Epaper_23-02-21 KHI

AlvI orders eCP to hold eleCtIons In PunjAb And KP on APrIl 9

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

tHE president announced that genera elections for the parl aments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wil take p ace on apr l 9 a day after the chief election commissioner declined po nt-blank his summon for an urgent meet ng on the sub ect t h e d e c s i o n o n m o n d a y t o h o d t h e e l e c t i o n s i n t h e t w o p r o v n c e s f o l l o w s t h e d i s s o l ut o n o f t h e i r r e s p e c t v e e g s at u r e s b y Pa k s t a n te h r e e k- i - i n s a f ( P t i ) g o v e r n m e n t s a t t h e b e h e s t o f f o r m e r p r m e m n i s t e r i m r a n K h a n a h e a d o f t h e c o m p et i o n o f t h e r c o n s t t u t i o n a l l ym a n d a t e d f i v e - y e a r t e r m s i n o c t o b e r accord ng to a statement issued by the press w ng of the presidency the date for the general elections for the two parliaments has been set under section 57(1) of the Elect ons act 2017 the law stipulates the president sha l announce the date of the general elections after consultation w th the [election] comm ss on

the release said President arif a vi has ordered the E ect on Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue election programme in accordance w th sect on 57(2) of the act ” the etter to sikander s u l t a n ra a, i t s c h i e f, s a i d t h e d e c s i o n t o h o l d t h e e l e c t o n s was made under sect on 57(1) o f t h e E l e c t o n s a c t, 2 0 1 7 t h e p r e s i d e n t h a s t h e r e f o r e a s ke d ra j a t o i s s u e t h e e e c t i o n p r ogramme under section 57(2) of the same law alvi defended his announcement of the date by saying there was “ no impedment in invoking the power and author ty vested in him” as there was “ no restraining order from any of the jud cia fora H e a l s o c r i t c i s e d b a i g h u rre h m a n a n d H a j g h u l a m a l i, the governors in Pun ab and KP for not per forming their const tut on a du ti es to appoi n t a date not ater than 90 days from the date of d ssolut on of the assemb l e s the president ambasted the commiss on for not fulfilling ts constitutional ob igation for holding po ls” of the assemb ies concerned He said the ECP had a ready nd cated the possible dates for the elections in its varous communicat ons to the con-

Imran gets protective bail till Mar 3 in terrorism case

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

a lahore High Court (lHC) divis on bench on monday granted protective bail to Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pt ) Cha rman imran Khan til march 3, in a terrorism case registered by sang ani Po ice (islamabad) the case was registered on charges of riot ng and clashes w th islamabad police n october in the aftermath of his disqua ification by the Elect on Commission of Pakistan in the toshakhana reference His plea for bai in another case which was a so registered in islamabad and perta ned to protests outside the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was disposed of after the ex-premier withdrew his petit on the proceedings in both the pet tions culm nated only after the h gh court had to wa t for hours and set mu t ple dead ines for imran to arrive once the Pti chief reached the court premises, a number of his supporters had gathered around him the lHC bench directed mran Khan to approach the court concerned t ll march 3, adding that the order would cease to have its legal effect after the sa d date the d v sion bench compris ng Just ce al baqar na af and Justice syed shahbaz a i r zv passed the orders while dispos ng of a pet tion f led by imran Khan for protect ve bai during the proceedings Pti Chairman imran Khan appeared before the bench imran s counsel argued before the bench that sang an police had registered a case against his cl ent under sect on 341, 427 353 186 147 149 188 506 109 of Pakistan Penal Code and section 7 of ant -terror sm act

stitutiona functionaries and that it was the commiss on s respons biity to ho d the e ections within ninety days H e a l s o r e v e a e d t h a t h e h a d n i t i a t e d a “ s e r i o u s c o n s utation process w th the ECP for t h e d a t e a n n o u n c e m e n t b u t the comm ss on rep ied it “cou d not participate in a meeting on t h e s u b j e c t m a t t e r w i t h t h e pres dent ecP suMMons ‘iMPoRtant MeetinG: the E ection Commiss on of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned an ‘ mportant meeting ’ on tuesday to discuss President ar f alvi ’s announcement of date for hold ng e ections for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies according to sources, the meeting would review the Presdent s announcement and would take a decis on accord ng to Constitution and law the development came after President dr arif alv announced april 9 as t h e d a t e f o r h o l d i n g g e n e r a e ections for Punjab and Khyber Pa k h t u n k h w a ( K P ) a s s e m b e s the announced the date under sect on 57(2) of the constitution

Gov t taking tangible steps to strengthen economy: PM

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Prime m nister muhammad shehbaz sharif on monday said the government was taking tangible and necessar y steps to strengthen the economy and prior t z ng reduction in unnecessar y imports by enhanc ng exports He said the ncumbent government also faced the issues of mismanagement of the previous reg me and st l in the face of such issues, but t was committed to improv ng the economy with strenuous efforts the prime m nister was ta k ng to a delegat on of rothschi d and Co, one of the wor d s argest independent financ al advisor y groups that called on him the Pm office med a Wing said n a press release the meeting was attended by m nister of state for finance dr ayesha ghous Pasha and other re evant officials talk ng to the delegation, the pr me minister ment oned that Pak stan faced natural calam ty in the shape of recent floods spurred by the worst climate changes the delegation members termed the economic situation n Pakstan stable and said ts talented manpower was ts rea strength the present government was taking steps to take the economy on the r ght path they obser ved they a so commended Pakistan stock Exchange as among the bestper forming stocks in the reg on ‘PM invites Dutch coMPanies to invest in Pakistan’: on the other hand, Prime minister shehbaz shar f on monday he d a telephone cal with Prime minister of the nether ands mark rutte wherein he invited the dutch compan es to invest in the areas of agr culture horticulture water management and renewab e energy during the telephon c conversat on, the two eaders took stock of bilateral relat ons and expressed satisfaction at its positive tra ector y besides agreeing to further enhance trade and economic relations

g Pdm lEadErs says PrEsidEnt Could not announCE datE for ProvinCial a ssEmbliEs' Polls

g ECP summons ‘imPortant mEEting’ tuEsday (today) to disCuss PrEsidEnt’s announCEmEnt

Dar Cl aims ‘new ta xes’ to Cut buDget DefiCit as finanCe (suppl) bill sails through na

iSLAMABAD

s ta f f R e p o R t

tH E National Assembly passed the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023 aimed to amend certain laws relating to taxes and duties Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar introduced the bill in the House on February 15 and the formal debate started on it after moving a motion by Minister for Commerce Syed

Naveed Qamar on February 17 2023

In his concluding speech, the Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar said that this bill proposed to impose new taxes of Rs170 billion to minimize the fiscal deficit

He said that his economic team had hectic routine during last ten days and it held talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revive the program during which it agreed to take some tough decisions for streamlining the deteriorating condition of the economy

He said the new revenue measures would not affect the poor segments of society In order to help the poor cope with the rising inflation, he said the government had also proposed a Rs40 billion increase in the budget of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP)

The government has proposed to increase the BISP budget from Rs360 billion to Rs400 billion, by allocating additional

funds of Rs40 billion to benefit the (BISP) beneficiaries,” he added

He said Senate Standing Committee on Finance has proposed some amendments related to federal excise duty on air tickets to different countries which have been adopted The minister said that every cigarette brand would pay the duty as per category which it had been paying before the introduction of the bill Ishaq Dar expressed satisfaction with t h e p e r f o r m a n c e o f t h e F e d e r a l B o a r d o f R e v e n u e ( F B R ) a n d h o p e d t h a t t h e r e v e n u e c o l l e c t i o n t a rg e t s e t f o r t h e y e a r 2 0 2 2 - 2 3 w o u l d b e a c h i e v e d e a s i l y T h e a d d i t i o n a l p r o p o s e d t a x m e a s u r e s o f R s 1 7 0 b i l l i o n , h e a d d e d , w e r e n o t m e a n t t o

b r i d g e t h e g a p o f t h e c o l l e c t i o n t a rg e t rather the same would help minimize the budget deficit for the FY23

He said the IMF was much concerned over the huge losses, such as the power sector was facing losses of around Rs 1,450 billion per year He said that a total amount of Rs3,000 billion is being spent to generate electricity while the government collects only Rs1 550 billion

He said that due to power theft, line loss and non-payment of electricity bills, the government was facing about Rs1,450 billion deficit

The minister said that both houses of parliament talked about reducing the expenses and the Prime Minister would give

a comprehensive road map in coming days for austerity measures

Ishaq Dar also criticized the economic policies of the previous government and said that poor management and lack of fiscal discipline damaged the economy

He said that PTI government did not fulfill commitments with IMF and sabotaged the economy before its ouster It was the obligation of the State to honor the agreement signed with IMF so the present government was implementing point agreed by the PIT government

Ishaq Dar said due to the reforms being taken by the incumbent government, the economy would first get stabilized and then witness rapid growth in the coming years

He said the new revenue measures would not affect the poor segments of society as most of the new taxes were being imposed on luxury items not used by them

The minister also thanked the members from both houses of parliament for their recommendations on the bill He said their feedback has been reviewed and it would be incorporated in the upcoming budget

Indian shares fall on US rate -hike worries

pr ofit report

R e u t e R s

Indian shares fell on Monday after U S export prices data last week stoked fresh fears that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates higher for longer, while investors waited for minutes of the Fed’s meeting due on Wednesday

The Nifty 50 index ( NSEI) closed 0 56% lower at 17,844 60, while the S&P BSE Sensex ( BSESN) fell 0 51% at 60 691 54

The benchmarks struggled for direction in the first half of the day, before settling lower to extend losses for a second straight session

“Inflation remains the number one risk to global

iSLAMABAD

Former Interior Minister and Awami Muslim League

(AML) Chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Monday expressed his full confidence in the Supreme Court (SC), predicting the top court will give a historic verdict on the election date “Am confident the SC will give its verdict in favour to conduct of the elections of the Punjab and KPK assemblies on the dates announced by President Arif Alvi, AML Chief Sh Rashid declared while talking to a private TV channel Sheikh Rashid stated that after the assembly dissolution, it is necessary to hold elections within 90 days in accordance with the Constitution He lauded President Arif Alvi for announcing the PA election date in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces Earlier, speakers of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies filled a joint petition in the Supreme Court for elections of both the assemblies In response to a question, Sheikh Rasheed said, Qamar Zaman Kaira is like a brother but he does not know the seriousness of the situation ”

It is pertinent to mention here that President Arif Alvi announced Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provincial assembly’s election date As per details, the president announced April 9 for election in Punjab and KP under section 57(2) of the constitution In a letter written to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sultan Sikandar Raja president Arif Alvi said the constitution does not allow to exceed 90 days for holding elections after the dissolution of assemblies and he has taken the oath to defend and protect the constitution On the other hand, another plea seeking election dates in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been filed in the Supreme Court (SC) moved by the speakers of the Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies and the former MPAs The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) governors, president, Punjab and KP caretaker governments law ministry and others have been made respondents in the plea

markets,” said Pramod Gubbi, co-founder of Marcellus Investment Managers Eleven of the 13 major sectoral indexes fell with heavyweight financials ( NIFTYFIN) losing nearly 1% and pharma index ( NIPHARM) shedding 0 81%

Cipla (CIPL NS) the second-highest weighted stock in the pharma index, tumbled over 6% to a nearseven-month low after the company’s Pithampur unit received eight observations from the U S drug regulator after inspection

The top two stocks in Nifty 50 in terms of weightage – Reliance Industries (RELI NS) and HDFC Bank (HDBK NS) fell nearly 1% each and led the slide in the benchmark Information technology stocks ( NIFTYIT) rose

Ericsson to c ut 1,400 jobs in Sweden

pr ofit report

R e u t e R s

Telecoms gear maker Ericsson (ERICb ST) plans to cut about 1,400 jobs in Sweden as part of a broader plan to reduce costs globally it said on Monday The company had earlier announced plans to cut costs by 9 billion crowns ($880 million) by the end of 2023 as demand slows in some markets including North America

Further job cuts, numbering several thousands

in other countries are likely to be announced in the coming days, said two sources close to the matter Ericsson last made deep cuts in 2017 when it laid off thousands of employees and focused on research to pull the company out of losses The company was negotiating with its employee union in Sweden for months on how to handle cost cuts Agreement has now been reached with Swedish unions on how to manage headcount reductions, a spokesperson said adding that the company intends to make the cuts through a voluntary programme

S kills development and tourism agencies sign MoU to boost Punjab industr y

LAHore s ta f f R e p o R t

Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) and Punjab Tourism for Economic Growth (PTEGP) have signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) to upgrade the skillsets of workers in Punjab s tourism industry The partnership aims to train 10,000 individuals in the hospitality sector by activating three main elements increasing private sector participation improving infrastructure services, and enhancing the skillsets of tourism sector workers

To a c h i e v e t h i s P S D F w i l l i d e n t i f y p r o f e s s i o n a l a r e a s a n d m o b i l i z e t r a i n i n g s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r s t o i m p l e m e n t s k i l l s t r a i n i n g , w h i l e

P T E G P w i l l f i n a n c e t h e t r a i n i n g a n d r a i s e awareness of the project’s goals

A project management unit (PMU) will be formed to monitor the training s outcomes PSDF COO, Ali Akbar Bosan, stated that the training and

knowledge required for the industry will be shaped by PSDF to enable competent workers to deliver quality service and performance, which is essential for boosting Pakistan’s economy

LHC suspends ECP de -notific ation of 70 PTI MPs

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted relief to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) by suspending the order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that denotified 70 lawmakers of the former ruling party who resigned en masse last year

Justice Shahid Karim issued notices to the tribunal and National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf, among others, directing them to respond to the ruling by March 7

The future of the by-elections in the constituencies, which were represented by the de-notified MPs and originally scheduled to take place on March 16 and 19

in two phases, now hangs in the balance due to the latest development More than 120 MPs loyal to former prime minister Imran Khan resigned en masse on April 11, two days after he was ousted in a contentious vote of noconfidence marred by unprobed allegations of military intervention

Qasim Khan Suri, then deputy speaker of the National Assembly who was acting as speaker after Asad Qaiser s resignation, accepted the resignation letters on April 15 However once Ashraf was elected as the speaker, he decided to verify the resignations by interviewing lawmakers individually, but instead decided in favour of stalling the entire process by blaming it on the lawmakers’ reluctance to step down

Such situations require a lot of thought process, he

had said, declaring he will not accept the letters until he was completely satisfied they were not stepping down under pressure

However, after Khan hinted at “testing” the prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif, through a confidence vote in a tit-for-tat move similar to the one he himself had faced, Ashraf hastily accepted the resignations and sent the list to the commission The ruling came after a plea was filed by lawmakers challenging the approval of their resignations

On February 8, the LHC suspended a similar order by the commission regarding a group of 43 MPs T h e j u d g e m e n t o n M o n d a y h a s r e s u l t e d i n P T I emerging as the largest opposition party in the lower h o u s e , p r o m p t i n g F a w a d C h a u d h r y, s e n i o r v i c e

over 0 5%, with nine of the 10 constituents gaining on Monday The recent correction in IT stocks have made their valuations attractive and long-term investors are increasing allocations to utilise the opportunity, three analysts said

Since the start of 2022 the IT index ( NIFTYIT) has lost nearly 20% compared to 3% rise in the Nifty 50 ( NSEI) index

The ongoing concerns over the future rate-hiking path in the U S remained an overhang after official data showed a rise in export prices in January

Investors await the minutes of the Fed s meeting due on Wednesday, to assess the U S central bank’s future rate hiking path U S markets are closed on Monday for Presidents Day

14 passengers killed, 63 injured in Chakwal bus crash

LAHore

s ta f f R e p o R t

A speeding passenger bus crashed off a motorway and overturned near Kallar Kahar town of Chakwal district in Punjab, killing at least 14 passengers and injuring 63 others, police and government officials said Monday The crash happened overnight deputy commissioner of Chakwal, Qurat-ul-Ain Malik, said In a statement to the press, the official said the incident occurred when the vehicle transporting a wedding party was navigating a curved section of the Islamabad-Lahore (M2) motorway and experienced a brake failure As a result, the bus collided with two cars traveling in the opposite direction Malik confirmed that six passengers sustained critical wounds and were promptly transported to Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi The exact extent of their injuries is currently unknown

The authorities are investigating the incident Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a statement expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the crash and ordered authorities to provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured Last month a passenger bus crashed into a pillar and fell off a bridge, catching fire and killing 40 people in the Lasbela district of Balochistan Traffic accidents in Pakistan generally happen due to violations of traffic rules, resulting in the deaths of thousands every year

p r e s i d e n t o f t h e o p p o s i t i o n p a r t y t o i m m e d i a t e l y b e g i n t h e p r o c e s s t o r e p l a c e “ t u r n c o a t ” o p p o s i t i o n leader Raja Riaz Ahmed

sh rashid confident sC to give ‘historic verdict’ on date for punjab, Kp assemblies

LonDon/LAHore M

sU L E M A N Shahbaz, the younger son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has reportedly been holding a series of meetings with Pakistan

Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif in London

According to Geo News Shahbaz arrived in London last week and has been meeting with the elder Sharif daily for several hours to discuss matters related to the

beverages industr y to bear a 10pc feD

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The industry also helps with providing better processing and more efficient ways of fruit preservation to prevent wast when produced in bulk

In line with local regulations (such as Punjab Food Authority) fruit drinks have minimum 8% fruit content, nectars have 25-50% fruit content and pure juices have 100% fruit content In fact, fruit juices are promoted as healthier options by food authorities across the country for consumption in schools and colleges

large steel producers demand opening of lCs

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Further price increases in the coming weeks cannot be ruled out due to the shortage Domestic scrap has gone from 120,000 rupees per ton to over 200,000 rupees per ton, a record jump of 40% in raw material cost in just a few weeks PALSP urges the Ministry of Industries to implement a Scrap Recycling policy like India to increase domestic generation and bring prices down urgently

The sharp increase in local scrap prices and lack of options to import raw material has already led to approximately 80% of small to medium-sized mills shutting down, suggesting a massive wave of unemployment Additionally, 45 allied industries are related to the steel industry, and there will be 7 5 million jobs at stake if LCs are not opened urgently PALSP urges the SBP to act on war footing and ensure that LCs are opened as soon as possible This is the time to act in order to prevent the situation from deteriorating further

suzuki increases prices for third time within 30 days

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The price increase comes off the back of Suzuki recording one of its lowest monthly sales numbers in recent memory The company saw a 74% month-onmonth (MoM) reduction in its sales volume based on data provided by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA)

Going forward, the company might experience a similar month in February This is due to the confluence of the two back to back price increases within February, and the company observing nonproduction days from February 13 to February 20 These two factors in conjunction are likely to exert demand and supply constraints on Suzuki

government the party and the family s political future

The report claims that Shahbaz brought a message from his father for Sharif to strategize ways to handle the latest political challenges including the upcoming elections

The meetings were held one-on-one, with him briefing the deposed prime minister on various issues

The Sharif family sources confirmed that important matters were discussed, and the family remains united under the leadership of the two brothers

During the meetings, Shahbaz reportedly briefed

Sharif on various matters and discussed future strategies to deal with legal and political matters The duo have also reportedly met with a group of senior businessmen from Pakistan over the past week

Declared an absconder over his prolonged absence, Shahbaz ended his self-imposed exile in December of last year and returned to Pakistan He spent two months in Lahore and appeared before the courts in cases registered against him

Subsequently the FIA informed the courts they don t have a case against Shahbaz

Separately, Maryam Nawaz, after returning to Pakistan, said her father would return to Pakistan but a date has not been given yet The family is said to be weighing its options around the return of Sharif to Pakistan at the “appropriate time”, which is likely to be around the forthcoming general elections

Pakistan to dispatch 100,000 winterised tents to Turkey

iSLAMABAD

a n a d o l u ag e n c y

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country will dispatch 100 000 winterised tents to the earthquake victims of Turkey by the end of this month T h e s e t e n t s S h a r i f s a i d a r e b e i n g prepared in consultation with Turkey’s D i s a s t e r a n d E m e rg e n c y M a n a g e m e n t

A u t h o r i t y ( A FA D ) c o n s i d e r i n g t h e w e a t h e r c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e e a r t h q u a k eh i t a r e a s Sharif made the announcement in Lahore during a meeting with the

representatives of charities taking part in relief and rescue operations in Turkey and Syria said a statement from the Prime Minister ’s Office (PMO)

The purpose of the meeting attended by the representatives of Al-Khidmat Foundation, Sailani Welfare Trust, and Edhi Foundation, was to improve coordination and accelerate the funds and relief goods collection for the earthquake victims

Among other attendees were Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal who also heads the relief operation for the earthquake victims, and Pakistan’s ambassadors to Turkey and Syria

Lauding the efforts of Pakistani charities, the premier directed that the relief goods collected by all the local charities be sent to Turkey and Syria through the National Disaster and Management Authority (NDMA)

He also directed the NDMA to further strengthen the supply chain of relief goods to Turkey and Syria besides preparing a supply plan for March, the statement added Sharif formed a subcommittee of the Cabinet that will coordinate between the government and the local charities for the collection and dispatching of relief goods to Turkey and

Wildlife Dept plans another attempt as initiative to hatch Ostrich eggs failed

peSHAWAr s ta f f R e p o R t

The initiative of hatching Ostrich eggs with the objective of promoting population of the world’s largest bird in the region could not succeed and Wildlife Department is planning another attempt in current years breeding season Wildlife Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had arranged a new incubator in D I Khan for hatching of Ostrich eggs

We had arranged a new incubator for hatching of eggs of ostrich with the plan of keeping the grown up chicks at different wildlife parks of the province,” said Khan Malook Divisional Wildlife Officer (DFO)

D I Khan Division

Talking with APP, Khan Malook said he has a pair of ostrich at Wildlife Park of D I Khan which laid eggs and we decided to improve population of the bird by hatching through incubator

Ten eggs were kept in the incubator but the attempt of artificial brooding could not succeed as all the eggs were found infertile

Khan Malook informed that in D I Khan electricity disruption is much high and therefore he decided to keep incubator in his office where arrangements have been made for a five KV solar system We are also investigating reasons causing

failure in hatching and would try to make next attempt with improved measures to get desired results he added

This year after the breeding season which starts in March to April another attempt would be made by collecting eggs he went on to say

In response to a question about natural breeding of bird, he said according to experience Ostrich did not sit on eggs during captivity

The process of brooding by Ostrich is mostly in natural environment and through this process the chicks will also be less in number Khan Malook said Wildlife Parks are meant for promotion of tourism, research and breeding of rare wild species Ostrich is an exotic species and very rare in our region and for its promotion the process of egg hatching has been taken Soon the grown-up chicks of Ostrich will be shifted to enclosures at different wildlife parks in the province where this breeding practice continues and help in increasing the number of world s largest bird in the province

He also apprised that few pairs of Ostrich are also kept in wildlife park of Lakki Marwat He said weather of Pakistan suits Ostrich keeping both in captivity and natural environment However, for safety and protection of the birds from the eyes of poachers, presently it is kept in captivity at parks and zoos

Alvi orders ECP to hold elections in Punjab and KP on April 9

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In a letter written to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sultan Sikandar Raja president Arif Alvi said the constitution does not allow to exceed 90 days for holding elections after the dissolution of assemblies and he has taken the oath to defend and protect the constitution

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided against attending the meeting summoned by President Arif Alvi to discuss the dates for holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The decision was taken in a consultative meeting of the ECP chaired by Chief Election Commissioner, Sikandar Sultan Raja, to decide whether to accept or reject the invitation made by Presidency

Syria Pakistan has already dispatched over 500 tons of relief goods to Turkey

At least 40 642 people were killed and over 108,000 injured in two powerful earthquakes that rocked southern Turkey on February 6 according to the latest official figures

The 7 7- and 7 6-magnitude earthquakes, centred in the Kahramanmaras province affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman Diyarbakir Gaziantep Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa In Syria, at least 5,840 people have been killed

sindh to take measures to avoid terror incidents: memon

The Sindh government has decided to take special measures in order to avoid and handle any sort of terrorist activity in the future Addressing a press conference on Monday, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had taken tough decisions to avoid any hindrance during the management of terrorism incidents He said media representatives should show responsibility while covering terror incidents PEMRA has been requested that breaking news is not necessary for such incidents,” he said adding that we must show responsibility Sharjeel Memon added that if there are any such incidents the first thing to do is to control the traffic “If there is a three-lane road, one lane should be clear so that the security personnel, ambulance, police mobile, and fire brigade can reach the destination He continued that wherever there are incidents, rescue forces should ask Deputy Commissioners and SSPs how many vehicles to dispatch No need to send extra ambulances to the spot as these often cause problems in controlling the damage Sharjeel Memon said the Sindh Chief Secretary will hold a meeting in this regard too “Where there are such situations, media representatives should also be careful ” He said vehicles identical to police vans will not be allowed to enter in the crime scene Your licensed firearm cannot be held by another person ” Vehicles without number plates are not allowed till February 28, he hinted

Imran gets protec tive bail till Mar 3 in terrorism case

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He submitted that the court concerned dismissed the interim bail of his client for non-prosecution after he failed to appear due to injuries Imran sustained during as attempt on his life in Wazirabad He submitted that his client wanted to approach the court concerned for relief but needed some time for the purpose He pleaded with the court to grant two weeks protective bail to his client to enable him to appear before the court concerned

At this stage, the PTI chairman submitted that his leg had been healed to some extent but doctors had advised two weeks’ rest adding that he would undergo check-up on February 28 The PTI chairman further submitted that he respected courts

Subsequently the court granted protective bail to the PTI chairman till March 3

Earlier, the bench took up the matter and ordered the

LHC security incharge to produce the PTI chairman in the court after being informed that he was present on the court premises while rejecting a request to verify his presence through court staff

Imran’s counsel had pleaded with the court to mark the attendance of his client through the court staff as he was facing difficulty in entering the court due to the security reasons and presence of a large number of workers The PTI chief arrived at the LHC amid tight security He entered the court premises following security clearance, whereas a large number of party workers were also present on this occasion

It is pertinent to mention here that the same division bench had earlier dismissed Imran Khan’s petition for protective bail on February 16 Imran Khan had again approached the LHC on Monday through a fresh petition

Later on the PTI chairman appeared before Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh for clarification of his different

signatures on affidavit and power of attorney in a petition for protective bail in another case registered at Secretariat police station (Islamabad)

To a court query, Imran Khan said that the petition was filed without his consent He submitted that he advised counsel Azhar Siddique to withdraw the petition after the matter came to his knowledge, while seeking apology from the court

Subsequently the court disposed of the petition on being withdrawn

The court heard the matter at different intervals, during the day and had given last opportunity to the PTI chairman for appearance

On February 16, the court had summoned the PTI chairman for clarification of his different signatures on affidavit and power of attorney while hearing his petition for protective bail in a case registered at Secretariat police station (Islamabad)

The court also ordered the inspector general of

police Punjab to finalise security matters in connection with appearance by sitting with Imran Khan’s legal team I m r a n ’ s c o n v o y: When Imran s convoy left Zaman Park where the PTI chief has been convalescing since being wounded in an assassination attempt during a pitstop his caravan made in Wazirabad while they were marching on Islamabad and arrived at the LHC premises, it was showered with rose petals

A large number of PTI supporters had also surrounded the convoy and chanted slogans in support of the expremier

Prior to Imran entering the courtroom Qureshi had told ARY News there were “thousands” of people present outside the court and security arrangements were almost non-existent He said it was impossible for Imran to step out of his car in such a situation

Ahead of today’s proceedings, a large contingent of police personnel was deployed at the main gate of the LHC

m ’ s s o n e n g a g e s i n

w i t h n aw a z i n lo n D o n : r e p o r t

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

mINISTER for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

Chairman Imran Khan had made the Constitution, law, and judicial system a joke and instigated his party workers to attack the Lahore High Court

Talking to the media here at the Parliament House, she said Imran Khan should be taken to task for provoking his workers to attack the court which had summoned him in a case earlier in the day Imran Khan is wanted in many court cases, but for provoking an attack on the Lahore High Court today, he must be arrested immediately, she stressed

The minister said the court wanted Imran Khan’s presence in a matter pertaining to his false signature on the bail petition, but he refused in the first place on the pretext that he was unable to leave his Zaman Park residence due to injury

But before appearing in the court, which had given him another deadline to ensure his presence by the evening, Imran Khan gave a call to his supporters on social media to swarm into the LHC building, she

added Once he arrived in the court, another excuse was made that he could not come out of his vehicle to present himself before the judge, she said, adding such tactics were employed to gain some time so that his workers could gather to attack the court premises

It was an irony that how Imran Khan’s lawer had asked the court to send a person to get his signature on the petition from outside the court where he was sitting in the vehicle she remarked M a r r i y u m a s k e d w h e t h e r s u c h r e l a xation was available to all the people who w e r e s u m m o n e d b y t h e s a m e c o u r t a n d w h e t h e r s p e c i a l h e a r i n g s w o u l d a l s o b e arranged for them A layman, she said, did n o t h a v e a l l t h o s e f a c i l i t i e s w h i c h w e r e available to Imran Khan, who at one mom e n t r e q u e s t e d a n a m b u l a n c e a n d a t t h e other sought an extension in the deadline for appearing before the court “This is (the matter of) bail before arrest, which shows h i s m a l a f i d e i n t e n t i o n t h a t h e d o e s n o t w an t to b e p ar t o f th e in v es tig atio n ” s h e s a i d , a s k i n g h o w c o u l d a p e r s o n p r e s e n t h i m s e l f b e f o r e t h e F e d e r a l I n v e s t i g a t i o n Agency (FIA) if he did not bother to appear before the court T h e F I A s a y s i t w a n t s t o i n t e r r o g a t e I m r a n K h a n w h i l e t h e c o u r t i s a s k i n g h i m

t o a p p e a r b e f o r e i t , b u t h e i s l i s t e n i n g t o n o b o d y i n a t o t a l d i s r e g a r d o f t h e l a w a n d C o n s t i t u t i o n , ” s h e q u i p p e d T h e m i n i s t e r a l s o r e c a l l e d t h a t I m r a n K h a n h a d a b u s e d a n d t h r e a t e n e d a f e m a l e s e s s i o n s c o u r t j u d g e , w h o h a d s u m m o n e d h i m i n a n o t h e r c a s e b u t l a t e r a p o l o g i z e d t o s a v e h i s s k i n

H e u s e d t o s a y t h a t t h e c o u n t r y w o u l d a c h i e v e i n d e p e n d e n c e w h e n t h e r i c h w o u l d c o m e u n d e r t h e l a w, b u t i r o n i c a l l y, h e h i m s e l f h a d b e e n r i d i c u l i n g t h e s y s t e m a n d v i o l a t i n g t h e l a w w i t h i m p u n i t y S h e s a i d t h e t h r e e t i m e s p r i m e m i n i s t e r N a w a z S h a r i f h a d p r e s e n t e d h i m s e l f b e -

f o r e t h e c o u r t d e s p i t e k n o w i n g t h a t a l l t h e c a s e s a n d w i t n e s s e s w e r e f a l s e a n d f a b r ic a t e d N a w a z S h a r i f w a s n o t g i v e n a n e xemp tio n f r o m ap p ear an ce b ef o r e th e co u r t w h e n i t w a s s o u g h t d u e t o t h e d e t e r i o r a ti n g h e a l t h o f h i s wife

He (Nawaz Sharif) had never disrespected the court, law, and system, rather he appeared before the court as well as a joint investigation team on regular basis, she added

Likewise, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbassi Maryam Nawaz Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif, Hanif Abbasi and other leaders of the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz presented themselves before the courts in false cases, but never resorted to any attack, the minister maintained On the one hand, she said, Imran Khan was not appearing before the court, and on the other, he violated the Constitution multiple times through a constitutional office Imran Khan wanted President Dr Arif Alvi to exercise powers of all constitutional offices, including the Chief Election Commissioner, Supreme Court and Parliament

She said the international community was closely watching as to how a person who threatened and abused the institutions was given so much relaxation He must be arrested for disrespecting the court and violating the law

S

ac tion to lif t c urbs on girls educ ation in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Senators on Monday demanded the upper house of the parliament to ensure measures to remove obstacles to girls education in Afghanistan that were causing negative ideological impact along the areas of the country with the PakistanAfghanistan border Senator Rubina Khalid of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) on a point of public importance highlighted that the curbs on girls education in Afghanistan were casting negative ideological impacts along the border region of the country S h e s a i d t h e H o u s e s h o u l d r e f e r t h i s m a t t e r t o t h e c o m m i t t e e t o w o r k o u t s o l u t i o n s t o a d d r e s s

this matter on priority as girls’ edu c a t i o n w a s a p r e r e q u i s i t e f o r n at i o n - b u i l d i n g S e n a t o r R u b i n a a l s o u n d e rl i n e d t h a t t h e p o p u l a t i o n w a s t h e e l e p h a n t i n t h e r o o m t h a t w a s r i si n g w i t h e v e r y p a s s i n g y e a r a n d u n f o r t u n a t e l y n o o n e w a s p a y i n g a t t e n t i o n t o i t

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP) also underscored that the issue of girls’ education in Afghanistan was necessary to address as it had acrossthe-border impacts due to cultural affinities among both nations This issue, he said, should be referred to the committee to resolve the problems of girls in merged districts who are likely to b negatively impacted due to the decision of the Afghan government

Mushaal blasts world’s callous approach towards smoldering Kashmir

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Chairperson of Peace and Culture Organization Mushaal Hussein Mullick lashed out at the international community and UN for adopting a “deaf and dump approach” towards shouldering Kashmir, which, she said, they can t even hear the heartbreaking pleas of Kashmiri little daughters demanding release of their fathers illegally detained in Indian jails for years In a statement on Monday, she said that several families from Baramulla district along with their children protested at Srinagar ’s press colony against the delay in trials of their kin held in several jails for many years She said that the innocent daughters of incarcerated Kashmiri fathers were demanding release on a fast-track basis with eyes full of tears since they are cognisant of the brutal treatment being meted out by the fascist Indian government against their fathers

The Hurriyat leader stated that the notorious Indian government was brazenly violating the fundamental rights of Kashmiri people and unleashed state terrorism in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) but the so-called civilized world sewed their lips on the world’s worst human rights abuses in the occupied valley

Musshaal said that a little girl,

who did not see her father for the past five years, was crying seeking to meet her jailed father The chairperson urged that world powers and human rights organisations should listen to the pleas of the innocent souls who wanted the release of their fathers incarcerated in Indian jails in fake politically-motivated cases

She said that like other Kashmiri daughters, Raziyah Sultana had not seen her father for almost 9 years and demanded several times to the UN bodies to ensure her father’s release and her meeting but neither the world nor the notorious Modi government paid any attention to her repeated requests

Mushaal urged the world community and UN bodies to ensure the release of the Kashmiri political prisoners including Yasin Malik instantly because they all were put in jails, not for any crime, but only to defuse the flames of the Kashmir freedom struggle

She said that the Kashmir dispute was an international dispute, not an internal matter of India which was recognized by UN resolutions; hence it should be dealt with and resolved in its historical perspective The Hurriyat leader stated that The Guardian also exposed the ugly face of India for not releasing the Bucher Papers on IIOJK, wherein General Roy Bucher advised Nehru to take the Kashmir issue to the UN for a peaceful settlement, but in time the annexation was usurped

He also demanded the attention of the house on issues of missing persons and Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch facing detention due to the Haq Do Gwadar movement This issue should also be referred to the committee to provide a way for the family of the aggrieved, he added

Senator Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur of PTI also raised the issue of a controversial question placed in COMSAT University’s paper of English and demanded the House to take up the matter for disciplinary guidelines to address such attacks on social, and religious norms and ethics of the country

The Chairman Senate referred the matters raised by the Senators to the relevant committees for proper action

masood khan terms us gsp program vital to strengthen trade ties, spurring growth

ISLAMABAD: Alliance of GSP countries has called upon the US Senate and the House of Representatives for their bipartisan support to expedite legislation for renewal of GSP Program for developing and the least developed countries The 27-nation alliance stated this in a letter written to the Chair and Ranking Members of leading legislative committees of the US Congress, including Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations of House of Representatives, Senate Committee of Finance and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, says an official statement issued here on Monday, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan co-signed the letter along with other 26 ambassadors Pakistan is an active member of the Alliance and other countries of the Alliance include Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia Brazil Cambodia Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, Georgia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic Lebanon Moldova Mongolia, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine and Yemen S ta f f R e p o R t

a n t e d i n m a n y c a s e s , i m r a n m u s t b e a r r e s t e d f o r p r o v o k i n g at ta c k o n L H c : m a r r i y u m

enators demand

Senate barS houSe MeMberS froM tabling t wo aMendMent billS about biSP, State bank

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

tH E Senate on Monday denied House members permission to table two bills – The State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and The Benazir Income Support (Amendment) Bill, 2022

Senator Zeeshan Khan Zada of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) sought permission to present The State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2022 before the House

The Senate, rejected the bill with major-

ity vote Seventeen members opposed the motion whereas 11 lawmakers supported the move Likewise, Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri wanted permission to table The Benazir Income Support (Amendment) Bill 2022 The bill was rejected by Senate with 17 supported the motion while 22 lawmakers opposed the same

The Senate rejected the bills moved by the members of the House on bringing amendments to the State Bank of Pakistan Act 1956 and Benazir Income Support Act, 2010

The bill was proposed to shift SBP to Islamabad which was currently in Karachi and

therefore, all banks had their head offices in Karachi The Senator mentioned that if it was shifted to the federal capital then it could help resolve issues of banking and other monetary matters faced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan

The motion was opposed by the House and was rejected after voting Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) moved the Bill to amend Benazir Income Support (BIS) Act, 2010 She maintained that the BIS programme was conceived for supporting the poor which was not conforming to the spiking

up inflation If inflation is at 40% then whatever they are giving to the people it is not beneficial for the poor masses,” she added

After the opposition of the House to her motion Senator Zehri requested the Chairman to refer the motion to the committee and the committee members should be allowed to discuss on the matter The Senator also sought response from the Law Ministry on rejecting the motion Minister of State for Law Shahadat Awan opposed the Bill pertaining to SBP Act, 1956 Moreover, he also opposed the Bill on BIS Act amendment that was pro-

President for using digital tech to improve healthc are ser vices

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t President Dr Arif Alvi has called for using digital technologies to improve the health and well-being of the people of Pakistan and provide them with quality healthcare services He emphasised that advances in medical technology could help transform the country s medicine and healthcare system

The President expressed the views while talking to the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan and Afghanistan Siemens Healthineers, Mr Khurram Jameel who called on him at Aiwan-e-Sadr today

Mr Khurram Jameel briefed the President that

Make cigarettes hard to buy, demand academicians

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The rise in cigarette taxes in Pakistan is a significant step in the direction of lowering tobacco use and advancing public health say social scientists

Academicians believe that this action demonstrates the government s dedication to shielding its population from the perils of smoking To f u r t h e r l o w e r s m o k i n g r a t e s i n P a k i s t a n , N G O s a n d o t h e r p u b l i c h e a l t h a d v o c a t e s m u s t c o n t i n u e t o p u s h f o r s t r i c t e r t o b a c c o c o n t r o l l a w s s a i d P r o f D r M u h a m m a d Z a m a n o f t h e Q u i d - i - A z a m U n i v e r s i t y, I s l a m a b a d It is vital to invest in public education and effective enforcement of tobacco control laws to achieve a tobacco-free Pakistan,” he said

He expressed his gratitude by thanking the government for increasing FED after an SRO was released on 14th February 2023 The SRO stated revised taxes on locally produced cigarettes, and FED has doubled on cigarettes (16500/- per 1000 cigarettes if the initial price on the packaging exceeds 9000 per 1000 cigarettes) He further stated that the government of Pakistan can now inflate the national exchequer by billions of rupees from this initiative

A g r e e i n g w i t h h i m , D r H a s s a n S h e h z a d o f I n t e rn a t i o n a l I s l a m i c U n i v e r s i t y I s l a m a b a d , s a i d s m o ki n g i s a m a j o r i s s u e i n P a k i s t a n , w h e r e m i l l i o n s o f p e o p l e a r e d e p e n d e n t o n t h i s d e s t r u c t i v e b e h a v i o u r S m o k i n g i s a m a j o r c o n t r i b u t o r t o a n u m b e r o f i l ln e s s e s , s u c h a s l u n g c a n c e r, h e a r t d i s e a s e , s t r o k e , a n d o t h e r r e s p i r a t o r y d i ff i c u l t i e s T h e Wo r l d H e a l t h O rg a n i z a t i o n ( W H O ) e s t i m a t e s t h a t s m o k i n g c a u s e s a r o u n d 1 6 6 , 0 0 0 d e a t h s p e r y e a r i n P a k i s t a n T h i s f i g u r e i s c o n c e r n i n g l y h i g h , a n d i t n e c e s s i t a t e s q u i c k a c t i o n t o s t o p t h e n a t i o n ' s t o b a c c o p a n d e m i c

Dr Shehzad said a tried-and-true way to decrease tobacco use is to raise the charge on cigarettes Because of this approach cigarettes are more expensive which may deter individuals from smoking especially young people Also, the extra tax money can be utilised to assist with smoking cessation programmes and finance anti-smoking ads

Siemens Healthineers was one of the leading healthcare solution providers in Pakistan and its mission was to transform healthcare delivery and improve patient experience through digitalization

Talking to the CEO, the President emphasised that Pakistani healthcare providers needed to embrace innovation and transform healthcare delivery to successfully meet the challenges in the health sector, besides fulfilling the future healthcare needs of the country

He underlined the need for establishing partnerships among government institutions, private organizations, and NGOs to work together for the betterment of persons with disabilities and raise awareness about breast cancer

The President appreciated the efforts of Siemens Healthineers for the development of the healthcare sector of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The increase in tax on tobacco products is being seen as too little and too late as health activists have urged the government implement health levy on tobacco products to meet the criteria set by International Monitory Fund (IMF)

Malik Imran Ahmed, country head, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, has stated that the government has been repeatedly talking about hard choices to meet IMF s requirements He said increasing tax on tobacco sector will not only help solve our economic woes but also benefit public at large

Malik Imran mentioned that tobacco induced disease causes an annual economic burden of 615 billion which is 1 6% of Pakistan’s GDP On the other hand, the revenue generated from the tobacco industry is 120 billion When a product is causing this much health loss, a levy must be im-

plemented on it Pakistan moved in this direction in 2019 by tabling a tobacco health levy bill but it hasn’t seen the light of the day due to continuous interference of tobacco industry

Prof Dr Muhammad Zaman, the founding chairman of Department of Sociology at Quaidi-Azam University, said that steps are needed to discourage smoking among youth Easy and cheap availability of tobacco products is discouraged all through the world He added that Pakistan needs to follow the developed countries in putting a levy on cigarettes in general

According to an estimate, tobacco products cause 170 000 deaths every year in Pakistan On an average, Pakistani smokers spend 10% of their average monthly income on cigarettes Due to cheap and easy affordability nearly 1200 children begin smoking every day in the country A struggling economy such as Pakistan can t afford this much loss of precious human and finance resources

PTA conduc ts QoS sur vey in Punjab, Balochistan, KP

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) carried out independent Quality of Service (QoS) surveys in 22 cities of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as 13 motorways and highways across the country to evaluate the performance and quality of services offered by Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) to their customers

The survey results revealed that CMOs are compliant with respect to upload and download speed to a great extent, while network latency and webpage loading time was found below the threshold Some of the Voice Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have also been found below the licensed threshold in a few areas, said a news release issued here on Monday

During the survey, QoS KPIs of Voice, SMS and Mobile Broadband including Mobile Network

Coverage were assessed in accordance with Next Generation Mobile Service (NGMS) licenses and Cellular Mobile Network Quality of Service (QoS) Regulations, 2021, using state-of-the-art automated QoS Monitoring & Benchmarking Tool

The drive test teams selected survey routes to cover main roads, service roads and the majority of sectors/colonies in surveyed areas Based upon the compliance level of each KPI against the threshold defined in the respective licenses and QoS Regulations, CMOs have been ranked between 1st to 4th position in Mobile Network Coverage and Voice Services for surveyed cities and roads/motorways Similarly, in the Mobile Broadband Speed segment, the ranking is with respect to the highest data download and upload speed network latency and webpage loading time Necessary instructions have been issued to the operators for taking corrective measures to ensure improvement in service quality up to licensed standards

NIMA hosts conference on ‘Prospects of Establishing Green Ship Recycling Industry’

ISLAMABAD

A Roundtable Conference titled: “Prospects of Establishing Green Ship Recycling Industry in Pakistan”, was organized by the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy Pakistan at NIMA Islamabad

DG NIMA welcomed the delegation worthy speakers & participants He highlighted the need for establishing a green ship recycling industry in Pakistan through compliance and ratification of relevant international governing instruments, especially theHong Kong Convention (HKC) Guest of Honor His Excellency Mr Erling Rimestad, Deputy Foreign

Minister, Norway emphasized on importance of environmental regulations for Shipping and Ship Recycling to achieve milestones for Blue Economy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) He called for the ratification and effective implementation of HKC for which Norwegian government would like to support the process in Pakistan

Earlier, Cdre (Retd) Saeed Khalid from Bahria

Foundation presented an overview of the infrastructural, regulatory, and legal aspects pertaining to the green ship recycling in Pakistan and related challenges Mr Jawed Iqbal, member Pakistan Shipbreakers’ Association highlighted the various requirements related to compliance of HKC PSBA’s member Mr Asif Ali Khan shared that they have agreed to move on with ratification of HKC for which Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA) has initiated the process Ms Line Falkenberg Ollestad, Advisor to Norwegian Ship Owners’ Association spoke on the significance of HKC and EU Regulation in promoting and establishing green ship recycling industry particularly in the context of EU flag carriers

posed to link the funding with inflation

He added that it was not advisable as it would impact the budget of the federal government

The intentions of the Senator are good but it is not advisable as per article 44 as it was linked to the finances of the government and budget that will add more to its financial budget,” he added

T h e B i l l w a s g r a n t e d a s c e n t t o b e p r es e n t e d b e f o r e t h e h o u s e w h e r e a s t h e C h a i r m a n S e n a t e p u t t h e m o t i o n b e f o r e t h e h o u s e t w i c e b u t r e m a i n e d i n d e c i s i v e and ordered for voting Some 17 members v o t e d i n f a v o u r a n d 2 2 o p p o s e d t h e m ot i o n a n d w a s r e j e c t e d S e n a t o r S a l e e m M a n d v i w a l l a o f P a ki s t a n P e o p l e ’s P a r t y s a i d t h a t h e w o u l d s u g g e s t t h e m o v e r o f t h e m o t i o n o n B I S A c t a m e n d m e n t B i l l t o d i s c u s s i t w i t h t h e m i n i s t r y a n d a r e v i s e d B i l l w o u l d b e t a b l e d i n t h e H o u s e a s h e r i n t e n t i o n w a s n o b l e a n d g o o d

FFC hands over food hampers for ear thquake vic tims of Turkiye, Syria

ISLAMABAD: Fauji

Fertilizer Company Limited

(FFC) Gothmachi handed over 200 food hampers worth Rs2 million to Deputy Commissioner Rahim Yar Khan, Shakeel Ahmed Bhatti for the earthquake victims of Turkey and Syria

Resident Manager FFC, Brigadier Talat Mehmood Janjua (Retd) while talking to the journalists said that FFC Gothmachi is grateful to the district administration especially Deputy Commissioner Shakeel Ahmed Bhatti for inviting him to contribute to this good cause He said that FFC has always contributed to welfare projects and will continue to play its role in the future Spirit of serving the suffering humanity is one of our top priorities he added Mr Shakeel Ahmad Bhatti, while thanking the management of the Fauji Fertilizer Company Gothmachi, said that the way in which the FFC has played its role for the completion of welfare projects is commendable On the other hand, Deputy Commissioner Rahim Yar Khan said that by helping Turkey and Syria, the FFC Gothmachi has played a key role in this difficult time pR

IHHN, par tners help youth develop c areer in healthc are

KARACHI: Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN) not only strives for excellence and quality in healthcare, but it is also committed to preparing a legacy of exceptional healthcare professionals, who are ready to tackle the challenges of healthcare with empathy, compassion and dignity IHHN is thrilled to partner with Chanan Development Association (CDA) - a national youth-led organization – and Prince’s Trust International to deliver their programme Prince s Trust International was founded by His Majesty King Charles III formerly The Prince of Wales, to help tackle the global crisis in youth unemployment Now present in 18 countries, the organisation supports young people into sustainable careers through education, employment and enterprise programmes pR UA JK

, UKM join forces in scientific collaboration, student exchange program

MUZAFFARABAD: The University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) and The National University of Malaysia (UKM) have officially formalized their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) The completion of the MoU required the signature of both university Vice-Chancellors, Prof Dato Dr Mohd Ekwan Hj Toriman, the VC of UKM and Prof Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, the VC of UAJK and signifying the formalization of scientific collaboration and exchange programs between the two institutions UKM, recognized for its excellence in research and education, ranked 129th in the QS World Ranking, provides UAJK with access to a wealth of knowledge and resources, fostering a wide range of joint research, faculty and student exchange, and academic pursuits pR

Adamjee Insurance, Pak S uzuki celebrating 15 years of par tnership

LAHORE: Adamjee Insurance and Pak-Suzuki have recently celebrated their 15-year partnership at a renewal ceremony of the Suzuki Insurance Program, held at the regional office of Pak-Suzuki Motor Company Limited At the signing ceremony, Mr Adnan Ahmad Chaudhry the Executive Director Commercial at Adamjee Insurance, signed the agreement with Mr Aamir Shaffi the Executive Officer Sales and Marketing at Pak Suzuki Mr Adnan Chaudhry stated, "We believe in Long term relationships with partners, helping them grow with us and Longlasting customer relationships, maintaining transparency in all interactions, keeping them fair, and supporting our customers throughout the journey, delivering on every promise made Through this strategic partnership, Adamjee Insurance continues to provide efficient, innovative, and secure insurance solutions to meet the growing customer needs of Pak Suzuki pR

N a t i o n o f j a i l b i r d s

A stint in the slammer if you want to be a public figure

WH I L E the judiciary and its workings have been the cause of high drama yesterday, it would do us as a polity well to take a step back and look at the malaise that surrounds the mechanics of our judicial system

the hamfisted, intrinsically defective case against Ali Wazir is a case in point where an elected representative of a constituency (a restive one at that) was jailed for over two years, only to eventually be released Who is to pay the father of six back those years? Him and his PtM associate, the NDM’s Mohsin Dawar, were also in jail during the last government over the Kharqamar incident, in which the state ultimately conceded that it was the aggressor and actually paid compensation to the families of the fallen PtM members, whose killing was captured in high definition by multiple cell phone cameras this attitude isn’t limited towards PtM and PtMadjacent voices but also the political opposition though all cases against the League has gaping holes, the ones against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail were glaringly flimsy but it didn t stop at that these two had to put in month on end in jail Now that the shoe is on the other foot, we can see Shehbaz Gill, Fawad Chaudhry and others facing a similar, if diminutive, fate

And it doesn t stop at the political class as well What about the bureaucracy? If the cases against the likes of former principal secretary to the PM, Fawad Hassan Fawad and Ahad Cheema were indeed strong then an establishment-backed PtI government could have shaken a conviction out of the system that didn’t happen, but the time that they spent in jail remains unaccounted by Lady Justice

It is a sad state of affairs when acquittal from (presumably) sham cases is thought of as a personal victory, with even victims not decrying their illegal incarceration

TH E surest way to mislead yourself is to love and revere an individual or a group so much as to consider them infallible on any and all matters If such-and-such says so it must necessarily be right, and ipso facto worth emulating’, or so this type of ‘reasoning’ goes

Paradoxically a close-second to this self-deception technique lies at the other extreme that is, to hate a person or a group so much as to consider everything they ever say as automatically wrong and therefore unworthy of as much as a sympathetic hearing, let alone serious consideration In many respects, the two approaches represent two sides of the same coin both these recipes for self-deception are equally effective, although the first one is arguably somewhat more popular among the masses both methods owe their popularity to the fact that they allow their practitioners to bask in an ‘enlightened’ self-righteousness without necessitating their using their minds in the least It would indeed be a tough ask to come up with a more desirable method for deceiving one’s self If the first recipe enjoys slightly more favour from the masses, it is the second approach that is the modusoperandi of choice when it comes to those who like to think of themselves as intellectuals Probably the reason for it is that it is arguably easier than the first to

ensure to keep committing of suicide on any count by their children tight-lipped and well-guarded secret even from close relative this scribe knows very well about some cases in which a young boy committed suicide when his widowed mother married her colleague in the organization where she was working and another family hushed up burial of the young girl who had committed suicide in quite mysterious circumstances ensuring no word went outside the house

Students in Pakistan, like in other South Asian countries experienced immense pressure for performing exceptionally well in the educational institutions from schools to the universities level regardless of the psychological toll it may be taking Failure on the part of the students in coming up to high expectations was typically viewed with disdain

Ab o u t couple of months and so back, worthy Vice-Chancellor of Harper university, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Professor Dr Shakilur Rehman while speaking at a gathering has expressed his deep concern quite emphatically about increasing trend of committing suicide among the students this obviously warranted immediate attention of the parents, teachers, educational institutions and official quarters concerned of the federal and provincial governments and all line departments downwards Quite pertinently this called for direly needed starting for discussion and talking about the role played by somewhat unrealistic academic expectations as well as known and unknown ignorance on the part of the parents to say the least Very unfortunately, research on suicidal ideation was rather limited to the extent of being negligent as the mental diseases were somehow were viewed with shame and disgust , the stigma around mental health prevented any such discussions and talking from entering the mainstream discourse at the appropriate level in the educational institutions as well as by the government at any levels official statistics, very sadly being stated here were either not documented or remained unreported mostly but anecdotal violence do suggest that the incidents of suicide were definitely on the rise in the country in a quite worrisome manner It was regrettably being mentioned here that because of embarrassment socially in the society and police action as committing suicide is strictly prohibited in our religion Islam and a criminal offence also under the Criminal Procedure Coe (Carps) because of these and other factors, the parents

Since education particularly higher education in medical or any other field, was so critical for achieving upward mobility, a failure to perform well academically pushed many into the pitfalls of depression Indeed unemployment and suicide, however, have always been co-related to each other Medical students were especially vulnerable to suicide due to the very demanding nature of their studies overbearing parents of such students somehow certainly do not help in this turning issue either If some young students choose to confide in their parents or another forgiver, they were quite unfortunately, bluntly asked to suck it up Expressing their feelings about depression was certainly not a luxury which most people could afford in the country

Presently, most students in the country, somehow, lacked access to deserving and required support systems in the form of mental health counselors or even a vague sense of community appreciation Precisely speaking this social alienation was that which dried the people to take the extreme and extraordinary decision to end their lives When the bond that united an individual with their group was severed they lose the stability to sustain the pressure coming to their life Most students in the country, irrespective of their living in the urban areas or in a town or village lacked this direly needed sense of belonging, long hours in the educational institutions right from schools up to colleges and universities and even longer all nights studies for their examinations meant that there was no time to develop and promote any sort of relationship With no one left to turn, committing suede became an appalling option: a de-

pass off as honest sound thinking

It is common observation that most people adopt a philosophy or a way of life based on pragmatic and emotional reasons the logic or the rationale is searched later and is often easily found this is true of masses as well as the so-called intellectual-elite but it is the more intellectual types who find this putting of the cart before the horse more problematic than their counterparts amongst the masses they therefore need to invent ingenious ways to camouflage the trickery from others (and more importantly) from themselves the formula of rejecting anything that is not quite up their alley merely by dismissing the group that it is (rightly or wrongly) associated with proves to be a godsend in such situations the formula is accompanied by all the delicious utilities of ad-hominem Repudiating an individual or a group altogether is much easier than constructing or de-constructing an argument Instead of the difficult task of analysing and responding to an argument on its own merits, all that it requires is labelling of a group or a person unfavourably followed by dismissing the argument out of hand A mere slogan then is successfully passed off as argument For it is an unfortunate fact about the universe we happen to live in that way too many people consider slogans to be legitimate substitutes for thinking; and this includes the very men raising those slogans When confronted with a point of view that is different from one s own cherished opinions, a man has two options open to him: either to accept and adopt it based on its merits, or voice his objections on the reasoning that supports the conclusion but this calls or hard work, and most people would rather die than submit to any of that the other option is to (correctly or incorrectly) label the man or the group that has presented the idea as a liberal a communist a Wahhabi or what have you and consider the matter settled once for all – problem solved! the unsurpassed merit of this latter approach is that one can preserve one s innocence for as long as one wants or till one dies, whichever comes later the man who dismisses something he is uncomfortable with based on the grounds that it comes from

Educators,

(say) a Wahhabi fails to realize (or deliberately chooses to fail to realize) that he shares numerous beliefs – fundamental beliefs at that – with the Wahhabis: oneness of God the belief in the Hereafter the nature of the test for man here on earth the same goes for all such repudiations It is hardly the smartest idea in the world to dismiss something on a rationale that were it applied consistently, would demolish the very foundation of one’s own belief system but it is extremely convenient; hence the undying popularity of the approach there is this old idea that one of the core activities in any educational program must be to make the same pupil plead the case from both sides of the aisle even if only to make him realize that there could be two (or more) alternative views on an issue unfortunately, this is not put into practice nearly enough, with obvious results Acknowledgment and appreciation of the valid portions of the opposing party’s arguments in any conflict, or at the very least an understanding of where the ‘enemy’ is coming from are capabilities that very few possess For the rest, the world is divided into heroes who can do nothing wrong and villains who are devils incarnate, with nothing in between this urgently needs to be addressed And since man tends to become more rigid as he ages, the earlier this training starts the better Educators whether parents or professional teachers must make it their business to start teaching the young ones to think for themselves And their focus must be on how to think not what to think that way they can be expected to cite much better grounds for their opinions than having to rely on hero-worship on the one hand or ad-hominem on the other the great difficulty in this project is that the idea is alien to most of the educators themselves, who have come to regard education as the activity to teach their students the correct things instead of inculcating in them the ability to discover for themselves the sound stance on any given issue

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

somehow failed to comprehend as to what was wrong with their fathers and mother

pressed person, of any gender, was somehow unable to rationalize as to why he or she should continue to live in rather unfriendly and unconcerned society Since students were specially more vulnerable to suicide ideation it was essential that the educational institutions should integrate mental health diseases that were among than most of us were unfortunately inclined to assume, quite emphatically it was high time that our educational institutions and their teaching staff as well as parents take much overdue and ignored notice of this burning situation without delaying it any further

In order to ascertain more views in this regard particularly from the students themselves, the other day this scribe visited the university of Lahore and there came across young Zunaira Qayyum Khan who is doing higher studies in Clinical Psychology and quite frequently intermingled and interacted with fellow students girls and boys and exchanged views on wide ranging subjects particularly those concerning young people s social and mental problems and issues

Responding to some pertinent queries from this scribe, Zunaira Qayyum Khan said that both girls and boys undoubtedly none wanted to end their own lives there was always stress of this and that sort and loneliness behind these harmful thoughts and subsequent fatal decisions When people do not get due and expected deserving attention and care from their loved ones, they obviously feel much depressed in their life and then they want to end their life when these things become intolerable any longer for them She said that as a matter of fact she has always welcomed such people who having great stress in their lives and tried to help them as her determined mission in life was not money but more importantly and devotedly to make such depressed and ignored people who were having issues of stress in life feel better

It is a matter of bitter fact that psychological problems were pretty widespread in our society According to one somewhat conservative estimate around 50 million people of all genders and ages were suffering from one or the other mental and psychological disorders A wide range of psychiatric disorders which were generally reported were depression, substance and alcohol use, schizophrenia polar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder Even tensions prevailing in the families particularly among the parents also caused mental and psychiatric problems for the young girls and boys who

According to another estimate, a pretty large number of about 36 per cent of Pakistanis suffered from anxiety and depressions, which was often caused by strained family and friendly relations, negative feelings of being unfit in the society the unrealistic economic and political conditions which somehow very u n f o r t u n a t e l y w e r e c o n t i n u o u s l y p r e v a i l i n g i n t h e country thus persistently giving to unemployment and poverty in the country

It was generally said and believed that if a doctor only listens to his patient attentively almost half of his/her ailment or pain owing to disease was gone even using any formal medication As a matter of fact, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists were trained to identify mental disorders and issues And suggest suitable and affordable treatment to such patients

In the backdrop of what has stated above and cutting long sad story short, it was quite appreciable and encouraging indeed that more and more people particularly young women like Zunaira Qayyum were now opting for studying and specializing in clinical psychology for treating their fellow countrymen of all genders and ages

She claims herself to be an emphatic listener and pointedly stated that she was about to achieve her childhood dream of becoming a successful girl in the medical profession was coming to be true as she was very close of becoming a clinical psychologist soon and other half will hopefully be accomplished when she becomes wellknown throughout Pakistan as an emphatic listener

Please join this scribe in wishing all the best to her and many other young girls great success in life after they become fully qualified clinical psychologists and selflessly sincerely dedicatedly and devotedly serve and treat their sick and suffering people of all genders and ages as long as they are living and helping in particular the people getting rid of their suicide tendencies which were quite alarmingly increasing presently in the country

Indeed that was a clarion call which a senior educationist of the high rank of the Vice-Chancellor had given regarding increase in incidence of suicide among the young students but very unfortunately, allows this scribe to say nobody in the government educational circles have taken any much direly needed notice of it Same may also be true about the parents to say the least All concerned better act now seriously collectively and genuinely before the ugly situation goes out of control, of everyone please The

T h e s e c o n d - b e s t w a y t o m i s l e a d y o u r s e l f

whether parents or professional teachers, must make it their business to star t teaching the young ones to think for themselves.

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

EOBI’s contempt towards retirees

b y virtue of the 18th Amendment, the labour laws were devolved to the provinces in April 2010 While all the other labour laws were transferred to the provinces, the federal government for some inexplicable reasons retained the management of the Employees’ old-Age benefits Institution (EobI) which was constituted under an Act of parliament passed in 1976

Since then, the pension scheme for the retired employees of industrial and commercial establishments has been facing tremendous difficulties, jeopardising its efficient running

Any amendments brought to the relevant Act after the devolution now remain confined to the Islamabad Capital territory (ICt), and do not extend to the rest of Pakistan the federal government is unable to even increase the amount of monthly pension under the relevant law

Whenever EobI increases the amount of contribution by employers and employees towards the scheme the same is challenged by the employers in the superior courts and they get favourable judgements

How the Palestinians lost their way

Since Israeli-Palestinian coexistence is inevitable, both sides must choose bet ween living in peace orperpetual violent conflic t

not delineated, and in Palestinian maps the ‘state of Palestine’ covers the entire landmass from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River In the studies of Palestinian refugees, the blame is placed squarely on Israel for causing the catastrophe al-Nakba which is being inculcated in the mind of young pupils the continuing occupation only reinforces what these young students are misled to believe

Fo R the past 75 years, the Palestinians have raised four generations of aspiring youth who, like their counterparts in Israel and other advanced countries dream of growing and flourishing while making their own mark by contributing to their community’s and their country’s prosperity and growth they have failed not because they are incapable, or less talented, or unworthy of success: they have failed because their leaders failed them Palestinian leaders failed them due to their shortsightedness, misguided policies, and unwillingness to accept Israel’s ineliminable reality As such, they have played directly into Israel’s hands by threatening its very existence, which provided Israel with the rationale and justification for continuing the debilitating occupation

Ironically, during the 75- year-old conflict between the two sides Israel became a global power, a leader in every sphere of science and technology, with a powerful economy and formidable military while millions of Palestinians are still languishing in refugee camps If this does not demonstrate the utter moral and political bankruptcy of the Palestinian leadership I don’t know what does thus, their insolvent policy only compounded their youth’s despondency and despair for which they conveniently blame Israel, giving rise to militancy and violence against a country with which they must coexist

From the onset of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 1948, the Palestinian leadership adopted a policy of resistance and confrontation against Israel Even at times of relative calm the persistent denunciation of Israel on various issues, especially in connection with the Palestinian refugees Jerusalem and the Israeli settlements provided a constant reminder to every Palestinian youth that Israel is the obstacle that hinders their progress and shatters their dreams that is, the Palestinian leadership linked the fortunes and the future well-being of their youth to the destruction of Israel As such successive Palestinian generations condemn Israel for their misfortune which is constantly reinforced not only due to lack of genuine efforts on the part of the Palestinians to find solutions, but also because the longer the conflict persisted, the more it became intractable At the present, the two sides are further apart than they were 30 years ago when the oslo Accords were signed I n d o c t r I n at I o n I n s c h o o l s : the indoctrination of Palestinian youth begins from a very young age in schools; it is one of the most potent ways to sway the minds of the young, and get them to believe whatever they are taught In essence, Palestinian schools have become in part laboratories for anti-Israeli disinformation both through the teachers and textbooks For example in history books Israel is depicted not only as an occupying power that must be resisted, but as having no right to exist at all

In geography books, the 1967 borders are

As Mark twain observed in his autobiography, “When even the brightest mind in our world has been trained up from childhood in a superstition of any kind, it will never be possible for that mind, in its maturity, to examine sincerely, dispassionately and conscientiously any evidence or any circumstance which shall seem to cast a doubt upon the validity of that superstition ” to be sure in schools the Palestinian people are portrayed as being the victims of a brutal power the misinformation and the selected truth about the conflict with Israel passes from one generation to the next, and today Palestinian youths view Israel the way their parents have, as an irreconcilable enemy to be resisted at all costs

B r a I n wa s h I n g t h r o u g h p u B l I c a c r I m o n y: Whereas the anti-Israel schooling is poisoning the minds of the young, it continues to be reinforced by the Palestinian leaders’ acrimonious public narrative against Israel the day-to-day public denunciation of Israel further resonates in the minds of the young and they become increasingly in tune to resistance, rather than reconciliation this state of mind is further bolstered, especially when they hear from extremist Palestinians leaders, such as Hamas, and the media about Israel s ruthlessness which will not end until Israel is soundly defeated

Moreover, disunity between extremist groups such Hamas and the more moderate Palestinian Authority makes it impossible for the latter to moderate its public acrimonious narrative against Israel, fearing being accused of appeasing the Israelis Indeed rather than preparing the public for the inevitability of peaceful coexistence and engaging in constructive public dialogue, they are poisoning the political atmosphere by promoting the belief that only the destruction of Israel would liberate the Palestinians from the bondage of occupation allow them to reclaim the land and restore their national pride and dignity Fa I l I n g t o I n v e s t I n n at I o nB u I l d I n g: the Palestinian leadership’s dismal failure to dedicate itself to nation-building made it impossible for hundreds of thousands of young people to find respectable employment which kept them deprived of decent wages to support themselves and denied them a dignified life tens of thousands of young Palestinians cannot pursue higher education because more often than not they are forced to find menial jobs to help feed their families thus, idleness and the lack of any prospect for a better and more productive life radicalizes many Palestinian youths who become disposed to join militant groups where they are embraced, feel respected, and are rewarded for their willingness to join the fray against Israel basically they escape from their imprisonment in a life of despair as they are lured to go to a ‘new prison’ where they presumably find meaning to their lives As Aldous Huxley cogently stated, “It is perfectly possible for a man to be out of prison and yet not free to be under no physical constraint and yet to be a psychological captive, compelled to think, feel and act as the representatives of the national State or of some private interest within the nation, want him to think, feel and act ” e x a ltat I o n o F m a rt y r d o m: Many young Palestinians who feel left out without any

prospect of living a normal and productive life often search for a greater meaning to their lives and are swayed to believe that they can find in death the salvation that eludes them when they are alive Martyrdom is glorified, especially when the cause for which they sacrifice themselves is for the good of the entire Umma (nation) the Quran makes many references to martyrdom including the following: think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord; they rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah ” (3:169)

the problem here is that the Palestinian leadership especially the extremists do not preach for peaceful coexistence; instead, they praise acts of violence and terrorism against Israel, and honor the perpetrators courage and valor in sacrificing themselves for the greater cause of national liberation thus, for a multitude of young Palestinians killing Israeli Jews and ridding themselves of the occupation has become a holy mission as if it were sanctioned by Allah they seek martyrdom because they truly believe what they are told, that they will rejoice in heaven instead of continuing to be humiliated and mortified on earth m I s s I n g o p p o rt u n I t I e s to m a k e p e a c e: From the time Israel was established in 1948, the Palestinians missed many opportunities to make peace the late Israeli foreign minister Abba Eban put succinctly when he stated: “the Palestinians never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity, a fact that prevented a multitude of young Palestinians from enjoying the fruits of peace and becoming constructive players in nation-building who are able to take pride in their achievements

Starting with their refusal to accept the uN partition plan in 1947, the Palestinians have indisputably missed a number of opportunities but it will suffice to name only a few Following the Six Day War in 1967, the Palestinians turned down Israel’s offer to return all the territories captured in war in exchange for peace (with the exception of the final status of Jerusalem) In 1977 the Palestinians rejected the invitation to join the Israeli-Egyptian peace negotiations which could have resulted in in an Israeli-Palestinian peace along with the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement signed in 1979

At Camp David in 2000, the Palestinians missed another historic opportunity and walked away the last minute when a comprehensive agreement was afoot the most violent uprising the Second Intifada that began a few months later stunned the Israelis who concluded that Palestinians are simply not interested in peace And finally in 2007-2008 the Palestinians once more walked away from negotiations, this time over a disagreement in connection with percentages of land swaps Since then, largely under Netanyahu’s and Abbas’ leadership, no substantive peace negotiations have taken place and sadly a fourth generation of Palestinians is now flagging between corrupt dictatorial leadership, self-destructive extremism and no prospect for any meaningful life

Neither the Palestinian Authority nor Hamas have any plans or strategy that will bring an end to the most destructive conflict to which they have subjected their youth for 55 years and counting this is how the Palestinians lost their way As they continue to revel in the illusion that they can destroy Israel, they in fact are sowing the seeds of their own destruction It’s time to wake up before they forfeit the next generation s chance to live in peace and realize their dreams and aspirations to prosper in their own country, which they richly deserve if only given the opportunity

In 2005, the government had made an amendment to the Eob Act, whereby the basis of paying the contribution was changed from certain percentage of a fixed amount to six per cent of the prevalent minimum wages It declared that the term ‘Wages’ means the rates of wages as declared under the Minimum Wages for unskilled Workers ordinance 1969

After the devolution, the federal government is unable to make any amendment to the ordinance of 1969, applicable to all the provinces, as its authority is confined only to the ICt A few months ago, EobI increased the amount of contribution payable by the employers in its online portal from 6pc of Rs13,000 to Rs25,000; an increase of 92pc As per the decision, 1pc of the contributory amount was to be shared by the insured employees

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

As the last month’s contribution has been deposited in the SHC in compliance with the latter ’s order, EobI has retaliated by not accepting the pension claims of new retirees from the petitioner companies this act of the EobI officials is highly unjustified and undignified while it also constitutes a violation of the SHC’s order the retirees are being penalised even when they are not at fault as they have been regularly paying the 1pc share of contribution to EobI which is now refusing to entertain their pension claims the EobI management should stop being vindictive and should start honouring the claims of new retirees who are now also among senior citizens AHMAD

KHAN KARACHI

A r m i n g p e o p l e i s n ’ t t h e r i g h t w a y a h e a d

t H I S is with reference to the editorial Call for arms (Jan 27) It is unfortunate to say that the government has abdicated its responsibility by employing private workers or individuals to fight street crimes Handing over its duty in sectors like health and education is quite different from letting private workers take over law and order situation in a city the scheme, People’s Chowkidari System, introduced by the Sindh government under which arms and ammunition were distributed among watchmen in Naudero, seems to be an illogical step Instead of launching a crackdown against street criminals in society, the residents are being armed to fight dangerous thugs, while it is actually the job of the police Despite being the largest and one of the most so-called developed cities, Karachi is the one plagued by street crimes the most It looks obvious that the manner in which street criminals operate without any fear that they are involved in terrorising citizens with the ‘cooperation’ of lawenforcement agencies It would be better to have a professional police force having personnel recruited on merit, having advanced training and arms rather than leaving the citizens on the mercy of ruthless criminals who have no remorse even if they kill people on even the slightest of resistance or even displeasure expressed by their victims People are not trained for law-enforcement and having gunfights with hardened or trigger-happy criminals is not their job the provincial government must raise a professional and efficient police force capable of dealing with the criminals instead of shifting that responsibility on to hapless citizens

MAZHAR YOUSUF ANSARI HYDERABAD

KPPSC affairs

t H E recently declared result of Provincial Planning Services (PPS) cadre has raised many questions about the credibility of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (KPPSC) Many candidates, myself included, who secured good marks in the written examination have been awarded zero marks out of 50 in the interview Does that make any sense at all?

I possess a higher degree (MS) than the required qualification and have four-year relevant professional experience in the development sector I have previously got good marks in the interview in all my previous appearances in the KPPSC, and have topped one of the lists Had I been given only passing marks in the interview, I, and many others, would have made the cut without any difficulty on the other hand, some candidates, who have got comparatively less marks in the written examination, were given 35-45 marks in the interview out of 50 the aspirants work hard to prepare for competitive examinations in order to get a respectable job they expect to be treated judiciously and justly without any undue favour being given to the fellows in competition the careless marking criteria certainly dishearten many aspiring candidates who question the credibility of the KPPSC the top officials of the KPPSC must be held answerable for the abrupt marking system of awarding zero to high-scoring candidates and awarding 35-40 marks to the low-scoring candidates the higher authorities should also take notice of this practice

DR AloN BEN MEiR

Modi’s Model is at l ast Revealed foR What it is: violent hindu nationalisM undeRWRitten By Big Business

cated at scale

“First Modi flew in Adani’s plane,” the bitter joke goes “now Adani flies in Modi’s plane ” And now both planes have developed engine trouble Can they get out of it by wrapping themselves in the Indian flag?

in d I A is under attack by foreign powers Specifically the United Kingdom and the United States

Or so our government would have us believe

Why? Because former colonialists and neo-imperialists cannot tolerate our prosperity and good fortune The attack, we are told, is aimed at the political and economic foundations of our young nation

The covert operatives are the BBC which in January broadcast a two-part documentary called India: The Modi Question, and a small US firm called Hindenburg Research owned by 38-year-old nathan Anderson which specialises in what is known as activist short-selling

The BBC-Hindenburg moment has been portrayed by the Indian media as nothing short of an attack on India’s twin towers – narendra Modi, the prime minister, and India’s biggest industrialist, Gautam Adani, who was until recently the world s third richest man The charges laid against them aren’t subtle The BBC film implicates Modi in the abetment of mass murder The Hindenburg report published on 24 January accuses Adani of pulling “the largest con in corporate history” (an allegation that the Adani Group strongly denies)

Modi and Adani have known each other for decades

Things began to look up for them after the 2002 antiMuslim pogrom, which raged through Gujarat after Muslims were held responsible for the burning of a railway coach in which 59 Hindu pilgrims were burned alive Modi had been appointed chief minister of the state only a few months before the massacre

At the time, much of India recoiled in horror at the open slaughter and mass rape of Muslims that was staged on the streets of Gujarat s towns and villages by vigilante Hindu mobs seeking “revenge” Some old-fashioned members of the Confederation of Indian Industry even made their displeasure with Modi public enter Gautam Adani With a small group of Gujarati industrialists he set up a new platform of businessmen known as the Resurgent Group of Gujarat They denounced Modi s critics and supported him as he launched a new political career as Hindu Hriday Samrat, the emperor of Hindu Hearts, or, more accurately, the consolidator of the Hindu vote-bank

In 2003 they held an investors’ summit called Vibrant Gujarat So was born what is known as the Gujarat model of development : violent Hindu nationalism underwritten by serious corporate money In 2014 after three terms as chief minister of Gujarat, Modi was elected prime minister of India He flew to his swearingin ceremony in delhi in a private jet with Adani’s name emblazoned across the body of the aircraft In the nine years of Modi s tenure, Adani s wealth grew from $8bn to $137bn In 2022 alone he made $72bn which is more than the combined earnings of the world’s next nine billionaires put together

The Adani Group now controls a dozen shipping ports that account for the movement of 30% of India’s freight, seven airports that handle 23% of India s airline passengers and warehouses that collectively hold 30% of India’s grain It owns and operates power plants that are the biggest generators of the country’s private electricity The Gujarat model of development has been repli-

episode one of the BBC film The Modi Question (I appear briefly in the documentary as an interviewee) is about the 2002 Gujarat pogrom – not just the murdering, but also the 20-year journey that some victims made through India s labyrinthine legal system, keeping the faith hoping for justice and political accountability It includes eyewitness testimonies, most poignantly from Imtiyaz Pathan, who lost 10 members of his family in the “Gulbarg Society massacre” which was one of several similarly gruesome massacres that took place over those few days in Gujarat

Pathan describes how they were all sheltering in the house of ehsan Jafri, a former Congress party member of parliament, while the mob gathered outside He says that Jafri made a final desperate phone call for help to narendra Modi, and when he realised no help would come, stepped out of his home and gave himself up to the mob hoping to persuade them to spare those who had come to him for protection Jafri was dismembered and his body burned beyond recognition And the carnage rolled on for hours

When the case went to trial, the state of Gujarat contested the fact of the phone call, even though it had been mentioned not just by Pathan but several other witnesses in their testimonies The contestation was upheld The BBC film clearly mentions this Vilified though it has been by the BJP government the film actually goes out of its way to present the BJP’s point of view about the pogrom, as well as that of the Indian supreme court, which on 24 June 2022 dismissed the petition of Zakia Jafri, ehsan Jafri’s widow, in which she alleged there was a larger conspiracy behind the murder of her husband The order called her petition an abuse of process and suggested that those involved in pursuing the case be prosecuted Modi’s supporters celebrated the judgment as the final word on his innocence

The film also showcases an interview with the home affairs minister, Amit Shah, another old pal of Modi’s from Gujarat who compares Modi to Lord Shiva for having “swallowed poison and held it in his throat” for 19 years After the supreme court’s “clean chit”, the minister said: Truth has come out shining like gold

The section of the BBC film that the government of India has acted most outraged about was the revelation of an internal report commissioned by the British Foreign Office in April 2002, so far unseen by the public

The fact-finding report estimated that “at least 2,000” people had been murdered It called the massacre a preplanned pogrom that bore “all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing” It said reliable contacts had informed them that the police had been ordered to stand down The report laid the blame squarely at Modi’s door It was chilling to see the former, but obviously still cautious, British diplomat who was one of the investigators on the factfinding mission choosing to remain anonymous, with his back to the camera episode two of the BBC documentary, less seen but even more frightening, is about the dangerous divisiveness and deep fault lines Modi has cultivated during his tenure as prime minister For most Indians it s the texture of our daily lives: sword-wielding mobs, saffron-clad god-men routinely calling for the genocide of Muslims and the mass rape of Muslim women, the impunity with which Hindus can lynch Muslims on the street and not only film themselves while doing it but be garlanded and congratulated for it by senior ministers in Modi s cabinet

Though The Modi Question was broadcast exclusively for a British audience, and limited to the UK, it was uploaded by viewers on YouTube and links were

E d i to r i a l

We are very concerned and disappointed with the raids at the BBC offices in India, following the recent controversy over its showing of a two-part investigative documentary on the Gujarat riots of 2002

It is a direct threat to freedom of the press The Indian government has argued that the sudden raids on the BBC’s offices by the Indian tax authorities have no relationship with the news agency s airing of the documentary – but we in the media have become quite used to this phenomenon Whenever the media publishes something that governments do not approve of, we see governments resorting to tactics of harassment

– whether through legal, financial, or other threats And these events are never coincidences

Any government may feel aggrieved by certain media coverage And it may also be because the coverage was inaccurate in which case the fault could lie with the media But the right way to go about addressing this is through providing accurate counter information

If there were any flaws within the BBC s documentary the correct way to expose those mistakes would have been for the Indian authorities to provide counter facts

Any government when it is unsatisfied with a media content, has the right to challenge it by pointing out flaws and factual errors However, to use the might of the state machinery to harass the media should never be acceptable in any democratic society Moreover, such

R a i d s at B B C ’ s i n d i a o f f i C e s d e e p ly C o n 08 WORLD VIEW 21st February 23_Layout 1 2/20/2023 10:11 PM Page 1

It lit up the internet In India, students received warnings not to download and watch it When they announced collective screenings in some university campuses, the electricity was switched off In others, police arrived in riot gear to stop them watching The government instructed YouTube and Twitter to delete all links and uploads Those sterling defenders of free speech hurried to comply Some of my Muslim friends were baffled “Why does he want to ban it? The Gujarat massacre has always helped him And we re in an election year ” Then came the attack on the second tower

posted on Twitter

The 400-odd-page Hindenburg report was published on the same day the second episode of the BBC film was broadcast It elaborated on questions that had been raised in the past by Indian journalists, and went much further It alleges that the Adani Group has been engaged in a “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme”, which – through the use of offshore shell entities – artificially overvalued its key listed companies and inflated the net worth of its chairman

According to the Hindenburg report, seven of Adani’s listed companies are overvalued by more than 85% Based on these valuations the companies reportedly borrowed billions of dollars on the international markets and from Indian public sector banks such as the State Bank of India and the Life Insurance Corporation of India where millions of ordinary Indians invest their life savings

The Adani Group responded to the Hindenburg report with a 413-page rebuttal It claimed the group had been cleared of wrongdoing by Indian courts and that the Hindenburg allegations were malicious, baseless and amounted to an attack on India itself

This wasn’t enough to convince investors In the market rout that followed the publication of the Hindenburg analysis the Adani Group lost $110bn Credit Suisse, Citigroup and Standard Chartered stopped accepting Adani bonds as collateral for margin loans

The French firm Totalenergies has paused a $4bn green hydrogen venture with the Adani Group The Bangladesh government is reportedly seeking a reworking of a power purchase agreement Jo Johnson a former minister in the British government, and former prime minister Boris Johnson’s brother, resigned as a director of Londonbased elara Capital one of the companies mentioned in the Hindenburg report as tied to the Adani Group

The political firestorm caused by the Hindenburg report brought squabbling opposition parties together to demand an investigation by a joint parliamentary committee The government stonewalled, alarmingly indifferent to the concerns that managers of international finance capital might have about India’s regulatory systems In the continuing budget session of parliament, two opposition party MPs Mahua Moitra of the All India Trinamool Congress, and Rahul Gandhi of the Indian national Congress, both of whom have raised questions about the Adani Group years before the Hindenburg report, stood up to speak

Among the questions Moitra raised were: how did the home ministry give security clearance to the A Group for operating ports and airports while refusing to divulge the identity of one of its shareholders? How did the group amass about $5bn in foreign portfolio investments from six Mauritius-based funds, all which have the same address and company secretary? On what grounds did the public sector State Bank and the Life Insurance Corporation continue to anchor investments in the group?

For his part, Gandhi noted the prime minister ’s travels to Israel, Australia and Bangladesh, and asked: In how many of these countries that you visited did Adaniji get a contract?” He listed some of them: a defence contract with Israel, a billion-dollar loan from the State Bank of India for a coalmine in Australia a 1 500MW electricity project for Bangladesh Last, and most pertinently, he asked how much money the BJP received from the

Adani Group in secret electoral bonds

This is the nub of it In 2016, the BJP introduced the scheme of electoral bonds, which allow corporations to be able to fund political parties without their identities being made public Yes, Gautam Adani is one of the world’s richest men; but if you look at its rollout during elections, the BJP is not just India’s, but perhaps even the world s, richest political party Will the old friends ever let us look at their account books? Are there separate account books? Moitra’s questions were ignored Most of Gandhi s were expunged from parliament records Modi’s reply lasted for a full 90 minutes

He did what he does best – cast himself as a proud Indian, the victim of an international witch-hunt that would never succeed because he wore the protective shield made up of the trust of 1 4 billion people that the opposition could never pierce This figure (a politician s equivalent of inflating the value of his shares) peppered every paragraph of his spongy rhetoric, ridden with derision, barbs and personal insults Almost every sentence was greeted with desk-thumping from the BJP benches accompanied by the chant of “Modi! Modi! Modi!”

He said that however much filth was thrown at the lotus – the BJP’s election symbol – it would bloom He never mentioned Adani once Maybe he believes it’s not a debate that should concern his voters because tens of millions of them are unemployed live in abject poverty on subsistence rations (delivered with his photograph on the packaging) and will not remotely comprehend what $100bn even means

Most of the Indian media reported Modi’s speech in glowing terms Was it a coincidence that in the days that followed a number of national and regional newspapers carried a front-page advertisement with a huge photograph of him announcing another investment summit, this one in the state of Uttar Pradesh?

days later, on 14 February, the home minister said in an interview, on the Adani matter, that the BJP had “nothing to hide or be afraid of He once again stonewalled the possibility of a joint parliamentary committee and advised the opposition parties to go to court instead even as he was speaking office premises in Mumbai and delhi were being surrounded by police and raided by tax officials not Adani’s offices: the BBC’s

On 15 February the news cycle changed And so did the reporting about the neo-imperialist attack After “warm and productive” meetings, Modi, President Joe Biden and President emmanuel Macron announced that India would be buying 470 Boeing and Airbus aircraft Biden said the deal would support more than a million American jobs The Airbuses will be powered by RollsRoyce engines “For the UK’s thriving aerospace sector,” Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, said, “the sky is the limit So the lotus blooms on, in a bog of blood and money And the truth most definitely shines like gold

Arundhati Roy is a novelist and writer Her novel

The God of Small Things won the Booker prize in 1997

C e R n i n g

r eas ons

Therefore, w e agree w ith the s tatement of the Indian Press Club that, Such an action against an in ter n atio n al b r o ad cas tin g n etw o r k w ill d amag e t h e r e p u t a t i o n a n d i m a g e o f I n d i a a s t h e l a rg e s t democracy As such, we hope the Indian government will restrain its agencies from misusing their powers to intimidate the media

pressure – whether it be legal, financial, or otherwise –never works to achieve the end goal

Ultimately the media s job is to inform the public

And the public never sees suppression of the media in a positive light Whenever a state machinery harasses the media right after it has revealed information that the government feels apprehensive of, the people never see it as being a coincidence Rather, it only further corrodes the state s credibility in the eyes of the public

Rights groups around the world have already exp r e s s e d t h e i r c o n c e r n s a b o u t t h e d e t e r i o r a t i o n o f press freedom in India And this latest incident only brings it under more global spotlight for the wrong

Dr Zak aria admires visionar y leadership of UAE at 10th World Govt S ummit

ISLAMABAD: Executive Director of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), Ambassador Dr Mohammed Nafees Zakaria was invited by the UAE government to the 10th World Government Summit held in Dubai This year’s theme of the summit was: Shaping Future Governments

Ambassador Zakaria was accompanied by the COMSATS' experts on Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Science, and Innovation –Kamil Mehmood and Mr Parvez Abassi

During the summit he had the opportunity to meet with the UAE’s Ministers, including Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, HH Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, and Sarah Amiri Dr Zakaria admired the visionary leadership of the UAE and the strides the country had made in diverse fields, most prominently in education and Science & Technology He extended sincere thanks to the UAE Government and its Ambassador to Pakistan, H E Mr Obaid Alzabbi for his facilitation and courtesies He also met Vice President of Uganda, Jessica Rose Epel Alupo pr

S ettlement of consumers ’ complaints top priority: Iesco

ISLAMABAD: Chief Executive Officer IESCO, Dr Muhammad Amjad Khan will hold E-court on 22nd February (Wednesday) From 10:00am to 12:00noon and will attend consumer calls and necessary directives to relevant offices will be issued at spot for rectification of valuable consumer electricity related issues Consumers related to Islamabad, Rawalpindi City, Rawalpindi Cantt, Attock Jhelum Chakwal Circles and surrounding areas can contact Chief Executive IESCO on Facebook ID CEOIESCO E-Kachery and Telephone No 051-9253105 according to above mentioned schedule IESCO customers are requested to mention name, bill reference number and contact number while lodging complaints pr

Traffic division Faizabad office fully operational

ISLAMABAD: The headquarters of Islamabad Capital Police Traffic Division has been formally established, citizens should now come to the traffic division Faizabad office to get driving permits and licenses, a police public relations officer said He said that, with the special interest of the Inspector General of Police (IGP)

Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, the Islamabad Capital Police Traffic division got its office which is being shifted from Sector F-8 to Faizabad pr

NOT-BY- PROFIT

Increase In foreIgn reserves: True IndIcaTor of a counTry's progress?

islamabad

N e w s d e s k

IS an increase in foreign reserves the true indicator of a country s progress? This is a matter of debate but foreign reserves can be as indicative of a country's strength as the stock market However, those in the lowest income bracket may not benefit from these indicators and may not be concerned about them

An increase in foreign reserves can indicate the balance of payments but it is optimistic to assume that it will have a direct impact on the lives of the

poorest The socio-political decisions made by politicians can affect foreign reserves, as the country often relies on borrowed money Pakistan has faced several balance of payments crises in recent years, and has turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial assistance

To address the crisis, Pakistan implemented a series of reforms and policies as part of the IMF loan program which had both short-term and long-term effects on the economy These measures helped stabilize the currency, reduce inflation, and improve Pakistan's external balance Foreign exchange reserves increased, which reduced the risk of a balance

of payments crisis in the near future However, the reforms also came with social costs, including increased poverty and unemployment Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have increased significantly since 2018, helping to stabilise the country s economy and restore confidence in its financial system However, poverty in the country has also increased, and an increase in foreign reserves may not necessarily lead to a reduction in poverty The government must implement policies that focus on reducing poverty and addressing structural issues in the economy

To read the full article visit www tribune com pk

International Financial Institutions: Trapping and exploiting developing countries

islamabad

In recent years, it has become clear that international financial institutions (IFIs) often trap and exploit countries, and then proceed to blame others for the consequences of their own actions This unwritten rule of business has been applied with dedication by IFIs around the world It is a well-known fact that many countries have crumbled under the weight of IMF programs, including Latin American economies and, more recently, Hungary and Greece

Hungary started an IMF deal with the implementation of austerity measures, reduction in pension benefits, freezing wages and reducing deficits These actions badly affected social welfare spending and systems People started to agitate against the government, but the IMF was comfortable When Hungary's government tried to create some space for the poor and introduced a banking transaction tax, the IMF reacted very strongly and halted cooperation

Greece, despite all recipes of the IMF and European institutions and partners, has still been unable to find a sustainable solution to its economic woes

Pakistan is one of the victims of this cycle of

exploitation It has been entangled in a debt trap, and is paying the price in the form of high inflation a free fall of the rupee, shrinking production, and elimination of social welfare spending under the dictation of IFIs

Instead of accepting responsibility for their mistakes, however, the IFIs are trying to shift the blame onto China They want to make China a scapegoat for their own failures Opponents of the China-Pakistan relationship and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are finding it an excellent opportunity to exploit the situation They have begun smear campaigns and are trying to tag the bad economic situation of Pakistan with CPEC and Chinese investment

This is particularly evident in the actions of the US and India, who are both fierce opponents of CPEC and the China-Pakistan relationship It is an open secret that the US has been pushing Pakistan for a long time to quit CPEC and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) This is part of the US policy to contain China and check its peaceful rise To achieve this objective, the US is pressuring Pakistan in many ways

First, Pakistan was put in the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) with the objective of squeezing its economic space Second the

IFIs are playing their role in piling on pressure

Third the US has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to run a campaign against China and CPEC Through the Countering Oppressive Politicization of Economies (COMPETE) Act Washington has reserved $500 million for the media to keep a close watch on China and the BRI, including CPEC

On the other hand India is also trying to step in to sabotage CPEC It is spreading false rumors about Chinese personnel and its embassy in Pakistan

An analysis of events in recent decades reveals that the current economic crisis has stemmed from two main factors – IFIs (which have been discussed above) and the war on terror The war on terror has undermined Pakistan's standing in the global arena and its security situation Although Pakistan did not want to become part of the war the US and the West forced it to become a frontline ally

As a result of the war, the country suffered huge losses on all fronts including the economy security situation, social sector, and human life It had to bear an economic loss of $150 billion, which is beyond the country's capacity This figure is higher than the current external debt of $130 billion

To read the full article visit www tribune com pk

Growing demand for sustainable investment in hedge fund industr y

islamabad

N e w s d e s k

Writing for Financial Times Hedge Fund Correspondent Laurence Fletcher reports on the increasing popularity of sustainable investing among hedge funds Hedge funds are increasingly viewing sustainable investing not just as a "nice-to-have", but as a "need-to-have" strategy that can both benefit their returns and help to future-proof their businesses

The Covid-19 pandemic has played a significant role in driving this trend, as it has highlighted the risks of investing in companies with poor environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices Many hedge funds have also come under pressure from investors and regulators to take ESG considerations more seriously For example, the European Union s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) which came into force in March 2021 requires hedge funds to disclose how they integrate

ESG risks into their investment decisions

To meet these demands hedge funds are increasingly incorporating ESG considerations into their investment processes This can involve engaging with companies to improve their ESG practices as well as avoiding companies with poor ESG records Some hedge funds are also developing proprietary ESG ratings and analytical tools to help them make more informed investment decisions

However, sustainable investing can still be a controversial topic in the hedge fund industry Some managers believe that ESG considerations can be subjective and difficult to quantify, and that they may not always align with their fiduciary duty to maximize returns for their investors There is also concern that ESG investing could lead to a lack of diversification in portfolios as many sustainable investment strategies tend to focus on a narrow subset of companies

Despite these concerns, the article argues that the trend towards sustainable investing is likely to

NAV T TC-trained over 100,000 youth contributing to national development

islamabad p r

National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) is equipping youth with income-generating skills for employment generation economic development and productivity

NAVTTC has made significant achievements and has elevated the quality of Skills &Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) training in Pakistan under Chairman Shahid Khan and former Executive Director NAVTTC, Sajid Baloch

NAVTTC has equipped youth with in demand income generating technical and High Tech IT Skills trainings in cutting edge technologies like Robotics Artificial Intelligence, Apps & Game Development, Cyber Security, Industrial Automation Cloud Computing Mecha-

tronics, E-Commerce, beautician etc

NAVTTC has already trained 143 000 highly skilled professionals, with 71% employment; 75,268 have been trained in Hi-Tech Digital IT skills; and 53 598 in Conventional trades Over 13,000

NAVTTC skilled and certified youth got employed abroad and are earning billions to improve the national economy

NAVTTC has also launched the highly promising Matric-Tech and Middle Tech programmes for Skills education in Formal Education schools

Takamol Saudi Arabia and NAVTTC

Pakistan are partnering in the joint skills testing and certification programme called Skills Verification Program (SVP), for ensuring a competent skilled work force and employment More than 2500 youth has been tested/certified and got employed in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia NAVTTC pioneered fully automated

software based system for SVP, which is being implemented as a global best practice by Takamol Saudi Arabia in other countries of Asia NAVTTC is empowering expatriate Pakistani skilled workforce with globally recognized skill certification, by enhancing the prospects in international labor market employment/skill visas opportunities for Pakistani workforce, including KSA, thereby providing income enhancing their quality of life, and earning precious foreign remittance NAVTTC has developed skilled workforce and jobs portal, National Employment Exchange Tool (NEXT) i e jobs gov pk which is fully operationalized, with available data of 458,959 skilled youth with 689,878 jobs posted from 1 085 employers The NAVTTC jobs and skills portal is a bridge which connects the skilled youth

and the employers, opening new vistas of employment and empowerment with State providing valuable services to public for getting employment and realizing their potential Under National Vocational Qualifications Framework (NVQF), NAVTTC has developed over 200 qualifications More than 655 TVET institutes have been accredited across the country bringing them at par with international standards of job market N AV T T C h a s c o n t r i b u t e d s i g n i f ic a n t l y t o i m p r o v e t h e s k i l l s t r a i n i n g system in Pakistan and has developed a h i g h l y s k i l l e d a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t a ndard workforce International developm e n t p a r t n e r s h a v e b e e n p a r t n e r e d NAVTTC to benefit Pakistan, including European Union Germany GIZ Japan J I C A , B r i t i s h C o u n c i l , U N H C R , UNICEF, ADB etc

continue, as both investors and regulators increasingly demand that hedge funds take ESG considerations into account This trend is also likely to be driven by the growing body of evidence that suggests that sustainable investing can lead to better long-term returns A recent study by the Harvard Business School, for example, found that companies with strong ESG performance outperformed their peers by an average of 4 8% per year

In conclusion, sustainable investing is becoming an increasingly important part of the hedge fund industry, and that funds that fail to take ESG considerations seriously risk being left behind While there are still challenges to be overcome Fletcher believes that the trend towards sustainable investing is likely to continue, as investors and regulators continue to demand greater accountability and transparency from the industry

To read the full article visit www ft com

Rear Admiral Faisal Abbasi takes over as Commander Pakistan Fleet

KARACHI: Rear Admiral Muhammad Faisal Abbasi assumed the Command of Pakistan Fleet as COMPAK during Change of Command ceremony held at Karachi Vice Admiral Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami handed over the Command to the newly appointed Commander Pakistan Fleet Rear Admiral Muhammad Faisal Abbasi is a graduate of Pakistan Navy War College Lahore and National Defence University Islamabad The Admiral has an illustrious naval career covering vast experience of various Command and Staff appointments In recognition of his meritorious services the Admiral was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military) & Hilale-Imtiaz (Military) by Government of Pakistan The Change of Command ceremony was attended by Pakistan Navy officers, CPOs/ Sailors and Navy Civilians pr

China s Spring Festival, Lantern Festival 2023 Celebrations at Rashakai Special Economic Zone (RSEZ) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan Cake-cutting on the occasion was graced by (L-R) Pakistan China Friendship Association’s Secretary General Syed Ali Nawaz Gilani, Project General Manager Mr He Bing, China Road, Bridge Corporation’s Mr Zheng Fang Sophia, KPEZDMC Chief Operating Officer Mr Adil Salahuddin, Pro-Vice Chancellor (UOP) & DirectorGenral China Study Centre Prof Dr Zahid Anwar and KPEZDMC s CEO Mr Javed Iqbal Khattak p r

B i d e n m a k e s s u r p r i s e t r i p t o k y i v

e f o r e i n va s i o n a n n i v e r s a r y

KYIV, UKRAINE Ag e n c e s

uS President Joe Biden on Monday made a trip to Kyiv organised in strict secrecy, promising

$500 million in fresh arms deliveries and unwavering American support ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion

Air raid sirens rang out across the capital at one point as Biden walked alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during what was the US president’s first visit to the country since Russian troops invaded on February 24 2022

“One year later, Kyiv stands And Ukraine stands Democracy stands,” Biden said, speaking alongside Zelensky at the Ukrainian president’s official residence, the Mariinsky Palace

“I thought it was critical that there not be any doubt, none whatsoever, about US support for Ukraine in the war he continued ussian President Vladimir “Putin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided He thought he could outlast

us He s just been plain wrong, Biden said, adding: “Putin’s war of conquest is failing” The visit was organised in conditions of strict secrecy Biden left Andrews Air Force in the early hours of Sunday

After handing over their devices, journalists were made aware of his presence

Bangladesh halts printing of main opposition newspaper

DHAKA

Ag e n c i e s

Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, managing editor of the newspaper, told The council said the paper ’s publisher Tarique Rahman the acting chief of BNP was a convicted criminal and was living abroad without handing over his job to another person Biswas said Rahman now based in London submitted his resignation and appointed a new publisher, but the authorities did not accept the changes

BEIJING

Ag e n c i e s

Beijing strongly denied on Monday US claims that China was considering arming Russia in its war against Ukraine, as it reiterated a call for dialogue to end the conflict

On Sunday, US Secretary of State

Antony Blinken said Beijing was now “considering providing lethal support to Moscow ranging “from ammunition to the weapons themselves”

It is the United States and not China that is endlessly shipping weapons to the battlefield,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Monday, when asked about the US claims

We urge the United States to earnestly reflect on its own actions, and do more to alleviate the situation, promote peace and dialogue and stop shifting blame and spreading

turkey winds down quake rescue as Blinken pledges fresh us aid

ANTAKYA, TURKEY

Ag e n c i e s

During the trip, Biden promised an additional $500 million (468 million euros) in arms deliveries for Ukraine, mentioning in particular artillery ammunition, howitzers and Javelin anti-tank missiles Ukraine is estimated to be burning through thousands more shells each month than the EU defence industry is currently able to produce

The European Union is weighing up plans to try to speed up its production and delivery of much-needed ammunition to help Kyiv’s fight

on Air Force One just 15 minutes before the plane took off

The White House did not report how he eventually reached Ukraine but other foreign leaders have travelled to Kyiv by train from Poland

It was the first visit by a US president to Ukraine since 2008

Zelensky said he and Biden also discussed the possibility of supplying longrange weapons” to Ukraine, a long-standing request from Kyiv that has been met with reticence in Washington where there is concern that they could be used to strike deep inside Russian territory Zelensky hailed the visit as a key sign of support

This conversation brings us closer to victory,” he said, calling the visit and the promise of additional US arms supplies an unequivocal signal that Russian attempts to win will have no chance”

Nor th Korea fires ballistic missiles, warns of more ac tion over US -S outh drills

North Korea fired two rockets on Monday from its latest launcher, claiming it is capable of a tactical nuclear attack” that can take out entire enemy air bases

It was North Korea’s second weapons launch in 48 hours after it fired one of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles on Saturday, in response to planned US-South Korea military drills

Japan said the ICBM landed in its exclusive economic zone, and its launch prompted the United States and South Korea to stage joint air drills on Sunday

Pyongyang said the Korean People’s Army conducted the Monday drill in response to those US-South Korean exercises blaming the allies for the deteriorating security situation, according to a report by the official Korean Central News Agency

Through today s firing drill with the involvement of super-large multiple rocket launchers, the tactical nuclear attack means, the KPA demonstrated its full readiness to deter and will to counter” the joint air drills, KCNA said

The South Korean military said it detected the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles on Monday

at 0700-0711 (2200-2211 GMT Sunday) One travelled 390 km (240 miles) and the other 340 km, before they landed in the East Sea, it said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan

It described the launches as “a serious provocation that undermines peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and called on North Korea to stop immediately”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister warned the country was closely monitoring Washington and Seoul’s moves to deploy more US strategic assets to the region, vowing “corresponding counteraction” if Pyongyang deemed such moves a threat

“The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the US forces action character Kim Yo Jong said in a statement published by KCNA ‘surprise’ drill: Pyongyang said its Saturday ICBM launch was a surprise drill that demonstrated North Korea’s capacity to carry out a “fatal nuclear counterattack”

Japan said that ICBM flew for 66 minutes and landed in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ)

In response, Seoul and Washington staged joint air drills on Sunday, featuring a strategic bomber and stealth fighter jets

Turkey on Sunday said rescue efforts following last week s devastating earthquake had ended in all but two provinces as visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $100 million in fresh humanitarian aid The 7 8-magnitude tremor that struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6 has killed more than 44 000 people with the likelihood of finding survivors two weeks on extremely remote The head of Turkey’s disaster agency Yunus Sezer on Sunday said search and rescue efforts had been completed in all provinces apart from Hatay and Kahramanmaras, the earthquake’s epicentre They were continuing at around 40 buildings in the provinces on the 14th day, said Sezer, but he expected the number to fall by late Sunday The agency head also said Turkey’s death toll had risen to 40,689 The total toll including Syria is now 44 377 Blinken also met members of the White Helmets rescue group, which operates in rebel-held areas of Syria, and discussed the relief effort there The windingdown of rescue operations came as Blinken arrived in Turkey to show solidarity with a NATO ally and announce a new aid package worth $100 million Washington’s top diplomat met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, through which the United States has shipped aid Blinken then accompanied Cavusoglu in a helicopter to view the damage wrought by the disaster in Hatay province The new aid “will be moving soon Sadly, it’s less about search and rescue but longterm recovery,” Blinken told reporters “This is going to be a long-term effort It s going to take a massive effort to rebuild but we’re committed to supporting that effort,” he said Washington has now contributed $185 million in assistance to Turkey and Syria, he added The trip had been planned before the earthquake, the worst natural disaster to hit Turkey in its post-Ottoman history On Twitter, the White Helmets group said they had met Blinken in southern Turkey discuss the response to the earthquake in NW #Syria, the humanitarian situation, ways to support affected civilians and mechanisms for achieving early recovery The group’s deputy director Farouk Habib told Blinken he was grateful for US support after the quake, while Blinken offered condolences and commended the rescuers’ “heroic efforts , the group tweeted Blinken, also referred to their meeting on Twitter, adding: “Thank you for your heroic efforts to rescue Syrians after the earthquakes The United States is proud to support you and other organizations providing lifesaving aid in response to this tragedy ” In the devastated southeastern city of Antakya three bodies were retrieved from one building with a woman still thought to be inside, an official briefed on the recovery effort told AFP on condition of anonymity

Record 6,542 guns intercepted at US airpor t sec urit y in ‘22

The woman flying out of Philadelphia’s airport last year remembered to pack snacks, prescription medicine and a cell phone in her handbag But what was more important was what she forgot to unpack: a loaded 380-caliber handgun in a black holster

The weapon was one of the 6 542 guns the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intercepted last year at airport checkpoints across the country

armed “What we see in our checkpoints really reflects what we’re seeing

in society, and in society, there are more

carrying firearms nowadays,” TSA

administrator David Pekoske said

With the exception of pandemic-dis-

C hina rejec ts US claim of planning to arm Russia

false information,” Wang told a regular briefing

Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine is a sensitive issue for Beijing which has sought to position itself as neutral while offering diplomatic backing to its strategic ally Russia

It is clear to the international community who is calling for dialogue and fighting for peace, and who is adding fuel to the fire and encouraging opposition,” Wang added, reiterating a call for support for a Chinese proposal to end the war

On Saturday, China said it would publish this week a proposal to find a “political solution to the Ukraine crisis with Beijing s top diplomat telling a conference the country is “on the side of dialogue” Wang Yi told the Munich Security Con-

ference that China was against attacks on nuclear power plants, opposed the use of biochemical weapons and was willing to work with all parties

Later on Monday, the EU’s foreign policy chief warned China against providing weapons to Russia for its war on Ukraine Josep Borrell said he told Wang Yi that “for us, it would be a red line in our relationship He told me that they are not going to do it, that they don’t plan to do it But we will remain vigilant Alleged spy bAlloon: Blinken’s accusations came as relations between China and the United States were further strained after Washington shot down what it said was a Chinese spy balloon earlier this month The United States has repeatedly warned

China against providing support to Russia for its war in Ukraine, which is nearing its one-year anniversary

Appearing on Sunday on ABC Blinken said that US President Joe Biden had warned his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as long ago as last March against sending weapons to Russia

Since that time, “China has been careful not to cross that line, including by holding off on selling lethal weapons systems for use on the battlefield , according to a US administration source familiar with the issue

In Munich, Blinken and Wang Yi clashed over Washington s shooting down of a Chinese balloon over its airspace

During their encounter, Blinken “directly spoke to the unacceptable violation of

rupted 2020, the number of weapons intercepted at airport checkpoints has climbed every year since 2010 Experts don’t think this is an epidemic of wouldbe hijackers nearly everyone caught claims to have forgotten they had a gun with them but they emphasise the danger even one gun can pose in the wrong hands on a plane or at a checkpoint Guns have been intercepted literally from Burbank, California, to Bangor, Maine But it tends to happen more at bigger airports in areas with laws more friendly to carrying a gun, Pekoske said The top 10 list for gun interceptions in 2022 includes Dallas, Austin and Houston in Texas; three airports in Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta; Phoenix; and Denver

US sovereignty and international law by (China’s) high-altitude surveillance balloon in US territorial airspace”, State Department spokesman Ned Price said

He also warned Wang “about the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia or assistance with systemic sanctions evasion”, Price said

In turn Wang Yi told Blinken that their countries’ relations had been damaged by how Washington reacted to the balloon, which China has repeatedly described as a civilian craft for weather research that veered off course Wa n g Yi “ m a d e c l e a r C h i n a ’s s o l e m n position on the so-called airship incident”, a n d u rg e d t h e U S s i d e t o c h a n g e c o u r s e , a c k n o w l e d g e a n d r e p a i r t h e d a m a g e t h a t its excessive use of force caused to ChinaU S r e l a t i o n s s t a t e n e w s a g e n c y X i n h u a r e p o r t e d

NeeshAm, Powell Power PeshAwAr Z AlmI to thrAsh QUettA Gl AdIAtors

KARACHI

N e w S D e S k

All-rounders James Neesham and Rovman Powell played sensible knocks in the run chase to steer Peshawar Zalmi to a convincing four-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators in the ninth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight

Set to chase 155 Zalmi amassed the target in the 19th over with four wickets to spare at the back of a crucial partnership between Neesham and Powell

Earlier, the Zalmi got off to a poor start to the pursuit as the side lost three wickets for 47 runs in the fifth over with in-form batters Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub and Tom Kohler-Cadmore perishing cheaply

9th JA Zaman memorial open Golf begins today

Z a l m i t h e n e n d u r e d a h u g e b l o w t o t h e i r p u r s u i t a s t h e y l o s t t h e i r s k i p p e r

Babar Azam in the eighth over and consequently slipped to 67/4 Babar could score 19 off 18 deliveries

Put into bat first the Gladiators raised 154/4 despite a dismal start at the back of a magnificent half-century by Iftikhar

Gladiators openers Jason Roy and Martin Guptill started cautiously against a disciplined bowling attack of Zalmi as they could score 28 runs in the powerplay before the latter lost his wicket in a desperate attempt to go big Guptill could score 12 off 16

Following his dismissal, leg-spinner Usman Qadir struck twice in his consecutive overs; removing Roy (14) and Mohammad Nawaz (2) as the Gladiators slipped to 37/3 in the ninth over

Following the slump, skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed and Iftikhar anchored the innings with a gritty 74-run partnership for the fourth wicket and broke the shackles

Meanwhile, Arshad Iqbal castled Sarfaraz in the 17th over to dent the Gladiators march to a big total The skipper could score 39 off 30 deliveries and hit five boundaries Iftikhar however held his ground firm and kept charging on the Zalmi bowlers in the death overs and received significant support from all-rounder Odean Smith, who struck a blistering 12-ball 25 Iftikhar was top-scorer for the Gladiators with 50 off 34 deliveries, laced with two boundaries and four sixes Qadir led the bowling attack for Zalmi with 2/26 while Arshad and James Neesham could make one scalp

e d o u t fo r m o n t h s

The landmark 9th JA Zaman Memorial Open Golf Championship will go under way from Tuesday (today) at Lahore Gymkhana Golf Club This was stated by Sarmad Nadeem of Lahore Gymkhana Golf Club at a media conference attended and addressed by Hamid Zaman, head of Zaman Family, Bilal Zaman, Taha Mehmood, Captain Golf and Ayesha Hamid, Lady Captain of Gymkhana Golf Club Hamid Zaman speaking on the occasion, said the golfing activity which is a PGA and PGF-sanctioned tournament has evolved to become one of the biggest golf tournaments nationwide with total prize money of Rs6 0 million The tournament attracts the top golfing talent from across the country and is one of the most anticipated match ups of the golfing calendar in Pakistan

The salient features of this year ’s edition include: Top 100 ranked golf professionals of Pakistan will compete in the Main Draw from the 23rd to 26th of February making it one of the most competitive fields in golf across the country The championship includes nationally recognized golf amateur players who compete for glory and honors in victory Total Prize Money of Rs6 0 million and a chance to win a 1,300 CC Honda City on a Hole-in-One makes the match one of the top purses in Pakistan golf 6 categories of players including juniors, ladies, senior professionals and amateurs, and veteran golfers all participate in the tournament Record number of entries highlighting the anticipation and excitement the championship brings forth with more than 500+ participants Bilal Zaman said that the tournament is being held in the memory of late JA Zaman; an iconic symbol who was a man of enormous dignity He left behind an indelible impact of his entrepreneurial abilities and his passion for golf in particular J A Zaman s family, which is the principal sponsor of this championship is pleased to make possible with the gracious cooperation of the Lahore Gymkhana Golf Committee, such a prestigious event where, no doubt, only the best of the sport will be showcased Playing Arena & The Players: Regarding the playing arena Sarmad Nadeem said that Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in Pakistan tracing its origin to the 19th Century It is an 18 holes championship course, with a par 72 spread over 65 acres

WELLINGTON

A F P

Injured fast bowler Kyle Jamieson was on Monday ruled out of cricket for a lengthy spell in another blow for New Zealand following their 267-run first Test drubbing by England

Coach Gary Stead confirmed that Jamieson had been diagnosed with a back stress fracture and will undergo surgery this week, with a minimum recovery time of four months

The 28-year-old had been poised to return from a long layoff for the Test at Mount Maunganui, but could only watch as England consigned the home side to an eighth successive Test without a win

“It’s been a challenging and difficult time for Kyle and a big loss for us Stead said Jamieson, whose absence has coincided with the side’s poor run, had been “fantastic” when part of the New Zealand team, Stead said We will know more in about three to four months about what that end prognosis looks like for him,” he added Jamieson s pace and bounce was missed by New

Zealand, whose inexperienced attack struggled to contain England’s aggressive batting in the day-night Test at the Bay Oval

Stead confirmed pace bowler Matt Henry will join the squad for the second Test starting in Wellington on Friday after attending the birth of his first child

Seamer Jacob Duffy and legspinner Ish Sodhi have been released from the squad

Stead urged his team to find a way to hit back at an England side who dictated terms in the first Test

“The way England are playing isn’t a surprise to us at all but they are playing very very well he said

“For us, it’s finding ways now that we can counter that and, I guess, try and slow them down in the pace they are playing the game

“We want to go out and throw some punches back at England ” Stead suggested the batting line-up would be unchanged despite their problems at the top of the order, having failed to counter the intensity of pace pair James Anderson and Stuart Broad under lights

We believe these are our best cricketers We won t make wholesale or snappy changes when all of our top order struggled,” he said

GCU wins All Pakistan Inter-Varsit y Gymnastics Champions 2023

The All Pakistan Inter-Varsity Gymnastics Championship 2023 concluded on a high note with the GC University Lahore clinching the championship trophy here on Monday More than eleven universities participated in the tournament held under the auspices of Higher Education Commission at GCU Sports Hall GC University Lahore Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Asghar Zaidi, Director of Sports Wasim Akhtar, and officials of Higher Education Commission including Muhammad Asif attended the ceremony The GCU team emerged as the winners of the event with Punjab University and University of Central Punjab securing joint second place and University of Management Technology (UMT) achieving the third position The teams competed in a variety of disciplines including floor exercises, balance beam, vault, and uneven bars Speaking at the closing ceremony, Professor Dr Asghar Zaidi congratulated the winning team and thanked all the participants for making the championship a success

Former c aptains slam Australia’s batting after India collapse

SYDNEY

F P

A

Former Australia cricket captains Allan Border and Michael Clarke on Monday denounced the team s batting performance against India calling the second innings collapse “panicky” and ill-executed Spin bowler Ravindra Jadeja had figures of 7-42 as he tore through Australia s batting in the second Test in Delhi on Sunday to enable India to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the fourmatch series Australia repeatedly employed cross-bat sweep shots on a turning Dehli

wicket and paid the price as they tumbled to 113 all out in their second innings after resuming on the third day at 61-1

“I’m disappointed I’m shellshocked and angry about the way we went about our work, Border told Fox News “It was a panicky frenetic sort of batting,” said Border, who scored more than 11,000 Test runs and was renowned for his tenacious batting Australia captain Pat Cummins said the post-match team review would look at why his players kept employing the sweep, accelerating their collapse Cummins was among Jadeja’s victims as four Australian wickets fell for

no runs with the score on 95 Set 115 to win India cruised to a six-wicket win in less than 27 overs “They were all getting out playing sweep shots, reverse sweeps and playing just about every ball,” said Border, 67 “No one got in there and tried to stem the flow with just some good defensive cricket ” he said “You just can’t get away with it on that sort of track

Clarke echoed Border ’s criticism

“They’re not the right conditions to sweep when you start your innings,”

Clarke told Sky Sports radio And they’re never going to be the right conditions to reverse sweep against the spin at the start of your innings

R imsha Ijaz wins 2nd Ghazala Ansari Ladies G olf Challenge Cup

LAHORE

S tA F F R e P o R t

The 2nd Ghazala Ansari Challenge Cup Ladies Amateur Golf Championship a world amateur golf ranking event, culminated with a graceful prize distribution ceremony held at the historic Lahore Gymkhana Golf Club

The most striking feature of this unique event was the ambience of Ghazala Ansari’s presence that prevailed throughout the Lahore Gymkhana Golf Club on all three days Equally evident was the unbounded euphoria and air of festivity that became the hallmark of this event

Begum Parveen Sarwar, wife of the former Governor Punjab, consented to be the chief guest to demonstrate her continued personal support for Dr

Asma Shami’s unique initiative of honouring the achievements of Lady Golfing icons of yesteryears

It may be recalled that last year Begum Sarwar had insisted on holding the Prize Distribution Ceremony of the 1st Ghazala Ansari Cup in the Durbar Hall of the Governor s House Lahore that enhanced the status of the championship and raised the prestige of ladies golf to an unimaginable level

In her address, the chief guest praised this concept in general and legendary Ghazala Ansari’s feats in particular She lavished well deserved praise on Dr Asma Shami, the Chief Organizer, for conceiving this concept and conducting this championship in a professional manner, with her dedicated team, Bela Azam as Tournament Director, Munazza Shaheen as Chief Referee and Mrs Mamoona Azam as Coordinator After the three days of tough competition, Rimsha Ijaz,

handicap 1, with a gross score of 239 over 54 holes, emerged as winner of the gross section in Category A (handicaps 0-12) Defending champion Parkha Ijaz handicap 0, was runner-up with a gross 241, while Suneyah Osama finished 3rd, Ghazala Yasmin fourth, Daniyah Syed fifth and Abiha Syed sixth

In Category B (handicaps 13-24), Shahzadi Gulfam won the 1st prize, Tehmina Rashid second and Hadiyah Osama third The first net position was secured by Momina Tarar, second by Shabana Waheed and third by Hareem Tahir

Moreover, in Category C (handicaps 25-36), the gross winner was Aleesa Rashid, a 11-year-old, who led in both net and gross categories The second gross went to Mina Zainab and third to Tasleem Hussain In the net competition, Saqiba Batool was winner, Humera Zeeshan second and Aliha Amjad third In

P r o b l e m s m o u n t fo r N ew

B i l aw a l d e c l a r e S e n d t o P t i ‘ P o l i c y o f a P P e a S i n g ’ t t P e v e n a S at ta c kS r i S e

ISLAMABAD s tA f f R e P o R t

tHE foreign minister declared that P a k i s t a n D e m o c r a t i c M o v e m e n t

(PDM) has put a halt to the poli c y o f a p p e a s i n g ” m i l i t a n t s w h i c h h e c l a i m e d w a s c h a m p io n e d b y f o r m e r p r i m e m i n i s t e r I m r a n Khan even as the country continues to experience a spike in attacks

Pakistan has observed a rise in Tehreeki-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacks particularly targeting security forces However, authorities have downplayed the violence as isolated incidents of terrorism ”

The government of Shahbaz Sharif blames the resurgence in militancy on the Taliban’s control of Afghanistan where TTP militants have found refuge and continue to launch cross-border attacks

In an interview with CNBC Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari accused the chairman of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party of negotiating with the Afghanistanbased group “unconditionally”

He emphasised that Pakistan remains committed to combating terrorism saying: “We will fight terrorism on our soil ” He further asserted that until the threats to Pakistan’s security from Afghanistan are eliminated, Islamabad will continue to face challenges

The new leadership in Pakistan has prioritised the issue of terrorism and taken steps to address it, including carrying out military operations in areas where terrorists are known to operate The country s efforts to combat terrorism are seen as crucial for regional stability particularly given the instability in neighbouring Afghanistan

Zardari s comments underscore the importance Pakistan places on addressing the issue of terrorism and its commitment to maintaining stability in the region

He acknowledged the nation’s history of military governments, saying that “for more than half of its past it has been under military rule ” However, he also noted that Pakistan is currently going through a transitional phase

‘Imran could make a comeback by pursuIng path of democracy’: The foreign minister highlighted the removal of Khan through a vote of no-confidence in April of last year as a significant moment in Pakistan’s history, observing it marked the first time that parliament has removed an elected prime minister democratically, without the involvement of the judiciary or military

He said Imran Khan could make a comeback by pursuing the path of democracy but so far he was undemocratic in his approach which would not be beneficial for him

“If Imran Khan does not adopt a democratic path then he has no political future ” He said it should be kept in mind that in the country’s history, the undemocratic forces had their rule but every time democracy returned ‘retIred gen Qamar Javed baJwa’s admIssIon’: He also referenced former army chief retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s admission of military intervention in politics throughout the country’s history Zardari welcomed Bajwa s state-

B eve r a g e s i n d u s t r y to b e a r a 1

ment and noted if the military is willing to change its conduct constitutionally it should be embraced Pakistan’s history of military rule has been a contentious issue and the country has been working towards strengthening its

0 % F E D

DESPITE REQUESTS PUT FORWARD BY INDUSTRY, BEVERAGES SECTOR SET TO RAISE COST AFTER FED IMPOSITION

The mini-budget passed on Monday, February 20, 2023, imposes a 10% Federal Excise Duty (FED) on fruit beverages, despite the industry’s plea against it earlier on the same day

According to a letter sent to the Prime Minister on Monday, the All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchant Association (PFVA), the growers of fruits, pulps and concentration beverages would terribly suffer if the FED is implemented

“PFAV humbly wishes to bring into your kind attention that the 10% FED would have a disastrous impact on the growers of fruits exporters of fruit pulps and concentrates,” reads the letter, and warns that such a development could deprive government of huge revenue what the costs look lIke:

The details, as mentioned in the letter, state that the FED will hamper procurement of more than 200,000 tons of fruits and vegetables from local farmers It will also negatively impact the Juice industry that has annual revenue of approximately Rs 60 billion and

Suzuki increases prices for third time within 30 days

investment of Rs 40 billion

The association believes that the imposition of FED will reverse the industry’s growth and diminish earnings of local farmers It will negatively affect the volumes produced in the business business volumes and result in a reduction in the tax collection for national exchequer Furthermore the move will encourage the tax evading informal sector to gain a foothold in the market

Last week, the Senate s standing committee on Finance and Revenue had rejected the proposal and suggested that duty should be just 5%, rather than 10%

PESHAWAR t h e A s s o c i At e d P R e s s

Pakistan s border guards and Taliban forces traded cross-border fire on Monday morning, officials said, a day after Afghanistan s rulers closed the Torkham border crossing amid increasing tensions between the two neighbours

There was no immediate word on casualties on either side

On Sunday, the Afghan Taliban shut Torkham a key trade route, over Pakistan’s alleged refusal to allow Afghan patients and their caretakers to enter Pakistan for medical care without travel documents, security officials in Pakistan said They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss border issues

Khalid Khan a police official confirmed the border closure and what he described as intermittent exchanges of fire at Torkham located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The

Suzuki’s decision marks the third price increase it has made within the span of a month with the previous two upwards revisions being made on January 24 and and February 8 The current increase will come into effect immediately as of February 20 Due to recent increase in electricity, gas, GST, different utilities and overhead expenses, currency fluctuation, economic uncertainties too much increase in local and international raw material parts & accessories cost So, keeping in view this big adverse impact, we are passing a very minimal portion through this price increase explains Shafiq Ahmed Shaikh, Head of Public Relations at Pak Suzuki Motor Co Ltd, to Profit

democratic institutions

‘pakIstan has capacIty to become emergIng economy’: FM

Bilawal said Pakistan was faced with a difficult economic condition but it had the capacity to become an emerging economy and resolve its financial issues

During the interview the minister expressed views about climate change, his country s economy and the situation in Afghanistan

He said the Ukraine war and floods had badly damaged the economy of Pakistan, adding a large part of Pakistan was submerged in water due to the floods caused by climate change

The floods had changed the direction of Pakistan’s economy which still could not come out of financial difficulties and had to undertake negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he added

To a question, he said the statement of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif should be taken in the political context and in the backdrop of the difficult economic conditions faced by Pakistan

l a r g e s t e e l p r o d u c e r s d e m a n d o p e n i n g o f lc s

T h e h o r t i c u l t u r e s e c t o r b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e f r u i t g r o w i n g v a l u e c h a i n o f Pakistan is on the right path towards improvement since the involvement of the fruits and juices industry A beverages industry source, that wishes to rem a i n a n o n y m o u s m e n t i o n e d t h a t because of the industry’s collaboration with the farming community the issue of storing excess food is curbed During the peak season, there is a lot of overripe fruit which the formal fruit industry sector helps to store

military and the Foreign Office made no immediate comments Mullah Mohammad Siddiq, a Taliban-appointed commissioner at Torkham, said Pakistan has not been abiding by its “commitments so the crossing point was shut down He did not elaborate Siddiq advised Afghans to avoid traveling to the border crossing, located on Afghanistan s side in the country’s eastern Nangarhar province, until further notice

Cross-border fire and shootouts are common along the Afghan-Pakistan border Each side has in the past closed Torkham, and also the Chaman border crossing in Balochistan, for a multitude of reasons Both crossings are vital for landlocked Afghanistan for trade and travel

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO troops were withdrawing from the country after 20 years of war Like the rest of the

world, Pakistan has so far not recognised Afghanistan s Taliban government

The international community has been wary of the Taliban s harsh measures imposed since their takeover, especially in restricting the rights of women and minorities

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since November, when the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended a monthslong cease-fire with the government

The TTP is a separate militant group but allied with the Afghan Taliban Islamabad has demanded the Afghan Taliban stop offering sanctuary to Pakistani militants and prevent the launching of cross-border attacks on Pakistan

Since the Taliban takeover, the government in Islamabad has allowed critically ill or injured Afghans to enter Pakistan for medical treatment along with a limited number of caretakers

The Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) has sounded an alarm, urging the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to take immediate action to open LCs and address the severe shortage of rebars in the domestic market The situation has reached a critical level, with imports for the first seven months of FY23 down by 40% from the same period last year, which was 2 5 million metric tons In January 2023, only 220,000 metric tons of scrap were imported This is the lowest January import since the last 5 years It also represents a sharp decline of 50% compared to January 2020 According to Wajid Bukhari, Secretary General of PALSP, “This is the worst crisis that has ever hit the steel industry as manufacturers are unable to secure raw material, entering into a forced major shutdown in the coming months ” The shipbreaking industry, which accounts for 15% of all local raw material scrap, is operating at only 5%, indicating that the entire long steel industry can only operate at 30% capacity utilization levels, and the situation is expected to worsen in the coming months The shortage of rebars in the domestic market is a major concern for the steel industry and the customers who rely on it It is essential that the SBP takes immediate action to open LCs to address the severe shortage of raw material and ensure smooth operations of the steel industry, noted Bukhari Imports of raw material in FY23 have more than halved compared to last year ’s figures, which is alarming and is contributing to the shortage of rebars in the market The situation is only going to get worse if the SBP does not act quickly ” Not only is the shortage causing problems for the steel industry, but it is also impacting customers who rely on it Genuine builders who have taken billions of rupees from investors and potential tenants are still constructing their projects yet inflationary cost escalations continue to irk the construction industry PALSP notes that approximately 80% of builders, holding strong reputations are continuing their projects and honoring their commitments as they had booked raw materials in advance from the rebar manufacturers with the income received during the launch of their projects However, the actual problem will arise when the rebar manufacturers shut down in the coming months due to zero availability

Iran’s c urrenc y falls to record low as sanc tions to continue

Iran’s troubled currency broke below the psychologically key level of 500 000 rial per U S dollar on Monday as market participants saw no end in sight to sanctions

The Iranian rial plummeted to a new record low of 501,300 against the U S dollar, according to Bonbast com which gathers live data from Iranian ex-

changes Facing an inflation rate of about 50%, Iranians seeking safe havens for their savings have been buying dollars, other hard currencies or gold, suggesting further headwinds for the rial

The reimposition of U S sanctions in 2018 by former President Donald J Trump have harmed Iran’s economy by limiting Tehran s oil exports and access to foreign currency Since September, nuclear talks be-

tween Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions have stalled, worsening economic expectations for Iran’s future Over the last six months, Iran’s currency has slumped nearly 60% in value, according to Bonbast com

Meanwhile, the central bank said it was opening a new foreign exchange centre to ease access to foreign exchange and increase the volume of offi-

cial transactions

“The rate set in this exchange will become the market’s rate It should be free from expectation factors that do not reflect our assessment of the country’s financial situation,” Mohammad Reza Farzin, the central bank governor, told state TV on Monday Farzin was appointed in December as governor with the key job of controlling the value of foreign currencies, according to IRNA