Epaper_23-03-20 KHI

ECP PuTs off Punjab ElECTions Till oCTobEr amid ‘sECuriTy ThrEaTs’

g lEgal ExPErts EquatE PostPonEmEnt to violation of Constitution

ISLAMABAD staff report

ThEElection Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday announced to postpone the Punjab elections, originally scheduled for april 30, till october 8. in the order, a copy of which is available with Pakistan today, the ECP said that in exercise of the powers conferred upon it by article 218(3) read with section 58 and section 8(c) of the Elections act, 2017, the commission “hereby withdraws the election programme […] and fresh schedule will be issued in due course of time with poll date on october 8”. the postponement of the polls, however, has triggered a debate whether the ECP decision had violated the 1973 Constitution by postponing the polls beyond 90 days of the dissolution of the Punjab assembly. on march 1, the supreme Court had ruled that the elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies should be held within the stipulated period of 90 days. it had, however, allowed the ECP to propose a poll date that deviates from the 90-day deadline by the “barest minimum”, in case of any practical difficulty. on mar 10, the ECP later wrote separate letters to the

president and the KP governor. in the letter to President dr arif alvi, the electoral watchdog proposed dates between april 30 and may 7 for the elections. alvi later the same day announced that elections in Punjab will be held on april 30.

former premier imran Khan was quick to lodge protest on twitter, stating that by postponing Punjab elections till oct, the ECP has violated the Constitution.

“today everyone must stand behind the legal community –the judiciary & lawyers – with expectation that they will protect Constitution. for if this is accepted today then it is the end of rule of law in Pak. We dissolved our 2 provincial legislatures with expectation that elections would be held in 90 days as clearly given in our Constitution. We did not take this action to allow a bunch of fascists to impose a reign of terror, violating the Constitution & rule of law,” he added.

last week, the ECP was informed that the Pakistan army will not be available for poll-related duties due to the prevalent security situation within the country and on the borders.

referring to the above briefing and other various briefings from government departments on the overall security situation in the country, the ECP order said that currently, only one security

g ECP violatEd Constitution by PostPoning Polls: imran

personnel on average was available per polling station due to a “massive shortfall in police personnel” and the non-provision of army personnel as a static force.

“the commission is unable to make alternate arrangements to ensure security of the election material, polling staff, voters and the candidates,” the order reads.

it added that the finance ministry had also shown an “inability to release funds due to financial crunch and unprecedented economic crisis in the country”. the order pointed out that despite the ECP’s best efforts, the executive authorities and federal and provincial governments were not able to assist the electoral body in conducting free, fair and transparent elections in Punjab.

it added that after the briefings from the law enforcement agencies and federal ministries, the ECP had convened meetings on march 20, 21 and 22 to “deliberate extensive” on the matter of the Punjab elections.

“the commission after considering the reports, briefing and material brought before it, has arrived at the just conclusion that it is not possible to hold and organise the elections honestly, justly, fairly in a peaceful manner and in accordance with the Constitution and the law,” the order reads.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 07

SC warns of intervention against malicious intent in holding ‘transparent’ polls in KP, Punjab

ISLAMABAD staff report

the chief justice of Pakistan said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would be “protected” as a constitutional body, but warned that the supreme Court would intervene if there were any malicious intention in conducting “transparent elections” in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. the observation was made during hearing of a petition against the transfer of ghulam mahmood dogar as chief of lahore police by a threejudge bench of the apex court.

a three-member bench of the supreme Court headed by Chief Justice umar atta bandial, and included Justice yahya afridi and Justice mazahir ali akbar naqvi, heard the petition.

Election Commission (ECP) counsel abid Zuberi told the court that the election schedule has been released after the establishment of caretaker government as it is the ECP’s responsibility to conduct fair and transparent elections under article 218. the ECP has the power to reshuffle bureaucracy to give a level playing field to contestants.

the government can transfer an officer with the approval of the ECP, he added.

Justice yahya afridi inquired as to when the ECP can use the authority of transfer and posting. the ECP counsel submitted that under article 218, it can transfer an officer.

Chief Justice bandial remarked that it has been proven that the caretaker government can transfer officers in consultation with the ECP. Can ECP itself recommend to the caretaker government to transfer officers?

Justice afridi then questioned when the ECP gave approval of the transfer of CCPo dogar.

the counsel submitted that the ECP gave verbal approval to the caretaker government for the transfer of CCPo on January 23. the caretaker government took a policy decision to reshuffle the bureaucracy for transparent election and the ECP approved the decision.

Earlier this month, the ECP had requested to become a party to the case, arguing that without the transfer of “partisan officers,” free and fair elections would not be possible.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 07

UN warNs ‘vamPiric’ watEr UsE lEadiNg to ‘immiNENt’ global crisis

NeW YoRK afp

HUMANITy’S“lifeblood” — water — is increasingly at risk around the world due to “vampiric overconsumption and overdevelopment,” the UN warned in a report, published hours ahead of a major summit on the issue was set to begin Wednesday. The world is “blindly travelling a dangerous path” as “unsustainable water use, pollution and unchecked global

warming are draining humanity’s lifeblood,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a foreword to the report, released hours ahead of the first major UN meeting on water resources in nearly half a century.

Co-hosted by the governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands, the UN Water Conference will gather some 6,500 participants, including a hundred ministers and a dozen heads of state and government Wednesday through Friday in New york.

Richard Connor, lead author of the report, told AFP that the impact of the

“world water crisis” will be a “matter of scenarios.”

“If nothing is done, it will be a businessas-usual scenario — it will keep on being between 40 percent and 50 percent of the population of the world that does not have access to sanitation and roughly 20-25 percent of the world will not have access to safe water supply.” With the global population increasing every day, “in absolute numbers, there’ll be more and more people that don’t have access to these services,” he said. At the UN conference, governments and

actors in the public and private sectors are invited to present proposals for a so-called water action agenda to reverse that trend and help meet the development goal, set in 2015, of ensuring “access to water and sanitation for all by 2030.” The last conference at this high level on the issue, which lacks a global treaty or a dedicated UN agency, was held in 1977 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Some observers have already voiced concerns about the scope of these commitments and the availability of funding to implement them.

“There is much to do and time is not on

our side,” said Gilbert Houngbo, chair of UN-Water, a forum for coordinating work on the topic.

The report, published by UN-Water and UNESCO, warns that “scarcity is becoming endemic” due to overconsumption and pollution, while global warming will increase seasonal water shortages in both areas with abundant water as well as those already strained. ‘now or never’: “About 10 percent of the world’s population lives in a country where water stress has reached a high or critical level,” the report says. According to the most recent UN climate report, published Monday by the IPCC expert panel, “roughly half of the world’s population currently experience severe water scarcity for at least part of the year.” Those shortages have the most significant impact on the poor, Connor told AFP.

President approves reconstitution of National Economic Council Earthquake

kills at least nine in KP

ISLaMaBaD Staff RepoRt

President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday approved the reconstitution of National Economic Council (NEC).

The President gave the approval on the advice of the Prime Minister under Article 156(1) of the Constitution.

Caretaker Minister for Energy, Industries, and Investment Punjab S.M Tanvir and Adviser on Finance and Energy to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Himayatullah Khan have been made members of the

Council. The Council has been reconstituted due to the caretaker setup in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

President Alvi APProves remission for Prisoners on PAkistAn dAy:

President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday approved a remission for the prisoners on the occasion of Pakistan Day annually observed on March 23.

According to a statement issued by the President House, President Alvi granted a remission of 90 days in sentences exercising his powers under Article 45 of the Constitution.

However, the remission would not be applicable

to prisoners involved in murder, espionage and antistate activities.

Besides, the prisoners involved in rape, theft, robbery, kidnapping, terrorism and financial crimes, would also be ineligible for remission.

The reduction in sentences will be applicable to male prisoners over 65 years age and female prisoners over 60 years age, who had completed one-third of the sentence.

The juvenile prisoners, who had completed onethird of their sentence will also be entitled for remission.

Over 100 FIRs registered against Imran, PTI, LHC told

Staff RepoRt

A record of the first information reports (FIRs) submitted before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday revealed that Punjab Police, Islamabad police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered 130 FIRs against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and other party leaders.

Meanwhile, LHC’s Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Anti-Corruption Establishment to submit the record of FIRs from their departments by March 24.

Justice Sheikh was hearing a plea filed by the former premier seeking details of the FIRs registered against him, and other PTI workers.

According to the records, out of a total of 130 FIRs, 35 were registered against Imran.

Punjab Police registered a total of 84 FIRs against PTI leadership and workers but nominated Imran Khan in six. Islamabad police registered 43 FIRs against

party workers, with 28 against Imran and the FIA registered three FIRs with Imran mentioned in one.

As proceedings commenced, the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Azhar Siddique, drew the court’s attention towards the rapid increase in the number of FIRs registered against Imran and the PTI.

He contended that there were 56 FIRs in Punjab and 33 in Islamabad till yesterday which increased to 84 and 43 respectively. NAB sought some time to submit the relevant report, irking Justice Sheikh who questioned what the accountability watchdog was doing since yesterday.

NAB’s representative replied that they found out today about the requisite document and that the accountability watchdog was not given the petitioner’s copy, therefore could not respond without reading the petition. Siddique argued NAB had been written to twice but the bureau and Anti-Corruption are reluctant to submit the record before the court.

Justice Sheikh then asked the anti-corruption wing how many cases were registered against Imran Khan, and expressed dismay after receiving a non-satisfactory answer. He maintained that it appeared NAB and the anti-corruption wing were not cooperating. He furthered that the case could be disposed of if the NAB and anticorruption wing had submitted their records today.

ISLaMaBaD

Staff RepoRt

At least nine people, including two children, were killed and 46 wounded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Pakistan and Afghanistan late on Tuesday, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Provincial Disasters Management Authority (PDMA) said the powerful earthquake resulted in multiple incidents of collapsed walls and roofs, which caused fatalities. Separately, Abdul Basit, a senior police official, told AFP that at least 19 houses were damaged. Two people, including a 10-year-old girl, died in Madyan town of Swat; three in the Bajaur district of Malakand; two, including a boy, in Lower Dir; and one child in the Abbottabad, APP reported, citing the official. Hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were put into a state of emergency overnight. Abdul Basit, secretary of the provincial relief and rehabilitation department, and Sharif Hussain, director general of the PDMA, visited the Emergency Operation Centre to oversee relief efforts. They directed their respective teams to expedite relief activities and use all resources and equipment available to them. The secretary also instructed Rescue 1122 to provide immediate medical care to the injured and transport them to nearby hospitals without any delay. The district administration, Rescue 1122, and Civil Defence were asked to remain on high alert. The PDMA remained in constant communication with the district administrations and other concerned institutions in all affected areas, and all available resources were mobilised to provide quick relief to victims. The situation was being continuously monitored and citizens were advised to report any untoward incidents through helplines 1700 or 1122, APP said. The quake was felt over an area more than 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) wide by some 285 million people in Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, the EuropeanMediterranean Seismological Centre said.

CAPITAL PoLICE CLAIM 316 PTI woRKERS ARRESTED In FJC ATTACK CASE So FAR

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

THECapital Police on Wednesday declared that it had arrested 316 PTI supporters allegedly involved in attack on police officers and causing chaos outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) on March 18 when PTI Chairman Imran Khan appeared before a court in Toshakhana case.

According to police’s claim, during the violent confrontation, a contingent of the law enforcers and PTI supporters used anti-riot gear against each other with teargas to push the opposing side back. The PTI used stones against the police alongside petrol bombs to set their vehicles on fire. Police had also lodged a first information report (FIR) with terrorism charges against Imran and more than a dozen PTI leaders.

The police in its tweet accused PTI supporters of “incitement, arson, vandalism and attacks on police”.

It added that police teams were conducting further raids for more arrests and that the identification process of all suspects with the help of cameras was underway. The police further said, “Other districts are being alerted about the suspects arrested for being involved in violent incidents so that suspects could be handed over to the police of those districts.” The Islamabad police also detailed its plan of action against various individuals including government officials, company employees and immigrants, if they found to have been involved in Saturday’s chaotic events.

On the matter of the suspected involvement of any government officials in the “violent actions”, the capital police

said alerts of their involvement were being sent to the “relevant departments so that departmental action could be taken”. It added that civil servants active on social media who were involved in

the “inciting actions” were also being identified so departmental action could be taken against them as well. The capital police also stated that alerts about the involvement of employ-

LHC rejects ECP’s decision of retaining Ch Shujaat as PML-Q president

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

ees from private organizations and companies in “terrorist activities” would be sent to their respective organizations.

The police further said that Letters are being written to the respective foreign embassies of the immigrants found involved in these actions. Legal action is also being taken against the facilitators financially assisting these violent protests.

Giving the detail of the losses, it said that “58 police officials were injured during the violent vandalism while 12 cars, 20 motorcycles and a police check-post were set on fire”.

Meanwhile, In a tweet today, the former premier Imran Khan said that he strongly condemn the custodial torture that was being done on PTI workers & leaders including Amjad Niazi, and now, from what he has learnt, on Hassaan Niazi who was first abducted immediately after he got bail, and then named falsely in another FIR. “Shameful fascism and law of the jungle,” he added.

Police to launch crackdown on PTI’s financiers

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of the recent stalemate between the former ruling party and law enforcers over deposed prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest fiasco, the federal police on Wednesday decided to launch a crackdown on all those who are providing financial support to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Police sources privy to the matter said a list of financiers, comprising 21 people, has been prepared and they will be arrested soon, as the police had warned them earlier.

It is pertinent to mention that in the recent meeting of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), it was unanimously decided to counter PTI with an iron fist under the law.

In a joint statement, the ruling coalition vehemently condemned PTI workers’ attack on police personnel and torching of vehicles. The huddle declared that the entire nation has seen that PTI is not a political party but a clique of militants trained by banned outfits, for which there is evidence and proof, so it was decided to take action in this regard according to the law. Meanwhile, the Islamabad police conducted raids in the twin cities and arrested 316 suspects involved in vandalism at the Judicial Complex during the hearing of the PTI chief in the Toshakhana case.

Police said with the help of cameras, the identification process is underway to arrest more suspects, while private institutions and companies involved in terrorist activities have also been identified. Staff RepoRt

Mariyum Aurangzeb rejects Zalmay

Khalilzad’s ‘unsolicited advice’ on politics

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting

Mariyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday strongly condemned former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad’s tweet in favour of former premier Imran Khan. In a statement, the information minister said, “Jewish lobby had come forward to save its stooge and handlers of the criminal involved in foreign funding were coming to light.”

Mariyum Aurangzeb said the foreign stooge was responsible for the financial, political and diplomatic disaster in Pakistan.

She said that the foreign puppet had committed the worst human rights abuses during his four years rule, adding that Imran had been labelled a media predator at international level.

The information minister alleged that international lobbyists had mobilized to create a civil war in Pakistan and Zalmay’s tweet was a link to that plan.

The statement comes after Khalilzad had warned that the arrest of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman will deepen the crises being faced by the country.

DI Khan operation martyrs laid to rest with full military honour

RAWALPINDI

Staff RepoRt

The martyrs of Pakistan Army who embraced shahadat (martyrdom) during an operation in Saggu area of Dera Ismail Khan (D.I. Khan) were laid to rest with full military honours in their native towns on Wednesday. According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release, the martyrs namely Havildar Azhar Iqbal, Naik Mohammad Asad and Sepoy Essa of Pakistan Army were laid to rest in Lodhran, Mian Channu and Bobar Ziarat, South Waziristan respectively.

The funeral prayers and burial were attended by serving and retired military personnel, families and relatives of the martyrs and a large number of people from various segments of society.

The Armed Forces of Pakistan and intelligence agencies stand resolute and determined to uproot the menace of terrorism at all costs, it said.

“These sacrifices reaffirm our resolve and strengthen our faith in the fight against terrorism to provide a peaceful Pakistan to our coming generations,” the ISPR said.

US lawmakers concerned about human rights situation in Pakistan, Fawad tweets

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Former minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary has said that the world has been expressing concern over the situation in Pakistan.

Fawad wrote on his twitter handle that “Zalmay Khalilzad, Senator Jacky Rosen, and Congressman Mike Levin and now the US State Department’s report on human rights shows serious concern over arrests and torture in Pakistan.”

Fawad said former US representative Khalilzad, in his recent tweets expressed the “hope the Pakistani political leaders rise above destructive petty politics that undermine the national interest. If not, I hope the Supreme Court says no to being used in games that undermine the nation’s interests. I am becoming increasingly con-

cerned about Pakistan.”

Congressman Levin has recently expressed concern on political situation in Pakistan.

Fawad tweeted that “Pakistan is diplomatically isolated. “Friendly countries like Saudi Arabia and Emirates have distanced themselves from Pakistan,” his tweet concluded.

In another tweet, Fawad said that even a day’s delay in holding provincial elections would be unconstitutional.

He said that “I ask the government not to take any step in the session of the dummy parliament today, which will increase the political crisis in Pakistan so much that it cannot be handled.”

He termed the delay in provincial elections as unconstitutional and said that he rejects all efforts to put pressure on the Supreme Court. “Don’t run with wickets,” Fawad wrote.

Elahi sees govt’s negotiations with IMF of ‘no importance’

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez

Elahi said on Wednesday that the government’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were of no importance.

Mr Elahi was expressing his views during his meetup with PTI stalwarts including Raja Basharat and Mehmoodur Rasheed. He said, “The journey of progress, which was started during the tenure of former prime minister Imran Khan, has now been stopped by the incumbent government.”

“The country was facing consequences at the global level due to the wrong policies of its inept rulers. Nothing has been done by the rulers, who made claims about taking the country out of economic woes”, he added.

Speaking about the “growing popularity” of Mr Khan, Mr Elahi said, “Despite all the restrictions imposed on Imran Khan, his popularity graph is way above average. Imran continues to captivate the attention of the international media.”

This is for the first time in the country’s history that people are quite concerned about managing to observe fasts, he lamented.

Bashing the political opponents, Mr Elahi said, “Despite the masses’ longing for free flour,

the rulers are keeping themselves busy with the distribution of laptops.” He claimed the PTI leaders and workers had been arrested to stop the party from staging its electoral campaign. “The masses will not let the incompetent rulers to escape elections, no matter what tactics they are resorted to,” Mr Elahi said.

Stressing the need for pouring onto streets against the “corrupt mafia”, Mr Elahi claimed Interior Minister Rana Sanullah and PML-N senior vice president Maryam Nawaz were running the campaign against the judiciary. He vowed to not let anybody to violate the constitutional and political rights.

UnIcEF: Over 10m lack access to safe water in flood-hit

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The United Nation’s Agency for Children warned more than 10 million people, including children, living in flood-affected areas remained deprived of safe drinking water, six months after the devastating floods ravaged parts of Pakistan. In a new release on World Water Day, Unicef said that the floods damaged most of water systems in affected areas, forcing more than 5.4 million people, including 2.5 million children, to solely rely on contaminated water from ponds and wells.

“Six months after catastrophic floods … more than 10 million people, including children, living in flood-affected areas remain deprived of safe drinking water, leaving families with no alternative but to drink and use potentially disease-ridden water,” it said. Even before the floods, the news release said, despite the country’s drinking water supply system covering 92% of the population, only 36% of the water was considered safe for consumption.

“Safe drinking water is not a privilege, it is a basic human right,” said Abdullah Fadil, the Unicef representative in Pakistan.

“Yet, every day, millions of girls and boys in Pakistan are fighting a losing battle against preventable waterborne diseases and the consequential malnutrition,” he continued.

“We need the continued support of our donors to provide safe water, build toilets and deliver vital sanitation services to these children and families who need them the most,” Fadil added.

The prolonged lack of safe drinking water and toilets, along with the continued proximity of vulnerable families to bodies of stagnant water are contributing to the widespread outbreaks of waterborne diseases such

The Lahore High Court (LHC) Wednesday rejected the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to retain Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), ordering the ECP to redecide after a review within 10 days.

LHC judge Justice Asim Hafeez heard the petition of Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain.

“The destruction of Pakistan is due to the biased election commission. The job of the election commission is to make recommendations on the petition according to the law. Why does the election commission look biased?”

Justice Asim Hafeez said.

“You are a lawyer for the election commission. Do not give the impression that you are a lawyer for any political party,” the judge asked the ECP’s lawyer. Aamir Saeed Raan, the lawyer for Chaudhary Wajahat, appeared in the court

“The general council has the authority to amend the constitution of the PML-Q. The party’s general council amended the constitution,” he argued before the court.

ACE summons PTI ex-MPAs, minister for corruption probe

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has summoned a former provincial minister and two former MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on March 24 in corruption probe. According to ACE officials that Former provincial minister Chaudhry Zahiruddin, former MPAs Ali Afzal Sahi and Ali Akhtar of PTI and eX-MPA Mohammad Azam Chela of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) have been directed to appear before the ACE Lahore on March 24.

The ACE official said “Chaudhry Zahiruddin and his brother Ali Akhtar are running an illegal bus stand in the name of Taimur Traveller in the city area of Jaranwala.

The map of Taimur Traveler Bus Stand was forged and added to the record by Ali Akhtar as Tehsil Nazim,”

It said Zaheeruddin and Akhtar Ali did not get the map of Taimur Traveler approved by the competent authority. The original file of Taimur Traveler Bus Stand is missing from the record. They did not even deposit the commercialization fee of the bus stand with the government treasury. The official said that Afzal Sahi gave contracts for all the development projects of his constituency to his front men. Ex-MPA Ali Afzal Sahi received bribe from Sahyanwala, Kharanwala and Canal Expressway in Chak No. 163 projects, it said and added Sahi also accepted bribe in the construction of Adda Bridge, Talakay to Chak No. 16 road.

“Sahi awarded the contract of all the development projects to his two front men, Malik Shamsher Construction Company and Farooq Chatta Construction Company. He gave all the contracts with the connivance of highway department officials,” the ACE said.

Govt to ensures nonstop power supply in Ramazan

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

The Ministry of Energy on Wednesday announced to provide uninterrupted power supply during the hours of sehri, iftar and tarawih during the month of Ramadan. According to media reports, the Federal Ministry of Energy said that it will ensure continuous provision of electricity during Ramadan’s holy hours throughout the month. The spokesperson of ministry said “the concerned authorities have completed all operational arrangements and finalized a comprehensive strategy”. He said that there will be no electricity outage during two hours of Sehri, one hour during Iftar and two hours during Tarawih. He added, in case of transformer failure, additional transformers will be made available, and special teams will be formed for ‘redressing of grievances’ at subdivision level. The power division, in this regard, has sought details of supply and demand from all the power distribution companies. The ministry has also instructed all electricity supplying companies to comply with the order. Moreover, control rooms will be established at the operational circle level to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

PTI secures permission for Lahore rally on Saturday

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has been granted permission by the deputy commissioner of Lahore to hold a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan on Saturday, on the condition that the organisers will be responsible for the security of women and the stage, and will provide electricity to all parts of the gathering.

Additionally, no party members or leaders will be allowed to make anti-judiciary and anti-institution remarks, and the party will be held responsible for any harm caused to public property. The notification also said that the PTI volunteers will cooperate with the district administration and that no one will be allowed to carry a stick or any other material similar to this.

areas

as cholera, diarrhoea, dengue, and malaria.

At the same time, open defecation has increased by more than 14% in the flood-affected regions. To make matters worse, the lack of proper toilets is disproportionally affecting children, adolescent girls and women who are at added risk of shame and harm.

Besides, unsafe water and poor sanitation are key underlying causes of malnutrition. The associated diseases, such as diarrhoea, prevent children from getting the vital nutrients they need.

“Malnourished children are more susceptible to waterborne diseases due to already

weakened immune system, which simply perpetuates a vicious cycle of malnutrition and infection,” the news release warned.

Tragically, it added, one-third of all child deaths globally are attributable to malnutrition and half of all undernutrition cases were linked to infections caused by a lack of access to safe water, adequate sanitation and good hygiene. “In Pakistan, malnutrition is associated with half of all child deaths. In flood affected areas, more than 1.5 million boys and girls are already severely malnourished, and the numbers will only rise in the absence of safe water and proper sanitation.”

Proscribing politicians

Has the government no way other than proscription to stop the PTI?

THe increasing crescendo of voices from Coalition politicians demanding the banning of the Pakistan Tehrik Insaf as a terrorist organization implies that politicians are not to be trusted. True, This seems a purely legalistic means of dealing with a purely political problem: the Coalition is going to lose big to the PTI if an election is held. The solution of making the PTI vanish may be superficially attractive, but it would have unforeseeable consequences, and would only play into the hands of those who reject politicians as untrustworthy, and as lesser beings.

It is true that the PTI does not regard the law as above its leader, and that the recent standoff at Zaman Park showed that Mr Khan cannot be forced by a court to appear before it. His two appearances at the Islamabad Judicial Complex show that hordes of unruly party workers will be there, and the police will be hard-pressed to contain the crowd. However, that still does not meet the legal standard of terrorism. The list of proscribed organizations under the Anti-Terrorism Act, includes organizations ready to use violence to achieve their ends. It also includes organizations which intend to use terror to further their aims. They do not fight elections, perhaps because they know that they will receive a pasting at the hustings. On the other hand, the PTI is anxious to contest elections. Indeed, at this point, it seems to be the only party which so wants to contest. At the same time, even the reluctant Coalition parties, are nothing if not electionfighting organizations.

It must be conceded by the Coalition that it has the same aim as the PTI: getting its leader to become Prime Minister. That means getting a majority of the national Assembly, and that means contesting elections. The process may be messy. Some parties, like the PTI, may sail close to the wind. However, only those who look too hard for neatness and regularity in life, who prefer rapped-out parade-ground orders to the cacophony of an assembly, would look with ease upon proscription of a political entity. The PTI’s obedience of the law and the Constitution may be self-serving, but can any party claim to be more altruistic? The Coalition should overcome its self-righteousness and consider whether it will gain politically from such an action or lose? It must let self-interest determine its actions, not anyone’s desire for neatness.

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M. A. Niazi

Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Re-colonization of Pakistan

The country has been recognized time and again

came to the streets demanding freedom. The labour unions also joined the protests. Ayub Khan was forced to resign in March 1969. Instead of following his own constitution he handed over power to the Sipah-e-Salar.

On August 14, 1947 a new nation was carved out from the Indian Sub-continent, then a British Colony. Father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah wanted to start afresh, he refused to accept the last Viceroy Lord Mountbatten as the Governor General of the Commonwealth dominion. Pundit’s had given six months to the new country as it was perceived to be unsustainable. First it was the Quaid who led from the front followed by the first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan.

It was on the invitation of the Quaid that prominent Muslim businessmen and scientists decided to settle in the new land. Unfortunately the Father of the nation perished after a year of freedom in September 1948. The struggle for the creation of the republic continued.

The promotion to the rank of Sipah-e-Salar of an ordinary soldier with a very poor record of service was the first major blow to the democratic struggle. Finally in 1956 after the passage of the constitution, the republic of Pakistan emerged with Iskander Mirza as its first President. elections under the new constitution were scheduled for October 1958 but instead Martial Law was clamped and the constitutional framework annulled. It was the first open and planned effort for the re-colonization of Pakistan. The colonial judiciary and bureaucracy gladly joined the bandwagon, and only a few scattered pockets of resistance remained.

In the 1965 Presidential election held under the imposed 1962 constitution, Madar-e-Millat Mohtrama Fatima Jinnah challenged the ‘new Colonial empire’. despite massive rigging through the state apparatus she prevailed in the eastern Wing and Karachi. She demanded restoration of the 1956 constitution under a parliamentary form of government. A mass media campaign was launched against her. She was declared a traitor and Indian agent. In Gujranwala the Sarkari League touts painted her name on stray dogs thus the term ‘Kutta and Kutti’ entered the political arena.

What goes around comes around. After ten years of his ‘colonial rule’ the dictator decided to celebrate his ‘decade of Progress’ in October 1968. Chants of ‘Kutta’ were heard all over the country. We as students of the first born-free generation of Pakistan

To the relief of the masses the 1962 imposed ‘Colonial Constitution’ was replaced with a Legal Framework Order (LFO). elections were held on the basis of one-man one-vote in 1970. To the utter surprise of the establishment two major parties emerged. In the eastern Wing it was the Awami League of Sheikh Mujib-ur-rehman while in the Western Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won big. THe rest is history, as they say. despite warnings from the field commander Lt Gen Sahibzada Yakub Ali Khan, the establishment decided on Military Action to crush the will of the masses. People’s power prevailed over state hegemony. The Quaid’s Pakistan was dismembered together with the collapse of the created ‘Colonial empire’. As a genuinely elected leader Bhutto moved fast to revive the republic. First it was the 1972 interim constitution, followed by the 1973 unanimously agreed version. On 14 August 1973 the Islamic republic of Pakistan emerged under an elected PM. He moved decisively against Colonization’. Pakistan, withdrew from the British Commonwealth of nations, and banned the Freemason’s Movement. After completing the transition to constitutional democracy, he decided to call early elections in 1977.

Little did he know that he had been trapped by the forces of ‘re-colonization’. nationwide protests were already planned, conniving with with out-of-work politicians. Finally a new plan for re-colonization was launched on 5 July 1977 under the command of Gen Zia-ul-Haq, the Sipah-e-Salar. Bhutto was eliminated, his party under Benazir resisted but finally with Asif Zardari at the helm it too became a part of the ‘colonizing powers’.

information of our ‘Colonial Masters’; the bright to Information Act 2017 has replaced the Official Secrects Act while the Constitution of the republic overrides the Government of India Act 1935.

Imran Khan is right, violators should be punished. Arrest without warrants is punishable, so is physical torture in captivity.

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran have commonalities. While IRP was the first Islamic Democracy, IRI was second. When Dr Muhammed Mossadegh, the elected PM of Iran decided to nationalize oil in his country, the PM of Pakistan was asked by the West to stop the takeover in the neighbouring Islamic Republic.

disdain for the constitution and rule of law is the first sign of colonial abuse. The state prefers to operate under the Imperial Acts like the Official Secre5ts Act 1923 and the Government of India Act 1935 while defying the constitutional framework enacted by the elected representatives of the people. For the

ICC, War Crimes & Challenges

Under the Geneva Convention, certain rules of war have been framed to protect human beings from heinous crimes. The Geneva Convention, along with other additional protocols, prohibits murder, torture, mutilation, hostagetaking, unfair trial, cruelty, humiliation and degradation. Special protection is given to the rights of children, women, patients, old people and prisoners during wartime and post-war. The International Criminal Court was established in 2002 for the purpose of prosecution of war crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression.

Under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and (8)(2)(b)(viii) of the rome Statute, russian President Vladimir Zelensky has been accused of being responsible for war crimes of illegal abduction and deportation of children from Ukraine to the russian Federation since 24 February 2022, when russia invaded Ukraine. For the first time in the history of the International Criminal Court, ICC has issued an arrest warrant against one of the heads of state of any of the five permanent members of the United nations Security Council. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for the russian Commissioner for Children’s rights, Ms Maria Lvova-Belova. The allegations have been denied by Moscow and it has called the warrants “outrageous”.

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appreciated the ICC’s move and termed the arrest warrants “historic accountability”. Kremlin spokesman dmitry Peskov condemned the ICC move, calling the arrest warrants as “outrageous and unacceptable”. By raising questions on the jurisdiction of ICC with special reference to russia, he also said that any decision of ICC would be “null and void” because of the absence of russia as a member of ICC.

Another official of the russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, shared her legal concern on the recent move of the ICC on her Telegram channel in these words, “the decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view”. She further extended her point of view by stating that “russia is not a party to the rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it.”

In fact, the International Criminal Justice System has been facing numerous challenges since its inception which are administrative, legal, and financial in nature. Territorial jurisdiction is one of the most important problems being faced by ICC as only 139 states signed the rome Statute and only 118 ratified the document.

Firstly, no doubt, ICC cannot take action to

arrest any official within the territory of a state that is not a party to the rome Statute of the ICC. Similarly, the ICC cannot order the russian government for execution of the recently issued arrest warrants to arrest any accused within its territory and extradite them to the respective body for further trial. So, global powers should make efforts to make all members of UnO to the party of rome Statute of the ICC for fair implementation of international laws.

Secondly, there is not a well-defined mechanism of a force that is supposed to execute ICC orders fairly. The department of Police is considered as a backbone in a criminal justice system for implementation of court orders. However, the ICC does not have its own police department with powers to raid around the world, or in member countries. So, the judicial department that is supposed to protect rights of marginalized segments of global society lacks a basic administrative mechanism regarding force. And expecting law and enforcement agencies of a country to arrest their heads of states or top officials under execution of order of ICC will be pure speculation and illusion.

Thirdly, implementation of the rome Statute of the ICC in the countries which are parties to the rome Statute is also another major challenge. even signatories do not pay much attention to the execution of orders of the ICC. There is no strict mechanism to punish those countries which do not fulfill their obligations under the statute.

For instance, former Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir was held responsible of genocide during Sudan’s darfur conflict by ICC. More than 400,000 deaths were estimated by UnO during his reign. He is alleged to be the mastermind of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes during the darfur conflict.

In the pre-trial phase of the case, ICC issued an arrest warrant for Omar Al-Bashir in 2009. Bashir was on a visit to attend an African Summit, and South Africa was legally bound to arrest Bashir and extradite him. However, the government refused to arrest him under some legal concerns over diplomatic immunity. South Africa also threatened ICC to withdraw if any action was taken over the violation. Fourthly, impartiality is the basic essence of

the judiciary. Lessening the tendency of meritocracy is another dilemma when it comes to analyzing moves of the ICC. For instance, the ICC will never take up any case regarding violation of human rights committed by the USA or the UK. The ICC was helpless and inundated with the allegations of war crimes committed by American troops in Iraq. did the ICC ever take action against the UK Or the USA for committing gross violation of human rights in any signatory country? did the ICC ever condemn or take action against immunity agreements of the USA with signatory and non-signatory countries, to give legal shelter of non-prosecution to violation of human rights of her citizens and troops?

If not, then of course, russia will allege the arrest warrants of the russian President and commissioner, as a politically-motivated prosecution under the western policy to isolate russia. ICC should keep its impartiality uppermost. It ought to be the role model with its merit-based steps without any discrimination so that non-signatory countries could join ICC to make it more effective. Global institutions, which represent the global community for collective benefits, should not be hijacked by global powers. Global leaders, irrespective of any political bloc, should play their role to take decisions in making the ICC globally accepted so that war crimes could be investigated fairly and stopped all around the world. It is the time to separate politics from the international criminal justice system. Let’s make the world free of war crimes with an effective international criminal justice system.

The writer is a Lahore -based civil and criminal lawyer. He can be reached at Ch.changezi.sandhu.111@gmail.com

After the revolution in Iran, ‘Obeying Orders’ was not accepted as a viable defence. In the words of Imam Khomeni; “A civil servant is bound to obey only lawful orders”. Those who followed illegal orders to please the Shah were tried and punished. Iran will never be a monarchy again as all traces of human subjugation have been surgically removed. The Islamic republic of Pakistan too needs such a ‘cleansing operation’. The Islamic republic of Pakistan and the Islamic republic of Iran have commonalities. While IrP was the first Islamic democracy, IrI was second. When dr Muhammed Mossadegh, the elected PM of Iran decided to nationalize oil in his country, the PM of Pakistan was asked by the West to stop the takeover in the neighbouring Islamic republic. On his refusal it was decided to get rid of both of them. The PM of Pakistan was assassinated in 1951 while the PM of Iran was captured soon after. Both republics collapsed, one came under the raj while the other was handed back to the Shah. Iran succeeded in breaking the imperial shackles in 1979, the Shah fled the country never to return again. now it’s the turn of Pakistan to shatter ‘colonization’ for all times to come.

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

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Census issues

PAKISTAn is going through its first-ever digital census — a glimmer of hope as proper planning based on proper data will benefit our future generations. Several issues have been reported of late, including corruption, improper arrangements for the field staff, hooliganism and non-cooperation by the citizens, that are hindering the digital census. It is shocking that senior officers are allegedly involved in misusing transportation funds allocated speci-fically for escorting the staff to their respective fields.

Besides, enumerators lack proper security. Many of them have faced mugging and harassment. On the very first day of campaign, in the Landhi area of Karachi, phones and valuables were snatched from members of the census field team as the civil adminis-tration had not provided security to them. Moreover, connectivity issues and malfunctioning devices have also been reported by team supervisors. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) is conducting the census with the help of district administrations in all the provinces. The PBS should follow the action plan of the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) in which eCP sets up its own makeshift offices in government buildings, schools, parks, etc., every time elections are held anywhere in the country. By following the strategy, the PBS can ensure transparent use of funds and unhindered flow of the census operations throughout the country.

JIBRAN BAIG HYDERABAD

Academic integrity in the world of AI

ArTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) innovations like ChatGPT may well be seen as disruptive interventions to academic integrity because they have the potential to make it easier for individuals to obtain information and answers to questions without having to engage in original research or critical thinking.

This may lead to a situation where students and other individuals are more likely to copy information or present someone else’s work as their own, which would undermine the principles of academic integrity. While ChatGPT and other AI models can have many benefits, they also have the potential to have a negative impact on creativity and critical thinking capacity of the students to an undesirable extent. This can result in decreased motivation about learning in its true and desired spirit. If individuals can access information and answers easily through ChatGPT and similar platforms, they would surely be less motivated to engage in the hard but intellectually stimulating task of learning and thinking.

The individuals may not see the value in investing time and resources in traditional education, and will be even less motivated to pursue academic or research-based careers. This will lead to a lack of originality, and in due course of time it is bound to disturb the social equilibrium. The developing world will be hit particularly hard in this regard.

ChatGPT and similar models can generate vast amounts of information, but this information may not always be original or creative. If individuals simply repeat or repackage this information, they may not develop the skills of original thought and creativity that are essential for academic and professional success. Such innovations can quickly generate vast amounts of information, and that adds to the concerns that they may replace human expertise in various fields. To respond to these challenges and with AI innovations becoming more accessible and advanced, there have been concerns about their potential impact on academic integrity, including the risk of AI-based plagiarism. In response, a number of universities across the world have taken action to prevent AI-generated content from being used in a manner that may undermine the process of academic research.

Others have implemented techno-logical solutions, such as plagiarism detection softwares, to identify and prevent such content from being used in academic work. Additionally, some universities have established clear policies and guidelines for the use of AI-generated content in academic work, making it clear what is and is not acceptable.

Changezi Sandhu

Global leaders, irrespective of any political bloc, should play their role to take decisions in making the ICC globally accepted so that war crimes could be investigated fairly and stopped all around the world. It is the time to separate politics from the international criminal justice system.

Putin’s arrest warrant showed the flaws in the system

China and US competition for primacy in the Indo-Pacific COMMENT 05

The focus is this region

dr MuhaMMad akraM zaheer

CHInA seeks to replace the USA as the most influential nation in the Indo-Pacific region. This strategic goal may have been an aspiration among Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent predecessors, but it has become under him the engine of most of China’s day-to-day foreign policies. Convinced that the USA is in secular decline and the only questions being how fast and how far, Beijing projects its increasing economic and diplomatic power to undermine the foundations of the US posture in Asia, beginning with the US alliance system. As Lee Kuan Yew, the late Singapore PM, emphasized, China has transformed a poor society by an economic miracle to become now the world’s second-largest economy, on track, as Goldman Sachs has predicted, to become the largest. They have followed the US lead in putting people in space and shooting down satellites with missiles.

Theirs is a culture 4,000 years old with 1.3 billion people, a huge and very talented pool to draw from. How could they not aspire to be number One in Asia, and in time the world? It is China’s intention to be the greatest power in the world.

China’s tactics will change over time; its desire for dominant influence, at least in the Indo-Pacific region, will not. One sees this in the effective conciliatory speeches Xi and his senior colleagues make in international forums, which contrast vividly with former US President Trump’s bitter, resentful outbursts. Indeed, Beijing remains a verbal champion of international cooperation precisely when the Trump Administration largely abandoned it.

This is not to say that China does not make mistakes in implementing its strategic goals through its tactical actions. Its crude, threatening “wolf warrior” diplomacy is counterproductive. The financial terms of its Belt and road Initiative have aggrieved some countries in the developing world.

China’s military actions in the Himalayas along the India-China border in the early summer of 2020 in unforgiving mountain terrain have dramatically changed public opinion in India and pushed it geopolitically closer to the USA. So this is far from an error-free team in Beijing.

The crucial variable in whether China is successful

in its strategic purpose is the domestic, economic, military, and diplomatic strength and resolve of the USA and its allies, and not Chinese actions. As the Biden Administration enters office, the USA is deeply divided on political, economic, and racial issues, marked by a polarized Congress and an angry partisan public fed for years by Trump’s divisive rhetoric and actions exemplified by the chaos and violence at the Capitol on 6 January 2021. In this context, President Biden has an enormous challenge to unite the country in pursuit of agreed domestic and international goals. He will benefit from available vaccines and other medical positives in the early months of his term that could lift some domestic pressure and give him more international flexibility. Should he succeed in reanimating American power and intensifying ties to allies, managing China’s rise becomes substantially less daunting, and Beijing would likely slow its aggressive push toward Asian dominance. Should he fail, he would only reinforce the view in Beijing and in some allied capitals that the USA has joined all the other nations that dominated the international system, then faltered, then failed. The USA with its allies and partners can successfully compete with China, and there is no reason for intrinsic pessimism. Although the following are not perfect comparisons, they are illustrative. The combined economies of the USA, Japan, South Korea, and Australia far outstrip that of China. US nominal GdP in 2019 was $21.4 trillion compared to China’s $14.3 trillion. The 2019 total for the USA, Japan, South Korea, and Australia was $29.5 trillion. When measured by purchasing power parity, China’s $23.5 trillion exceeds the USA’s $21.4 trillion, but is still behind the $30.4 trillion of the USA’s -Asianalliance. even if the economic fallout of the coronavirus changedthose numbers significantly for 2020, it is difficult to imagine that the immediate ramifications of the pandemic could close the GdP gap between China and the USA and its Asian allies. Additionally, PrC exports in 2019 totaled $2.6 trillion, compared to $2.5 trillion in the USA, but US allies in Asia make up almost $2 trillion in additional exports. Combined defense spending by the USA, Japan, South Korea, and Australia outpaced China in 2019. Washington spent $684.6 billion and budgeted $69 billion for war funding. The allies combined to spend an additional $113.9 billion.

China put about $181.1 billion toward defense. That said, it is difficult to quantify or accurately break down PrC military expenditures, and Beijing does not pay as much per soldier as Washington does. Of course, what matters most is what is being purchased. China has modernized its force at a blistering pace since 2000, but US allies

are also increasing budgets to acquire more advanced weapons and improve their navies’ blue-water capabilities.

The four now have advantages in most general military dimensions over China, including US superiority in naval tonnage, higher-quality submarines, and superior longrange stealth aircraft. However, these sorts of measures of inputs shed relatively little light on who can sustain prolonged combat and where. The PrC has major advantages in its ability to sustain fighting on a large scale in the seas and airspace near Taiwan. Beijing often cannot match the united diplomacy of Washington and its allies and partners in Asia and europe, but this situation is evolving. The USA and nATO allies UK and France hold three of five of the permanent Un Security Council seats. Although China acquired chairmanship of four Un specialized agencies, the USA and its european and Asian allies combined hold chairmanship of six. But China does not stand idle. It is strengthening its military partnership with russia. It maintains close relations with Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar, and north Korea. All of these except north Korea have conducted joint military exercises in several locations.

China, russia, and Iran have carried out joint naval exercises. russian and Chinese bombers have flown together in patrols over the Sea of Japan. Moreover, PrC economic linkages and dependencies have a value that can influence and compel behaviour even among US allies, the Philippines being a case in point. For instance, China recently concluded both the regional Comprehensive economic Partnership in Asia, which includes all five US Asian treaty allies and a bilateral investment treaty with the eU. Although China is catching up, the USA still generally leads in the application of advanced technologies. Moreover, Beijing’s soft power and values appeal only to governments with authoritarian tendencies. India, although not a treaty US ally, increasingly sees its capacity to avoid intimidation from Beijing as linked to ever-closer relations with the West. Further, publics in the democracies now decisively see China as a threat.

In October 2020, a Pew poll showed that in 12 democracies in europe and Asia, majorities of at least 70 percent had a very or somewhat unfavorable view of China. A november 2020 report by the Central european Institute of Asian Studies revealed that in all 13 european nations surveyed, respondents had a negative view of China’s “effect on democracy in other countries.” Finally, in addition to all these factors are the many substantial domestic problems China currently faces that will to some degree constrain its external behaviour. In short, there is much repair

For Pakistan, many opportunities, questions in China’s Iran-Saudi deal

get along well enough not to be overly bothered by Pakistan’s good relations with both,” the expert added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that the agreement provided “major” opportunities for “the two countries”, the region, and the Muslim world.” Apparently, joint ventures between Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan may be possible if the Chinese mediation efforts prove to be sustainable.

added that reduced regional tensions can reduce the recruitment capacity of jihadi groups, and Pakistan can avoid being entangled “in the zero-sum game of the two regional rivals.”

Al-MONITOR Sabena Siddiqui

HAVInG agreed to exchange ambassadors and reopen their embassies within two months, bitter rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran issued a trilateral statement March 10 after a decisive round of talks facilitated by China. While the deal will have repercussions throughout the Middle east, another major player that stands to gain is Pakistan, Iran’s immediate neighbor and a close strategic ally of riyadh.

Since breaking diplomatic ties in 2016, Iran and Saudi Arabia have remained on opposite sides of nearly every regional conflict, from Syria to Iraq to Yemen. Iraq and Oman had also worked to engage the two rivals, but it was Beijing that finally managed this geopolitical shift. Pakistan attempted to resolve the regional rift as soon as it happened and continued mediation efforts over the years. Being home to the second largest Shiite population after Iran (though it is a majority Sunni state), Islamabad had to deal with religious and sectarian violence by extremist groups from both sides whenever the matter intensified.

“ONE OF BIGGEST WINNERS”

FROM DEAL: Adopting a nuanced approach, Islamabad tried to maintain balance in its dealings with both the countries. A statement by the Pakistan Foreign Office called the normalization an “important diplomatic breakthrough” made possible by “China’s visionary leadership.”

Michael Kugelman, South Asia director at The Wilson Center in Washington told Al-Monitor that Pakistan would be one of the biggest winners if the deal works. “Few countries are more vulnerable to Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry than Pakistan. It has a military alliance with the Saudis, it borders Iran, it has a Shia population of 20%, it is pressured to help Saudi Arabia militarily, and it is periodically targeted by militants based in Iran,” Kugelman said. He added that Islamabad has sought to be neutral in the rivalry, but that its alliance with Saudi Arabia makes that difficult. “It’s easier to be neutral— meaning to pursue warm relations with both countries—if Saudi Arabia and Iran

Having had dependable ties with neighbor China, Pakistan was one of the first participants of President Xi Jinping’s mega-project, the Belt and road Initiative (BrI). In 2015, the China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC), flagship corridor of the BrI was launched. Ultimately worth around $65 billion, it is also the only corridor nearing completion from the six corridors of the BrI.

nearly $26 billion have been invested by China up till now and the project has entered the second phase. Both Saudi Arabia and Iran were invited to join this trade connectivity project but their involvement remained negligible. With their bilateral differences set aside, both China and Pakistan can benefit as the two rivals can participate or invest in various CPeC projects.

As per Kugelman, “The sustainability of the deal is the fundamental issue at play. The key signpost will be whether each country changes, or at least adjusts, the policies that have most upset the other. In particular, would each side draw down their support for violent proxy groups that target the other, and the other’s interests? For example, if we start seeing less Saudi and Iranian involvement in the war in Yemen, that would be a very strong and encouraging data point.”

Zeeshan Shah, a financial analyst at FInrA in Washington, told Al-Monitor, “Saudi pressure has reportedly been behind Pakistan’s calculation in not expanding trade with Iran and not completing the gas pipeline, on top of the nuclear sanctions on Iran.” Shah added, “Pakistan’s external security had been under increased pressure from riyadh to choose a side. The Iran-Saudi rivalry narrowed Pakistan’s economic and political maneuverability and reduced its strategic options.”

MUCH NEEDED ECONOMIC

BOOST: Considering the economic crisis that Pakistan is going through due to political instability and catastrophic flooding, Islamabad would welcome a rapid increase in cross-border trade with Iran and investment from the Kingdom, along with possible joint ventures with Tehran and riyadh. However, a european diplomat posted in Islamabad told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that this development would help Pakistan only in the medium to long term unless sanctions on Iran are lifted.

Highlighting some advantages, he

Beijing stands to be the main beneficiary, since it already had long-term comprehensive strategic partnerships with Tehran as well as riyadh. Since Beijing had to meticulously balance both the allies, ending their differences may have become necessary. Trying to maintain the positive tempo, China now plans to host an Iran-GCC summit soon.

Meanwhile, China is the largest trading partner of both the rivals, representing almost 30% of Iran’s total international trade, and Saudi Arabia’s largest oil export market with bilateral trade up 33.1% on a yearly basis.

At the Financial Sector Conference in riyadh, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan mentioned that Saudi investments into Iran can happen “very quickly” after the agreement to restore diplomatic ties.

In another fresh development, the export-Import Bank of China announced that it would provide Saudi national Bank loan cooperation in yuan. dong dengxin, director of the Finance and Securities Institute of the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, stated that this facilitation could become a “good template” for deals with other countries. Apparently, Tehran and Beijing have also discussed increasing yuan-based trade.

Most of all, Beijing can now accelerate its mega-connectivity project, the Belt and road Initiative. In addition, riyadh can join the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization, of which Iran is also a member.

nevertheless, many details remain unresolved. Soon after the announcement, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said, “It does not mean that an agreement has been reached to resolve all pending disputes.”

Hard-line segments of Iranian army or establishment could have some objections. The truce also may have no immediate impact on the Yemen war, as the Houthis have made it clear that they are not subordinate to Tehran.

According to the diplomat, “There is a high degree of symbolism due to the involvement of Beijing, though only in the last phase of the talks. It was a remarkable achievement as the two old rivals reached the conclusion that as the old saying goes: ‘you can eat soup with your enemy, though with a longer spoon.’”

In the past, Beijing restricted itself to being just an economic partner and investor in the Middle east. Being directly involved with this agreement, China may also have to play the role of a guarantor and accept responsibility for the actions of both its allies and possibly even maintain the peace in the oil-rich volatile region.

to be done with respect to the USA’s international influence and alliance systems after the Trump years, but enormous potential power resides in these nations to work together to deal successfully with China.

The USA and China are well on their way to confrontation, which could eventually lead to war. during the past two years, almost every international issue divided Washington and Beijing. They disagreed about the most effective ideological underpinnings and political structures for modern societies, the futures of Hong Kong and Taiwan, freedom of navigation and the nature of maritime claims in the South China Sea, how best to curtail the north Korean and Iranian nuclear weapons programmes, nuclear weapons and arms control, cyber-penetration and other influence operations, the place of alliances in the current era, bilateral trade and intellectual property, human rights, 5G networks and advanced technology, climate change, China’s Belt and road Initiative and geoeconomic coercion, the India-China dispute in the Himalayas, and the proper roles and missions of international organizations. In the fervo4r of the just completed U.S. electoral season, many of these disagreements have worsened a problematic reality that the Biden administration just inherited of late, Beijing and Washington seemed uninterested in using diplomacy to arrest the potentially catastrophic decline in relations. Few meetings have been held between their top diplomats, and crisis management mechanisms are moribund. Thus neither the USA nor China made any serious effort to reduce disagreements on major issues. Instead, they hurled daily public accusations against the other.

When Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo all but said that Washington could not successfully address its problems with Beijing as long as the Chinese Communist Party ruled there; in short, a call for regime change.

China in its media has found nothing good to say about the USA, from its racial and class problems to its international behaviour.

This absence of diplomacy perplexes because it widens the U.S.-China gulf and increases the likelihood of eventual violent confrontation. History is replete with examples of how such conflict-ridden policies by contending states lead to tragedy.

no grand bargain will be struck between the USA and China on world order. This is especially true given that both the US and Chinese governments currently strive for illusionary primacy in the Indo-Pacific.

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

THe U.S. intelligence community’s annual threat assessment for 2023 certainly cannot be faulted for having a narrow focus or Pollyanna perspective. From a rising China, russian aggression and Iran’s nuclear ambitions to climate change, future pandemics and the growing reach of international organized crime, the IC’s analysis is as comprehensive as it is worrying.

Inaugurated two decades ago as a gesture of transparency and to inform Congress and the American public, the annual threat assessment offers the intelligence agencies’ top-line conclusions about the country’s leading national-security threats — though always in ways that will not compromise “sources and methods.” As in the past, America’s spies and intelligence analysts have stayed in their lane and avoided policy questions or any suggestion that some problems are more important than others.

Yet when testifying to the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 8, U.S. national Intelligence director Avril Haines was not as constrained. She made it abundantly clear that the Biden administration regards China as “our unparalleled challenge,” and as America’s leading national-security threat.

If the annual threat assessment was less categorical, that is because it represents a harmonized view. differences of expert opinion and bureaucratic battles across 18 intelligence agencies come with the territory, requiring compromises on both wording and substance. Having chaired scores of meetings to coordinate IC assessments as a member of the national Intelligence Council, I can attest to the heated debates that are involved. Forging a consensus among such an animated crowd is a true art.

But as important as it is to argue over evidence and language, it all ultimately takes a backseat to the first step in any analysis: figuring out what questions the final product should address. Part of the answer, of course, depends on the president and other key policymakers. With a $67 billion budget, the IC owes its paymasters that much at least. But the task also calls for a sober examination of the facts and their implications, regardless of whether these align with the administration’s views. Here, this year’s threat assessment fell short.

Like the White House, the IC’s assessment emphasizes the threats represented by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s confrontational approach and advances in China’s military, economic and technological capabilities. But there is less insight into China’s domestic problems and what those could mean for Xi’s regime. As threat assessments go, this omission may be justifiable. But when it comes to improving policymakers’ and ordinary Americans’ understanding of their country’s foremost global competitor, Xi’s domestic difficulties should not get such short shrift.

Consider Xi’s effort to restructure the

Chinese property sector following decades of massive investment. According to Michael Pettis of the Carnegie endowment, this sector accounts for as much as one-third of China’s gross domestic product, but it is extraordinarily bloated and thus underperforming. Two years ago, Chinese authorities tried to crack down on borrowing by overleveraged developers, sparking multibilliondollar defaults and leaving scores of cities littered with abandoned projects and faced with long construction delays. Many of the big developers are still struggling, as are local governments that have racked up massive debts financing their work.

even China’s own dodgy official economic statistics reveal a massive festering problem. China’s 31 provinces have racked up $5.1 trillion in debt to fund development, and that figure does not even include all of the additional local government financing vehicles (LGFVs). These off-the-books entities serve as backdoors for municipal governments to tap banks for loans and sell bonds after they have borrowed heavily to finance property and infrastructure projects. According to the International Monetary Fund, the total debt associated with LGFVs has exploded to almost $10 trillion.

This red ink is as much a political problem as a financial one. Chinese LGFVs have $790 billion worth of bonds coming due this year and another $70 billion of offshore debt will have matured by 2025. Land sales to developers have long been local governments’ principal revenue source. But with these tanking, officials are being forced to slash salaries, pensions, services and health care in order to service debts.

These cuts have provoked demonstrations in several cities — and it isn’t only workers and pensioners who are upset. China’s burgeoning middle class bet big on real estate in recent years, giving the country a homeownership rate of nearly 90%. But now the property sector’s turmoil is hitting them hard. With 70% of Chinese household wealth tied up in property, owners have seen their nest eggs shrink.

In response, the Chinese government once again eased credit to stimulate the real-estate market last november, and by January, home prices had ended a 16-month decline. But potential buyers remain wary. There is still a massive backlog of unfinished projects and everyone remembers the large protests last year by would-be homeowners who had taken out up-front mortgages on homes that may never be built. More stalled projects and flagging sales already bode ill for 2023.

To be sure, like other short- and long-term domestic challenges facing China — from growing youth unemployment to a shrinking labor force — property-sector woes are not an immediate threat to Xi’s rule or the Communist Party of China’s power. But they do obviously pose problems for his agenda, both foreign and domestic. Following the massive protests against the “zero-COVId” policy late last year, Chinese officials are well aware of the political risks. Under Xi, the CCP is expanding its presence in China’s government ministries as well as business boardrooms, and a raft of reforms has tightened access to officials and information.

In short, the IC’s otherwise well-presented unclassified annual assessment should have dug deeper. Congress and the public deserve to hear its best insights into the problems facing Xi’s regime. As we all know by now, what happens in China does not stay in China.

Kent Harrington, a former senior CIA analyst, served as national intelligence officer for East Asia, chief of station in Asia and the CIA’s director of public affairs.

HAVING OFTEN BEEN CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN THE RIVALS, PAKISTAN IS LOOKING FORWARD TO CALMER SAUDI-IRAN RELATIONS AND REAPING ECONOMIC BENEFITS THROUGH ITS PARTNER, CHINA

What do America’s spies really think about China?

WASHiNGtoN AFP

fEWexpect Chinese President Xi Jinping’s diplomacy to yield breakthroughs on the Ukraine war. But in Washington, there are fears Beijing may succeed elsewhere — in winning credibility on the world stage. Xi pushed forward positions on Ukraine during two days of talks in Moscow, a week after China announced the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia — rivals in a region where the United States for decades has been the main diplomatic powerbroker.

The United States has been skeptical of China’s diplomatic offensive, believing its proposed ceasefire

China diplomatiC offensive lays down new Challenge for Us

would only provide time for Russia to regroup forces that Ukrainians have been succeeding in pushing back for more than a year.

“The world should not be fooled by any tactical move by Russia — supported by China or any other country — to freeze the war on its own terms,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

But US officials and experts say that China’s diplomacy is not so much about ending the war as an attempt to change the narrative.

Xi “would like to be seen and be taken seriously as a peacemaker,” said Robert Daly, director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China.

“He’s more interested in that right now than actually doing specific things to attain peace in Ukraine. This is mostly about messaging.”

The United States has increasingly found success in persuading Western allies to see China as a global threat — a perception that has grown in Europe after US assertions that Beijing is considering supplying weapons to Russia. Daly doubted China would provide major military support unless it sees a serious threat to President Vladimir Putin, Xi’s biggest ally in confronting the United States.

But Daly said Xi casting himself as a mediator could

World Bank’s IFC to invest about $73m in Mahindra’s last mile mobility unit

profit

Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd said on Wednesday that World Bank’s private investment arm, International Finance Corp (IFC), will invest 6 billion rupees ($72.58 million) in the company’s last mile electric mobility unit.

The investment, which will be in the form of compulsory convertible instruments, will value the unit at 60.20 billion rupees. IFC will own about a 9.97%13.64% stake in the newly formed company. The new unit will house the last mile mobility division, including three-wheeler and four-wheeler small commercial vehicles, Mahindra said. The investment, which is IFC’s first in an electric vehicle maker in India, comes as the sector is receiving a push from the government. Indian automakers and startups, such as Tata Motors, ElectricPe and Yulu, are jumping into the space and attracting multiple investments.

Sri

Lanka

profit AFP

help at the margins in Europe — and especially in developing nations which share little of the US enthusiasm for preserving an “international rules-based order.”

Xi “doesn’t actually have to move the needle on peace or a ceasefire in Ukraine. All he has to do is profess interest in peace and, somewhat contradictorily, in sovereignty and respecting others’ territorial integrity and he gets what he needs.”

LOw-risk, HigH reward: The United States for years has called on China to assume more global responsibilities commensurate with its aspirations. Blinken allowed that Iran-Saudi reconciliation was a “good thing” even if brokered by China, which relies on oil imports from the rivals.

But China has entered only into selective spots. Iran and Saudi Arabia had already been looking at patching up, and any mediation would have been nearly impossible by the United States which has no diplomatic relations with Iran’s clerical rulers.

James Ryan, director of the Middle East program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said that China’s interest in the two countries was “purely economic.”

“China is not going to be providing security guarantees to this deal,” he said.

Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stim-

leader

warns

Sri Lanka’s president warned Wednesday of more economic pain to come for the crisis-hit nation, with strict austerity measures needed to restore its ruined finances after an IMF bailout deal. The International Monetary Fund approved its long-delayed rescue package on Monday after China, the South Asian island’s biggest bilateral lender, offered debt relief assurances. President Ranil Wickremesinghe lauded the deal in a speech to parliament as a milestone in Sri Lanka’s recovery from last year’s unprecedented economic crisis. But he also told lawmakers that the bailout was only the first step in more difficult

son Center, said that the Iran-Saudi Arabia deal has “made a lot of people in the US uncomfortable.”

“The Chinese were just at the right time and the right place with the right relationships,” she said.

“They exploited the opportunity to be a mediator. In fact, they cannot mediate — there’s nothing they can offer.” sHift in tOne: Sun said that China at least was stepping back from “wolf warrior” diplomacy — its shift in the past decade to a shrill, coercive style of dealing with other countries.

“But if the question is have the Chinese been able to come up with a new alternative world order, I don’t think so.”

Evan Feigenbaum, a former US official now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote in an essay that China has already won support for its efforts in parts of the world less invested in the Ukraine war, such as Brazil.

China’s diplomacy can only help, if not by much, in Europe — and there is no thought of winning over the United States, he said.

“Beijing will have already concluded that Washington will dismiss any Chinese diplomatic activity as performative — a kind of Peking opera,” he wrote.

“But the Americans are not China’s audience, so Beijing likely does not much care what Washington thinks.”

hard times to follow IMF bailout

structural reforms.

“The IMF loan is not an end in itself, this is the beginning of a long and more difficult journey,” Wickremesinghe said.

“We have to traverse it with care and courage. The only objective is to rebuild the economy.”

Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46 billion foreign debt last April after nearly exhausting its foreign exchange reserves, making it almost impossible for importers to source vital goods.

The island nation’s 22 million people endured months of food and petrol shortages, along with runaway inflation and prolonged blackouts, as a result.

Wickremesinghe has sought to restore government coffers by sharp tax hikes and ending generous consumer subsidies on fuel

and electricity.

On Wednesday, he said more taxes were on the cards to meet the IMF’s demand that Sri Lanka halve its spend on foreign debt servicing from the nine per cent of GDP recorded last year.

The IMF also requires Sri Lanka to set up tough anti-corruption laws and sell off cash-bleeding state companies, including beleaguered carrier SriLankan Airlines.

Wickremesinghe said the government would assume the external debts of key public companies to make them more attractive to investors.

Trade unions have opposed the austerity programme with strikes crippling the health and transport sectors last week and warnings of further industrial action to come.

AI vs EU: ChatGPT shakes up Brussels plans for regulation

BrUSSELS AFP

How do you protect people using new technology when it can radically change from one day to the next?

That’s the riddle the EU faces as it races to regulate artificial intelligence.

AI is in wide use, but the conversational robot ChatGPT has transformed how people view the technology — and how regulators should monitor it to protect against risks.

Created by US startup OpenAI, ChatGPT appeared in November and was quickly seized upon by users amazed at its ability to answer difficult questions clearly, write sonnets or code and provide information on loaded issues. ChatGPT has even passed medical and legal exams set for human students, scoring high marks. But the technology also comes with many risks as its learning system and similar competitor models are integrated into commercial applications. The European Union was already deeply into the process of creating an online regulatory framework, and now must go back to the drawing board to figure out how to effectively regulate AI.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, first announced a plan in April

2021 for an AI rulebook, and the European Parliament hopes to finalise its preferred AI Act text this month.

The EU industry commissioner, Thierry Breton, said MEPs, the commission and member states are working together to “further clarify the rules” on ChatGPT-type tech — known as general purpose AI — systems that have a vast range of functions. OppOrtunities v risks: Social media users have had fun experimenting with ChatGPT output, but it’s not a game. Teachers fear students will use it to cheat, and policymakers fear it will be used to spread misinformation.

“As showcased by ChatGPT, AI solutions can offer great opportunities for businesses and citizens, but can also pose risks,” Breton has said.“This is why we need a solid regulatory framework to ensure trustworthy AI based on high-quality data.”

The plan is for the European Commission, the European Council, which represents the 27 member states, and the parliament to discuss a final version of the AI act from April. Dragos Tudorache, the MEP overseeing the push to get the AI Act through parliament, said ChatGPT was one the publicly known, news-making example of general-

China, Russia deepen Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for New Era

iSLAMABAD StAFF RePoRt

China-Russia relations go far beyond the bilateral scope and are crucial to the world and the future of mankind, Chinese President Xi Jinping made the remarks when jointly meeting the press with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, adding that China and Russia will work together to practice true multilateralism, promote post-pandemic economic recovery and build a multipolar world.

Xi continued his state visit in Russia, meeting with Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Tuesday. Xi and Putin held two rounds of talks in a restricted session and an expanded format, and the two heads of state signed joint statements after their meeting. The Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era has been signed and released by Xi and Putin at Kremlin has been signed and released by Xi and Putin at Kremlin. On the Ukraine issue, the two sides stressed talks as solution to the crisis and called for respect for security concerns of all countries in resolving the crisis, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Russia said it is committed to resumption of peace talks as soon as possible. The two presidents also signed a joint statement on the development planning for the key directions of China-Russia economic cooperation before 2030.

Xi invited the two Russian leaders to visit China, as analysts said this shows that high-level mutual-trust and coordination between the two major powers are solid and will be elevated to a higher level despite the turbulence in the world.

Xi invited Putin to travel to China for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation this year. When meeting Mishustin, Xi said the invitation was made in his informal meeting with Putin, according to the Xinhua.It fits the historical logic that Chinese leaders take Russia as a primary choice for their overseas visits, Xi said, adding that China and Russia are each other’s biggest neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner of coordination, and that such a relationship has withstood the test of the world’s profound changes.

Xi also said that China is ready to expand cooperation with Russia in trade, investment, supply chain, mega projects, energy and hi-tech areas.

During the meeting with Xi, Mishustin said he led almost all key cabinet members of the Russian government to meet with the Chinese leader, and they warmly welcomed Xi on his state visit to Russia. strategic partnersHip: Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that “the high-level mutual trust and mature relations built between the Chinese and Russian leaders show that bilateral ties can withstand the impacts of the profound changes that the world is experiencing at the moment.”

The Ukraine crisis and the worsening ties between Russia and the West cannot affect the development of China-Russia ties, and this is a key message sent to the world. It shows that China and Russia are determined to make the world change in a positive way that can better promote multilateralism, multi-polarity and greater democracy in international relations, analysts said.

purpose AI and various derivatives.

Using what is known as a “large language model”, ChatGPT is an example of generative AI that — operating unguided — can create reams of original content, including images and text, by mining past data.

“We will indeed propose a set of rules to govern general-purpose AI, and foundational models in particular,” said Tudorache, a Romanian MEP. Last week, Tudorache and Italian MEP Brando Benifei presented fellow legislators with a plan to impose more obligations on general-purpose AI, a text which did not feature in the commission’s original proposal. Some experts complain the risks from such systems like ChatGPT were always clear and the warnings were shared with EU officials as work started on the AI Act.

“Our recommendation back then was that we should also regulate AI systems that have a range of uses,” said Kris Shrishak, technology fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. But he said it was also just as important to identify the risks from generative AI systems once they are deployed.

AJK MARKS PAKiStAn DAy with fERvOR tODAy

mirpur

Staff RepoRt

tHEgovernment of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has announced that they will be celebrating Pakistan Day on March 23rd with great enthusiasm and passion, and a gazetted holiday will be observed on this day across the region.

The national flag of Pakistan will be hoisted on all small and major private and public buildings.

According to an official, special Pakistan Day flag-hoisting ceremonies will be held in all small and major cities of the liberated territory, which will be the hallmark of the day. The major flag-hoisting

ceremonies will take place in all district headquarters, including Muzaffarabad, Neelam Valley, Mirpur, Bhimbher, Kotli, Bagh, Sudhnoti and Rawalakot,

SC warns of intervention against malicious intent in holding ‘transparent’ polls in KP, Punjab

Continued from page 01

The tribunal argued the court had mandated it in Workers Party of Pakistan v. Federation of Pakistan to take pre-emptive measures against corrupt practices or any possibility of them, so that elections could be conducted in accordance with the law.

During the hearing Wednesday, the petitioner withdrew the plea, and the court disposed of the case.

Umar Ata Bandial, the chief justice, observed the interim government of Mohsin Naqvi in Punjab is making transfers with the permission of the commission. He further added that the ECP has the authority to give transfer orders to the administration, but it should not give them a free hand in making transfers as it is important for all political parties to have a level playing field during elections.

Bandial clarified that the Supreme Court’s remarks are often misinterpreted, citing an example where Parliament misinterpreted their statement about an “honest prime minister” in 1988, referring to Muhammad Khan Junejo. Bandial also expressed concern the Supreme Court was being “maligned” through leaked audio tapes against judges.

“The Supreme Court is a constitutional institution which is being maligned through [secretly recorded] audio tapes,” said the judge. He emphasised that the court will work patiently to protect the institution from such defamation.

He also dismissed the leaked tapes defaming constitutional institutions as insignificant and added that it was unfortunate that false allegations had been made against the judges.

The CJP questioned the authenticity of the audio and video tapes and expressed the Supreme Court’s leniency in handling such matters. dogar’s transfer as ccpo Lahore:

Dogar, a BS-21 officer, was initially recalled by the federal government in September 2022. The seemingly surprising move came after the Lahore police had booked two PML-N ministers, as well as two senior officials of state-run PTV, on terrorism charges for allegedly “fanning religious hatred” against former premier Imran Khan and “endangering his life”.

However, the then-Punjab CM Ch Pervaiz Elahi had stopped Dogar from relinquishing the charge, saying the federal government can neither remove nor transfer him. Dogar was also famously filmed meeting

Hattiyaan and Haveili districts. In Mirpur district, the grand national flag unfurling ceremony will take place on Thursday morning at the lawn of Mirpur Municipal Corporation. Mirpur Division Commissioner Shaukat Chaudhry will hoist the flags of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in a colourful ceremony.

A well-uniformed contingent of AJK Police will present a salute to the national flags of Pakistan and AJK.

On this occasion, the people of Azad Kashmir and Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir will simultaneously pray for the stability, security, affluence, and swift progress of Pakistan, as well as the early success of the Kashmiri freedom struggle.

then chief minister Parvez Elahi deferentially after defying the Centre’s orders to report to the federal government. Following a back-and-forth, the federal government suspended him in early November for apparently not ensuring the security of the Governor House during a violent protest by PTI workers against the assassination attempt on Imran during his party’s long march.

He was then reinstated as the Lahore CCPO as per a Supreme Court directive issued on Dec 2, 2022.

Dogar had been appointed as the head of the joint investigation team (JIT) probing the Wazirabad attack on Imran. In early January, he had proposed departmental action against four senior members of the panel after they said there was no proof that there were multiple shooters, despite the PTI’s assertions.

He had also proposed action against two other senior police officers, including Gujrat District Police Officer Syed Ghazanfar Ali Shah and a Counter Terrorism Department senior superintendent of police — who was not part of the probe team — for allegedly recording a video statement of the prime suspect arrested from the attack spot and leaking it to the media.

Dogar’s allegations had followed a letter the four members had written to him, expressing reservations over the way he had been trying to influence the investigation process.

Then on Jan 23, the newly installed caretaker Punjab government replaced Dogar with Bilal Siddique Kamyana as the new CCPO.

No More Hunger - Let's Unite to End Food Insecurity on Pakistan Day!

On the auspicious occasion of Pakistan Day, Unity Foods reaffirms its dedication to the sustainable development of the country, with a focus on the critical issue of food security. The cornerstone of a prosperous society is the basic need for food security, which is why Unity Foods has launched the Taqatwar Pakistan Program. The primary goal of this program is to facilitate access to fundamental human necessities, specifically food, in order to address the essential need for sustenance.

Unity Foods recognizes that addressing food insecurity requires a holistic approach. Therefore, the company has implemented a multifaceted strategy that

includes investing in local agriculture and working with farmers to increase productivity. The company also supports research on new farming techniques and technologies that can help improve crop yields.

In addition to this, Unity Foods is committed to raising awareness about the importance of proper nutrition and healthy eating habits. Through partnerships with local health organizations and community outreach programs, the company aims to educate people about the benefits of a well-balanced diet.

The Taqatwar Pakistan Program is an analogy to the fact that the strength of a nation lies in its people, and

ECP puts off Punjab elections till October amid ‘security threats’

Continued from page 01

Unity Foods is committed to ensuring that every citizen has access to the basic necessities of life. The program's success relies on the collaboration and support of valued customers, esteemed partners, and dedicated employees who have supported the company's mission to build a sustainable future for all Pakistanis.

As we celebrate Pakistan Day, Unity Foods is proud to be part of the country's journey towards a brighter future. The company remains steadfast in its commitment to combat food insecurity and malnutrition in Pakistan and will continue to work tirelessly towards achieving this goal.

In a mammoth public gathering in November last year, former prime minister Imran Khan had announced that his party would disassociate itself from the “current corrupt political system” by quitting the two provincial assemblies where PTI was in power. Despite several obstacles put up by the coalition government, the Punjab and KP assemblies were dissolved on Jan 14 and Jan 18, respectively. Under the law, the elections are to be held within 90 days after the dissolution of assemblies. That means April 14 and April 17 were the deadlines for holding general elections to Punjab and KP assemblies, but the two governors instead of setting dates for elections after receiving the proposal from the ECP had advised the commission to consult stakeholders. LegaL experts, activists equate postponement to vioLation of constitution: Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said that the postponement of the election was such a gruesome violation of the Constitution which could provide the basis for martial law in the country. He said that those who would violate the Constitution would be dealt under Article 6 of the Constitution. “This would be [Justice] ‘Munir moment’ for any judge who would condone this act. The CJP can rise to the occasion and it could be [Justice] Bandial moment,” he told a TV talk show. He argued that if there is no government after 90 days in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces which constitute 70 percent of Pakistan .. because the caretaker governments will have no power and they would have to go home. He asserted that if this postponement was accepted, the Chief Election Commissioner would have the nod to do any illegal act in the future under article 254. Barrister Ahmed Pansota said that the decision to withdraw the election schedule and delaying the date of general elections in Punjab by the ECP was in gross violation of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 along-with the Supreme Court’s Judgment on the subject. “Article 218(3) doesn’t empower the ECP to do so,” he added. Fawad Chaudhry said that the Constitution and Supreme Court of Pakistan had been demolished by subjugation of the Constitution and now the country had no constitution to be followed. Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar posted a tweet, stating, “Delaying of the elections by the ECP is a blatant mockery of the constitution. ECP surely has decided this on the wishes of the govt and the establishment which are terrified of the polls. With already a tarnished reputation sadly ECP now has no credibility left”. Global Public Policy activist Mosharraf Zaidi wrote, “This is a deliberate and malafide violation of the Constitution. A timely, free and fair election remains the only legal way forward. Those behind this manoeuvre will not hesitate to postpone the general election either. This is a formula for further disarray,” he added.

‘voLatiLe Law, order briefs Led ecp to postponement’: Chief secretaries and inspectorsgeneral of the two provinces during meetings with the ECP had said they were short of police force and talked of terrorism threats, making out a case for putting off elections. The finance division had also expressed its inability to provide funds and the interior ministry told the ECP that the army and civil armed forces will not be available.

PM foresees eConoMiC booM in THar as 1,650MW CoaL PLanTs inauguraTed

PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY FROM COAL IN THAR WILL NOW INCREASE UP TO 3,300MW

pROfiT app

PRIMEMinister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated two coal-fired power plants in Tharparker with a capacity of 1,650 megawatt of electricity generation, saying that the projects would turn the desert into an economic hub.

The projects including the 1,320 megawatt Shanghai Electric power plant and 330 MW Thal Nova power plant will annually generate 11.24 billion units of low-cost electricity. Through the direct investment of $3.53 billion into these projects, the production of coalbased electricity in Thar will increase up to 3,300 MW.

Addressing the launch event at the Islamkot area of Thar, the prime minister said it was a moment of celebration for the entire country that the desert of Tharparker was getting a source of basic facilities for life.

He dismissed the criticism by a section of people against Thar’s coal, terming it a blessing with immense potential for power resources that needed to be untapped.

He expressed confidence that the journey of progress would spread across the country and would strengthen the national economy.

The projects, which were abandoned during the last four years, are being made operational on the directive of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

PM Sharif said by April 30, the power turbines would be installed at the projects to generate electricity, which would be supplied to the rest of the country through transmission lines.

He expressed gratitude to the government of China for extending support to Pakistan in carrying out development projects under the CPEC.

He vowed that the coalition government would put in all efforts to materialize the CPEC projects, with the agriculture sector as its next phase.

Balochistan High Court extends suspension of Imran’s arrest warrant

QUETTA staff report

The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Wednesday granted extension in suspension of non-bailable arrest warrants issued for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman

Imran Khan by a Quetta judicial magistrate in a case of hate speech against state institutions and officers.

Justice Rozi Khan Barrech of Balochistan

High Court heard the PTI petition seeking dismissal of an FIR registered in Quetta against Imran Khan. The petition was filed by organizer of the Insaf Lawyers Forum Iqbal Shah.

The petitioner contended that case against Imran Khan was baseless. The incident did not happen in Quetta, he argued. He said legal requirements had not been fulfilled while registering the FIR against Imran Khan.

During hearing of the case, the BHC or-

He announced a hospital for the people of Tharparker to provide them with medical facilities at their doorsteps.

The prime minister said no one was above the law and would not be allowed to support terrorists and use them as shields. Condemning yesterday’s terrorist incidents that targeted military personnel, he said the malicious agenda of the enemies of Pakistan would be foiled.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the project could be materialized as the federal government and the Sindh government worked in harmony to facilitate the masses.

He expressed satisfaction over the level of cooperation between Pakistan and China on carrying out development projects, which he said, had resulted in the improvement of health and educational facilities.

Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastagir said the pluralist government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was committed to providing civic amenities to the people across the country.

dered authorities concerned to furnish record of all cases registered under that particular offence. The court also extended suspension of arrest warrants against Imran Khan till next hearing date.

Earlier, Quetta police had lodged a case against the former prime minister at the Bijli Road police station for alleged hate speech against state institutions.

A Quetta police team was dispatched to Lahore to arrest Imran in compliance with a court order. The PTI had then approached the high court, seeking cancellation of Imran’s warrants.

BHC’s Justice Zaheer-Ud-Din Kakar had suspended the warrants for two weeks after listening to arguments from the petitioner’s lawyer.

Notices were issued to Quetta inspector general of police, director investigation, senior superintendent (legal), the station house officer and the complainant.

He said under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the development of indigenous resources was a big step towards self-reliance and was also valuable for the foreign exchange of the country.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the political and economic interests of Pakistan and China were aligned for the benefit of the two nations.

He termed the completion of the Thar Coal project a success for all stakeholders from both countries.

Chinese Charge d’Affaires Pang Chunxue said the commercial operation of the Thar coal project ranked high among other coal-fired power plants. She assured all possible cooperation by the government of China in the field of development and progress.

Shanghai Electric Power Company Limited is the executing agency of the projects, while the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) is the coordinating ministry, and Private Power and Infrastructure Board is the supervising agency.

LHC orders release of Toshakhana record from 1990 to 2001 to public

LAHORE staff report

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered the government to release the complete record of foreign gifts received by members of successive governments of Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto between 1990 and 2001 to the public, despite the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition’s opposition. The case centres on a government department known as Toshakhana — which during the Mughal era referred to the treasure houses kept by the subcontinent’s princely rulers to store and display gifts lavished on them.

Government officials must declare all gifts to the Cabinet Division, but are allowed to keep those below a certain value. More expensive items must go to Toshakhana under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division, but in some cases, the recipient can buy them back at around 50 percent of their value — a discount Imran Khan raised from 20 percent while in office.

Earlier this month, the federal government made public the Toshakhana record from 2002 onwards, which revealed the names of the politicians, civil servants, and journalists who have benefited from the depository. During the hearing on Wednesday, Justice Asim Hafeez directed the authorities to reveal the name of the friendly nations that gifted the items, adding that nothing should be kept hidden from the public view. However, the government objected to sharing the source of the gifts and expressed its intention to challenge the verdict.

‘Murtaza Bhutto assassination-like plot’ afoot to kill me, claims Imran Khan

LAHORE staff report

Former prime minister and Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday claimed another “plot has been hatched to kill him in a manner similar to the assassination of Murtaza Bhutto,” elaborating on the “operation” would take place outside Lahore’s Zaman Park either today or tomorrow (Thursday).

“What is the plan? That there is another operation outside Zaman Park either today or tomorrow [Thursday] They have formed two squads who will mingle with our people, and then shoot and kill four to five police officials”, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said while addressing workers and supporters through video link on Wednesday.

He alleged that the police chiefs of Islamabad and Punjab, and their “handlers” had hatched this new plot to be executed

outside his residence in Zaman Park.

Addressing his party workers, Imran called on them to not take part in any violence. “Whatever they do, we will not do anything….. This time if they try to provoke you, you will not give any kind of reaction.”

Imran said he was ready to go to jail but did not want bloodshed. “That is why I am again telling workers to not participate in any violence.”

Imran Khan went on to say this would then prompt an attack from the other side which would open fire. He said that PTI workers would be killed in a Model Townlike situation before he (Imran) would be killed in a manner similar to the assassination of Murtaza Bhutto.

“This is the plan. This will happen either today or tomorrow. I want to tell everyone. I want to tell the Punjab police that they will kill five of your people just for an excuse to attack”, he revealed.

“What is happening here is beyond my understanding,” the PTI chief said in today’s video address.

On Saturday, hours-long clashes were reported between PTI workers and the capital police after the former prime minister arrived at Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana case. As Imran left his Zaman Park residence to appear before the judge, a heavy contingent of police also launched a search operation at his house.

Referring to the attempt on his life in Wazirabad, he reiterated that he had predicted it earlier in his rallies. He alleged that the evidence of the incident was being erased, adding that the record of the joint investigation team (JIT) was also being destroyed.

“Now another plan has been hatched. I am telling everyone, the judiciary [and] especially Punjab police.”