Epaper_23-03-16 LHR

Thursday, 16 march, 2023 I 23 shaban, 1444

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FO speaks on Khalilzad’s tweet: Pakistan doesn’t need ‘unsolicited advice’

Pakistan, US vow to continue joint efforts for economic growth, energy security

LHC HaLTS PoLiCe oPeraTion for imran’S arreST TiLL Today

g IHC UPHOLDS ARREST WARRANTS, DIRECTS KHAN TO APPROACH TRIAL COURT IN THOSHAKHANA CASE

LAHORE staff report

THELahore High Court (LHC)

on Wednesday stopped the almost 24-hour-long operation launched by the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) at Zaman Park for the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for not show up in court in Thoshakhana case, till 10am on Thursday (today).

There were clashes between PTI workers and police personnel, flanked Punjab Rangers contingents, since launch of the operation on Tuesday.

On the other hand, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) disposed of a plea filed on behalf of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, seeking cancellation of his arrest warrants issued by the trial court in Thoshakhana case.

The IHC directed the petitioner to approach the trial court for relief and asked the PTI’s lawyer to submit an undertaking regarding the appearance of Imran Khan before the sessions court which would view the matter as per law.

‘Case in lHC’

A single-member LHC bench comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh passed the orders while hearing a petition, filed by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, seeking directions to stop the police operation in Zaman Park launched for the arrest of the PTI chairman in Toshakhana case.

During the hearing, the Punjab chief secretary, the Inspector general of Police (IgP) and others officers appeared before the court on being summoned.

To a court query, the Punjab IgP submitted that the Islamabad police had sought assistance for the arrest of the PTI chairman in Toshakhana case, following is-

g IMRAN ASKS MILITARy TO ‘ABANDON LONDON PLAN’ OF PREvENTINg HIM FROM COMINg TO POWER

water cannon and tear gas. However, the PTI workers used petrol bombs, which destroyed two police vehicles, he said and added that not only Elite force but also vehicles of rangers were also attacked. He submitted that the Islamabad police officers and SP Amara Shirazi were also attacked. The IgP submitted: “We wanted to arrest those responsible for torture of police and stopping the police from carrying out its duties.”

At this stage, the chief secretary Punjab submitted that the IgP Punjab had informed the court about the situation in detail.

PML-N only capable party to protect country, masses:

Maryam Nawaz

PPP’s threat works as Sindh allowed access to census dashboard

ISLAMABAD staff report

suance of his non-bailable arrest warrants by the trial court. He submitted that 73 police personnel were injured due to attacks by the PTI workers when they reached Zaman Park to comply with the

court orders. The IgP submitted that he decided that no police personnel or officers would carry weapons during the operation and the situation was controlled through the use of

However, the court observed that whether the operation could be stopped temporarily, in view of the pending proceedings before the Islamabad High Court in the matter.

The IgP submitted that the police wanted to arrest people who damaged property.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Govt claims Imran wants to spread anarchy

Islamabad: The incumbent government while reacting to Imran Khan’s arrest issue claimed that the PTI Chairman is using his party workers to evade arrest and only wants to spread anarchy in the country.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan wants to spread anarchy, civil war and unrest in the country.

In a video statement, she said Imran Khan is hiding from the police in order to escape from the arrest and has made women, children and youth as his shield.

She said Imran Khan is politically dead and now inciting his armed gangs and hooligans against the state institutions. The Minister said PTI is not a political party but has turned into an armed gang because a political party always upholds rule of law and the constitution.

She categorically stated that the incumbent government did not not want to arrest Imran Khan despite having state powers, but only wanted to get the court’s orders and warrants implemented. She said Imran Khan, through his toxic approach, is defying the courts and their orders. She also appealed to the courts to take notice of his defying attitude.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said police and other law enforcing agencies are unarmed and only implementing the court’s orders. She said Imran Khan should answer to the courts about his cases. She said 65 police personnel have so far been injured due to terrorism of PTI hooligans.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan believes that no law of the land applies to him and he has repeatedly broken the law for which he will have to answer.

Speaking in The Daily Show during his US visit, Bilawal on Wednesday said Imran Khan has been summoned to court many a time but he was not appearing. Now, Imran Khan has pitched his workers against the police to save himself, he added. staff report

Govt jacks up petrol price by Rs5

ISLAMABAD staff report

Federal government late Wednesday night increased the price of petrol by Rs5 per litre to Rs272 per litre for the next fortnight.

“In the last fortnight, Platts Singapore prices registered an increase. This along with a depreciation of Pak Rupee has resulted in an increase of POL (petroleum, oil and lubricant) products in Pakistan,” a press release issued by the Finance Division.

The raise in oil prices come as a huge

surprise as oil prices in the international market have plunged 5 percent to their lowest in more than a year as unease over Credit Suisse spooked world markets and offset hopes of a Chinese oil demand recovery. Early signs of a return to calm and stability faded after Credit Suisse’s largest investor said it could not provide the Swiss bank with more financial assistance, sending its shares and other European equities sliding.

The new prices will be effective from

today, March 16. The press release added that the price of high-speed diesel was also increased by Rs13 per litre to Rs293 per litre and kerosene by Rs2.56 per litre to Rs190.29 per litre “by reducing government dues on it”.

“Price of light diesel oil has been kept constant (Rs184.68 per litre) by adjusting government dues as well,” the press release added.

On February 28, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had announced a reduction in the price of petrol by Rs5 per litre.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government ‘succumbed’ to the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) threat to quit federal ministries and allowed the provincial governments, especially the Sindh to access the census monitoring dashboards. The decision has been taken in an attempt to address reservations raised by the top PPP leadership on the digital census. The decision to give access to the provincial governments, especially Sindh, has mainly been taken to persuade the key ally to continue standing by the federal government and shun any second thoughts at a time when the country is going through a political upheaval amid severe financial crises just ahead of the general elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. “It has been decided that the statistics as required by the provincial governments, especially Sindh … may be included in the monitoring dashboard,” Chief Statistician of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) Dr Naeemuz Zafar stated in a letter addressed to the chairman National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). The chief census commissioner added that the dashboard has already been deployed for chief secretaries, saying the role-based access of the same may be provided to all provincial/regional chief secretaries, commissioners, deputy commissioners (DCs) and assistant commissioners (ACs). Keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, Zafar stated, NADRA teams be directed to assure access to the dashboard by March 15 to all the DCs and ACs “at all census district level for broader involvement, transparency and credibility of this national activity of extreme importance”. PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had recently threatened to quit the ruling coalition over objections to the ongoing digital census as well as if the Centre does not fulfill its promises of giving relief to flood victims of Sindh. Subsequently, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said in a news conference that the provincial government had conveyed its reservations about the ongoing digital census to the federal government, saying “if our reservations are not addressed, we will not accept the census results”. “The data of digital census should also be shared with the Sindh government,” Memon had demanded, saying PPP chairman has already publicly expressed the party’s reservations about the digital census. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had also raised the matter with the federal government and at various other forums, saying “now, we are waiting for the federal government to assuage these concerns”. In an attempt to address the reservations and to keep the PPP part of the ruling coalition, Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, decided to allow access to the dashboards of the 7th Population & Housing Census – The Digital Census – to provincial governments in the 8th meeting of Census Monitoring Committee held on March 11.

PROfIt REPORt islamabad

On a day of significant political setbacks for the incumbent PDM government in the center, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif insisted that the raging political uncertainty in the country was not causing any problems in negotiations between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Responding to a question during a meeting with office bearers of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), the prime minister rejected recent reports in the media claiming the deal with the IMF had been delayed because of continuing political uncertainty. However, the premier went on to say that Pakistan had accepted the ‘harshest’ of demands set by the IMF and that the deal was 2-3 days away.

The mantra of “just around the corner” has been repeated ad nauseam by the federal government over the

past two months since a delegation of the IMF left Pakistan without signing a staff level agreement. When asked whether the government could give a solid deadline for when the deal will happen instead of repeating the same promise of 2-3 days repeatedly, the prime minister deflected the question and did not give a substantial answer.

Political uncertainty gives rise to fears of delay

The prime minister met the delegation on the same day that law enforcement agencies failed to arrest former premier Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case. Police and rangers had to turn back from Khan’s Zaman Park residence after supporters of the PTI showed up in droves to protect their leader from arrest.

Meanwhile, as the country’s political situation worsened with elections set to take place in two provinces in the next few months, media reports claimed the IMF was seeking assurances from Pakistan that the future political setup in the

country will respect any deal they sign with Islamabad. According to the report, the expected elections in Punjab and KPK have bolstered the doubts of the money lender, as it hints towards an early general election as well. The IMF requires the PTI leader Imran Khan to pledge to keep up with the conditions if he comes to power later this year.

Government stepping on eggshells

On further inquiring on what is causing the delay in reaching the accord, the PM responded by saying that the situation currently is uncertain. The government is being extremely careful as to not offend the IMF. He further added that in a bid to provide some relief and mitigate the effects of inflation on low-income citizens, the government is trying to introduce a scheme whereby motorbikes and rickshaw drivers would receive subsidized petrol.

shehbaz claims political uncertainty not a hindrance in ImF talks

Shehbaz pledGeS Support to fiGhtinG iSlamophobia Globally

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed the country’s commitment to support global efforts to end Islamophobia on Wednesday, as the world celebrated the international day to “stamp out anti-Muslim hatred.”

In a tweet marking the day, he said that Pakistan stands with the world community in seeking an end to all forms of hatred, profiling, and discrimination against Muslims based on their faith.

Sharif emphasised that Islam, like other religions, advocates for tolerance, respect, peace, and human development.

The observation follows the unanimous adoption of a resolution, submitted by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in 2022 that proclaimed 15 March as the International Day, calling for global dialogue that promotes tolerance, peace and respect for human rights and religious diversity.

pti moves lhC against posting of iG police, CCpo lahore, others

LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

others.

The resolution marks the day when an Australian militant entered two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 51 worshippers and injuring 40

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the posting of the Punjab IG Police, the CCPO Lahore and 13 other officers. PTI Secretary General Asad Umar filed the petition in the Lahore High Court, contending that the notification regarding the posting of the Punjab IG Police, the CCPO Lahore and 13 other officers issued by the caretaker government on Feb 27 and 28 was a violation of the law. He pleaded the caretaker government had no authority to make posting to important positions after the dissolution of the assembly. He further argued these police officers had also been involved in illegal activities against Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf. The PTI leader urged the court to suspend the posting of the Punjab IG Police, the CCPO Lahore and 13 other officers. Earlier, the caretaker Punjab government removed Ghulam Mahmood Dogar from the post of Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) and as convener of Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted to investigate the assassination attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

5G, 6G at ‘forefront’ for high-quality development, digital transformation

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

China’s intensified push for the development of superfast wireless technology including 5G and 6G will further promote industrial upgrading and digital transformation in traditional sectors, providing new momentum for the country’s economic growth, industry experts said. They added that 5G technology has been widely combined with artificial intelligence and the internet of things, with a wide range of applications in fields such as virtual reality games, online education, unmanned vehicles and smart logistics. They also called for efforts to actively participate in the formulation of 6Grelated international standards. Their comments came after the top industry regulator said that China will accelerate the construction of 5G networks, expand the application of 5G technology in more fields, especially in manufacturing, and promote the research and development of 6G. “Currently, China is at the global forefront of 5G development. The country has built more than 2.54 million 5G base stations, with the number of 5G smartphone users surpassing 575 million,” said Jin Zhuanglong, Chinese minister of industry and information technology, adding China will build 600,000 5G base stations this year. Jin made the remarks on the sidelines of this year’s two sessions. Noting that 5G has been used in more than half of the major industrial sectors, including mining, ports, electricity and aviation, Jin called for efforts to expand the application of superfast wireless technology in more fields like manufacturing, China Daily reported.

pakistan urges planning to consider climate risk for vulnerable nations

UNITED NATIONS

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres affirmed the move is “a call for action to stamp out anti-Muslim hatred”.

“Discrimination diminishes us all. We must stand up against it,” he said on Twitter. “Today [and] every day, we must counter the forces of division by reaffirming our common humanity.”

Separately, UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi also noted that “Islamophobia is rooted in xenophobia, or the fear of strangers, which is reflected in discriminatory practices, travel bans, hate speech, bullying and targeting of other people,” and urged countries to uphold the freedom of religion and take action against the hatred.

“All of us carry a responsibility to challenge Islamophobia or any similar phenomenon, to call out injustice and condemn discrimination based on religion or belief – or the lack of them,” said Korosi. Last week, the Turkish ambassador to the UN said that Islamophobia has become a “major threat to democracy” and desecration of the holy Quran and mosques is “on the rise”. Sedat Onal said: “Islamophobia is a real and a rising threat.”

Rulers will pay heavy cost if anything happens to Imran: Rashid

RAWALPIND Staff RepoRt

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid warned on Wednesday that the government will have to pay a heavy price if anything bad happens to PTI Chairman Imran Khan as clashes between party workers and law enforcers underway in Lahore over ex-prime minister’s possible arrest.

In a series of tweet, former interior minister said situation in Lahore had worsened enough that former US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had reacted to it, adding that US Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources Monica Medina was also due to reach Pakistan.He said that International Monetary Fund (IMF) had agreed to $6 billion external financing assurance

but on ground situation showed the country was heading towards uncertainty. He said people had taken the streets over the possible arrest of Mr Khan.

The AML chief warned that the

political turbulence would heighten further if the Supreme Court’s order regarding holding of elections are defied. He asked Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to introspect his motives.

Transgender rights: CII terms ‘self-perceived identity’ unIslamic

ISLAMABAD: Staff RepoRt

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman on Wednesday after reviewing the Transgender Persons (Rights of Protection) Rules in detail termed the ‘self-perceived Identity’ un-Islamic.

Addressing a press conference after taking the sense of all stakeholders in a two-day meeting held here, he said these rules were framed in continuation of the Transgender Act and contained several provisions and clauses which were not compatible with Shariah.

The council expressed concerns over the social and legal problems faced by intersex and transgender persons and said the protection and provision of basic human rights of intersex and transgender persons should be ensured, he added.

Dr Qibla informed that during the meeting, the council also examined the amendment bills presented by Senator Mohsin Aziz, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed and Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidari and suggested amendments to them.

It is worth mentioning here that apart from the council members and

other renowned religious scholars and leaders, representatives of the transgender community, doctors, legal and social experts, civil society organizations, the National Database and Registration Authority and Ministry of Human Rights also participated in the meeting in a bid to review all aspects of the issues pertaining to the intersex and transgender community.

Meanwhile, the council members passed a resolution in connection with the International Day to Combat Islamophobia and hailed the decision of the United Nations to celebrate it on March 15 annually as a commendable initiative. The council hoped that continuous, integrated and comprehensive measures would

yield positive results in this context.

It hoped that certain elements in the west and some other countries of the world were engaged in nefarious designs to create an atmosphere of fear and hatred towards Islam and Muslims, due to which there were serious threats to the peace of the world. It emphasized all countries and international civil society organizations to work for peace, tolerance and human relations in the world.

The council also expressed its willingness to be part of any struggle against Islamophobia and assured that it would play its best role in a bid to create an environment of peace and harmony so that the creatures of Allah Almighty could live a life of contentment and peace.

Eight terrorists killed, two kids martyred in South Waziristan operation: ISPR

RAWALPINDI

Staff RepoRt

Security forces killed eight terrorists during an operation in South Waziristan while two children also embraced martyrdom during exchange of fire, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday.

According to ISPR, the military media wing, the security forces carried out an operation after getting information about the presence of terrorists in Zinghara area of South Waziristan. During intense exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists including mortar fire, eight terrorists were killed, whereas two soldiers sustained injuries, the ISPR said.

Unfortunately, two children also embraced martyrdom during exchange of fire, according to the ISPR.

A few days ago, five terrorists were gunned down by security forces in an operation following an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in North Waziristan’s Datta Khel general area.

According to the military’s media wing, an intelligence-based operation (IBO) – conducted in North and South Waziristan Districts – was followed by a sanitisation of the area by security forces.

“During intense exchange of fire, five more terrorists were killed,” ISPR said.

Meanwhile, Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami in a tweet said: “There are reports of a drone attack on Khadu Khel market in Zinghara area in Ladha Tehsil of South Waziristan, in which two children, aged 5 years were martyred. The security forces should to explain the situation.” In the tweet, the JI senator said: “Drone attacks are unacceptable and will be resisted.”

Staff RepoRt

In a discussion at the Development Cooperation Forum (DFC), Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, emphasised the need for development planning to take into account climate risks, particularly for the most climate-vulnerable countries like Pakistan, which suffered devastating floods last August. He noted the concept of development has evolved to focus not only on economic growth but also on countries’ resilience to climate shocks, which is essential for sustainable infrastructure. Ambassador Akram highlighted that while building development with resilience can be costly, adaptation generally implies sustainable infrastructure, a core aspect of development. However, he warned against the assumption that private sector resources will finance sustainable infrastructure projects, as they require longterm financing with no commercial return. Therefore, public financing is needed. To rebuild in a way that can withstand similar climate phenomena, Ambassador Akram said that Pakistan needed an additional $13.5 billion beyond the $16.5 billion required to repair lost infrastructure, homes, and agricultural land after the massive flooding. He called on donor countries to fulfil their commitments to help developing countries fight the adverse impacts of climate change and urged the United Nations and its country offices to play a significant role in assisting countries in preparing projects and plans to attract financing from international sources.

Sanjrani emphasises Senate’s role in strengthening democracy

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

The Senate commemorated its 50th anniversary at a special session held at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Wednesday. Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani presided over the session, which will continue for three days, Radio Pakistan reported. In his opening remarks, the chairman emphasized the important role played by the Upper House in strengthening parliamentary democracy in Pakistan. He announced the commemorative session will feature speeches by former Chairmen and members of the Senate, as well as representatives of various provincial assemblies, chambers of commerce and industries, bar councils, and foreign envoys working in Pakistan. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also addressed the Senate, stressing the importance of maintaining continuity in the democratic system while ensuring transparent fiscal discipline. He praised the Senate’s role in maintaining unity and solidarity among the provinces and providing equal representation, despite facing challenges. Dar, who also serves as Leader of the House in the Senate, acknowledged the Upper House’s contributions to the quality of legislation as a deliberative chamber with diverse experience. He also highlighted the Senate’s role in forging national unity and cohesion and managing conflicts and disputes among provinces with institutional legitimacy. Former and sitting members of the House presented their perspectives on the Senate’s past accomplishments and future challenges facing Pakistan. As part of the commemorative session, the Chairman Senate conferred honorary shields on all the speakers, including Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Aitzaz Ahsan, Ilyas Bilour, Jan Jamali, Sehar Kamran, Syed Hidayatullah Shah, Farhatullah Babar, Farah Aqil Shah, Dr Jahanzeb Jalamldini, Abida Azeem, Prince Ahmed Umar Ahmedzai, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, Maulana Ataur Rehman, Behramand Tangi, Dinesh Kumar, Farooq H. Naek, Hidayatullah Khan, and Faiz Muhammad.

eCp issues schedule for new delimitations in islamabad

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday unveiled the schedule of new delimitations for Islamabad local government (LG) polls. According to the ECP schedule, the delimitation process begins for 125 Union Councils (UCs). The commission will establish 750 general wards and 250 women wards in the constituencies. The ECP spokesman said that the delimitation process of Islamabad will be completed by May 18. The regional election commissioner Rawalpindi was given the responsibility of the delimitations. According to the schedule, objections regarding the constituencies will be submitted to the concerned authority comprising of election commissioners of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

poliCe book pti workerS aCroSS Country over proteStS

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

police have registered cases against hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers and supporters in multiple cities of the country, including Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad, for protesting against the possible arrest of former prime minister and party chairman Imran Khan.

In Karachi, around 250 people, including the party’s Karachi division Vice President Masroor Sial, were booked in connection with a protest against the possible arrest of Imran Khan on the National Highway.

According to the FIR, Sial instigated the PTI workers to resort to violence, resulting in the suspension of traffic as protesters went berserk, pelted police personnel with stones, and smashed car windows. Similarly, in Islamabad’s Tarnol area,

police registered a case against three party leaders, including Amir Mughal, and 60 unidentified workers.

eCp introduces oSS to help ros

in scrutiny of nomination papers

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

In another incident, PTI workers who allegedly hurled stones at cops on Expressway resulting in injuries to three police personnel, including Khana police station SHO, were booked under terrorism charges. Police have prepared lists under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law, and raids were being carried out in different parts of the federal capital and suburbs till the last reports came in.

In Rawalpindi, a case was registered at the City police station against PTI workers on charges of attacking policemen during their protest. The case was registered on the complaint of DFC Hasnain Raza Bhatti. 14 party leaders, including former members of the Punjab Assembly Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, Ejaz Jazi, Umar Tanveer, and Asif Mehmood, were named in the case, along with 16 unidentified workers.

Darban SEZ to trigger robust economic activity in KP

PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt

The Darban Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which is being set up in the Dera Ismail Khan district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, is located at the juncture of the Punjab, Balochistan and the KP provinces, thus giving easy access to 78% of Pakistan.

The SEZ will cover an area of 3,000 acres of land just off the main ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor route. It will be the largest economic zone in KP, providing opportunities for investors to export products to Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond.

Arbab Haroon, Marketing and Communication Officer at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones

Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC), told the Darban SEZ was located at an ideal location, only two kilometers from the CPEC route, giving easy access to the markets of KP, Balochistan and Punjab, which together account for over 78% of the population of Pakistan. He said that CPEC is a shining example of cordial relationship between Pakistan and China. “The KP province stands to hugely benefit from the increased industrial activity and job prospects the Darban SEZ will create.”

He said that Draban SEZ development projects have been documented and land provided to industrialists. “The key features in the SEZ include a greater opportunity to attract new businesses through provision

Celebrities scared to speak up for imran khan: farhan Saeed

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The face-off between police and Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) supporters continued on the second day on Wednesday as law enforcers made a fresh push to arrest party chairman Imran Khan from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. Police resumed firing tear gas rounds and used water canons against defiant PTI workers and supporters as fresh skirmishes broke out after law enforcers intensified their activities in the now more than 20-hour-long operation to arrest the PTI chief. Many PTI supporters have been taken into custody. Many of Khan’s supporters on social media have been actively lashing out at the authorities for such stern measures. Several celebrities have also expressed their anger on the same. Farhan Saeed took to Twitter and shared, “When Imran Khan became PM, all the actors, players were so quick to congratulate him, even go and meet him, today either they have changed their opinion about him which is fair enough, they have all the right or they’re scared to speak which is worrisome.” Adnan Siddiqui commented, “It’s incredible to witness people from all walks of life coming together with a shared sense of purpose, fueled by their passion and dedication. Such an outpouring of support for a leader is unprecedented in the history of our country.” Haroon Shahid claimed, “The shelling didn’t work, they’re all set to try the bullets! Catastrophe loading.” Singer Annie Khalid tweeted, “What is happening today is Jihad. Sitting in London I wish I wish I wish I could be there tonight standing with my people- to protect my leader. I salute this nation, you are all heroes!

Jinnah’s Pakistan.” Elan owner, Khadijah Shah, had been busy helping the protestors. “We took water and medicines for the heroes on the frontline – they are being shelled from the upper mall and need lots of water, you can hardly breathe the air is thick with tear gas – people keep going and distributing water, masks and Ventolin inhalers.” Mobile and internet services have been suspended in the Zaman Park neighbourhood and nearby areas. Educational institutions located around Mall Road remain closed while an emergency has been imposed in hospitals.

of integrated infrastructure and a business-friendly environment for sustainable industrial growth.”

He further said that different types of industrial units would be established in Darban SEZ, including mineral, agrobased industries, food processing units, pharmaceutical and steel industries.

Prof Fakhrul Islam, the director of the Pakistan Study Centre at the University of Peshawar, said the projects for special economic zones need to be prioritised, and small and agro-based industries should be established there as opposed to large industries, which are not very successful in the province owing to different reasons.

He said the special economic zones could play a key role in promoting the development of the province provided

they are executed as per the plan.

He believes that through SEZs the foreign investors will be able to tap the potential of CPEC and find export markets for their products, besides catering to the local needs.

“In order to make an SEZ sustainable, it should be built with the support of the local community to fit their needs, constraints, aspirations and vision of development,” he said.

The second phase of CPEC focuses on increased industrial and agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

After the successful execution of the first phase of the multi-billion-dollar project, both China and Pakistan are striving to complete the second phase to develop the region and improve people’s living standards.

Chinese Embassy hands over 250 bullet-proof jackets to ICT, Punjab, KP police

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Chinese Embassy on Wednesday handed over 250 bulletproof jackets for the police of Islamabad Capital Territory, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Central Police Office.

A Chinese Embassy delegation comprising Police Counselor Li Qingchun and second secretaries Xu Peng and Liu Xinhua visited the Central Police Office in that regard, an ICT Police spokesman said.

About 50 bullet-proof jackets were received by CPO Headquarters Islamabad Owais Ahmed Malik, 100 by Deputy Inspector General Logistics Punjab Police Athar Ismail and 100 by Deputy Commandant Elite Force Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irfan Tariq at a special ceremony.

Additional Secretary Interior Muhammad Ayub Chaudhry, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said he was grateful to the Chinese Embassy for providing all kinds of assistance in the work of the police. Inspector General of Police

Islamabad Akbar Nasir Khan, DIG Athar Ismail and SSP Irfan Tariq also expressed their gratitude to the Chinese delegation and said providing assistance to the police was a living example of Pak-China eternal friendship.

The Chinese Embassy Police Counselor said the Pakistan Police had always made great sacrifices to eliminate terrorism and extremism. He said the Chinese Embassy was ready to provide all kinds of assistance to law enforcement agencies.

Rain, thunderstorm to grip most parts of country from today

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Rain-wind and thunderstorm with isolated few heavy falls and hailstorm and occasional gaps is expected in most parts of the country including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock and other parts of the country from Thursday to Monday (March 16-20).

According to the weather forecast, a westerly wave is likely to enter the country and grip the upper and central parts on Friday, persisting until Monday.

The Met Office has advised the concerned authorities to remain alert and take precautionary measures to avoid any untoward situation during the forecast period.

Infrastructure and standing crops may be damaged due to windhailstorm, and local authorities have

been warned to be prepared to cope with possible landslides in hilly areas. Day temperatures are expected to fall by 6 C to 8°C during the spell, and tourists have been advised to remain cautious. The Barani areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan are expected to benefit from the rain. Tourists are also advised to remain more cautious during the forecast period. The rain wind dust and thunderstorm is expected in Murree, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Haripur, Karak, Peshawar, Kohat, Charsada, Nowshera, Swabi, Bajaur, Kurram, Waziristan, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan from March 16 to 20.

While, rain will occur in Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Khushab, Mianwali, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Bahawalpur, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Karachi, Quetta, Zhob, Khuzdar, Naseerabad, Dera Bugti, Barkhan, Harnai, Qila Saifullah, Qillah Abdullah, Chamman and Pishin from Friday (evening/night) to Sunday. Rain-wind/thunderstorm (with few heavy falls & hailstorm) is expected in Kashmir (Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur), GilgitBaltistan (Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar) from Friday (evening/night) to Monday.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has implemented an Online Scrutiny System (OSS) to aid the Returning Officers (ROs) in rigorous scrutiny of nomination papers of candidates, contesting the general election to the Punjab Assembly. According to the ECP, the system has proven to be a valuable legal tool, providing assistance and support to 297 ROs in their task to ensure fair and transparent elections. By using this system, the ECP aims at ensuring the election process is free from any malpractices, and that only eligible and qualified candidates are allowed to contest in the elections. According to ECP official source, the special software links several government agencies such as the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with the Election Commission Secretariat. The Cell, tasked with work round the clock, was also equipped with fax, telephone, and internet facilities. The necessary proforma and Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) have been devised and provided to all the Returning Officers (ROs) to help them carry out their duties effectively.The returning officers were required to send candidate’s particulars to the online Scrutiny Cell daily. This information was being scrutinized by special teams appointed by various government bodies including NADRA, FBR, SBP, and FIA. They have already appointed their focal persons to assist with the process.

rulers will pay heavy cost if anything happens to imran: rashid

RAWALPIND

Staff RepoRt

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid warned on Wednesday that the government will have to pay a heavy price if anything bad happens to PTI Chairman Imran Khan as clashes between party workers and law enforcers underway in Lahore over ex-prime minister’s possible arrest. In a series of tweet, former interior minister said situation in Lahore had worsened enough that former US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had reacted to it, adding that US Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources Monica Medina was also due to reach Pakistan.He said that International Monetary Fund (IMF) had agreed to $6 billion external financing assurance but on ground situation showed the country was heading towards uncertainty. He said people had taken the streets over the possible arrest of Mr Khan. The AML chief warned that the political turbulence would heighten further if the Supreme Court’s order regarding holding of elections are defied. He asked Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to introspect his motives.

embattled Shehbaz claims political uncertainty not a hindrance in imf talks

CONTINUED fROM PAgE 01

However, this scheme along with others have not been made actionable yet because the government is fearful that the IMF might raise issues and halt the deal.

An elusive deAl: Pakistan and the IMF have been negotiating the resumption of an installed $7bn IMF programme for months now but are yet to reach an agreement. The country had been able to secure the last tranche of $1.17 billion back in August 2022 under the leadership of former finance minister Miftah Ismail. The disbursement had been achieved by ending a massive fuel subsidy introduced by former prime minister Imran Khan and by agreeing to other terms of the IMF. The state bank at the time had more than $8 billion in foreign reserves. In September 2022, however, Ishaq Dar took charge of the finance ministry and further negotiations with the IMF took a different turn. Dar, who during a television interview said “he knew how to deal with the IMF” since he had been doing it for decades, decided to artificially keep the price of the rupee high. However, this strategy failed within a few months and by January 2023 Pakistan was staring down the possibility of default. The country began facing a shortage of forex reserves that has led to a curb of imports and skyrocketing inflation.

LHC halts police operation for Imran’s arrest till today

CONTINUED fROM PAgE 01

The court further observed that it wanted peace in the city and ordered police to stop the operation. The IGP submitted that he wanted to have police presence in Zaman Park.

Subsequently, the court ordered the IGP to withdraw police personnel from Zaman Park and station them at The Mall road bridge, Dhrampura bridge and Thandi Sarak, besides adjourning further hearing till Thursday at 10am.

Earlier, the court heard the matter in the morning and summoned the IGP Punjab, chief secretary and other government officials. LEAs personnel withdraw from around Zaman Park

Following Lahore High Court orders, the police and other law enforcers withdrew from around Imran Khan’s Zaman Park home on Wednesday, putting a halt to clashes that had erupted after police tried to

arrest the former prime minister for not appearing in court in the Toshakhana case. Law enforcement personnel were seen leaving the neighbourhood after day-long clashes with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters as renewed attempts were made earlier Thursday to arrest the party Chairman Imran. Police resumed firing tear gas rounds and used water cannons against defiant PTI workers and supporters as fresh skirmishes broke out in the morning after law enforcers intensified the operation in a standoff that lasted almost 24-hours.

CCPO Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana and DIG Operations Lahore Afzal Kausar also reached the area to lead the operation.

A large contingent of Punjab Rangers – in riot gear – also joined the police operation.

On Tuesday night, the provincial government had sought three companies of Punjab Rangers to reinforce the police contingent. But after they withdrew, Khan was seen standing outside his home, wearing

a gas mask and talking to supporters, as they cheered and celebrated “chasing the troops away”. The development occurred hours after the PTI chairman called on the judiciary and military establishment to end the “farce”, as the troops resumed the standoff with his supporters after a night of violent clashes. The crackdown on Khan and supporters of the opposition party came as the government of Shehbaz Sharif attempted to arrest the former prime minister, accusing him of failing to appear in court on what he calls trumped-up charges.

Zaman Park remained under siege since Wednesday morning and the government was sending additional police to tackle the situation after hundreds of his supporters showed unexpected perseverance.

In an early morning address to workers via video link, Khan expressed concern over the escalating situation and the lack of control he has over the workers.

“The kinds of actions that are taking

place […] the boys [supporters] outside [my home] are not listening to me. When this anarchy and shelling is taking place against them, they won’t listen to me anymore,” he said. “I have no control over them now.”

As a result, Khan said he believes the only hope for a resolution lies with the judiciary and establishment. He urged them to put the country’s interests first and to end the ongoing chaos.

“Do not work on this London plan [sic].

This country is heading towards destruction.

It is my appeal to all of you that now, think of this country,” he added, in reference to an alleged understanding between the military and deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif to keep Khan from coming to office.

Earlier in the day, the party said Khan’s residence was “under extreme attack” as it posted footage of law enforcement personnel opening fire on unarmed protestors.

In a tweet, the party shared a video and claimed “open firing by Rangers and

police”, but did not specify when the video was filmed. Pakistan Today could not independently verify the claim.

It added that Zaman Park is “under extreme attack”.

In the morning, Khan emerged from his house to meet with his supporters, who faced tear gas and police baton the whole night to save him from arrest. He said he was ready to travel to Islamabad on March 18 under his arrest warrant, but police did not accept the offer. IHC maintains Imran’s arrest warrants

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) maintained the non-bailable arrest warrants of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case and directed him to approach the trial court for relief. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the verdict which was earlier reserved on the petition filed by Imran Khan against his non-bailable arrest warrants issued by the trial court in the Toshakhana case.

An unfortunate focus

The drama on Tuesday at Lahore’s Zaman Park was probably avoidable. Perhaps more relevant is the fact it proved a needless distraction from the very many problems that Pakistan faces. The aftereffects of record floods have been pushed into the background by the economic crisis, which has been worsened by the collapse of the rupee and the continuing of the inflationary spiral, with a global recession about to compound problems already made worse by the failure to negotiate resumption of the IMF package. Then there is the political crisis, with a polarized society, and partisan rivalry at its height. In the midst of all this, the nation is held hostage with all television channels blazing the struggle of PTI chief Imran Khan not to be arrested.

The most regrettable aspect of the whole affair is that it could have easily been avoided, if Mr Khan had followed the example of all political leaders and workers before him, of being arrested. The example of this opponents of his arrested when he was PM was different: they went tamely enough, and were released only when they obtained bail from the courts. It may be noted that while none were brought to trial, his arrest has been ordered by a court, where he has been avoiding appearance. It should not be forgotten that, is his cricketing days, he initiated the concept of neutral umpires, obviously because as a bowler his appeals were unfairly turned down by home team umpires. however, he never disagreed with such decisions.

Mr Khan has found the judiciary bending over backwards to accommodate him, to the extent that the PML(N) has begun accusing some of its members of partiality. Mr Khan may be dealt with scurvily, but his refusal to accept court orders is a defiance he cannot expect to be ignored. he may not have realized it, but by refusing to accede to an arrest that is court-ordered, he is weakening those superior courts he is looking towards. It said that the accused is the law’s favourite child. however, to reach that status, it is necessary to become an accused; to be taken into custody. Mr Khan should remember that many others have been down that path before. he should also take heart from the fact that all (except one, who was executed) survived, several to make a political return.

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed

Arif Nizami

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M. A. Niazi

Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Why Imran Khan had to be stopped

of stealing Punjab from the PPP hold to mitigate the popularity of the Quaid-e-Awam, who had launched his party in Lahore in the year 1967.The PPP was the first political entity which was neither conceived nor launched in Rawalpindi like the rogue Muslim Leagues of various brands.

test constituencies that were investigated, and three PML(N) MNAs were deseated while Khawaja Asif survived on a technical issue of delays. According to ‘election gurus, the margin of rigging is around 10 percent to 15 percent, beyond which foul play becomes obvious. PTI’s popularity is now out of reach.

dr Farid a Malik

In a recent interview, former President Asif Ali Zardari said that they had taken over the government despite knowing the challenges faced as ‘Imran Khan had to be stopped. Zardari plays his cards well. Single=handedly he has been able to bury Bhuttoism while chanting the slogan of “ Jiay Bhutto” (Long live Bhutto). he says Pakistan Khappay” (Long live Pakistan) while he builds his personal empire at the cost of the nation like the Sharifs, his longtime competitors in the loot and plunder of the nation. In his recent address at the ‘ emerging Pakistan ‘ conference in Karachi, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi remarked that corruption is the biggest challenge faced by the nation together with disrespect for the constitution.

Soon after coming into power, Imran Khan revived the corruption cases against the old political players.

After the 1985 partyless elections the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was ‘recolonized’ again. The MRD (Movement for the Restoration of Democracy), of which Bhutto’s PPP was the main national political outfit, decided to boycott the elections held under the usurper.

New players were introduced to hijack democracy. The Sharifs of Gowalmandi were given the task

IK’s strategy was to seek conviction of the corrupt through due process of law. he even allowed his personal popularity to plummet (33 %) but his objectives were clear. he sought cleansing of the political arena. Most leaders who have seen the inside working of the corridors of power in the republic often under-estimate the evil within the system. Delays are a norm in our legal framework. IK kept the pressure on, after over three years of relentless pursuit and the corrupt were worried. Serious charges of corruption and money laundering were finally exposed. had the process continued the corrupt would have been history by now.

Jitters were felt within the establishment. A combined game plan was prepared to protect the evil. Relying on IK’s plummeting public support, a conspiracy was hatched to vote out the elected Prime Minister. Such a move was last attempted against Benazir Bhutto in 1989 by the establishment and their touts in the legislature. Money changed hands. While Nawaz Sharif (NS) as Chief Minister (CM) Punjab, established his camp of Political herds in the manmade forest of Changa Manga, Zardari flew his bounty to the safety of Swat Valley. Benazir survived to be dismissed later under the draconian Zia amendment’s 58(2b). It did not end here. Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) was formed under the patronage of the establishment and Nawaz was launched as PM, and the rest is history, as they say.

IK decided to follow the moral course of resistance. he did not buy support, instead he decided to approach the public. The planners of the conspiracy were warned that IK could not be dealt with in the same manner as Zardari and Nawaz as the agencies did not have folders of his corruption. When he walked out of the PM house with his personal diary in hand, his popularity graph started. to rise. Since then there has been no looking back. Abbasi Sahib also revealed that all ten elections held under the 1973 Constituion were rigged. Personally I am of the belief that in the 2013 contest the PTI had prevailed over the PML(N) but was denied victory. All the four

In the age of AI

growth and spread of AI technology in an arms race between nations.

The world we live in is being rapidly changed by artificial intelligence (AI). AI is transforming how we work, live, and interact with one another, from chatbots and virtual assistants to selfdriving cars and medical diagnosis. In its most basic form, AI is a machine designed to carry out tasks by mimicking human intelligence. Large amounts of data can be processed effectively, and complex algorithms can be executed.

Moreover, we must start thinking about how to advance technologically relevant skills while also fostering more innately human abilities. Creativity, intuition, initiative, and critical thinking are all human traits that are unlikely to be replicated by robots anytime soon. We ought to already be considering how employers and employees alike can use robots to improve the work we do.

Simultaneously, it is a rapidly developing technology that could have a big impact on how wars are fought and how global security is maintained. AI systems can quickly and accurately process enormous amounts of data, which makes them useful for a variety of military applications like intelligence gathering, target identification, tracking, and logistics.

But there are also serious ethical and security issues with using AI in combat. AI systems may make decisions that are challenging for people to comprehend or anticipate, raising questions about their accountability. Concerns exist regarding the potential for AI to be employed for evil intent, such as the creation of autonomous weapon systems or cyber-attacks. Governments and international organizations must take into account the potential consequences of this technology and establish suitable rules and regulations to govern its use.

It is being used more and more in various military contexts, and its application to warfare has the potential to fundamentally alter the nature of the conflict. In military systems, AI can be applied to activities like target recognition, intelligence gathering, and self-decision-making.

Several issues regarding global security are brought up by the use of AI in warfare. Lethal autonomous weapon systems that could decide when to use force without human intervention could be developed and deployed using AI, which raises serious safety concerns. The loss of human control over the use of force that could result from this could have terrible repercussions.

Another concern is the potential for AI to be used to disrupt or hack into military systems, potentially causing confusion and chaos on the battlefield. Further destabilization of the global security environment could result from the

Therefore, international security could be affected by the use of AI in warfare, which has the potential to fundamentally alter how wars are fought. The risks and moral ramifications of AI in military settings must be carefully considered by policymakers, who should also work to create global standards and regulations that will control its application. Similarly to that, one of the biggest trends in AI is the widespread adoption of machine learning.

It’s a subset of artificial intelligence that gives computers the ability to learn from data and steadily improve their performance. Among the many applications of this technology, fraud detection and natural language processing (NLP) are just two examples. Predictive analytics to aid in disease prevention, expanded use of AI in the medical field, more precise diagnoses, and individualized treatment plans, are all made possible by the use of AI. Clinical trials, robotic surgery, and the development of new medications all make use of this technology.

A greater number of workplaces are also utilizing AI. Process automation increased productivity, and cost reduction is all achieved through the use of AI-powered tools and automation. Just a few sectors that employ this technology include transportation, manufacturing, and finance. even though AI is currently trending in a

positive direction, there are worries about what this technology will mean for society in the future. One major concern is the potential impact on employment. There is a chance that many jobs will be automated as AI technology develops, which could result in job losses and unemployment.

The possibility of AI being used in ways that harm society is a further worry. There is a chance, for instance, that AI-driven weapons could be used to conduct autonomous warfare, which would have unintended consequences and cause humanitarian catastrophes.

Concerns exist regarding AI’s potential ethical ramifications. For instance, AI algorithms could produce unfair outcomes if they were biassed or discriminatory. Invasion of privacy, tracking of people, and behaviour manipulation are additional risks associated with AI.

AI is a disruptive technology that has the potential to completely change how we work, live, and interact with one another. Although there are many positive trends in AI right now, there are also many serious worries about what this technology will mean in the future. In order to ensure that AI is created and applied in ways that benefit society as a whole, it is crucial for decisionmakers, companies, and individuals to carefully consider these implications.

The writ is associated with the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and terweets at @hafiznadirali7 and can be reached at hafiznadirali7@gmail.com

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the party in power, is running away from an electoral contest as the margin of Ik’s lead is in the range of 40-50 percent which is out of reach of the manipulators. The PDM is in serious trouble. The ‘Genie of Corruption’ is out of the bottle and has failed to tarnish the image of the Kaptan. The personal financial honesty of IK is unquestionable. Toshakhana was a bad move and should have been avoided, but those who have been around in the capital understand the evil ways and influences, how traps are laid to undress the dressed with guiles and justifications like stretching the allowances and allocations.

Islamabad is a ‘Marshland’ where it is not easy to walk straight without slipping. After 75 years Pakistan has to come out of the marshes to build on solid foundations of honesty and integrity.

Abbasi Sahib also warned about the need for dialogue amongst the main political players (IK, Zardari, Nawaz, Fazal) to pull the country out of its marshes. every meeting must have a clear agenda. Corruption cannot be condoned under any circumstances. Recovery of the loot is never easy as greed takes over. After ten compromised elections, the way forward is free and fair elections to establish civilian supremacy. I am sure a meeting can be arranged to finalize the rules of the electoral contest but it cannot be held hostage to the pardon of Nawaz in the name of a level playing field.NS faces life disqualification by the highest court of the land. Only a constitutional amendment that limits the period of disqualification can revive his political career, otherwise he will be history.

Like General Musharraf only his burial will be possible in the land that he ruled three times through a rigged electoral process. IK is now unstoppable Zardari and his sponsors grossly miscalculated their chances. In the end the PML(N) will be the net loser.

The writer is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

Editor’s mail

A case in favour of the NOTA option

MANy a democracy around the world gives voters the option to reject all candidates in case they do not want to vote for any of them. Indonesia and India are among the countries that give this ‘none of the above’ (NOTA) option to their citizens during elections.

In 2013, while hearing a petition, the Supreme Court of India declared that while casting vote is a democratic duty, rejecting any candidate is also a democratic right of the people. Therefore, in India, either on the ballot paper or through electronic voting machines, people have the NOTA option at their disposal. This in India is a success because people often use the said option more than in favour of any candidate. Interestingly, in Indonesia, candidates have to compete against the NOTA option even if they happen to be the lone contender in a constituency. This law in Indonesia was passed in 2016, and in 2018, during the election for a mayoral seat in Makassar city, the NOTA option got more votes than the lone ‘rival’. It was apparent that the public was not satisfied with that candidate, and, therefore, rejected him.

We must introduce the NOTA option in Pakistan which will give people a better way to express themselves, for they are currently forced to vote for one candidate or the other even when they do not wish to vote for any of them. They have to pick the ‘least desirable’ candidate, or, else, that their voting right might as well be used by somebody else. With NOTA as an option, we will have a fair idea of the popularity and sincerity of a candidate. In doing so, as people will have an opportunity to be a part of elections while having power and authority to reject all the candidates, giving the message that no one is popular, honest and sincere enough to merit a vote. This way, we will get a clear picture of where a candidate or political leader stands. This will also help us get rid of unscrupulous elements in national politics. We have frequently observed candidates winning by a margin of a few hundred votes even in their hometowns where thousands of people were registered as voters. This will no more be the case. Besides, the NOTA option will improve the voter turnout significantly as all elections in the country regard-less of the tier will become genuine platforms for precise expression of public sentiment.

G AKBAR PALIJO LARKANA

Multan misery

MuLTAN, the city of saints, recently had the looks of some occupied territory or at least a city under freshly-imposed emergency, with road blockades, police patrolling and snap checking becoming the order of the day. The clamour of sirens destroyed whatever peace was still left in the city. The reason? The Pakistan Super League (PSL) was in town. Owing to security concerns, all roads were blocked, educational institutions were shut down, and business activities were partially crippled by the relevant authorities. It is hard to think of a worse time to hold such an activity. The country is in the middle of a crisis that has many a crises woven into it. The worst hit were the daily-wagers who could not carry on their work owing to security restrictions that only caused nuisance and frustration in these challenging times. It would not be out of place to mention that Multan happens to be the most prominent hub of healthcare facilities in southern Punjab as all major hospitals of the region are located in the city. People from across the region come to Multan seeking medical treatment. All hospitals located in the ‘affected’ areas during the PSL remained out of reach for those poor souls as the roads leading to such healthcare facilities had been shut down. All this reflected poor management and strange priorities, for we organised a sports activity at the cost of people’s welfare and even their lives. Where are we headed? It would have been prudent had the relevant authorities made proper plan to avoid all the mess that disrupted life inside out in the city. We can only hope and pray that the relevant authorities will take into consideration all these issues while planning their next ‘mega event’.

It’s not as if the country has no worries but one man’s being arrested

Like General Musharraf only his burial will be possible in the land that he ruled three times through a rigged electoral process. IK is now unstoppable Zardari and his sponsors grossly miscalculated their chances.

In the end the PML(N) will be the net loser

Nizami

(Late)

AI is a disruptive technology that has the potential to completely change how we work, live, and interact with one another. Although there are many positive trends in AI right now, there are also many serious worries about what this technology will mean in the future.

It can no longer be ignored

US aid announcement reminds of need for more Rohingya aid

The US example should be followed

SuFiaN Siddique

HuMAN rights groups and agencies have expressed alarm at the widening funding gap between the needs of the Rohingya and the inflows. WFP’s move alone to cut food rations will add significant pressure, said John Quinley of the human rights group Fortify Rights. “The [latest] cuts on food aid will be dire and could lead to significant health consequences for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.”

A looming funding crisis facing Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh underlines the deepening aid shortages and growing unrest in the sprawling camps along the country’s border with Myanmar. Amid the Covid-19 epidemic, Myanmar’s military coup, the Afghan refugee crisis and now the ukraine situation, Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugees remain in a limbo. Funding for them is running out. Bangladesh is being made to bear the burden of the Rohingyas alone. The international aid for the 1.1 million Rohingyas who have taken refuge in Bangladesh has been greatly reduced. If this continues, a catastrophe is feared. united Nations officials have warned of a shortfall of more than 50 percent in the $876 million needed this year to provide basic food and shelter for nearly one million refugees living in one of the world’s largest refugee settlements. In a sign of the widening funding gap, the World Food Program in February announced a 17 percent cut in refugee rations for camp dwellers to $10 a month from $12 per person and issued an emergency appeal for $125 million to help make up the shortfall. Japan recently pledged $1 million in response, but as one WFP official said, “The overall silence has been roaring.”

The “ticking time bomb,” according to humanitarian agencies and u.N. officials, is the looming drop in overall funding this year to maintain the Rohingya camps amid growing donor fatigue over other urgent demands, including the fallout of Russia’s war in ukraine, worsening humanitarian problems in Afghanistan and the death or displacement of many millions in Pakistan due to flooding, and in Turkey and Syria after February’s earthquakes. But the Afghan and ukraine crises have worsened the situation. But the world must remember

that Rohingyas are also refugees.

The uS State Department has announced nearly $26 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, for those people in Burma affected by ongoing violence, and for communities hosting refugees from Burma.

In such a context, the announcement of the united States humanitarian aid to the Rohingyas will raise optimism. Through this, it is expected that the international community will show sincerity in solving the Rohingya problem in Bangladesh and the world conscience will be awakened.

With this new funding, the uS’ total assistance for those affected by the Rakhine State and Rohingya crisis has reached nearly $2.1 billion since August 2017, when over 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to safety in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, according to a press statement issued by the uS Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, during the launch of the 2023 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian Crisis in Bangladesh.

According to the official press statement, the new funding includes nearly $24 million for programmes specifically in Bangladesh, providing life-sustaining support to nearly 980,000 Rohingya refugees, many of them survivors of genocide, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing, and support to nearly 540,000 host community members in Bangladesh.

The assistance, according to Blinken, sees to it that children and young adults have access to education and vocational training, provides families with food and clean water, strengthens sanitation systems to prevent the spread of disease, supports the protection of Rohingya refugees’ human rights and well-being, bolsters disaster preparedness, and helps combat the effects of climate change.

“We are committed to finding lasting solutions to this crisis, including the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return and reintegration of displaced Rohingya when conditions in Burma allow. An essential step in ending this crisis is ending the military regime’s brutal repression of its people and agreeing to a pathway to an inclusive multiparty democracy. We commend our humanitarian partners for the lifesaving work they continue to do every day,” read the uS statement.

“More than 2,400 Rohingya have sought to leave Bangladesh and Myanmar in 2022 alone, and I am deeply saddened that over 200 have reportedly lost their lives on the way. Recent reports indicate that overcrowded and unsafe boats carrying Rohingyas have been

left to drift for days on end without any help,” Turk said in a statement released by the uN human Rights Office of the high Commissioner.

The high Commissioner for human Rights called on countries in the region and globally to help Bangladesh support the over one million Rohingya refugees who have sought protection there since 2017.

Since the military overthrew the government on 1 February 2021, the political, economic, and humanitarian crises in Burma have only worsened; according to sources, and there have been close to 3,000 fatalities, 17,000 arrests, and over 1.5 million displaced people.

The continued scorched-earth effort by the dictatorship continues to take the lives of innocent people, halting discussions about the return of Rohingya, igniting an escalating military conflict inside Myanmar, and fostering insecurity outside.

Bangladesh continues to house the refugees despite being forced to use a significant portion of her meagre resources to cover expenditures and mitigate effects on her economy, society, and environment.

The uSA has contributed the most to the Rohingya crisis so far. It has pledged massive assistance to Bangladesh for the Rohingya. It has been the single most important country in providing funds for them. Since 2017, the uSA has provided more than $1.9 billion in humanitarian assistance to people in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and other parts of the region. The uS was the largest contributor to the JRP fund in 2022, accounting for 50.1 percent of total funding.

The uSA, uK and Canada, to date, have imposed sanctions on 80 individuals and 32 entities to deprive the regime of the means to perpetuate its violence and to promote the democratic aspirations of Burma’s people.

The uSA remains firm in her position that the regime’s planned elections cannot be free or fair, not while it has killed or detained, possible contenders,or forced them to flee, nor while it continues to inflict brutal violence against its peaceful opponents. The uSA vows to continue to promote accountability for the military’s atrocities, including through support to the uN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and other international efforts to protect and support vulnerable populations, including Rohingya.

The uSA is working with ASeAN, the united Nations (following the recent passage of a uN Security Council Resolution on the situation in Burma), and the international community at large to uphold ASeAN’s Five-Point Consensus, increase diplomatic and eco-

nomic pressure on the military, and support a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous Burma.

In December 2022, both houses of Congress passed a compromise version of the ‘National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)’, an annual piece of legislation that lays out uS defense priorities, which serves as a description of uS policy towards Myanmar. The fiscal 2023 NDAA includes— uS support to return to the democratic government, provide non-military assistance to eAOs and PDFs, funds to support the pro-democracy movement, assist in ethnic reconciliation, protect political prisoners and investigate and document atrocities.

In Decemberr, 24 of the selected 62 Rohingyas left Bangladesh for the uSA as part of the uS government’s resettlement programme. According to the uS embassy in Dhaka, uS President Biden reaffirmed the uS commitment to welcoming refugees by keeping the total admissions target in the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for 2022-23 at 125,000, with a regional allocation of 15,000 for east Asia.

Secretary Blinken, State Department Counsellor Derek Chollet, Assistant Secretary of the uS Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Julieta Valls Noyes and other top diplomats expressed the same ideology as Bangladesh, that the ‘root cause of the Rohingya crisis lies in Myanmar’ and that ‘safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar’ is the only sustainable solution.

In the quest for a strategic role, India, China, and regional actors have yet to establish a concrete position, despite greater opportunities to extend their strategic presence and establish themselves as regional leaders by engaging in the Rohingya repatriation process and peace talks to end the crisis in Myanmar. Their contributions have been minimal in comparison to what the uSA has done. While the uSA is strongly supporting Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue, unfortunately, China and India’s geopolitical and geo-economic interests in Myanmar leave Bangladesh to manage the Rohingya crisis alone.

Despite increasingly competing aid priorities, the Rohingya crisis should still be core to the international agenda, because nearly a million Rohingya genocide survivors still dwell in the darkness,” he said. “With no hopes for safe repatriation and under many restrictions, they are reliant on international aid. They have little or no rights as refugees, and aid cuts will result in severe malnutrition and hunger. The highest cost will be paid by the most vulnerable — women and children.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Saudi-Iran

reconciliation: Is Arab-Israeli alliance against Tehran ending?

countries - especially major oil exporters - have opted not to bet on the American position, declining to take part in sanctions against Russia. Instead, they have strengthened their cooperation with Moscow to maintain oil prices, while enhancing their massive trade and economic relations with China. These are higher vital interests that Israel cannot circumvent, no matter how hard it tries.

Middle east eye

aMeer Makhoul

ISRAeL’S regional policy has long been based on hegemony, superiority and arrogance. Leaders Shimon

Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu often repeated the notion of an alliance based on “Israeli brains and Arab money”, while also promoting the concept of protecting Arab regimes with Israeli intelligence technologies and strategies for economic peace.

The aim was always twofold: to achieve normalisation and bolster Israel’s regional influence, and to accelerate the disappearance of the Palestinian cause.

For Israel, Iran presented an opportunity to ally with Arab states on both an economic-security basis and a strategic basis, with regards to confronting their “mutual enemy”. In this way, Israel has sought a multilateral strategy: a regional alliance under the auspices of the uS, seeking to declare war on Iran and overthrow the regime.

But as the Arab Gulf alliance in the yemen war has eroded, Israel’s attempts to court an Arab ally that would wage war on Iran have been met with failure. Israel has made no secret of its wish for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom it considers a likely future ally, to replace his aging father King Salman. But contrary to Israel’s wishes, a number of Gulf states - including Kuwait and the uAe, followed this month by Saudi Arabia - have been reopening diplomatic, economic and security channels with Tehran.

Viewing the overthrow of Iran’s Islamic regime to be a priority, the Israeli government in January appointed Major General eyal Zamir, who has expertise in Iranian affairs, as director general of the security ministry. Gulf and regional power balances, however, are too strong to be determined by Israel and its desires or arrogant theories.

LACK OF ALLIES: Since the launch of the Russia-ukraine war and its ensuing impacts on the global economy, Gulf

The world’s central banks are no match for the global economy

delicate balance of a world shifting from unipolarity to pluralism.

The Gulf countries, as emerging economies, are being proactive in identifying and analysing the features of the international system’s transitional phase. They are trying to position themselves in ways that can protect and preserve their interests, while other actors are fighting over influence and hegemony.

For Israel, the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to normalise ties under the auspices of the Chinese government will come at a strategic price, with regional and international dimensions. It limits Israel’s regional influence and eliminates the notion of an Arab-Israeli alliance against Iran. While Israel has sought to strengthen ties with countries such as Italy, Germany, the united Kingdom, and France in an effort to build an international and regional anti-Iran axis, it knows that international players are not convinced such a project could work without decisive American force.

Moreover, disruptions to oil, gas and grain exports resulting from the ukraine war would hamstring europe from carrying out any military actions that could exacerbate the energy crisis. It was thus not surprising that the european union quickly welcomed the Saudi-Iran deal, viewing it as vital to regional stability and conflict resolution.

At the same time, the Saudi-Iran deal could put an end to Israel’s nuclear monopoly, opening the door for other countries in the region to acquire nuclear capabilities.

According to American media, Saudi Arabia is seeking Washington’s approval to develop a civilian nuclear programme as part of its price for potentially normalising relations with Israel. Other countries in the Levant and North Africa, such as egypt, may look to do the same.

This would degrade the effectiveness of Israel’s most important deterrent force in the long term, threatening its regional influence and potentially limiting the overall effectiveness of the Abraham Accords.

DELICATE BALANCE: The possibility that the Saudi-Iran agreement might lead to forging diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel cannot be ruled out. But the future context for such deals will be different, given that Israel is no longer viewed as a security umbrella to protect the Gulf, nor is it a substitute for the uS. In the regional equation that is currently being shaped, Israel is neither crucial nor a security necessity.

under Riyadh’s new vision, Saudi Arabia is seeking a leading role for itself at both the regional and international levels, driven by its economic power and influence. It is capable of negotiating the

At the same time, Israel fears that the Beijing agreement could pave the way for a resolution to the war in yemen. This conflict has presented a great opportunity for Israel to increase its influence in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, and the deal risks hindering its efforts to establish a military foothold in the region.

Another concern for Israel is a potential new Taif agreement in Lebanon, whose two parties would be Saudi Arabia and Iran, guaranteeing the stability of the Lebanese regime and economy. Lebanon’s collapse has always been in Israel’s interests.

Indeed, Israel’s international crisis is today so deep that it has spurred backand-forth accusations between the Netanyahu government and its predecessor regime, that of yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, over who bears the responsibility for this strategic failure.

CHANGING STRATEGIES: The restoration of Saudi-Iranian ties, which were cut in 2016, is yet more proof that the notion “the road to Washington passes through Tel Aviv” no longer applies. A strategy founded upon the approval of Washington and Tel Aviv cannot preserve the security and stability of the region, but rather risks undermining them.

Indeed, to guarantee the success of the Beijing agreement and to build on it, Arab leaders need to re-examine their strategies towards influential powers, both regionally and internationally. Arab national interests require a careful reconsideration of Israel’s position in the regional equation, and a curtailment of its influence.

For Palestinians, on the other hand, the Saudi-Iran agreement constitutes an opportunity, opening up new horizons in their struggle to obtain their legitimate rights.

As the extremists leading Israel today face a major crisis, the ongoing changes to the structure of the international system require the active participation of regional Arab states, which can work to establish new mechanisms to block Israeli expansionism, extremism and racism.

Ameer Makhoul is a leading Palestinian activist and writer in the 48 Palestinians community. He is the former director of Ittijah, a Palestinian NGO in Israel. He was detained by Israel for ten years.

Forbes JohN TaMNy

WRITING in his newsletter last week, the great George Gilder quipped that the world’s central bankers are apparently “demoralized over their inability to drive the world into recession.” Gilder was referencing a front page Wall Street Journal story focused on the strength of the global economy, and how the latter may persuade “central bankers that they need to raise key interest rates further” to pour “cold water on an economy that is still running a little too hot.” Books. Could. Be. Written. And they have been.

For now, all readers need to know in order to confirm the truth about the title of this writeup is to read what central bankers think to be true. They quite literally believe against all logic and empirical reality that economic growth causes prices to rise and that rising prices are inflation. They’re stupendously wrong twice about basic economics, which is why we know their power is theoretical rather than real. If individuals actually had the power to foist their obnoxious, central planning conceit on the global economy, it would be too wrecked for anyone to have the time and resources to write about.

The simple truth is that investment is the driver of economic growth despite what economists and central bankers say about consumption as the instigator. And the purpose of investment is to produce more and more goods and services with fewer and fewer “hands.”

Translated, the surest sign of a growing economy is falling prices. Basic stuff.

Inflation? That’s a decline in the unit of measure. In our case, the dollar. except that there’s been no notable decline in the dollar in recent years, thus calling into question the whole “inflation” narrative. There have been higher prices, but to say higher prices cause inflation is like saying heat is what makes the sun so bright. Causation is reversed. We once again have higher prices, but are

they any surprise in the aftermath of the 2020 lockdowns? Figure that political panic over the virus surely put a damper on investment, after which people working together around the world are the path to ever-declining prices. Starting in March of 2020, this global cooperation was fractured and broken to varying degrees. That production wouldn’t be as efficient and cheap after a wrench was thrown into the global production machine reads as a blinding glimpse of the obvious, as would the higher prices be obvious. Is this inflation? No.

Inflation is a currency devaluation phenomenon. Nothing else.

Bringing this back to the world’s central bankers, they’ve mistaken higher prices born of command-and-control for inflation, only to compound their confusion with the assumption that the fix for today’s higher prices is global economic contraction. you can’t make this up! you see, governments already tried global economic contraction in 2020, only for higher prices to logically emerge from the carnage. The path to lower prices is copious investment combined with global cooperation, all instigated by a lack of government intervention. Central bankers believe business failure and unemployment are the path to lower prices. To say they’re a bit confused brings new meaning to understatement.

Which is why we should be so relieved by their lack of power. Again, if they were actually capable of doing the damage that their loser economic models call for, the global economy would be rather broken.

That it’s not is a happy sign that as central bankers fiddle, the actually productive work around them. And they’re able to work around them thanks to global capital flows that take place without regard to what central planners are doing inside central banks. More evidence supporting what is obvious is British semiconductor “unicorn” Arm. Funny about the Cambridge-based company is that on the day that the Wall Street Journal gave front page space to the aforementioned frustrations of central bankers, it similarly ran a story on the same front page about how Arm would list its shares in New york instead of London. “Closed” global economy meets hapless central bankers.

While central banks mis-understand and mis-define inflation on the way to fruitless attempts to contract credit, the global economy continues to function. As one would expect. A bureaucrat is a bureaucrat is a bureaucrat. Remember this about central bankers. As they vainly search for a purpose, real economic activity will happily continue without regard to central bank economic illiteracy.

John Tamny is the Vice President of FreedomWorks, editor of RealClearMarkets and a senior fellow at the Market Institute.

FOR ISRAEL, THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA TO NORMALISE TIES UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL COME AT A STRATEGIC PRICE, WITH REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS. IT LIMITS ISRAEL’S REGIONAL INFLUENCE AND ELIMINATES THE NOTION OF AN ARAB-ISRAELI ALLIANCE AGAINST IRAN

A BUREAUCRAT IS A BUREAUCRAT IS A BUREAUCRAT. REMEMBER THIS ABOUT CENTRAL BANKERS. AS THEY VAINLY SEARCH FOR A PURPOSE, REAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WILL HAPPILY CONTINUE WITHOUT REGARD TO CENTRAL BANK ECONOMIC ILLITERACY

PuTIn sAys RussIA Is fIGhTInG fOR ‘ITs veRy exIsTenCe’

MOSCOW agencieS

PRESIDENTVladimir Putin said on Tuesday that what was at stake in Ukraine was Russia’s very existence as a state. Speaking at length to workers at an aviation factory in Buryatia, Putin expanded on his familiar argument that the West was bent on pulling Russia apart.

“So for us this is not a geopolitical task, but a task of the survival of Russian statehood, creating conditions for the future development of the country and our children,” he said.

Putin has accused the West of using Ukraine as a tool to wage war against Russia and inflict on it a “strategic defeat”. He said the enemy had been expecting that factories would grind to a halt, the financial system would collapse, unemployment would rise, protesters would take to the streets, and Russia would “sway from within and collapse”.

“This did not happen,” Putin said. “It turned out, for many of us, and even more so for Western countries, that the fundamental foundations of Russia’s stability are much stronger than anyone thought.” BAttLe for BAkhMut: Ukraine’s future hinges on the outcome of battles in the east, including in and around Bakhmut, Pres-

ident Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, with both sides describing brutal fighting as Russia intensifies a winter campaign to capture the small city.

Bakhmut has become the focus of Russia’s invasion, with the months-long fight becoming Europe’s bloodiest infantry battle since World War II.—Agencies

“It is very tough in the east — very painful,” Zelenskiy said in his overnight video address, held nightly since Russia launched its invasion more than a year ago.

“We have to destroy the enemy’s military power. And we shall destroy it.”

Talks continue to extend a deal to allow grain shipments from Ukraine’s Black Sea

ports ahead of a deadline later this week, the United Nations and Turkiye said on Tuesday, after Kyiv rejected a Russian push for a reduced 60-day renewal.

Black Sea grain deal

“Indeed, the deal has been extended — it has been agreed that it has been extended for 60 days,” the TASS news agency cited Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Tuesday.

Ukraine said it will stick to the terms of the previously agreed deal based on a 120day duration that can be renewed.

“We will follow the agreement strictly,” a senior Ukrainian government official said. The official declined to be identified.

China’s economy recovers as industry, retail, investment grow

BEIJING

agencieS

China’s economy continues to show improvement in combined figures of the first two months of 2023, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Wednesday.

“The restarting of China’s growth engine is gathering pace, supported by robust industrial output, the rebound of consumption and service activities as well as expanding investment in infrastructure and manufacturing,” Pang Ming, chief economist and director of Research at JLL Greater China told media. China’s value-added industrial output, an important economic indicator, went up 2.4 percent year on year, NBS

data showed. The growth rate rose by 1.1 percentage points compared to December 2022, and the two-year average growth rate stood at 4.9 percent.

China’s retail sales of consumer goods increased 3.5 percent year on

year, marking the first gain since October last year. China’s fixed-asset investment, a gauge of expenditure on items including infrastructure, property, machinery and equipment, went up 5.5 percent, which is

0.4 percentage points higher than the full-year growth rate of 2022.

“The data in January and February as a whole represents a trend of stabilization and recovery,” NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui told a press conference on Wednesday. Fu noted four positive signs, namely, rising production demand, stable employment and consumer prices, and improved market expectations.

However, real estate investment in January and February fell again, dropping by 5.7 percent compared to the same period last year, although the decline was at a slower pace compared to the 12.2 percent drop in December.

“Property investment remains a laggard yet we expect it to gradually improve in the next several quarters on the back of an unevenly recovering physical market,” said Pang.

opposes

ISLAMABAD Mian abRaR

China is seriously concerned about the recent statement made by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on nuclear submarine cooperation between the U.S., the UK and Australia, and firmly opposes the IAEA making an endorsement for the pact “under duress”, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.

The U.S., the UK and Australia recently unveiled details of their plan to create a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in the Asia-Pacific region. Under the AUKUS pact, Australia, a non-nuclear-weapon state, is to get its first batch of nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S. and the allies will also work to create a new fleet using cutting-edge tech, including UKmade Rolls-Royce reactors.

Wang said that the commitment to nuclear non-proliferation by the three countries is pure deception as this is the first time that a nuclear-weapon state transfers nuclear submarine power re-

endorsing

actors and weapons-grade highly enriched uranium to a non-nuclearweapon state, which can not be effectively supervised by the IAEA under its current oversight system. It means the IAEA can’t guarantee that Australia will not use relevant nuclear materials to manufacture nuclear weapons.

“Therefore, the pact poses a serious nuclear proliferation risk, violates the purpose and principle of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and impairs the international nuclear non-proliferation system,” Wang said.

He also stressed that the IAEA and the three states have no right to reach secret dealings on the nuclear submarine safeguards issue, and the real purpose of the three countries is to seek exemption from IAEA safeguards by citing Article 14 of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA). Wang said that the international society has wide differences in the application of Article 14, and has reached no consensus on the definition of activities listed in Article 14.

uS Drone crASh: A Russian fighter jet on Tuesday dumped fuel on an American drone over the Black Sea then collided with it, causing the drone to crash, the US military said. US European Command said two Russian Su-27 fighters intercepted the unmanned MQ-9 Reaper over international waters and one clipped its propeller.

“Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” it said.

Nato diplomats in Brussels confirmed the incident, but said they did not expect it to immediately escalate into a further confrontation

Open-AI releases GPT-4, more advanced AI model than ChatGPT

SAN FRANCISCO ReuteRS

The startup OpenAI on Tuesday said it is beginning to release a powerful artificial intelligence model known as GPT-4, setting the stage for human-like technology to proliferate and more competition between its backer Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc’s Google. OpenAI, which created the chatbot sensation ChatGPT, said in a blog post that its latest technology is “multimodal,” meaning images, as well as text prompts, can spur it to generate content.

The text-input feature will be available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers and to software developers, with a waitlist, while the image-input ability remains a preview of its research.

Committee okays strategy for 50th anniversary celebration of Constitution

ISLAMABAD: In its fourth meeting on Wednesday, the Advisory Committee of the Parliament to oversee the preparations for the golden jubilee celebrations of the 1973 Constitution, chaired by Senator Raza Rabbani, approved the media strategy for the celebrations. The committee also reviewed the progress made with respect to the construction of the constitutional monument, the restoration of the old National Assembly Hall at the State Bank building in Islamabad, special messages by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the status of declamation contests being carried out at educational institutes across the country. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb shared details of the media strategy to cover the commemoration. She said all departments of the ministry, including PTV, Radio Pakistan, Directorate of Electronic Media and Publications (DEMP), Press Information Department (PID), External Publicity Wing, and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), have planned certain activities related to the celebrations, such as airing special programs. Staff RepoRt

Pakistan urges planning to consider climate risk for vulnerable nations

UNITED NATIONS Staff RepoRt

In a discussion at the Development Cooperation Forum (DFC), Am-

bassador Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, emphasised the need for development planning to take into ac-

count climate risks, particularly forthe most climate-vulnerable countries like Pakistan, which suffered devastating floods last August.

Tournament Director Syed Muhammad Talha is speaking on the occasion of introductory briefing of New Nazimabad Bankers Cup Cricket Tournament.

Technical Head Amiruddin Ansari and Manager Sports Mohammad Asif are also present on the occasion.

China firmly

IAEA

AUKUS deal ‘under duress’

NOT-BY- PROFIT

Pakistan uPgraded to middle-income country but struggles with debt issues

islamabad news desk

mobilizinglocal financing for infrastructure projects will enhance the country's economic development

Writing for Express Tribune, author Salman Siddiqui points out that Pakistan has recently been upgraded to a middle-income country, but it faces numerous challenges in its economic development.

The author explains that the country's infrastructure and human development have been compromised by piling debt for non-development purposes, resulting in devastating floods in 2022 and decelerating economic growth. Pakistan has now begun mobilizing infrastructure investment from local banks to address these challenges, as foreign investment remains choked and awaits the revival of the international Monetary Fund (iMF) loan program worth $6.5 billion.

At the "infrastructure Summit 2023 - building for impact," organ-

FBR chief visits LTO Lahore

iSLaMaBaD: Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Mr. Asim Ahmad visited the Large Taxpayers Office (LTO) Lahore where he held a detailed meeting with the Chief Commissioner and Commissioners of LTO Lahore.

During the meeting, revenue collection for the period of July to February 2023 was discussed at length vis a vis targets assigned. A detailed discussion was held on challenges being faced in various sectors alongwith strategy to be adopted to achieve budgetary target for remaining months of the financial year. The Chairman directed the LTO team to ensure that the new budgetary measures are enforced in letter and spirit. The sugar sector was specifically discussed at length to ensure collection of due taxes in the coming months. PR

CDA to organize 3-day literary festival from Friday

iSLaMaBaD: A three day literary festival is being organized in Islamabad under the umbrella of Capital Development Authority. The literary festival will remain continue from March 17 to March 19 in Islamabad. The objective of the Literary Festival is to provide a platform to citizens for the promotion of literature, culture, art and especially books reading

The three-day literary festival organized by the Capital Development Authority has been divided into 2 different parts for the first time. Various programs have been arranged on all three days at 4 PM including Mushaira, Heer Goai, Manzil-BaManzil Islamabad, theater including panel discussion, cultural dance and musical nights.Panel discussion on Pakistani languages have also been made a part of the festival. PR

Hashoo School of Hospitality Management collaborates with Iqra University, Karachi

iSLaMaBaD: Hashoo School of Hospitality Management

(HSHM) has recently signed an Agreement with the Iqra University, Karachi (IU) for hospitality educational based projects and skill development programs for the youth, in Karachi, Pakistan. The agreement was signed by Mr. Haseeb Gardezi, Chief Operating Officer, Hospitality and Education Division, Hashoo Group, and Dr. Mirza Amin

Ullah Haq, Registrar, Iqra University, Main Campus, during a special ceremony, attended by Mr. Naveed Lakhani, Chairman, Iqra University, Dr. Zaki Rashidi, Director of Bahria Campus, along with the senior management of Hashoo Group and Iqra University faculty members. “Today is a very important day in the history of HSHM as we are partnering with the most iconic institute of Pakistan, Iqra University” said Mr. Haseeb Gardezi. “The shortage of skilled and experienced leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry is a pressing issue in Pakistan. PR

ized by the nutshell group and infrazamin, State bank of Pakistan governor Jameel Ahmad spoke about the importance of infrastructure spending in Pakistan. He highlighted that the country's current spending of 2.1% of gross Domestic Product (gDP) is amongst the lowest in the region and well below the national gDP level requirement of 8% to 10%. According to Ahmad, investing in infrastructure like energy, telecommunications, safe drinking water and sanitation, transportation network, health, and education helps increase competitiveness, improve productivity, facilitate economic development, and enhance social well being of the society.

Maheen Rehman, CEo of infrazamin, also spoke at the summit and discussed the challenges faced by Pakistan's debt issues, which have become increasingly urgent in the absence of the resumption of the iMF loan program. She emphasized the importance of mobilizing local financing for infrastructure projects, citing india and bangladesh as exam-

ples of countries that have successfully done so and emerged on the world economic map. Rehman pointed out that mobilizing local financing could help to develop bond markets more significantly and finance projects in the Pakistani currency instead of foreign currency. infrazamin and its parent company, Private infrastructure Development group (PiDg), which is an initiative among six European countries including the UK, provide financial guarantees for local banks and have recently kicked off supporting infrastructure projects. Despite the challenges faced by Pakistan, PiDg has recently begun offering its services in Pakistan with a focus on utilizing local markets and currency financing.

The british High Commission islamabad Development Director, Jo Moir, expressed concern about Pakistan's current economic situation. She highlighted that the british High Commission and PiDg have identified three priority areas for international support, including fostering climate innovation and early-stage

Planes carrying tents for quake victims arrive in Southern Turkey

risk capital, creating innovative financial instruments within the capital markets, and unlocking international climate finance. Moir argued that aid reductions could be viewed positively given Pakistan's progress in becoming a middle-income nation. However, she also emphasized the urgent need for investment in Pakistan's infrastructure, particularly in light of the country's vulnerability to climate risks. in conclusion, Pakistan faces numerous economic challenges, including piling debt, inadequate infrastructure spending, and vulnerability to climate risks. Mobilizing local financing for infrastructure projects could help to address these challenges and enhance the country's economic development. The international community, including PiDg and the british High Commission, have identified priority areas for support in Pakistan and have started working towards addressing them.

To read the full article visit www.tribune.com

Shell Pakistan announces financial results for 2022

Karachi: The Board of Directors of Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL) announced the company’s financial results for the year ended December 31st, 2022. The company posted a loss after tax of PKR 72 million for 2022 compared to the profit of PKR 4,467 million in 2021. During the year, SPL continued its focus on business principles, safety of people and protection of the environment; and remained committed towards operational excellence while keeping costs at a manageable level. In addition, there were significant investments in both infrastructure and brand building to maintain competitive advantage.

SPL increased its footprint and commissioned 31 retail stations, 28 Generation-5 Shell Select outlets and 25 new Shell Car Wash facilities with Tyre Care, augmenting customer experience.

The company led the industry in changing consumer attitudes and behaviours in refuelling safety. PR

Planes from Pakistan carrying tents for quake victims have arrived in the southern Adana province of Turkey.

“Two consignments comprising 2,400 tents arrived at Turkey’s Adana via two chartered planes on March 13. in the last 48 hours, this was the fourth plane that had arrived from Pakistan, each carrying 1,200 tents,” Pakistan’s embassy in Ankara said in a statement.

Pakistan has launched a special chartered flight operation to expedite the transport of 50,000 tents to Turkey by the third week of March, it added. Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, a former deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly, accompanied the plane from Pakistan.

Khan told reporters that Pakistan and Turkey have “a heart-to-heart relationship” that transcends the boundaries of time and geography.

“it is unique in the sense that the strength of

one country makes another stronger and the pain of one country is felt by the other. Whether it be floods in Pakistan or earthquake in Turkey, Pakistani and Turkish people have always stood by each other’s side,” he added.

burcu Cevik, an official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, thanked the government and the people of Pakistan for their quick response and solidarity with Turkey in this testing time.

Under the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, earthquake relief supplies, mainly winterized tents, are being transported through air, land, and sea routes. From February 7 to date, 14 aircraft have brought aid to Turkey.

At least 48,448 people have been killed by the earthquakes that struck on February 6, according to official figures.

More than 13 million people have been affected by the powerful quakes that rocked 11 Turkish provinces — Kahramanmaras, Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, osmaniye, Elazig, and Sanliurfa.

‘Dare To Be’ Conference celebrates International Women's Day

islamabad PR

google Developers group islamabad and Women Techmakers islamabad, jointly hosted a conference to mark international Women’s Day (iWD) on the theme “Dare To be.” The conference was a resounding success, featuring valuable insights from talented tech women and the industry's brightest minds.

The event celebrated diversity by inviting not only professionals, but also students from various backgrounds, the transgender community and the dif-

Meezan Bank, Fieldfisher Capital join hands to extend Islamic Finance Advisory to Europe & Middle East

Karachi: Pakistan: Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s leading Islamic Bank, has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fieldfisher Capital LLP (FFC)a multi-disciplinary advisory service, under which both parties will collaborate to provide Shariah advisory services to international clients including, but not limited, to Europe and the Middle East.

The signing ceremony took place at Meezan House, Karachi and the MoU was signed by Mr. Urooj ul Hasan Khan, General Manager Investment Banking & Shariah Advisory, Meezan Bank and Mr. Haseeb Haque, Managing Partner, Fieldfisher Capital LLP in presence of Mr. Ariful Islam - Deputy CEO, Meezan Bank, Mr. Khalid Mansoor, Partner FFC and their respective teams. On this occasion, Mr. Ariful Islam said, “We are optimistic that that this collaboration will make a significant contribution towards the growth of the Islamic finance industry. Our team is delighted to leverage our years of experience and knowledge to provide cutting-edge solutions to complex financial challenges worldwide. We look forward to working together with our partners to create a brighter future for the industry.” PR

IT can help LSM to increase exports

ferently abled, to motivate them to embrace their aspirations, ambitions, dreams, and share them with others. This years’ iWD theme was about encouraging each other to be

their authentic selves, and to break stereotypes. The conference explored what it means to be audaciously bold, to walk through the world with courage and confidence.

Ahsan Iqbal directs PBS to address Sindh’s concerns on census

islamabad

staff RePoRt

A virtual meeting of Minister PD & Si, Prof Ahsan iqbal, with CM Sindh was held at 10 am at Ministry of PD & Si. The main purpose of meeting was to resolve the observations of Sindh government over the ongoing Digital Census Exercise. Members from Sindh Cabinet and Senior officers from PbS, nDRA and nTC also attended the meeting.

Mr. Muhammad Sarwar gonadal, Member SSRM and Spokesperson of PbS updated the forum with the latest progress of Census activities and province wise position of important indicators. He apprised about the problem faced in field, technical support provided through Census Support Centers and nADRA teams to Field staff, Management of Census work at head office

through working groups, start of Computer assisted telephonic interviews (CATi) for data validation and quality, inclusion of internal migrants due to flood 2022, mechanism of counting of aliens

and assurance of completion of work at block level through geo tagging. The concerns raised by CM Sindh were provision of dashboards to Census District officers to validate that all the

houses in a UCs are enumerated or not, verification of family members, a comprehensive mechanism to count flood affectees, an effective publicity campaign on main stream media and implementation of ring back tone with census message to aware general public.

Chief Census Commissioner, PbS, Dr naeem uz zafar, along with Member SSRM/ official spokesperson, PbS, Ms. Rabia Awan DDg, other senior officers of PbS and representatives from nADRA and nTC assured that all concerns of Sindh government will be addressed. Access to dashboards has already been provided. Digital Census is different from conventional as former is more transparent, efficient, and effective and it also enables real time progress monitoring. Provincial government’s access to monitoring will help in reducing the trust deficit and increasing ownership.

Lahore: Large-scale manufacturing in Pakistan has the potential to significantly increase exports by using information technology solutions to help the country get out of its current economic situation. The sector has faced numerous challenges including outdated technology, low productivity, and has insufficient resources for investment in research and development, however, IT can help address all these issues. “One of the most important ways IT can be leveraged in large-scale manufacturing is to manage the entire process from sourcing raw materials to delivering finished goods to customers, resulting in lower costs and improved efficiency,” said Umair Azam, Founder and CEO of Integration Xperts. PR

Karandaaz launches report: ‘The State of Business Taxation in Pakistan – Challenges for SMEs’

Karandaaz Pakistan arranged a webinar on 15th March, 2023 to launch its latest study on The State of Business Taxation in Pakistan –Challenges for SMEs. The report provides detailed analysis on the hurdles Pakistani SMEs face when attempting to become tax-compliant, the rules that govern taxation in the country and recommends ways responsible authorities can streamline taxation policy while establishing efficient processes for collection to establish a more optimal tax regime. PR

Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan Ltd in partnership with the British Deputy High Commission Karachi organised an event to celebrate International Women’s Day with clients, partners and employees. A panel discussion was held to focus on “DIGITALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. PR

Karachi: group photograph was taken with Maj Gen Aneequr Rehman Malik, DG, Anti-Narcotic Force (ANF), and Force Commander Brig Syed Vaqar Haider Rizvi, ANF Sindh, at ANF Goodwill Ambassador Inaugural Ceremony 2023 held at DHA Suffa University. PR

OiL hitS LOweSt iN MOre thaN a year

PROfIt ReUteRS

OILprices plunged 5% to their lowest in more than a year as unease over Credit Suisse spooked world markets and offset hopes of a Chinese oil demand recovery.

Early signs of a return to calm and stability faded after Credit Suisse’s largest investor said it could not provide the Swiss bank with more financial assistance, sending its shares and other European equities sliding.

“We definitely have seen the oil market separate themselves from oil inventories and we’re more focused on a larger meltdown of the global economy,” said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group.

Brent crude fell $3.53, or 4.6%, to $73.92 a barrel by 10:53am ET (14:53 GMT). US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) was down $3.46, or 4.9%,

at $67.87. Both benchmarks hit their lowest since December 2021 and have fallen for three straight days.

Hedge funds were liquidating due to rising interest rates and economic uncertainty, said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial, adding that heavy pressure on US stocks

Pakistan, US vow to continue joint efforts for economic growth, energy security

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Pakistan and the United States on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to promoting economic growth, energy security, partnership in long-term flood rehabilitation efforts and strengthening their overall relationship. The bilateral ties were discussed in a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Geoffery Pyatt, assistant secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources at the US Department of State, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Pyatt is leading a delegation to Pakistan for the Pak-US Energy Security Dialogue. The Pak-US Energy Security Dialogue is a joint initiative aimed at promoting energy security and serves as a platform for high-level discussions between the two countries on bilateral energy priorities, advancing the transition to renewable energy and exploring economic and commercial opportunities in the energy sector.

The prime minister appreciated the holding of the dialogue on promoting energy security, saying that it would be beneficial for both countries.

He encouraged further investment in the country’s energy infrastructure, adding that it would also help the transition towards clean energy.

Likewise, Pyatt appreciated Pakistan for its “forwardlooking” renewable energy policy.

PM Shehbaz also welcomed the ongoing dialogues and cooperation between the two countries in areas such as trade and investment, health, security and climate change. Meanwhile, US State Department Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment, and Science Monica Medina, who is also in Pakistan on an official visit, informed the prime minister during the meeting that she was leading a delegation for meetings of the Pak-US Climate and Environment Working Group. She praised the “commitment and dedication with which the government of Pakistan had responded to the consequences of the last year’s devastating floods”.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Central Asia Elizabeth Horst, Development Finance Corporation Chief Climate Officer Jake Levine and US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome also attended the meeting. The senior US diplomats affirmed the Biden administration’s desire to enhance Pakistan-US cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, health, security and climate change.

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Power Minister Khurram Dastgir and other senior officials.

this morning was adding to the fund liquidation in crude.

The US dollar also strengthened against a basket of currencies, making it more expensive for holders of those currencies to purchase crude.

Oil had rallied earlier on figures showing that China’s economic activity

picked up in the first two months of 2023 after the end of strict COVID-19 containment measures.

Meanwhile, US crude stockpiles rose by 1.6 million barrels in the week to March 10 to 480.1 million barrels, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.2 million-barrel rise.

Crude stocks rose by about 1.2 million barrels in the week according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday.

On Tuesday both benchmarks had shed more than 4% to three-month lows, pressured by fears that the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last week and other US bank failures could spark a financial crisis that would weigh on fuel demand.

Wednesday’s monthly report from the International Energy Agency provided support by flagging an expected boost to oil demand from China, a day after OPEC increased its Chinese demand forecast for 2023.

ECC directs Petroleum Division to supply indigenous gas to urea fertiliser plants

DEMAND, SUPPLY SHORTFALL OF FERTILISER SECTOR ESTIMATED TO BE 0.3MMT

ISLAMABAD Shahzad paRacha

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet directed the Petroleum Division to supply indigenous gas to urea fertiliser plants till May 31 to meet 3.2 million metric ton urea requirement for the kharif crop.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar presided over the meeting of the ECC of the Cabinet.

The ECC considered and deliberated on the summary submitted by the Ministry of Industries and Production on the urea fertilizer requirement for kharif production in 2023.

Sources informed Profit that a meeting of Fertilizer Review Committee (FRC) was convened on March 9, 2023 to review the fertiliser situation for upcoming kharif season. In the meeting the Ministry of National Food Security and Research projected the demand for urea fertilizer to be 3.2 million MT, whereas production to be around 2.9 million MT.

Sources said Shahid Khaqan Abbasi led committee proposed ECC to direct petroleum division

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Foreign Office on Wednesday dismissed a statement by former US Special Representative on Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, and said that the country did not need “unsolicited advice”. “Pakistan does not need lectures or unsolicited advice from anyone on how to cope with the challenges we face today,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

The statement came in response to a series of tweets by Zalmay Khalilzad where he suggested “steps” and said Pakistan faced a

to supply indigenous gas to both plants at SNGPL network Fatima Fertiliser (Shiekhupura plan) and Agritech for bridging the gap between demand and supply of Urea fertiliser for kharif season 2023.

The committee has also proposed the ECC to decide gas pricing matters of indigenous gas to both plants on a long term basis.

Sources also said that the Ministry of National Food has also proposed to import 300,000 metric ton of urea fertiliser by May 2023.

The provincial agriculture department has already requested the Ministry of Industries and Production for ensuring operation of SNGPL based plants for meeting demand of urea fertiliser in the country.

Sources said that ECC dated March 30, 2022 had already directed the Petroleum Division to shift the SNGPL based plants to indigenous gas by September 30, 2022. However, the above mentioned plants have not been provisioned with indigenous gas till date.

Setting aside the option of importing the urea fertilizer, the ECC decided and directed the Petroleum Division to supply indigenous gas to urea fertilizer plants till May 31, 2023 to meet the urea requirement in the country for the kharif for the year.

‘triple crisis of political, economic, and security’. The FO spokesperson said, “As a resilient nation, we will come out stronger from the present difficult situation.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special envoy for Afghanistan, commented on the volatile situation in Pakistan, emphasising the need for strategic and thoughtful actions to address the nation’s political, economic, and security issues. Khalilzad comments came a time when clashes between the police and supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan persisted for a second day outside his home in Lahore on Wednesday, a day after officers went to arrest him

for failing to appear in court.

There have also been clashes between Khan’s supporters and police in other major cities, including Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta and elsewhere in Pakistan. Khalilzad cautioned against the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) chairman saying that such a move would only exacerbate the crisis. In a series of tweets, he advocated for a comprehensive plan to prevent the country from descending into chaos, arguing that the “sequential cannibalising” of political leaders through imprisonment, execution, or assassination is not a viable solution.

Govt removes GB police chief after claims of ‘assault’ on Punjab Police

ISLAMABAD GhUlaM abbaS

The federal government on Wednesday removed Inspector General (IG) Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Mohammad Saeed Wazir from his post following allegations that a G-B “force” was employed to attack Punjab police personnel at former prime minister Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park.

However, some insiders in the GB government have claimed that the police personnel from GB at Zaman Park are actually aimed at providing security to the Chief Minister and Home Minister GB who are regularly visiting or living in the premises of Imran Khan.

Though the chief minister GB Muhammad Khalid Khurshid visits Lahore frequently to meet his party head Imran Khan, the insiders informed, the Home Minister GB Shams Lone is living in the area for the past many weeks.

“In the police record, the GB police squad in Lahore is actually giving security to the Home Minister. Since the minister visits or lives in Zaman Park house of Imran Khan along with other party leaders and workers, the GB police are also living there,”

sources informed.

The GB Police had however been removed on Wednesday after clashes between Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) workers and law enforcement agencies intensified for the second day, as the Punjab police tried to arrest Imran after an Islamabad sessions court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the PTI chairman.

According to a notification, Mohammad Saeed has been directed to report to the Establishment Division, while Grade-20 police officer Dar Ali Khattak from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has been appointed as the new IG of Gilgit-Baltistan police.

Earlier in the day, Federal Information Minister

Marriyum Aurangzeb alleged that a Gilgit-Baltistan “force” was being employed to attack Punjab police.

She claimed that Imran wanted “anarchy and chaos across the country”, adding that the incumbent government had nothing to do with his arrest. She furthered that if the government wanted to arrest him, they had state powers in place, as well as the “same powers Imran used to jail his political opponents”.

Marriyum Aurangzeb addressed a presser that comes as clashes between PTI workers and law enforcement agencies intensified for the second day.

Marriyum said police and other law enforcement agencies are unarmed and only implementing the court’s orders.

She said 65 police personnel have so far been injured due to the terrorism of PTI hooligans.

The minister also urged the media to inform the masses about the facts and realities about Imran Khan.

As per latest updates, the operation has been suspended on the Lahore High Court (LHC) orders.

Meanwhile, the federal government removed Gilgit-Baltistan Inspector General (IG) of police, Muhammad Wazir Saeed, from the post ‘for not withdrawing force at Lahore’s Zaman Park’, residence of former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

According to details, the federal government removed Muhammad Wazir Saeed and appointed Dar Ali Khan Khattak, a Grade 20 officer, as the new inspector general (IG) of police of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Media reports said Muhammad Saeed is accused of not withdrawing the policemen from Zaman Park –residence of former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The authorities took a decision to call back GB police personnel allegedly deployed at Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore.

KARACHI MaRiaM UMaR faRooq

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) is at the brink of international default. It owes a record-breaking amount of Rs 775 billion to Qatar of which Rs 498 billion was contributed by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL).

PSO imported 8-9 cargoes of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) every month. It needs to pay for the fuel it imports within 15 days, but it’s struggling to do so because of a huge amount of debt.

PSO’s debt has also reached a record high of Rs 411 billion. Financial costs have increased by Rs 43 billion for the current fiscal year and Rs 73 billion for 2023-24 which would adversely affect its profitability. Besides, PSO also claimed that the Ministry of Finance was not releasing subsidies on time, which added to the financial woes of the company. In the first week of January, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had permitted the borrowing of Rs 50 billion with sovereign guarantees. However, the finance ministry took more than six weeks to provide a letter of comfort (LoC), a written document that provides assurance that the obligation will be met,

At the ECC meeting held on Tuesday and presided by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the government approved extending sovereign guarantees for Rs 50 billion commercial borrowing to help PSO. A sovereign guarantee is a promise made by the government to repay a loan taken out by a public entity, such as a state-owned company, if that entity is unable to repay the loan on its own. The government promises to step in and pay back the loan if the borrower can’t do so. This makes it easier for the public entity to borrow money, as the lender is more likely to lend if they have the assurance that the loan will be repaid.

An urgent meeting was held at the finance ministry before the ECC meeting. The meeting decided that SNGPL should be given a sovereign guarantee and LoC to borrow Rs 50 billion from the market for payments to PSO. This will help PSO pay its bills to its LNG suppliers and keep the supply chain going. The ECC has allowed a sovereign guarantee in favor of SNGPL to borrow the money immediately, according to an official statement. However, PSO has reported that even with the Rs 50 billion commercial borrowing, its liquidity requirements have not improved significantly, and there is a risk of defaulting on international payment obligations.

PML-N only capable party to protect country, masses: Maryam Nawaz

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz said on Wednesday that PML-N is the only political party of the country which has the capacity and capability to protect interests of the country and all federating units.

Addressing the workers’ organizational convention here, she said that the PML-N always gave respect to the nation, made economic progress and provided facilities to people. She said that Nawaz Sharif was the leader who had always protected his party workers and the people of Pakistan at large, while PTI Chairman Imran Khan was using women and children as a shield for his protection. “The PML-N leader said that Nawaz Sharif, along with his daughter (Maryam), returned from London and courted arrest, which was an act of bravery.” She said that Imran Khan was afraid of appearing in the courts of law, and he was not ready to leave his Zaman Park residence.

She said the PML-N youth were torch-bearers of the prestige of Pakistan. “I feel pride to see the spirit of youth and women who are looking determined for progress of the country,” she added.

Maryam said that people wanted to play role as a team for development of Pakistan under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. She said that her party would contest elections and win with a thumping majority. “We never accepted any selection in the past, nor we will let it happen in future,” she thundered. The struggle for balanced scales was underway to give honour to vote. Only giving respect to vote could help provide justice to people,” she asserted.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Federal Minister Rana Tanvir Hussain, MNA Malik Rashid Ahmed Khan, members of provincial assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, Malik Ahmed Saeed Khan, PML-N Divisional President Wasim Akhtar Sheikh and other leaders and workers were also present at the convention.

leaks,’ reveal how Yasmin Rashid seeks President’s help to end Zaman Park standoff

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

In another purported audio leak on Wednesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid allegedly requested President Dr Arif Alvi to play a role to defuse the fast worsening situation during the police operation at Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore.

In new leaks, Dr Yasmin can be purport-

edly heard as saying: “The situation is very bad. Our workers have resorted to throwing petrol bombs and setting fires. Please explain it to Khan sahib otherwise people and policemen will be killed.”

Then the president responded by stating that he would do his best, saying that he had already spoken with Asad Umar. Yasmin purportedly said that if the situation continued to deteriorate, the elections could be postponed which is unacceptable to the party leadership.

“I am intentionally out of this for the first time. I have already made a few phone calls,” she said.

“My suggestion is to advice Khan sahib to give in and fight another day. This is my personal opinion, but ultimately the decision is yours. It’s unlikely that he will surrender, especially with the presence of Rangers. Molotov cocktails are being used. Their water cannon was also set on fire.”

Dr Alvi stated that he would speak to Asad Umar again, to which Yasmin re-

sponded by suggesting that he should also speak to senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Meanwhile, in another leaked conversation allegedly between Dr Yasmin Rashid and former federal minister Brig (r) Ijaz Ahmad Shah, it was stated that Imran Khan had directed all PTI MNAs and MPAs to gather workers outside his Zaman Park residence.

“He will not give [party] tickets to those who do not come. Khan sahib has said this

directly,” Yasmin purportedly said in the audio clip doing rounds on social media. Shah said that he was calling everyone. Yasmin added that Imran Khan had requested that his message be conveyed to everyone. Yasmin later confirmed her conversation with Shah, stating that “I am the president of the party, will I not call my people?” She further clarified that, “Our people have been on the streets for 23 hours. They are being shelled and tortured. I did not say anything controversial in the audio.”

‘Audio

Govt gives another lifeline to PSO

INT'L DEFAULT RISK LOOMS OVER STATE-OWNED COMPANY AS IT FACES DIFFICULTY IN PAYING BACK DEBTS

FO speaks on Khalilzad’s tweet: Pakistan doesn’t need ‘unsolicited advice’

PHOOLNAGAR Staff RepoRt