provinces and administrative units to submit a comprehensive strategy to the federal government on the provision of food items at subsidized rates during the holy month of Ramazan

He said ensuring the supply of essential items to citizens was the basic responsibility of the federal and provincial governments

In this regard, he called for improving liaison between centre and provinces and directed strict action against the hoarders PM Shehbaz Sharif said special committees would

be set up to improve the supply chain of commodities and maintain their prices

The meeting was told that necessary steps were being taken to ensure the supply of commodities including wheat, pulses and edible oil, and other items

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for National Food Protection and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the chief secretaries of four provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, the chief commission of Islamabad, and senior officials

Throwback to the 90s

S edition here, there and ever y where

IF the spate of political arrests during the previous PTI dispensation were being held up as the post90s gold standard to compare political victimisation with, the current PDM regime is not found wanting either

The latest example of this is the sedition charge against former finance minister Shaukat Tarin for his alleged attempt at scuttling the government s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund

The leaked phone calls of the former finance minister with the former finance ministers of the KP and Punjab governments can be used for political mileage by the other parties, and that they did But to frame sedition charges on such grounds is rather serious, yet the incumbents seem to be doling out such charges like candy

The term ‘politics of the 90s’, which we alluded to earlier, is a catchall term that summed up the vicious vindictive nature of politics when the then two major political parties alternated between power in that decade A constant sequence of from-cabinet-to-gulagto-cabinet Though the military establishment was ubiquitous and calling the shots back then as well, it was the political class that was blowing off steam in those heady times Though the ingress of the deep state in the scheme of things seems to have increased even more, it is still the political class that seems to be on the forefront on this particular category of victimisation, whether it was former PM Imran Khan gloating about how he was going to strip bare the jail cells of his opponents, or it is the framing of sedition charges against the likes of Fawad Chaudhry and Shaukat Tarin

Though the PML(N) and the PPP did falter on the Charter of Democracy, with the League pursuing the Memogate agenda in full force, they did learn from the mistakes of the 90s and at least avoided brazen political victimisation It is time for the three major national political parties to sit together and eke out some terms of engagement with each other Politics is, by its nature, adverserial and therefore has an element of toxicity baked into it But it is also, quite famously, the art of the possible If such an understanding has taken before, it can most certainly be repeated as well

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Yousaf Nizami Editor

D

Correct vs proper

A distinc tion that usually goes unappreciated

ON e often finds one’s thoughts and positions to be at odds with some of one s peers When it comes to collective and social issues, many people in such situations choose to take (or feel themselves obliged to take) an overly-aggressive approach to the problem, with some very unfortunate consequences Just observe the quantum of unsolicited advice flying around in every direction especially from some religious sections, the nau-deeniye (to coin a term), who have just discovered or rediscovered religion, and who are notoriously noisy about it They struggle to realize that they can act in any given situation as they see fit without insisting that everybody else follows their suit on the subject of unsolicited advice, recently in the middle of a routine jog, I was motioned to halt by a person whom I used to occasionally pass on the jogging track It was barely a month earlier that we had exchanged names and that was the sum total of our acquaintance When I asked him what the matter was, he informed me that though my shorts were kneelength, they were not quite satisfactory because the minimum requirement was not knee-length but longer than knee-length He further announced for my benefit that this oversight on my part had made it incumbent upon me to perform the ritual purification bath of course, the Subcontinent is famous for this sort of thing But from what one hears, things are not much different in North America either and I guess most other parts of the world as well My sister tells me that sensible, concerned Muslims in the United States have a tough time persuading zealots among their own ranks from rebuking youngsters for wearing to the mosque T-shirts with silly words printed on them Nodoubt some of the messages on these shirts are in extremely bad taste (to say the least) and there is a need for educating the youth regarding that But is that the first thing a youngster must be told? Any wonder many of them never return after such a reception? one has on good authority many similar tales about men interested in Islam who were driven away by the unbridled zeal of enthusiastic – no doubt sincere – Muslims one asked a first-time visitor to a mosque whether he was clean Another told a man who wanted to know about Islam to first go and throw away all liquor kept in his house and only then return for further instructions While there is no doubt that being clean and sober are important teachings of Islam, are these the first things to tell a man who

I n e f f e c t i ve re a c t i ve p o l i c i e s

ments in the country Pakistan s approach towards terrorist groups has been dominated by its reactionary policies, motivated by certain unfortunate events, which makes it ineffective in the long term After fighting terrorists for more than two decades and sacrificing the lives of almost 80,000 Pakistanis, we have failed to adopt a proactive and long-term approach to deal with fanatic elements

Pakistan has been a victim of terrorism for more t h a n t w o d e c a d e s , l e a d i n g t o t h e d e s t r u c t i o n o f t h e socio-economic-politico fabric of the country The era of extremism in Pakistan started with the United States ( U S ) i n v a s i o n o f A f g h a n i s t a n i n 2 0 0 1 A t t h a t t i m e , Afghanistan was ruled by Afghan Taliban once trained and financed by the US in collaboration with Pakistan a g a i n s t t h e S o v i e t U n i o n W h e n t h e U S i n v a d e d Afghanistan and removed the Taliban from the gove r n m e n t , P a k i s t a n s i d e d w i t h t h e w e s t e r n f o r c e s i n

fighting its infamous War on Terror The extremist elements in the region including Afghan Taliban Al Qaeda and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced to wage a war against Pakistan for supporting the weste r n f o r c e s i n A f g h a n i s t a n S i n c e t h e n P a k i s t a n h a s been a constant prey of extremist elements, targeting security forces and civilians

shows interest in the religion? Surely, there has to be a sensible progression, a hierarchy that starts with principal beliefs and then progressively delves into details when the recipient is ready for it This is where tact becomes so indispensable For zeal, no matter how well-meaning, is no substitutes for wisdom Gary Miller narrates the story of his first visit to a mosque on spotting him hesitating at the entrance, a young man came running towards him He was a university student who had stationed himself in the mosque and who even did his homework there Later on, he told Miller why he had rushed towards him It was to prevent some fool getting hold of Miller first and driving him away from religion for good one source of the trouble is the unhealthy amount of interest in the affairs of others Morality is first and foremost, about the individual himself It is my own affairs that I am principally answerable for Sure, I am also responsible for the well-being of those who are dependent on me, or are closely associated with me; but this is where the question of authority arises I may not like a young boy and a girl being overly chummy with each other actually I do not like it one bit as I believe it is harmful for the both of them But unless one of them happens to be my own child (or I am responsible for his or her acts in some other capacity), I hardly have the right to play the moral police by rebuking them or worse It is one thing to comment on an issue generally and on principle; quite another to castigate an individual for failing to live up to one’s standards of piety People seem to never tire of the exercise There are notable exceptions too, though too few and far between In a live TV Q&A session for instance, a questioner asked Maulana Wahiduddin Khan whether the sportswear worn by Sania Mirza conformed to Islamic standards Khan’s response was a breath of fresh air He told the questioner that he would have happily responded if Mirza had asked the question herself; which she hadn’t Khan further demanded to know why the questioner was so worried about a problem that was absolutely none of his business There are many, of course, who are genuinely

S o m e p e o p l e a l s o h av e t h i s t e n d e n cy t o s u dd e n ly ch o o s e t o b e c o m e t h e

f l ag b e a r e rs o f t r u t h

i n c e r t a i n m a t t e rs

T h ey a r e e s p e c i a l ly u n c o m p ro m i s i n g b e c a u s e w h a t t h ey a r e s ay i n g i s e s s e n t i a l ly t r u e . T h e p ro bl e m l i e s i n t h e s e l e c t i v e n a t u r e o f t h e i r e n t h u s i a s m t o p ro cl a i m c e r t a i n t r u t h s f ro m ro o f t o p s , w h i l e i g n o r i n g o t h e rs T h i s i s o f t e n p a r t o f a m i s ch i evo u s d e s i g n , c a m o u f l ag e d t o fo o l o t h e rs a n d s o m e t i m e s t h e i r ow n s e l v e s a s w e l l .

concerned about helping others by educating them regarding the right way of going about things If they are not to fall into the trap of looking to derive pleasure out of correcting others and demonstrating how pious and knowledgeable they are in comparison, they need to continually remind themselves that often the point is not whether a certain act (let us say qul, chaaleeswaan, or khatam) is correct or not What needs to be appreciated is that the grieving family thinks it is beneficial, even outright mandatory in some cases Many of them have never given any amount of thought to the issue, and are not even willing to consider the matter as debatable Sure there is a case for educating others where one thinks they have got it wrong but there is a proper setting for everything; otherwise, the whole exercise becomes quite counterproductive Nobody in an emotional frame of mind is likely to be willing to listen, let alone won over And yet, people choose the most inappropriate of occasions to try and convince others and then complain that their altruistic initiative fails to get a fitting response We are all inclined to spread the truth (or what we hold to be the truth) once we believe that we are in possession of it What we often forget is that something may very well be factually correct, but at the same time improper, or in bad tase, in a given context This distinction between correct and proper is one that is apparently too fine for many to make Some people also have this tendency to suddenly choose to become the flagbearers of truth in certain matters They are especially uncompromising because what they are saying is essentially true The problem lies in the selective nature of their enthusiasm to proclaim certain truths from rooftops, while ignoring others This is often part of a mischievous design, camouflaged to fool others and sometimes their own selves as well It is worthwhile to remind oneself periodically that on many occasions our motivations are not as altruistic as we like to believe

The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks) He can be reached at www facebook com/hasanaftabsaeed

To deal with any situation we either adopt proactive measures or a reactive approach

Proactive strategies are meant to anticipate a situation and adopt policies on preventing potential future threats before they appear and turn into a bigger problem Whereas, reactive strategy is a response to a situation as it emerges without adequate planning or policies Proactive strategies are normally more successful in avoiding/dealing with a possible crisis Whereas the reactive approach is deemed ineffective especially in the long term as it has no clear and preplanned strategies for a particular situation Unfortunately, Pakistan is facing the dilemma of a reactive approach when it comes to dealing with extremist ele-

In dealing with the threat of extremist groups Pakistan has adopted the policy of “carrot and stick” with no clear roadmap and objectives Sometimes we engage with extremists through negotiations (carrot) while other times, if negotiation fails we wage military operations against them (stick) our policies towards extremist groups including TTP Al Qaeda and others seem to have been based on a reactive approach So far, Pakistan has conducted seven major military operations against the extremist groups including operation Al-Meezan (2002), operation Zalzala (2008), operation Sher Dil (2008), operation Rah-e-Haq (2008), operation Rah-eRast (2009) operation Rah-e-Nijaat (2009) and operation Zarb-e-Azab (2015) one common aspect of all

these military operations was they were reactionary in nature, motivated by some tragic incidents like APS attack in 2014 one of the classic examples of our reactive approach to deal with extremism is operation Zarb-e-Azab, in response to the attack on Army Public School (APS) on 16 h December 2014, TTP fighters attacked an APS school in Peshawar killing innocent children In response to the terrorist attack, political and military leaders vowed to eliminate the militants from erstwhile FATA and take back control of North Waziristan and adjacent areas The operation resulted in the loss of precious lives and collateral damage forcing more than 2 million people to become IDPs The operation was successful in the short term, as the militants were evacuated from the area However, with the resurgence of TTP and other factions of it in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Pakistan is once again facing the threat of TTP With no long-term solution in sight, Pakistan is once again under the radar of TTP fighters The policymakers are facing the dilemma of either talking with the militant groups or fighting against them The previous government adopted the policy of appeasement towards TTP by engaging with them through negotiation and releasing

100 TTP prisoners

The current government, with no clear objectives are more or less following the footsteps of previous government in dealing with the TTP However, the appeasement policies met the same fate as of previous agreements The appeasement policy allowed the TTP fighters to relocate to the tribal region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after being cleared by the security forces Terrorist activities have intensified in Pakistan, as a 51% of the increase in terrorist activities was recorded in the year 2022 on 30th January 2023, Jammat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) a faction of TTP conducted a horrific terrorist attack in a mosque in Peshawar leading to the death of more than 100 people while more than 250 were injured

It is evident that our reactive policy towards Taliban has been ineffective With no continuous and long-term policies we have at times fought with Taliban and at times we have opted for an appeasement policy Just like in the past, policymakers should not wait for another unfortunate terrorist attack and adopt a proactive policy to deal with the threat of the growing extremism once and for all

The writer is a Research Officer in Balochistan Think Tank Network BTTN Quetta

e a l i n g w i t h e x t r e m i s m

De P R e S S I o N is a mental health disorder characterised by persistent feelings of sadness hopelessness and loss of interest in activities It can also cause a variety of physical and emotional symptoms such as fatigue difficulty in concentrating, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide Depression is a common condition that affects people of all ages, and it can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to function in daily life It can be treated with a combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes The development of depression in an individual can be influenced by a combination of genetic environmental, and psychological factors Studies have shown that people with a family history of depression are more likely to develop the condition Researchers believe that certain genes may make an individual more susceptible to the condition, but that other factors are also involved environmental factors, life events or ongoing stressors such as loss of loved one, financial troubles, a traumatic event or chronic stress can increase the risk of depression People who are low self-esteemed and who are pessimistic, or who tend to ruminate or dwell on negative thoughts may be more at risk of developing depression In addition, negative cognitive patterns such as rumination and maladaptive coping strategies can make an individual more vulnerable to depression It’s also worth mentioning here that depression can also be caused by some medical conditions, medications, or substance abuse and can develop differently in each individual and the cause of it can be complex and multi-factorial An accurate diagnosis and treatment are best done under the guidance of a mental health professional K i n d s o f d e p r e s s i o n: There are several different types of depression, each with its own set of symptoms and causes Some of the most common types include: a Major depressive disorder (MDD): This is the most common type of depression and is characterised by persistent feelings of sadness hopelessness and loss of interest in activities People with MDD may also experience physical symptoms such as fatigue, changes in appetite and sleep patterns and difficulty concentrating b Persistent depressive disorder (PDD): It is also known as dysthymia, and this type of depression is characterised by a lowgrade depression that lasts for at least two years People with PDD may experience symptoms similar to those of MDD but they may be less severe and longer-lasting c Bipolar disorder: This type of depression is characterised by swings between episodes of mania or hypomania and depression People with bipolar disorder may experience extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression) that can last for days weeks or months d Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): This type of depression is characterised by a recurring pattern of depression that begins in the fall or winter and ends in the spring or summer SAD is thought to be caused by the decreased amount of sunlight during the fall and winter months e Postpartum depression: This type of depression occurs in women after giving birth It is characterised by feelings of sadness hopelessness and difficulty bonding with the baby f Psychotic de-

pression: This type of depression is characterised by symptoms of both depression and psychosis, such as hallucinations or delusions It s important to note that depression can be highly individual and it can take different forms d e v e l o p m e n ta l i m pa c t s : Depression can have significant impacts on both the individual and society as a whole on an individual level, depression can greatly affect a person’s quality of life It can cause a person to lose interest in activities they once enjoyed, have difficulty in maintaining relationships and performing daily tasks, and in severe cases, lead to thoughts of self-harm or suicide People with depression also experience a high degree of emotional distress and may suffer from anxiety, hopelessness, and feelings of worthlessness on a societal level, depression can be a major contributor to lost productivity, absenteeism, and disability It can also lead to increased healthcare costs, both due to treatment and due to other health issues, that may arise as a result of depression In addition depression can also lead to increased rates of poverty unemployment, and crime, as well as other social problems Moreover depression can also have a negative impact on the economy as it can lead to decreased productivity and increased absenteeism which can lead to lower GDP growth It can affect individuals ability to work, which can lead to loss of income and financial strain on families and also lead to decreased consumer spending which can negatively impact the economy It’s important to note that depression is a treatable mental illness and with the right support people with depression can recover and lead fulfilling lives Seeking help from a mental health professional is an important step for individuals struggling with depression, and investing in mental health resources can have a positive impact on both individuals and society as a whole p o s s i b l e t r e at m e n t s: Depression is a treatable condition and there are several different

Regular exercise , healthy diet, adequate sleep, and stress manag ement techniques can help to alleviate symptoms of depression. It’s impor tant to note here that the treatment of depression is best determined by a mental health professional and can var y depending on the individual’s symptoms and needs

treatment options available The most common treatments for depression include: a Therapy: This can include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps individuals identify and change negative thought patterns, or talk therapy, which can help individuals understand and work through their feelings and emotions b Medication: Antidepressant medication can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression c Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants and they work by increasing the levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that regulates mood d electroconvulsive therapy (eCT): eCT is a treatment option for severe depression that has not responded to other treatments It involves passing a small electric current through the brain to trigger a seizure eCT is typically done under general anesthesia and is usually administered on an outpatient basis e Light therapy: In the case of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) light therapy can be used to mimic the effects of natural sunlight on the body and brain, helping to regulate mood f Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) : This is a noninvasive procedure where magnetic fields are used to stimulate nerve cells in the brain It is used to help alleviate symptoms of depression for those who have not responded to other treatment options g Lifestyle changes: Regular exercise, healthy diet, adequate sleep and stress management techniques can help to alleviate symptoms of depression It s important to note here that the treatment of depression is best determined by a mental health professional and can vary depending on the individual s symptoms and needs A combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes can be effective in treating depression It s also important to continue treatment even after symptoms improve to prevent relapses It’s important to note that early intervention and treatment can help to mitigate the negative effects of depression on human development

The writer is a freelance columnist

S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r, Pakistan Today, 4 - S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h L a h o re P a k i s t a n E - m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan Today e x c l u s i v e l y

The Kashmir issue needs a resolution

FeB 5 was observed as the Kashmir Solidarity Day in the country and elsewhere this month The day has been marked since the mid-1990s, but it gained significance after India stripped Kashmir off its special status by revoking Article 370 and 35A in August 2019 Pakistan has, indeed, given moral support to the oppressed Kashmiris for over seven decades whose lives have become worse under the draconian rule of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government under its fascist leader, Narendra Modi

The silence of the world community, especially of the United Nations, has been rather deafening all along Pakistan can still explore options to keep the issue alive at the international level for support from the global community But in order to k Pakistan, along with China, must also engage other big powers, like Russia, to put pressure on India to withdraw the brutal measures and to restore Kashmir ’s previous status India’s blatant violations of UN resolutions and human rights are no secret Pakistan only needs to highlight those violations and atrocities at every forum to seek justice for the Kashmiris

The people in Kashmir have been living under oppression for decades, but change in its special status has brought about an unprecedented wave of draconian laws that are also changing the demographics of the occupied Jammu and Kashmir valley The Palestine issue is discussed internationally and we need to put Kashmir s case, too, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to end the Indian atrocities against our Kashmiri brethren

Moreover, Pakistani diplomatic missions have a heavy responsibility of highlighting the issue and fighting for the cause of the Kashmiris Pakistani diplomats must act to counter Indian lobby across the world by presenting the facts and history of the Kashmir issue

The media has done well to highlight the issue, but efforts on this count need to be intensified other than the local media international media outlets should be involved in discussing and advocating the cause of the Kashmiris Last but not least, Pakistan should also promote its soft image to counter India’s persistent narrative of Pakistan being a terrorsponsoring state, which has weakened Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir issue significantly While the opening of the Kartarpur corridor was a major step in the right direction Pakistan needs to take more measures to prove to the world that it is a peace-loving state, and it is owing to India’s belligerence that the region has been a global flashpoint for so long

We need stabilit y

U N F o RT U N AT e Ly Pakistan has fallen prey to narcissistic politicians who simply care about nothing except gaining and regaining power No one is willing to have a look on the grievances of the poor

Instead of working hard collectively for resolving national issues they are only adding fuel to the raging, unforgiving fire of instability

Irrational approach across the political divide has created chaos of all sorts across the country No one wants to sit together and end the prevailing and worsening political instability which is providing room to non-state actors who are actively working to add layers of insecurity

Poverty lawlessness and uncertainty have together increased the crime rate, with nobody seemingly able to prevail over the criminal elements economic instability is also an outcome of political instability Be it food insecurity or shrinking foreign reserves, all have roots in flawed policies It is not difficult to understand that no government can frame a reasonably good policy in such chaotic circumstances There is a need to end this narcissism Pakistan and its people want their due They are tired of such political tussles and verbal spats between the government and the opposition The political players should think about people and their future It is not surprising that the young ones see an uncertain future here They are moving abroad in search of better future even if with a heavy heart The politicians should stop depriving people of having a life in their home-land Likewise, they should also stop depriving the homeland of a chance to make use of the talent, competence and energy of its youth The politicians should think about the voters who trust them and bring them to power again and again It is time political leaders thought about the plight of the people and tried to turn the country into a place worth living

MUHAMMAD MOHTASIM MANDI BHAUDDIN

The forgotten crash

T H e video footages of rescue operation being carried out on the crash site in Pokhara, Nepal, painfully brought back the gloomy memories of the Islamabad-bound flight PK-661 that crashed near Havelian on Dec 7 2016 resulting in the loss of 47 people on board, including my elder brother

Those at the helm of affairs in the country need to be reminded that due justice has still not been delivered to the victims of flight PK-661 The investigation report of the tragic crash had clearly uncovered negligence on the part of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that had led to the catastrophic crash which claimed precious lives, leaving behind the bereaved family members to mourn their loss forever From that ill-fated day more than six years ago, the sight or news of an air crash in any part of the world refreshes the pain my family has gone through, and it also elicits profound empathy for the bereaved families Losing loved ones is unequivocally the most difficult thing in anyone’s life, and that happening in such a tragic way like air crash doubles the distress May the grieving families of the current Nepal air crash victims soon find the remains of their loved ones, which will somehow soothe their aching heart and provide them some level of psychological closure

A deep introspection is needed to determine as to how the developed world has significantly minimised the risks of air accidents, and why most of them occur in the developing countries in Asia and Africa

Apparently, it seems that best practices of air travel, such as strict compliance to safety and security protocols, and consistent and stern monitoring and maintenance of aircraft that are practised in the developed world, are not followed in letter and in spirit in developing parts of the world, which usually leads to such mishaps Therefore, there is a need for the governments in the developing countries to sternly make the airlines abide by the aviation best practices, and harshly punish the nonconformant to maximise the probability of stringent compliance SHADMAN ZAIN

D e e p e f f e c t s o f d e p r e s s i o

n

RAjkumAR RAo

IN 2006, British novelist Martin Amis said:

“There’s a definite urge - don’t you have it? - to say, The Muslim community will have to suffer until it gets its house in order ’” elements of Britain’s right wing, and the anti-Muslim ideologues within it, have seemingly taken these words as a mantra The Prevent review authored by William Shawcross, who once said that “europe and Islam is one of the greatest, most terrifying problems of our future , could easily be seen as the manifestation of Amis’s words Its basic conclusion is that too little attention has been given to extremism by Muslims, and far too much to the far right In other words Britain has effectively forgotten who the real bad guys are These findings have been met with scorn and disdain from Muslims and human rights groups including Amnesty International But not everyone shares the alarm, because many of its findings read as a compendium of the long lament that Britain’s right-wing media has engaged in for some time

Almost every week, commentators, reporters or reviewers in the right-wing press complain about how there aren’t enough films depicting Muslim countries as backward hellholes, or how a drama on TV wouldn t dare depict Islam as it has Christianity even celebrities are urged

to give credence to the idea that there just isn’t the same scrutiny of Islam, or that not enough of the bad things done in its name are the subject of fictional representation

Particularly galling for these commentators is the recent uptick in the dramatisation of the growing far-right threat in Britain Their main target of scorn is the socalled cultural left, described as “too cowardly, hypocritical and woke to risk a more topical [show] about fundamentalist Islam”

CHALLENGING NARRATIVES: Similarly, the Prevent review targets Muslims who don’t see events in the same way as the nation’s stenographers, and are described as a potential threat for challenging orthodox or state-driven narratives” Assumedly this includes narratives such as extremists trying to take over Birmingham schoolswhich, despite having being exposed as a vicious and disingenuous campaign against Muslims remains a story untouched by the wider media since the allegations were debunked Another story that would potentially make for interesting reading involves the recent bombshell revelations by journalist Seymour Hersh, who has accused the US government of blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline If Muslims or others were to believe this report and conclude that the Americans were responsible for something clearly advantageous to their geopolitical goals, would that come under the auspices of Prevent? The reasoning outlined in the Prevent report suggests it might one journalist, Lizzie Dearden of the Independent,

Guignol’s band rides a streetcar named desire

Abus offering a free ride will not make it to the destination That’s a rule of thumb that many Iranian opposition figures fancying themselves as the champions of change in Iran don t know

In another charade key figures of the Iranian opposition, including a holdover pampered Iranian prince, gathered at Georgetown University in Washington D C to create the false impression of unity among the cantankerous opposition

The first thing that grabbed the attention was the participants bloated feeling of importance They sat beside each other as if millions of shackled Iranian plebs gagging for food and freedom are lining up at the gates waiting for a reveler prince to come to their rescue This bus is free of charge! You don’t need to buy a ticket,” an overconfident reza Pahlavi, son of the last imperial Iranian dictator said He was responding to a question on why representatives of Iran’s ethnic minorities were not invited to the event The prince, or the crown prince as some may argue indicated that he was the driver – but without a driving license That may be why the first one to hop off the bus was Abdullah Mohtadi, the head of the Kurdish Kumala Party a group that pines for separatism and is neglected by Kurds He recorded a video message for the controversial event but later said that he accepts no conditions from the wretched prince Pundits believe that the reason internal disputes went out of hand this quickly is the fact that all opposition

Christian sCienCe Monitor

Mo r e than two weeks after a New York-based financial research firm accused one of India’s largest business conglomerates of “a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades,” the country’s major stock exchanges are still seeking balance

Markets, like horses, scare easily They need distance to assess what made them bolt India’s financial regulators have opened at least one new probe into the allegations against the Adani Group, a large-scale infrastructure developer with close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi The group shed roughly $120 billion – half its value – after the report went public on Jan 24 But what is already apparent is that the claims against Adani have sent a fresh impulse of integrity through India’s public institutions and civil society

The lesson for everyone is that we should believe in top class governance and we should open our books and records to everyone in the world,” Amitabh Kant, Mr Modi’s chief representative to the G-20 group of nations, told Bloomberg

The two-year forensic study of Adani’s practices by Hindenburg research comes at a time when international investors regard India, now the world s most populous country as a promising alternative to China for its business environment The report’s conclusions raise new concerns about Mr Modi s economic model, which has consolidated lucrative public contracts in a small group of wealthy developers at the expense of local competition and foreign investment Those practices may be one rea-

leaders prioritize their personal interests over those of the Iranian people This has been the case for 44 years That s why Pahlavi and his minions along with other detested opposition groups have failed at every turn to challenge the Islamic republic, which enjoys the grassroots support of Iranians The latest display of support came a few hours after the Washington D C event, when an estimated 21 million participated in the 44th anniversary of the Islamic revolution an occasion the opposition worked their butt off to overshadow, only to miserably fail According to observers, this level of turnout is explained by the fact that the Iranian people may have been grappling by some economic hardships but they know for sure that these hardships can be resolved They know that the opposition is mainly driven by their own interests not those of the people

Then there is another factor In recent years, key opposition figures have worked to prevent any sanctions relief for the Iranian people every time there were kind of negotiations and a chance for sanctions relief, the opposition became vocal in their opposition to sanctions removal In a sense they are not just opposition to the Islamic republic, but also opposition to economic opening, which they see as a great danger to their political aspirations

Also being an oppositionist has proven lucrative for almost all the participants of course, an exception should be made here; reza Pahlavi does not make profits from being an oppositionist He already enjoys a huge household wealth inherited from his despotic ancestors who in turn became opulent overnight after ascending to the throne other oppositionists, however, rake in lump sums annually in the name of freedom

son why public perceptions of corruption are so high in India

The latest Transparency International index, released last month, shows that 89% of Indians say government corruption is a big problem

The Adani Group and Mr Modi vehemently deny the claims, and Mr Modi’s party adjourned Parliament three days in a row amid opposition demands to debate the report But India s most important financial institutions have been less dismissive The heads of the Securities and exchange Board of India and the reserve Bank of India have reiterated their commitment to public integrity Two local stock exchanges have put three Adani Group companies under trading surveillance The Supreme Court is expected to hear two public interest litigations on the report The ripples have spread offshore Norway’s sovereign fund announced it was disinvesting from the Adani Group The global stock index MSCI, meanwhile, said it was reevaluating the proportion of Adani Group stocks open to international investors in public markets

In its most recent assessment of India as a destination for foreign investment the U S State Department noted that “Indian-specific standards not aligned with international standards [have] effectively restricted the expansion in bilateral trade and investment ” The scrutiny of the Adani Group casts uncertainty over a broad range of critical infrastructure projects in India Yet by casting a light on public integrity it already had a salutary effect As Mr Kant noted in an opinion essay on Feb 5, “Good governance is about empowering people with the tools that will enable them to grow individually and as a community This requires a capacious and humane public administration ”

was quick to point out a “key mistake” found as early as page three of the report, where Shawcross suggests that all terror attacks in the UK since 2019 have been Islamist in nature Her scrutiny is welcome, particularly as she knows first-hand the dangers of the far-right; just last year Britain’s most notorious far-right personality was the subject of a banning order for harassing Dearden outside her home Dearden and others have noted how Shawcross did not include in his list of recent attacks a 2019 incident where the perpetrator literally shouted all Muslims should die” nor the most recent terrorist attack in Britain in october 2022, where the perpetrator firebombed a migrant centre and aimed to obliterate Muslim children

It’s hardly surprising as Dearden further pointed out that the report fails to explain what the Home office’s classification of extreme right-wing terrorism is But then that was never the point of the review

DOUBLE STANDARDS: What Shawcross does make clear is that some “examples of centre-right debate populism, and controversial or distasteful forms of rightleaning commentary and intolerance [fall] well short of the extremism threshold

This seems reasonable on the face of it, except for the fact that some of the most notorious far-right or neoNazi killers on the planet have quoted from such commentaries Certain pundits are namechecked in the manifesto of Norwegian killer Anders Behring Breivik,

who murdered 77 people others have said conditions should be made harder for Muslims across the board

Again, Muslims do not get this type of privilege, as the security state expands its tentacles to include “nonviolent extremists under the banner of Islamists or “Islamism” - a model the French government has increasingly employed against its Muslim citizens, and which some of Britain s right-wing media have fawned over and believe should be adopted here

The Spectator, a publication that has in the past defended neo-Nazis and whose commentators have deplored the lack of Islamophobia in Britain was recently bellowing about the need for Britain to follow the French example, citing the failure of MPs to blame Islam for the murder of David Amess in 2021 This was the clearest example of how the lament of Britain’s right-wing will continue post-Shawcross

Just how bad they want things to get for Muslims remains an open question The fact that an MP - now deputy chairman of the Conservative Party - made news by calling for the death penalty to be reintroduced in Britain, citing Muslim extremists as an example of the perfect candidates, is rather ominous

Faisal Hanif is a media analyst at the Centre for Media Monitoring and has previously worked as a news reporter and researcher at the Times and the BBC His latest report looks at how the British media reports terrorism

CounterPunCh B i N oy K a m p m a r K

TH e r e is nothing Gautam Adani will not do for money In this sense he is admirably dedicated to greed, so much so he has become its foremost caricature worthy of permanent enthronement Mark this man’s name in the scriptures of eternity: There was nothing he did not do for the filthy lucre

For the unfamiliar reader the $218 billion Adani imperium, one specialising in transport, infrastructure, and mining, is vast, with far reaching feelers, prongs and tentacles that have made their mark in a number of countries Along the way, Adani’s companies have made quite a name for themselves employment laws have been breached and treated with disdain Broader human rights abuses have featured Governments and regulators have been lied to No environment is ecologically safe from the company s activities despite their assertions to the contrary The gallivanting, amoral Ceo has also made quite a habit of cultivating politicians across the globe These representatives weaklings as they are, have shown themselves amenable to changing their minds in the face of Adani’s overtures

Despite all their efforts GA and key members of the group, of which 8 hail from his family, have not been immune from criticism A number of reports abound from non-government organisations and activists documenting a most predatory record But the evaluation from the short seller Hindenburg research, whose findings were published last month approached the conduct of the conglomerate Adani Group a bit differently

The central claim of the US investment firm is that the group has engaged in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades ” Having spoken to dozens of individuals, including former senior executives and conducting a review of thousands of documents and visiting a number of sites across a half-dozen countries, the picture that emerges is even uglier than first thought

For one, the image of financial security and reliable solvency comes across as a fiction In addition to grossly inflated valuations, the Adani companies have taken on substantial debt Shares of inflated stock have been pledged in order to secure loans

A sense of the false accounting picture given by Adani’s accounts can be gathered from the practices of Gautam Adani’s younger brother, rajesh, who was accused by the Directorate of revenue Intelligence

(DrI) for being a key figure in a diamond import/export trading scheme in 2004-2005 rajesh had used a number of offshore shell companies to generate artificial turnover Gautam’s brother-in-law, Samir Vota, was also in on the scheme, making a number of false statements to the regulators The saga of corrupt behaviour continues through the activities of Vinod Adani, Gautam’s older brother This most shady of figures plays a key role in managing dozens of shell entities that serve the functions of stock manipulation and money laundering The latter part is achieved through using money from Adani s private companies to bloat the balance sheets of the listed companies

Adani’s response to the claims, one running into 413 mostly irrelevant pages, was to accuse the US firm of being in “flagrant breach of applicable securities and foreign exchange laws”, conduct becoming the “Madoffs of Manhattan A nationalist narrative was also injected into the rebuttal: to attack the Adani Group was nothing less than attacking Indian success itself Hindenburg research s counter to such bluster was chastening India, “a vibrant democracy and an emerging superpower with an exciting future”, was being held back by the Adani Group, which has draped itself in the Indian flag while systematically looting the nation ” Since January 24, the date chosen by Hindenburg research to release its findings, Gautam Adani’s unnaturally inflated personal wealth has been pared back From being the third richest man, he is now out of the top 20 Within days, the conglomerate’s market value was wiped to the striking sum of $113 6 billion The company has promised to prepay loans with $1 1 billion and call off its secondary share sale The collateral used by the companies to secure funds has also suffered a fall in value

Despite the rich number of allegations directed at Gautam the family and his associates another country and its government have fallen under the group’s spell on January 31, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Adani shook hands to formally confirm the $1 18 billion sale of the port of Haifa that had been agreed upon earlier in the month The Indian billionaire was wistfully nostalgic on the occasion noting that Indian troops had “led, in 1918, one of the greatest cavalry charges in military history” in Haifa Netanyahu hopes to leverage investments made in the Haifa project to create a trade route linking the Mediterranean and the Gulf, thereby bypassing the Suez Canal In the words of the overly confident Israeli Prime Minister, Haifa would “become the entry point and exit point for a vast number of goods that will reach the Mediterranean and europe directly without having to go around the Arabian peninsula ”

To do so, the Abraham Accords are being touted as the economic centrepiece enabling rail links to be established in Saudi Arabia, through Jordan and ultimately to Haifa port itself But Netanyahu, himself no creature to accusations of corruption is facing a figure and business partner in freefall

Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College Cambridge He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne Email: bkampmark@gmail com

THE REPORT FAILS TO EXPL AIN WHAT THE HOME OFFICE’S CL ASSIFICATION OF ‘EX TREME RIGHT-WING’ TERRORISM IS BUT THEN, THAT WAS NE VER THE POINT OF THE RE VIE W

A p r o d f o r i n t e g r i t y i n I n d i a

corporate corner

NOT-BY- PROFIT

Urgent need for skilled agri workers in Pakistan to address ProdUctivit y challenges

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PHAF residencia housing projec t to be relaunched in Peshawar

P e s h a w a r: Maulana Abdul Wasay, Federal Minister, Ministry of Housing and Works chaired a meeting of Board of Directors of Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF) During the course of meeting various agendas came under consideration Board members discussed various issues and matters pertaining to different ongoing and stalled projects of the department Board was briefed about the completed and ongoing projects of the PHAF Maulana Abdul Wasay, Federal Minister, Ministry of Housing and Works, was apprised of re-launching of PHAF Residencia Housing Project, Peshawar The Consultant has completed the aerial survey in this regard and PC-1 is near to be finalized Housing Minister applauded the efforts of MD PHAF on re-launching of project which has been stucked for years He said that all ongoing projects must be completed in stipulated time and no negligence will be tolerated at any cost He also directed to expedite development work at Kuchlak Road Project, Quetta p r

PAF evac uates Pakistani families and students from Turkiye

IL-78 aircraft of Pakistan Air Force landed back at PAF Base

Nur Khan after a successful mission of providing humanitarian assistance to the earthquake-stricken people of Turkiye Owing to efforts of PAF, a number of Pakistani students & families stuck in the area were evacuated through the Ilyushin-78 and were brought back to the homeland safely The Pakistani students and families expressed their gratitude for the overall efforts of Pakistan Air Force in bringing them back to Pakistan and rescuing their fellow countrymen stranded in the natural calamity abroad Other such missions by PAF, in coordination with NDMA and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are also in queue to help the earthquake affectees p r

AIOU to close MS/MPhil, PhD admissions tomorrow

I s L a M a B a D: Allama Iqbal Open University had commenced admissions in the first phase of spring 2023 semester including BS, MS/MPhil and PhD and tomorrow (15th February) is the deadline for the submission of admission application form Whereas the last date of admission for Matric and Intermediate programs is February 21 AIOU has also announced the admission entry test schedule for MS/MPhil and PhD programs These entry tests will be conducted in university’s academic complex from February 17-22, 2023 Moreover, the final examinations of matriculation, FA, FSc and I Com programs of semester autumn 2022 will begin across the country from March 1 and will continue till April 3 According to Controller Examinations, date sheet is available on the university website (www aiou edu pk) Roll number slips are uploaded to students’ CMS portal and dispatched to the students at their addresses as well Vice Chancellor, AIOU, Prof Dr Nasir Mehmood has instructed the examinations department to ensure transparency and provide all facilities to the students during the conduct of examinations p r

Avoid construc tion near or under elec tric al installations: IESCO chief

IsLaMaBaD: IESCO management has always ensured to provide best services to its customers and keeping them safe from electrical accidents Chief Executive IESCO Dr Muhammad Amjad Khan, while giving details, said that in the IESCO region the power lines passing near or above the houses are being shifted to safe places on a priority basis So far 9921 locations have been identified by field formations and customers on which 8649 points have been secured by taking timely action and IESCO has borne the expenses of more than 1532 5 Million on these works, showing customer friendly company IESCO management requests the esteemed customers to avoid construction under or near electrical installations to protect themselves and their loved ones from electrical accidents as it is a life-threatening as well as illegal practice and FIRs are also being registered against such consumers in the respective police stations p r

iSLaMaBaD

wR I T I N G for Dawn, Sara Mehmood and Khalid Saeed Wattoo

note that Pakistan s agriculture sector has lagged behind in growth and productivity compared to other countries with similar agro-climatic conditions

The most commonly cited reasons for this include the limited use of highyielding seeds insufficient fertilization, inadequate water supply, ineffective extension services, and farmers limited access to agricultural credit However, one crucial aspect that has been overlooked is the human factor - the lack of knowledge training, and efficiency of farm workers who carry out day-to-day operations

The agriculture sector has undergone continuous evolution and transformation since Pakistan's independence in 1947 but in the last two decades, many aspects of farming have changed dramatically Unfortunately there have been no concerted efforts by either the public or private sector to train farm workers in line

with these changes

The use of hybrid and genetically modified seeds, such as Bt cotton in Pakistan, has increased significantly Crop production technology for these high-yielding seeds is more complex and technical, requiring a new set of agricultural inputs and skills As a result, farming with these seeds is no longer as simple as it was with traditional open-pollinated seeds

As the sector becomes more capital-intensive with the use of technology it demands trained labor With land holdings rapidly decreasing due to population growth, farmers are under pressure to get the most out of their land and inputs, which are becoming more expensive As a result, improved resource conservation technologies and farming practices, such as high-efficiency irrigation solutions, precision sprayers pneumatic drills etc are making inroads in the sector, but all of these require higher levels of skills

The widespread adoption of shortduration crop varieties has increased the maximum allowable crop intensity from two to three crops per year in some areas For example, 1509 Basmati Rice matures in less than 90 days, com-

pared to 140 days for the traditional super basmati variety This requires a higher level of mechanization and trained workers to complete operations in the short time span between crops

Farm mechanization is also increasing in Pakistan, and it is no longer limited to tractors water pumps, and threshers The use of general-purpose and crop-specific selfpropelled and tractor-driven agricultural machinery and implements has been continuously increasing in farming operations such as land preparation, irrigation, weeding, harvesting, and grading

With the increase in per capita income many countries are experiencing a shift in dietary patterns, with a decreased emphasis on starchy staple foods and an increased focus on diversified, nutritious food, including animal and dairy products fruits and vegetables These countries are increasingly enforcing stringent international food safety regulations and traceability regimes on imported products

Many Pakistani farms have already achieved certification of Global Good Agricultural Practices (Global GAP), and the number is growing

The c ase for a projec t economy

Writing for Dawn Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri discusses the concept of a "project economy" as a way to promote sustainable economic growth in Pakistan He argues that the country needs to move away from a "rent-seeking" economy, where businesses and individuals aim to profit by seeking government contracts or other special privileges and instead embrace a project-based approach that encourages private investment and innovation

Dr Qadri suggests that a project economy should be based on four key principles: entrepreneurship, innovation, infrastructure, and education These principles are designed to create an environ-

ment that fosters the creation of new businesses and encourages them to invest in projects that are innovative and transformative At the same time, the principles aim to create an ecosystem where businesses can operate efficiently and effectively by building and maintaining the necessary infrastructure and workforce

According to Dr Qadri, the government has a crucial role to play in creating a favourable environment for a project economy This includes developing a regulatory framework that encourages entrepreneurship, providing funding for research and development and investing in infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, and ports He also stresses the importance of good governance and accountability as these are critical for attracting for-

Sharjeel announces official launch of people’s bus ser vice in Sukkur on Februar y 17

Karachi S ta f f r E p o r t S i n d h M i n i s t e r f o r I n f o r m a t i o n , Tr a n s p o r t a n d M a s s Tr a n s i t S i n d h S h a r j e e l I n a m

Memon has anounced to formally launch the People's Bus Service for the people of Sukkur on February 17 and People Pink bus service i n H y d e r a b a d f r o m F e b r u a r y 1 8 a n d n e w routes of people's Pink Bus Service and increase in number of buses on route-1 of Pink Bus Service from February 20

The provincial minister made these announcements in a press conference in his office on Monday after a high-level meeting related to People's Bus Service Elaborating about the important decisions taken in the meeting regarding People's Bus Service he said that after Karachi, Hyderabad and Larkana, the people of Sukkur will get the facility of modern and affordable bus service from February 17

The provincial minister said that on February 18, the People's Pink bus service for women will be started in Hyderabad While People's Pink Bus Service is being started on two more routes in Karachi on February 20 and more buses will be added to the fleet of

Route-1of People s Pink Bus Service

He said that pink bus service route- 2 starts from Power Chowrangi North Karachi via Nagan Chowrangi Shafiq Mor Gulshan Chowrangi, Johar Mor, COD, Drug Road, Shaara Faisal, Shah Faisal Colony, Sangar Chowrangi Korangi No 5 and terminates at Indus Hospital Korangi Similarly, operations of pink buses will also be lunched on Route No 10 from Numaish Chowrangi via MA Jinnah Road Zeb -u- Nisa Street, Metropole, Teen Talwar, Do Talwar, Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Dolman Mall, McDonald s UpTo Clock Tower at Sea View

He further added that the number of buses will be increased on the existing route 1 of the pink bus service plying between Model colony and Merewethar Tower

He said that few people has criticised Pink people bus by saying that People s Party could not win the hearts of people by bringing just 10 buses He said that tremendous response has been received on Pink Bus Service and everyone appreciated the initiative of Sindh government He said that Pakistan is among few countries where separate bus service for women launched Sharjeel Inam Memon said that there is a storm of inflation in Pakistan and severe pressure on the country s economy

However, traditional farm workers who lack appropriate education training, and skills may struggle to comply with certification requirements and adhere to quality standards and food safety guidelines

ICT-enabled services, such as weather forecasting and agricultural advisory services, are becoming increasingly popular in rural areas, and farm workers need to be equipped to take advantage of these advancements in their work The threat of climate change is rapidly increasing and adopting climate-smart agricultural practices requires well-informed decision making and trained workers

In light of these technological and environmental changes, it is clear that Pakistan s agriculture sector requires farm workers with the knowledge and skills to undertake farming operations in line with the latest technological requirements and advanced agricultural practices However, the technical and vocational education and training sector of Pakistan is not currently geared towards providing such training programs

To read the full article visit www dawn com

eign investment and ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget

Dr Qadri highlights some examples of successful project economies around the world, such as Singapore, which has transformed itself from a third-world country to a first-world economy through the implementation of a project-based approach He also notes that Pakistan has the potential to become a hub for international trade and investment, given its strategic location and access to key markets

In conclusion, Dr Qadri argues that a project economy is the way forward for Pakistan and that the country has the potential to become a major player in the global economy if it embraces this approach He calls on the government and private sector to work together to create an ecosystem that encourages innovation investment and growth and to ensure that Pakistan s economy is sustainable equitable and responsive to the needs of its people

To rea d th e fu ll a r ticle vis it w w w d a w n co m

BoK Raast Islamic Banking, Int'l Consulting sign MoU to expand financial ser vices in newly merged distric ts

P e s h a w a r: Bank of Khyber Raast Islamic banking and International Consulting associates (Pvt) Ltd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand access to financial services to the residents of South Waziristan North Waziristan and Khyber Districts This partnership will help improve the financial well-being of individuals and communities in these regions The partnership will bring together the expertise of both organizations to host a series of financial literacy trainings on State Bank of Pakistan approved training curriculum These sessions will cover a wide array of topics, including budgeting, saving, investing, credit management, and will target low-income families students women and unbanked MSMEs As part of MOU iConsult will also facilitate and mobilize communities to open bank accounts and avail financial services Furthermore under the MOU women belonging to South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Khyber districts will be trained and provided internship at BOK "We are excited to partner with International Consulting Associates (pvt) Ltd to expand access to financial services in Merged Districts," said Ali Khan Arbab, Group Head Islamic Banking (A) "We believe that everyone deserves access to financial services that can help them achieve their goals, regardless of where they live This partnership will help us bring these services to communities that need them the most " "We are proud to join forces with Bank of Khyber to improve financial well-being in Merged Areas," said Kashif Maqbool Sehgal Regional Head KP iConsult We understand the challenges that come with limited access to financial services, and we are committed to providing solutions that support individuals and communities in these regions " p r

President of All Pakistan Memon Federation, Mr Shabbir Haroon is addressing a press conference while Muhammad Afzal Bhujwala Muhammad Noman Ahmadani Hasan Musani Muhammad Ghayas Ahmadani, Anas Moinuddin, Senior Joint Secretary Muhammad Obaid Amin Chamria, Muhammad Hanif Motlani and A K Memon are also present on the occasion pr

Ambassador of America to Pakistan Mr Donald Blome called on Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi at Karachi during the ongoing Multinational Exercise AMAN 23 During the meeting matters of mutual interest regional maritime security and bilateral collaboration were discussed The dignitaries renewed the resolve to enhance maritime cooperation and defence collaboration between the two countries

C hief of the Naval staff meets US ambassador

CHINA’S CENTRAL DOCUMENT HIGHLIGHTS POSSIBILITIES FOR AGRI COOPERATION WITH PAKISTAN

ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

CHINA on Monday unveiled its “No. 1 central document” for 2023, outlining nine tasks in comprehensively promoting rural revitalization this year.

As the first policy statement released by China’s central authorities each year, the document is seen as an indicator of policy priorities for the Chinese government.

The policy initiative indicates another opening for Pakistan to collaborate with China for agriculture promotion which has a huge potential. Pakistan, basically an agribased country, can massively turn around its economy through collaboration with China.

Per the document, work on agriculture and rural areas has been high on the agenda for 20 consecutive years since 2004. The document put emphasis on ensuring food security does not fall below baselines and ensuring there is no large-scale return to poverty.

China has eradicated extreme poverty as planned in 2020, 10 years ahead of the schedule set in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

It also called for the pushing through key tasks including rural development, rural construction, rural governance, as well as speeding up the construction of a strong

agricultural country.

China’s grain output has remained above 650 million tonnes for eight consecutive years by 2022, while per-capita disposable income of rural residents reached 20,133 yuan ($2,968) for the year, up by 4.2 percent in real terms, official data showed.

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 Wednesday.

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.

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 SecretaryGeneral of Sino-Pakistan Cooperation Center on Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China, told China Economic Net in an interview.

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, 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

Turkey-Syria quake toll rises above 35,000

The toll from last week’s earthquake in Turkey and Syria rose above 35,000 on Monday, as rescue teams started to wind down the search for survivors and the aid effort shifted to hundreds of thousands of people made homeless.

Eight days after the 7.8-magnitude tremor, Turkish media reported a handful of people were still being pulled from the rubble as excavators dug through ruined cities.

The confirmed death toll rose to 35,224 as officials and medics said 31,643 people had died in Turkey and 3,581 in Syria after the February 6 earthquake, the fifth deadliest since the start of the 21st century.

The United Nations has decried the failure to ship desperately needed aid to war-torn regions of Syria and warned that the toll is set to rise even higher as experts caution that hopes for finding people alive dim with each passing day.

“Send any stuff you can because there are millions of people here and they all need to be fed,” Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu appealed to Turks late Sunday.

In Kahramanmaras, close to the epicentre, 30,000 tents have been installed, 48,000 people

are sheltering in schools and another 11,500 in sports halls, he said.

While hundreds of rescue teams were still working, efforts had ended in seven parts of the province, he added.

LACK OF AID IN NORTHERN SYRIA: In Antakya, clean-up teams started to evacuate rubble and erect basic toilets as the telephone network started to come back in parts of the town, an AFP reporter said.

The city was patrolled by a strong police and military presence which authorities deployed to prevent looting following several incidents over the weekend.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay late Sunday said 108,000 buildings were damaged across the quake-hit zone with 1.2 million people being housed in student accommodation and 400,000 people evacuated from the affected region.

Aid packages, mainly clothes, were opened and spread across the streets in Hatay province, according to NTV. One video showed aid workers throwing clothes randomly into a crowd as people tried to grab whatever they could.

A convoy with supplies for northwest Syria arrived via Turkey, but the UN’s relief chief Martin Griffiths said more was needed for millions whose homes were destroyed.

Modi’s curbs on press freedom undermining India’s democracy

NEW YORK AGENCIES

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions to suppress press freedom are undermining India’s status as “the world’s largest democracy,” resulting in “a shrill Hindu nationalism in news reports that echoes the government line,” according to an influential American newspaper. “When populist leaders invoke emergency laws to block dissent, democracy is in peril,” The New York Times Editorial Board said in its opinion piece on Monday. Noting that the misuse of their powers to intimidate, censor, silence or punish independent news media is an alarming hallmark of populist and authoritarian leaders, the newspaper’s Editorial Board said that Prime Minister Modi has fallen “squarely into this camp”. “Since Mr. Modi took office in 2014, journalists have increasingly risked their careers, and their lives, to report what the government doesn’t want them to,” the Times said. India ranks 11th in the “global impunity index” of the Committee to Protect Journalists, a tally of reporters whose deaths remain unsolved, and in the annual press freedom index published by the organization Reporters Without Borders, India fell to 150 in 2022, its lowest-ever rank out of 180 countries, it was pointed out. The United States is 42; Russia is just below India at 155. “As a result, self-censorship has spread, along with a shrill Hindu nationalism in news reports that echoes the government line,” the Times added. The newspaper’s Editorial Board said, “The latest manifestation of the government intolerance for critical reporting was its invocation of emergency laws last month to block a BBC documentary titled ‘The Modi Question’.

“We have so far failed the people in northwest Syria. They rightly feel abandoned. Looking for international help that hasn’t arrived,” Griffiths said on Twitter.

ASSAD ‘OPEN’: In many areas, rescue teams said they lacked sensors and advanced equipment, leaving them reduced to carefully searching the rubble with shovels or only their hands.

“If we had this kind of equipment, we would have saved hundreds of lives, if not more,” said Alaa Moubarak, head of civil defence in Jableh, northwest Syria.

Supplies have been slow to arrive in Syria, where years of conflict have ravaged the healthcare system, and parts of the country remain under the control of rebels battling the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which is under Western sanctions.

But a 10-truck UN convoy crossed into northwest Syria via the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, according to an AFP correspondent, carrying shelter kits, plastic sheeting, rope, blankets, mattresses and carpets.

Bab al-Hawa is the only point for international aid to reach people in rebel-held areas of Syria after nearly 12 years of civil war, after other crossings were closed under pressure from China and Russia.

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.

A milestone in Sino-Pak S&T cooperation

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 high-tech development with Pakistan,” Cao Zhouhua, Science Commissioner of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan told China Economic Net. 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.

Israeli air strike hits ‘Hamas complex’ in Gaza: military

WEST BANK

AFP

Israel hit Gaza with air strikes on Monday in response to a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave at the weekend, the army said, as unrest persisted in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Red Crescent said one person was killed in a pre-dawn Israeli army raid in Nablus in the northern West Bank, the scene of near-relentless violence over the past year. The army did not immediately comment on the Nablus raid. But in Gaza, it said it had struck “an underground complex containing raw materials used for the manufacturing of rockets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation”. The strikes were launched were “in response to the Saturday rocket launch from Gaza into Israel,” the army added in a statement. Following the Israeli strikes, air raid sirens sounded in communities in near the Gaza border, the military said. There were no reported casualties in Gaza or Israel following the latest round of missile fire. But the dispute is enduring a dramatic increase in violence. Since the start of the year, Israel has killed 47 Palestinian adults and children, following the latest death in Nablus. Nine Israeli civilians and one Ukrainian civilian have been killed over the same period, according to an AFP tally based on official sources from both sides. In a move like to inflame tensions, Israel’s security cabinet late Saturday announced that it would legalise nine West Bank Jewish settlements in response to fatal Palestinian attacks in annexed east Jerusalem. A security cabinet statement said many of the newly authorised communities had existed for years, and others for decades, but had not previously been recognised as legitimate by Israel’s government.

China accuses U.S. for ‘illegally flying balloons’ over its airspace over 10 times in one year

BEIJING

STAFF REPORT

The United States has illegally flown its high-altitude balloons over Chinese airspace more than 10 times without Chinese authorities’ approval since the beginning of last year, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday.

It is not rare for U.S. balloons to enter the airspace of another country illegally, Wang told a regular press briefing in Beijing.

The U.S. has also frequently sent warships and aircraft to conduct close-in reconnaissance on China, which undermines China’s sovereignty, he said.

The U.S. should change its way and do some soul-searching, instead of smearing or blaming the Chinese side, said Wang, in reference to Washington’s recent claim about a Chinese “spy balloon.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has repeatedly made clear that the entry of a Chinese civilian unmanned airship, which is for meteorological purposes, into U.S. airspace was due to force ma-

jeure and totally an accident.

‘The world’s largest spy network’ At Monday’s briefing, the Chinese spokesperson said that the U.S. has abused its technological advantages to carry out massive, indiscriminate wire-

tapping and stealing of secrets all over the world, including its allies, for a long time. In 2013, former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden revealed that Washington had been spying on the

email and cell phone communications of as many as 35 world leaders.

And in May 2021, Denmark’s national broadcaster DR News reported that the NSA purposefully obtained data and thus was able to spy on targeted heads of state, as well as neighboring Scandinavian leaders, top politicians, and high-ranking officials in Germany, Sweden, Norway, and France.

“In fact, the U.S. is the world’s largest country in surveillance and reconnaissance, with the largest spy network in the world,” said Wang.

According to a report by Anzer, a cybersecurity information platform, the NSA had remotely stolen more than 97 billion pieces of global internet data and 124 billion phone records in 30 days.

Citing the report, Wang said that involved a huge number of citizens’ privacy in different countries. He also said a U.S. saildrone found in Namibian territorial waters recently is seens by local media as an American spy drone. “Who is the world’s largest spying empire? The international community sees a clear answer,” said Wang.

HBL PSL 8 BLASTS OFF WITH ADRENALINE-PUMPING FESTIVITIES

THE opening ceremony of the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) eighth edition was staged at the Multan Cricket Stadium Monday evening, lighting up the city of saints. The ceremony — which was attended by fans at the stadium and watched on TV screens from across the country — kicked off with a soulful rendition of the National Anthem by Aima Baig.

Lock and load: PSL 2023 blasts off with adrenaline-pumping festivities

She was followed on stage by HBL CEO Muhammad Aurangzeb, who addressed the jubilant crowd, thanking fans for their love and support. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee’s Chairman Najam Sethi then took the stage and vowed that the matches of the tournament would take place

in Quetta and Peshawar as well next year.

Aima Baig and Sahir Ali Bagga also mesmerised fans with their performance. After that the three lead singers of the official PSL 8 anthem delighted the crowd with their performance, gearing them up for the match which is due to begin at 8pm today.

The ceremony was wrapped up with a spectacular display of fireworks.

Chairman PCB Board Najam Sethi vowed that the board would ensure that PSL matches take place in Peshawar and Quetta next year. “The PSL has given several assets to Pakistan. This has become an international brand that we can be proud of. This year [several] foreign and local players are debuting.” He added that the tournament had given several stars to the national side, including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali.

“Full congratulations in advance to those who will win. Let the game begin,” he

added. HBL CEO Muhammad Aurangzeb hoped that young players would perform well in the tournament. He also asked the fans in the stadium and around the world to enjoy the tournament.

“No matter which team wins […] the real victory is of Pakistan,” he added.

The event was a visual treat for cricket fans worldwide, featuring spectacular performances by renowned artists and musicians. One of the ceremony’s highlights was the debut of the PSL 8 anthem, sung by the talented Abdullah Siddiqui, Asim Azhar, Faris Shafi, and Shae Gill. The audience was also treated to musical performances by the celebrated composer Sahir Ali Bagga and the gifted singer Aima Baig.

During the ceremony, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Management Committee, Najam Sethi, announced that Quetta and Peshawar would host PSL matches in 2024.

India’s Mandhana fetches $410,000 at first women’s premier

league auction

Mumbai Agencies

Several of the world’s top women cricketers secured deals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in the inaugural Women’s Premier League auction on Monday, with India’s attacking batter Smriti Mandhana leading the way on $410,000.

The left-handed 26-year-old was the first lot on the block at the sale in Mumbai, and was the object of a bidding war.

Nita Ambani — who is the wife of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, and owns the Mumbai Indians franchise — placed several bids for Mandhana’s services before the Royal Challengers Bangalore prevailed. The cash-rich Indian Premier League has transformed the fortunes of cricket globally, and the women’s version could rapidly become one of the world’s biggest money-spinners in women’s sport.

“I was always glued to men’s auction,” a beaming Mandhana said after-

wards. “It’s such a big event to have an auction of this sort.” Australian allrounder Ash Gardner was the second most expensive player in the first batch of sales, with Gujarat Giants paying $387,000 for her.

Tamasha brings Free Live Streaming of HBL PSL 2023

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Tamasha, 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 Google Play Store or Apple App Store as well as on Tamasha’s website. 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. Jazz's Chief Digital Officer Aamer Ejaz said, “Tamasha has brought conventionally consumed TV content to the mobile handset and made it accessible to everyone. With this engagement, Tamasha brings cricket fans digitally closer to the game by embedding PSL-8 in their lifestyle through online streaming.” Recently, millions enjoyed the T20 Cricket World Cup completely ad-free on Tamasha as well as FIFA World Cup Qatar 22. In addition to the PSL-8, Tamasha will also be streaming the complete home season of the Pakistan cricket team till May’ 23. In addition to live sports streaming, Tamasha offers a variety of entertainment options including 70+ live TV channels, blockbuster Pakistani movies like London Nahi Jaunga and Jawani Phir Nahi Ani; a wide selection of Hollywood classics like The Dark Knight and Harry Potter, and Web TV shows like FRIENDS, Arrow, and The Vampire Diaries.

Mbappe included in PSG squad for Bayern Champions League tie

PARIS AGENCIES

cricket operations for the Bangalore franchise. “It was a dream result for us.”

The limited available data on women players had challenged the teams ahead of the auction, he added.

“You can’t just sit on your phone and search Cricinfo and find out about people. It’s more about being able to go out, being able to get a number of different eyes on players, so you can validate your information.” Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal described himself as “a follower of the women’s game”.

“But apart from the Indian players and a couple of the legendary players from the other teams, I did not know many of the names, but it’s as competitive, it’s as tricky,” he told reporters.

Royal Challengers Bangalore also bagged Ellyse Perry of Australia for $205,000 and Sophie Devine of New Zealand for her base price of $60,000.

“We’re very happy to get such quality players,” said Mike Hesson, director of

“Some of the skill sets are even different from the men’s. You see a lot more allrounders in this game than you do in the men’s game.”

English all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt was sold for around $387,000 to Mumbai Indians, while spinner Sophie Ecclestone went to UP Warriorz for $220,000.

Kylian Mbappe has been named in Paris SaintGermain’s squad for their Champions League last 16, first leg against Bayern Munich on Tuesday after making a faster-than-expected return to training following a thigh injury. After Mbappe suffered the injury against Montpellier on February 1, the French champions said he would be out for three weeks. On Saturday, coach Christophe Galtier said he did not think Mbappe would play on Tuesday. “I don’t think so. He follows his rehabilitation protocol. He was a victim of a muscle injury,” Galtier said after PSG lost 3-1 away at Monaco in Ligue 1. “We will take zero, zero, zero risk with Kylian. But his name featured in the squad of 22 players announced by PSG on Monday, along with Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti, both of whom sat out the Monaco game due to injury. Mbappe trained on Sunday and on Monday was seen in the part of training which is open to the media, participating in an exercise with Messi, Neymar, Sergio Ramos, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Verratti, Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos. Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann had previously suggested PSG were playing mind games when they announced the France superstar would not be fit for the first leg.

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Wapda have moved in the final of both men’s and women’s event of the National Netball Championship here at the Pakistan Sports Complex on Monday.

Wapda and Sindh moved in the final of women’s event while Wapda and Pakistan Army would play in men’s final.

The finals of both men and women

would be held on Tuesday.

Muhammad Ibrar, Director General Pakistan Sports Board was the chief guest on the semifinals while Dy DG, PSB, Shahid Islam, President, PNF, Mudassar Arian, Vice President Sameen Malik and Secretary General, Syed Gohar Raza were also present on the occasion.

In women’s event results, in the first semifinal, Wapda beat Pakistan Army by 18-15 points. Nisha Sultan from Wapda

scored 10 points while Ashia scored 15 points. Sindh beat HEC by 16-20 in

In the first semifinal of the Men’s event, Wapda beat Navy by 22-16 points.

Zain got 20 points for Wapda while Navy player Babar secured 16 points.

In the second semifinal, Pakistan Army beat Pakistan Air Force by 33-25 points. Shamraiz and Umer got 22 and 11 points for Army, respectively while Akhtar and Zohair bagged 10 and 15 points for PAF respectively.

In the quarterfinals of the Women’s event held earlier, Wapda beat GB by 41-0 points; HEC beat Punjab by 2510 points; Army beat KPK by 31-02 points and Sindh beat PNF Elite by 3014 points.

In men’s quarterfinals, Wapda beat Punjab by 29-21 points; Pakistan Army beat Police by 40-20 points; Pakistan Navy beat GB by 30-10 points; Pakistan Air Force beat Sindh by 29-17 points.

the three wickets to fall to end with four for 84 while left-arm spinner Khary Pierre took the other wicket to end with three for 63.

TRINIDAD AGENCIES

Darren Bravo created history when he struck his second century of the match as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force drew their second round West Indies Championship first-class contest against Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

The left-hander made 100 not out to lift Red Force to 183-5 declared in their second innings on the final day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday. In the first innings Bravo made 100 – making him the first batsman to achieve twin century at

the venue and the first time for Trinidad & Tobago against Leeward Islands.

Having been dismissed for 302 in their first innings, the declaration left Hurricanes with an improbable 300 for victory and they finished on 72-1.

Earlier, Rahkeem Cornwall completed his 17th first class fifty when he made 67, carrying the Hurricanes innings after they resumed on 243-7, still 175 runs in arrears.

Unbeaten on 33 at the start, Cornwall struck seven fours and a two sixes off 95 balls and found an ally in Hayden Walsh Jr (33) to stretch the eighth wicket stand to 83.Off-spinner Bryan Charles grabbed two of

Ahead by 116, Red Force had a less than ideal start when pacer Sheno Berridge bowled Keagan Simmons for one in the second over with as many runs on the board before captain Bravo took charge. He stroked 10 fours in an innings requiring 153 balls and just short of three hours at the crease, posting 85 for the second wicket with Jeremy Solozano (26), 28 for the third wicket with Jason Mohammed (12) and 28 for the fifth with Terrance Hinds (16).

With survival their only focus, Hurricanes comfortably denied Red Force thanks to opener Montcin Hodge who struck an unbeaten 33 in a 52run, opening stand with Test batsman Kieran Powell (21). Hodge batted nearly 1-½ hours and counted half-dozen fours, finding support from Keacy Carty (11 not out) to further frustrate Red Force once Powell departed.

Wapda seals place in both men’s, women’s final of netball c’ship

Brilliant Bravo hits top form with second ton of the match

PAKISTAN TO GET ONLY NONSTOP FLIGHT ROUTE TO AFRICAN CONTINENT

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES DECISION TO OPEN THE ROUTE ON MARCH 26 WILL FINALLY PROVIDE NONSTOP FLIGHTS TO PAKISTANIS TO ETHIOPIA AND THE AFRICAN CONTINENT

LAHORE DANIYAL AHMAD

ETHIOPIAN Airlines’ decision to initiate flights between Karachi and Addis Ababa on March 26 is set to be historic. Ethiopia’s flag carrier will open up a nonstop flight route which will make it the only such route going to not only Ethiopia but also the only nonstop to and from the African continent as a whole as well. The direct flight between Ethiopia and Pakistan, which has a flight time of around eight hours, will serve as a crucial link between the two countries. However, it will also assist with destinations further afield due to Ethiopian Airlines being a member of the Star Alliance — the world’s largest global alliance with 26 members across 195 countries.

What are the benefits to flyers?

The immediate benefit to flyers, apart from direct

access to Addis Ababa, is through the aforementioned Star Alliance. It will benefit Pakistani flyers by opening up more destinations through code sharing, ease booking and flight connections on other member alliances, and offer more ways to use air miles benefits if customers are already part of frequent flyer programmes with any of the other members.

Codeshares in particular is a benefit that will provide utility for customers. Codeshares allow customers to book a larger variety of flights directly through one airline than that airline operates by itself. This means that long-haul or multi-connection tickets can be booked all the way through with the same airline, even though flights may be operated by multiple airlines.

The long-term potential benefit for customers would be other members also commencing nonstop flights into Pakistan. South African Airways, and Egyptair in particular are also members of the Star Al-

liance. Sustained success in the Pakistani market could potentially entice the other two African flag carriers to initiate their own operations as well.

Mutual economic courtship

The establishment of this air route is part of both Pakistan and Ethiopia’s greater economic plans for integration and trade. For Pakistan, greater engagement with Ethiopia goes back to its Look Africa Policy Initiative of 2017. It was then that Ethiopia was designated as one of the 10 major African economies that Pakistan would seek to develop greater economic ties with going forward. According to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, Ethiopia was a $1.79 million destination for Pakistani exports and a source for $22.36 million imports in 2020.

More importantly, the direct air link is expected to jump start Pakistan’s trade engagement with the rest of the African continent as well. Africa accounted for

5.43% of all of Pakistan’s exports, and 5.63% of all imports in FY 2021 according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Conversely, Ethiopia has been on its own charm offensive in Islamabad. The country established their first embassy earlier this year in September 2022, with Jemal Beker Abdula, becoming the first Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan.

Abdula has emphasised the significance of the new direct flight as a means to connect Pakistan with Ethiopia and, by extension, the rest of Africa. Abdula estimates that the direct service between Addis Ababa and Karachi will increase trade volumes between Ethiopia and Pakistan from $80 million to $200 million. To further drive home the business, trade, and investment opportunities that Ethiopia has to offer, the Ethiopian ambassador has invited a Pakistani business delegation to visit Ethiopia between March 5 and March 10. The delegation, consisting of over 100 members of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in various cities in Pakistan, will have the opportunity to explore diverse sectors of the Ethiopian economy, including textiles, pharmaceuticals, rice, chemicals, steel, and cement.

Nishat Power Ltd beats

expectations

for 2QFY23, posts 47% profit increase

Nishat Power Limited (NPL) posted a 47% increase in net profit for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, beating market expectations of a 6% decline in earnings. The company disclosed its financials to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday.

The Board of Directors (BOD) of NPL in their meeting held on February 13, 2023 posted the financial results for the half-year and quarter ended December 31, 2022. The power company also announced an interim cash dividend of 20% (Rs 2 per share).

During the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 (2QFY23), net sales witnessed a decline of 46% to Rs 2,242 million compared to the same period last year (SPLY). The decline in sales was due to lower dispatches, which is the sale of electricity to consumers. However, lower load factor and efficiency measures resulted in NPL’s cost of goods sold (COGS) to decline by a massive 90% to Rs 1,050 million. This resulted in a gross profit of Rs 1,192 million, up 31% over the SPLY.

Lower-finance costs due to a reduction in short-term borrowings and increase in other income of the company led to a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 1,102 million, an increase of 47% over the SPLY. This resulted in an Earnings Per Share (EPS) of Rs 3.11 compared to Rs 2.10 year on year (YoY).

These results beat the lower expectations published by Arif Habib Limited (AHL) research a few days ago which predicted that NPL would post an EPS of Rs 1.97

per share and a PAT of just Rs 699 million for the quarter. It also predicted a sales decline of 65% whereas NPL had a sales decline of 46%. AHL research also did not expect any payouts for the quarter, however, the power company announced a 20% cash dividend.

It should be noted that brokerage houses’ estimates can often deviate from actual financial results. Equity houses’ research reports are good insofar as they paint a general picture of industry-specific events which are not always available to the general public. But accurate predictions of data in different industries seldom turn out correct.

During the half-year ended December 31, 2022, the company’s sales increased 39% YoY mainly due to 71% YoY rise in furnace oil prices, which is the primary fuel

Eocean builds ChatGPT integration for Kistpay’s WhatsApp Chatbot to enhance customer experience

PRESS RELEASE

In a move aimed at revolutionizing customer support and interaction, Eocean, a leading cloud communication provider and Meta Business Partner has built a ChatGPT integration for Kisptay, a shariah compliant smartphone financing platform to launch AI powered WhatsApp chatbot. This cutting-edge technology will allow Kistpay customers to access instant support and assistance at any time of the day, simply by using WhatsApp.

The chatbot, powered by Open AI’s GPT-3 language model, is designed to provide fast and accurate responses to customer queries, making it easier for them to resolve any issues they may have with the service.

With its integration into WhatsApp, Kistpay customers will be able to access the chatbot from their phones, without the need to download any additional software.

Kistpay’s Chief Executive Officer, Asif Jafri, stated that the launch of the chatbot is part of the com -

OMAP announces helpline for smooth supply of POL products

LAHORE SHAHAB OMER

for NPL’s plants. However, dispatches declined by 28% YoY. According to the AHL research posted after NPL’s financial announcement, the decline in dispatches is due to overall decline in electricity demand in the country due to economic slowdown. The overall country power generation also decreased by 4% YoY during 2QFY23 as FO-based generation went down by 88% YoY.

On Monday, NPL’s share at the PSX closed at Rs 18.92, up 7.5% on a daily basis. The volume traded in the Monday trading session was 3.87 million shares.

NPL’s principal activity is to build, own, operate and maintain a fuel fired power plant based on Reciprocating Engine Technology having gross capacity of 200 MW in Jamber Kalan, Tehsil Pattoki, District Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan.

The Oil Marketing Association of Pakistan (OMAP) has announced plans to establish a helpline for the smooth supply of petroleum products within the country. While addressing a press conference here on Monday, Chairman OMAP Tariq Wazir Ali stated that the association wishes to support the government in serving the general masses, therefore, it has decided to establish a helpline through which complaints can be lodged against hoarders. He went on to say that the association has also established vigilance committees to take action on the complaints at the district level. “The public is requested to identify issues related to the supply and quality of petroleum products,” he said. Ali added that OMAP members took emergency steps to end the recent fuel shortage and enhanced their supply by 10% according to the promise of the government. “We already predicted that this shortage will end in two-three days because the shortage was artificially made by hoarders,” he said adding that the media supported us in convincing people to stop panic buying,” he added. While appealing to the government on the occasion, Ali demanded that the latter should support small OMCs and several matters which were previously raised by it. These include issues such as the exchange rate, the difference of dollar price and the fact that LCs should be resolved on a priority basis.

Import restrictions create shortage of steel bars

pany’s commitment to improving its customer experience. “At Kistpay, our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We are constantly exploring new ways to make their lives easier through digital tools, and this cutting-edge chatbot is a testament to that. With its ability to provide instant support and assistance, we are confident that our customers will find it incredibly useful.”

Commenting on this Eocean’s Director Products, Altaf Siddiqui, stated that the integration of Chat GPT with WhatsApp brings the power of AI into hands of 2 billion users in over 180 countries.

“By integrating ChatGPT into WhatsApp, businesses can then generate smart and contextual responses to particular conversation topics, allowing users to have engaging conversations with an AI-based chatbot. This can help businesses provide helpful responses quickly and efficiently, so customers can get their problems solved faster.”

C ONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Following the restriction on imports for nonavailability dollars, the country has now started facing a severe shortage of steel rebars as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is unable to open Letters of Credit (LCs) for raw material of the industry. The situation is being exacerbated by the recent confirmation of energy price increases and a hike in the General Sales Tax (GST) as part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions.

As per a letter sent by Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) to ministries concerned, the prevailing state of affairs of the steel industry is grappling with a constantly intensifying situation. “The steel sector is in the midst of an unprecedented turmoil, with massive currency depreciation, shortage of raw materials, high inflation, and increased energy prices. The

situation is extremely difficult and unviable for the steel industry to survive,” said the association. As per the letter under various heads including quarterly tariff adjustments, deferred fuel price adjustment, and imposition of a surcharge of Re1 per unit on big power consumers, the government has approved a revised circular debt management plan (CDMP) where the tariff would be hiked around Rs7-8 per unit till August 2023. This will have a direct inflationary impact of 7,000 Rs/ton, whereas the increase of GST from 17% to 18% would further have an impact of 3,000 rps/ton.

Currently the prices of deformed rebars are around 305,000 rupees/ton, whereas inflationary pressures will warrant for further price increases. According to PALSP, the steel sector has been hit hard due to problems with the opening of LCs and the rapidly depleting foreign exchange reserves, which have resulted in a shortage of raw ma-

terials. “The manufacturers are forced to operate on very low capacities or to close their units, which has raised the cost of production and made it unviable to operate. The increase in prices of steel is also due to massive rupee devaluation and demurrage and detention charges on containers stuck at ports,” PALSP’s Secretary General, Wajid Bukhari said.

The devaluation of the PKR by 24% over the last two quarters, coupled with a 16% increase in inflation and from 23.8% to highest ever 27.6% and financial charges raised by 13% from 15% to 17% have put the industry in severe crises. Bukhari further stated, “The sudden depreciation of the rupee has caused losses worth billions of rupees to the industry, and stakeholders fear an unprecedented change in prices of imported finished and raw materials in case landed costs continue to rise. The government’s removal of the dollar cap to meet the International Monetary Fund’s demand has resulted in the Pakistani rupee falling to a historic low and the steel industry is on the brink of collapse.”

KARACHI MUHAMMAD RAAFAY KHAN

ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS