Epaper_23-02-19 KHI

US sanctions authority probes Raiffeisen on Russia

Profit

Honda announces third price increase within four weeks

Pakistan to continue assisting quake-victims in turkiye: Pm

g HoPES TurKIyE To ovErCoME PoST-QuAKE CHALLENgES uNDEr PrESIDENT ErDogAN

g SAyS PAKISTAN To SEND 300 ToNS rELIEF gooDS By MoNTH END, 1700 ToNS IN MArCH

spoke to President Erdogan on the telephone and offered condolences and ever ything they had in Pakistan for their Turkish brothers and sisters

PrIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on

Saturday reiterated that Pakistan would stand by its Turk sh brothers and s sters in the wake of a devastat ng earthquake with al possible relief assistance

In an inter view with Anadolu news wire, the prime m nister said they were deep y grieved at this ver y difficult situation and expressed the hope that the Turk sh people with their resil ence under the leadership of President recepTayyip Erdogan wou d overcome the postquake cha lenges

He said President Erdogan was leading from the front along with his team undaunted by the extreme weather condit ons they were marching for ward with a sense of purpose

Things are extreme y difficult but the resolve of the Turkish nation is strong he said adding, the Turkish nation, in the past had fought for their freedom by offering sacrifices

out of this challenge there s an opportunity, and no doubt, they wil convert th s destruct on into a wonder ful construction the prime minister opined

The pr me minister said Pakistan and Turkiye were like two souls and one heart

He said that after the earthquake he

He said Pak stan had already sent 500 tons of relief goods through different commerc al f ights and via Pakistan air force planes

So they hoped by the end of this month they would be able to send something like 1300 tons of relief goods and in the month of March about 1700 tons of rel ef goods he added

The prime min ster said the bulk of t would be comprising winter zed tents

He informed that he had already directed for rap d manufacturing of the winterized tents which would be sent to Turkiye our rescue teams are able to rescue 14 people from the rubble But th s devastation is beyond maginat on he added

The prime m nister said the federal cabinet and parliament of Pak stan had donated one month s sa ar y to the rel ef fund established for the earthquake-affected Turkish people

Phone-tapping bid to ‘pressurise judges’: Imran

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t

Former premier and Pak stan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman

I m r a n K h a n S a t u r d a y s a i d t h a t t h e t a p p n g o f p h o n e calls s a bid to pressur se the j u d g e s a n d s t o p t h e r u l e o f law in the countr y Imran Khan made the statement while meeting with columnists and senior writers in which he discussed the PTI s political strategy, economic challenges and terrorism incidents

He a so elaborated on PTI’s Jail Bharo Tehreek and ts targets

The PTI ch ef said that the ongoing propaganda against the udiciar y especially the judges is shameful He added that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has a h stor y of targeting the judiciar y Khan said that the tapping of phone calls is a bid to pressur se judges ’ and stop the rule of aw Khan said that the udiciar y is the last hope of the nation He added that the government should implement the rule of law without pressuris ng the judges

The PTI chief alleged that

the chief e ection commiss oner (CEC) is the main supporter of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in const tutional violat ons He added that the incumbent government s promoting vengeful actions and po itical dictatorship

Khan expressed his resolve that the PT will end the law essness and economic cris s with the nat on s support adding that he has announced the commencement of the Jail Bharo movement for rea ndependence

He sa d that political stabil-

ity will bring economic stab lity to the countr y wh ch s impossible without the ru e of aw Khan a leged that Qamar Javed Bajwa had adm tted to play role n regime change and violated his oath He added that Qamar Javed Ba wa had also admitted to controlling the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) He also alleged that Bajwa had also admitted to audio record ngs which was an illega step He demanded the militar y nstitution conduct an inquir y into Bajwa s steps

Security forces singularly focus on counter-terrorism with pronounced success: COAS

Suzuki announces extension to its ongoing plant shutdown

g SuzuKI wILL HAvE SPENT 22 ouT oF PoSSIBLE 37 worKINg DAyS IN 2023, NoT HAvINg ProDuCED A SINgLE CAr

LAHORE

da n i ya l a h m a d

Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) has not fied the Pak stan Stock Exchange (PSX) that t wi l be obser ving non-production days (NDPs) from Februar y 20 to Februar y 21

This w ll be an extens on on its or ginal shutdown from Februar y 13 to Februar y 17 Its motorcycle plant wil , however, remain operationa

The company has cited its continued shortage of inventor y as the reason to extend its plant shutdown The company had previously cited the same reason for obser ving its non-production days (NPD) from Januar y 2 to Januar y 6 from Januar y 9 to Januar y 13 and from Januar y 16 to Januar y 20

This wil a so be Suzuki s single longest continuous stretch of NPDs in 2023 till now The tota number of NPDs being obser ved subsequent y increases from 20 to 22 Suzuk will consequent y have spent 22 out of a possible 37 working days in 2023 not having produced a sing e car Suzuki not produc ng cars for the majority of Januar y is the likely reason for why t saw a 74% month-on-month (MoM) reduction in its sales volume based on data prov ded by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) The same cou d also potentially hold true for the 33% MoM decl ne it saw with its motorcycle sales The rationale be ng that Suzuki ’s supply side constraints disabled it from being able to take book ngs in the same quantity that it could had the NPDs not been obser ved This relationship however wou d be a first for Suzuki

Suzuki had previously ha ted product on n August September and october of 2022 It obser ved NPDs from August 18 to August 19 from August 22 to August 26 from August 29 to August 31 from September 6 to September 9, from September 19 to September 23 from october 19 to october 21, and october 24 to october 26 However Suzuki only saw a Monthon-Month (MoM) decline in August where its sales contracted by 41% Its MoM figures saw increases of 52% and 33% in September and August respectively based on PAMA s figures PAMA’s f gures do dep ct yearon-year (yoy) sa es decreases in the aforementioned three months of 2022 where Suzuki saw dec ines of 67% 46% and 22% respective y These decreases, however, are visible even n those months where Suzuk did not obser ve NPDs The yoy decl nes are a characteristic of the entire automotive ndustr y this fiscal year, with those companies not obser ving NPDs also fall ng prey to it A continuous MoM dec ine into Februar y might provide a clearer picture as to whether this new re at onship between NPDs and declining sales volume actual y holds

Board stops MD SNGPL from exercising authority

g BoArD CoNSTITuTES SPECIAL SuB-CoMMITTEE To INvESTIgATE CoNDuCT oF Mr. HAMDANI

isLAmAbAd a h m a d a h m a da n i

The Board of D rectors (BoD) of Sui Northern gas Pipelines Limited (SNgPL) has d sallowed the managing director (MD) from exercis ng any powers as top man of the company Profit learnt on Sunday

According to sources in the petroeum divis on the BoD of SNgPL in its 600th meeting held on Sunday (Februar y 18, 2023), has passed a resolution that Al Javed Hamdani shall cease the use of his powers as MD with immediate effect Th s s till such time that the board and/or comm ttee appointed by it, expeditiously completes its review of the matters discussed in the meetng and the board takes a decision with respect to the future of Hamdani

Last month on Januar y 22 2023

Profit by Pakistan Today had reported

that the government is likely to ask Hamdani to step down Despite repeated efforts to speak to Hamdan and get his comment on the matter, there was no response

The board has now revoked the Power of Attorney in his favour til further orders and has delegated it instead to Amer Tufail, Deputy Managing Director (Ser vices) as he s the senior most officer w th immediate effect Tufail wi now exercise a l powers/funct ons conferred according to the law Pursuant to the decision of the SNgPL board a emp oyees were directed on Februar y 18 2023 to act according y in letter and spirit, said sources They added that acting MD Tufail has also directed all emp oyees to ensure smooth operations and continuity of the business through their respect ve heads

It is to be noted that the board has

constituted a Special Sub-Committee o f B o D s c o m p r i s i n g S y e d A k h t a r A l i a n d D r S o h a i l ra z K h a n t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e c o n d u c t o f H a m d a n i, i n c u d i n g p u r p o r t e d i n s t a n c e s o f f i n a n c i a l i r r e gularit es, particular y relating to the uch C o m p r e s s i o n Pr o e c t T h e s u b m i s s i o n o f t h e i r r e p o r t s w i t h i n t h e n e x t 1 5 w o r k n g d a y s

Tufail has had experience n being act ng MD before In 2015 after the retirement of uzma Adil Khan, he became act ng MD SNgPL He had also ser ved the company as acting MD from Januar y 2018, to Apri 2018, and october 2022 to December 2022 He s a chartered accountant by profession from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pak stan He previously also ser ved as Chief Financia officer of the company Tufa l has been credted for being instrumental in success-

fully transforming SNgPL into a modern IT-enabled organisation Prior to o ning SNgPL he worked for national and mult national organisations in Pakistan and abroad including in key mu tilatera donor agenc es; he has more than 25 years of exper ence in a large variety of disc p ines Sources ear ier told the paper that PM Shehbaz Sharif was not happy with the MDs over the r poor per formance and had taken serious notice of MDs of SNgPL and SSgCL According to h m they had failed to achieve assigned targets and to contro gas losses worth bill ons of rupees Sources also said that after receiv ng the requ red explanation from the two MDs t was feared that a process to remove both MDs (Hamdan and Imran Main ar of SSgCL) from their posit ons through their respective BoDs wil be in tiated

Besides these colossal losses, their poor per formance deprived Ba ochistan from the supply of gas n the winter season, making the prem er unhappy Sources added that Both sui companies fell short of ufg reduction targets n 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 ” Sources further said that the petroeum divis on had earlier shared data related to loss cutt ng targets of the two gas companies with the PM s office on December 20, 2022 And, the PMo obser ved that SSgCL had achieved only seven out of 10 reported ind cators and fe l short of the ufg reduct on target by nearly 50% in the financial year (Fy) 2019-20 The SSgC achieved only three out of 10 reported indicators and ts ufg reduction target was surpassed by 25% in Fy 2020-21

Ma z ari: Ba jwa wanted to resettle faMilies of ttP Militants in triBal region

ISLAMABAD

M o n to R n g R e p o R t

sh I R e e N Mazari, a leader of the opposition Pakistan

Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, claimed the former army chief, retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had proposed the “resettlement” of Pakistan nationals associated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after the Afghan Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021

In an interview with Dawn News, Mazari made these comments at a time when the country has experienced a surge in terrorist activities

The most recent incident was an attack on the Karachi police chief s

office last Friday which resulted in four fatalities and 16 injuries after a prolonged battle between terrorists and law enforcement agencies All three terrorists were reported to have been killed

Mazari claimed that Bajwa had raised the issue of TTP members who wished to return to Pakistan, and if they were willing to lay down their arms and accept the constitution, some form of resettlement and talks should be initiated

Retired Gen Faiz hameed, spy chief at the time was present at the meeting, according to Mazari however, the proposal sparked an immediate reaction from PTI members, resulting in a meeting being called It was decided that a

committee would be formed between elected representatives and the military to reach a consensus before any dialogue was initiated

Mazari expressed regret the PTI government was removed from power and that the current government did not prioritise the dialogue that had been proposed

She insisted the responsibility for dealing with the TTP should not be placed on the PTI but rather on the current imported government

Mazari also revealed that hameed had made an early visit to talk to the Afghanistan government of Ashraf Ghani and not the Taliban

The former human rights minister also commented on former prime minister Imran Khan’s

india fM jaishankar says soros dangerous, debate needed on democracy

pR ofIt RepoRt R e u t e R S

India’s foreign minister said the democratic world needed a debate on democracy, labelling billionaire investor George Soros old, rich, opinionated and dangerous” for his comments on India that didn’t recognise its difficult path from colonisation

In a speech ahead of the Munich Security Conference the billionaire investor Soros on Thursday criticised India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying India was a democracy but Modi was not a democrat read more

India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told a conference in Sydney on Saturday that Soro’s comments were typical of a “euro Atlantic view”

he said there was a debate and conversation that we must have on democracy” including whose values defined a democracy as the world rebalanced and became less euro Atlantic

“he is old rich opinionated and dangerous because what happens is, when such people and such views and such organisations – they actually invest resources in shaping narratives ” Jaishankar said in a response to a question about Soros at the Raisina@Sydney conference

he said India’s voters decided “how the country should run”

It worries us We are a country that went through colonialism we know the dangers of what happens when there’s outside interference,” he added

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute thinktank hosted a one-day conference where Jaishankar highlighted in a speech the urgent need to “de-risk the global economy as India took over the G20 presidency

pR ofIt RepoRt R e u t e R S

Goldman Sachs and Bank of America said

they expect the U S Federal Reserve to raise interest rates three more times this year, lifting their estimates after data pointed to persistent inflation and a resilient labor market Producer prices accelerated in January by the biggest margin in seven months according to data on Thursday, while a

5

demand for legal action against Bajwa for alleged violation of the Constitution, saying the party had all options open to it ”

She also claimed there were threats made by Bajwa, which she had heard about in meetings She, however, refrained from giving further details, citing the sensitivity of the matter

When asked about the former army chief ’s stance on trade with India Mazari said that the Cabinet had decided not to engage with India until it stepped back from its illegal actions on August 5 2019 S

m e f r o m s o m e w h e r e b u t s u g g e s t e d t h a t B a j w a m a y h a v e b e e n i n favour of it

Audio leaks controversy intensifies with latest clip of Yasmin Rashid, L ahore police chief

A fresh audio conversation, purportedly featuring Yasmin Rashid, a leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party and Ghulam Mahmood Dogar the chief of Lahore police, emerged on Saturday amidst the ongoing leaks controversy

The disclosure follows the reinstatement of Dogar to his position by the Supreme Court on Friday, overturning his transfer orders that were previously issued by the caretaker administration of Mosin Naqvi in Punjab

In the clip, a female voice believed to be Rashid can be heard enquiring about the well-being of the male

voice presumed to be Dogar The woman further inquires if there is any favourable news about the transfer “order” and if it has been issued In response, Dogar affirms the orders have yet to be received

The woman then mentions that she only wants to know their “intention”, an apparent reference to the central government of Shehbaz Sharif which has hinted at its intention to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan, and expresses concerns over the prevailing political situation in Lahore

The man tries to reassure the woman, saying that he has his contact “sitting at the apex court” The conversation concludes with an exchange of greetings

The authenticity of the recording has not been independently verified

Guyana aims to reclaim, offer 20pc of Exxon oil block

pR ofIt RepoRt

R e u t e R S

Guyana Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told Reuters the country plans to take back 20% of the giant Stabroek oil block that has been responsible for a series of massive discoveries from a consortium led by exxon Mobil Corp , and remarket it by next year

More than 11 billion barrels of oil and gas found to date in the 6 6 million acre (26 800 sq km) block

The group’s contract allows Guyana to reclaim unexplored portions this year, Jagdeo said in an interview from the country s capital

Guyana is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to lessen the consortium’s grip on the country’s oil resources, Jagdeo said, and spur new oil production

The U S -Chinese group produces 380,000 barrels of oil and gas per day from two projects within the Stabroek block, and expects to increase output to 1 2 million barrels by 2027 The least-developed country in South America expects to collect $1 63 billion in oil royalties and fees this year

“We need more competition,” Jagdeo said in an interview during a energy conference in Georgetown

One year ago, he said Guyana wanted to recruit statecontrolled oil companies to develop new fields The decision to reclaim existing exxon blocks signals urgency to speed development The clawback comes amid continued criticism of the original deal under a previous government as too one-sided for the oil companies

MISSED DEADLINES

The exxon group has missed investment deadlines

Labor Department report showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week

In light of the stronger growth and firmer inflation news, we are adding a 25bp (basis points) rate hike in June to our Fed forecast for a peak funds rate of 5 25%-

5%,” Goldman Sachs economists led by Jan hatzius said in a note dated Thursday Meanwhile money markets are

for portions of the block not under exploration or development he said and under terms of the license exxon must relinquish a minimum of 20% of the contract area not retained under a exploration or production license

“exxon cannot keep it, that would be illegal,” the vice-president said exxon said it and its Stabroek partners are in compliance with the Petroleum Agreement and the Petroleum Act, including their acreage relinquishment requirements

“We are in ongoing discussions with the Government regarding those requirements, in respect to both timing and area, spokesperson Meghan Macdonald said Separately, Guyana is working on an auction of exploration licenses to 14 offshore blocks outside of exxon’s domains in what would be the country’s first competitive auction It also has proposed offering blocks to India, Qatar and the United Arab emirates or national oil companies energy Minister Vickram Bharrat told Reuters eight companies, including well-known oil producers, have paid to access geological data of the areas set to be auction next quarter exxon and Qatarenergy have publicly disclosed their interest

Parallel to the auction Guyana has been in direct talks with countries such as Qatar, India and United Arab emirates over bilateral oil agreements, under different terms from those granted for private oil producers, he said I believe that some of them will bid on the 14 areas and still explore bilateral discussions ” he said

currently pricing in a terminal rate of 5 3% by July BofA Global Research also expects a 25bps hike in the Fed’s June meeting, pushing the terminal rate up to a 5 25%5 5% range It had earlier penciled in two rate hikes of 25 bps each in the March and May meetings Resurgent inflation and solid employment gains mean the risks to this (only two interest rate hikes) outlook are too one-sided for our liking BofA wrote in a

Jagdeo also hopes to engage Brazil’s state-run Petroleo Brasileiro S A (PeTR4 SA) and the Brazilian government, where his old political ally, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in January started his third presidential term

“We want Petrobras to be involved here,” Jagdeo said, adding integration between the two countries advanced under Lula s past presidencies We are waiting anxiously for Lula to settle in,” he said Guyana also has development areas outside the soon-to-be-auctioned 14 blocks, and is prepared to offer them to “these countries on a bilateral level ”

Among those are blocks closer to shore than the producing fields, two blocks returned to the government by Toronto-traded firms CGX energy (OYL V) and Frontera energy (FeC TO), and the 20% of undeveloped Stabroek Guyana aims to reclaim, he said “If bilateral talks don’t go well, next year we will offer another round, Jagdeo said The deal has to be favorable to Guyana ”

In December, Guyana released new fiscal terms that increased its share of the oil proceeds, between production and royalties from 14 5% to 27 5% plus a corporate tax of 10% after profits

Companies including exxon are now waiting the government to release a new production sharing agreement (PSA) model that will set terms for the blocks on offer as well as projects yet to start the development phase

The PSA draft will go through public consultation through March 8 and is expected to be finalized before an April 14 auction Jagdeo said

client note

After the recent U S data european investment bank UBS said it was expecting the Fed to raise rates by 25 bps at its March and May meetings which may leave the Fed funds rate at the 5%-5 25% range

In sharp contrast to its U S peers, however UBS estimated that the Fed would ease interest rates at the September meeting this year Before the recent U S data, J P Morgan had forecast the terminal rate at

5 1% by the end of June

A majority of economists polled by Reuters before the latest data said they expected the Fed to raise rates at least twice more in the coming months with the risk of them going higher still None of them are expecting a rate cut this year

Reporting by Aniruddha Ghosh and Siddarth S in Bengaluru; editing by Savio D’Souza, Anil D’Silva and Devika Syamnath

YasMin rashid announces Moving court against ‘audio leaks’

LAHoRe

S ta f f R e p o R t

PA K I S TA N Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Punjab President Yasmin Rashid Saturday announced moving court against the audio leaks purportedly featuring her and Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar

“Look honestly going to filing a petition in Lahore high Court (LhC) against the [invasion of privacy] as

Board stops Md sngPl from exercising authorit y

pAge 01 F u r t h e r m o r e , i n F Y 2 0 2 1 - 2 0 2 2 , t h e S S G C L’s U f G l o s s i n s t e a d o f r e g i s t e r i n g a n y d e c l i n e , i n c r e a s e d S i m i l a r d a t a o n S N G P L d o e s n o t i n d i c a t e t h e a c h i e v e m e n t o f t a rg e t s , d u e t o w h i c h t h o s e m a d e o n t h e r e p o r t e d 1 3 i n d i c a t o r s c a n n o t b e c o m p a r e d t o a n y b e n c h m a r k s o u r c e s e x p l a i n e d , q u o t i n g o b s e r v a t i o n s o f t h e P M O o v e r d a t a s u b m i t t e d b y t h e p e t r o l e u m d i v i s i o n T h e p e t r o l e u m d i v i s i o n h a d f u r n i s h e d d a t a o n 1 0 a n d 1 3 i n d i c a t o r s o f S S G C L a n d S N G P L r e s p e c t i v e l y a g a i n s t a t o t a l o f 3 0 K e y M o n i t o r i n g I n d i c a t o r s ( K M I s )

Sources also said that the PMO advised the petroleum division to furnish the final figures which should be duly verified by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) It just be added that OGRA had conducted a study in order to find the reasons behind the gas sector s dismal losses and to give recommendations to help curb these

It was also learnt that both companies had asked OGRA to approve 7 6% UfG for them But OGRA had approved only 5% UfG and linked the remaining 2 6% UfG with 30 KMIs So far, both sui gas utilities failed to meet the 30 KMIs and so OGRA allowed only 1 6% UfG for them

Phone-tapping bid to ‘pressurise judges’: imran

ContInueD fRoM pAge 01

Imran Khan praised President Dr Arif Alvi for not signing the Finance Bill ordinance he said that the Finance Bill would bring inflation to the country he said that economic indicators were positive during the PTI government he said that the default risk to Pakistan reached 100 per cent during the incumbent government Regarding his cases, Khan said that he is being summoned by courts despite doctors stopped him from walking

The PTI chief said that they sacrificed governments in two provinces to end the crisis through fresh elections but the rulers were delaying the polls he added that elections should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assemblies as per the Constitution he alleged that the caretaker governments are not impartial he added that false cases are being filed against PTI leaders and supporters besides their arrests

Imran Khan said that they adopted a peaceful way to protest against the government by announcing the Jail Bharo movement They will surrender before the authorities across the country he said that PTI will start the Jail Bharo movement on February 22 ‘FA

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday condemned the terrorist attack on the Karachi Police Office (KPO) Taking to Twitter he said: Once again our brave police were targeted” he pointed out that the sudden spike in terrorism especially in the midst of urban centres reflects a failure of intelligence & the State’s lack of a clear proactive anti-terrorism policy”

Strongly condemn the terrorist attack on Karachi Police Office yesterday Once again our brave police were targeted The sudden spike in terrorism esp in the midst of urban centres reflects a failure of intelligence & the State s lack of a clear proactive anti terrorism policy his comments come after a group of terrorists stormed the police headquarters in the southern port city of Pakistan Four people – a Rangers subinspector, a police constable and two civilians – were martyred in the attack All the three terrorists were also killed in the operation launched by Rangers and police to hunt down to them

nobody has the right and powers tap anyone s calls , the former Punjab health Dr Yasmin Rashid told the media persons during a presser

They are weakening this country with such measures” she added without naming anyone

Talking to journalists, the former Punjab health minister criticised some quarters for recording and leaking audios saying that they have made the country a ‘banana republic’

She further criticised the government over an assassination attempt on chairman of ‘world’s six largest

political party – Imran Khan [Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif and [Interior Minister] Rana Sanaullah are involved in the attack on Imran Khan,” she alleged

The PTI leader also lambasted the government for delaying in announcing election date saying that as per the Constitution, the authorities were responsible to hold polls within 90 days of dissolution of assemblies earlier in the day another audio recording purportedly that of former Punjab health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and former Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar who was

recently reinstated by Supreme Court (SC) was emerged

In the audio clip the former Punjab minister can allegedly be heard talking about reinstatement orders with CCPO Lahore Dogar

The audio leak comes a day after the Supreme Court reinstated Ghulam Mahmood Dogar as the CCPO after suspending his transfer order made by Mohsin Naqvi led interim Punjab govt

“Imran Khan is concerned about your reinstatement,” a woman, believed to be Yasmin Rashid, can be heard speaking to another person believed to be CCPO Lahore “I had told Khan sahab that orders were yet not received,” she said in a telephonic conversation

In the alleged clip the person believed to be Ghulam Dogar, flagged signatures of judges on post carrying orders as the reason behind the delay The man assures the woman that he had his man [sitting] at the apex court

It is pertinent to mention here that Dogar, as the Lahore CCPO was at the centre of a tussle between the federal government and the then-Punjab government under Chaudhry Pervaiz elahi last year

US sanc tions authority probes Raiffeisen on Russia

ContInueD fRoM BACK pAge

u S cLout

The U S Treasury imposes sanctions and can penalise those who break them Its most aggressive sanctioning tool freezes U S assets and excludes banks from accessing U S dollars – critical for international trade and finance

The toughest sanctioning tool in OFAC s arsenal known as the SDN list, freezes assets held in the United States and bars American companies or citizens from trading with those listed freezing a bank or individual out of all dollar payments

This grants the United States influence far beyond its shores to enforce its sanctions

Alternatively OFAC

can also resort to less stringent measures such as levying fines and sending warning letters over sanctions violations Two former U S officials, asking not to be named, said, however, that Washington was typically reluctant to take such draconian steps

Viktor Winkler, a German sanctions lawyer, declined to make specific remarks about Raiffeisen, but said that it was common for OFAC to request information of banks and that it did not automatically lead to penalties

OFAC has sanctioned five major Russian banks including state-backed Sberbank (SBeR MM) part of a response to that country s invasion of Ukraine, as well as wealthy oligarchs

Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the

Governor says polls date c an be announced after ‘LHC interpret its verdic t ’

Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman on Saturday said that the election commission could not give a satisfactory answer to his questions, saying he has approached the high court and pleaded for “interpret its decision on election ”

The election date can be announced after the court’s interpretation,” he declared while talking to media in Sahiwal here on Saturday

I hadn t signed the summary for dissolution of the provincial legislature thus I am not entitled to give the election date,” the governor argued, elaborating his announcement of election date would be unconstitutional Recently Shahzad Shaukat Advocate filed a petition on behalf of Governor Balighur Rehman, seeking interpretation of the Lahore high Court’s decision

“The bench has ordered the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) to consult with the governor over the election date” petitioner said “The governor

hadn t signed the summary for dissolution of the provincial assembly,” he pleaded Meanwhile, Governor Blighur Rehman said that the government was committed to bring economic stability in the country and resume the journey of development he said that the country needs a strong economic base at this time for which everyone would have to play due role he said this while visiting stalls set up by various industries at ‘Made in Sahiwal expo 2023 organized by the Sahiwal Chamber of Commerce at the hockey Stadium today

The Punjab governor said that the country is facing many challenges at present, and the government is striving to bring the people out of this difficult time he said that the business community is standing with the government even in this difficult time The governor said that no business activity is small he said that all types of businesses contribute to the development of country he added, whether it is to increase the value of the commodity to make cloth from cotton or to make a medicine from herbs, it leads to social development

United States cut off Sberbank from processing payments through the U S financial system Its european arm, based in Vienna, was closed shortly afterwards

Sberbank previously said the new sanctions would not have a significant impact on their operations

In 2018, the U S Treasury sanctioned Latvia s ABLV Bank due to concerns about illicit activity connected in large part to Russia, prompting the bank to quickly unravel Johann Strobl Raiffeisen’s CeO told shareholders in March that he is examining options for the Russian business, but reaching a conclusion would take some time because the bank is not “a sausage stand” that could be closed overnight

abbasi slams naB as most corrupt institution in the countr y

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a senior leader of Pakistan

Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), claimed on Saturday that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was the most corrupt institution in the country During a media interaction, the former prime minister expressed his concerns that despite having three democratic governments in the country, NAB is still operational he further added that Pakistan would not function properly as long as the agency remains operational Abbasi who is facing a number of investigations under the dirty money watchdog, also mentioned that government officials are afraid to exercise their powers due to the fear of NAB’s anti-graft watchdog he stressed that the NAB was created for political victimization, and former chairman Javed Iqbal should answer questions about his tenure Regarding his alleged differences with PML-N leaders, Abbasi said he worked in the party for over three decades without holding any office and he has no issues with PML-N Abbasi reiterated that Nawaz Sharif is his “leader”

Pak istan to continue assisting quake -vic tims in Turk iye: PM

ContInueD fRoM pAge 01

he said that he had also requested the people of Pakistan to express complete solidarity with the people of Turkiye The prime minister recollected that during the earthquake of 2005 floods of 2010 or last year floods in Pakistan, President erdogan and the Turkish people went the extra mile to help the people of Pakistan with huge generosity

“It’s a colossal loss, so no amount of aid would be enough, he observed while referring to the vast devastation caused by 7 8 magnitude earthquake that struck different regions of Turkiye and Syria he said more than 30,000 people had died and they offered condolences for this devastating loss of lives and properties

We are in a deep sense of grief and sorrow and prayed for the departed souls he added

To serve the suffering humanity in Turkiye, the prime minister said that the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should immediately convene a meeting, assuring that he would request the OIC secretary general to convene an emergency meeting, so that all the Muslim countries could decide immediate relief package for Tukiye

he also urged the international community to play its role as Turkiye needed their support

The prime minister cautioned that a similar situation could occur somewhere else, so the global community should accept the challenge and with collective efforts support the quake victims he said that it was not a question of point scoring

or taking sides

“It is a high time for the international community to come forward and contribute whatever they can for the rehabilitation of the earthquake-affected people he added

Lauding the leadership qualities of President erdogan the prime minister expressed the optimism that his government would come out of the crises, adding the people of Pakistan stood in complete solidarity with the Turkish people he said Turkish people had also donated billions of dollars for their quake victims

About the close ties between the two countries the prime minister said that their hearts beat together, though they spoke different languages, but understood each other They were like families

“That is the spirit and motivation, it goes back to centuries,” he further elaborated

Some people said that the friendship formed during Khilafat Movement, a movement which was led by Johar brothers in the Indo-Pak sub-continent, in which the Muslims had contributed whatever they could for their Turkish brethren

“But the relationship goes back to centuries It is unique in this world, he observed

During last year flood in Pakistan, Turkiye had donated millions of dollars to the flood victims, with the provision of tents, medicines and the construction of schools Turkish first lady also contributed her bracelet for the flood victims which reflected the highest level of empathy It could only be done by the brothers and sisters

‘ S

E c u r I t y F o r c E S L A u D E D ’: Meanwhile

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday appreciated the security forces for their successful operation against terrorists at the office of Karachi Police Chief

The prime minister expressed his condolences to the bereaved families of police, Ranger personnel and a civilian who embraced shahadat during the incident PM Office Media Wing said in a press release

The prime minister also announced the Shuhada package for the martyred personnel he paid tribute to the sacrifices of martyred security personnel

The prime minister also lauded the professionalism and response of the security forces which they displayed during the one-hour operation

he also stressed immediate professional preparedness and enhancement of capacity building of the police force

The prime minister observed that the strength of state and collective mechanisms would be completely utilized to root out the scourge of terrorism he also directed for provision of the best medical treatment to the injured and prayed for the high ranks of the departed souls

Meanwhile, the prime minister also contacted Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah and appreciated his presence and prompt response on the occasion

The chief minister apprised the prime minister of the details and facts of the incident

The prime minister said that major loss was averted due to the valour of the security forces who had eliminated terrorists

SAHIWAL/LAHoRe

Constitution sole ‘remedy for stakeholders’ to taCkle prevailing Crises: president

HYDERABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t

pr e s i d e n t dr Arif Alvi on

saturday said the implementation of the constitution was the solution to all problems and all stakeholders must sit together to steer the country out of the prevailing crisis

He expressed these views while addressing the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and industries (HCCi)’s programme and a conference themed, “Yeh Watan tumhara Hai, tum Ho Pasban iske” here on saturday

dr Alvi said the economic condition of the country was not so good, but the solution to all these problems lies in the continuity of democracy

“the iMF is a lending institution and before giving money, it wants to see how we will repay that amount therefore, it enforces discipline so that other lenders and friendly countries also lend us,” the President maintained

He said solar was the cheapest source of energy in the country We can meet our energy needs by generating abundant electricity through solar technology ”

Oil lobby kept us away from thar coal, making us to waste 10 to 15 years before benefiting from it”, he pointed out

While giving credit to the former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, dr Alvi said due to his efforts, Pakistan was able to launch nuclear programme which enabled us to generate electricity from nuclear sources and got a 40 to 50 years umbrella the same programme prevents our enemy from attacking us, he added referring to the food abundance

President said we need to work in that regard through Agriculture University tandojam and other research institutes

He said the netherlands is a country 16 times smaller than Pakistan, but it is the second largest food exporter in the world

He also urged agriculturalists to go to

Faisalabad and the Arid University and conduct research on low-water consuming crops to achieve the goal of food security President Alvi said the government was duty bound, but in the industry sector, the industrialists have to make the ways themselves and all stakeholders should do their own work for achieving shared goals

He termed it and the textile as potential sectors for enhancing exports of the country and urged the industrialists to pay more attention to both these sectors

He also suggested the business community to engage more women in trade and business activities as no sector will

flourish without their full participation

He said there was a shortage of human resources all over the world and we should fill this gap by providing training to the youth

He said that it was the only sector where our females can work at home and they may be able to work not only for the country but also for the industry of the whole world through the internet

He also referred to the Prime Minister’s Youth development programme initiated by the previous government and said it provided training to 2 4 million youths

the President said in india, 100% children go to primary school, 98% in Bangladesh and 99% in sri Lanka while we have only 68% children enrolled in schools which is a matter of concern in response to HCCi’s charter of economy proposal, the president said it was very difficult to bring all stakeholders together and for this purpose people should have to leave their ego behind the President said he tried his best to get everyone sit together but no one was ready to do so while the situation of the country was very bad and there was a need to keep all opposition aside to save the country from drowning

dr Alvi said he will continue his efforts to take all stakeholders to table so that the crisis could be ended with joint efforts

pakistani girl’s letter to Chinese astronaut sparks conversation on space

ISLAMABAD

X n h ua

Aasiya ismail a 16-year-old matriculation student had a lot of questions in mind when she came to know that Chinese astronauts will take Pakistani seeds to China’s space station for space breeding “Pakistan science Foundation (PsF) asked students of different schools to write letters to the astronauts who will help Pakistan bring a revolution in the agriculture sector by taking our very own seeds to space i had many queries but the most intriguing was about their role to end poverty,” ismail told Xinhua

China helped Pakistan take seven herbal seeds to the Chinese space station for space breeding by exposing them to cosmic radiation and microgravity to mutate their genes, and the PsF asked students to write a letter to Chinese astronauts in order to enhance their interest in science the teenager spent a month writing the letter after having researched about space breeding of seeds and the Chinese space station the letter was selected among all the letters received by the foundation for the astronauts in talks with Xinhua, ismail said that as a teenager she feels scared for her future due to climate changetriggered food security challenges, so she asked the astronaut, “will space seeds end poverty and hunger in the world because the countries like Pakistan are currently experiencing an economic and environmental crisis, which is feared to result in hunger poverty and indigence?

ECP expresses concerns over President ’s ‘choice of words’

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t responding to President dr Arif Alvi’s letter, the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) on saturday expressed reservations over the “words used” by the president while addressing constitutional institutions in the letter, the electoral watchdog – while expressing reservations – said that president should have use a “better choice of words” while addressing other constitutional institutions “the office of the president is the highest constitutional body whereas all other constitutional and legal bodies are under constitutional obligation to offer utmost respect for the president,” the letter stated We are sure that it is impartial and expect paternal guidance from this prestigious in office towards other constitutional bodies the eCP wrote, adding that there will be better choice of words while addressing such other constitutional institutions the letter further stated that the eCP abides by the Constitution and the law and that the electoral watch-

dog’s job was to conduct elections whereas the president and the governors were responsible for announcing election dates

“According to Article 48(5) of the Constitution, where the national Assembly is dissolved by the president, he shall appoint a date for the election and appoint a Caretaker cabinet it noted adding: Under Article 105(3)(a), he shall appoint a date for General elections to the assembly and shall appoint a caretaker cabinet” the eCP pointed out that after

d i s s o l u t i o n o f b o t h p r o v i n c i a l a ss e m b l i e s , t h e c o m m i s s i o n a pp r o a c h e d g o v e r n o r s o f b o t h p r o v i n c e s f o r a p p o i n t m e n t o f a d a t e f o r e l e c t i o n s , a n d a l s o s e n t r e m i n d e r s the letter maintained that the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered a meeting with the governor regarding the provincial assembly elections and eCP officials met with governors However, the governor refrained from providing an election date and stated that he “intends to approach the legal forum ‘ C E C d E C i d E s t o m E E t P r E s i d E n t’

Meanwhile CeC sikandar sultan raja decided to meet President Arif Alvi on general elections on Monday As per details, the chief election commissioner has completed constitutional consultation on Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) polls the chief election commissioner will also share the constitutional aspects regarding general elections with the president He will also inform him about the lack of funds and security for polls in Punjab and KP

PakiStan muSt exPloit untaPPed Potential of eu: thomaS Seiler

FAISALABAD

S ta f f r e p o r t

dE P U T y Head of EU Mission Mr Thomas Seiler said on Saturday that Pakistan must exploit untapped economic potential of the European Union (EU) under the GSP Plus Scheme to overcome its current economic crisis

Addressing the business community at FCCI, he underlined the importance of dutyfree access to Pakistani products to European

markets and said that it had particularly benefited the textile sector of Pakistan He said that most of the textile mills were using European machinery which helped them to improve the quality of their products

“We are also working on technology transfer , he said and hoped that it would pave the way for Pakistani exporters to unlock the huge potential in other sectors in addition to textiles He said that Pakistan should now move forward in technology and launch projects like car manufacturing etc However, in this connection, two sides should collaborate

and cooperate with each other Continuing

Mr Seiler said the facility of GSP Plus was directly linked with a number of agreements, treaties and protocols already ratified by Pakistan He said the current tenure of GSP Plus was going to expire in December 2023 and the government of Pakistan must apply right now for the extension of this facility He said the EU Mission was critically examining the implementation of different treaties

He said that in view of the current devastating floods in Pakistan, he personally intends to extend it but in the prevailing global sce-

nario the tenure of proposed extension may be restricted to 3-4 years instead of ten years

He further said the GSP Plus issue would be discussed in EU parliament during coming months of September and October to make a final decision However, the business community of Faisalabad must pressurize its government to launch aggressive lobbying to win support from maximum EU countries for the continuity of this facility He said the business community should also remain vigilant and seek political support from the other EU member countries instead of de-

2

LAHORE

SH E I K H Rashid Ahmad, the president of the Awami Muslim League (AML) party, has been set to be formally charged on March 2 by a district and sessions court in Islamabad in a case related to murder plot allegations against former president Asif Zardari

He is charged with accusing Zardari of plotting to assassinate Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan The case was filed by Rawalpindi president of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Raja Inayat urRehman, and includes charges of criminal conspiracy promoting enmity

between different groups, and statements conducing to public mischief

The court has issued an order to ensure the former interior minister s appearance on the

e , A h m a d w a s g r a n t e d b a i l b y t h e I s l a m a b a d H i g h C o u r t ( I H C ) o n T h u r s d a y a g a i n s t s u r e t y b o n d s o f R s 5 0 , 0 0 0 a f t e r h e filed a bail plea H e w as previous ly in Adiala Prison on a two-week judicial remand

After his court appearance, Ahmad accused the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leadership of using planes of plunderers and mafia people

He also claimed he was asked to share passwords of mobile phones, which he said he gave to them

MIRPUR

S ta f f r e p o r t

All is set to commemorate the 50th martyrdom anniversary of the Kashmiri martyrs of London, Hanif Shaheed and Basharat Shaheed, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir Pakistan and the United Kingdom on Monday with the renewal of the pledge to continue the mission of the Kashmiri martyrs till the freedom of occupied Kashmir from the Indian clutches

Capacious programmes have been chalked out jointly by the AJK government, and social and human rights organizations to observe the anniversary at the mausoleums of Bashrat Shaheed at Palak and Hanif Shaheed in Mirpur on Monday, head of Jammu and Kashmir Martyrs of London Memorial Society, K D Chaudhary, told APP here on Saturday

Chaudhry said after chairing a meeting held in Dadayal with regard to the anniversary of the martyred heroes of the Kashmir freedom that notables,

besides the general people from different walks of life will visit the mausoleums of the Basharat Shaheed and Hanif Shaeed at Palak and Markazi Eidgah graveyard, respectively

Basharat Shaheed and Hanif Shaheed and their

companion, Ghazi Dalawar had taken the staff of the Indian High Commission in London hostage on this day in 1973 at the toy-gun point with the demand for the release of 90,000 Pakistanis prisoners of war (POWs) during fall of Dacca in 1971

“By observing the martyrdom anniversary of the martyrs of London on February 20 every year, Kashmiris reiterate their firm resolve that Pakistan was their ultimate destination and they will leave no stone unturned to achieve the goal in line with the international norms and commitments vis-à-vis the just and principled settlement of Kashmir issue according to their aspirations”, he added K D Chaudhry said rich tributes would be paid to Basharat Shaheed, Hanif Shaheed, and Ghazi Dilawar for laying down the supreme sacrifice of their lives for the Kashmir cause coupled with the renewal of the determination to continue the mission of Kashmiri martyrs until the struggle for Kashmiris legitimate right to self-determination becomes a success

China, Pakistan launch international industr y-education cooperation alliance

BEIJING

ag e n c i e S

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Moinul Haque said that it was learned that almost ten percent of the youth in Pakistan were unemployed and had no vocational, technical and commercial skills Meanwhile, with the progress of CPEC, he said the demand for skilled labor force is becoming more and more urgent, China Economic Net (CEN) reported

It is under such backdrop that the seminar was hosted, the Ambassador said

He was addressing at a seminar on launching ceremony of China-Pakistan International Industry-Education Cooperaation Alliance Initiative held at the China-Pakistan Seminar on “Internet+” International Education and Industry-Education Integration in Beijing on Saturday The seminar was hosted by China Education Association for International Exchange and Organized by TANG International Education Group and Pakistan s Embassy in Beijing as part of the 23rd China Annual Conference and Expo for International Education

He said that a large number of Chinese enterprises were working in Pakistan on such projects They need skilled labor force”, the Ambassador said, adding, Recently, I had the opportunity to visit some big names in Shenzhen China and was impressed by their innovation, hard work and focus on people training China has emerged as one of the world leaders

in AI computing IoT and big data We would like to emulate the achievements of China in Pakistan”

L i J i n s o n g , P r e s i d e n t o f TA N G I n t e r n a t i o n a l E d u c a t i o n G r o u p s a i d C h i n e s e c o l l e g e s i n v e s tment on modern international education platforms and digital curriculum resources has helped train local Pakistani teachers and provided a large number of scholarships and living allowances for the poorest students in Pakistan to access to learning and life-changing opportunities

In the same spirit, the China-Pakistan International Industry-Education Cooperation Alliance will facilitate the introduction of 210 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) disciplines of China to Pakistan, the establishment of 36 TVET excellence centers the provision of international courses, and the opportunities of pursuing further

studies and jobs in China in its following work

“The alliance has been under preparation since Aug, 2022 It has garnered the support of over 500 of bilateral TVET colleges universities and enterprises”, Ammar Muhammad, Secretary General of China-Pakistan International Industry-Education Cooperation Alliance introduced

“We aim to build a bilateral platform for China and Pakistan to exchange information on industrial and education information share success stories and work together in various programs so as to empower Pakistan’s young people, promote employment, support the construction of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and enhance Pakistan’s export”, he added On this occasion, over 20 agreements were signed on bilateral education and industrial cooperation projects

pending on France and Germany only

Responding to a question Mr Seiler clarified that business was not a charity it means profit and Pakistan should also focus on expanding its exports purely on competitive and scientific lines The Deputy Head of Mission regretted over the desecration of holy Quran in some countries of Europe and said that the EU was making concerted efforts to discourage this tendency He also expressed concern over floods in Pakistan but added that Europe was also badly affected due to the Russian attack on Ukraine He noted with concern, the violations of basic human rights and said that Pakistan must improve this situation for the continuity of GSP Plus facility About poor inflow of FDI from Europe he said that it was directly linked with the political and economic instability in Pakistan He also appreciated the proposal to ink an MoU between FCCI and EU on extended economic cooperation

Ear thlink brings award-winning Luxur y Projec ts to exclusive sales event in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Earthlink, the leading real estate brand in Pakistan with a top-tier portfolio of award-winning luxury apartments hosted the biggest sales event in Peshawar, Pakistan With a main focus on bringing its master brand “The Grandé” into the limelight, Earthlink brought the best of The Grandé to Peshawar Special discounts and promotions were offered on the inventory of Earthlink’s 20+ high-end projects which included the awardwinning residential development Piano by The Grandé, The Grandé Park Lane, The Grandé Walk, The Grandé Park View, and Earthlink Towers Paradise The “Mustakbil Investment Programme initiative was also introduced to the audience The market of Peshawar has a huge potential to help us achieve our overarching aim Being abreast of the current socio-economic state of Pakistan and the unpredictable situation of the real estate industry, I deemed it crucial to target this very market I encourage everyone in the real estate market to spare no effort in these pressing times , said Mubusher Hayat, the founder and CEO of Earthlink High-ranking officials, dignitaries, influencers, dealers, realtors, and renowned politicians graced the event on both days Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Haji Ghulam Ali inaugurated the sales event as the chief guest, as well as Opposition Leader Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Akram Khan Durrani, and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Azam Khan were present at the event p r

PPIB facilitates commissioning of 330MW indigenous-fuel-based projec t

ISLAMABAD: Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) on Saturday announced achievement of Commercial Operation Date (COD) of yet another Thar coal-based power project located at Thar Block-II ThalNova Power Project having generation capacity of 330MW has achieved such a momentous milestone today This significant development is another achievement in PPIB’s endeavors to provide cheap and indigenous electricity to the national grid Sponsored by a joint venture comprising HUBCO, Thal Limited, Novatex Limited, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), and Descon with 497 7 million US Dollars investment, ThalNova Power is a mine-mouth lignite-fired power plant at Thar Coal Block II Sindh and is a part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) The plant will be fueled by coal extracted from Thar Block II by the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and will utilize 1 9 million tons of coal to generate over 2 billion units of electricity per annum with anticipated annual savings of Rs 55 billion Successful commissioning of this Project is another demonstration of PPIB's effective facilitation towards promoting Thar coal for power generation With this latest addition, total production of electricity from five Thar coal based power generation plants has reached to mammoth 3,300 which indicates growing interest of investors in Thar coal p r

P&G Pakistan wins Champion of 2022 Award

KARACHI: P&G Pakistan in recognition of its women empowerment initiatives and diverse and equitable workplace ethics, was honored with the title of Champion of 2022, at the annual OICCI Women Empowerment Awards held by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) The award ceremony was held at OICCI HQ OICCI the oldest and largest investment chamber plays a major role in the growth of commerce and industry in the country with 200 plus members representing 35 different countries and 14 different sectors of trade and industry OICCI

Women Empowerment Awards are the continuation of the OICCI Women initiative which was launched to encourage member companies to become role models to empower women in the workforce and create gender equality within their respective organizations Commenting on the receipt of this prestigious award the SVP and CEO of P&G Pakistan, Adil Farhat said It is a matter of great pride for P&G Pakistan to be recognized as the Champion of 2022 by the OICCI at the Women Empowerment Awards The collective effort of all the organizations that were nominated for the awards, has and will continue to leave an everlasting impact in empowering the women of Pakistan ” p r

R a s h i d ’s i n d i c t m e nt o n a l l e g at i o n s a g a i n s t Z a rd a r i s c h e d u l e d fo r M a rc h

f to b e re m e m b e re d to m o r row

K a r a c h i c o p s b e s i e g e d

O r a i d s h o u l d c a u s e s o m e h a rd q u e s t i o n s t o b e a s ke d

The terrorist takeover of the Karachi Police Office might be over, but it still leaves behind disturbing questions for all citizens of the country as to why terrorists are managing to take over police intsllations with such ease Both Karachi and the Bannu CTD attack show, the police needs the Army to bail them out in such an extreme situation Is this because the military recruits a superior type of human being, or because the Army simply has more money thrown at bit for training and equipment? In either case, whether recruitment procedures or funding, it is the government which must do what is necessary The Peshawar blast inside the Police Lines where policemen constituted most of the 100 fatalities could not be blamed on either funding or recruitment, but also showed that most police installations are soft targets Is it any wonder that attacks have now come in two provinces? Are the other two to follow?

It is a kind of left-handed compliment from the terrorists, showing that the police have been hurting them however, it is worth asking about the negotiations that were being conducted, which were recently broken off, and how far the terrorists used these negotiations to recoup their earlier losses and strengthen themselves It would be ironic if the very forces that are now having to save the police, had given the terrorists the opportunity to develop the capacity for such attacks by giving them the breathing-space to be got from negotiations

Unless the lesson is learnt by the negotiators, from this series of attacks that the task is beyond their ability and should be left to the political leadership they will have gone in vain

It should not be forgotten that the fight against terrorism has not been fought by the Army alone, as the police has had a leading role It should be remembered that the duty of safeguarding the citizen rests with the police, while the Army is tasked with the defence of the country as a whole It is clear that the policy of allowing the Army the lead role is not working; and along with civilians, their protectors are also falling victim Apart from such immediate measures as identifying weakensses and remedying them, capacity building must also be enhanced, and the police forces of all provinces must be made capable of combatting the enemy in our midst

Renewable Energy: A Protagonist to Mitigate Climate Change

90 percent of total global carbon emissions This form of energy after production is used in transportation such as cars trucks ships and airplanes Yet another usage of fossil fuels is in the powering of buildings for residential and commercial uses The effects of this are hotter temperatures leading to forest fires, yet again adding to the dilemma

More severe storms, leading to extreme rains and flooding are evident from recent floods in Pakistan

And more health risks, leading to harming health through air pollution causing the deaths of 13 million people worldwide The figures stated are alarming and need serious attention Last year, egypt hosted the Conference of Parties (COP 27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

I t s h o u l d b e k e p t i n m i n d t h a t 1 G W i s e q u a l t o

CLIMATe change is a leading phenomenon that is wreaking havoc on the overall environment of the world The reasons for climate change are multiple, but one that is contributing enormously is the continuous use of fossil fuels The burning of fossil fuels for cooking, electrifying houses, and commercial uses, such as crude oil natural gas and coal extracted out of the ground are the major causes of climate change Consequently, it has led to the exacerbation of the deterioration of the environment

The burning of fossil fuels causes heat to be trapped in the environment and contributes to global warming According to the United Nations climate change is a worldwide problem that knows no boundaries and affects everyone

T h e c o n s e q u e n c e s o f c l i m a t e c h a n g e a r e e xt r e m e - r e s u l t i n g i n d r o u g h t s , e x c e s s i v e r a i n f a l l , storms, intense heat, and melting of glaciers It also impacts the weather patterns that unleash untimely rains and destroy unbiasedly The impact of climate change was recently experienced in Pakistan when continuous rains led to affecting 33 million and the l o s s o f 1 7 3 0 p r e c i o u s l i v e s T h e r e f o r e , t h i s p i e c e will look into the vital role of renewable energy in mitigating emerging and consequential aspects of climate change

The biggest cause of climate change is the generation of energy by consuming fossil fuels Most of the electricity is still produced by the burning of fossil fuels

It is estimated that coal, oil, and gas are the largest contributors to climate change accounting for

The COP's main goal was to maintain the rise in average global temperature to 1 5° C (above pre-industrial levels) And to take the decision to establish a fund to respond to the loss and damage caused by climate change Although, COP 15, was pledged to provide $100 billion in climate finances for adaptation yet only a quarter of its committed amount was delivered The pledges and commitments of participating members of the United Nations in COP are commendable but cannot be relied upon as very little has been done to limit the rise in average global temperature The means to find alternative sources of energy should be relied upon and help overcome the said dilemma T h e r e a r e p l e n t y o f s o u r c e s t o g e t f r e e a n d clean energy in terms of ren e w a b l e e n e rg y R e n e wable energy is a blessing of n a t u r e t h a t r e f i l l s i t s e l f i n spite of its continuous use R e n e w a b l e e n e rg y c a n b e o b t a i n e d t h r o u g h s o l a r, w i n d , g e o t h e r m a l , a n d b i o e n e rg y A d d i n g t h e s e s o u r c e s o f e n e rg y w i l l l i m i t t h e r i s e i n a v e r a g e global temperature, as well as produce cheap and sustainable energy Leading countries in this regard in 2021 are China with an installed renewable energy capacity of 1020 GW, the USA with 325 GW, Brazil with 160 GW, and even India with 147 GW

This is just a huge loss of not utilizing the vast lands of Pakistan such as Balochistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that have the capability of high capacity for producing renewable energy By utilizing the potential of renewable energy, Pakistan will not only get out of its energy crisis but will also play a role in mitigating climate change and maybe in the future will not be a victim of the impending consequences of climate change

1000 MW These installments of renewable energy sources to meet the demand for electricity for commercial and residential uses will boost the commitments of the 70 countries including world leaders s u c h a s C h i n a , t h e U S A , t h e e u r o p e a n U n i o n , a n d 3000 businesses and financ i a l i n s t i t u t i o n s t o r e a c h the net-zero target by 2050

Considering Pakistan which has a total demand for energy of 25,000 MW at peak summertime which falls to 12,000 MW in winter has a lot to gain from the sources of renewable energy Currently, the total capacity of energy generated in Pakistan is mostly based on fossil fuels accounting for a whopping 64 percent Whereas the rest of the generation is from hydropower at 27 percent, nuclear power capacity at 5 percent and only four percent from renewable sources This is just a huge loss of not utilizing the vast lands of Pakistan such as Balochistan Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that have the capability of high capacity for producing renewable energy By utilizing the potential of renewable energy Pakistan will not only get out of its energy crisis but will also play a role in mitigating climate change and maybe in the future will not be a victim of the impending consequences of climate change

The writer is a research officer at the Balochistan Think Tank Network (BTTN) Quetta

Indian over ture to alter Indus Water Treat y

of Article XII (3) of the Indus Waters Treaty, which regulates the sharing of waters of cross-border rivers

The notice from India sends a clear message that the country is willing to take a tougher stance on the Indus Waters Treaty and that it is prepared to renegotiate the terms of the agreement if necessary This could have serious implications for the relationship between the two countries as well as for the stability of the region

India has expressed dissatisfaction with Pakistan s principled stance to resolve disputes through a World Bank-appointed neutral expert and arbitration by a World Bank-constituted court in 2015

Climate change is a major concern for Pakistan, particularly in the context of the Indus River system The overall flows in the Indus river system have decreased by about 5 percent since 1960 due to the effects of climate, and this trend is expected to worsen in the future

At the same time, Pakistan s population has grown significantly since independence, and is still growing rapidly This means that demand for water is increasing, and dependence on the Indus River system is becoming more pronounced These factors are putting additional pressure on Pakistan s water resources, making it increasingly important for the country to find sustainable solutions to manage its water resources and mitigate the impacts of climate change

The recent decision by the Indian government in 2023 to seek a modification of the Indus Waters Treaty has added new violations by India and may cause further delicate relationship between India and Pakistan The Indus Water Treaty was signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan with the World Bank as a signatory The treaty aimed to divide the water of the Indus river and its tributaries fairly between the two countries India was allocated the use of water from the three eastern rivers (Beas Ravi and Sutlej) and Pakistan was allocated the use of water from the three western rivers (Chenab, Indus, and Jhelum)

The notice by the Indian government to Pakistan on January 25, was sent in accordance with the provisions

Pakistan is concerned that the dam designs which India is constructing will block the flow of water to its western rivers, which provide water for 80 percent of its irrigated crops According to Pakistan this would be a violation of the treaty and would severely impact its agriculture

In September 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave statements reevaluating its policies on the Indus Waters Treaty Later on, In February 2019, Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that the Indian government had decided to stop sharing water with Pakistan

In August 2019, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stated that the process of blocking water to Pakistan without violating the Indus Water Treaty had begun he said that work had already begun

to stop the water flows into Pakistan under the treaty This statement reflected India's intention to utilize its water resources as leverage in response to ongoing tensions with Pakistan

The notice given by India to Pakistan regarding the Indus Water Treaty is a combination of India asserting its position and making a statement of intent Despite the current tensions, the treaty is expected to remain in place for the near future even if the treaty were to be scrapped, it would not immediately impact Pakistan, as India does not currently have the infrastructure in place to alter the flow of water into Pakistan or divert it for use in India It would take a few years for any changes to take effect

Pakistan may opt for bilateral diplomatic engagements with India to maintain the existing agreement. Secondly, Pakistan can seek the assistance of international organizations, such as the World Bank to mediate the dispute and preserve the treaty; furthermore, strengthening its own water management. Thirdly, Pakistan can explore legal options, such as approaching international courts, to protect its rights under the treaty. It is important for both India and Pakistan to engage in constructive dialogue and work towards a mutually beneficial solution that preserves the Indus Water Treaty and the interests of both countries

T h u s a n y i n t e n t i o n t o m o d i f y I W T b y I n d i a m a y t h r e a t e n Pakistan’s national security Any changes could potentially disrupt the flow of water into Pakistan, affecting its agricultural and hydropower production This could have a negative impact on the country's economy and the livelihoods of its people, particularly in the agricultural sector Modification of the treaty could also increase ten-

sions between India and Pakistan potentially leading to further conflict It could also have a broader impact on regional stability, as water resources are becoming increasingly scarce and contested in South Asia

To prevent any changes to the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan may opt for bilateral diplomatic engagements with India to maintain the existing agreement Secondly, Pakistan can seek the assistance of international organizations, such as the World Bank to mediate the dispute and preserve the treaty; furthermore, strengthening its own water management Thirdly, Pakistan can explore legal options such as approaching international courts, to protect its rights under the treaty It is important for both India and Pakistan to engage in constructive dialogue and work towards a mutually beneficial solution that preserves the Indus Water Treaty and the interests of both countries

The writer is a Research Officer at Centre for International Strategic Studies AJK She can be reached at Nsheikh536@gmail com

Road to CENTO Ver. 3.2

ON the sidelines of developments at home in the context of political infighting between the various political factions; and the rounds of talk w i t h t h e I M F ; t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t development, strangely, has not caught the attention of the news desks T h e r e n e w e d s t r a t e g i c d e f e n c e d i a l o g u e between the USA and Pakistan, with staff level participation by the PAF and Navy, led by the Army, is in fact the proverbial breaking news which will set the pattern for the general direction of the battered nation state of Pakistan As a matter of fact, the dialogue is reminiscent of the 1950s inclusion of Pakistan into the ‘Baghdad Pact’ security arrangements, Americanization of weapon systems as well as adoption of a complete economic growth model based on t h e ‘ A m e r i c a n ’ d e v e l o p m e n t p a r a d i g m s a s practised in the pre-WTO era of capitalist development At that time too the political factions’ behaviour was no different from that at present I t h a s b e e n a g e n e r a l l y a c c e p t e d t r u t h i n the corridors of international finance that, as far as the nation state is concerned, is on the right side of the political divide; all things objectionable as overlooked, until the time when things get different every student of international finance knows that it was the controversial BCCI, which was the conduit of transfer o f f u n d s f r o m t h e w e s t e r n b a n k s u n t i l i t f e l l out of favour R e t u r n i n g t o t h e d i s c u s s i o n i n h a n d , t h e r e i s t h e s o m e w h a t s u r p r i s e r e s u m p t i o n o f t h e I M F d i a l o g u e S o o n t o b e f o l l o w e d b y t h e ‘ c o n f u s i n g ’ i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t o p b r a s s v i s i t s t o i m p o r t a n t i n t e r n a t i o n a l c a p it a l s T h e s e a l l p o i n t o u t t h a t t h e c o u n t r y i s b e i n g t a k e n b a c k t o t h e d e v e l o p m e n t p a r ad i g m f i r s t a d o p t e d i n l a t e 1 9 5 0 s a n d e a r l y 1 9 6 0 s w h e n t h e n e w l y i n d e p e n d e n t n a t i o n s t a t e g r a d u a t e d i n t o t h e w e s t e r n b l o c c o u rt e s y t h e t o p m i l i t a r y l e a d e r s h i p o f t h e c o u nt r y p e r s o n i f i e d i n t h e s h a p e o f Ay u b & C o

A runthrough of the deep state handles on social media spills the mood at that level The Pakistani audience is being fed the rosy picture of getting the ‘latest blocks’ of the F-16s; o b v i o u s l y f o r a n o t h e r ‘ d e f e n c e c o n t r a c t ’ whose only fallout for the common Pakistani w i l l b e t h e d i s m e m b e r e d l i m b s i n t h e a f t e rm a t h o f a s u i c i d e b l a s t ; a g a i n b y t h e s a m e deep state forward linkages G i v e n t h e n e w g r o u n d r e a l i t i e s , a t t h e geopolitical level, the choices are not as easy as they used to be in the case of the 1960s and 1 9 7 0 s D u r i n g t h o s e d e c a d e s o f c o l d w a r, there was still not the culture of absolute enemies or absolute friends Pakistan was able to ‘ f l i r t ’ w i t h C o m m u n i s t C h i n a w h i l e s t i l l r e -

maining in US-backed pacts like SeATO, especially, which could have asked for Pakistani participation in the US South east Asian conflicts L i k e w i s e , i n 1 9 6 7 , w h e n P a k i s t a n w a s busy participating with the pro-US air arm of Iran under the Shah in the CeNTO exercise, its policy was still independent to lend pilots to report to any of the Arab air arms at the height o f t h e 1 9 6 7 A r a b - I s r a e l i w a r O n e s u c h p i l o t had the honour of fighting the Israeli air force

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

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

We need to revamp our education system

IF you talk to any fresh graduate, they will tell you how unprepared they feel while entering the job market despite having scored sterling grades and rainbow grade points in the university employers, too, remain critical of the graduates skills, communication abilities and interpersonal traits An overhaul of the system is surely needed, and if we agree to that, outcome-based education (OBe) may well be the way ahead ever since Pakistan became a provisional signatory to the Washington Accord in 2017, it is striving to shift content-based education to OBe in institutions of higher education across the country however, this transitioning comes with a huge challenge related to its implementation in society where resources are scarce and novelty is frowned upon OBe is a student-centric teaching and learning methodology in which the course delivery and assessment are planned to achieve stated objectives It focusses on continuously monitoring students’ performance using direct and indirect assessments This means that at the end of the programme, individuals are able to assess themselves based on the attributes they were expected to develop during the programme

I n a t r a d i t i o n a l c l a s s , i n s t r u c t o r s f o c u s m o r e o n w h a t t h e y h a v e t o t e a c h I n t h e O B e s y s t e m , t h e y a r e m o r e c o n c e r n e d a b o u t w h a t t h e s t ud e n t s a r e g o i n g t o l e a r n f r o m t h e l e c t u r e s a n d w i l l g i v e s e v e r a l t a s k s t o t h e s t u d e n t s t o a s s e s s t h e o u t c o m e I n t h i s w a y, a t t h e e n d o f t h e c o u r s e , t h e s u c c e s s d e p e n d s o n h o w m u c h t h e s t u d e n t s h a v e l e a r n t r a t h e r t h a n h o w m u c h c o n t e n t t h e p r o f e s s o r h a s t a u g h t T h i s i s w h y t h e s y s t e m i s c a l l e d s t u d e n t - c e n t r i c

o n b o a r d I r a q i a n d t h e n J o r d a n i a n a i r f o r c e hawker hunters even in the case of inter-regional cooperation monarchist Iran despite being staunchly pro-USA, was able to dodge the United States, w h e n i t b o u g h t t h e u s e d We s t G e r m a n A i r Force F 86 jets on its vouchers and made them available to the PAF Likewise, Pakistani pilots were to again participate in the 1973 conflict, w h e n i n o n e s u c h e n g a g e m e n t a P a k i s t a n i p ilo t actu ally s h o t d o w n an I s r aeli A ir F o r ce Mirage variant Kfir, onboard a Soviet- made Syrian Mig 21 To d a y, t h i n g s h a v e c h a n g e d a l o t A f t e r 9 / 11 , t h e A m e r i c a n s e c u r i t y p a r a d i g m s h a v e a c t e d u n i l a t e r a l l y i n t h e s p e c i f i c c a s e o f P a ki s t a n U n l i k e Tu r k e y, w h i c h d e s p i t e b e i n g a N ATO a l l y h a s b e e n a b l e t o t a k e i n d e p e n d e n t economic and strategic decisions when it has s u i t e d i t s i n t e r e s t s , P a k i s t a n c o m p l i a n c e t o Wa s h i n g t o n h a s b e e n s h a m e l e s s l y m e e k D e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t P a k is ta n w a s f a s t tu r ni n g i n t o a n e n e rg y - d ef i c i e n t e c o n o m y i n t h e f i r s t d e c a d e o f t h e 2 0 0 0 s w i t h p e r i o d i c C N G s t a t i o n l o a d m a n a g e m e n t , P a k i s t a n w a s n o t a b l e o r w a s n o t w i l l i n g , t o m a k e t h e m o s t o f t h e g a s pipeline available upto t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l b o rd e r b e t w e e n P a k i s t a n and Iran Likewise, the l a w o f t h e l a n d s p e c i fi c a l l y t r e a t s t h e I sl a m i c R e p u b l i c i n t h e f o l l o w - u p o f t h e FAT F r e g u l a t i o n s a s a h i g hr i s k a n d p r o h i b i t e d a r e a , a l o n g w i t h Afghanistan and India; t h e o n l y c h o i c e m a d e b y P a k i s t a n ; i t s e l f W h i l e t h e d o m a i n o f t r a d e i s n o t f e l t i n the arena of the geopol i t i c a l s c e n e ; p a r t l y t h a n k s t o d e c a d e s - o l d s m u g g l i n g r o u t e s a c r o s s t h e s u b - c o n t in e n t a n d w i t h We s t A s i a a n y s t r a t e g i c p a r t n e r s h i p i s s e l d o m forgotten The animosi t y b e t w e e n P a k i s t a n a n d A f g h a n i s t a n s p i l l i n g o v e r n o w a n d t h e n h a s m u c h t o d o w i t h t h e b a g g a g e t h e Pakistan nation-state accrued for itself, firstly in 1979 then in the aftermath of the 1989 developments and finally the post 9/11 developm e n t s u n t i l t h e a s c e n s i o n o f t h e Ta l i b a n i n August 2021 I m a g i n i n g P a k i s t a n ' s r o l e i n a n y U S i n it i a t i v e i n t h e M i d d l e e a s t a i m e d a t ‘ s e t t i n g t h i n g s r i g h t w a r w i t h I r a n c a n p o t e n t i a l l y p u t P a k i s t a n i n a n e m b a r r a s s i n g s i t u a t i o n , d i p l o m a t i c a l l y W h i l e a r u n t h r o u g h t h e t w o d e c a d e s s i n c e t h e I r a n i a n n u c l e a r p r og r a m m e b e c a m e t h e We s t ’s t a r g e t s u g g e s t s t h a t s u c h a m o m e n t h a s n e v e r a r i s e n , t h e u n i l a t e r a l e n t r y i n t h e M a r c h 2 0 1 5 Ye m e n w a r b y M B S e x p o s e d P a k i s t a n t o r i s k s i mp o s e d , i f n o t o f i t s o w n m a k i n g h e r e i t i s

The type of regimentation available in the 1960s is nowhere Pakistan is riding a wild horse of centrifugal undercurrents, which can only be pacified through an economic turnaround.

Failing in that task can endanger the nation-state, its survival, economic viability or its standing in the comity of nations. While the political circus, leaks and proverbial ‘punctures’ will keep the bewildered countrymen busy with ‘gutter gossip’ the deal for the next war is being done quietly in the background

p e r t i n e n t t o n o t e t h a t t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f I r a n i a n G e n e r a l Q a s e m S o l e i m a n i h a d n o b e a r i n g w h a t s o e v e r o n t h e P a k i s t a n i g r a s sr o o t s s i t u a t i o n t h e M i k e P o m p e o t w e e t t h e n , t h a t h e ‘ d i s c u s s e d ’ t h e s t r i k e w i t h t h e t h e n P a k i s t a n i A r m y c h i e f , r e f l e c t s a c a l l o u s a p p r o a c h b y t h e A m e r i c a n s w i t h o u t a n y r ea l i z a t i o n o f i t s f a l l o u t With knives out for all the players in the international conflicts; best symbolized in the Ukraine conflict, rising tensions with the other b l o c ; C h i n a / R u s s i a a n d I r a n , w i t h o n e s i d e sending suicide drones to one power while the o t h e r p o w e r a r r a n g i n g s u p p l y t o t h e o t h e r player in the conflict, the battle lines are becoming clear day by day I f t h e o r d i n a r y P a k i s t a n i v i s i t i n g a b a n k b r a n c h h a s t o g o t h r o u g h t e r r o r f i n a n c i n g s c r e e n i n g , f a v o u r i t e s o f t h e r u l i n g c o a l i t i o n , with backing from the local and international established order, are roaming around eiff e l To w e r ’ i n t h e i r c l o t h i n g o f c h o i c e , w i t h o u t a n y q u e r i e s o n t h e i r f o u r t h schedule status’ or est a b l i s h e d i m a g e a s hatemongers It is not a coincidence that int e r n a t i o n a l s e c u r i t y e x p e r t s w e r e p r o m p t i n i d e n t i f y i n g t h e h a p p e n i n g t h r o u g h t h e i r Tw i t t e r p a g e s while the local media for obvious reasons has been mum It also r e f l e c t s b a d l y u p o n the writ of the state in e n f o r c i n g w h a t i t calls initiatives to stif l e t e r r o r i s m a n d ‘hate’ in the society C o n s e q u e n t l y , P a k i s t a n s e e m s t o b e i n c h e s a w a y f r o m a n o t h e r g l o b a l s e c ur i t y a r r a n g e m e n t l i k e t h e o n e i t e x p er i e n c e d d u r i n g t h e Ay u b e r a Q u i t e c oi n c i d e n t a l l y, t h e e c on o m i c c y c l e , w h i c h w a s i n i t i a t e d w i t h a p a r a d i g m i n t h e c l o s i n g y e a r s o f t h e

1 9 5 0 s h a s c o m e f u l l c i r c l e D u r i n g t h a t p e r i o d t h e e c o n o m i c r e a l i t i e s o f t h e i n t e rn a t i o n a l w o r l d a n d

P a k i s t a n h a v e i t s e l f c h a n g e d a l o t

The type of regimentation available in the

1 9 6 0 s i s n o w h e r e P a k i s t a n i s r i d i n g a w i l d h o r s e o f c e n t r i f u g a l u n d e r c u r r e n t s , w h i c h c a n o n l y b e p a c i f i e d t h r o u g h a n e c o n o m i c t u r na r o u n d F a i l i n g i n t h a t t a s k c a n e n d a n g e r t h e n a t i o n - s t a t e , i t s s u r v i v a l , e c o n o m i c v i a b i l i t y o r i t s s t a n d i n g i n t h e c o m i t y o f n a t i o n s W h i l e t h e p o l i t i c a l c i r c u s , l e a k s a n d p r o v e rb i a l ‘ p u n c t u r e s ’ w i l l k e e p t h e b e w i l d e r e d c o u n t r y m e n b u s y i n g u t t e r g o s s i p t h e d e a l f o r t h e n e x t w a r i s b e i n g d o n e q u i e t l y i n t h e b a c k g r o u n d T h e w r i t e r i s a f re e l a n c e c o l u m n i s t

The system took shape in the 1990s, after six foundation signatory organisa-tions from Australia Canada Ireland New Zealand the United Kingdom and the United States in 1989 observed that their pre-requisites for granting accreditation to university level programmes were substantially equivalent They agreed to grant the same rights and privileges to graduates of programmes accredited by other signatories as they grant to their own accredited programmes

Pakistan Bangladesh China India the Philippines and Sri Lanka hold provisional status To be a full signatory of the programme, Pakistan needs to revamp its university-level education tier and align it with the OBe system A faculty member in a Malaysian university in 2013 elaborated on the deficiencies of traditional content-based education, which is prevalent in most universities of the country, and mentioned the system as rigidly structured with no stakeholder participation in the decision-making process laying emphasis only on academic aspects while neglecting skills To him, the curriculum was inflexible and prescriptive Rote learning was essential, and collaboration was extinct Competition was cut-throat Most importantly, the traditional system was based on comparing one’s performance to that of the other classmates

If you are in your 30s you would remember the result day when parents will consider 92 per cent marks in a subject unimpressive if your classmate or the neighbour ’s child had scored, say, 94 In contrast, OBe prepares students in terms of problem-solving skills enhances creativity polishes their communication skills, is flexible and is student-centric with a lot of student-teacher interaction

The ultimate aims of OBe in engineering studies are to equip the undergraduates of an engineering programme with the attributes necessary for them to make the transition from academic to professional life, and be a global engineer e ff e c t i v e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f O B e g i v e s o p p o r t u n i t y f o r n e w i d e a s a n d c h a l l e n g e s t o d e v e l o p a n e d u c a t i o n m o d e l t h a t m a y r e s u l t i n i mp r o v e d l e a r n i n g o u t c o m e s h o w e v e r, f o r O B e t o b e s u c c e s s f u l l y a d o p t e d a t t h e t e r t i a r y l e v e l , a c a d e m i c s t a ff a n d t h e s t u d e n t s m u s t u nd e r s t a n d t h e o b j e c t i v e o f l e a r n i n g a n d t h e r o l e s f o r b o t h i n s t r u c t o r s a n d l e a r n e r s

The education in tertiary institutions should not be a linear, unilateral model Instead, it should be an active and engaging process ensuring smooth transition to life beyond academics In the OBe system, the end of the curricula does not signal the end of the learning process for the students, but a continuum of lifelong learning skills developed in tertiary education For this system to perform and deliver efficiently, our society needs a strong willingness on the part of the relevant decision-makers and, indeed, the faculty members associated with any institution of unveirstylevel education MUHAMMAD ALI FALAK LAHORE

We need stabilit y

UNFORTUNATeLY 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

H O w N a r e N d r a M O d I t r I e d t O c e N s O r a c r I t I c a l B B c d O c u M e N ta r y — a N d fa I l e d

for presiding over an anti-Muslim pogrom that claims an estimated 2 000 lives

IF you want to know how not to censor a critical television documentary, look to the behaviour of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and his reaction to India: The Modi Question, the BBC’s two-part exploration of the approach taken by his government towards India s Muslims and the conflicts and tensions that have arisen from its ideology and policies

Since its release the government has engaged in an astonishing attempt to prohibit its screening and I, along with fellow petitioners, am challenging this censorship in the Indian Supreme Court But to understand what the government is so afraid of, one has to know the context India s Muslims constitute nearly 15 per cent of the country’s population and number over 200m India has the third-largest Muslim population in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan It is projected to have the largest by 2050 The documentary starts with the backstory of an obscure politician who rises to national and international prominence, and is treated by western powers as a valued ally and a bulwark against Chinese domination of Asia”

A pracharak, or full-time missionary of the rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (rSS), who had been drawn to the fascistic organisation as a child, Modi is assigned to work within the rising Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a mass political party guided by the rSS Modi gets an unexpected opportunity to helm the BJP government in his native state Gujarat Establishing a reputation as a strongman, he wins international notoriety

It is important to note, as the BBC documentary does, that the pogrom came in the wake of the Godhra atrocity of February 2002, in which 59 Hindu activists and pilgrims travelling on a train were burnt to death in an attack carried out by a group of Muslim extremists armed with stones and petrol cans Modi seeks to capitalise politically on this terrible chapter by demanding an early state assembly election, whipping up majoritarian sentiment against the victims of the pogrom and insisting that only his party can stabilise the situation on the ground His political manoeuvring, combined with his promise of economic advancement, ensures his dominance of the state for the next dozen years, until he becomes prime minister in 2014 He begins his first term promising “development for all”, but it soon becomes clear that his government is committed to nothing less than implementing the Hindu supremacist agenda of the rSS, by undermining the secular foundations of the Indian constitutional system

Episode two examines “the troubled relationship” between Prime Minister Modi’s government and India s Muslims after he began his second prime ministerial term in May 2019 with an enhanced parliamentary majority The re-installed Modi government lost no time in delivering on the hardcore rSS-BJP agenda first by doing away with the special status that Jammu and Kashmir a Muslim majority state, enjoyed under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and cracking down on any sign of opposition with overwhelming military and paramilitary force; and then by enacting a citizenship amendment law that openly discriminated against Muslims and brutally suppressing the extensive protests this change triggered Episode two also brings out in an effective and moving way the periodic violence unleashed against Muslims by Hindu extremist outfits, the blaming of the victims by authorities, and the immunity the attackers have enjoyed in many cases

It is understandable that the BJP government declined to comment on the allegations

when invited to do so by the journalists making the documentary A sober way of dealing with the fallout from India: The Modi Question would have been for the government to downplay it perhaps say it disagreed with the thrust and message of the documentary and with some comments made by those interviewed Even a “No comment” response would have been better than what followed Everyone knows that the real offence committed by the BBC film was investigating and establishing the umbilical connection between Modi s highly controversial role during the 2002 Gujarat pogrom and the panoply of post-2019 BJP government policies that discriminate against and target Muslims in new ways muscular violent and toxic and on an unprecedented scale But the government found itself unable to come clean on this real objection to the documentary

Instead, as soon as episode one was out in the uK and began to pop up unauthorised on YouTube and some other websites, it launched a fusillade of dubious charges against the documentary and its makers The bias, the lack of objectivity, and, frankly, a continuing colonial mindset is blatantly visible charged external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi He characterised the film as “a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative” while admitting that he had not actually watched it unnamed officials were quoted in India s mainstream media making the bizarre allegation that the film was “an attempt to cast aspersions on the authority and credibility of the Supreme Court of India

In an action that could have come straight out of Nineteen Eighty-Four, the information and broadcasting secretary invoked an emergency provision of the notorious Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) rules 2021 to issue directions for “blocking multiple YouTube videos” and over 50 tweets linked to material from episode one A government adviser explained that the documentary undermined the sovereignty and integrity of India and had the “potential to adversely impact

India’s friendly relations with foreign countries [and] also public order within the country It is worth noting that 17 cases challenging the constitutionality of these rules, which were before various Indian High Courts, are now under consideration by the Supreme Court separately to our own petition of writ

The reaction on the ground to the ban orders against episode one was immediate and instructive Downloads, obtained in various ways, have been widely shared Mass screenings have been organised in public places by opposition political parties, independent organisations, spontaneously formed film groups and students in several parts of India and people have flocked to watch the banned film In Delhi, university authorities have brought in police forces and attempted heavy-handedly to bar students

from organising screenings on campuses fuelling greater interest and excitement over the film Everyone I know has watched or will soon watch both episodes

Somewhat sheepishly, the BJP government has let it be known that it has no intention of blocking episode two which apparently does not violate India’s IT rules 2021 and can still be watched on a website or two plus the unauthorised downloads The government seems belatedly to have realised that censorship and bans only bring on a Streisand effect Look it up N ram is former editor-in-chief of the Hindu and the lead petitioner in a writ petition before the Supreme Court of India that seeks, on several constitutional and legal grounds, an end to the government's censorship of the BBC documentary India: The Modi Question”

Why borders as we know them won’t sur vive the centur y to come

Our modern world now has more borderlines than ever before in human history Not only that, but walls, barriers and fences, and the repressive border policies that go with them are in clear view across the political, and consequently physical, landscape At the end of the Cold War just 12 border walls stood around the globe Today that figure has risen to 74, with the majority constructed since the beginning of the 2000s What is becoming less clear however is what they are actually dividing

While bordering has existed for millennia, how borders are conceived and operated has changed considerably Our present system is only 350 years old product of a peace treaty the 1648 settlement of Westphalia drawn up after decades of European religious war Its basic principle established the right of a monarch’s exclusive authority over religion, government, taxation, law and the military within a specific geographical area Where previously political dominion in feudal Europe had been impossible to map spatially, borders offered clear lines of separation and control

Out of this came the concept of sovereignty and later the emergence of the nation state and nationalism Borders were the conduits for shared stories of culture and belonging for those inside the lines But as the supremacy of religion was replaced by the new god of industrialism, they also became the means of corralling resources of establishing colonies wealth and empire

For a time, borders were always on the move, being drawn and redrawn and rubbed out by expansionist powers: a process that culminated, ultimately, in the devastation of two World Wars

What we have today however (with the obvious exception of russia s war with ukraine, a conflict driven by Vladimir Putin’s manic nostalgia to reclaim the borders of a long-lost motherland) is a calcification, a closing-off Less of nation from nation, though, than of rich from poor By the summer of 2022, the u N refugee Agency (uNHCr) reported that the global number of forcibly displaced people had passed 100 million for the

first time Largely, the rise of the latest generation of border walls is aimed at controlling funnelling and stemming the flow of these displaced (along with many others seeking to leave the borders within which they were born) Or rather the walls are aimed at being seen to stem the flow The efficacy of border barriers particularly given the spectacular costs of their construction is often limited when measured in terms of preventing movement and entry The symbolism, on the other hand, is potent Take the u S -Mexico border wall

In recent years there have been two bizarre attempts to have fragments of it designated as national monuments of special cultural significance The first, in late 2017, was a piece of satire by a Swiss conceptual artist proposing that the Trump-administration’s border wall prototypes be preserved as land art The second, in April 2021 came from former republican Congressional representative, Madison Cawthorn, who put forward a draft bill for designating 400 miles of border wall in California Arizona New Mexico and Texas as a national monument with “permanent protection from alteration ”

The sad prospect of a line of rusting steel being held up as an icon of national identity tells us much about the shifting nature of borders Walls appeal to voter bases who want to see strength on the frontiers They offer up images of power and security which the barriers themselves relics of a simpler era before globalisation and the internet simply cannot guarantee Meanwhile, the real bordering increasingly happens elsewhere, far beyond the lines of national territory

The British government’s attempt to transfer refugees washing up on its shores to the African state of rwanda, 4,000 miles to the south, is, in essence, a bid to “outsource” its borderline for those it deems ineligible for direct entry u S Border Patrol has operated not just at the southern border with Mexico, but also beyond Mexico’s own southern border: an initiative begun in 2019 saw agents deployed to Guatemala with the specific objective of working with local law enforcement to help decrease the flow of migrants to the u S In 2021 the E u s dedicated border agency Frontex was accused of training and equipping the Libyan Coast Guard as a proxy border force, dedicated to en-

suring that migrants crossing the Mediterranean were returned to Africa to be held in appalling conditions in militia-run prisons or detention camps that were indirectly supported by E u humanitarian aid This trend of reaching beyond national borders beyond traditional sovereignty was driven in no small part by the goal of identifying potential terror threats in the wake of 9/11 But over time it has evolved into something else: a mechanism for projecting buffer zones, virtual borders, far out across the world Making what were once migrant jumping-off points like the North African coast, into migrant stopping points

Alongside this has emerged a new data landscape

As our governments gather and store ever more information about us often now sharing it with other states as part of joint security arrangements the process of international travel is as much about the journey of our digital surrogates as it is about our ‘analogue’ selves In July 2022, when the British Home Secretary announced an initiative to create a contactless digital border so that the u K border could become the ‘most effective in the world’, these implications were made plain And, in January this year when the Biden administration outlined its new measures for border enforcement to ‘expand and expedite legal pathways for orderly migration’, a key component was an online portal for migrants with a smartphone app that can begin the process of digitising the undocumented Borders are pushing outwards, but they are also, simultaneously, looking inwards Focussing on the unique terrain of the individual

Such developments particularly in the wealthy, data-obsessed global north are surely inevitable But it does beg the question: what happens to people from less technologically advanced parts of the world?

Could those who have no digital presence, the poorest and most unfortunate, be ‘bordered’ out of large swathes of the earth? (And might this be the point?)

And even for the data-rich citizen, the implications are unclear The importance of the individual has always been at the heart of the development of universal human rights At the same time, as we have seen in China data-driven state-surveillance has become a tool for exercising all-encompassing authoritarian social

control bordering behaviours, rewarding the patriotic and punishing the non-patriotic This is a long way from guards on a wall, looking out for intruders on the horizon The reality is that borders as we know them or as we thought we knew them are fracturing and failing While many may cling to the illusion offered by walls and fences, these barriers, and the cartographical lines that they mark have already become semisymbolic spaces, as the political focus shifts beyond them towards managing and arresting the global movement of the displaced or zooms in on the minutiae of the personal What all this ignores, of course, is that humanity does have one true, indisputable borderline As a 2020 research study revealed for the past 6 000 years at least, the vast majority of people have lived in the same, strikingly narrow slice of the total available climate space on earth (where mean annual temperature is between 11 and 15C) Yet, with the impacts of global warming, this human climate niche, is projected to move more in the next 50 years than in the previous six millennia The study posed the hypothetical notion that, if humans in the future are to avoid living in places where they by and large have never lived and follow the migration of the niche, then you get the staggering figure of 3 5 billion on the move And if people don’t move then by 2070 potentially one third of humanity will be living in conditions currently found in only a handful of places, most of which are currently in the Sahara Desert

Many other species are already migrating en masse plants and animals heading towards the poles, retreating from valleys to places higher up hills and mountains Many (although not all) are almost entirely unencumbered by walls and political borders Humanity long ago renounced such unfettered freedom of movement And as our species niche drifts rapidly across the hemispheres, what will our artificial borders do? Flex or open? Harden? Or break apart completely under the strain?

Crawford is a historian, publisher, and broadcaster

His new book is The Edge of the Plain: How Borders Make and Break Our World

corporate corner

KLF continues with enlightening, enter taining mix of sessions on 2nd day

KARACHI: The second day of the 14th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), hosted by the Oxford University Press (OUP) Pakistan from February 17 to February 19 at the Beach Luxury Hotel, was once again marked by an array of stimulating discussions and lively performances

The day s proceedings commenced with a poignant and heartfelt tribute to the esteemed literary figures who passed away over the course of the year The program, aptly titled Biyad-e-Raftgaan, was a solemn and respectful homage to luminaries who had contributed significantly to the literary world The program specifically honored notable names such as the late Zia Mohiuddin, renowned for his contributions to theater and film the celebrated poet and writer Amjad Islam Amjad, the accomplished author Imdaad Hussaini, and the acclaimed playwright Masood Ashar The tribute was a fitting recognition of their legacy and a testament to their enduring impact on literature and the arts Vulnerability and resilience in the face of climate change is a pressing topic that demands our attention This interesting topic was discussed by Afia Salam, Zohra Yusuf, Bilal Zahoor, and Qazi Khizar with Farah Zia moderating the discussion pr

Welfare of policemen top priority: CPO O perations

ISLAMABAD: CPO Operations Islamabad, Syed Shehzad

Nadeem Bukhari said that the rule of law as well as the welfare of police personnel was the top priority of Islamabad Capital Police "Effective policing measures are being taken for maximum relief to citizens," he said while addressing the Police Durbar held at Rescue-15 to listen and resolve the professional and personal matters of the cops The Police Durbar was held following the directions of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, for Operation Division police officials and was attended by SSP Operations, Zonal DPOs, SP Plan Patrolling, and SP headquarters CPO Operations Islamabad Syed Shehzad Nadeem Bukhari, listened to the problems of officials and ordered them to solve them on priority basis He also directed his staff to immediately resolve all pending cases regarding leaves and welfare of the officials p r

Peek Freans Gluco launches ‘Gluco K ahani Book ’ at KLF

KARACHI: During an interactive and engaging session at the ongoing Karachi Literature Festival Peek Freans Gluco launched its muchawaited book of Gluco Kahani Rhymes along with renowned singer and songwriter Bilal Maqsood The Gluco Kahani platform was created in collaboration with Bilal Maqsood with the inspiration to create rhymes for children in the Urdu language The aim was to create purposeful content under the umbrella of Peek Freans Gluco for the benefit of our future generation Since its premiere in March 2022, the initiative so far has received a phenomenal response, racking up over 22 million views and 95 million impressions on YouTube & over 15 million impressions on Facebook pr

Fifth Generation warfare is the most silent yet the deadliest form of warfare to ever exist It involves the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda with the help of the internet media platforms and artificial intelligence

Pakistan has also been the victim of this disease in the recent past with its army and its government withstanding the worst of rampant and incessant disinformation on social media

A 15-year campaign by India to defame Pakistan and discredit it internationally was exposed in an investigation by the EU Dis-info

Lab in 2019 In the years 2018-21 Cybercrime increased by 83% in Pakistan, with a total of 62,357 complaints Complaints from social media giants Facebook and Twitter amongst others, remained atop the list In 2020, the FIA seized around 30 gateways involved in gray trafficking According to official stats financial frauds, fake profiles, harassment, hacking, and defamation are the fastest increasing cybercrimes in the country

NOT-BY- PROFIT

Pakistan's external debt servicing rises by 70Pc in H1 of f y 2022-23

IsLaMaBaD

N e w s d e s k

dAW N author Shahid Iqbal highlights that Pakistan s external debt servicing has risen by 70% in the first half of the fiscal year 2022-23, according to the latest data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), further worsening the country's dollar shortage

The data reveals that Pakistan paid $10 21 billion in external debt servicing in the first six months of the current fiscal year compared to $6 billion paid in the same period last year Furthermore, the country had to pay an unusually high amount of $6 77 billion in external debt servicing between October and December 2022

The debt servicing in the second quarter of 2022-23 was almost double the sum paid in the preceding quarter of the same fiscal year standing at $3 45 billion As a result of such high levels of debt servicing in the first half of the current fiscal year, the SBP's foreign exchange reserves have drastically reduced, currently hovering around $3 2 billion Despite long negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other global institutions, inflows could not be unlocked

The negotiating team led by the finance minister did not issue an encouraging statement after the 10day talks, and analysts believe that Pakistan will have to wait further for the IMF loan tranche of $1 1 billion as certain preconditions must be met before the release of dollars

The government and the SBP have reportedly issued misleading statements on the issue of foreign exchange inflows repeatedly claiming that most of the debt for the current fiscal year had been arranged However, the reality is that the country s foreign exchange crisis had intensified to the point that default was imminent without support from the IMF and friendly countries

Recently the SBP finally uncapped the exchange rate, and the dollar rate appreciated from Rs228 to Rs276 However, the rupee has started gaining strength against the greenback reaching a closing price of Rs 262 82 on Friday, as per the SBP's report

To read the full article visit www dawn com

CPEC dreams punc tured: Pakistan gallops towards debt default

The article examines the economic challenges faced by Pakistan in its relationship with China through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

While the corridor was expected to transform the Pakistani economy through infrastructure development new industries and exports the reality has fallen far short of expectations Pakistan is mired in

debt and relying on China to reschedule and write off its debts, but the Chinese have been cautious, considering the political instability and high levels of corruption in Pakistan

The article argues that the project was built on a flawed premise that infrastructure alone could create growth and jobs without a focus on human capital development

Japanese CG confers ‘award’ on founding PJBF member

contributions towards Japan

Mr Farooqui is one of the founding members of the Pakistan Japan Business Forum (PJBF) & has served critical positions on the Forum for over 10 years now He has additionally served as the Chairman of PJBF for 3 years from 2020 to present

l y s k i l l e d workforce, a business-friendly environment, and a strong rule of law, leading to much higher levels of foreign investment The article concludes that Pakistan must focus on building its human capital to become a more attractive destination for foreign investment

To read the full article visit www dawn com

FrieslandCampina, ITC par tner to suppor t D air y S ec tor SMEs in S indh, Balochistan

KaraCHI p r

ODAGIRI Toshio, Consul-General of Japan in Karachi, conferred the “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon” upon Mr Kalim Farooqui, in recognition of his significant

IsLaMaBaD p r

The Utility Stores Corporation (USC), in order to improve demand and supply and ensure uninterrupted supply of branded items has increased prices of certain branded items at all utility stores across the country However, this increase is from branded companies which is due to factors like market volatility and rising trend The USC does not manufacture or produce itself but purchases

The situation becomes even more complicated as around 63% of Pakistan s population are youth, under 30, with about 51% of these having access to cellphones and social media It is said that little knowledge and too much freedom is a dangerous combination, as proved true by the ever-increasing trend of cybercrimes lately Pakistan lacks any law which tackles cybercrime on social media while striking a balance between protecting the state institutions and preserving the right to the citizen’s freedom of speech

Pakistan has had 3 cybercrime legislations to date: The Electronic Transaction Ordinance 2002 (ETO), the Prevention of Electronic Crime Ordinance 2007 (PECO) and the prevailing Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA)

The ETO 2002 is related to the E-Commerce Industry offering recognition of electronic documentation, and other digital forms of authentication

It was promulgated long before the ubiquity of cell phones and social media in Pakistan, thus, not offering any regulatory framework in this regard The Presi-

From 2015 to 2018, Mr Farooqui led a delegation consisting of Pakistani small & mediumsized enterprises on a visit to Japan & connected businesses from Japan and Pakistan by creating networking events such as B2B meetings In 2012 he published a book titled CONCORDIA on behalf of the Pakistan Embassy in Tokyo highlighting the 60 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Pakistan which was presented to all Japanese attending the celebration ceremony in Tokyo invited by the then Ambassador of Pakistan, H E Noor Muhammed Jadmani

from reputed and certified branded companies of the country When raw material prices increase, production charges increase and transportation charges increase the product cost also increases due to which the prices have to be revised So that demand and supply improve and availability of these products is possible It should be noted that the prices of these items were kept stable for the last seven to eight months A spokesman for Utility Stores Corporation has added

dent Musharraf- era PECO 2007 was a step in the right direction but it lapsed after 2009

The PECA 2016, formulated post the December 2014 Peshawar APS massacre is a comprehensive framework governing all sorts of cybercrime, under the National Action Plan However, it has also fallen short of efficiently dealing with the vicious unbridled disinformation campaigns against state institutions prevalent on all popular social networks of today

On the contrary, Article 19 of the Constitution gives citizens a fundamental right to Freedom of speech subject to restrictions in the protection of national interest These restrictions to protect national security give the state a right to act against those who spread disinformation, create unrest, and threaten its national security by creating polarity doom gloom and disaster

However, the sections of the PECA 2016 which were purported to work in this regard introduced sections that criminalize speech and give authorities unchecked powers For instance, S 37 of PECA gives unre-

KARACHI: FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited (FCEPL) signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with International Trade Centre (ITC) for Growth for Rural Advancement & Sustainable Progress (GRASP) in Karachi Growth for Rural Advancement & Sustainable Progress (GRASP) is a European Union-funded project implemented by ITC with its partners, in 12 districts of Sindh and 10 districts of Balochistan Primarily focused on poverty alleviation and gender mainstreaming, the initiative aims to improve the productivity and profitability of pre-selected value chains in horticulture and livestock sectors by refining the small and medium enterprises (SME) competitiveness in domestic commerce At the signing ceremony, Ali Ahmed Khan, Vice President, Middle East, North Africa & Pakistan, FrieslandCampina stated, Our commitment to improving the productivity and profitability of value chains in the livestock sectors reflects our vision to create a sustainable and equitable future for all Robert Skidmore, Chief of Sector and Enterprise Competitiveness, ITC, further highlighted the important role of the private sector in promoting the SMEs “for the larger purpose of alleviating poverty pr

stricted powers to the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to block or remove online content, thereby restricting the right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed by Article 19

Moreover, S 20 of PECA criminalizes defamation through a vaguely worded section that lays down a three-year jail term and a fine that goes into millions of rupees Its broad language enables misuse to settle personal vendettas

A further harsh effort to curb disinformation was made by President ArifAlvi last February by the PECA ordinance 2022 It made online public defamation a cognizable and a non-bailable offence and increased the jail term for defaming any person or institution from three years to five years After countrywide protests from both national and international journalist bodies the said amendment was struck off by then Chief Justice Islamabad High court, Athar Minallah

The problems do not only exist in the poor-quality legislation The regulatory framework under which the FIA oversees in-

vestigating and curbing cybercrime under its NR3C Wing is not serving its purpose

For example, it has been reported thatstaff in the agencies do not take cyber complaints seriously

There is a lack of cooperation between the cybercrime investigation officers and the courts

There is a dearth of forensic laboratories in the country

• There is little to no policy level engagement between social media companies and the government

• There is an inoperative and ill-equipped cybercrime hotline

All these lacunas are the reasons which enable cybercriminals to remain free to pollute the citizens’ minds and threaten the national security of the country

So the question remains is there a way to curb disinformation on social media without disturbing public sentiment and depriving citizens of their right to free speech? A look into how the US, UK and China deal with similar cases may be of some help

Mustafa IMran

US tRieS to woo india away fRom RUSSia with diSpl ay of f-35S, BomBeRS

BENGALURU

tH E United States brought its most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, to India for the first time this week alongside F-16s, Super Hornets and B-1B bombers as Washington looks to woo New Delhi away from its traditional military supplier, Russia

India, desperate to modernise its largely Soviet-era fighter jet fleet to boost its air power, is concerned about Russian supply delays due to the Ukraine war and faces pressure from the West to distance itself from Moscow

The American delegation to the weeklong Aero India show in Bengaluru, which ended on Friday, is the biggest in the 27year history of the show and underlines the growing strategic relationship between the United States and India

In contrast, Russia, India’s largest weapons supplier since the Soviet Union days had a nominal presence Its stateowned weapons exporter Rosoboronexport had a joint stall with United Aircraft and Almaz-Antey, displaying miniature models

of aircraft, trucks, radars and tanks

At previous editions of the show, Rosoboronexport had a more central position for its stall although Russia has not brought a fighter jet to Bengaluru for a decade after India began considering more European and US fighter jets

Belarus cadets train on Russian tanks amid fears of bigger conflict

MINSK

In Moscow-allied Belarus, officers look out across a snowy training ground outside the capital Minsk as Russian and Soviet-era tanks fire into the distance

Painted in white camouflage, a brand new Russian BTR82A tank and a modernised Soviet tank send echoes booming around the field as they shoot

The tanks are driven by cadets from an elite academy that turns young Belarusians into officers

The army in Belarus, an isolated country of around 9 5 million people, showed AFP the combat training and the main military academy on an organised tour

Fears have grown that Minsk, which allowed Moscow to use its territory to send troops to Ukraine last year, could also enter the conflict

President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 said on Thursday he would be ready to wage war alongside Russia if Belarus was attacked on its soil He also accused Kyiv of provocations

At the firing range cadets whose uniforms and helmets featured the red-and-green Belarusian flag, took part in various combat simulations

They also practised evacuating the wounded, dragging a pretend injured soldier across the snow

At the end of last year Belarus and Russia announced the creation of a unified response force, with several thousand Russian servicemen arriving in the country

In a rare meeting with the international press on Thursday, Lukashenko said he asked his Russian ally

Vladimir Putin for an extra division that would fall under his command He gave no further details and travelled to Moscow the next day At the firing range, colonel Maxim Zhuravlev said the academy was training

“future defenders of the motherland”

“Today, we are studying the experience from all modern conflicts in the world he said

“From this we are taking what is new and making it part of the education process ”

Officials on the tour toed a careful line and did not want to discuss Belarus’s role in Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine

China aid delivery to türkiye reaches 600 tons: turkish ambassador

BEIJING

Ag e n c i e s

A $20 billion air force proposal to buy

114 multi-role fighter aircraft has been pending for five years, brought into sharp focus by tensions with China and Pakistan

The F-35 is not being considered by India “as of now”, according to an Indian Air Force (IAF) source, but the display of two F-35s at Aero India for the first time was a sign of New Delhi’s growing strategic importance to Washington

It was “not a sales pitch” but rather a signal to the importance of the bilateral defence relationship in the Indo-Pacific region, said Angad Singh, an independent defence analyst

Even if weapons sales aren t the cornerstone of the relationship, there is a cooperation and collaboration at the military level between India and the US,” he added

The United States is selective about which countries it allows to buy the F-35

Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets have already entered the race to supply fighter jets for the Indian Navy’s second aircraft carrier and Lockheed Martin s F-21 an upgraded F-16 designed for India unveiled at Aero India in 2019, are also being offered to the air force

When asked if it would be offered to India Rear Admiral Michael L Baker defence attache at the US embassy in India, said New Delhi was in the “very early stages” of considering whether it wanted the plane

Protec ting high seas off C hile’s coast depends on UN vote in New York

SANTIAGO

A f p

In international waters off the coasts of Chile and Peru, the ocean teems with plant and animal species some do not exist anywhere else and many are endangered Urgently seeking to prevent biodiversity loss in these waters Chile is pushing for a new marine protected area (MPA) to be created, and hoping to seal the deal during an upcoming summit at UN headquarters in New York

With more than 6,400 kilometres (3,970 miles) of coastline, the South American country already has 42 MPAs covering some 150 million hectares or 43 percent of its exclusive economic zone according to the environment ministry

Now it is looking further afield:

to international waters surrounding the Salas y Gomez and Nazca ridges two seamount chains that flourish with biodiversity but are unprotected by law because they fall outside any national jurisdiction

Those parts of the ridges that fall within Chile’s exclusive economic zone or EEZ are already protected, as well as a portion that belongs to northern neighbour Peru

But 70 percent of the ridges two chains of more than 110 undersea mountains formed by volcanic activity that jointly stretch over 2,900 kilometres (1,800 miles) are not subject to any conservation or management measures

It is home to whales, sea turtles, corals sponges starfish and a myriad of fish, molluscs and other crustaceans

“Every time we go to that area

and take samples we find new species,” Javier Sellanes, from the Center for Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Islands at the Catholic University of the North, told AFP

‘Unique diversity’

Sellanes, one of few Chilean researchers to have studied this remote area, describes the ridges as “a kind of oasis in the middle of a marine desert

“Protecting that unique diversity on the planet is of high importance,” he told AFP

The high seas begin at the border of nations EEZs which under current international law stretch no more than 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) from the coast

Under no state’s jurisdiction, the high seas cover nearly half the planet

Türkiye’s ambassador to Beijing said Friday that 600 tons of aid materials have been sent from China following last week’s deadly earthquakes in southern Türkiye Participating in a welcoming ceremony in the capital Beijing for the returning Chinese search and rescue teams, Abdulkadir Emin Onen said that among the materials delivered to Türkiye were 10,000 tents, 112,000 blankets, and sleeping bags as well as nearly 1,000 generators, heaters, and first aid materials

Onen said that 22,000 more tents are being prepared to be sent to the disaster zone in a week

At least 38 044 people were killed by the two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb 6, the country’s disaster agency said early Friday The magnitude 7 7 and 7 6 quakes were centered in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kilis, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes

Quake-hit villagers ask for aid to be delivered to needier regions Heartened by the help they have gotten since last week s powerful earthquakes a group of Turkish citizens of Armenian origin in Hatay, southern Türkiye are now asking that aid be diverted to areas of greater need

Although luckily no lives were lost as a result of the last week s quakes the village of Vakifli in the Samandag district, population 130, saw some 30 residents fled the region for Istanbul out of fear following aftershocks Berc Kartun the administrative head of Vakifli, told Anadolu that locals experienced great fear after the Feb 6 quakes and shied away from entering their homes due to follow-up shocks Thanks to a passenger bus, organized by the Istanbul-based Armenian patriarchate, around 45 people – 30 locals and 15 others from nearby Iskenderun – left the area

Saying that aid has poured into the village since the first day after the quakes, Kartun thanked all those who gave so generously “Honestly, I didn’t expect that much Good job, we have many benefactors in Türkiye ”

Also praising officials for their efforts to help quake victims, he said: “They ask if we need anything more So we’re very good, we don’t need anything (more) They called us from everywhere, from municipalities, from the Turkish Red Crescent to help,” he added Kartun said they turned this aid down saying: Give (it) to those in need, we’ve got enough ”

“There’s no point in hoarding, it’s better if it reaches those who need it We have enough supplies for about a month right now,” he added Kartun said he hopes Türkiye s southernmost Hatay, also known as the “city of civilizations,” where people from all nationalities live in brotherhood will return to its former glory as soon as possible

Biden to send message to Putin in Ukraine war anniversar y speech

WASHINGTON

Ag e n c i e s

President Joe Biden will be “messaging” Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin when he speaks in Warsaw next week, while hailing NATO s unprecedented effort to help Ukrainians save their country as the war reaches the one-year mark

The White House says Biden will give the speech in Poland a key US ally and fulcrum of vast efforts to arm Ukraine and receive refugees on Tuesday

That’s the same day Putin is set to give his own speech in Moscow, three days from the February 24th anniversary of Russian tanks rolling into Ukraine

A year ago, the world looked on in horror as a huge Russian force headed directly towards Ukraine s capital Kyiv for what Moscow planned to be a rapid conquest, leading to capitulation and installation of a pro-Russian regime Instead, Biden will be commemorating the partnership between NATO countries and what was to many an unexpectedly well-organized Ukrainian military, which has not only repelled Russian forces from the capital but recaptured swaths of territory Biden will touch down in Warsaw on Tuesday and meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda On Wednesday he meets with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, a group of NATO members in eastern Europe Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,

Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia

In addition he will speak by phone next week with the leaders of Britain, France and Italy, the White House said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due in Washington on March 3

But Biden’s main public event will be the speech delivered Tuesday from Warsaw’s Royal Castle, on “how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said

“President Biden will make it clear that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he told reporters on Friday

Nor th Korea fires ICBM missile that lands in Japan’s EEZ

North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile Saturday which landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Seoul and Tokyo said after Pyongyang warned of a strong response to upcoming US-South Korean military drills

The launch Pyongyang s first in seven weeks, comes days before Seoul and Washington are due to start joint tabletop exercises aimed at improving their response in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack Japan said North Korea fired one ICBMclass ballistic missile” which flew for some 66 minutes before landing in the country’s exclusive economic zone chief government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters

Tokyo’s defence minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile could have had the capacity to fly 14,000 km (8,700 miles)

which would mean it was capable of hitting anywhere on the mainland United States

Seoul’s military told AFP it had detected the launch of an ICBM, which was fired on a lofted trajectory up instead of out, typically done to avoid overflying neighbouring countries and flew some 900 kilometres (560 miles)

“Detailed specifications are being closely analysed by South Korea-US intelligence authorities,” it added in a statement

The South’s Presidential office said it held a National Security Council meeting to discuss the launch, and that its participants decided to take stern measures against any attempts to threaten our people”

The estimated flight time of just over an hour is similar to that of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile Pyongyang tested last November, Seoul-based specialist site NK News reported

The launch was “another step in the efforts of North Korea to perfect its long-range

strike capabilities Chun In-bum a retired South Korean army general, told AFP

“The message of North Korea is clear: we are steadily progressing with the aim to perfect long-range nuclear weapons ”

The missile could have been a second successful test of a Hwasong-17, said Joseph Dempsey, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies

He told AFP it could also have been a test of “the as yet unseen solid-fuel ICBM in development” a more advanced weapon Pyongyang has long aimed to add to its arsenal

Tit-for-tat

Military tensions have risen on the Korean peninsula after a year in which North Korea declared itself an irreversible nuclear state and carried out sanctions-busting weapons tests nearly every month, including firing intercontinental ballistic missiles

In response, Seoul has ramped up joint military drills and cooperation with key se-

curity ally Washington in a bid to convince the increasingly nervous South Korean public of America s commitment to deter nuclear-armed Pyongyang

Malik heroics fail to give kings victory in nail-biter against gl adiators

KARACHI

s tA f f R e p o R t

sH O A I B Malik played a gritty 71-run knock in the tense run chase but failed short of trumping Martin Guptill’s century as Quetta Gladiators managed to edge Karachi Kings by six runs in a Pakistan Super League (PSL) eight thriller

Set to chase 169, the Kings fell just six short of glory as they finished at 162/5 despite a valiant 71-run knock by experienced Malik

The Kings got off to a frustrating start to the run chase as the home side lost three quick wickets inside the powerplay that dented their march to glory early on with James Vince, who appeared solid with also perishing for a 14-ball 22

Following the early slump, wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and Shoaib Malik anchored the run chase as the duo added 35 runs to the total before Mohammad Hasnain castled the former to break the crucial partnership Wade could score 15 off 19

The Kings then dealt with another major blow as Hasnain struck again in the same

over and removed Imad Wasim on five

Meanwhile, Malik carried on his retaliation and was superbly supported by young Irfan Khan Niazi but some tight bowling by Naseem and Hasnain in the 18th and 19th barred the pair from steering their side to glory despite an expensive last over by Odean Smith, who went for 17 runs

Pcb says hbl Psl 8 to continue as per schedule

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said the HBL Pakistan Super League 8 will continue as planned, with both Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators fielding their full-strength sides later on Saturday at the National Bank Cricket Arena Toss will take place at 6:30pm with the first ball to be bowled at 7pm PCB

Chairman Najam Sethi said on Saturday, “The HBL PSL 8 will continue as planned after it has been established and confirmed that Friday s incident was an isolated one, which was unrelated to cricket We have been working very closely with all stakeholders, including the local and foreign security experts, who have provided assurances and comfort that the event can proceed as there was no threat to cricket The PCB takes the safety and security of all those involved in the HBL PSL 8 very seriously To ensure no stone is left unturned Presidential-level security has been provided to the teams and officials These unprecedented arrangements are similar to what were in place for international matches that have been highly praised and appreciated by the visiting teams and officials

b r o a d f i r e s e n g l a n d t o v e r g e o f f i r s t te s t w i n o v e r n e w Z e a l a n d

M

Stuart Broad razed New Zealand’s top order with a destructive opening spell on Saturday to put England on the verge of winning the first Test at Mount

Maunganui Broad claimed four wickets under lights all clean bowled to reduce the Black Caps’ second innings to 63-5 at stumps on day three, with hopes of reaching their winning target of 394 all but extinguished England have two full days to claim the remaining five wickets at the Bay Oval and go one-up in the two-match series completing a 10th win in their last 11 Tests in the process

Malik remained the top-scorer for the Kings with 71 off just 49 deliveries and smashed nine boundaries including a six Hasnain led the bowling attack for the Gladiators with 2/29 while Naseem, Smith and Qais Ahmed made one scalp each Put into bat first, the Gladiators managed to post a decent 168/7 in the allotted 20 overs at the back of a scintillating cen-

tury by their opener Guptill

Batting first, the visitors got off to a poor start as Kings captain Imad ran through their top order by picking up three quick wickets including two in the first over Gladiators’ captain Sarfaraz Ahmed attempted to script recovery amid his brief partnership with Guptill but failed as he fell victim to Aamer Yamin on the first delivery after the power-play and could score a mere five off 11

With the side in heaps of trouble at 23/4, Guptill joined hands with in-form Iftikhar Ahmed and anchored the innings with a gritty 69-run partnership for the fifth wicket

Kings’ experienced pacer Mohammad Amir then ceased the budding partnership in the 15th over as he deceived Iftikhar Ahmed with a short-pitch delivery The right-handed batter scored 32 off 27 deliveries, hitting three boundaries

Following Iftikhar s dismissal Guptill launched a counter-attack on the Kings’ bowlers and powered his side to a competitive total with little to no help from the other end before perishing on the final delivery off Yamin

lahore Qalandars promise to revive national hockey

LAHORE

s tA f f R e p o R t

Lahore Qalandars the title defender in the ongoing domestic cricket season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) – have launched an initiative to revive the ignored national game, hockey, in the country

Franchise owner Atif Rana announced the launch of “Qalandars Players Development Program (Hockey)” at an event attended by team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and officials of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Sharing his plans, Mr Rana announced start of the trials to hunt the talent from Karachi and then move towards Lahore for the same He said initially two team teams would be formed for matches, adding that it would gradually be turned into a league

LONDON

England fast bowler Lauren Bell believes India will provide great opposition” when the two teams meet in the Women’s T20 World Cup on Saturday but said their last controversial meeting had been put to bed

India won their one-day international series 3-0 in England last summer but sealed the triumph with a ‘Mankad’, when Deepti Sharma ran out Charlie Dean at the non-striker’s end as she backed up too far

A tearful Dean threw her bat to the ground in disgust as boos rang out from the Lord’s crowd

It renewed debate on the oncerare form of dismissal which is named after India all-rounder

Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australia s Bill Brown in such fashion in a 1948 Test

Bell, however, insisted that the

England team had forgotten the incident and were not practicing for a repeat

“England as a team have put that behind us and hopefully India have as well,” she said in Friday’s pre-match press conference

“I think that’s very much put to bed now We don’t think about it as a team So you know there s been

no practicing of that

It doesn t get discussed I think that’s just something that happened in the summer and it’s very much been left there It s a fresh World Cup and that’s the focus on Saturday ”

Both sides go into their meeting at St George’s Park in Gqeberha having won their first two group matches

West Indies edge Ireland to keep Women’s T20 WC semi-final hopes alive

CAPE TOWN

Ag e n c i e s

West Indian captain Hayley Matthews struck an unbeaten 66 in a crucial run chase and powered her side to beat Ireland and keep their semi-final hopes alive in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

Set to chase 140, West Indies amassed the total on the second-last delivery of the match at the back of a magnificent knock by their captain Matthews West Indies got off to a dismal start to the run chase as the side lost two wickets for a mere 46 runs

in the ninth over as Rashada Williams (17) and Shemaine Campbelle (8) perished cheaply

Following the early setback, Matthews partnered strongly with Chinelle Henry for the third wicket and anchored the run chase as the duo added 74 runs at a quick rate

The stand appeared solid and West Indies were looking favourites to claim a comfortable victory before Leah Paul dismissed Henry and broke the crucial partnership to bring Ireland back into the game

Henry scored 34 off 28 deliveries with the help of four boundaries

The trials in Karachi began on Friday where the programme received an overwhelming response as a number of players took part in it Lahore Qalandars CEO Atif Rana and players, including Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, also visited the Karachi Hockey Association Sports Complex near Nipa Chorangi to motivate the hockey players Former hockey Olympians have appreciated the initiative taken by Qalandars by launching a programme for revival of the national game

russia’s vlada gur yleva wins itf Pakistan World Junior tennis c’ships

ISLAMABAD

s tA f f R e p o R t

Vlada Guryleva of Russia annexed the Girls Singles title of ITF Pakistan – PPL Syed Dilawar Abbas Memorial World Junior Tennis Championships by eliminating Yejun Lee (KOR) in a well-contested two sets match at S Dilawar Abbas PTF Tennis Complex, Islamabad on Saturday

In the first set, Vlada built up the winning lead 3-1 by breaking the 1st and 3rd game of Lee and then continued the winning pace till the score reached 4-2 Valada again played excellent tennis and break the 7th game of Lee 0-40 and then held the 8th game to win the first set at 6-2 In the second set, Valada played aggressively and did not allow her opponent to settle down, taking the lead 4-0 by breaking 1st and 3rd game of Lee in a comfortable style Lee struggled hard to reduce the lead 4-2 by breaking the 6th game of Vlada In the 7th game Valada did not allow her opponent and hit some excellent cross court short to advance the lead 5-2 In the 8th game, Vlada comfortably won the game and match 6-2 6-2 Both the players displayed excellent game The match lasted for one hour and was chaired by Shahzad Akhtar Alvi, the ITF White Badge Official Islamabad Tennis Association organized tournament in the memory of late Senator Syed Dilawar Abbas who played vital role for the promotion of game of tennis in the country Dilawar remained President/Patron of PTF Lifetime Sr Vice President of Asian Tennis Federation, and Hon

Lyo n - i n s p i r e d Au s t ra l i a h o l d e d g e d e s p i t e A x a r b l i t z

Spinner Nathan Lyon’s five wickets and a breezy start by the batsmen gave Australia the upper hand in the second Test against India despite a counter-attacking 74 by Axar Patel on an intense second day India were all out for 262 after a key 114-run eighthwicket fightback by Axar and Ravichandran Ashwin, leaving the tourists a lead of one run in New Delhi Australia raced to 61 for one at stumps after Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Usman Khawaja for six after a reverse sweep flew straight to leg slip

Travis Head, on 39 with five fours and one six, and Marnus Labuschagne, on 16, were batting at the close of play with Australia leading by 62 runs in their second innings

We need to stop Australia to around 220-250 and I think that will be a gettable target on this pitch if we bat on day four,” Axar, a left-hand batsman and a spinner, told reporters

“Bowlers will have to be patient and work on getting wickets bowl in good areas even when the batsmen are scoring runs,” he added

“In the last session they played aggressively and we noticed that Number eight Axar stood out for India with his second successive Test half-century as he took on the opposition bowlers with nine fours and three sixes

Ashwin played the anchor in his 37 before he fell to Pat Cummins who struck with the second new ball to get the batsman caught at square leg by Matt Renshaw, a concussion substitute for David Warner Cummins took a stunner at mid on to end Axar s

brave knock off Todd Murphy and fellow spinner

Matthew Kuhnemann ended the Indian innings in the final session – Challenge and controversy –Lyon led Australia’s charge with four wickets to rattle India in the morning and then claimed his 22nd Test five-for in an afternoon session that saw a controversial dismissal of Virat Kohli on 44 Today was an amazing challenge against some world-class superstars Happy with the way I came out and the role I played,” said Lyon, who became the first Australian bowler to take 100 Test wickets against India Kohli was given out lbw by the on-field umpire off debutant Kuhnemann and a review declared it too close to judge whether the ball hit the bat or pad first, before tracking suggested it was hitting leg stump

Mill AT TrACTOrS bOunCeS bACK in Q2F Y23, hAlF YeAr eArningS STill TrAil YeAr On YeAr

MI

AT Tractors released its earnings for Q2FY23 to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on February 17 On its own the company ended the quarter with a profit of Rs 714 million to increase its half year earnings to Rs 1 14 billion Looking at its consolidated statement, Millat ended the quarter with a profit of Rs 551 18 million for a total half year earning of Rs 1 016 billion

Unconsolidated Earnings – Q2FY23

Millat s sales revenue for Q2FY23 fell by 4 46% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) from Rs 6 839 billion to Rs 6 535 billion

The dip in revenue coincides with Millat recording a 2 72 QoQ sales decline based on the data released by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) However, despite Millat’s gross profit dropping by 3 02% QoQ, its gross profit margin (GPM) improved QoQ from 17 21% to 18 56% On a year-onyear (YoY) basis MIllat s revenue fell by 55 4% for a whopping decrease of Rs 8 1 billion Its gross profit contracted 51% However, MIllat s GPM improved YoY from 16 9% to 18 56%

The most significant QoQ that Mil-

lat saw was a 1421 21% increase in its other income which managed to counteract the dip in gross profit, and increase its operating profit QoQ by 21 95% Millat’s other income and operating profit still lagged YoY with both seeing contractions of 11 56% and 59 89% respectively

Finally Millat s effective tax rate grew QoQ from 24 87% to 32 27%

This is also higher YoY from the 25 15% it saw in Q2FY22 Finally, Millat managed to increase its total earnings for Q2FY23 by 65 69% QoQ from Rs 430 million to Rs 714 million As with the theme of the earnings report, Millat’s final earnings for Q2FY23 were 53 42% lower YoY

Unconsolidated Earnings – 6MFY23

In terms of Millats 6MFY23 earnings, Millat’s sales revenue, gross profit, and GPM all fell Its sales revenue shrank by 45 61% YoY to Rs 13 375 billion from Rs 24 59 billion Similarly, its gross profit dipped YoY by 47 42% from Rs 4 5 billion to Rs 2 39 billion Its GPM went from 18 49% to 17 87%

Other notable indicators were Millat’s other income and operating profit falling by 45 45% and 58 96% YoY respectively The two fell to Rs 315 million and Rs 1 675 billion respectively Mil-

Security forces singularly focus on counter-terrorism with pronounced success: COAS

RAWALPINDI

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir on Saturday said the security forces remained singularly focused on counter-terrorism and intelligence-based operations (IBOs) being conducted all over the country with pronounced success on the contrary to political and other distractions being faced by the public

During his visit to the metropolis, Army Chief Gen Syed

Asim Munir along with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah were briefed about the Karachi Police Office (KPO) incident at Corps Headquarters an Inter-Services Public Relations’ (ISPR) news release said on Saturday

Thereafter, the COAS and CM visited Karachi Police Office (KPO), where last night successful coordinated counterterrorism (CT) operation involving Pak Army’s Special Service Group (SSG), Pakistan Rangers Sindh and Sindh Police cleared the site while sending all terrorists to hell

The CM and COAS also visited Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and met the injured soldiers of Police and Pakistan Rangers Sindh

They praised the bravery, morale and sacrifices of Army, Police and Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) in the line of duty

The CM stated that State acknowledged and saluted innumerable sacrifices rendered by law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and nation’s unbreakable resolve against terrorism

The COAS emphasised Terrorists have no religious or ideological moorings, rather only misguided conception forced through coercion or inducement ”

honda announces third price increase within four weeks

lat’s effective tax rate grew from 25 77% to 28 53% Finally, Millat’s standalone 6MFY23 earnings fell by 59 72% from Rs 2 8 billion to Rs 1 4 billion

Consolidated Earnings – Q2FY23

Millat s subsidiaries based on its Q1FY23 earnings report include Millat Industrial Products Limited, Tipeg Intertrade DMCC Millat Equipment Limited, and Bolan Castings Limited Looking at the group’s activities, sales revenue fell QoQ by 8 05% to 6 956 billion This also amounted to a YoY decline of 52 48% GPM for Q2FY23 clocked in at 19 1% compared to 19 53% in Q1FY23, and 20 09% in Q2FY22 Gross profit as a whole fell to Rs 1 3 billion This was a QoQ decline of 10 07%, and a YoY decline of 54 83%

Other income rose QoQ by 65 81% to Rs 102 million However this was a 27 94% YoY decline Unlike Millat’s standalone earnings, other income was unable to edge the group s operating profit beyond what they recorded in Q1FY23 Operating profit fell by 22 91% QoQ to Rs 728 million This also amounted to a YoY decline of 69 81% Finally, the effective tax rate reached a whopping 60 04% compared to Q1FY23’s 262 58%, and Q2FY22’s

28 44% The imposition of a super tax across Millat’s subsidiaries is the most likely conclusion The individual tax rates levied will be made evident once Millat files the segment breakdown of its consolidated earnings

Finally, the group ended Q2FY23 with a final earning of Rs 551 million This was a 18 4% QoQ decline and a 63 86% YoY decline

Consolidated Earnings – 6MFY23

Looking at the group’s 6MFY23 earnings Millat and its subsidiaries saw a 42% decline in their sales revenue YoY from Rs 25 billion to Rs 14 billion Gross profit similarly declined by 49% from Rs 5 485 billion to Rs 2 8 billion with GPM declining YoY from 21 91% to 19 32%

The suffering continues across the board, with other income falling to Rs 164 million from Rs 322 million for a YoY contraction of 49 1% Gross profit also dipped YoY by 62 44% to Rs 1 67 billion The group s 6MFY23 effective tax rate is lower than its Q2FY23 effective tax rate as it clocks in at 36 46% However, this is still higher YoY from the 28 39% it saw in its 6MFY22 earnings Finally, Millat and its subsidiaries saw their final 6MFY23 earnings fall by 65 92% from Rs 2 98 billion to Rs 1 016 billion

US sanc tions authority probes Raiffeisen on Russia

information to be sent to in early April, May and June

Honda updated the prices for its entire four-wheel portfolio on February 17 The new prices are as follows:

This round marks the third price increase that Honda has enacted within the past four weeks with the previous increases coming on January 24, and February 4

The price increase comes following Honda’s improved month-on-month (MoM) performance with sales increasing by 30% from December ’s 2,079 units to January’s 2,704 units Honda was also able to close Q4CY22 with a total earnings of Rs 810 million This was a 310 45% quarter-onquarter (QoQ) increase from its Q3CY22 earnings, and a year-on-year (YoY) increase of 81 82% This was despite Honda’s quarterly sales being 30% and 54% over the aforementioned periods

The price increases have however severely deteriorated Honda’s overall earnings for the year Its 9-month earnings of Rs 1 billion is a whopping 53 15% lower YoY than the Rs 2 3 billion it recorded over the same period last year

The United States’ sanctions authority has launched an inquiry into Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV VI) over its business related to Russia, increasing scrutiny of the Austrian lender that plays a critical role in the Russian economy

Responding to questions from Reuters, the bank said it had received a request from the U S Treasury Department s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in January to “clarify payments business and related processes maintained by RBI in light of the recent developments related to Russia and Ukraine ”

OFAC had asked Raiffeisen for details of its exposure in Russia, the partially occupied Donbas, Ukraine and Syria, including about the transactions and activity of certain clients, a source told Reuters

The U S agency had requested a reply by February, said that person, adding that Raiffeisen’s lawyers negotiated an extension, pledging to answer the questions in three tranches of

The ruling party leader said the PTI chief was not appearing before the courts on the “pretext of plaster on his leg”

Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-N)

Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday continued ‘scathing diatribe’ against PTI Chairman Imran Khan, claiming remnants of former spy master Lt-Gen (r) Faiz Hameed still exist in the establishment and extending support former Prime Minister Imran Khan

“He is still being facilitated by the ‘remnants’ of the previous establishment, as their interests are interlinked”, the PML-N SVP Maryam Nawaz said in an informal conversation with reporters and an interview with Geo News The PML-N linchpin said that no other state institution was backing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman

She said PTI’s defeat was certain as “Imran Khan won’t be able to escape punishment in any case whether it is Tyrian White, Toshakhana, or foreign funding”

“No one has been given as much leniency as Imran Khan is being given by the judiciary Despite being caught red-handed, no action is being taken against him There is no greater injustice than the double standards of justice,” she remarked

The judiciary has to hold accountable and prevent a couple of characters [from supporting Imran Khan],” she added

Refering to the judiciary, Maryam underscored that institutions do not get weak if a few individuals are held accountable

“Their accountability must be done by the judiciary itself,” she said without taking any names

Maryam said the judiciary would have to absolve her father, former prime minister

Nawaz Sharif who has been living in London since November 2019 on health grounds, of trumped-up charges otherwise

A spokesperson for U S Treasury Department declined to comment

Raiffeisen told Reuters in a statement that it was cooperating fully with OFAC and that it understood the request was not triggered by a specific transaction or business It said it had processes in place to ensure compliance with sanctions A spokesperson said it was confident that the information provided to OFAC will satisfy their request”, adding that the questions posed were of a ‘general nature’

Raiffeisen has not been sanctioned in the past, but the January information request is worrying European financial regulators responsible for oversight of the bank because of the potential that it could ultimately lead to penalties against Raiffeisen, said two people with direct knowledge of the matter

Raiffeisen is deeply embedded in the Russian financial system and is one of the only two foreign banks on the Russian central bank s list of 13 systemically important credit institu-

the future path will be difficult”

Nawaz Sharif will return home soon and he will be honourably acquitted because those who sentenced him confessed that they gave the verdict under duress,” she claimed

Commenting on Khan’s resistance to face the court for the numerous cases against him and the judiciary constantly requesting him to appear before it, Maryam said this is the first time she has witnessed that a politician was not obliging to the court’s orders despite repetitive reminders

Maryam added that the judiciary has judges who are honest and full of integrity, but there still exists some remnants of Gen (r) Faiz through which they operated

“Not the institution, but some people are supporting Imran she elaborated claiming that the cricketer-turned-politician is still involved in “deals” and therefore wasn’t appearing before the courts

Continuing to mock Khan, the PML-N senior vice-president said that while he can

tions”, underscoring its importance to Russia’s economy, which is grappling with sweeping Western sanctions

As Austria’s second-biggest lender it also underpins much of that nation’s economy as well as having extensive operations in eastern Europe An Austrian official said that Austrian authorities were monitoring the situation at Raiffeisen and its business in Russia closely because of the bank s importance

Almost a year since Moscow launched what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine, Raiffeisen is among a handful of European banks that remain in Russia

But it has faced criticism, including from investors over its decision to keeping doing business with Moscow The bank has previously defended its position saying its exposure to Russia is contained

Raiffeisen made a net profit of roughly 3 8 billion euros last year, thanks in large part to a 2 billion euro plus profit from its Russia business Meanwhile, Russian savers have lodged more than 20 billion euros with the bank

TTP warns of more attacks against police after Karachi raid

ISLAMABAD

A F P

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) warned Saturday of more attacks against law enforcement officers a day after four people were killed when a suicide squad stormed a police station in Karachi

The police are often used on the frontline of Pakistan s battle with the Taliban and frequently a target of militants who accuse them of extra-judicial killings

Last month, more than 80 officers were killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest at a mosque inside a police compound in Peshawar, sparking criticism from some junior ranks, who said they were having to do the army’s work “The policemen should stay away from our war with the slave army otherwise the attacks on the safe havens of the top police officers will continue,” TTP said Saturday in an English-language statement “We want to warn the security agencies once again to stop martyring innocent prisoners in fake encounters otherwise the intensity of future attacks will be more severe ” On Friday evening, a Taliban suicide squad stormed the sprawling Karachi Police Office compound, prompting an hours-long gun battle that ended when two of the attackers were shot dead and a third blew himself up

go to Rawalpindi for his party’s gathering with his injured leg he cannot appear before the court”

The politician added that if fingers are raised on the judiciary it will have to conduct its accountability

‘Remnants’ of ex-spy master still ‘facilitating’ I mran: M ar yam